Friday, 4/12/13
The multiplication
of the loaves is the only miracle found in all four Gospels. They all agree on
what actions Our Lord took. Matthew, Mark and Luke record the same sequence of
his actions: Jesus took, blessed,
broke and gave. In all likelihood they recorded him doing it that way, because that was the way it went in the Sunday
Eucharist they had been celebrating for half a century.
As lovers of the
Eucharist, we are fortunate in the past hundred years to be reading documents on the Mass that were lost for
fifteen hundred years.
From the First
Century scholars have recovered a handbook called the “Teaching of the
Apostles,” but commonly referred to by the Greek word for “the teaching,”
which is the Didache. It makes the
strong point that the Eucharist is the people’s sacrifice, for which they
should prepare by cleansing their consciences.
From the Second
Century we have St. Justin’s account of our Sunday service that began with
readings from the Prophets and the Apostles, followed by a homily, and then by
Eucharist prayers over bread and wine. (There was even a collection.)
From the Third
Century we have an account from Rome that gives the wording of the Mass that is
quite similar to our Eucharistic Prayer Two.
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