Reading: Exodus 12:1-14

Verse 8: “Eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.”

The lamb or goat and the meal shared together are the central focus of the Passover. The giving of life to protect and insure life is a foreshadowing of what Jesus will do for us on the cross. The blood and bread that are part of Passover also foreshadow the meal that Jesus will share with his disciples in the upper room as his crucifixion nears. We continue to hold these events sacred in our Christian traditions.

Each year at the end of Christmas Eve services we light the candles, turn out the lights, and sing “Silent Night.” Just reading these words evokes memories. This tradition is practiced in many churches. Each of these elements connect us to not just that time and place. It connects us to other Christmas Eves. Some remember a loved one not present that year. Others remember a child’s first Christmas Eve or a special memory from another year. The words of the song touch us at our core. They remind us of that which we celebrate – the silence, the waiting, the birth and what it all means for us and for the world.

The meat roasting over the fire, the blood of protection spread on the door frames, the bitter herbs, the bread baking, the family gathered, the words – together they remember and celebrate what God has done for them. Remembering also helps them to look and move forward, knowing that God will be present to them then and there too. Our moments and remembrances connect us to God and to one another. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, you are the God of all time – past, present, future. You connect to us in so many ways, reminding us of our intimate relationship again and again. Thank you. Amen.