Eucharist: Old Testament Roots

Eucharist Year Bible Quiz

• Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Mississauga hosts the Eucharist Year Bible Quiz
• The quiz is scheduled for March 29, 2025, at 3 PM EST
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The Old Testament Roots of Holy Eucharist

• The Holy Eucharist is the "source and summit" of Christian life
• Its origins are deeply intertwined with Old Testament history and traditions
• Exploring the Biblical foundations of the Eucharist is crucial
• Significance of symbols, practices, and prophecies illuminate the Eucharist
• Eucharist pre-figurations are more important than its literal existence in the Old Testament
• Old Testament events are shadows of the New Testament
• Old Testament revelations find completeness in Christ
• Old Testament truths are understood through Christ's light and revelation
• New Testament elements surpass those of the Old Testament; Eucharist is greater than Manna
• The language used is more symbolic than direct

Tree of Life and Holy Eucharist

• The Tree of Life and the Holy Eucharist share symbolism related to life, nourishment, and salvation
• In the Garden of Eden, the Tree of Life symbolized eternal life and immortality
• Adam and Eve's exile and loss of eternal life resulted from eating the forbidden fruit
• The Tree of Life represents healing and restoration
• It bears twelve kinds of fruits, yielding every month
• Healing is available to the nations through the leaves
• The Eucharist gives spiritual nourishment and everlasting life
• The Tree of Life and the Eucharist are sources of both physical and spiritual life
• Jesus identifies his body and blood as sources of life
• The Eucharist offers salvation and redemption
• St. Albert the Great drew parallels between the Tree of Life and the Eucharist: receiving the Sacrament gives eternal life
• Ignatius of Antioch called the Eucharist "an antidote to death, a medicine for immortality"
• Eucharist heals sins and commemorates Christ's death and resurrection
• separated by centuries and biblical contexts, the Tree of Life and the Holy Eucharist represent life, nourishment, salvation, offering hope

Offering of Melchizedek and the Holy Eucharist

• The link between Melchizedek's sacrifice and the Holy Eucharist is significant in Christian theology
• Melchizedek is described as a priest-king of Salem who offered bread and wine to Abraham and blessed him
• Melchizedek's priesthood was distinct from the Levitical priesthood
• It suggests an eternal priesthood
• Melchizedek's offering prefigures the Eucharist, which foreshadowing Christ's sacrifice
• Jesus is the new King of Peace
• Christ's priesthood is eternal rather than bound like the Levitical law
• Melchizedek's offering and the Eucharist represent a sacrificial act and communal meal, symbolizing unity between God and humanity

Passover and Holy Eucharist

• The Passover prefigures and finds fulfillment in the Holy Eucharist
• In Passover, Israelites sacrificed a spotless lamb whose blood guarded them
• In return they were safe from the angel of death
• Jesus recognized as the "Lamb of God" offers salvation
• Sacrifice brings freedom from sin
• One must eat the Passover lamb so one must eat the flesh of Jesus
• Eating the blood of Jesus makes you part of the new Israel, i.e The Church
• Passover commemorated God's saving of Israel from slavery in Egypt, reminding them of the covenant
• The Last Supper was the initial passover
• Eucharist is a memorial of Christ's sacrifice for all to be freed and is remembrance of salvation from sin
• Passover signifies the Mosaic covenant, Eucharist signifies the new and eternal covenant through Christ's sacrifice

Manna in the Wilderness

• Manna was given to the Israelites in the wilderness
• Featured in Exodus 16:13-36 and Numbers 11:1-35
• Described as bread from heaven, angels' bread, and grain of heaven that delights
• Christ gives true "bread from heaven
• "Christ is a gift from God with a deep connection to the Holy Eucharist
• Manna sustained the Israelites on their journey in the wilderness
• Jesus offered himself as bread so that no one may die
• Manna was to sustain people physically, Eucharist offers spiritual sustenance and an eternal life
• God commanded the Israelites to gather manna to teach them trust
• Each man was to gather as much as he needs, for the family in his tent
• Old Testament Manna represents a great gift to come through christ, The Eucharist
• Jesus showed as a sign pointing to the true heavenly bread saying ""Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.” (John 6:32) Through this, manna symbolizes the Eucharist and it’s ultimate fulfillment in Christ (bread of life)

