Then he will show you a large room upstairs, already arranged and furnished. There you will prepare for us.” The disciples went off. When they reached the city, they
found everything just as Jesus had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal. While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it
to them. And he said, “Take this, it is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after he had given thanks, he passed it to them and they all drank from it.
And he said, “This is my blood, the blood of the Covenant, poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not taste the fruit of the vine again, until that day when
I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.” After singing psalms of praise, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Lectio Divina:
READ: Jesus desires to celebrate the Passover Meal with His disciples. He made
advanced arrangements for them to have a place in the city to do so. After finding
the place and making the necessary preparations, on that night Jesus broke bread
with His disciples and made them drink the wine with cryptic words that later on
would be recalled by His disciples as they celebrate the Last Supper Jesus had with
them in memory of that night.
REFLECT: The situation is now tense. Jesus has to be cautious in His movements.
A shroud of secrecy cloaks even His going to Jerusalem for surely, the civil and
religious authorities are on the lookout. They are ready to apprehend Him. He has
become a liability to their continued claim to power and authority.
And so, when preparations are done for the celebration of the Passover Meal,
Jesus instituted what would later be the Eucharist of the community of believers.
On that fateful night when doom hangs like a sword, Jesus made sure that the meal
He shared with His disciples will be continuously reenacted by His future followers.
What is Jesus thinking during this time? What is it like to know that your end is near?
We will never know. But the last memory of the disciples of their Lord is one of
religious celebration where there is eating and singing of psalms and praising God.
RESPOND: Having a meal with those close to us is always a joyful occasion, the
comfort of good food is amplified by good company. We may always have this
eating time with our love ones such as family and relatives, but how about some
of our friends? Perhaps it is a good time now to plan a meeting of high school
friends, long lost co-workers or even co- members of organizations that we have
left behind for many years already. Catching up with what happened with our
individual lives would be a good way to reconnect.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2021