Exodus -- Passover -- connecting to our Mass

Exodus – Passover – Connecting to our Mass

        In our Confirmation Readiness Interviews there are some Bible stories with which the youth are asked to be familiar.  One of them is the Exodus story and its significance with Passover.

        In the story we talk about Moses’ birth, growing up in the Egyptian Pharaoh’s house, realizing he’s Hebrew, killing an Egyptian guard (who was beating an Israelite), running away from Egypt, getting connected with a wealthy family, conversing with God through the burning bush, his return to Egypt (to help free the Israelites), the plagues, freeing the Israelites (with the last of the plagues, the killing of the 1^st born), crossing the Red Sea, the 10 Commandments and the Promised Land.

        But Israelites are spared from plague # 10.  Their last meal included the “unleavened bread” and the roasted flesh of an “unblemished lamb”.  The blood of the lamb was rubbed on the doorposts (verticals) and lentil (horizontal); thus the Angel of Death “passed over” the Hebrew households.

        Pharaoh’s son was killed (Egyptians didn’t get the ‘blood on the doorposts’ message), and he is so enraged he tells Moses – get these people out of here.  So the blood of the unblemished lamb helps free the Israelites from their slavery.

        Our Mass, patterned after many things in Jewish history/heritage has several connections with the Exodus story.  One is Jesus, the unblemished Lamb of God (the sinless One) is sacrificed to reconnect us with the kingdom of God.  So Jesus shedding his blood frees us from the slavery of our sins.

        I have seen/heard this this story many times, but in these last few days (March 2020) God revealed something different.  I have been doing the Readiness Interviews for our Confirmation youth, so this story has come up several times.  Then on Sunday March 29^th, as I listened to the Mass God showed me something new.

        The significance of the “blood on the doorposts/lentil” became alive and renewed for me.  When we receive Holy Communion, and we receive the Precious Blood, even just touching our lips, the Blood of the Lamb of God marks us with protection from death and frees us into a connection with eternal life; saving us from our sins was a component of that.

        Jesus, in His own words (which I refer to as His mission statement) from John 10: 10 – “I came that you might have life, and have it abundantly (or “to the fullest” ).  Jesus’ objective was a bigger picture, to reconnect us with the kingdom of God, with eternal life.

Also crossing the Red Sea (a connection)

        As the Israelites fled from their slavery, Pharaoh’s Egyptian army chased them.  God gave them a dry path through the Red Sea, protecting them from Pharaoh’s army.  When the Israelites had crossed the Egyptian army was allowed to follow, into the riverbed, but their chariot wheels got stuck.  God, used Moses, to close up the riverbed, drowning all of Pharaoh’s army.

        We too, when connected with God, travel through, and our enemies do not.  We are blessed with our community connection with God and God’s family.

A huge part of our faith journey is to stay connected, and our call/challenge is to encourage and support one another to do the same.