Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Ehad

Last night at sundown Passover began. It is the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan, the year 5767. Last evening in Jewish homes throughout the world, the youngest person present asked: "Why is this night different from all other nights?" Of course, the Passover marks the night on which Jews celebrate and commemorate the night on which, by putting the blood of the sacrificed lamb on their doorpost, the angel of death passed over their house, thus sparing their firstborn from the tenth plague.

In a few days' time, at the great Easter Vigil, as Christians, we will celebrate our own Passover,

"This is our passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.

This is the night
when first you saved our fathers:
you freed the people of Israel from their slavery
and led them dry-shod through the sea."