The Jewish feast of the Passover commemorated and renewed the foundational experience of God's Chosen People of the Old Testament: their liberation from slavery in Egypt.
The first Passover occurred in the aftermath of Pharaoh's repeated refusals to set the Israelites free to worship the one, true God. Nine horrible and miraculous plagues wouldn't budge the stubborn Egyptian leader, so finally God sent his angel of death to slay every Egyptian firstborn male.
On that very night, every Israelite family was told to sacrifice a spotless lamb, mark the doorjambs of their dwellings with its blood, and feast upon it. The blood of the lamb signalled the presence of God's favour, and so the angel of death knew to "pass over" those families in the course of its destructive mission.
When Moses had successfully led his people out of Egypt, God gave the Israelites detailed instructions for the annual commemoration of the Passover event. Such a commemoration, the Passover Seder (or "supper," still celebrated by Jews) was the occasion for Christ's institution of the sacrament of the Eucharist.
St Mark records the words of Jesus by which he reveals that he is the true Passover lamb. Just as the Israelites in Egypt were saved from slavery by the lamb's sacrifice, so all men and women would be saved from sin by the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary, by the breaking of his body and the pouring out of his blood, out of love for us.
And just as the Israelites were to partake of the feast of the lamb, so all of Christ's followers are called to feast on his living body and blood through the Eucharist, in order to share intimately in his divine life. It is, truly, the bread that frees us from death, that nourishes in our souls the seed of eternal life that was planted there through baptism.
The Eucharist manifests Christ's Lordship over life and history: it extends his once-for-all sacrifice through all time and space. It also shows what kind of Lord he is: one who gives his life for those entrusted to his care, even for his Betrayer, Judas, who was right there at the Last Supper.
Another detail in St Mark's Gospel reiterates the central importance of the Eucharist. St Mark spends as much time describing the odd events that immediately led up to the Last Supper as he does describing the institution of the Eucharist itself.
What does the man carrying the water jar have to do with Christ's saving sacrifice? Some scholars surmise that Jesus kept the location of the Last Supper secret in order to insure that his enemies wouldn't be able to apprehend him there. If he had said openly where they would be gathered, Judas would have been able to tip off the Jewish leaders.
Other scholars point out that carrying water was a woman's task in ancient Palestine, so finding a man carrying water subtly indicates the new order of things that Christ is about to establish.
Whatever scholars may say, however, one thing is clear: Jesus knew exactly how this last evening with his Apostles was going to pan out. His instructions about finding the place for their celebration show that the occurrences of that evening were not left up to chance. Every word, every action was part of a drama being directed by God, most especially the highlight - the institution of the Eucharist.
This was no ordinary supper, no traditional celebration: the images and shadows of the Old Covenant would give way this night to the fullness of the New and Everlasting Covenant, which is renewed during every Mass.
The Eucharist, the sacramental foreshadowing and prolongation of Calvary, is no abstract symbol; it is the ultimate reality towards which all other symbols converge.
That is the cosmic meaning of the Eucharist, but what is its personal meaning for each one of us? It is the super-abundant revelation of God's unconditional, undying, personal love for each and every one of us.
Christ gave his disciples bread, which had become his own body. Then he gave them wine, which had become his blood. He did this for their sake, and for the sake of all who would be saved from the slavery to sin.
What greater gift could he have given them, and through them, to us? Christ continues to take, bless, break, and give the bread and wine that are his body and blood - he does it through the priests of his Church, because he wants to stay with us and be our life, strength, and hope.
And this gift has no strings attached.
Jesus gives it even though we are undeserving - like Judas, we have betrayed our Lord, countless times.
Every time we ignore or discard the voice of conscience, every time we pick and choose among the Church's teachings, every time we judge our neighbour or fail to love others as Christ has loved us, we echo Judas' betrayal.
And yet, our Lord still comes to us in the Eucharist. Christ's love doesn't depend on our being worthy; Christ's love depends only on his burning desire to give us the fullness of life, to make us worthy.
What a relief to have such a friend, one who cares only about giving, and one who can give such an incomparable gift!
As we continue with this Mass, let's give God the pleasure of accepting that gift, at least today, with humble, faith-filled joy.