“If God were your Father, you would love me” March 28

Your Daily Tripod for Wednesday, March 28

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

By Melanie Rigney

“There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you
in this matter.
If our God, whom we serve,
can save us from the white-hot furnace
and from your hands, O king, may he save us!
But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god
or worship the golden statue that you set up.” Daniel 3:16-18

“Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, ‘If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ They answered him, ‘We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’? Jesus answered them, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains. So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.’” (John 8:31-36)

Piety

Jesus, free me from my comfortable slavery of sin. Thank you for my freedom. Let me walk in truth with you today and always.

Study

http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/032807.shtml

http://www.meredithgould.com/PlowsharesPublishing/

As we prepare for Holy Week and our Jewish brothers and sisters prepare for Passover, which begins April 2, today’s gospel reminds us of the common roots of our faiths. “We have one Father, God,” Jesus is told by “those Jesus who believed in him.” Jesus responds, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”

One God, one Father. “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,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church states. “The relationship between Jewish liturgy and Christian liturgy, but also their differences in content, are particularly evident in the great feasts of the liturgical year, such as Passover.”

Author Meredith Gould, an adult convert to Catholicism from Judaism, suggests that we offer a Catholic Passover seder on the Wednesday evening before Holy Week, or the Wednesday evening before Holy Thursday. Her book Come to the Table: A Catholic Passover Seder for Holy Week, offers an explanation of the commonalities in our faiths and suggests prayers and a menu that could be used for such a seder.

“In the stillness of prayer, we prepare our hearts to receive the miracle of death defied and God’s promise fulfilled through the resurrection of Christ Jesus,” Gould writes. “For Passover, we prepare home and table to remember our ancestors’ liberation from Egyptian bondage. We also prepare our hearts to be released from the bondage of ignorance, confusion, and any misunderstanding that keeps us from full reconciliation with the Jewish community.”

Action

Consider learning more about the roots of our Catholic traditions by observing a Catholic Passover seder tonight or next Wednesday night. Or, ask a friend if you may attend a Jewish Passover seder. Resolve to extend a hand of love and friendship to a non-Christian believer today.