When Moses came to the people and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all answered with one voice, "We will do everything that the LORD has told us." Moses then wrote down all the words of the LORD and, rising early the next day, he erected at the foot of the mountain an altar and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then, having sent certain young men of the Israelites to offer holocausts and sacrifice young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD, Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls; the other half he splashed on the altar. Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people, who answered, "All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do." Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying, "This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words of his."
Second reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews Heb 9:11-15
Brothers and sisters: When Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation, he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.
For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant: since a death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY From the Gospel according to Mark Mk 14:12-16, 22-26
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?" He sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"' Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there." The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover. While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER When we celebrate the Mass, we are not representing the Last Supper. The Mass is not a representation; it is something else. It truly is the Last Supper; it is truly living again the redemptive passion and death of Our Lord. It is a visible manifestation: the Lord makes himself present on the altar to be offered to the Father for the salvation of the world”. We hear and we say, ‘I cannot now, I have to go to Mass, I have to go to listen to Mass’. But you do not listen to Mass, you participate in it. (Santa Marta, 10 February 2014)
FAUSTI- "Here, prepare for us" Jesus says to his disciples, indicating how to find a place for the feast. It's Thursday, the eve of Easter. Four times the verb "prepare" is used and four times the word Easter. We must therefore divide what the Master calls "my resting place, where I can eat Easter with my disciples". The whole Gospel of Mark is a long introduction to the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and it wants to take us to this place, where we can celebrate the Eucharist, our Easter. The passage suggests the necessary steps we must take to prepare for the Lord's Supper. Like the account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, this is also narrated twice, first as a prophecy and then as the fulfilment of that prophecy. 1- We must first know what Easter is, because the Christian Eucharist is comprehensible only in its light, the fulfilment of that liberation of which the Exodus is promised. 2 - We must also be aware that this liberation has a high price: the blood of the Lamb sacrificed who is Christ. 3 - Jesus foresees what is coming and faces it with conscience. We must therefore know that his death is not an accident or a terrible surprise, but a budgeted cost: his Life for our life! 4 - Finally, Jesus not only knows, but he wants freely, indeed he pre-orders everything, exactly as in the scene of his entry into Jerusalem. 5 - In addition to this, the disciple must also look for the upper room: this is the central problem of the chapter. The man with the jug of water, the figure of the one who leads to baptism, will show how to find this place "where" you can eat, which means living with the Lord His own Easter. No one is more lost than the one who does not know where he is. One knows where he is if he knows where he comes from and where he is going. Man is always on the way, a sensible way because the journey begins at home and then returns home. "This is my Body. This is my Blood of the Covenant," says Jesus over the bread and wine at the last meal with his disciples. A sacrifice, whatever it may be, from man to God, is part of every religion. Christianity, on the other hand, is founded on God's sacrifice for man. The last Easter of Jesus becomes the Lamb's Supper, the feast in which we feed on Him, remember His Passion and drink of His Spirit and receive the pledge of future glory. "The summit and source of all Christian life "the Eucharist is truly everything and gives us everything" is all creation that becomes the Body of the Son, it is all humanity assumed in His flesh, it is God who gives Himself to man. The disciple knows his unworthiness and the dignity of the Gift and lives these distances with joyful love, adoring silence and songs of praise. It is filial life, the source of fraternal life. Around the table, in Communion with Him, the Community is born among us. If it is true that the Church incarnates the Eucharist, it is because even before the Eucharist gave birth to the Church.
First reading from the Book of Exodus
RispondiEliminaEx 24:3-8
When Moses came to the people
and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD,
they all answered with one voice,
"We will do everything that the LORD has told us."
Moses then wrote down all the words of the LORD and,
rising early the next day,
he erected at the foot of the mountain an altar
and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
Then, having sent certain young men of the Israelites
to offer holocausts and sacrifice young bulls
as peace offerings to the LORD,
Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls;
the other half he splashed on the altar.
Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people,
who answered, "All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do."
Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying,
"This is the blood of the covenant
that the LORD has made with you
in accordance with all these words of his."
