‘Father … let this Cup pass from me’

 

 

“Why did Jesus speak about his death as “drinking” a “cup”?

What cup is he talking about?”

 Dr. Brant Pitre

  

 

In the Foreword to Scott Hahn’s book, The Fourth Cup (2018), Dr. Brant Pitre writes:

The Fourth Cup

 

Jesus of Nazareth was a man of many mysteries. He taught in puzzling parables, he performed strange signs and wonders, he asked riddle-like question after question. And his Jewish disciples and the Jewish crowds he taught—although he frequently stumped them—loved it.

But the mysteries of Jesus didn’t end with his public ministry. According to the Gospels, he continued to do and say puzzling things right up to the moment of his death. One of the greatest riddles of Jesus’ Passion involves the mysterious vow that he made during the Last Supper. On the night he was betrayed, toward the end of the meal, Jesus solemnly declared that he would not drink “the fruit of the vine” again until the coming of “the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:18; cf. Matthew 26:29; Mark 14:25). Later on, when he was on the way to Golgotha and the soldiers tried to offer him wine, true to his word, “he would not drink it” (Matthew 26:34; cf. Mark 14:23). On the other hand, according to the Gospel of John, at the very last moment of his life, right before he died on the cross, Jesus requested for wine to be given to him, saying: “I thirst” (John 19:28). Even more mysterious, after drinking the wine he declared, “It is finished,” bowed his head, and gave up his spirit (John 19:30).

What are we to make of this riddle? How could Jesus vow at the Last Supper not to drink wine again, refuse it on the way to the cross, then turn around and ask for a drink right before he died? How can we reconcile Jesus’ words at the Last Supper with his words on the cross? Was he breaking his vow? Or was something else going on?

To top it all off, there’s one more puzzle to ponder—one that takes place between the upper room and Calvary. In the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus was praying about his death, he said something odd: “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). And then again: “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done” (Matthew 26:42). Now, if you were about to be crucified, is this how you would have prayed? Why did Jesus speak about his death as “drinking” a “cup”? What cup is he talking about?

In The Fourth Cup, Dr. Scott Hahn gives us the keys to unlocking this mystery—the mystery of the Last Supper and the cross. He does this in two ways: first, by going back to the Jewish roots of Jesus’ words and deeds, and second, by telling you the story of his own personal journey from Protestantism to Catholicism. The result reads almost like a detective novel—an exhilarating journey of discovery that will change the way you see the Last Supper, the Passion of Christ, and the Eucharist forever. 

I’ll never forget the first time I heard one of Dr. Hahn’s presentations on the fourth cup. I was completely blown away. It was like reading the Passion of Christ again for the first time. Don’t get me wrong: it’s not as if I had spent nights lying awake wondering why Jesus vowed never to drink wine again at the Last Supper and why he asked for a drink on Good Friday. Nor had I wondered all that much about why Jesus talked about his crucifixion as drinking a “cup.” I just took these things for granted. But after listening to Dr. Hahn’s lecture, it was like the pieces of a puzzle that I didn’t even realize were there suddenly fell into place. What I had always wondered about was this: Why do Catholics believe that the Eucharist is a sacrifice? Didn’t Jesus offer himself “once and for all” on Calvary? What is the link between Jesus’ offering of his body and blood at the Last Supper and his death on the cross?

 

If you’ve ever wondered the same thing, or if you’ve ever celebrated a Passover seder, or if you’ve ever just wanted to deepen your understanding of the Jewish roots of the Eucharist, then I’ve got one message for you, read this book. And don’t just read it. Pray about it. Reflect on it. And share it with others.

Because if you’re anything like me, once you begin to see the mystery of the Last Supper and the cross through ancient Jewish eyes, it will completely change your life. For, as r. Hahn shows, the Passover of Jesus that began in the upper room and was consummated on Calvary is still with us today. Whenever and wherever Mass is celebrated, the Paschal Mystery—that is, the “Passover” mystery—is made truly present. The Fourth Cup not only solves the mystery of Jesus’ vow, it will also give you the missing link between the upper room and Golgotha and help you to see more clearly how the sacrifice of Christ at the Last Supper and the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary are the same sacrifice “poured out for the forgiveness of sins” and the redemption of the world (Matthew 26:28).

 

 

 

 

Pope Leo XIV: Lenten ashes carry ‘the weight of a world that is ablaze’

 

 

Reflecting on the meaning of the ashes traditionally imposed on the heads of the faithful, Leo recalled a 1966 catechesis by St. Paul VI, who described the public celebration of the rite as a “severe and striking penitential ceremony” and as “a realistic pedagogy,” intended to cut through modern illusions and widespread pessimism that can reduce life to “the metaphysics of the absurd and of nothingness.”

 

“Today, we can recognize that his words were prophetic as we perceive in the ashes imposed on us the weight of a world that is ablaze, of entire cities destroyed by war,” Leo said.

 

He said that devastation is echoed in “the ashes of international law and justice among peoples,” “the ashes of entire ecosystems and harmony among peoples,” “the ashes of critical thinking and ancient local wisdom,” and “the ashes of that sense of the sacred that dwells in every creature.”

 

In the same homily, the pope urged Catholics to treat Lent as a time when the Church is renewed as a true community, even as modern society finds it harder to come together in communion.

 

Leo stressed that sin is never only private because it shapes and is shaped by the real and digital environments people inhabit. “Naturally, sin is always personal, but it takes shape in the real and virtual contexts of life… and often within real economic, cultural, political, and even religious ‘structures of sin,’” he said. Against idolatry, he added, Scripture calls Christians to dare to be free and to rediscover freedom through “an exodus, a journey,” rather than remaining “paralyzed, rigid, or complacent.”

 

The pope also pointed to what he described as a renewed attentiveness among young people to Ash Wednesday’s call to accountability.

 

“Young people especially understand clearly that it is possible to live a just lifestyle, and that there should be accountability for wrongdoings in the Church and in the world,” he said, urging Catholics to “start where we can, with those who are around us,” and to embrace “the missionary significance of Lent” for “the many restless people of goodwill” seeking genuine renewal.

 

The pope also highlighted the ancient Roman tradition of the Lenten station churches, which begins each year with Santa Sabina. “The ancient Roman tradition of the Lenten ‘stationes’ — which begins today with the first station — is instructive,” he said, noting that it points both to moving, as pilgrims, and to pausing — ‘statio’ — at the memories of the martyrs on which Rome’s basilicas were built.

 

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.