We can acknowledge our shared ancestry with the Jews, but our celebration moves to another, fuller dimension. We celebrate the night when Jesus, a faithful Jewish man and the Savior of the world gave us the Eucharist.
Ideally, the seder should be celebrated on Holy Thursday. With small children, however, it is often wiser to plan it for earlier in Holy Week since they are unlikely to be able to make it through both the seder and evening Mass cheerfully. The seder is a long ceremony but a properly chosen family-oriented script will keep the children engaged and enthusiastic for the duration. I found such a script online at www.domestic-church.com.
In the Jewish tradition, the days before the seder are devoted to cleaning the entire house. Catholics might take advantage of this opportunity to spring clean within the context of the liturgical year. Wise Jewish mothers hide pennies or trinkets in those out of the way places that are often neglected in our regular housecleaning in order to encourage young helpers to vacuum and dust in frequently forgotten places. This hide and seek is also good practice for seeking the “afikomen,” a cloth-covered matzoh hidden during the seder, whose discovery is rewarded with a prize.
Shopping for the seder can be a family affair as well. You will find yourself visiting grocery aisles you may have never noticed before as you gather matzoh and gefilte fish. We forgo the wine in favor of sparkling grape juice. Children will wrinkle their noses at the thought of eating horseradish and drinking salt water, but when they are reminded of its meaning (the bitter life and sad tears of the Jews in bondage), the Jewish story and the gift of Christ becomes more real to even the youngest child. We have a rule that every child must taste just a little bit.
Seder food is both symbolic and celebratory. The first half of the evening focuses upon the symbolic Seder Plate: fresh parsley, horseradish, haroset (a tasty apple, nut and honey dish), a shank bone, and a roasted egg. In Exodus 12, God told the Israelites which foods were to be consumed. Other foods have been added in the Jewish tradition.
As the seder is celebrated, the children (and their parents) learn in a very effective way of the Jewish enslavement and flight from Egypt and their hopeful anticipation of the Messiah. A Christian Passover truly celebrates the Messiah we know and the gift He gave us. The Last Supper unfolds for the child and he gains new insight into the Mass and the Eucharist.
The meal following the ceremony is festive. Many resources are available for recipes. Make Passover a true feast: find recipes that have appeal for the whole family, are out of the ordinary, and don’t require a tremendous amount of work for the cook (remember, she is celebrating a holiday as well). We have found several simple, well-loved recipes including roast lamb, curried rice, and a lamb cake for dessert.
I recommend celebrating with one other family. Hospitality and fellowship make the evening special. More than two families together, we have found, tends to be too distracting. The tradition of always celebrating with the same family is one we hold dear.
Because a song makes a celebration, I am looking forward to adding songs to our evening this year. The book, A Family Haggadah, and the accompanying tape (available from Music for Little People 800/409-2457) go step by step through the Seder and provide songs of joy.
For children and adults alike, a prayer which involves the senses, is a prayer prayed with great intensity. The seder celebration is such a prayer. It sets a tone for Holy Week, a tone of somber sorrow and of joyful anticipation.
(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)
