Contents
- The Word of God became flesh and communicated to mankind divine, eternal life and victory over evil and death.
- By inviting humanity to a meal, God proposes his covenant to mankind. The meal is a sign of communion between the guests. To access the meal, therefore, we must be reconciled with God and with each other.
- It is God himself who will help people to reconcile with one another, by communicating his spirit in the sacraments, that is, in the gestures that express the covenant, where God welcomes and communicates his life.
- The meal to which God invites reconciled humanity is a wedding feast, and the bride is humanity itself, united with Christ. By becoming one with him, she contemplates the Father in thanksgiving.
- As the grains of wheat form a single loaf, so mankind is united in Christ, as members of the same body, of which Christ is the head.
- Jesus’ last meal with the apostles took place during the Passover feast, which celebrates the passage from slavery in Egypt to the promised land. So, as Jesus passes from this world to his Father, he unites humanity to himself. By feeding us with his body and blood, he brings together in a single moment his passion on the cross, where he offers his life and forgiveness, where his blood is shed, his burial, where he joins human nature in death, and his resurrection, for it is by sitting with the Father in eternity that he can be present to everyone, and make humanity partaker of his resurrected flesh and blood.
Related articles
The multiplication of the loaves
It was the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves that played an important role in announcing the Eucharistic meal that Jesus would institute on the evening of the Last Supper with the apostles. In fact, this miracle was the occasion for Jesus to introduce the theme of bread coming down from heaven, a heavenly food provided for mankind who “shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). (See John 6, 1-15 The multiplication of the loaves)
Now, the word spoken by God, that which manifests his being and his will to us, has united with human nature, has become flesh, has made God visible to human beings in the person of Jesus Christ. This mystery lies at the heart of the Christian faith professed by the councils of the 4th and 5th centuries, especially the Council of Chalcedon in 451, which proclaimed that human nature and divine nature are united in the person of Christ. Thus, the word of God is the origin of life. The life that is offered to human nature is eternal life, the life of God himself, the human being animated by the divine breath, by his spirit. When human nature is united with God in the person of Jesus Christ, all men are offered a place with God. Human nature finds a place with God, and is led by Jesus Christ to the eternal contemplation of the Father. The vision of God, of his infinite love, implies a permanent transformation of human nature, which in turn will be filled by this love, and will be like him, for it will see him as he is (1 John 3:2). Then, perfect love will reign between human beings too.
The earthly image of this heavenly happiness is that of a wedding feast, when all are gathered together in the name of the bonds of love that unite them to one another. The Bible thus speaks of a heavenly meal, an eternal wedding feast. (See Luke 14:15-24 The guests at the feast). God invites the whole of humanity to the wedding feast, where humanity is not only invited, but is itself the bride adorned for her wedding day, clothed by God in the wedding garment (see Matthew 22:1-14 The wedding garment). The bride is led to the bridal chamber, humanity is united with divinity, to become one. Humanity, reunited by God’s love, will contemplate each human being in him, and love him with the same love with which God loves each of his children. God’s love will be all in all.
Humanity, unified as the members of the same body, humanity regaining its harmony, will be united with God by the love that comes from God himself and that each person will have accepted personally. This explains Jesus’ insistence on acceptance: we must accept this invitation to a meal, we must accept our neighbor in Jesus’ name, that is, we must accept every creature as a child of God, in the love that God has for them. We must put on the wedding garment, prepare for this encounter, open our hearts to our brothers and sisters from all over the world. If each person’s heart does not welcome the whole of humanity in the way God welcomes his children, he or she cannot taste the infinite joy of being united, between human beings and with God.
The earthly meal is a sign of rallying, of covenant. Jesus is the one who feeds and serves (Revelation 3:20). And he also serves through his envoys, the apostles, and their successors. He invites to the meal, and his words always mean that there is room for all, in abundance, that no one should be left out. Unfortunately, not everyone responds to the invitation, but God never ceases to invite them to open their hearts to meet their brothers and sisters, to come and share a meal even with those who have offended them, for human beings are all brothers and sisters, and are called to be reconciled with one another (see Luke 14:15-24 The guests at the meal). It is in humility that we can find a place at this meal, by making it possible to meet others. By offering forgiveness to those who have offended, but also by recognizing that each of us, as human beings, needs to be forgiven, by God and by our brothers and sisters. Hence Jesus’ words, inviting us to seek reconciliation before offering sacrifice (Matthew 5:23), that is, before we can partake of this heavenly, eternal covenant meal, in which humanity’s union with God is realized. Humanity transformed by this heavenly food that unifies body and spirit, humanity transformed by the love that God infuses into hearts, leading to perfect unity. (See John 6:22-59 The bread that came down from heaven).
