On Sunday Evening, after attend Evensong in St. Augustine’s 12 members of the Ordinariate Group gathered for a Passover Meal in the Vicarage which had been prepared for us by Jan, Ann, Carol and Father Martin. After the ceremonial lighting of candles by Jan Father Mervyn began the Passover with the reading of the Haggadah during which we partook of Kosher wine, bitter herbs, matzah and heard the story of the Exodus. After following the Course of the development of the Eucharist through the Old Testament and into the new the Passover ceremony put The Eucharist very much into context. We were able to understand that the Rite we celebrate so frequently was firmly based on Scripture and that Jesus had brought the Seder, originally for Jewish people, to be something for us all. It was with gusto that we ended the meal with traditional shout of “NEXT YEAR IN JEREUSALEM”
