The Eucharist and its meaning for the Jews

Very interesting post from Eagle and Elephant – a look at some writings by then-Cardinal Ratzinger, part of a some retreat preaching he did before John Paul II, in 1983. The Eagle and the Elephant has excerpts and thoughts on what he is reading. Very interesting and yes, provocative.

He made of his death an act of prayer, an act of adoration. … [H]e cried “with a loud voice” the opening words of Psalm 21, the great Psalm of the just man suffering and set free: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

… [T]his dying cry of Jesus was the messianic prayer of the great Psalm of Israel’s suffering and hope, which concludes with the vision of the poor satisfied and all the ends of the earth returning to the Lord. … [T]he whole story of the passion is shot through with the threads of this Psalm, weaving in and out continually in an interchange between words and reality. … It thus becomes clear that Jesus is the true subject of this Psalm ….

… [W]hat took place at the Last Supper is an anticipation of the death, the transformation of the death into an act of love. …

The death without the Supper would be empty, without meaning; the Supper without the actual realisation of the death it anticipated would be a gesture without reality. Supper and Cross together … The Eucharist does not spring from the Supper alone; it springs from this oneness of Supper and Cross ….

You’ll want to go check out the link and see where this builds to.

Counseling Kevin looks at Ratzinger and his contention that God’s humor is part of the mirth of creation. Another good post.