This is the meaning of the Eucharistic meal, that is, a meal of thanksgiving, where humanity responds to the invitation, allowing itself to be purified by God before taking its place at table, acknowledging its faults, recognizing one another before one another. This is the meaning of Jesus’ gesture at the last supper with the apostles: before seating them at table, he washed their feet(John 13:1-17). This washing was understood as a necessary purification before we all sat down to eat. Acknowledging one’s own faults is a necessary condition for journeying together towards unity and deeper communion. All the apostles had to allow their feet to be washed, in recognition of the fact that, as human beings, each of us has a share of responsibility in the division, as St. Paul says (Romans 5:8): “Christ died for us, while we were still all sinners.”
Jesus’ last meal with the apostles takes place during the Jewish feast of Easter, which commemorates the Hebrew people’s exit from Egypt, their liberation from slavery. Indeed, the Hebrew people were subjected to increasingly harsh slavery in Egypt, until the day God freed them through his prophet Moses. By miraculously crossing the sea, they escaped the pursuing army. The Easter meal commemorates this hasty departure: unleavened bread is eaten, because the dough could not rise in the rush, and a lamb is sacrificed, because it was the blood of the lamb that marked the doors of the Jewish families’ homes and preserved them from death. It is also the blood of a spotless lamb that is sacrificed in the temple for the forgiveness of sins.
At home, the key moments of this celebration are the blessing of the bread and the cup. And it is to these blessings that Jesus gives his full meaning: giving thanks to God for the bread, he tells the apostles that this bread is his own body, offered in sacrifice, and giving thanks for the wine, he says that the cup of wine is the cup of his blood, poured out for the multitude in remission of sins. Indeed, bread and wine are separated here, just as the shed blood will be separated from Jesus’ body when it is pierced on the cross.
The blood of Jesus shed for the remission of sins. The blood price must be paid to enter into a new covenant, to make amends when a first covenant has been broken, betrayed. A victim has been sacrificed, bearing the burden of humanity’s sins. Just as the sacrifice of Isaac and the book of Isaiah prophesied that God’s servant would offer his life for the forgiveness of sins (Isaiah 53:1-12). The blood price for the innocent slain must be paid. As with the first murder, that of the righteous Abel, killed by Cain, when sin entered the human race. Cain was afraid of those who would demand blood money for his life. Human beings are still debtors, and the blood of animals offered as victims does not by itself wash away man’s faults; a contrite, broken and crushed spirit is required, as Psalm 50:19 says. But all the sacrifices of the Old Covenant foreshadow the sacrifice of Christ, the innocent victim who reveals the error of mankind, who assumes the consequences of this error, accepts them by taking on the human condition, without retaining the rank that made him equal to God, but by lowering himself, by making himself a slave and a victim of sin, as Paul’s letter to the Philippians 2:6-8 says. But this is how he pays the price of blood: because he offered himself for all, in reparation, it was by the sacrifice of his own life that he redeemed mankind. So if humanity is to accept his gift, the renewal of the covenant, the gift of God’s life offered to humanity, it must ask to be purified, by a bath that sanctifies because it transmits grace, the spirit of God that dispels darkness and fills with his light. (John 3, 1-36). Quite simply, it’s a matter of acknowledging one’s faults and accepting God’s salvation. The name of Jesus, which is also the name of God, means God saves: Je-hoshua. The simple act of asking forgiveness allows us to accept the sanctification offered by God. The blood of the victim is God’s life, offered to humanity as a gift. For the multitude, sins are forgiven and new life is given, the life of Christ, God’s life, his spirit, which sanctifies those who partake of his meal.
Thus Christ is the victim offered for the sacrifice that takes away the sins of the world; he is the Paschal Lamb, who entered Jerusalem, according to Jewish ritual, a week before Passover, spotless and spotless, for he himself is without sin. At the same time, it is his own blood, his life offered up in the cup of the covenant, which vivifies and renews humanity. The covenant is once again possible for humanity that had transgressed the pact; to drink the cup, to drink his blood, means to seal the covenant anew. The guests eat a meal together because they have been cleansed of their sins. He has also redeemed them from the slavery to evil into which humanity has fallen. He completes the exit from Egypt, for his forgiveness frees us from the evil that shackles mankind. If he, innocent, forgives faults and allows men to share the meal with him, this meal, which unites them to him, body and spirit, strengthens and invigorates them anew, so that they too can forgive those who have offended them. Not only is the sin erased, but this covenant meal is also a remedy, a source of salvation, for it makes those who partake of it in turn victorious over evil.
It is therefore necessary to allow oneself to be purified and sanctified in order to partake of this meal, to be nourished by the life of God. To this end, Jesus calls us to be born again of water and spirit, as he explains to Nicodemus (John 3:1-36). Indeed, the Passover meal that takes place on the Thursday of Holy Week, the week of Easter, anticipates what Jesus will experience over the next three days. Indeed, the Eucharistic meal celebrates and contains the entire Passover mystery, what in Latin is known as the Pascal Triduum, Jesus’ passage from this world to his Father. In the Triduum Pascal, we remember Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. It was in this passage that he led all mankind to the contemplation of the Father, reconciling people and making them sharers in his love. Each Eucharistic meal therefore commemorates these three stages through which Christ leads humanity to the Father.
