Seder Meal

The Seder Meal at St. Mary's with the college students was tonight.  I was so glad to see their faces as they began entering into the student center.  I think they were truly surprised by the importance of the experience.  They were shocked to see the tables nicely set and arranged in a way that would be pleasing.  Our boys also so how important this was as they were eager to help set up and create a prayerful atmosphere for the occasion.

For those of you who might not know what a Seder Meal is...here is a brief description:

A Christian version of the Jewish Passover Seder, or ritual feast of redemption and liberation. The primary aim of the Seder is to transmit to future generations the story of the Exodus.  This Catholic observance of this ritual meal celebrates not only our own Jewish heritage but also teaches the tradition of the Mass, as it is a representation of the Last Supper of our Lord with his Apostles, where He instituted the sacrifice of the Mass and the priesthood.

Once the tables were set and the meal was prepared, we were able to enjoy the prayerful event.  We had set the tables to resemble what it would be like at a family Seder...each table had a space for a 'father' and 'mother.'  These roles would participate in imitation of the head table.  The head table was set up for Father Paul, Mrs. Key, Michael and myself (mainly so we could facilitate the meal).

At the beginning of the meal an opening prayer is prayed by the mother of the table and then the traditional candles are lighted.  Then the traditional meal is divided up into parts to show the importance of recalling the four terms in the Exodus story which describe God's action in rescuing the Israelites: "I brought out...I saved...I delivered...I redeemed."  Each action is blessed with the shared cup of wine.

Traditionally, the Jewish meal would end with the third cup of wine...the fourth cup is not shared to this day in the Jewish home because they do not recognize the redemptive act of Jesus as the desired Messiah.  However, as our Catholic faith reveals, we see the fourth cup of redemption in the telling of the crucifixion when Jesus states, "It is finished."  (John 19:30)  Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy.

There are several moments in the Seder Meal that I find quite profound.  No matter how many times we have had this meal...I get worked up at these moments and I remember how blessed we are in our Savior!

First, all the food presented on a Seder plate has meaning:


Matzoh (Unleavened bread) called "bread of affliction" because it recalls the unleavened bread prepared for the hasty flight by night from Egypt. Three large matzohs are broken and consumed during the ceremony.

Moror (Bitter herbs) is a reminder of the bitterness of slavery and suffering in Egypt.

Green herbs to be dipped in salt water. Salt water represents tears of sorrow shed during the captivity of the Lord's people.

Haroset (or 'haroses') represents the mortar used by Jews in building palaces and pyramids of Egypt during their slavery. (It is a mixture of chopped apples, nuts, cinnamon and wine.)

Wine is dipped from a common bowl. The 'Four Cups,' Thanksgiving, Hagadah ('telling'), Blessing, and Melchisedek ('righteousness'), are "four different words for redemption, spoken by God to Moses."

Egg is symbolic of new growth, new hope, and new life.

Lamb with a unbroken shank bone is also served at the meal to represent Christ as the unblemished lamb that was sacrificed for us.  The bone is unbroken to show that they did not break the bones as regulated in the Roman crucifixion.  (John 19:36)

Another part of the meal that is meaningful is the time of the meal when the youngest child asks the elder (in our case Father Paul) why we have our traditions.  We had hoped Edward would ask the questions this year but he got nervous about this responsibility so Henry took over this role.  He asked the traditional Jewish questions and then asked a few questions that relate to our Christian traditions as well.

The next part of the meal that I find very meaningful is the opening of the door to allow Elijah to enter.  Jewish tradition holds that the Messiah will be the return of Elijah, so the door is opened to allow him to return...in fact a place is set at the table for him to join in the Passover feast.

Christian tradition holds that when the door was opened for Elijah is the time when Judas slipped out to betray Jesus.  So, (since we know the Savior has come) it is a way for us to be reminded of the betrayal of Judas.  We take the time to remember our sinful acts that betray our love for Jesus and we ask to be forgiven.

Really the entire meal from start to finish is packed with meaning.  I love that we can do this and pray that everyone went away ready for the Triduum and especially ready for Easter!