My greatest love: a Jew.
A practical demonstration of interreligious dialogue. Video (0’48’’)
Testimonies
Father, I’m Jewish…
Roberto Ackerman, Venezuela
January 1, 2009
Tags: Jesus Christ, Jewish
I was invited by a friend in the Work to meet “the Father” (Saint Josemaria). I felt a healthy curiosity about him, and now I always carry a picture of him with me, and sometimes I talk to him. I don’t pray to him, because I don’t belong to the same religion, but I think he must be in the same heaven, with our Father God.
I wanted to know his attitude towards Jews, and I started off by saying: “Father, I’m Jewish – ”
Immediately, he interrupted me: “Jewish! I love all Jews a lot, because I love Jesus Christ a lot – madly – and he is a Jew. I don’t say he was, but he is. Jesus Christ is alive, and he is Jewish, like you. And the second love of my life is also Jewish: the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ. So I look on you with great affection. Go on!”
The founder of Opus Dei talked about the love he felt for Jews, for Mary, and for Jesus, who were Jewish. It was a totally frank, open admission. I never imagined he would give me an answer like that. He expressed his feeling for Judaism as a very pure love, recalling what the two religions have in common, because they both have a common base.
I remember it vividly, as if it were today. It made a very deep impression on me. Then he begged my pardon for not letting me finish my question. I said, “I think my question has already been answered, Father!”
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List of Contents
"The Way of Escrivá"
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Alessandra Borghese, Journalist, Italy
Father, I’m Jewish…
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Within the family, a joy shared is a joy doubled, a trouble shared is a trouble halved
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Direct links+ Writings of the Founder of Opus Dei
+ Opus Dei web site
+ Vatican web site
+ Bulletin of the Prelature of Opus Dei
+ St. Josemaria Institute
+ St. Josemaría Escrivá Historical Institute
+ St Josemaria channel on YouTube
+ More links
Unfortunately this poor man did not convert to the One True Faith
Athanasian Creed:
"Whoever wishes to be saved, needs above all to hold the Catholic faith; unless each one preserves this whole and inviolate, he will without a doubt perish in eternity."
1215 A.D., Pope Innocent III infallibly stated
"One indeed is the universal Church of the faithful, outside which no one at all is saved..."
In 1302 A.D., Pope Boniface VIII infallibly stated
"With Faith urging us we are forced to believe and to hold the one, holy, Catholic Church and that, apostolic, and we firmly believe and simply confess this (Church) outside which there is no salvation nor remission of sins..."
1302 A.D., by the power invested in him, Pope Boniface VIII infallibly stated
"...we declare, say, define, and proclaim to every human creature that they by necessity for salvation are entirely subject to the Roman Pontiff."
1442 A.D, Pope Eugenius IV, 1442, at the Council of Florence, reaffirmed this truth.
"It firmly believes, professes, and proclaims that those not living within the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews, and heretics and schismatics cannot become participants in eternal life, but will depart 'into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels' [Matt. 25:41], unless before the end of life the same have been added to the flock..."
C.C.C. #846
"Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would /b>refuse either to enter it or to remain in it."
