Report on our Latest Havurah Meeting

What a wonderful time in our Lord Yeshua we had last night.  We had 10 people in all and one new couple!  Unfortunately there were 3 people who were unable to attend so when we have everyone there will be a lucky 13!  We hope that those who were unable to attend will get well soon, we are praying for you.

We started our evening as is customary with Evening Prayer. Then we started in with our study of, The Crucified Rabbi,  covering the rest of the Introduction and then all of Chap 1 and most of Chap 2. We had a spirited discussion as we looked back in our memories about examples of anti-semitism that we all experienced both in the Church and outside the Church in our everyday lives.  We all seemed to agree that because of God's gratuitous choosing of the Jewish people/nation for the purpose of being a light to the nations that there has been and continues to be some jealousy on the part of those who are outside of the physical descendants of Israel.  Sometimes even our theology reflects this reality as we shall see as we examine the heresy of super-sessionism in our next meeting.

Last night we talked about some of the heroes of our faith like (Rabbi) Eugenio Zolli.  His autobiography is entitled, "Before the Dawn".  Rabbi Zolli was the chief Rabbi of Rome at the time of the Nazi occupation and he tells of his relationship with Pope Pius XII and the story of his conversion to the Catholic Faith.   It is very inspiring for all of us no matter what background we come from.  It is also an important story to be told because Zolli can testify of the heroic virtue of Pope Pius XII and dispels all of the myths that have recently been circulated about our beloved Pope at that time.  I think it is tragic that many Catholics find it hard to share Rabbi Zolli's story because they are overly sensitive about upsetting the "dialogue" with the Jewish community.  I understand how important it is to be humble and contrite when it comes to our relationship with the Jewish community especially in light of the other side of history where Catholics have been guilty of anti-semitism.  But with great care we must be sure to share Rabbi Zolli's story with our Catholic/Christian community so we do not let those who would like to twist history and put the Church in a bad light win in the square of public opinion.  You would be surprised  how many Catholics have been hood winked into believing the lies about Pope Pius XII because of what they have read in the newspapers about him.  We must be willing and able to combat these lies with the truth. 

In Chapter One, "Jewish Messiah, Catholic Christ" we covered some of the highlights of the hundreds of prophesies about the Messiah in the Jewish Scriptures.  We also had a discussion about how and why the majority of Jews at that time seemed to have missed Yeshua if it was so obvious that it was Yeshua who fulfilled all of these prophesies.  The answer to this mystery is answered in Scripture itself and is sadly overlooked by so many in the Church even today.  St. Paul in Romans 11:2,25 seems to imply that partial Jewish rejection allows for the inclusion of the Gentiles.  God has not rejected Israel and has a plan to include all Israel once the full inclusion of the Gentiles is complete.  In 2 Cor 3:12 -18, St. Paul shares that God himself put a veil over over the eyes of those who are reading the Old Covenant until they turn to Christ.  This veil might even be said to be over the eyes of those in the Church when it comes to the place of Israel in salvation history and their eventual inclusion.  The good news is that this veil seems to be lifting.  There are more Jewish Christians now than at any other time in history since the 1st century and there are many more Catholics and Christians who are discovering and open to understanding their Jewish roots.  It is now possible for Jews in the Church to live openly as Hebrew Catholics and live out their God given calling to be a part of both the Jewish people and the people of faith in the Jewish Messiah.  The Catholic Church is more open today about its relationship to the Jewish people than at any other time since the 1st century.  This is no coincidence but a moving of the Holy Spirit in our time.

In Chapter 2, "Jewish Kingdom, Catholic Church" we had a short discussion about how the Queen Mother was honored in the Jewish Kingdom and how this relates to our Queen Mother, Miriam in the Church.  We also discussed how in the Jewish Kingdom there was a Prime Minister who was given the keys to the Kingdom to run the every day affairs of the Kingdom much like how Peter was given the keys to the Kingdom and made the Prime Minister of the Catholic Church.  It is specifically the Catholic Church that is the fulfillment of ancient Judaism not mere Christianity.  We do not have apologize for our veneration of our Blessed Mother and we do not have to apologize for how we understand that God has given Peter and his successors the keys to the kingdom and made them impeccable in matters of faith and morals until Jesus returns. 

This took us to 9:00 pm and we finished promptly with prayer and then time for schmoozing and noshing.  We had a wonderful time together and we are looking forward to our next meeting on March 6.  We will cover the end of Chapter 2 through Chapter 5.  

We are also praying about and working on plans for our first Hebrew Catholic Seder.  We are working on the time and place.  Let's remember the reason for our Havurah:

     "A better knowledge of the Jewish people's faith and religious life as professed and lived even now can
     help our better understanding of certain aspects of Christian liturgy. " CCC 1096

May God richly bless you and all those you love.

Shalom in Yeshua HaMashiach and Miriam Eemainu,
Gershon ben Sha'ul