at
they were averse to the rites of the Egyptians who worshipped the
ram. Wherefore they were delivered by the sprinkling or rubbing of
the blood of the lamb on the door-posts, from the danger of
extermination which threatened the Egyptians.

Now two things are to be observed in their departure from Egypt:
namely, their haste in going, for the Egyptians pressed them to go
forth speedily, as related in Ex. 12:33; and there was danger that
anyone who did not hasten to go with the crowd might be slain by the
Egyptians. Their haste was shown in two ways. First by what they ate.
For they were commanded to eat unleavened bread, as a sign "that it
could not be leavened, the Egyptians pressing them to depart"; and to
eat roast meat, for this took less time to prepare; and that they
should not break a bone thereof, because in their haste there was no
time to break bones. Secondly, as to the manner of eating. For it is
written: "You shall gird your reins, and you shall have shoes on your
feet, holding staves in your hands, and you shall eat in haste":
which clearly designates men at the point of starting on a journey.
To this also is to be referred the command: "In one house shall it be
eaten, neither shall you carry forth of the flesh thereof out of the
house": because, to wit, on account of their haste, they could not
send any gifts of it.

The stress they suffered while in Egypt was denoted by the wild
lettuces. The figurative reason is evident, because the sacrifice of
the paschal lamb signified the sacrifice of Christ according to 1
Cor. 5:7: "Christ our pasch is sacrificed." The blood of the lamb,
which ensured deliverance from the destroyer, by being sprinkled on
the ransoms, signified faith in Christ's Passion, in the hearts and
on the lips of the faithful, by which same Passion we are delivered
from sin and death, according to 1 Pet. 1:18: "You were . . .
redeemed . . . with the precious blood . . . of a lamb unspotted."
The partaking of its flesh signified the eating of Christ's body in
the Sacrament; and the flesh was roasted at the fire to signify
Christ's Passion or charity. And it was eaten with unleavened bread
to signify the blameless life of the faithful who partake of Christ's
body, according to 1 Cor. 5:8: "Let us feast . . . with the
unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." The wild lettuces were
added to denote repentance for sins, which is required of those who
receive the body of Christ. Their loins wer