Our Last Supper Tradition or Seder Meal

Our Last Supper tradition~
Some years ago we were given a Seder Meal dialogue that we se each year for our Last Supper tradition.
We do have other versions but this one is a fairly simple one that even small children can sit through.

Why do we do this ....well the purpose is to remember Jesus’ Last Supper, and to prepare the family for their participation at the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper. We have yet had the time to have a foot washing ceremony.

The main items for the "Seder Meal" part are ~
Grape juice or wine
bitter herbs ( we only use lettuce)
salt water
unleavened bread wrapped in white cloth
Holy water

We usually go through the format below after which we have a Roast Lamb meal ready to eat with trifle for sweets. Often the trifle is eaten after Mass as we tend to be in a hurry to arrive on time.

Holy Thursday Seder Meal

Leader: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen

L: God our Father, we are gathered here to remember the Passover Meal which your Son Jesus shared with his apostles and the new and eternal sacrifice which he gave to us. We pray that you will send down upon us your abundant blessings.

A: Amen

Hymn for the Passover - Psalm 114

When Israel came out of Egypt,

the House of Jacob from a foreign nation,

Judah became his sanctuary

and Israel his domain.

The sea fled at the sight,

the Jordan stopped flowing,

the mountains skipped like rams,

and like lambs, the hill.

Sea, what makes you run away?

Jordan, why stop flowing?

Why skip like rams, you mountains,

Why like lambs you hills?

Quake, earth at the coming of your Master,

at the coming of the God Jacob,

who turns rock into pool

flint into mountain

BLESSING OF THE WINE

L: let us Pray: O God, by whose word all things are make holy, pour thy blessings on this creature , wine , and grant that whosoever uses it in accordance with thy will and thy law , and with a spirit of thanksgiving , may experience by thy power health in body and protection in soul as he invokes thy most holy name. Through Christ our Lord.

A: Amen.

(Wine is sprinkled with Holy Water in jugs and then distributed to each person)

NB: We fill each person’s glass with wine/juice and have each person sip from the glass, rather than fill the glass for each blessing.

BLESSING OF THE 1ST CUP

(all raise their glass for the 1st blessing)

A: Praise to you O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.

(all sip from glass)

1st Question: "Why is this night different from all other nights?"

L: On this night the Jewish people remember when God freed them from their slavery in Egypt. It was on this night that the Angel of Death "Passed Over" the houses of the Hebrews, which had blood on the doorpost. As Christians we remember that first Holy Thursday night when Jesus, sharing the Passover meal with His apostles, gave us himself in the Eucharist and freed nus from our slavery in sin.

BLESSING OF THE SECOND CUP

(all raise their glass for the 2nd blessing)

A: Praise to you Lord our God King of the universe, who created the fruit of the vine.

(all sip from glass)

BLESSING OF THE BREAD

L: Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ ,Thou the bread of angels, Thou the living bread of eternal life, graciously deign to bless this bread as thou didst bless the five loaves in the desert, that all who partake of it may have health of body and soul. Who livest and reignest forever.

A: Amen.

(Bread is sprinkled with Holy Water)

L: (Holding up Matzo): This is the bread of suffering that our ancestors had to eat when thay were slaves in Egypt. Once we were slaves, but now we are free.

A: Praise to you, O Lord our God, king of the universe who freed our ancestors and gave us freedom, who gave us this special day when we eat unleavend bread.

(Bread is broken and passed around. All eat.)

2nd Question: "why do we eat unleavened bread?"

L: We eat unleavened bread to remind us of the great hurry in which the Hebrews left Egypt. They had no time to wait for their dough to rise. It was while eating the Passover meal that Jesus blessed the bread , broke it and gave it to His apostles , saying , "Take this all of you and eat it , this is My Body."

BLESSING OF THE THIRD CUP

(all raise their glass for the 3rd blessing)

A: Praise to you O lord our God King of the universe , who created the fruit of the vine.

(all sip from glass)

BITTER HERBS

Bitter herbs are passed around . Each take some , dip them in salt water and eat.

3rd Question : "Why do we eat bitter herbs and dip them in salt water?"

L: The bitter herbs remind us of the bitterness of slavery and the sorrow of being slaves. The salt water reminds us of the tears the Hebrews cried when they were slaves in Egypt.

We remember also the bitterness of sin and the sorrow of our Lord's Passion. Jesus shed His blood and died on the cross so that we would be free from the affects of sin. it was when Jesus ate the Passover with His apostles that He took a cup filled with wine and said 'Take this all of you and drink from it, this is the cup of my blood which will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.'

BLESSING OF THE 4TH CUP

(all raise their glass for the 4th blessing)

A: Praise to you O Lord our God, king of the universe , who created the fruit of the vine.

(sip from glass)

THE CUP OF ELIJAH

L: (Taking the cup set aside): The cup of Elijah is kept on the table at Passover in the hope that the prophet Elijah may appear as a messenger of the Almighty and announce the coming of the Messiah.

As Christians we keep the extra cup to remind us of our beloved brothers, the Jews, out of whose faith and tradition our faith has come, to whom the Messiah HAS come, and with longing awaits them. They are his blood brothers and He longs for them. We pray for their conversion.

A: Amen.

(Cup of Elijah is filled and placed in centre of table)

4th Question: "Why on this night do we hold this service?"

L: When Jesus had finished His Last Supper, He told the apostles ' Do this in memory of me.' On Holy Thursday we remember the Passover that Jesus shared and give thanks to God for the new and eternal sacrifice which Jesus has left us- the sacrifice of the Mass. Jesus told us that by His suffering and death He was giving us a new freedom- a freedom from sin. By his perfect act of love for the Father, He was giving us the means to enter into a new land- the eternal kingdom of Heaven. At every Mass we celebrate, when the bread and wine are offered by the Church, it is the same sacrifice of Jesus to his Father, for us. That is why Holy Mass is the most important act of worship and sacrifice in our Church.

SUMMONS TO PRAISE ~Psalm 117

Praise God, all nations,

extol him , all you peoples!

For his love is strong,

His faithfulness eternal.

BLESSING OF THE MEAL

A: God of infinite goodness, who showed forth the love you bear all men in your son, born of the Virgin Mary, bless us and the food we are about to receive, and render our hearts ever mindful of our brothers and sisters.Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

TO GOD THE GLORIOUS, THE MERCIFUL ~Psalm 113

You servants of God praise,

praise the name of God!

Blessed be the name of God,

henceforth and forever!

From east to west,

praised be the name of God!

High over all nations God!

His glory transcends the heavens!

Who is like our God?-

Enthroned so high , he needs to stoop to see the sky and earth!

He raises the poor from the dust,

he lifts the needy from the dunghill

to give them a place with princes,

with  the princes of his people.

He enthrones the barren woman in her

house

by making her the happy mother of sons.

FINAL PRAYER

L: Almighty God, we receive new life from

the supper your son gave us in the world.

May we find full happiness in the meal we

hope to share in your eternal kingdom.

A: Amen.

We then have our Roast Lamb and baked Potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, honey carrots broccoli and cauliflower, peas and beans for our meal.
Blessings,