Join the Carmelite Friars of Oxford for the celebration of their annual Seder Meal

One of the most profound biblical narratives as we approach Easter is the Last Supper, at which Jesus imparted to his disciples the profound meaning and symbolism of the Eucharist on the night before he suffered and died.

Today we can capture some small sense of what that meeting would have been like through the celebration of the Passover Seder Meal, an annual tradition that many Christians observe at this time.

The Seder has its roots as a traditional Jewish meal of lamb celebrated during Passover, commemorating the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt as told in the Book of Exodus, “You shall tell your child on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.'” (Exodus 13:8).

Seder is a transliteration of the Hebrew סדר, which means ‘order’ or ‘procedure’. The name also expresses the conduct of the meal, all the dishes, the blessings, the prayers, the stories and the songs.

The Christian observance of this ritual meal celebrates not only our tradition of Christ’s Last Supper but our own Jewish heritage which provided the context for Jesus’ institution at the last supper. In commemorating the profound moments of Our Lord’s Last Supper, we transform the Passover meal of the Old Covenant into the Easter meal of the New.

Each year the Carmelite Friars of Oxford celebrate this important Christian Seder Meal, accompanied with teachings and reflections on key ancient Hebrew beliefs and traditions that hold the key to our understanding the original meaning of the Eucharistic words of Jesus.

Once again this year’s celebration will be led by the Prior of the Carmelite community at Boars Hill, Oxford , Fr Alex Ezechukwu, OCD. Fr Alex holds a Licence in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome and an MPhil in Judaism and Christianity in the Graeco-Roman World from the University of Oxford.

The event is both in-person and on-line, so there is an opportunity to either join in directly with those celebrating the meal at the priory, or to participate remotely.

“We welcome everyone to join us in this unique moment of celebration of Eucharist in whatever way they can,” says Fr Alex.

“At this special meal we remember and pray the final journey of Jesus through those last hours as we walk the Way of the Cross.”

If you would like to know more about how you can join the Carmelite Friars of Oxford for the Seder Meal, or join in their many other events, retreats and conferences, go to:

https://www.carmelite.uk.net/online-talks-retreats/seder-meal-2025/