Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!bcm!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: cms@dragon.uucp Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Passover for Christians Message-ID: Date: 6 Apr 91 06:32:05 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 72 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article , tom@dvnspc1.dev.unisys.com (Tom Albrecht) writes: > In article !fetherbay@ddtisvr.uucp (Kathy Fetherbay) writes: >>In article emory!dragon!cms@gatech.edu writes: >>> >>>. At our parish, we celebrate a Seder Meal on >>>Maundy Thursday. I was wondering if anyone out there celebrates the >>>Jewish Passover according to this Christian method? >> >>Yep, at St. Justin's in Santa Clara (CA). ... >> >>Our haggadah follows the modern seder, not really what Jesus would >>have enacted with his disciples. > > Then why bother? > > I'm curious as to why Christians, especially gentile Christians, would > institute this sort of tradition in their churches? It seems to me that > both the Biblical and historical evidence points to the passing away of the > Old Covenant (as symbolized by the Jewish Passover) in favor of the New > Covenant (represented by the Eucharist). The Passover was a type of the > ultimate work of God in delivering His people from the bondage of sin. > When the antitype appeared, the type was no longer necessary. In fact, the > type is, by definition, imperfect. There is beauty in the Eucharist; a beauty > not found in the Passover. In the Passover meal, each participant is invited to partake of three cups of wine. The first cup is the Cup of Sanctification when the Leader recalls the story of the Exodus. After much of the ceremony, we come to the second cup of wine, the Cup of Redemption in which we recall the promise of liberation. Then the meal is served. For the Liturgy for Maundy Thursday, the priest recalls the institution of the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. Then we read the Gospel and pray the prayers of intercession. Finally comes the third cup of wine, the Cup of Thanksgiving. After the prayers of thanksgiving, the people receive the Eucharist. In other words, the Eucharist _is_ the third Cup of Wine, the Cup of Thanksgiving. This is the purpose of the meal: To remember the events up to and including the Eucharist, incorporating the whole life of Christ, his life and death and resurrection, under the species of bread and wine. Rather than replacing Passover, Christianity fulfills all of its promises. Christianity is not divided into Jewish and Christian, rather Christian _is_ Jewish and Christian. > Jesus purpose in establishing His church was to universalize the truth of > God's revelation in a way that was impossible to do under the parochial > Jewish system of religion. Judaism was perfect, but only to a point. > Following the death and resurrection of Christ something superior was brought > into existence. That's where the Church comes in. > > Do those who favor such practices see religious (worship?) significance in > them? Does their institution unwittingly drive the Church back to the > imperfection of the Old Covenant? Or is it simply a harmless, sentimental > custom? As noted, it is a central custom. Generally, we celebrate the most important aspects of it every day (or every Sunday). Once per year we recall the full story so as not to forget where we came from nor where we are going. > Tom Albrecht -- Sincerely, Cindy Smith _///_ // SPAWN OF A JEWISH _///_ // _///_ // <`)= _<< CARPENTER _///_ //<`)= _<< <`)= _<< _///_ // \\\ \\ \\ _\\\_ <`)= _<< \\\ \\ \\\ \\ <`)= _<< >IXOYE=('> \\\ \\ \\\ \\_///_ // // /// _///_ // _///_ // emory!dragon!cms <`)= _<< _///_ // <`)= _<< <`)= _<< \\\ \\<`)= _<< \\\ \\ \\\ \\ GO AGAINST THE FLOW! \\\ \\ A Real Live Catholic in Georgia