The Bread of Presence

• Exodus 25 calls for the creation of the “Showbread
• Special table was to present what the Presence or God saw
• This bread was given as a reminder of love for them
• There are 2 features that make the Bread of the Presence significant, the Sabbath and temple work
• Bread of the Presence was offered by priests even on the Sabbath (1 Chronicles 9:32)
• In 1 Samuel 21 David’s troops needed bread and were told to remain celibate in order to consume it, it was to be consumed by priests while they weren’t celibate
• Christ creating a New Priesthood in the image of the Bread of the Presence, as in Matthew 12 the disciples work through Jesus and the Pharisees are confused by this as its the sabbath, David was innocent when he committed the same crime (eating consecrated bread)
• We now see the ability for Christ’s Disciplines to partake in the Bread of Presence just like priests
• This connects to the eucharist, specifically Catholicism which refers to the Eucharist as Christ’s real Presence

Todah Sacrifice and the Eucharist

• It was one of the most significant sacrifices of the Jews that will never cease
• It would be offered to someone who was delivered by disease or the sword
• Would be given to God by gathering friends and family for a sacrificial meal
• Lamb would be sacrificed in the Temple and bread would be consecrated the moment the lamb died
• The bread and meat, along with wine, would constitute the elements of the sacred todah meal, accompanied by prayers, such as psalm 116 (“Todah” is the Hebrew for “thanksgiving”)
• The importance of the todah comes into focus when in Hebrew the greek word Todah also translate to Eucharistia “ “thanksgiving.”"
• The celebration of the meal known by Christians is The Eucharist
• Giving tanks for deliverance gives to both
• He breaks the bread and declares thaksgiving (Euchartstia) in performs the key functoin of Todah sacrifice and Passover
• His thaksgiving to what He's about to do gives new life
• Giving thanksgiving and His lords over bread and wine Is the re encatment of “Eucharist.”
• Explores all types, practices and prophecies
• Highlights plans

Different Names Used for Holy Eucharist in Bible

• Introduction tells how it is known in by different names as such "Lords Supper, Qurbana, Breaking Bread"
• Each name expresses how profound his mysterious
• Its theological, historical and cultural

The Word Eucharist

• The word "Eucharist" comes from eucharista "Thanks giving". Central focus to gratitude. Christ sacrifice, This presence
• Act isn't remembrance, Its participation
• It is used in Old Testament
• Old Testamnet roots are offerings of thanksgiving and blessing, deliverness
• One such, Thanksgiving sacrifice (todah)
• Psalm 1:16:12-13 where psalmits lists to "cup salvation" in thanksgiving anicent ritual is Eucharists and is deeper in meanin
• In thanksgiving Christ Altimtate sacrifice

The Purpose of Thanksgiving Sacrifices

• Todah, worshipers Grat for God for specific blessing or all’s of deliverance. Save from suffer thanksgiving and testament power in savin Psalm
• Psalm Vows trouble delivers yopu high glorfiy " this Concept fully realised in this euchar, believers are paraticipants the Ultimate sacrifice who delivers from SIN

Components Of Todah Offering

• Thanksgiving were symobil, involved elements that before shadow the Euchaisrt. Levertives (7:12-15), the Offering consist unlearned leavnes That oil
• Mixed Sacifiad animal The
• Pre figues Euchartic becoming body Christ wine is central role thanksgivinf Psalm (116:12-13)

Meaning And Joyful Praise

• Todah sacrafice was than, Act joyfull praise and Proclaimed psalm mighty deeds, psalm 107:22 Highlights, joyful
• Through in prayers in hymns and Proclaming work Christ act thanks Jesus supper

Eucharist Is The Central Act Of Christian Worship

• NT portray defining and workshipping 1 cornthinas 11:23:24 Saint Paul words - when thanks and broke saying body this
• Emphzies Giving was sense insitution of the and durance chirtian and in Early breaking symous comunnal with and thankign and Acts (2:46-47) first Chirtanins gatherer for breaking eatin glads reflects and Reincforicnd in Christ

Early Church (thakignsministry)

• Beyond the Jesus frqeuntly the minstrary The Ladt for five before 11 thank him before for 41 Jesus More THAN RESPONSE ACKINGOMENT GOD
• In sacrfice his Present and the early act Early Christian docments offer the God
• In Martyr in the second and Before and

Christ

• Similary belief now in christ the Eucahris a deep and saved work is the by
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• In the Bible The Qurbana and that its of its its Its is The the God
• The death and union stresses the one is mission names for us believers

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