ONLINE REFLECTION, ST. PAUL’S, FOLEY – PROPER 18, YEAR A
SEPTEMBER 6, 2020
TEXT: Exodus 12:1-14
Collect for the Day – Proper 18
It is easy to lose sight of the historic roots of some of our traditions. We might need to be reminded of them occasionally.
Baptism has its roots in various parts of our faith history: baptism of conversion; baptism for the repentance and forgiveness of sins; baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus; and baptism to receive the Holy Spirit.
Likewise, ordination. I was reminded 33 years ago of just how deep those roots are. The act of ordination – setting aside for God’s service – can be traced at least to the selection and dedication of the seven deacons in the Book of Acts.
Unction – or prayers for healing – may be traced to Jesus’ own healing acts, found in each of the gospels.
But the Eucharist is unique. In the lesson from Exodus today, we have described to us the 3,200 year roots of that central sacrament of the church. It began in the bondage of Egypt, with the great sacrament of deliverance – the original Passover meal. God was preparing the people to be delivered from the hands of Pharaoh and his oppressive overseers. It involved a sacred meal, shared with family and friends – with a sacrificed lamb at the center of the ritual.
Twelve hundred years later, in three of the four gospels, Jesus altered the symbolism. It was still the Passover. It was still a meal of deliverance out of bondage. There was still a sacrificial lamb – but this time, the lamb was Jesus. His body and blood became the central elements of the meal.
We celebrate that sacred meal – that deliverance from sin and death – each time we reenact that first Passover meal in the Holy Eucharist. Like the first observers of that ancient tradition, we still need deliverance – not from the whip of Pharaoh, but from sin, burdens, and the limitations of human existence.
The next time you approach the Holy Table, eat the body, drink the blood, and celebrate your victory of deliverance.
No comments:
Post a Comment