Preparation
1. remove all place settings
2. put Seder Plate in middle of table
3. put matza on the seder plate
4. put Elijah’s Cup next to plate
5. Put candles in corners
6. put bowl of water and towel (and pitcher?) at end of table
7. put Sacramentary on table
8. remove Haggadah

The Seder is the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples–the Last Supper. Jesus chose His last Seder for the first celebration of the Eucharist as we know it today. The Eucharist has its earliest origins in this Jewish celebration, one that Jesus would have celebrated each year with his family and friends. At Mass, in the Liturgy of the Word, we as Catholics come to listen to our story including the stories Jesus would have learned. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist we share a meal with Christ and the community, praising God, celebrating God’s gift of freedom and the triumph over death that Jesus won for us on the cross. Our journey as Catholic Christians, with its roots in the Jewish faith, has continued forward with Jesus, the Messiah.

We end our Seder presentation with a transformation of the Seder table to our Catholic altar. Notice the similarities.

Haggadah is replaced by Sacramentary.
The candles which represented the light of creation now represent the light of Christ.
Elijah’s cup is replaced with the chalice.
The Seder plate is replaced by the paten which holds the Body of Christ.
Bible is complete with the New Testament added to the Old Testament.
The matzah is replaced by any bread which becomes the Body of Christ.
We have wine that becomes the Blood of Christ.
We have a bowl, a towel and a pitcher of water for the priest to wash his hands.

Two religions. One God.
If the Jewish faith was not valid, then the Catholic faith would crumble for lack of a foundation.
What appear to be so many differences are really so many similarities.