The following is a reflection on Exodus 12:1-14

At a church leaders meeting I attended several years ago, we were asked to name our favorite place to eat dinner. As we went around the circle, people named fancy restaurants and also some that I’d never heard of, and I began to feel a little uncomfortable. When it came time to be my turn, I said, “The kitchen table.” Everyone looked at me and excitedly asked where that restaurant was and what kind of food they served. And I said, “No – literally, the kitchen table in my parents’ home.”

We lived in a few different homes when I was growing up, but the kitchen table was the place we always gathered. Breakfast was usually eaten “in shifts” because my siblings and I were in different grades attending different schools. But most evenings, there were 8-10 of us around the table for dinner. It was often chaotic; sometimes we ate in a hurry to get to whatever school, sports, or church event that was going on that night. But the food was good and we each had a place.

The memories we associate with shared meals are among the most powerful. Traditions are honored, stories are told. The Passover meal instituted in Exodus is no exception. What began as preparation for survival marked a new beginning for an entire people – one that drew their attention to the future and gave them hope for their life with God beyond Egypt.

The meal we share as Christians when we commemorate Jesus’ last supper with his disciples also marks a new beginning. One that recalls the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection, and invites us to look ahead at what God is doing in our lives. As we enter into the holiest of days this week, may the mystery of our faith fill you with wonder and hope.

Let us pray: Lord God, wherever we happen to be, help us to remember that at your table we are welcomed and loved. Amen.