(In
some parts of the world, today is the Feast of Corpus Christi. In other
parts, this feast is transferred to next Sunday)
Mark
14:12-16.22-26
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they were sacrificing the Passover Lamb, Jesus' disciples said to him, "Where do you wish us to go and make the necessary preparations for you to eat the Passover?" He despatched two of his disciples, and said to them. "Go into the city, and there will meet you a man carrying an earthen pitcher of water. Follow him, and wherever he enters in, say to the householder, `The teacher says, "Where is my room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"' He will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared. There get things ready for us." So the disciples went away, and they came into the city, and found everything just as he had told them. And they got everything ready for the Passover Feast.
As they were eating, Jesus took bread and asked God’s blessing on it and broke it in pieces and gave it to them and said, “Eat it—this is my body.” Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it and gave it to them; and they all drank from it. And he said to them, “This is my blood, poured out for many, sealing the new agreement between God and man. I solemnly declare that I shall never again taste wine until the day I drink a different kind in the Kingdom of God.” Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
Food for thought!
It may seem an unusual word to use in connection with Jesus, but, as we read today's gospel, we cannot help being struck with his efficiency of arrangement. Again and again we see that he did not leave things until the last moment. Long before, we saw on Palm Sunday that Jesus had arranged that the colt should be ready for his ride into Jerusalem; and here again we see that all his arrangements for the first Eucharist had been made long beforehand. Every Eucharistic should remind us the Lord of Preparedness.
His disciples wished to know where they would eat the Passover. Jesus sent them into Jerusalem with instructions to look for a man carrying an earthen pitcher of water. That was a prearranged signal or password. As in many parts of the world, carrying a water-pot was a woman's duty. It was a thing that no man ever did. A man with a water-pot on his shoulder would stand out in any crowd as much as, say, a man on a wet day with a lady's umbrella, or to find a man on high heels shoes wearing a skirt and blouse. Jesus did not leave things until the last minute. Long before, he had arranged a last meeting-place for himself and for his disciples, and had arranged just how it was to be found.
It has been expressed that “order is Heaven’s first law.” Jesus acknowledged this when he said, “The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear” (Mark 4:28). If we are to succeed in life, it becomes necessary to bring our methods of operation into an orderly process. And preparedness can often be considered the first step in the order of success. Another adage is that “chance favors the prepared.” Opportunity knocks at the door many more times than people may realize. If the moment of opportunity is not seized, it may be because people don’t recognize it or are unprepared to seize it. Preparedness is the first step to success.
"Victory awaits him who has everything in order — people call this luck. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck.” — Roald Amundsen, The South Pole.
We note one thing more. In the last paragraph we see again the two things we have so often seen. Jesus was sure of two things. He knew he was to die, and he knew his Kingdom would come. He was certain of the Cross, but just as certain of the glory. And the reason was that he was just as certain of the love of God as he was of the sin of man; and he knew that in the end that love would conquer that sin.
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they were sacrificing the Passover Lamb, Jesus' disciples said to him, "Where do you wish us to go and make the necessary preparations for you to eat the Passover?" He despatched two of his disciples, and said to them. "Go into the city, and there will meet you a man carrying an earthen pitcher of water. Follow him, and wherever he enters in, say to the householder, `The teacher says, "Where is my room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"' He will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared. There get things ready for us." So the disciples went away, and they came into the city, and found everything just as he had told them. And they got everything ready for the Passover Feast.
As they were eating, Jesus took bread and asked God’s blessing on it and broke it in pieces and gave it to them and said, “Eat it—this is my body.” Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it and gave it to them; and they all drank from it. And he said to them, “This is my blood, poured out for many, sealing the new agreement between God and man. I solemnly declare that I shall never again taste wine until the day I drink a different kind in the Kingdom of God.” Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
Food for thought!
It may seem an unusual word to use in connection with Jesus, but, as we read today's gospel, we cannot help being struck with his efficiency of arrangement. Again and again we see that he did not leave things until the last moment. Long before, we saw on Palm Sunday that Jesus had arranged that the colt should be ready for his ride into Jerusalem; and here again we see that all his arrangements for the first Eucharist had been made long beforehand. Every Eucharistic should remind us the Lord of Preparedness.
His disciples wished to know where they would eat the Passover. Jesus sent them into Jerusalem with instructions to look for a man carrying an earthen pitcher of water. That was a prearranged signal or password. As in many parts of the world, carrying a water-pot was a woman's duty. It was a thing that no man ever did. A man with a water-pot on his shoulder would stand out in any crowd as much as, say, a man on a wet day with a lady's umbrella, or to find a man on high heels shoes wearing a skirt and blouse. Jesus did not leave things until the last minute. Long before, he had arranged a last meeting-place for himself and for his disciples, and had arranged just how it was to be found.
It has been expressed that “order is Heaven’s first law.” Jesus acknowledged this when he said, “The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear” (Mark 4:28). If we are to succeed in life, it becomes necessary to bring our methods of operation into an orderly process. And preparedness can often be considered the first step in the order of success. Another adage is that “chance favors the prepared.” Opportunity knocks at the door many more times than people may realize. If the moment of opportunity is not seized, it may be because people don’t recognize it or are unprepared to seize it. Preparedness is the first step to success.
"Victory awaits him who has everything in order — people call this luck. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck.” — Roald Amundsen, The South Pole.
We note one thing more. In the last paragraph we see again the two things we have so often seen. Jesus was sure of two things. He knew he was to die, and he knew his Kingdom would come. He was certain of the Cross, but just as certain of the glory. And the reason was that he was just as certain of the love of God as he was of the sin of man; and he knew that in the end that love would conquer that sin.
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