Understanding our Faith

The Mass, the Beginnings of it all!

In the course of a long history, the Mass has known many changes. I think that it is enlightening to look at its origins. Those origins are in Judaism of course. Jesus being of the race of Israel lived and prayed and did things in a way that was derived from his people.

In the synagogues, the Jewish people listened to the word of God each Sabbath and prayed the inherited prayers of their tradition. As we know Jesus went to synagogue; St Luke tells us that it was his custom (4:16). We also know that he went to the Temple. And there were also the Jewish rituals that took place in the home – these happened on the Sabbath and of course at the feast of Passover, as well as at other feasts.

Jesus’ death and resurrection happened at Passover time and the Last Supper is presented within its context. The actions of Jesus at the Last Supper – taking bread and cup, blessing God over them, breaking the bread and giving the bread and wine to his disciples – were the actions of the Father of the family at such ritual meals. So, the very structure of the Eucharist comes to us from its Jewish background. 

Our listening to the word of God in the first part of the Mass began to occur when Christians were expelled from the synagogues and so began to have the Liturgy of the Word before they celebrated the Eucharist itself.

What was different was Jesus. Jesus took these Old Testament things and pointed them to himself. The constant reference point of the Jewish rituals was the Exodus from Egypt, now that fell into the background. The words of Jesus given us in the accounts of the Last Supper are what make the difference. He takes that bread and wine and says something new, and so the death and resurrection of Jesus became the reference point of the New Testament ritual meal. 

The words said over the bread and wine: This is my body given for you; This is the cup of my blood shed for you; the blood of the new and eternal covenant, poured out for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.

Notice the words ‘new and eternal covenant’. The covenant was the name for the relationship between God and Israel; now there is a new relationship between God and his people; the relationship established in Jesus the Messiah. This is new; it takes place in a person and his death and resurrection; it is eternal – it will never end. This expresses the inexhaustible love of God.

By Fr Frank O’Loughlin