Our Homes: Sanctuaries and Citadelshebrewcatholic.org.nz/.../AHC-Our-Homes-Sanctuaries... · 3. Our Culture Although our society is now very much dominated by all the pressures arising

© September 2017. St. Columba's Charitable Trust 16 January 2018 1

Association of Hebrew Catholics

New Zealand Branch www.hebrewcatholic.org.nz

Our Homes: Sanctuaries and Citadels

A Hebrew Catholic Perspective

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Our Homes: Sanctuaries and Citadels A Hebrew Catholic Perspective

www.hebrewcatholic.org.nz

Part 1 Introductory Background

1. Our Situation Today

Most of us prefer to read articles which are positive, inspiring, and full of hope.

When it comes to living the Christian life in our contemporary society, there is much to

be thankful for, indeed, very grateful. Yet it would be naive and irresponsible not to

take full notice of the rapidly changing role religion (not just Christianity) has in our

current culture. This paragraph is just a "thumbnail" sketch of our situation — no new

facts, just how it is.

Our Christian numbers are dropping so fast we are now a very small part society.

Non-Christian (in fact, anti-Christian) society is exerting ever greater control over our

freedom to operate as we have in the past. Denominations are continuing to split over

disagreements, and we continue (under the guise of anonymity — e.g. the Internet) to

drag one another's reputation. Religious leaders seem unable to prevent this.

Christianity is crumbling and has very little influence. Most denominations are

struggling to survive and keep their plant and buildings going, let alone reach out to the

community, although there are some wonderful and very impressive exceptions. They

are also hard-pressed to keep their traditional culture intact as people are more and

more drawn into pop-media culture and expect "church" to follow, as a minor adjunct

to their daily lives.

Scandal and outrage within the church over wide-ranging failures have now

reached such an advanced stage, that in some locations, members experience extreme

embarrassment in their places of employment, educational and cultural pursuits. Little

in the way of explanation or encouragement is provided from any source, and thus

people often see no option but to walk away in shame and despair. Large scale

disintegration is confronting us and we need to make a special effort to hold on to our

Faith, and plan carefully how we can give it practical application. This leaflet is

intended to help in our current crisis or at least give 'food for thought' to help us

prepare for the future.

2. Our Response

We now recognise our culture has been stolen from under our feet. We have been

naive and let it happen without so much as 'a squeak'.

Whilst we speak from a Hebrew Catholic perspective, we realise many of our

Christian friends in other denominations are undergoing the same or similar crisis.

Therefore, anything we can do to help them cope we will gladly do.

http://www.hebrewcatholic.org.nz/


Our intention is to be as realistic as we can, and take decisive action — not just to

survive the difficult times which may be just around the corner — but to mobilise

every ability and skill to advance our Faith in a society which needs it more than ever

before.

3. Our Culture

Although our society is now very much dominated by all the pressures arising

from (or related to) massive immigration, we can rejoice in being the inheritors of a

most wonderful Christian culture. In a strange way, we can pursue our Christian calling

even more intensely and purposefully. So all is not gloom and doom if we confront our

situation honestly and remain determined to value our heritage, nurture it, and carefully

pass it on. There is every reason to be positive and excited.

In a Hebrew Catholic context, the expression of our culture includes outward

customs and actions which have an element of ritual in them manifesting our belief in

the Presence of God among us. So we incorporate a mix of such elements as time and

space as well as word and action to manifest important, indeed powerful aspects of

our culture and religious belief. We invite our readers of any cultural background to

adopt these customs if they are found helpful.

The suggestions we offer are meant to be an aid to Christian devotion — not a

burden, nor a cause of division. They are intended to help us remember who and what

we are as members of the Household of God. If they seem too pious and foreign to a

reader, we recommend you either accept our invitation to seek further explanation from

us, or leave them in favour of some other kind of approach.

4. Our Focus

In all our religious studies, ceremonies and activities, our principal focus is always

on our Blessed Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ who has come into the world for our

sakes, and who will return gloriously at the end of time to bring all things in His

kingdom to perfect fulfilment.

Everything we say and do centres on Jesus Christ who is the Word of God

incarnate — the Word made flesh. This principle is manifest in both prayer, or

worship, as well as in the times and places in which we pray.

This article is primarily concerned with religious practice in one's home, rather

than, for example, in a church.

We will talk of our home as both a sanctuary as well as a citadel: a place of

safety and spiritual values as well as a place requiring vigilant watchfulness and

protection from influences which could destroy our Faith.


This kind of talk has become foreign to many of us, and we can feel a little

uncomfortable raising these matters with our friends and family. However, we can be

very confident that what has been assembled in this article is commonplace with many

people throughout the world who are enthusiastic about their Faith and guarding it in

an increasingly hostile world.