On Good Friday, in his passion, Jesus dies on the cross and offers his forgiveness to humanity. Blood and water flow from his open side, and baptism and the other sacraments through which humanity is reconciled and united with God have their source here.
On Holy Saturday, Christ is in the tomb. By his death, Christ assumes human nature to the end, leading it through his own death to the resurrection.
On Easter Sunday, Christ is resurrected, allowing humanity to share in god’s eternal life, victorious over evil and death.
Commentary:
Biblical texts
Genesis 26, 28-31: Covenant meal between Isaac and King Abimelech
28 וַיֹּאמְרוּ רָאֹו רָאִינוּ כִּי-הָיָה יְהוָה ׀ עִמָּךְ וַנֹּאמֶר תְּהִי נָא אָלָה בֵּינֹותֵינוּ בֵּינֵינוּ וּבֵינֶךָ וְנִכְרְתָה בְרִית עִמָּךְ׃
28 And they said, “See, we have seen that the Lord is with you and we say, ‘Let there be a sermon between us, between us and you, that we cut [the flesh of the meats of] the covenant with you.’”
We say in Hebrew cut a covenant(karat berit) in the sense of cutting the meats of the covenant sacrifice that will then be eaten in the covenant meal that will seal the bond between the parties.
29 אִם-תַּעֲשֵׂה עִמָּנוּ רָעָה כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא נְגַעֲנוּךָ וְכַאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂינוּ עִמְּךָ רַק-טֹוב וַנְּשַׁלֵּחֲךָ בְּשָׁלֹום אַתָּה עַתָּה בְּרוּךְ יְהוָה׃
29 You shall do us no harm as we have not touched you that we have done you only good and sent you in peace, you now blessed the Lord.
30 וַיַּעַשׂ לָהֶם מִשְׁתֶּה וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ׃
30 And they made them a feast, and they ate and drank.
31 וַיַּשְׁכִּימוּ בַבֹּקֶר וַיִּשָּׁבְעוּ אִישׁ לְאָחִיו וַיְשַׁלְּחֵם יִצְחָק וַיֵּלְכוּ מֵאִתֹּו בְּשָׁלֹום׃
31 And they loaded [for departure early] in the morning and gave sermon the man to his brother and Isaac sent them and they departed from his home in peace.
Genesis 31, 54: Covenant meal between Jacob and Laban
וַיִּזְבַּח יַעֲקֹב זֶבַח בָּהָר וַיִּקְרָא לְאֶחָיו לֶאֱכָל-לָחֶם וַיֹּאכלוּ לֶחֶם וַיָּלִינוּ בָּהָר׃
And Jacob sacrificed a sacrifice on the mountain and called his brothers to eat bread and they ate bread and spent the night on the mountain.
akal leḥem: literally to eat bread, but the word bread is often used to indicate food in general and so here the expression to eat bread can also be understood in the sense of consuming a meal.
Exodus 24:1-11 The covenant with Moses, sealed by blood and meal
1 וְאֶל-מֹשֶׁה אָמַר עֲלֵה אֶל-יְהוָה אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא וְשִׁבְעִים מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם מֵרָחֹק׃
1 And he [god] said to Moses, “Go up to the Lord, you and Aharon and Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar.
2 וְנִגַּשׁ מֹשֶׁה לְבַדֹּו אֶל-יְהוָה וְהֵם לֹא יִגָּ֑שׁוּ וְהָעָם לֹ֥א יַעֲלוּ עִמֹּו׃
2 And Moses alone will draw near to the Lord, and they will not draw near, nor will the people go up with him.”
3 וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה וַיְסַפֵּר לָעָם אֵת כָּל-דִּבְרֵי יְהוָה וְאֵת כָּל-הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים וַיַּעַן כָּל-הָעָם קֹול אֶחָד וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ כָּל-הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר-דִּבֶּר יְהוָה נַעֲשֶׂה׃
3 And Moses came and reported to the people all the words and decisions and all the people answered with one voice and they said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.”
4 וַיִּכְתֹּב מֹשֶׁה אֵ֚ת כָּל-דִּבְרֵי יְהוָה וַיַּשְׁכֵּם בַּבֹּקֶר וַיִּבֶן מִזְבֵּחַ תַּחַת הָהָר וּשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה מַצֵּבָה לִשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord, loaded [for departure early] in the morning and built an altar at the bottom of the mountain and twelve steles for the twelve tribes of Israel.
5 וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶֽת-נַעֲרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּֽעֲלוּ עֹלֹת וַֽיִּזְבְּחוּ זְבָחִים שְׁלָמִים לַיהוָה פָּרִים׃
5 And he sent the young sons of Israel to bring up [the smoke, to offer a sacrifice] of burnt offerings and to sacrifice oxen as peace offerings to the Lord.
