ST. JOSEPH ALTAR
Friday, March 19, 2010 was the date for the first St. Joseph Altar
offered at the Prayer Center. Celebrating St. Joseph’s feast day, the
Dolphin Room held a three-tiered altar in thanksgiving to St. Joseph.
The altar contained a beautiful statue of St. Joseph with the Child,
Jesus. It also contained traditional and representative Sicilian foods
and treats such as mudica (toasted bread crumbs which represents the
sawdust of St. Joseph the Carpenter); pignolati (pastry kernels molded
with carmelized sugar into pyramids representing the pinecones Jesus
played with as a child); and, pupa cu lova (colored eggs in sweet bread
which foretell the coming of Easter.)
The celebration of the St. Joseph’s Altar is an ancient Sicilian/
Italian tradition that dates back to the 16th century. Legend has it that
the first table was offered when prayers to St. Joseph resulted in the
end of a period of drought and famine. Their prayers were answered
with much needed rain and their harvest was abundant. The farmers,
in thanksgiving, constructed a three-tiered altar, representing the Holy
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SPRING 2010
I pray that this Lenten Season was a time of reflection and
renewal for you. In discerning with Papa on the best message to
share with you, I felt compelled to concentrate on the meaning of
“
Lamb of God” and what that means to us as Catholics.
As Catholics, we are offered the Body of Christ, the Eucharist,
the Lamb of God everyday at Mass – 365 days a year. Why is this
significant? Why are we the only Church to offer the Eucharist every
day of the year? It is because we truly believe that Our Lord became
our Sacrificial Lamb - He is the extension of the fulfillment of the
feast of the Passover.
If you are not familiar with the Passover meal, I encourage you to
read Chapter 12 of Exodus and become familiar with the ritual. A better
understanding of this Meal will help you connect the tradition of the
past with the promises of the New Testament. It will help explain why
the words “Jesus died for me” although powerful, are not as important
as how He died for me. THIS is the origin of God’s church.
I will share a few comparisons of the old covenant and the new
covenant to help better solidify this point: 1) In the old covenant, the
old manna is a mystery as it feeds and nourishes God’s chosen people
daily until they enter the promised land. In the new covenant, the
new manna, the bread of life, is a mystery and it spiritually feeds and
nourishes our souls until we enter the promised land, heaven. 2) In
the old covenant, the paschal lamb is sacrificed at Passover. In the
new covenant, Jesus offers Himself, the Lamb of God, at Passover. 3)
In the old covenant, the Passover lamb must be male, unblemished,
and have no broken bones. In the new covenant, Jesus dies, is the
Lamb of God, male, unblemished with no broken bones. (Remember
here, that while Jesus was hanging on the cross the soldiers took a
tool and broke the legs of the other two being crucified with Jesus
to speed up their death but they did not break Jesus’ legs and John
testifies to this as an eyewitness in John 19:35-36). 4) In the old
covenant, the Passover lamb was slain at twilight which was at 3 p.m.
In the new covenant, the Lamb of God, dies at 3 p.m. 5) In the old
covenant, the lamb’s blood is applied to lentil and doorpost with a
hyssop branch. In the new covenant, Jesus receives the fourth cup
on the cross with the hyssop branch (the 4th cup as in the 4th cup of
wine at the conclusion of the Passover meal.)
Jesus could have died any day of the year, but He chose to die
at Passover. His death at Passover was intended and well planned.
He fulfills the old covenant Passover meal, and the night before He
dies, He institutes a new covenant and He commands us to “do this
in memory of Me.”
Now that you are more aware of the formation and teaching
of the Church, when you participate in Mass, be aware that you are
living the New Covenant. Our Lord and the Church empowers
priests through the words of consecration and the presence of the
Holy Spirit to change ordinary bread and wine into the body and
blood of Jesus Christ. So what must we do as a Catholic? We must
eat the Lamb and drink His blood. Just like at the first Passover meal
where families gathered to celebrate a meal and mark the entrance of
their home with the blood of the lamb to escape the Angel of Death,
we, too are given the opportunity to gather as a family of God and
celebrate the meal of the Eucharist.
What a gift we are given - the opportunity to receive Our Lord
daily in the Eucharist. I pray that when you hear the words, “Behold
the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world, happy are we who are called to his supper”
you respond with a renewed understanding and
appreciation of your Catholic roots.
In the Service of the Lord,
Sister Dulce Maria Flores
17560
George ONeal Road • Baton Rouge, LA 70817 • (225) 752-8480
E-mail:
•
The Sister Dulce Foundation, Inc.
Supporting the Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center
The St. Joseph Altar included breads made in different designs representing
various aspects of St. Joseph’s life such as ladders, tools and sandals.