So where do we begin?

5. Our Starting Point: "Come, Lord Jesus"

We have chosen to begin at the end (for a moment) and then to travel back to

ancient times in our early religious history.

The Bible closes with a short prayer which was constantly on the lips of the first

Christians: "Come, Lord Jesus". All that we do is done in the belief that the Lord

Jesus is about to return and complete His work of Salvation. This will be the finale to

the long line of events in Salvation History, which included God's coming to dwell

with His people at Sinai. Let's take a brief look at that.

On that occasion God dictated how His people were to build His Tent of Presence,

or Tabernacle, in the desert, and how His people were to be camped around Him in a

very specific, detailed pattern.

So God tabernacled (dwelt) among His people and gave clear instructions how

they were to come to Him. It was not a casual — "come as you are, when you feel like

it," affair. Thus a Biblical pattern was put in place which for now, we can express in

its most basic form:

God calls us. We respond lovingly. God grants us communion with Him.

Call, response, communion: that is the simple, spiritual dynamic which underlies

all our interaction with God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It underpins all the

customs, actions, ceremony, words and thoughts relating to our being members of the

Household and Family of God.

Do not be concerned if these lofty thoughts are new to you, or if you do not fully

understand them. Our various articles and Gospel Reflections will gently unpack them

in due course. It is a very beautiful story how God's pattern was first disclosed to the

ancient Hebrews, and progressed to fruition through our Lord and His Church. As this

story unfolded down through the ages, a number of customs evolved. Those we outline

below, although practised by Hebrew Christians in the first centuries of the Common

Era, that is C.E., have been enriched by later understandings of both Jewish and

Christian origin.


Of particular importance is the fact that the customs we recommend for your

consideration have not been taken from "another" culture or religion — they are our

own heritage, shared in part with Judaism — "our elder brother" (John Paul II) — but

very much our own patrimony, just the same. The first Hebrew Christians considered

themselves loyal and faithful Jews, and continued to give expression of the Jewish

faith as a Christian sect within Judaism. In our time, we are recovering some very

special aspects of this cultural heritage and restoring then to their rightful place in the

Church.

Part 2 Our Vision

This article describes some features of the way a Christian family might enrich

and protect their religious culture in the home. We will consider the following

customs:

Unit I ● Consecrating Our Home

A — Marking Spiritual Boundaries

B — Establishing an Oratory (Place of Prayer)

Unit II ● Consecrating Ourselves: Body and Soul

A — Headwear

B — Prayer Shawl (Talith)

Unit III ● Consecrating Each Day

A — Times of Prayer

B — Prayer Customs

+ Meditation

+ Electronic Prayer Book

+ Mitzvot Office

We have used the word "vision", since the items or customs we will discuss

strongly endorse the Biblical Pattern of how God's people engage with Him. They

have evolved in form and understanding throughout the whole stretch of Salvation

History.

Our vision is that our members will adopt very clear signs, symbols and practices

which reflect our response to God's call to us, and are in keeping with our sacred

mission; and that these will help us remain faithful to our calling. None of these are

mandated for Christians but are recommended as worthy of serious consideration.


Unit I Consecrating Our Home

For the Hebrew Catholic, the blessing of a family home is of special significance.

It is not just a house; it is a house and household dedicated to honouring God: Father,

Son and Holy Spirit.

When discussing this topic, the term "consecrating" is often emphasised as setting a

place aside as holy and distinct from the sinful world beyond. That does not reflect the

emphasis or spiritual significance we value. For us to consecrate our home is to declare it

dedicated to promoting the glory of God and His Divine Will, and our living lives within

its walls which honour God accordingly.

We therefore look for ways to demonstrate the following:

— We choose to walk in the specific path laid down by God in His

Teaching — often called the Torah or the Law: which He calls

us to observe.

— We also commit ourselves to observing the Holy Will of God as

expressed broadly throughout the whole Bible, including the

New Testament which endorses and reveres the Old Testament.

— We renew and affirm the consecration of our whole selves —

body, soul and mind — in our baptism, dying to our own wills

and rising to live new life in Jesus Messiah.

— We seek to feed on the Word of God at least as much as we feed

on the physical food God provides for us.

— We seek to share the spirit of this consecration with all who live

in our home or who receive hospitality there as visitors.

— We link our home to the sacred sanctuary established in our

regular place of worship, no matter how near or far it may be.

All of this can be done in several ways. We raise here two possibilities:

— Marking Spiritual Boundaries.

— Establishing An Oratory (Place of Prayer).


A — Marking Spiritual Boundaries: Doorposts and Gates

Introduction

Since we are going to be talking about doorposts, we could begin by reflecting on

the first major reference to marking doorways into a home recorded in

Exodus 12: 1 — 7. Read the story of this chapter in our continuous narrative

presentation.

