Proem

Happy Resurrection Day! Malipáyong Pasko sa Pagkabánhaw.  I don’t like to use Easter Sunday because, even though it is now adopted into Christianity, Easter was the goddess of spring in the old pagan religion of England.

I ask people when and what was the last meal of Jesus Christ. Almost everybody will answer that it was the Last Supper.  If you will read the Holy Bible, you find that it was not.

Passover

The Passover or Paschal meal is a religion celebration of Jews or Hebrews. It commemorates the deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt.  A lamb or sheep was slaughtered.  Its meat was cooked and eaten.  A portion of the blood of the lamb was dabbed at the door to indicate a Hebrew residence.  When death came along, the house with a blood at the door post was “passed over” while at the Egyptian residences, the firstborn died.

Last Supper

The Last Supper celebrated by Jesus Christ together with his disciples was a Passover or paschal meal.  By tradition mutton or sheep’s meat should have been eaten.  However, if you will read the four (4) Gospels of the Bible there is no mention of any meat that was eaten.  What was eaten was only bread and wine.

At Sea of Tiberias

After the resurrection Jesus Christ still lingered on earth.  He was still flesh and blood but already had the power to be anywhere and everywhere.

The whole of the Gospel of John Chapter 21 tells about the incident in Tiberias in the Sea of Galilee.

It is the story regarding the disciples fishing at the Sea of Galilee led by Simon Peter.  All night long they did not catch any fish.

When morning came, Jesus said unto them “Children, have you any meat?” They answered him, no.

And Jesus said to them, cast the net on the right side of the ship and you shall find.  They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

The other disciples came in a little ship to help.  As soon as they came on land they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.

Jesus said unto them bring of the fish which you have caught.  [Note: The number 153 is mentioned to the number of fishes.  Why would the disciples count the fishes is not said.]

Jesus said unto them, come and dine.  And none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” knowing that it was the Lord.

It was the third (3^rd) time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

In this incident it is clear that it was Jesus who provided the fishes and bread in which Jesus and the disciples ate.

The Last Meal

The last meal of Jesus is found in Luke 24, verses 36-53.  It is at the last portion of the Gospel of Luke.

Verse 36, “And as they spoke, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and said ‘Peace be unto you’”

The disciples were terrified.  Jesus showed his hands and feet and told them to handle or touch him and see.  He said, “For a spirit has no flesh and bones, as you see me have.”

Verse 41, “…Have you any meat?” And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and a honeycomb.  And he took it, and did eat before them.

After some sermon, Jesus brought them as far as Bethany and lifted up his hands to bless them.  He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.

What Jesus Ate

The recognized standard Bible of the Protestant denominations is the King James Version.  In the Roman Catholic denomination it is the Douay Version.  Both these two versions say that Jesus ate “broiled fish (sinugba nga isdà) and honeycomb (umo or udlan).

In the new translations of the Bible the “honeycomb” is eliminated.  What is found is only “broiled fish”.  However, in a standard Asian meal there is always the staple food like rice, corn, bread, honeycomb, etc. and the viand like fish or meat.

The new American English translations choose to refer to the original Greek that did not have the “honeycomb”.  In their culture it is possible to eat only the súd-an or viand.

The honeycomb is that part of the beehive where the eggs and honey of the bees are stored.  In Cebu it is called údlan and in Bohol it is called úmo (Sp: panal).  It has somewhat a bittersweet taste.  After eating it you will feel much revitalized (askil).

Comment

Those who eat only sinúgba and umo should not despair about his meal.  It was the meal eaten by Jesus Christ before He ascended to heaven.

I am just wondering why the sinugbang isda is not given prominence in the religious practices in Bohol. (By Jes B. Tirol)