- Suggested General Intercession for the Easter Vigil[1]
- Grateful for our roots in biblical Israel,
and mindful that Jesus was an authentic son of Israel,[2]
We pray tonight in a special way for the Jewish people,
Our elder brothers and sisters in covenant with God:[3]
May our peoples be a blessing for each other and for the whole world;[4]
Let us pray to the Lord.
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[1] [This suggested
prayer was prepared by Dr. Philip Cunningham, Executive Director
of the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning at Boston College.]
The Easter Vigil, with its numerous readings from the “Old” Testament,
is a very fitting occasion to recall the Church’s spiritual patrimony
and contemporary relationship with the people and traditions
of Israel (cf. Nostra Aetate, 4).
[2] John
Paul II, (To the Pontifical Biblical Commission, April 11, 1997): “By
taking part in the synagogue celebrations where the Old Testament
texts were read and commented on, Jesus also came humanly to
know these texts; he nourished his mind and heart with them,
using them in prayer and as an inspiration for his actions.
Thus he became an authentic son of Israel, deeply
rooted in his own people's long history.”
[3] John
Paul II (Great Synagogue in Rome, April 13, 1986): “The Jewish religion
is not ‘extrinsic’ to us, but in a certain way is ‘intrinsic’ to
our own religion. With Judaism therefore we have a relationship
which we do not have with any other religion. You are our dearly
beloved brothers and, in a certain way, it could be said that
you are our elder brothers.
[4] John Paul
II (On the 50th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto
Uprising, April 6, 1993: “As Christians and Jews, following the example
of the faith of Abraham, we are called to be a blessing for
the world [cf. Gen. 12:2ff]. This is the common task awaiting
us. It is therefore necessary for us, Christians and Jews,
to be first a blessing to one another.”
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