After yesterday's post on Jews who have made the journey to the Catholic Church. I received an email form a friend about what I had written. In the course of his remarks he wrote, "Okay, it's all very interesting, but there really can't be that many Jews who become Catholics." Naturally I considered the gauntlet tossed and sent him a response, the gist of which follows...
First, I have no idea how many Jews have entered the Catholic Church, but the numbers really aren't all that important.The important point is that the Catholic Church first came into being through the Jewish people. On that first Pentecost in Jerusalem the universal Church was born. Describing that day, Luke tells us that those pilgrim Jews who first encountered the Spirit-filled Apostles were from every corner of the Roman Empire:
"...Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome..."[Acts 2:9-10]
And as Pope Benedict has written:
“…at the moment of her birth, the Church was already catholic, already a world Church…what first exists is the one Church, the Church that speaks in all tongues; she then generates Church in the more diverse locales, which nonetheless are all always embodiments of the one and only Church.” [Called to Communion, p. 44, 1991]
And who was the first vicar of Christ, the first Pope? Peter, the Jew who became a Catholic, along with all of the Apostles.
Since we believe that the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old, it is only fitting that Jews should complete their own journey of fulfillment, and follow the footsteps of the Apostles to the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
It's remarkable how many Jewish Catholics I have met over the years. I am always amazed, and yet, should I be? After all, the Catholic Church is really their natural destination.
I suppose I should get to the point of this post, to introduce you to an organization called the Association of Hebrew Catholics. It's quite an organization and I've been reading their periodic newsletter for several years now. In their words... "The AHC seeks to help preserve the corporate identity and heritage of the People Israel within the Church. By gathering the Jews who have entered the Church, we hope to help them rekindle and live out their collective vocation, giving corporate witness to Jesus, the Messiah of Israel and His Church. We hope, as well, to help the Church prepare for the day when the Lord will gather and unite all peoples to Himself, hastening the day when all Israel will proclaim 'Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.'"
The association is a lay apostolate, faithful to the Magisterium of the Church, and claims as its patrons: "Miriam, under her title 'Our Lady of the Miracle,' and St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)."
You don't have to be a Hebrew Catholic to join. The AHC bills itself as "a voluntary association of Catholics of both Jewish and non-Jewish origins."
How great is the Church! God built for us a mansion with many different rooms. Visit the AHC website and learn about this wonderful aspect of our Catholic faith.
and Honey from the Rock
. 
. A former Episcopal priest who converted to Catholicism, Taylor Marshall is currently a doctoral student at the University of Dallas. He was also one of the speakers at the AHC's recent (Oct. 1-3) conference held in St. Louis.
