The Meal that Changes LivesReflections on the Last Supper

Saint Sebastian & Saint Catherine Parishes – Lent 2020

The Meal that Changes Lives was planned as a Lenten Morning of Reflection for Saint Sebastian and Saint Catherine Parishes. Because we are not able to meet in church, we want to provide you with an opportunity to take time during Holy Week to reflect on the power and the implications of the gift of Eucharist on our faith and within our lives. As you reflect on the work of various artists, take time to

pray and consider the value of Eucharist in your life.

As you advance through this video, you may pause for reflection by clicking on the screen. Clicking the arrow at the bottom will resume the program.

Parents might pause each painting and then ask your child(ren):

What do you see?

What do you think is important in this picture?

Setting the Table

While eating is essential to human life, when we eat together, when we share

nourishment and conversation, we create community.

Reflect upon meals that have had the greatest impact

on your life…on your understanding of family and community

The Eucharist – The Meal Central to Our Lives

As Catholics we believe

the Eucharist is

the True Presence of Jesus Christ

It is the “source and summit”

of all we are as Catholics

… as human beings

How does the Eucharist nourish you?

Our Eucharist is Rooted in Freedom

The Passover is a reminder of the Covenant of Freedom from Slavery

The Last Supper is a reminder of the Covenant of Freedom from Sin

Reflection – Sin, Slavery, and Freedom

Each of us is held back by sin,

sin that keeps us from fully loving,

sin that diminishes us as fully human

What is there in my life and in my actions

that holds me back from following Jesus

fully and with my whole heart?

The Power of Art

Close your eyes and mentally picture the Last Supper.

Put yourself in the Upper Room

❖What do you see?

❖What do you smell?

❖What do you hear?

Our imagination and our sense of understanding is often framed by the art we know.

Whether the art be the written word, the chords of music, or the brush of an artist, we are inspired and informed by the artist.

Examine this icon from the Early Church. What stands out?What is the artist saying or trying to teach us?

What the Icon TeachesJesus is set apart• He is the center of attention

• His feet are elevated

• His halo shows the cross of salvation

❖ Where does Jesus stand in your life?

❖ Are you focused on Christ or are you distracted by life?

15th-century mural by Leonardo da VinciThe most famous and influential image of the Last Supper

What does it tell you?

Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper

In reality, almost everything in this painting is historically wrong

• It reflects da Vinci’s time and place

• It is fully European

• Jesus seems detached and remote

❖Is Jesus a real presence in your life?

❖What is your relationship with Jesus?

❖Does Jesus feed and nourish you?

The Last Supper in a Modern Eye"The Last Supper"

by Polish artist Bohdan Piasecki

"The Last Supper" by Bohdan Piasecki

Reflections

Compare this image with the painting by da Vinci – this image depicts the Last Supper as a Passover Meal – shared at night with a full community of men, women, and children. The participants are focused on Jesus and his actions.

❖How does sharing Eucharist with a community of believers enhance your faith?

❖How does the community “feed and nourish” your heart and soul?

The Last Supper in a Modern Eye"The Last Supper"

by unknown Salvadoran artist

The Last Supper in a Modern Eye"The Last Supper" by African American artist Terry Wilson

Claiming the Last Supper - Cultural Images

Notice the posture and attitudes of the people depicted in both images. Be especially aware of signs of unity and solidarity.

How do they differ from traditional Western depictions of the Last Supper?

How do you feel when people of different cultures depict Jesus as part of their culture?

In the image below, the disciples are touching in support. What lesson about Eucharist should we understand from this?

The Last Supper in a Modern Eye“All Are Welcome"

by German artist Sieger Koder

“All Are Welcome"Observe in the painting:

❖The table and guests are seen from Jesus’ point of view

❖Take note of the disciples - a Jew, a prostitute, a beggar, a misfit/clown, a scholar, a rich woman, a migrant/refugee

❖On the back wall is an etching of the Prodigal Son with the father and son embracing while the older brother looks away

Reflection on “All Are Welcome”

❖What is the significance of placing the Prodigal Son with rejection and reconciliation in the same room as the Lord’s Supper?

❖What do you see looking at Jesus’ hands?

