Report on our First Chanukah Party

We want to thank everyone who attended our first Chanukah Party.  We had about 17 crammed into our little townhouse and it was very cozy.  In case you missed it here is what happened.

We began with the lighting of  the Chanukah candles with the traditional blessings.  The Chanukah Menorah is full of Messianic significance as you might expect.  In John 8:12, Yeshua (Jesus) proclaimed himself the Light of the World.  And the Menorah has one extra candle that is called the "shamash".  This means servant.  The servant candle is always lit first and all the other candles that we light daily for the eight days of Chanukah are lit by this candle.  This is very much what happens in our journey of faith as Catholic Christians.  It is the Messiah, Jesus who came to serve us and to light our way in this life and to heaven.  It is His light that lights our path through the darkness in our lives and the world so that the Church and all of us have the Light of Life.  

Chanukah always begins on the 25th day of Kislev, which occurs from late November to late December according to the Jewish calendar which is a moon based calendar.  This year it started quite early.  Even though the Church by tradition celebrates the birth of Jesus on the 25th day of December we do not have any historical evidence that this was his actual Birthday but it might not be a coincidence that 25th of December and the 25th of Kislev are so close together. As Jesus proclaimed himself  to be the Light of the World at this time of the year it makes sense that our Holy Mother Church would decide on December 25th to celebrate the Birth of our Messiah, Jesus!

Next, we read an excerpt from "The Crucified Rabbi" by Taylor Marshall on the Chanukah story.   The Chanukah story like that of Purim is another example of how God has preserved his Jewish people for a special mission and that is to bring the Messiah to all the nations, for "salvation is from the Jews", John 4:22.  Chanukah is a celebration of the victory of the Maccabees over their Greek oppressors and happens about 150 years before the birth of our Messiah.  Satan, our enemy has been trying to destroy the Jewish people forever since he knows how the story ends and it is not good for him.  We say, no Chanukah, then no Christmas.  Even though it is not necessary for the gentiles to celebrate this holiday it is part of spiritual heritage of all Christians.

Chanukah not only celebrates the victory and preservation of the Jewish people but the rededication of the Temple that had been desecrated by the Greeks.  When the Priests went to rededicate the Temple with the oil they only found one days supply but it lasted 8 days, a miracle,  and so we celebrate for 8 days.  Jesus himself celebrated the Feast of Dedication (Chanukah) in John 10. 

Just as God preserved the Jewish people 150 years before the 1st coming of the Messiah, God is continuing to preserve the Jewish people even today.  God has an irrevocable covenant with the Jewish people and the Jewish people will have a role again in salvation history in his 2nd and final coming.  Though most of the Jewish people still have not recognized the Messiah, there are more Jews today who believe than any other time since the 1st century.  With the Jewish people now back in the Holy Land, Israel, this is a fulfillment of prophecy that the time of the Gentiles is now becoming complete and so God will turn his attention back to Israel so that all Israel will be saved in preparation for his 2nd coming.  Just as the first Jewish believers took the Gospel to the nations it is time for the nations to bring the Gospel to the Jewish people.

We are hoping and praying that our Havurah will be able to help those of Hebrew descent in the Catholic Church live out their calling as part of the people of Israel, the part that believes and accepts that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and Lord of all.  Hebrew Catholics want to be a witness to our non-believing Jewish community that it is possible to believe in Jesus, be Catholic, and remain a Jew.  We do this by our ministry of presence and never by proselytism. We also hope that our Havurah will be a  blessing to gentiles to help them rediscover the Jewish roots of their faith and learn more about this God/Man who lived in Israel as a Jew and his Mother.  This will help all of us fall more deeply in love with them both thus strengthening the Church as a whole.

We read in the Scriptures, Roman 11:25-32 and then CCC 674.  These passages speak about the mystery of Israel and the Church.  So many Catholics and even theologians and Priests need to rediscover these passages so that they do not unwittingly, either by design or by omission lead people astray from the truth that is not only taught in the Scriptures but also by the Magisterium. 

Next, we lit the Advent candles with messianic blessings and talked a bit about Advent being a time of rededication to our Lord just as Chanukah was a time of rededication of the Temple we rededicate our lives and bodies, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, to God.  We anticipate not only the Birth of our Lord, his 1st coming but anticipate the 2nd coming and preparing ourselves for that time whenever it might come. 

Finally, we handed out the informational brochure of the start of the Miriam Mystical Rose Havurah in January and invited those who attended to join us and to invite friends who might have some Jewish ancestry and also any gentile who is fascinated with their Jewish roots.  We had many who said they would join us. 

We ate lots of latkes and donuts and munchies and had a time of great fellowship.  We want to thank all of those who helped us organize this first Chanukah celebration and we hope to see many of you on January 9 as we open up the book, The Crucified Rabbi, Judaism and the Origins of Catholic Christianity", together. 

Happy Chanukah and a Blessed Advent!

Shalom in Yeshua (Jesus) and Miriam (Mary),

Gershon ben Sha'ul