Seder Meal

This is probably the moment to confess I am an ardent Philosemite. I love the Jewish people, Judaism, and anything remotely Jewish. I don't know why -- I just get excited whenever I encounter Jews or Judaism. I've never lost my childhood delight in Jewishness, and I am perpetually in mourning for only being a "spiritual Semite," not a genuine one.

While I was growing up, my parents always held a Pascal Meal, a Catholic version of the Jewish Seder meal, during Holy Week. This is one tradition that we've been happy to pass on to our children. On Wednesday night, we gather with other families and hold the Passover service. The prayers we use are a version I admit I compiled myself, using several different Passover services and melding together the elements I liked best (all the while feeling a holy fear of being so cavalier with ancient tradition) and drawing out the Catholic foreshadowing in the Jewish prayers.

Following Doman tradition, our family prays the Passover service on Wednesday night, simply because rushing out to night Church service after holding an elaborate dinner was too exhausting. Our Seder meal has ten pages of prayers and readings, and it's a meal that deserves to be eaten slowly and with leisure to savor it.

This year was a hard year because of missing Joshua. Together with the stresses of current demands, if it had been up to me (and if I hadn't invited our friends over) I couldn't have done it. But this year Rose made the Haroset (apples peeled, chopped fine, and mixed with cinnamon and wine to resemble the mud of the Egyptian bricks), as well as a tasty kiwi-mint-and-honey relish for the lamb (not traditional, but we love it!). And my son Caleb made the Matzo (unleavened bread) of flour, olive oil, salt and water. And my friends helped me set the table. I forgot to take a picture but I set up a plate above so you could see what it looks like. The other items on the plate are Moror (horseradish, symbolizing the bitterness of slavery and sin) and the green herb (a friend made a seven-herb salad for the Seven Sorrows of Mary), which is eaten dipped in salt water to symbolize tears and hope.

If you haven't ever done a Seder meal, consider it! Holy Thursday is the traditional night to do it. Mary Reed Newland had a very very short version of it in The Year and Our Children. You can find another short version at CatholicCulture.org. They have directions for making the Seder foods here.