Bede's Ecclesiastical History of EnglandBede, the Venerable, Saint
History
Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England
Bede, the Venerable, Saint
England -- Church history -- 449-1066
“But since Christ our Passover is sacrificed,(960) and has made the Lord’s
day, which among the ancients was called the first day of the week, a
solemn day to us for the joy of His Resurrection, the Apostolic tradition
has included it in the Paschal festival; yet has decreed that the time of
the legal Passover be in no wise anticipated or diminished; but rather
ordains, that according to the precept of the law, that same first month
of the year, and the fourteenth day of the same, and the evening thereof
be awaited. And when this day should chance to fall on a Saturday, every
man should take to him a lamb, according to the house of his fathers, a
lamb for an house, and he should kill it in the evening, that is, that all
the Churches throughout the world, making one Catholic Church, should
provide Bread and Wine for the Mystery of the Flesh and Blood of the
spotless Lamb ‘that hath taken away the sins of the world;’(961) and after
a fitting solemn service of lessons and prayers and Paschal ceremonies,
they should offer up these to the Lord, in hope of redemption to come. For
this is that same night in which the people of Israel were delivered out
of Egypt by the blood of the lamb; this is the same in which all the
people of God were, by Christ’s Resurrection, set free from eternal death.
Then, in the morning, when the Lord’s day dawns, they should celebrate the
first day of the Paschal festival; for that is the day on which our Lord
made known the glory of His Resurrection to His disciples, to their
manifold joy at the merciful revelation. The same is the first day of
unleavened bread, concerning which it is plainly written in
Leviticus,(962) ‘In the fourteenth day of the first month, at even, is the
Lord’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast
of unleavened bread unto the Lord; seven days ye must eat unleavened
bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account