6 וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה חֲצִי הַדָּם וַיָּשֶׂם בָּאַגָּנֹת וַחֲצִי הַדָּם זָרַק עַל-הַמִּזְבֵּחַ׃
6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and half of half of the blood sprinkled the altar.
7 וַיִּקַּח סֵפֶר הַבְּרִית וַיִּקְרָא בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר-דִּבֶּר יְהוָה נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע׃
7 He took the account of the covenant and read it in the ears of the people, and they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do and listen to.”
8 וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת-הַדָּם וַיִּזְרֹק עַל-הָעָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה דַם-הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת יְהוָה עִמָּכֶם עַל כָּל-הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה׃
8 And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Seigner has cut [in the sense of made] with you on all these words here.
9 וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא וְשִׁבְעִים מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
9 And up went Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and the seventy elders of Israel.
10 וַיִּרְאוּ אֵת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְתַחַת רַגְלָ֗יו כְּמַעֲשֵׂה לִבְנַת הַסַּפִּיר וּכְעֶצֶם הַשָּׁמַיִם לָטֹהַר׃
10 And they saw the god of Israel and under his feet like a work of sapphire slabs and like the deepest heaven by purity.
11 וְאֶל-אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא שָׁלַח יָדֹו וַֽיֶּחֱזוּ אֶת-הָאֱלֹהִים וַיֹאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ׃
11 And they did not stretch out his hand on these ancestors [lineage heads, patriarchs, nobles] of the sons of Israel and they contemplated god and they ate and they drank.
Exodus 12 (selection of verses): The Passover memorial: the lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs
1 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל-אַהֲרֹן, בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר׃
1 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying:
2 הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם, רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים: רִאשׁוֹן הוּא לָכֶם, לְחָדְשֵׁי הַשָּׁנָה׃
2 “This month is for you the head of the months, it is the first for you of the months of the year.
3 דַּדַּבְּרוּ, אֶל-כָּל-עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר, בֶּעָשֹׂר, לַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה: וְיִקְחוּ לָהֶם, אִישׁ שֶׂה לְבֵית-אָבֹת שֶׂה לַבָּיִת׃
3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, “On the tenth of this month they shall take for themselves, every man a lamb for the fathers’ house, a lamb for the house.
…
7 וְלָקְחוּ, מִן-הַדָּם, וְנָתְנוּ עַל-שְׁתֵּי הַמְּזוּזֹת, וְעַל-הַמַּשְׁקוֹף עַל, הַבָּתִּים, אֲשֶׁר-יֹאכְלוּ אֹתוֹ, בָּהֶם׃
7 And they will take blood and put it on the two posts and on the lintel [of the door] of the houses in which they will eat it.
8 וְאָכְלוּ אֶת-הַבָּשָׂר, בַּלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה: צְלִי-אֵשׁ וּמַצּוֹת, עַל-מְרֹרִים יֹאכְלֻהוּ׃
8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roasted with fire and cakes[matzot of unleavened bread] and bitter [herbs], they shall eat.
…
1 1 וְכָכָה, תֹּאכְלוּ אֹתוֹ מָתְנֵיכֶם חֲגֻרִים, נַעֲלֵיכֶם בְּרַגְלֵיכֶם וּמַקֶּלְכֶם בְּיֶדְכֶם; וַאֲכַלְתֶּם בְּחִפָּזוֹן, פֶּסַח הוּא לַיהוָה׃
11 And so you shall eat it, your loins girded, your shoes on your feet and your staff in your hand and you shall eat it in haste, this is the Passover(pesaḥ) to the Lord.
Deuteronomy 8:3: Manna
וַיְעַנְּךָ, וַיַּרְעִבֶךָ, וַיַּאֲכִלְךָ אֶת-הַמָּן אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יָדַעְתָּ, וְלֹא יָדְעוּן אֲבֹתֶיךָ: לְמַעַן הוֹדִיעֲךָ, כִּי לֹא עַל-הַלֶּחֶם לְבַדּוֹ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם כִּי עַל-כָּל-מוֹצָא פִי-יְהוָה, יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם׃
He afflicted you, he made you hungry and he made you eat the manna that you did not know and your fathers did not know, in order to make you know that not only from bread will man live because from everything that comes out of the mouth of god will man live.
Isaiah 25:6-9
6 וְעָשָׂה יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת לְכָל-הָעַמִּים, בָּהָר הַזֶּה, מִשְׁתֵּה שְׁמָנִים, מִשְׁתֵּה שְׁמָרִים: שְׁמָנִים, מְמֻחָיִם, שְׁמָרִים, מְזֻקָּקִים׃
6 The Lord of hosts will make for all peoples on this mountain, a feast of a feast of a feast of fatty meats, feast of choice wines, tasty fatty meats (literally: with marrow) and refined choice wine (literally: aged on lees).
