Key ideas from Fr. Mike Schmitz

• The Passover lamb lived with families for a week before sacrifice, making it precious and meaningful - 'it becomes precious to you' - Father Mike
• Archaeological evidence suggests Israelites covered their names inscribed on stone doorposts with lamb's blood, symbolizing transformation by Christ
• Jesus was crucified at the exact moment Passover lambs were slaughtered in the temple, as noted in Gospel of John
• Only circumcised covenant members could partake of the Passover meal, paralleling Catholic teaching on Eucharistic participation
• The tenth plague was divine justice - Pharaoh had murdered all Hebrew male children, now Egypt's firstborn die
• 600,000 Israelite men plus women and children escaped Egypt after 430 years of bondage
• Marking doorposts with lamb's blood was also 'burning their ships' - making return to Egypt impossible due to Egyptian sacred lamb beliefs
• Each of the ten plagues targeted specific Egyptian gods, demonstrating God's dominance over false worship rather than random punishment