Word to the Wise
Saturday, July 20, 2013 - Saturday in the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
[Exod 12:37-42 and Matt 12:14-21]Since the dough the brought out of Egypt was unleavened, they baked it into unleavened loaves. They had rushed out of Egypt and had no opportunity even to prepare food for the journey.
I think most Latin rite Catholics will agree that there is not much taste to the communion wafer that has become the Body of Christ! There is not much texture either since the Western tradition in the church commemorates the Passover by using unleavened bread. If you have ever attended a "seder meal" you may recall the "matzos" crackers that are used to commemorate that unleavened bread. The word to get moving quick before Pharaoh changed his mind meant there was no time to let bread rise. [As someone who bakes bread, I know that some recipes require hours for all the "rising" to take place!]
Although the official liturgical rules about the "bread" we use at Mass express the desire that the "bread" LOOK like bread, we haven't found a way to do that! Although I have made it by hand - using only regular flour and water - the results have rarely been much more satisfying than what we call a "host." Our faith has to supply the taste. Our memory that we are sharing the experience of the Children of Israel at the Exodus and the experience of the apostles at the Last Supper may require some reminders from time to time! AMEN