7 וּבִלַּע בָּהָר הַזֶּה, פְּנֵי-הַלּוֹט הַלּוֹט עַל-כָּל-הָעַמִּים; וְהַמַּסֵּכָה הַנְּסוּכָה, עַל-כָּל-הַגּוֹיִם׃
7 And he will swallow on this mountain the veil of face that veils all [Hebrew] peoples and the mold [of metal] poured out on all nations.
The Lord will reveal himself to all, to those of Judaism whose vision was partial, veiled, and to those of the other nations who were as if covered by a thick layer, like molten metal poured into a mold, or it will swallow up the molten metal idols they have made, like the golden calf that is designated by the same Hebrew word מַּסֵּכָה masseca. Alternatively, other traditions interpret the veil as a mourning veil and the layer covering the nations as a shroud that also evokes death and lamentations over the dead.
8 בִּלַּע הַמָּוֶת לָנֶצַח, וּמָחָה אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה דִּמְעָה מֵעַל כָּל-פָּנִים; וְחֶרְפַּת עַמּוֹ, יָסִיר מֵעַל כָּל-הָאָרֶץ כִּי יְהוָה, דִּבֵּר׃
8 He will swallow up death forever, the Lord will wipe away tears from every face and mockery [or humiliation, insults brought] against his people he will remove [turn away] from all the earth since the Lord has spoken.
9 וְאָמַר בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, הִנֵּה אֱלֹהֵינוּ זֶה וְיוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ; זֶה קִוִּינוּ לוֹ, נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בִּישׁוּעָתוֹ׃
9 And they will say on that day: “This is our God, in whom we have hoped and he has saved us, the Lord, we have hoped in him, let us rejoice in his salvation.
Jeremiah 31:31-35: The New Covenant
31 הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים, נְאֻם-יְהוָה; וְכָרַתִּי, אֶת-בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת-בֵּית יְהוּדָה בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה׃
31 Behold, days are coming, affirmation of the Lord, when I will cut a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
Literally the Bible says “cut a covenant” referring to the meat cut for sacrifice, this is usually translated as “make a covenant”.
32 לֹא כַבְּרִית, אֲשֶׁר כָּרַתִּי אֶת-אֲבוֹתָם, בְּיוֹם הֶחֱזִיקִי בְיָדָם, לְהוֹצִיאָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם: אֲשֶׁר-הֵמָּה הֵפֵרוּ אֶת-בְּרִיתִי, וְאָנֹכִי בָּעַלְתִּי בָם נְאֻם-יְהוָה׃
32 Not like the covenant I cut [made] with their fathers in the day I took their hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt and they broke my covenant and I ruled over them, affirmation of the Lordship.
33 כִּי זֹאת הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר אֶכְרֹת אֶת-בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחֲרֵי הַיָּמִים הָהֵם, נְאֻם-יְהוָה, נָתַתִּי אֶת-תּוֹרָתִי בְּקִרְבָּם, וְעַל-לִבָּם אֶכְתְּבֶנָּה; וְהָיִיתִי לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים, וְהֵמָּה יִהְיוּ-לִי לְעָם׃
33 Because this is the covenant that I will cut [make] with the house of Israel after these days, affirmation of the Seigner: I will give my teaching inside them and I will write it in their hearts and I will be for them god and they will be for me people.
God will give his teaching inside them, in Hebrew the word used is torah, which comes from the root iarah, which means first to guide and therefore to teach.
34 וְלֹא יְלַמְּדוּ עוֹד, אִישׁ אֶת-רֵעֵהוּ וְאִישׁ אֶת-אָחִיו לֵאמֹר, דְּעוּ, אֶת-יְהוָה: כִּי-כוּלָּם יֵדְעוּ אוֹתִי לְמִקְּטַנָּם וְעַד-גְּדוֹלָם, נְאֻם-יְהוָה כִּי אֶסְלַח לַעֲוֹנָם, וּלְחַטָּאתָם לֹא אֶזְכָּר-עוֹד׃
34 And a man shall no more instruct his neighbor (רֵעֵה re’eh) , nor a man his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for all shall know me from their little one to their great one, affirmation of the Lord, since I will forgive their transgression and their fault, I will remember them no more.
re’eh: the term re’eh is important because it’s found in the famous passage from Leviticus 19:18: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמֹ֑וךָ). Now, this passage is from Leviticus is translated in the Greek version of the Bible, the Septuagint, by the Greek word πλησίος plēsíos, which means the one who is near. The same quotation with the same word is found several times in the Gospels (Mark 12:31) and also in the letters of the apostles (Galatians 5:14). But the Hebrew word used in the sense of friend, companion (and therefore also close friend), comes from the root ra’a which means to feed the flock and therefore to care for, to guard, to guard with care. In our relationship with our neighbor, this highlights not only a bond of companionship, but also an attention, a regard, towards the other, a responsibility. However, the letter to the Hebrews 8:11, in the passage reproduced later in this article and which quotes these same verses from Jeremiah, does not translate re’eh as plēsíos proche, but as polítēs citoyen or concitoyen. This could be explained by thinking that re’eh does not necessarily indicate the shepherd but the one cared for by the shepherd and thus the body of men who are under divine care or governance, the flock of god.
