Taste and See: the Paschal Mystery

The Preface used at Mass on Sunday is proper to Easter Day and its Octave – the week of days that begins the week of weeks that is Easter.

It contains within it four lines that concisely express the Catholic understanding of our Redemption won by Sacrifice.

Preface

The Paschal Mystery

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
at all times to acclaim you, O Lord,
but on this day above all
to laud you yet more gloriously,
when Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.

For he is the true Lamb
who has taken away the sins of the world;
by dying he has destroyed our death,
and by rising, restored our life.

Therefore, overcome with paschal joy,
every land, every people exults in your praise
and even the heavenly Powers, with the angelic hosts,
sing together the unending hymn of your glory,
as they acclaim:

Those lines?

 For he is the true Lamb
who has taken away the sins of the world;
by dying he has destroyed our death,
and by rising, restored our life.

The symbolism of the lamb links the Redemption won by Christ to its prefigurement, its foretaste, in the liberation of Israel in Passover.

The Redemption won by Christ is not for a single people or nation only or for life in this world. It is for all people always. It is freedom from death and dying, not from slavery only.

• From what are you freed and how?
• Who can you free and how?

Photograph of painting of the Agnus Dei by Zurbaran. Image from Wikipedia