Guest post from Mark Drogin, Director and Co-founder of Remnant of Israel:
The Holy Father’s historic visit to the Synagogue in Rome is on the eve of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity; this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity ends on the Feast of St. Paul, January 25. The Church celebrates the miraculous conversion (January 20 1842) of the French Jew, Alphonse Ratisbon, on the third day of this octave. The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity promotes this Week of Prayer. When Paul VI created the Vatican Commission for Religious Relations with Jews in 1974 to implement Section 4 of Nostra Aetate, he providentially placed this new Commission in the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Christian Unity is founded on words spoken at a Passover Seder 2000 years ago: “Father, I pray that they may be one as we are one.” (John 17:20-22) These are the words of the Perfect Jew spoken to Jewish disciples. This Jewish Rabbi did not teach or found a new religion, He completed the religion of Israel.
All Jews and Christians believe in the same one true God, the God of Israel: there is no other. At the end of the Last Supper, Jesus prays directly to the God of Israel for the unity of the Jewish people: “Father, I pray that they may be one as we are one… so that the world may know that you sent me.” (John 17:20-23)
The Vatican Commission for Religious Relations with Jews has published three official documents, in 1974, 1985, and 1998, presenting the Church’s guidelines for ecumenical dialogue with Judaism: this dialogue must begin with the true identity of the partners. This year, the theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity comes from Luke’s resurrection narrative: “You are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:48) Jesus spoke these words in Jerusalem to His Jewish disciples in the same room where they had eaten the Passover three nights earlier. The message for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity focuses on Jesus’ instructions to the disciples that night: “Sholem Alechem. Everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (Luke 24: 36, 44)
The Great Jubilee, ten years ago, was a universal call to conversion. Every human person is called to conversion, to turn back to the God of Israel with one’s whole heart and soul and might. The Sh’ma is for everyone: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, and might.” (Deut 6:4-5) This universal need to turn back to the one, true God of Israel does not mean a change in religion. Jesus did not start a new religion. The Apostles did not start a new religion. When Saul’s eyes were opened on the road to Damascus, he did not change religions, he simply saw the Promised Messiah of Israel and the fullness of Judaism. When the Mother of the Jewish Messiah appeared miraculously to Alphonse Ratisbon on January 20, 1842, Ratisbon did not change religions, he was simply given the Gift of Faith. Through this Gift of Faith, Ratisbon knew that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel; this is the Faith of the Apostles, and we are proud to profess it. This Apostolic Faith is the foundation of Christian Unity: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One!”
Mark Drogin, MThS
Director and Co-founder of Remnant of Israel
Link to Vatican document on Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2010