35 כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה, נֹתֵן שֶׁמֶשׁ לְאוֹר יוֹמָם, חֻקֹּת יָרֵחַ וְכוֹכָבִים, לְאוֹר לָיְלָה; רֹגַע הַיָּם וַיֶּהֱמוּ גַלָּיו, יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ׃
35 Thus has the Lord spoken, who gives the sun for the light of their day and the rules of the moon and stars for the light of the night, he who touches the sea and its waves stir, the Lord of hosts is his name.
Matthew 26:26-30: The Last Supper (parallel in Mark 14:22-25 and Luke 22:14-20)
26 Ἐσθιόντων δὲ αὐτῶν λαβὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἄρτον καὶ εὐλογήσας ἔκλασεν καὶ δοὺς τοῖς μαθηταῖς εἶπεν Λάβετε φάγετε- τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου.
26 While they were eating, Jesus, having taken the bread and given thanks, [broke it] and giving it to the disciples, said, “Take, eat: this is my body.”
27 καὶ λαβὼν ποτήριον καὶ εὐχαριστήσας ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς λέγων Πίετε ἐξ αὐτοῦ πάντες-
27 And having taken a cup and given thanks, he [gave it] to them, saying, “Drink from this, all of you.
28 τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν τὸ αἷμά μου τῆς διαθήκης τὸ περὶ πολλῶν ἐκχυννόμενον εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν.
28 this, indeed, is my blood of the covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.
29 λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ πίω ἀπ’ ἄρτι ἐκ τούτου τοῦ γενήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης ὅταν αὐτὸ πίνω μεθ’ ὑμῶν καινὸν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Πατρός μου.
29 So I say to you, that from now on I will drink no more of that which is begotten of the vine, until that day, when I drink a new one with you in my Father’s kingdom.
30 Καὶ ὑμνήσαντες ἐξῆλθον εἰς τὸ ὄρος τῶν Ἐλαιῶν.
30 And having sung the hymns, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
The hymns alluded to here are probably the Hallel psalms that closed the Passover meal. They include Psalms 113 to 118.
Luke 22:14-20: The last supper
14 Καὶ ὅτε ἐγένετο ἡ ὥρα, ἀνέπεσεν, καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι σὺν αὐτῷ.
14 And when it was time, he reclined [at table] and the apostles with him.
15 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς Ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἐπεθύμησα τοῦτο τὸ πάσχα φαγεῖν μεθ’ ὑμῶν πρὸ τοῦ μεθεῖν-
15 And he said to them, “With desire I have longed to eat this Easter with you before I suffer.
16 λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐκέτι οὐ μὴ φάγω αὐτὸ ἕως ὅτου πληρωθῇ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ.
16 Indeed, I tell you, I will eat it no more until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
17 καὶ δεξάμενος ποτήριον εὐχαριστήσας εἶπεν Λάβετε τοῦτο καὶ διαμερίσατε εἰς ἑαυτούς-
17 And receiving a cup, having given thanks, he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves:
18 λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ πίω ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ γενήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου ἕως οὗ ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔλθῃ.
18 I tell you, I will not drink from now on of that which is begotten by the vine until the kingdom of God has come.
19 καὶ λαβὼν ἄρτον εὐχαριστήσας ἔκλασεν καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς λέγων Τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν διδόμενον- τοῦτο ποιεῖτε εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν.
19 And when he had taken bread, giving thanks, he [broke it] and [gave it] to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you: do this in remembrance of me.”
20 καὶ τὸ ποτήριον ὡσαύτως μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι, λέγων Τοῦτο τὸ ποτήριον ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη ἐν τῷ αἵματί μου, τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐκχυννόμενον.
20 And the cup in like manner after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you.”
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
23 ἐγὼ γὰρ παρέλαβον ἀπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου, ὃ καὶ παρέδωκα ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὁ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ᾗ παρεδίδετο ἔλαβεν ἄρτον
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread
24 καὶ εὐχαριστήσας ἔκλασεν καὶ εἶπεν Τοῦτό μού ἐστιν τὸ σῶμα τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν- τοῦτο ποιεῖτε εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν.
24 And when he had given thanks, he [broke it] and said, “This is my body which is for you: do this in remembrance of me.”
25 ὡσαύτως καὶ τὸ ποτήριον μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι, λέγων Τοῦτο τὸ ποτήριον ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ ἐμῷ αἵματι- τοῦτο ποιεῖτε, ὁσάκις ἐὰν πίνητε, εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν.
