In our Gospel Reading from St. Luke, we see that Jesus makes specific plans so that everything would be properly prepared in order that He would be able to share in the feast of the Passover with His disciples and closest followers. “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer…” (Lk 22:15). They could not have begun to know, let alone understand any more than we could have, the greatness of the Father’s covenant that was about to be fulfilled for all mankind in His only begotten Son.
During the Passover time, the residents of Jerusalem opened their dwellings to the pilgrims traveling to the feast. Historical critical analysis suggests that the population of Jerusalem would nearly double to between 2 and 3 million people during this time. There would be no cost for their lodging and the sharing of their food with each other, host and guest alike, was the proper etiquette for this tradition. The menu for the feast was specific, consisting a roasted lamb, five herbs, olives, honey, unleavened bread and wine, which had not changed since the time of the Exodus.
Now the better houses had two levels, and the upper room of such a house was often used by the owner to invite a Rabbi to recline at meal with his devoted students to study scripture and talk with them about the lessons and examples for knowing and living their faith. Jesus had procured such a room and sent Peter and John to Jerusalem ahead of them to look for a man with a water jar. This would make it easier for the disciples to find this person in the crowed city as it was rare for a man to be carrying water which was typically, if not exclusively, the women who filled the water jars (jugs) and carried them to and from the home. So they found what had been arranged and proceeded to prepare for the meal, “Then they went off and found everything exactly as He had told them, and there they prepared the Passover.”(Lk 22:13).
Jesus opened His heart to them, sharing a vision of His suffering and the fulfillment of the Father’s covenant. And behold, with the breaking of the bread and by our Lord’s own words, we are given the sacrament of the Eucharist - the new covenant of salvation.
And yet, with all that was about to be bestowed on them by His suffering, death and resurrection, one among them continued his plot to betray Him while the others argued as to whom is the greatest among them. Now a covenant is a contract that depends on all parties keeping the pledge of their commitment which wasn’t happening here and sad to say, but there are times when we too fail to live up to our pledge, the times when we place a greater importance on our lives ahead of the gifts of God’s grace and mercy for us.
There are those times when we forget or at least take for granted what the Pascal sacrifice has bestowed upon us. Fortunately, we have the sacraments of reconciliation to cleanse our soul and the opportunity to remember Christ, to come to the peace and the joy of His house to receive Him in the Eucharist that He instituted for us. And for this coming week, we will commemorate and hopefully, give thanks for all the love and mercy of the Father.
But we must ask ourselves, is it enough to honor our Lord with the observance of Palm Sunday and Holy week, or by our commitment in prayer and reflection to dedicate this time to be an enlightening wisdom of our faith? The obvious answer is that it should be both. Can we connect more strongly with His will for us in a simple labor done well, a cheerful and welcoming attitude towards others or our help for those more in need than us? Let us see in the Lenten and Easter seasons the celebrations that they truly are, to be able to use this time in the light of God’s divine mercy to guide us in how we approach our daily lives.
God bless,
Deacon Joe Whiston