Grace Thompson
The Passover Seder meal is a Jewish festival commemorating the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. It involves a meal and rituals that are observed by Jews of all classes and ways of thinking with the same eagerness as Christians do for Christmas. The Passover Seder meal has been celebrated for over 4000 years, and while it is not a Catholic tradition, some Catholic families may choose to participate in a Seder meal to deepen their understanding of the Passion of Christ and the Last Supper.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Passover meal, Seder meal, Last Supper |
| Observance | Old-Testament observance commemorating the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt |
| Participants | Catholics, Jews |
| Purpose | To extend appreciation of the Passover and the Christian understanding of the Last Supper and Easter |
| Food | Lamb, unleavened bread, vegetables, bitter herbs, salt water, wine |
| Utensils | Special dishes and cutlery |
| Clothing | Best clothes |
| Timing | Begins in the evening after all the festival candles have been lit |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Duration | 7 days |
| Start date | Fourteenth day of Nisan (a lunar month which roughly corresponds with the latter part of March and the first part of April) |
| End date | Twenty-first day of Nisan |
| Preparatory activities | Housecleaning, inviting guests, scheduling, decorations, music |
| Conversation topics | Questions about the meal's unique characteristics, e.g. "Why do we eat only unleavened bread?" |
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What You'll Learn
The Seder meal
Some Catholics choose to participate in a Seder meal during Holy Week to gain a better understanding of the Mass and its roots in the Old Testament. However, the practice is controversial within the Catholic community, with some believing that hosting a Seder meal goes against their faith. Instead, they argue that the focus should be on the New Passover, which is receiving the Eucharist.
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The Last Supper
In the context of Catholicism, some families may choose to have a seder meal similar to the Passover to deepen their understanding of the Passion of Christ. This practice is meant to be educational and foster an appreciation of the Passover in relation to the Christian understanding of the Last Supper and Easter. However, there are differing opinions among Catholics regarding the appropriateness of hosting or participating in a seder meal, with some viewing it as a denial of their faith.
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The Jewish Passover
The festival begins in the evening after all the candles have been lit. The youngest person present asks a series of questions to initiate the celebration, such as "Why is this night different from all other nights?" and "Why do we eat bitter herbs?". These questions prompt the retelling of the story of the Exodus, with the father of the family reading from the book called Haggadah (Hebrew for 'retelling'). The story recounts how the Jews escaped from slavery in Egypt and made their way to the Promised Land, guided by Moses.
The meal itself includes various symbolic foods, such as unleavened bread, bitter herbs dipped in salt water, and a lamb sacrificed as part of the festival. The father of the family eats his portion of bitter herbs, then dips more in salt water and passes them around for others to eat. He then takes the unleavened bread, breaks it in half, and hides one half under a pillow, to be eaten after supper. The other half is then shared, and all present stand and lift the dish, chanting: "This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in Egypt".
In addition to the meal, there are special prayers said throughout the celebration. One such prayer is: "Blessed art thou, Lord our God, Master of the universe, who has kept us alive and sustained us and has brought us to this special time". The evening concludes with traditional Passover songs.
In preparation for the festival, each family cleans their house and oven, gathers special dishes and cutlery used only for special occasions, and invites relatives and friends to join them. Everyone wears their best clothes, and the supper table is carefully set with the Haggadah and other symbolic items.
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The Christian Pasch
The Passover Seder is a Jewish festival commemorating the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. It is a celebration of freedom from slavery, as Moses led the Jews to the Promised Land. The festival involves a meal and is traditionally kicked off by the youngest person present, who asks a series of questions, such as "Why is this night different from all other nights?" and "Why do we eat bitter herbs?". The father of the family reads the story of the Exodus, and the meal is then shared, with traditional foods including unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and a lamb that has been sacrificed.
The Passover Seder is also significant to Christians, as Jesus and his disciples ate a Passover meal together before Jesus' Passion and Death. This final Passover meal is known as the Last Supper and is recounted in all four scriptural Gospels.
While some Catholics argue that participating in a seder meal is educational and helps to illustrate the connections between the Old Testament and the New Testament, others believe that Catholics should not host seder meals as a form of liturgy, as it could be seen as denying their faith.
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The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
The Mass is considered the most powerful form of prayer in the Catholic Church. It is a complex ritual with a deep history rooted in the Jewish Passover and the Last Supper, which was the first Eucharist, or Holy Communion. The Mass is a communal meal, a memorial, a sacrifice, and a real and true form of worship.
The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. It is the centre of Catholic life and worship and is celebrated daily, though most Catholics attend Mass weekly on the Lord's Day, Sunday. The Mass is made up of two parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
The Liturgy of the Word involves readings from the Old and New Testaments, a psalm, a Gospel reading, and a homily or sermon. This is followed by the Liturgy of the Eucharist, which includes the presentation of bread and wine, the consecration of these elements, and their reception by the congregation.
The priest acts 'in persona Christi' (in the person of Christ) during the Mass, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. This change is called transubstantiation, and it is a core belief of the Catholic Church. The Eucharist is received by the faithful, completing the Communion rite.
The Mass concludes with a dismissal by the priest, sending the congregation out into the world to live out their Christian calling and share the Good News of the Gospel.
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Frequently asked questions
The Passover meal, or Seder, is a festival that commemorates the last meal of the Jewish people before their flight out of Egypt. The festival has been celebrated for over 4000 years and marks the Israelites' Exodus from Egypt.
A Catholic family can gain a deeper understanding of the Passion of Christ by having a Seder meal. This meal can help Catholics understand the significance of the Last Supper, which was a Passover meal shared by Jesus and his disciples before his death.
Preparation for a Catholic Passover meal includes housecleaning, inviting guests, scheduling, decorations, music, and preparing traditional foods.