Second reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews
Heb 9:11-15
Brothers and sisters:
When Christ came as high priest
of the good things that have come to be,
passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle
not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation,
he entered once for all into the sanctuary,
not with the blood of goats and calves
but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.
For if the blood of goats and bulls
and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes
can sanctify those who are defiled
so that their flesh is cleansed,
how much more will the blood of Christ,
who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God,
cleanse our consciences from dead works
to worship the living God.
For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant:
since a death has taken place for deliverance
from transgressions under the first covenant,
those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Mark
Mk 14:12-16, 22-26
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
when they sacrificed the Passover lamb,
Jesus’ disciples said to him,
"Where do you want us to go
and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
He sent two of his disciples and said to them,
"Go into the city and a man will meet you,
carrying a jar of water.
Follow him.
Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house,
'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room
where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'
Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready.
Make the preparations for us there."
The disciples then went off, entered the city,
and found it just as he had told them;
and they prepared the Passover.
While they were eating,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, gave it to them, and said,
"Take it; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them,
and they all drank from it.
He said to them,
"This is my blood of the covenant,
which will be shed for many.
Amen, I say to you,
I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine
until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Then, after singing a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
RispondiEliminaWhen we celebrate the Mass, we are not representing the Last Supper. The Mass is not a representation; it is something else. It truly is the Last Supper; it is truly living again the redemptive passion and death of Our Lord. It is a visible manifestation: the Lord makes himself present on the altar to be offered to the Father for the salvation of the world”. We hear and we say, ‘I cannot now, I have to go to Mass, I have to go to listen to Mass’. But you do not listen to Mass, you participate in it. (Santa Marta, 10 February 2014)
FAUSTI- "Here, prepare for us" Jesus says to his disciples, indicating how to find a place for the feast. It's Thursday, the eve of Easter. Four times the verb "prepare" is used and four times the word Easter. We must therefore divide what the Master calls "my resting place, where I can eat Easter with my disciples". The whole Gospel of Mark is a long introduction to the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and it wants to take us to this place, where we can celebrate the Eucharist, our Easter.
RispondiEliminaThe passage suggests the necessary steps we must take to prepare for the Lord's Supper. Like the account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, this is also narrated twice, first as a prophecy and then as the fulfilment of that prophecy.
1- We must first know what Easter is, because the Christian Eucharist is comprehensible only in its light, the fulfilment of that liberation of which the Exodus is promised.
2 - We must also be aware that this liberation has a high price:
the blood of the Lamb sacrificed who is Christ.
3 - Jesus foresees what is coming and faces it with conscience. We must therefore know that his death is not an accident or a terrible surprise, but a budgeted cost: his Life for our life!
4 - Finally, Jesus not only knows, but he wants freely, indeed he pre-orders everything, exactly as in the scene of his entry into Jerusalem.
5 - In addition to this, the disciple must also look for the upper room: this is the central problem of the chapter. The man with the jug of water, the figure of the one who leads to baptism, will show how to find this place "where" you can eat, which means living with the Lord His own Easter. No one is more lost than the one who does not know where he is.
One knows where he is if he knows where he comes from and where he is going.
Man is always on the way, a sensible way because the journey begins at home and then returns home.
"This is my Body. This is my Blood of the Covenant," says Jesus over the bread and wine at the last meal with his disciples. A sacrifice, whatever it may be, from man to God, is part of every religion.
Christianity, on the other hand, is founded on God's sacrifice for man.
The last Easter of Jesus becomes the Lamb's Supper, the feast in which we feed on Him, remember His Passion and drink of His Spirit and receive the pledge of future glory.
"The summit and source of all Christian life "the Eucharist is truly everything and gives us everything" is all creation that becomes the Body of the Son, it is all humanity assumed in His flesh, it is God who gives Himself to man.
The disciple knows his unworthiness and the dignity of the Gift and lives these distances with joyful love, adoring silence and songs of praise. It is filial life, the source of fraternal life.
Around the table, in Communion with Him, the Community is born among us.
If it is true that the Church incarnates the Eucharist, it is because even before the Eucharist gave birth to the Church.