For those who were not able to attend in person, you may click on any of the titles below (which are hyperlinked) to watch your way through the individual presentations. The corresponding handouts may be found just below, under ‘Reference Materials’.

We often think of the Eucharist as something we read about first in the New Testament, when Jesus institutes the new Passover as a meal for the Church to celebrate continually. We may not be aware that in fact the Eucharist is a theme that runs throughout the entire Bible.

In this Saturday morning seminar, we explored this theme from three different—perhaps unusual?—areas:

• In “The Eucharistic Altar as Light to the Nations,” Chad Steiner led us through several Old Testament texts in the early chapters of Genesis to explore the stories of the first altars: where they were built, by whom, and why; and what this all has to do with the Eucharist as we celebrate it in the Mass;
   
• In “From the Passover to the Passion,” Vern Steiner led us through the development of the Passover as we encounter it in Exodus, and helped us to understand how the first Passover shapes the New Passover Jesus celebrates with his disciples;
   
• In “The Eucharist as Covenant: The Sacrament of the New Testament,” Josh Burks explored a number of New Testament texts beyond the familiar institution narratives and the Bread of Life Discourse, and explained how ‘the New Testament’ was in fact a sacrament, associated with the Eucharist, before it was a written document, according to the document.

We enjoyed a variety of breakfast refreshments and a light lunch as well, all catered by Harbor Coffeehouse. The morning provided a wonderful opportunity to bring together the corresponding activities of studying and eating (taking in ideas to nourish the mind and food to nourish the body); to listen and to discuss; to see old friends and make new ones.

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Reference Materials

• The Eucharistic Altar as Light to the Nations
• The Passover and the Passion
• The Eucharist as Covenant: The Sacrament of the New Testament

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