Prayers for the Jews in the Liturgy of the Hours

Jesus and the SyroPhoneician Woman. Jesus insisted that He was sent only 

to the Jews, but allowed Himself to be won over by her faith. Mark 7:24-30

This, from a letter to The Remnant by the distinguished theologian Fr Brian Harrison, deserves a wider audience. The letter was written in the context of Pope Benedict's Prayer for the Jews, which that paper strongly supported. Fr Harrison is talking about the reformed Office, or Liturgy of the Hours, the Novus Ordo one, not the 1962 or any earlier edition.

His observations places the ambiguity of the 1970 Good Friday Prayer for the Jews into some liturgical context.

[O]n the last day of every year (December 31 at "Lauds" or "Morning Prayer"), the Church prays: "O Christ, God and man, you fulfil the prophecies as David's Lord as well as his son: we beseech you that Israel may recognize you as Messiah (te rogamus, ut Israel te Messiam agnoscat)".

Rabbi Neusner on the Prayer for the Jews

Rabbi Jacob Neusner

This short article was published in response to the publication of the revised Prayer for the Jews, to be used in the Extraordinary Form Good Friday Liturgy, by Pope Benedict XVI, in 2008. The prolific American writer and translator, Rabbi Jacob Neusner, points out that Jews pray every day for the conversion and enlightenment of the gentiles, and have no reason to be offended if their charity is reciprocated.

I have taken the text from Chiesa, here.

Israel also asks God to enlighten the hearts of the Gentiles 

by Jacob Neusner 

Israel prays for the Gentiles. So the other monotheistic religions, including the Catholic Church, have the right to do the same thing, and no one should feel offended. Any other attitude toward the Gentiles would block them from encountering the one God revealed to Israel in the Torah.

The Catholic prayer manifests the same altruistic spirit that characterizes the faith of Judaism. The kingdom of God opens its gates to all of humanity: when they pray and ask for the swift coming of the kingdom of God, the Israelites express the same degree of freedom of spirit that impregnates the papal text of the prayer for the Jews (better: "Holy Israel ") to be recited on Good Friday.

Cardinal Kasper on the Prayer for the Jews

St Paul of Tarsus

In case anyone has forgotten, back in 2008 when Pope Benedict's Prayer for the Jews, for use in the Extraordinary Form Good Friday Liturgy, it was explained and defended by Cardinal Kasper, among others.

Cardinal Kasper's is a particular way of understanding the question of the conversion of the Jews. While I appreciate the sensitivies, I would not be comfortable with a blanket condemnation of 'targeted' evangelical outreach to Jews, as for example that taken by the Jewish convert Alphonse Ratisbon in the late 19th century. Cardinal Kasper does not make such a condemnation, but it might seem implicit in what he says. It is important, however, that he makes the point that we don't hide our witness to the Faith from Jews, and that our belief in the universal validity of Christ's redemption, and their rejection of this, has to be the basis of an honest dialogue.

If Cardinal Kasper has no problem with Pope Benedict's Prayer for the Jews, then it seems pretty surprising that anyone in the Church should have a problem with it. His affirmation that, obviously, Christ died for all men, could usefully be underlined.

The full text is here; I paste in highlights.

Unlike the 1970 text, the new formulation of the 1962 text speaks of Jesus as the Christ and as the salvation of all men, and therefore also of the Jews.

The Good Friday Prayer and the conversion of the Jews

The Crucifixion: for the Rosary Walk at Aylesford Priory

We've heard from the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales that they would like to get rid of the Prayer for the Jews used in the Extraordinary Form Good Friday Liturgy. Archbishop Kevin McDonald (former Archbishop of Southwark), who is in charge of Catholic-Jewish relations, says this about it:

“The 1970 prayer which is now used throughout the Church is basically a prayer that the Jewish people would continue to grow in the love of God’s name and in faithfulness of his Covenant, a Covenant which – as St John Paul II made clear in 1980 – has not been revoked. By contrast the prayer produced in 2008 for use in the Extraordinary Form of the liturgy reverted to being a prayer for the conversion of Jews to Christianity.”

The 2008 prayer replaced one expressed in rather strong language, language used by St Paul in 2 Corinthians 3 and 4. Pope Benedict thought it best to express its central idea, and even its central image - of light overcoming darkness - in a slightly different way.

Traditional Catholic Wall Calendars for 2016

How many wall calendars does a Traditional Catholic family need? I would say, at least four...

The splendid Fraternity of St Peter Wall Calendar has been advertised on Rorate Caeli here; allow me to draw to readers attention three others.


The Latin Mass Society Wall Calendar.

Unique in having pictures down the left of an A3-format page, and the days in a long vertical list down the right, with plenty of room to write in your appointments. Indispensible in England and Wales, of course, because it includes our local feasts. The photographs are liturgical in focus, of Mass and other devotions. There are multiple photographs on each page, another unique feature.

Fraternity of St Peter are installed in St Mary's, Warrington

On Saturday I was present at a High Mass inaugerating the ministry of the Fraternity of St Peter, FSSP, in St Mary's, Warrington. Archbishop Malcolm McMahon of Liverpool, the Ordinary, presided at Mass. Abbot Cuthbert Madden of Ampleforth (who of course I know), whose community had looked after the parish since 1770 and had built the present church, was in choir.

The church was packed to the doors. The Mayor of Warrington and his wife were present, and a good number of local clergy, including Canon Scott Tanner of the Institutes of Christ the King.

Evening Symposium on Mary as Co-Redemptrix at London Oratory, 26th Nov

This is one of the Oratory Fathers' 'youth' events; it starts with a Traditional Sung Mass and continues with two talks, on Thursday 26th November.

'MARY AS CO-REDEMPTRIX' 

In the Magisterium and Spirituality of the Church.

Thursday 26th November 2015

Brompton Oratory, London.

A one day Symposium on the mystery of The Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as 'Co-Redemptrix'. Come and discover her unique role in mans salvation with two conferences by the Franciscans of the Immaculate and Friends.
 

6:30pm - Sung Mass in the Extraordinary Form (with the choir of The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate) in the Little Oratory (which is to the left of the large Brompton Oratory on the same grounds). Mass of St Sylvester.

7:30pm - Social gathering with refreshments.

8:00pm - Conferences begin.

-‘Marian Co-Redemtion and the Magisterium' by Fr. John Lawrence Mary Polis F.I

-'A 'Sacerdotal People of God': A look into the Priesthood of Mary and her victim hood as Co-Redempress'. by Fr.Serafino Maria Lanzetta.

circa 9:10pm - Question and answer session.

Afterward there shall be another Social gathering.

10:00pm - Finish.

Bring as many people as you can to discover the beauty of this Marian Mystery.

Venue - The Brompton Oratory, Brompton Road, London SW7 2RP

I don't have many photos of Mass in the Little Oratory, but it is a charming church hidden away to
the north of the Oratory House and the car park. This is a Requiem I organised there some
years ago, which was celebrated by Fr George Bowen of the Oratory.

Support the work of the LMS by becoming an 'Anniversary Supporter'.