This is a translation of a scriptural meditation from the Russian book, “Day by Day”. Lewis connection follows:
Scripture: “Our Paschal Lamb is Christ, sacrificed for us” (1 Cor: 5, 7)
Meditation:
"The ancient Paschal Lamb was only an archetype of something better. The Old Testament Lamb was a harbinger of the blameless Lamb of God Who took upon Himself the sins of the world. In the same way, the Last Supper is the promise of supreme bliss and an eternal supper of love, of which there will be no end.
"After a difficult night at sea, some sustenance, prepared by the Savior, awaited the apostles on shore. Thus He also sustains us on our path, nourishing us with His love. Tired and overwhelmed by grief, exhausted by life’s struggles, we find consolation, sustenance and nourishment for our soul. Receiving with reverence this holy Sacrament, we anticipate the bliss of the moment when our earthly life will end. Then, having fulfilled the labor entrusted to us, we will be worthy to see the bright image of Christ, stretching out His hands to us from the shore where the ‘wedding supper of the Lamb’ (Rev: 19, 9) awaits us, and we will share in eternal, endless bliss.
“So ‘get rid of the old leaven, so that you may be new dough, since you are unleavened, because Christ, our Paschal Lamb, was sacrificed for us’ (1 Cor: 5, 7). Let us get rid of the old leaven, let us put to death our old sins and our old habits by the strength of the Savior, Who was sacrificed, and calls us to die to sin and to live for righteousness.”
The image of Christ as a lamb brought to mind the last chapter of “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”:
"…between them and the foot of the sky there was something so white on the green grass that even with their eagles’ eyes they could hardly look at it. They came on and saw that it was a Lamb.
‘Come and have breakfast,’ said the Lamb in its sweet milky voice.
Then they noticed for the first time that there was a fire lit on the grass and fish roasting on it. They say down and ate the fish, hungry now for the first time for many days. And it was the most delicious food they had ever tasted.
‘Please, Lamb,’ said Lucy, ‘is this the way to Aslan’s country?’
‘Not for you,’ said the Lamb. ‘For you the door into Aslan’s country is from your own world.’
‘What!’ said Edmund. ‘Is there a way into Aslan’s country from our world too?’
‘There is a way into my country from all the worlds,’ said the Lamb; but as he spoke his snowy white flushed into tawny gold and his size changed as he was Aslan himself, towering above them and scattering light from his mane.
‘Oh, Aslan,’ said Lucy. ‘Will you tell us how to get into your country from our world?’
‘I shall be telling you all the time,’ said Aslan. ‘But I will not tell you how long or short the way will be; only that it lies across a river. But do not fear that, for I am the great Bridge Builder.’ "
Dimitry
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever.” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-8)