Eating Meat

I don't usually eat meat, (in fact, I can't remember the last time I ate animal flesh) but last night was a special exception. Last night we celebrated the Passover meal (I figured, "What's a Passover meal without the lamb?") by way of a Seder. Seder is the Hebrew word for "order," which meant that our observance of the Passover and its meal followed a particular order.

The Seder is a way of bringing out the highly symbolic elements of the Passover meal. For example, The vegetable called Karpas (we used parsley), represents life, created and sustained by God. But the salt water used to dip the Karpas in reminds us that the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt was filled with pain, suffering, and tears. The egg is another important symbol. The egg is a symbol of mourning, and is to remind us that the Temple in Jerusalem, the place of sacrifices, is no longer standing, and so sacrifices are no longer offered. But since it has no beginning and no end, the egg is also a symbol of new life and hope, and reminds us that God's grace is not confined to sacrifices in a temple.

This was the first time I had participated in a Seder. I'm finding that Holy Week is an incredibly rich time in the life of the Church. I don't know why I'm just now discovering this! And I'm wondering why we're so quick to skip to Easter Sunday.