Shabbat Shalom

I joined my kindred kosher spirit for Friday evening sabbath. The sun kissed farewell to the horizon as she blessed the candles, we ritually washed our hands, and she read the blessing over the wine. Her fiancee said the blessing over the challah bread and dinner was served. How delightful. I was reminded of Mass (of course): we enter and bless ourselves with Holy Water, the candles are brought forth, and the blessing is spoken over the bread and wine.

Jesus was the most observant Jew in the history of Israel. These rituals were part of the home, the domestic church, in which Mary and Joseph raised their child. Jesus knew how to consecrate each moment as an offering to the Father. And he taught his disciples to do likewise.

Kt asks in the comments, "But are we really all Israelites? We share in God's special revelation to the Israelites, yet are we drawn in with them, or do we pursue God alongside them?"

Are Jews and Christians on parallel paths to the New Jerusalem, or is the revelation of Christ the same revelation God gave to Moses? Are we truly drawn in to each other?

Pope Benedict has some wisdom to share in this regard, from his visit to the synagogue in Cologne: Both Jews and Christians recognize in Abraham their father in faith (cf. Gal 3:7, Rom 4:11ff.) and they look to the teachings of Moses and the prophets. Jewish spirituality, like its Christian counterpart, draws nourishment from the psalms. With Saint Paul, Christians are convinced that “the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29, cf. 9:6,11; 11:1ff.). In considering the Jewish roots of Christianity (cf. Rom 11:16-24), my venerable Predecessor, quoting a statement by the German Bishops, affirmed that: “whoever meets Jesus Christ meets Judaism” (Insegnamenti, vol. III/2, 1980, p. 1272).

Paul VI in his declaration Nostra Aetate teaches that the Church "received the revelation of the Old Testament through the people with whom God in His inexpressible mercy concluded the Ancient Covenant. Nor can she forget that she draws sustenance from the root of that well-cultivated olive tree onto which have been grafted the wild shoots, the Gentiles.(7) Indeed, the Church believes that by His cross Christ, Our Peace, reconciled Jews and Gentiles. making both one in Himself.(8) He goes on to say, "As Holy Scripture testifies, Jerusalem did not recognize the time of her visitation,(9) nor did the Jews in large number, accept the Gospel; indeed not a few opposed its spreading.(10) Nevertheless, God holds the Jews most dear for the sake of their Fathers; He does not repent of the gifts He makes or of the calls He issues-such is the witness of the Apostle.(11) In company with the Prophets and the same Apostle, the Church awaits that day, known to God alone, on which all peoples will address the Lord in a single voice and "serve him shoulder to shoulder" (Soph. 3:9).(12)"

Pope Paul uses the imagery of an olive tree onto which have been grafted the Gentiles. If you've never seen an olive wood grafting, the end result is that you can still distinguish the patch, but it becomes a part of the tree.
We are already one in Christ, the exemplar of Judaic faith. We flourish as Christian community because we are fastened to the Root of Jesse. Let us stand shoulder to shoulder with our Hebrew brethren as we await that day known to God alone.