Pharaoh was a stubborn chap. Despite numerous plagues that had been visited on his people, he still would not let the Israelites leave. So God had to come up with the granddaddy of all plagues. He would strike all the firstborn sons dead. In today’s first reading from Exodus 11 and 12, we read about the first Passover. While putting the blood of the lamb over their doorposts, the Israelites had to eat the flesh of the lamb. This is a foreshadowing of Jesus, the Lamb of God, in the Eucharist.
In the Gospel reading from Matthew 12, the Pharisees hassle Jesus because His disciples picked heads of grain to eat on the sabbath. So Jesus reminds them of how David broke the law and ate the bread of offering from the temple. And Jesus says to them, “I say to you, something greater than the temple is here….For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.” In other words, Jesus reminds them that there is more than meets the eye when they look upon Him.
This reminds me of the Eucharist. There is so much more than meets the eye. You might say that there is something greater than just bread here. And yet it still looks like bread, like a wafer. And too many people, non-Catholic and Catholic alike, are fooled by that. But Jesus’ words to the Pharisees are a reminder to us. There is something greater, much greater, here. For in that bread and in that wine, there is Jesus. Do you have eyes to see Him?
Father, we thank you for the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist. Strengthen our belief, and give all eyes to see that there is something greater there than just bread and wine. Amen.
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