Tracing our Roots Ancestors of our Faith

The desire for God is written in the human heart. Since the beginning of time people have sought something beyond themselves to give meaning to life and to answer the questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Most early civilizations believed in many gods. This is called POLYTHEISM

God calls Abraham Adam and Eve disobeyed God and fractured the relationship between God and people. God wanted to repair that relationship. There were many tribes of people in the world at that time. But God chose the Israelites through his call to Abraham to be his chosen people. Abraham is sometimes called the “Father of our Faith.” He is also the father of the Jewish and Islamic faiths.

Salvation History This is the story of God’s relationship with his people and their responses over the ages is called salvation history God made an agreement with his people that he would be their God and they would be his people. This agreement is called The Ten Commandments Agreement: covenant: promise: testament

Judaism became the religion of the Israelite people Because Jesus was first of all a Jew the roots of the Catholic faith are in Judaism. The Jewish faith is the root of the Catholic faith. And so there are many comparisons that can be made between the two faiths

Beliefs Jews There is one God His name is Yahweh(Hebrew letters yod-hei-vav-hei) Bible usues other words Elohim, Adonai God gave the law to Moses God will send a Messiah(anointed one) to save the people Catholics There is one God His name is Yahweh God gave the law to Moses God sent His only Son Jesus to save his people from sin and death Jesus IS the Messiah

The Messiah means anointed one in Hebrew. Jewish people anointed their kings…that is, they set them apart for the special task of leading the people by pouring oil on their heads. Jews believe that when the Messiah comes the world will be at peace….Jesus came but the world is not at peace. Therefore Jesus must not be the Messiah Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah…the one sent by God and given the special mission of bringing God’s people back to him. Christ means anointed one in Greek.

Worship Space Jews A temple (this is a word associated with the temple in Jerusalem) A synagogue Catholics Church Chapel Cathedral Bascilica

Prayers Jews The Shema (means “listen”) Confession of faith found in Deuteronomy 4:6-9 There is one God Catholics The Our Father The Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed (profession of faith in the Trinity) The Mass: greatest prayer of the Church

Shema the most important prayer for Jews; found in the book of Deuteronomy &feature=relatedhttp:// &feature=related "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest. Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.

Aids to remembering Jews Use a mezuzah(plural is mezuzot) on their doorposts. Jews touch this and then kiss their fingers on entering the house. "May God protect my going out and coming in, now and forever." The mezuzah contains a scroll of the Shema Catholics Have traditionally used a holy water font for a similar purpose Catholics dip their fingers in the blessed water and make the sign of the cross

Holy, Holy, Holy Jews Keep the Torah scrolls which are the law which Jews hold sacred in a special box called the Ark of the Covenant Catholics Catholics keep the Eucharist in a special box called the tabernacle

Leaders Jews Before the last destruction of the temple, Jews had a priestly system in which it was the priest who offered sacrifices and communicated with God Then the Jewish faith became centered on learned teachers or “rabbis” who lead the congregation Catholics Because Catholicism developed out of the Jewish traditions, priests first began leading the prayers…and eventually the hierarchy of the Church developed

Scriptures are believed to be the word of God by both religions. Scriptures are sacred writings. Jews The foundation of the Jewish religion is the Torah. Torah scrolls must be copied by hand by scribes. Jews also read from the Talmud Catholics Catholics read from the Holy Bible which is divided into the Old Testament (which contains the Torah) and the New Testament.

Other Objects and symbols Jews The Ten Commandments The star of David The tree of life Catholics The crucifix The ChiRho A fish

Special clothing Jews Tallis Yarmulke Catholics Vestments primarily the stole Bishops wear a zuchetto (a beanie like hat)

Sanctuary Lamp Catholics Sanctuary lamp…usually red, burns to show the presence of the Eucharist in the tabernacle. Jews The eternal flame hangs above the Torah scrolls It is a sign of God’s continued presence with His people

And so people of the Jewish faith are truly our ancestors in faith. Their roots are our roots.