Welcome to the Pauline Family's "Year of the Bible"! I'm reading the Bible clear through this year, and I invite you to read along with me. But first, let us pray:
I praise you, my God, with all people.
May they thank and adore you!
You have written your greatness in creation,
your Law in consciences,
your eternal promises in the Bible.
You are eternally faithful and always lovable!
As I read Sacred Scripture today, open my mind to hear your voice and understand your loving message.
Amen.
Today's three chapters are Exodus 11-13.
It is impossible to express how important these next chapters are for Judaism and Christianity. It might not be an exaggeration to say that the entire Old Testament is a setting for the diamond that is Exodus 12-20, the story of the first Passover and the Covenant at Sinai. The New Testament will also continually refer to this pivotal event, and Jesus himself will become the definitive Passover Lamb.
There is a lot of scholarly debate about the relationship between the Passover and Jesus' Last Supper. To my mind, a masterful contribution has been made by Dr. Brant Pitre in his (hefty!) Jesus and the Last Supper. If you are interested in delving deep into the meaning of Passover and the connection with the Last Supper, I highly recommend that very detailed treatment. For something more approachable, Pitre also wrote Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper.
If you are looking for a solid but approachable companion to the Bible, I can wholeheartedly recommend A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament by Brant Pitre and John Bergsma. Although the authors are top-level Scripture scholars, they write for "real" readers. Notes include recent findings from archaeology and ancient manuscripts.
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