From today’s Scripture: “This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the Lord, as a perpetual institution.” —Ex 12:14

A friend of mine shared about a homily her husband, who is a deacon, preached recently. In it he shared about the connections between Passover and our Catholic understanding of the celebration of the Eucharist.

During Passover, the Jews are not reenacting an event from the past, rather, they are observing the feast by making it present again. On the feast of Passover, they experience a true Passover each year. We have a similar understanding of Jesus’ words, “Do this in remembrance of me.” When we celebrate the Eucharist, we are not reenacting an event from the past, and the Eucharist is not just a symbol. Jesus’ body, blood, soul and divinity is made present again, and again. Think of what a powerful experience the Passover is for the Jewish people—do we have a similar experience when we celebrate the Eucharist? Do we truly believe Jesus is present? For the Glenmary family, we also have the privilege of ensuring Jesus is present, and remembered, in new places. What a gift!

Let us pray: Thank you, God, for the gift of the Eucharist and the assurance that you are truly present at every Mass, and in every tabernacle, throughout the world. May we find strength in the Eucharist as we seek to glorify you in all that we do each day.

Today’s author is Julia Sauter, a member of Glenmary’s Development team. She holds a master’s degree in Ethics and Social Theory from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.

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