25 In the same way, also the cup after eating the meal, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood: do this every time you drink, in remembrance of me.”
26 ὁσάκις γὰρ ἐὰν ἐσθίητε τὸν ἄρτον τοῦτον καὶ τὸ ποτήριον πίνητε, τὸν θάνατον τοῦ Κυρίου καταγγέλλετε, ἄχρι οὗ ἔλθῃ.
26 For every time you eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death, until he comes.
Letter to the Hebrews 8:1-13: Jesus the high priest of the new covenant.
1 Κεφάλαιον δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς λεγομένοις, τοιοῦτον ἔχομεν ἀρχιερέα, ὃς ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ θρόνου τῆς Μεγαλωσύνης ἐν οὐρανοῖς,
1 This is the main thing about what is said: we have a high priest such as sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,
2 τῶν ἁγίων λειτουργὸς καὶ τῆς σκηνῆς τῆς ἀληθινῆς, ἣν ἔπηξεν ὁ Κύριος, οὐκ ἄνθρωπος.
2 officiant of the holy [places] and of the true tent, the one the Lord has pitched, not man.
This is the “tent of meeting”, god’s dwelling among men. When God accompanied the Hebrew people into the desert, guiding them through Moses, a cloud manifested the divine presence, and this cloud rested on the sanctuary that God told Moses to build. In Exodus 25:9, God shows Moses the models for building the Tent of Meeting. This tent would accompany the people on their journey through the desert, and would be the place where God spoke with Moses (Exodus 33:7-11). Inside the tent is the “Holy of Holies”, the tabernacle containing the Ark of the Covenant, in which is deposited the testimony of God’s word to mankind. When the Hebrew people settled in the Promised Land, Solomon erected a temple instead of a mobile tent. In Solomon’s temple, and later in the second temple in Jerusalem, on Yom Kippur only the high priest could enter behind the veil that gave access to the tabernacle, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept.
From an earlier passage in Hebrews 5:1, we are reminded of the role of the high priest: to intervene on behalf of men in their dealings with God, in order to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
3 Πᾶς γὰρ ἀρχιερεὺς εἰς τὸ προσφέρειν δῶρά τε καὶ θυσίας καθίσταται- ὅθεν ἀναγκαῖον ἔχειν τι καὶ τοῦτον ὃ προσενέγκῃ.
3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and also sacrifices: from this it is necessary that he too should have something to offer.
4 εἰ μὲν οὖν ἦν ἐπὶ γῆς, οὐδ’ ἂν ἦν ἱερεύς, ὄντων τῶν προσφερόντων κατὰ νόμον τὰ δῶρα-
4 But, therefore, if he were on earth in would not even be a priest, since there are those who offer gifts according to the law:
5 οἵτινες ὑποδείγματι καὶ σκιᾷ λατρεύουσιν τῶν ἐπουρανίων, καθὼς κεχρημάτισται Μωϋσῆς μέλλων ἐπιτελεῖν τὴν σκηνήν. Ὅρα γάρ φησίν, ποιήσεις πάντα κατὰ τὸν τύπον τὸν δειχθέντα σοι ἐν τῷ ὄρει-
5 These worship in an imitation and shadow of those in heaven, as Moses received revelation when he was about to complete the tent: indeed, [the word of god] says: “Look, make everything according to the model that was shown you on the mountain.”
6 νῦν δὲ διαφορωτέρας τέτυχεν λειτουργίας, ὅσῳ καὶ κρείττονός ἐστιν διαθήκης μεσίτης, ἥτις ἐπὶ κρείτοσιν ἐπαγγελίαις νενομοθέτηται.
6 He, on the other hand, has obtained an office that surpasses [the previous one], in that he is mediator of a superior covenant, which was stipulated on superior promises.
7 εἰ γὰρ ἡ πρώτη ἐκείνη ἦν ἄμεμπτος, οὐκ ἂν δευτέρας ἐζητεῖτο τόπος.
7 If, indeed, this first covenant were blameless, there would be no need for a second to be sought.
8 μεμφόμενος γὰρ αὐτοὺς λέγει Ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ συντελέσω ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰσραὴλ ἐπὶ οἶκον Ἰούδα διαθήκην καινήν,
8 For reproaching them, he said, “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will bring to completion a covenant concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
9 οὐ κατὰ τὴν διαθήκην ἣν ἐποίησα τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπιλαβομένου μου τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν ἐξαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, ὅτι αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἐνέμειναν ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ μου, κἀγὼ ἠμέλησα αὐτῶν, λέγει Κύριος.
9 Not like the covenant I made with their fathers in the days when I took their hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not remain in my covenant and I forsook them, says the Lord.
10 ὅτι αὕτη ἡ διαθήκη ἣν διαθήσομαι τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραὴλ μετὰ τὰς ἡμέρας ἐκείνας, λέγει Κύριος διδοὺς, νόμους μου εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίας αὐτῶν ἐπιγράψω αὐτούς, καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτοῖς εἰς Θεόν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔσονταί μοι εἰς λαόν.