❖Are you comfortable sitting at this table with these disciples?

❖Imagine the “story” of each person at the table

❖What is your “story?

The Last Supper in a Modern Eye

“The Washing of Feet" by German artist Sieger Koder

This image depicts the Last Supper as found in the Gospel of John.

The focus is not the bread and wine but rather the washing of feet.

“The Washing of Feet" by German artist Sieger Koder

Observe in the painting:

❖The blue field under the wash bowl represents the “living water” of salvation

❖Jesus’ face cannot be seen except the reflection in the water of the wash bowl

❖Peter protests, yet he clings to Jesus

❖Jesus’ feet are battered and bruised

❖The bread and wine await on the table

Reflection on Washing Feet

As you look on this painting:

❖How have you resisted Jesus’ call to you

. . . in your life

. . . today?

❖How does service to others provide “living water” to you?

❖As you see Jesus’ face reflected in the dirty water, what is God saying to you?

The Last Supper in a Modern Eye“The Sacrament of the Last Supper”

by Spanish artist Salvador Dali

Christ for All Time Future and Past Within the Last Supper

Observe in the painting:

❖Dali painted this after his return to the Catholic Church. He intended to show the nature of God, who could not be contained by time or space.

❖Jesus is at the table… yet he is beyond the table

❖The disciples, robed as priests, kneel in adoration

❖The light shines through and from Jesus

❖The Jesus above (Jesus of the Cosmos) is perfect even in the wounds in his hands

“The Sacrament of the Last Supper” ReflectionDali hoped this painting would take the

viewer to the beginning and the end of Creation. He believed that the Eucharist was the summit of Creation

❖Where does it “take” you?

❖Imagine “Jesus beyond the walls”. . . what do you understand? what do you feel?

❖What is the place of the Last Supper – the gift and presence of the Body and Blood of Christ – in Creation?

BirkatJewish Meal

Blessing

Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, Who, in His goodness, provides sustenance for the entire world with grace, with kindness, and with mercy. He gives food to all flesh, for His kindness is everlasting. Through His great goodness to us continuously we do not lack [food], and may we never lack food, for the sake of His great Name.

For He, benevolent G-d, provides nourishment and sustenance for all, does good to all, and prepares food for all His creatures whom He has created, as it is said: You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Blessed are You, L-rd, Who provides food for all.

We offer thanks to You, L-rd our G-d, for having given as a heritage to our ancestors a precious, good and spacious land; for having brought us out, L-rd our G-d, from the land of Egypt, and redeemed us from the house of bondage; for Your covenant which You have sealed in our flesh; for Your Torah which You have taught us; for Your statutes which You have made known to us; for the life, favor, and kindness which You have graciously bestowed upon us; and for the food we eat with which You constantly nourish and sustain us every day, at all times, and at every hour.

In Jewish writing the full name of God is never written.

Our Eucharist began and remains a covenant meal of freedom and salvation

Pray the Birkat aloud and slowly.

Notice the similarity to the Eucharistic Prayer of the Catholic Mass.

It is one more link to the Jewish roots of the Last Supper and our Mass.

How do you feel knowing our most sacred prayer is rooted in the Jewish faith?

Traditional Catholic Meal PrayersThe meals we share with family and friends are blessings. They are opportunities to remember the origin of all our gifts.

❖What is the state of your family’s meal prayers?

❖What can you do to make your meals a stronger occasion of gratitude?

❖When was the last time you prayed in public outside of church?

Blessing Before Meals

Bless us, O Lord! and these your gifts, which we are about to receive from your bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing After MealsWe give you thanks for all your benefits, O Almighty God, who lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Come to the Table of the Lord and satisfy your hunger

Rise up from the Table of the Lord and feed a hungry world!

Thank you for participating. As we continue to experience a world in which we do

not have access to the Eucharist, enter into the Lenten spirit of fasting and know

a greater hunger of the Body and Blood of Christ.If you have comments or suggestions for future programs,

please contact Ed Duncklee at Saint Sebastian

eduncklee@saintsebs.org

Music

Heart of Worship (Violin-Piano)

from PianoMessage by Moses Hilario – Used with permission

https://pianomessage.bandcamp.com/album/instrumental-worship-music