Family Faith Event 3 I am the Living Bread come down from Heaven
2 A Note for Presenters Understanding the Pattern of this Eucharist Event. Informal discussion with parents about the meaning of this Sacrament has brought a growing understanding that people who have little familiarity with Scripture are unlikely to feel that they can give their children the background story to the Eucharist. This was illustrated sharply by a recent shocking incident. It was First Communion day & the church was full. A friend of mine, who was a parishioner, was helping to guide the line of children moving slowly towards the altar. Suddenly a little girl, - wearing her lovely white dress & veil - turned to my friend anxiously & said: Do I have to eat that bit of bread? (This is a true story. I know very well the adult involved.) The Year of Faith Event offered in the following pages may provide a simple, interesting experience that could go some way towards giving a meaningful background to the wonderful sacrament of the Eucharist.
Leader Introduction We are gathered here in families to talk about food! Nothing new about that idea, families ofter gather together round food. But this gathering is about very special food! 3 t To understand it, we need to imagine what life might have been like a very long time ago, long before anyone here was born. In fact, about a thousand years before Jesus was born! When Moses led the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt - into freedom. Of course we have probably all heard it before. But, this time - we need to be able to feel that what happend then, really has meaning for us today. So the story will now be told - as if it was happening in today s world. It is a long and quite exciting story but we are only concerned with one tiny piece of it how they came to use special, flat bread. If the event had happened here it might have gone something like this: Storyteller The men were organizing a kind of Strike. They were going to tell Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, that they would not be slaves any longer - and they would force him to let them leave. (The 3 quotations are said by a Male voice.) We ll get away this week they said. But they didn t! Then they were saying: next week and, as time went on, very soon. But it was a long time coming! They kept telling the women to be ready to go at a moment s notice! The women talked about it among themselves. Female voice: If we are going out from here into the desert where there are no shops & no food, how are we going to feed everyone? You know what the men are like. They will organise the move. Then, when we are miles from anywhere they will say, Now, what s for the meal? So the women made their own plans!
4 In their own homes in Egypt, women usually made bread for their families every day. To prepare bread, they made a dough mixture, shaped it into rolls or loaves, then left it for a few hours to allow the mixture to rise up before it was baked. They couldn t do that if they had to be ready to travel quickly! They decided that, on the day they moved, they would make the mixture without leaven (yeast) - so that they wouldn t have to wait till it rose. When the word came to move, they all made this unleavened dough. They put it into big pieces of cloth, or bowls - or whatever they had and carried it with them. Sure enough, when they had escaped from Egypt and evening had come the men, as expected, asked, What s for the meal? They must have been pleasantly surprised to find that the women were ready for them. They lit fires and cooked the dough they had brought. It turned into bread that was flat, like cracker-bread, and good to eat. The Bible tells the tale like this: (The Book of Exodus 12:39) They baked cakes with the dough which they had brought from Egypt, unleavened because the dough was not leavened; they had been driven out of Egypt with no time for dallying, and had not provided themselves with other food. A year later, when they were far away from all those worries, and the first anniversary of the escape was going to be celebrated, they talked about it and decided to use this 'unusual flat bread (Matzah) at the party meal. Eventually, it became the rule that they would celebrate, every year, that wonderful time when they had passed over from slavery to freedom - by having a special meal. They would use unleavened bread - and call the celebration - The Pass over. The Bible puts it like this: (The Book of Exodus 13:3) Keep this day in remembrance of the day you came out of Egypt; no leavened bread must be eaten. ( The following small section of the Family Faith 1st Communion Programme is presented now, to draw attention to the importance of the Matzah. All are invited to accept & eat a small piece each.)
We will experience, now, a little bit of that Passover Celebration. 5 Blessing the Bread Table Leaders hold up a piece of matzah and say: This is the bread of affliction which Israel ate in the land of Egypt. It is a symbol of days of slavery and pain. It is our hope that next year all people will be free from every oppression. All Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, You have given us bread from the earth. The bread is passed round and everyone breaks off a small piece and eats it. The Cup in Memory Table Leaders hold up the wine and say: This is the wine of happy memory. It is our duty to thank, praise and adore God who performed for our ancestors and for us such wonders. He brought us forth from darkness to great light. All Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, you have given us the fruit of the vine. A small amount of wine is poured for each person. Everyone sips a little of this `in memory cup. (If further Passover details are required, they can be found in the Family Faith Eucharist Programme.)
6 Jesus changed the Passover - & the Mass began One night - about 2000 years ago - Jesus was in Jerusalem with a group of friends. They were all Jews & they had arranged to hold the Passover together. Jesus was at the top of the table, leading the celebration. All his friends were gathered round him and the first part went very well. Then - Jesus took up the bread - But he did not say the words they expected, about being saved from slavery. He did something completely different! We are going to act this out now with the help of our priest: Father, would you come & take the place of Jesus for us? A table - with some matzah & a simple chalice & ciborium - is brought in front of the priest. Watch and Listen as Father says the new words that Jesus said that night. Father takes up the matzah This is my Body. (This is me! I am giving myself for you!) For 2 thousand years since that day, people have been able to receive Jesus himself through this very special unleavened bread. After the meal Jesus picked up the cup of wine. The priest takes up the chalice This is my Blood. This is me! It is the blood of the New Covanant which will be poured out for you. Do this in memory of me.
Do this in memory of me 7 When the priest consecrates the bread & the wine in the Mass, he not only says the words that Jesus said, he moves his arms & hands in ways that help us understand better what is happening. It will help you to see the meaning of these actions - if you, yourself, do them - along with the priest. As the priest demonstrates the consecration - step by step - Everyone does each action with him. Demonstration of the Consecration of the Host Follow each action of the priest, now, as he gives his attention to the Chalice. Demonstration of the Consecration of the Wine in the Chalice
For the final few minutes of this event, we are going into church to follow these actions of the Mass again - in their church setting. Any children who would like to stand round the altar for this last piece, should go straight there as we all go into church. 8 The priest chooses the words & actions he will use to demonstrate the central parts of the Mass, & adds explanations where these would be helpful. When you come to Mass on Sunday, you will be able to take part - not by making big movements that would distract other people - but, perhaps, by tiny actions which will allow you to become completely at one with Jesus as He becomes present in this special way. Now, before we leave the church, let us all stay for just a few minutes & personally thank God in our hearts. Then each should go out quietly, when you are ready, & then begin to discuss with your friends what you think now!