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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 March 2013
The Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper relies heavily on language and imagery borrowed from the Jewish festival of Passover. This borrowing has become increasingly problematic after the Holocaust. It leads to supersessionism, and it does not take account of how the meaning of Passover has changed since the time of Jesus, sometimes as the direct result of Christian persecution. This article examines the three readings from the Mass of the Lord's Supper as well as the responsorial psalm in order to show how Catholic interpretations of Passover differ from Jewish ones. It suggests that the difference both can be harmful and is unnecessary.
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