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FEAST OF PESAHA - CULMINATION OF OLD PESAHA COMMENCED IN EGYPT
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While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is My body." And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. (St. Mark 14:22-24)
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The Old Testament Peshaha (Passover), utilizing the blood of lambs, provided the people of Israel physical protection. Conversely, the New Testament Peshaha grants believers liberation from sin and death. We perceive the New Testament Peshaha as the ultimate fulfillment of the Old Testament foreshadowing (a memory). While the old was a foreshadowing, the new is the reality. The sacrifice of the animal in Egypt has been replaced by the true flesh and blood of the Lamb of God (Lord Jesus Christ). It is not a mere symbol; through the Holy Spirit, bread and wine are truly converted into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, which we receive in the Holy Qurbana. The New Testament Peshaha is not a metaphor but the real presence of Jesus' blood and flesh received in the Sacrament.
The Mystical Supper refers to the great wonder wherein Jesus, being truly God, became man and entered this world, and - just as the bread and wine, which we see as bread and wine, are converted into the true Body and Blood of the Lord - this is celebrated. Throughout the Peshaha (Passover/Maundy Thursday) services, we refer to this many times as the Mystical Supper. Thus, by removing the old covenant, we are now given a New Testament through Peshaha, which is an unrepeatable sacrifice. In the timespan from Egypt to the furnished upper room, animal sacrifices were offered repeatedly using the blood of animals. However, the sacrificial act in the furnished upper room is unrepeatable because it took place only once, for all mankind, for all time until the end of the world. It was accomplished forever, once and for all. As Epistle Hebrews 10:10 says: 'By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all'.
Again, this sacrifice is given to us by God for the remission of sins, the forgiveness of debt, and the renewal of life. In the Old Testament, people offered bloody sacrifices for the remission of sin. The sin that entered humanity through the disobedience of the first man is being removed by the obedience of the Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ. This sacrifice tears up the "debt certificate" (record of debt) of the first man, Adam. This sacrifice is not just for one man, but for the entire human race.
We are washed and cleansed with the blood of the little lamb. This sacrifice leads us to eternal life, whereas the Old Testament sacrifices did not offer eternal life. The fruit of life, which was forbidden to Adam, is now being given to man in the upper, furnished mansion for a heavenly dwelling.
The Holy Qurbana unifies us with God and alienates us from enmity. This sacrifice amalgamates humanity with God in heaven, removing the boundary between God and man. Through this sacrifice, God comes down to dwell within us, and we are amalgamated with the heavenly God. This sacrifice makes us shareholders of heaven. This is a great mercy of God.
This sacrifice is the bridge that elevates us to the Kingdom of God and armor that secures us against the strength of our enemies. No one who participates in this sacrifice will ever have cause for shame. The Holy Fathers of the Church identify Christ as an exceptional Bridegroom. There is no bridegroom in this world who gave his body and blood as the wedding feast to a bride - nor is that even possible. But Jesus gave His flesh and blood as food for His bride. There is no bridegroom who gave his blood as a dowry to his bride, but Christ did. There is no bridegroom in the world who gave his life as a ransom to his bride, but Christ did.
Pesaha (Last Passover) was a great gathering held during the lifetime of our Lord Jesus Christ. The twelve apostles, along with the entire group that followed Him, participated in this significant congregation in the furnished upper room, where they usually assembled for the breaking of bread. This Pesaha should also mark a time of assembly and gathering in our lives - as a family, as a parish, and as a Church. We should bring this communal experience into our homes and families, particularly in our current time, which witnesses the breakdown of family relationships. Instead of an atmosphere of selfishness, now is the time to sit together, eat, share our love, care for one another, and encourage others. Let God bless us all.
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