10 This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord, giving my laws, I will write them in their minds and on their hearts, and I will be to them God and they will be to me a people.
11 καὶ οὐ μὴ διδάξωσιν ἕκαστος τὸν πολίτην αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, λέγων Γνῶθι τὸν Κύριον, ὅτι πάντες εἰδήσουσίν με ἀπὸ μικροῦ ἕως μεγάλου αὐτῶν.
11 And let them no longer instruct every man his fellow citizen and every man his brother, saying, “Know the Lord, for all will know me from the least to the greatest among them.
polítēs: the fellow citizen. Verses 8-13 are a quotation from Jeremiah 31:31-34, reproduced above. They therefore represent a translation and interpretation of this ancient passage by the prophet, which is written in Hebrew. Now, one might expect to find here the Greek word plēsíon, which usually translates the word “neighbor”, the one who is near. Here, on the other hand, the term polítēs is used, which does evoke proximity, but that of people who are governed by common laws and also who find themselves under the common governance of god. On this subject, see the note about the Hebrew term re’eh found in the original text of the prophet Jeremiah 31:34 reproduced earlier in this same article.
12 ὅτι ἵλεως ἔσομαι ταῖς ἀδικίαις αὐτῶν, καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ ἔτι.
12 I will be merciful to their iniquities, and their iniquities I will remember no more.
13 ἐν τῷ λέγειν Καινὴν πεπαλαίωκεν τὴν πρώτην- τὸ δὲ παλαιούμενον καὶ γηράσκον ἐγγὺς ἀφανισμοῦ.
13 By saying “new,” he made the former old; what becomes old and grows old is close to disappearance.
Hebrew 13:10-16
10 Ἔχομεν θυσιαστήριον ἐξ οὗ φαγεῖν οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἐξουσίαν οἱ τῇ σκηνῇ λατρεύοντες.
10 We have an altar from which those who officiate in the tent [of meeting] have no power to eat.
11 ὧν γὰρ εἰσφέρεται ζῴων τὸ αἷμα περὶ ἁμαρτίας εἰς τὰ ἅγια διὰ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως, τούτων τὰ σώματα κατακαίεται ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς.
11 Indeed, the blood of animals [sacrificed] for trespasses is carried by the high priest to the holy [places], their bodies are burned outside the camp.
12 διὸ καὶ Ἰησοῦς, ἵνα ἁγιάσῃ διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου αἵματος τὸν λαόν, ἔξω τῆς πύλης ἔπαθεν.
12 Therefore Jesus, in order to sanctify the people by his own blood, suffered outside the city.
13 τοίνυν ἐξερχώμεθα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς, τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν αὐτοῦ φέροντες-
13 Therefore let us go out to him outside the camp, bearing the insult [brought] against him.
14 οὐ γὰρ ἔχομεν ὧδε μένουσαν πόλιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἐπιζητοῦμεν.
14 For here we have not a city that abides, but we seek the one that is to be.
15 δι’ αὐτοῦ οὖν ἀναφέρωμεν θυσίαν αἰνέσεως διὰ παντὸς τῷ Θεῷ, τοῦτ’ ἔστιν καρπὸν χειλέων ὁμολογούντων τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ.
15 Through him, then, let us offer to God a sacrifice of praise in every circumstance; this is the fruit of lips that proclaim his name.
16 τῆς δὲ εὐποιΐας καὶ κοινωνίας μὴ ἐπιλανθάνεσθε- τοιαύταις γὰρ θυσίαις εὐαρεστεῖται ὁ Θεός.
16 Do not forget good deeds and sharing: indeed, by such sacrifices God is pleased.
Didakhē 9, 4
ὥσπερ ἦν τοῦτο τὸ κλάσμα διεσκορπισμένον ἐπάνω τῶν ὀρέων καὶ συναχθὲν ἐγένετο ἕν, οὕτω συναχθήτω σου ἡ ἐκκλησία ἀπὸ τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς εἰς τὴν σὴν βασιλείαν.
As that broken bread which was scattered on the hills, after being gathered became one, so may Your church be gathered from the ends of the earth to Your Kingdom.
The Didakhē or Teaching of the Lord to the Peoples through the Twelve Apostles is a text that dates back to the earliest days of Christianity. In the passage below, we report an extract from the prayer made in those days during the celebration of the Eucharist. When the bread was offered, it was recalled as a sign of unity by the analogy of wheat seeds. These were initially scattered over the hills, but then gathered together in a single loaf become a sign of unity. This is the work of Christ, to bring people together through his body and blood, so that enlivened by his spirit of love, they can form a single body, united in peace. This is the realization of the kingdom of heaven, a reality that Jesus invites us to live already on earth by seeking unity and fraternal bonds. This image also features prominently in the writings of the Church Fathers, including St. Augustine’s Sermons 227 and 272.