A Memorial Of His Death 

Our Blessed Lord's last meal is more than a meal. It is a memorial of His death. He used bread and wine because these were the two substances which traditionally nourished man. In using bread and wine He was therefore using a symbol of ourselves. He now prepares the new passover. The old Passover was to celebrate the Jews leaving their bondage in Egypt and coming into the promised land. The new covenant, the new exodus, the new Passover, is passing from sin to union with God through Christ. Our Lord then says, “I am going to give you a memorial of My death.” He then symbolized for them His death by the separate consecration of His bread and wine. He said first, “This is my Body.” Over the wine He said, “This is my Blood”, not “this symbolizes.” This is. That separate consecration of bread and wine was like the tearing apart of blood from body, which is the way He would die on the cross the next day. And then He said, “Do this in memory of me.” Every time we assist at Mass we are watching the renewal of the death of Christ and incorporating our own death into His. That is the meaning of the Eucharist.