Here God commanded the blood of a sacrificial lamb to be sprinkled on the doorposts

of Hebrew homes, that God's angelic messenger would pass over homes so marked,

and spare lives within them. This incident etched forever in the minds of God's people,

the importance of obeying His commands: of being totally dedicated to carrying out

the Divine Will. It came, later, to be associated with at least two religious practices:

— Doorpost Scriptures, and much later,

— Holy Water fonts.

We will consider each of these briefly and invite you to follow up with some of

the Internet materials to which we provide links.

1. Doorpost Scripture Scrolls

For millennia, the Jewish custom of attaching certain Scriptures to door posts

and gates has been faithfully carried out. This particular custom was commanded in

Deuteronomy 6: 4 — 9 as we note below:—

4 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! 5 Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all

your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.

6 Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. 7 Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest. 8 Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a

pendant on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6: 4 — 9)


So important is the presence of the Divine Word in our midst, that God

commanded His people to place it in and around their homes, and on named parts of

the body. Every such example of this is to keep us focused on the Great

Commandment and the One who gives it. Thus our homes and bodies are consecrated

to the Lord God and His service. We will talk especially about a mezuzah or other

Scripture caption at the external doors of a house, but they are often placed on internal

doorways as well.

Whilst Christians look upon such commands as fulfilled, in their purpose, in Jesus

Messiah, there are plenty of good reasons to retain certain elements of these customs,

e.g. the placement of specific Scriptures at the entrance to the family home. This is

highly recommended and can be accomplished by hanging carved or framed

Scriptures at entrances — or by simply obtaining a Jewish "mezuzah" and attaching it

to the doorpost. The Appendix under "Doorpost Scriptures — Mezuzah" lists

website links offering a variety of explanations.

The reason we have highlighted the beautiful custom of attaching mezuzahs

(anglicised plural, or 'mezuzot', Hebrew plural) to doorways, is that it provides an

excellent focus for us when we leave or enter our home. There are various practices in

place relating to the mezuzah.

We recommend that if you adopt the custom, you follow the ancient tradition of

touching the mezuzah on leaving and entering the house, and then Kissing the fingers

which touched the case. This symbolises a desire to be dedicated to the One who gave

the words contained therein. On leaving we pray for strength to uphold the Great

Commandment of Love. On returning, we ask pardon for any failures to uphold God's

standards in our daily affairs. We then enter the house cleansed of our shortcomings

and thus respect the sanctity of our home. This is a powerful way of establishing a

clear boundary within which we will attempt to uphold the spiritual values of our

religious culture despite the ever-increasing opposition such a goal encounters.

Notice the aspect of purity of heart and mind which this practice helps achieve.

Notice also that we do not look upon the world around us as evil and to be left

behind when we enter our home. Rather, we seek God's forgiveness for anything

unworthy we ourselves have thought or done whilst out and about, involved in our

daily routines.

2. Holy water Fonts

Everyone who has visited a Catholic Church, and churches of some other

denominations as well, will have noticed a special container of water at each door of

the building.

Often this container would be a shell, a glass dish, or in fact, the basin at which

people are baptised. It may or may not be decorated with a Cross, Crucifix, or some

form of sacred art.


As the members of the congregation enter or leave the church building they dip

their fingers into the consecrated (holy) water and make the sign of the cross. They do

this to keep before them the remembrance that they were baptised into the death and

resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and desire therefore to be obedient always to

God's Word made flesh in His Son.

We notice again the aspect of purity of heart and mind this practice helps achieve.

During the Holy Saturday night liturgy, in preparation for the first Eucharist of

Easter, there are many Scripture readings. Some of these relate the incidents

surrounding the Passover in Egypt and the consequent freeing the Hebrew people from

a life of squalid suffering, slavery and death. During this time, water is consecrated in

preparation for the baptisms soon to follow on this holy night. The water, so blessed, is

then stored for baptisms throughout the year — and for use in Holy Water Fonts both at

Church and in the homes of the people. In practice, the supply of blessed water does not

last until the next Easter and so a special blessing is provided for keeping up the supply

throughout the year. But essentially, all water so blessed is considered an extension of

the special blessing of water for baptism on Holy Saturday night.

Holy Water fonts frequently have a crucifix attached. When our Lord had finally

died on His Cross, a Roman soldier pushed a spear into His side, and water and blood

were seen to pour out. The followers of the Messiah were quick to link the water to

baptism and the blood to the Eucharist; seeing these as visual symbols of these two

great sacraments.

Thus, when we dip our fingers into Holy Water and touch four places or our body

in the form of a cross, the cross of Jesus, we affirm our membership of His body, the

Church, and our entry into it through His Passover — His death and resurrection. This

helps us strengthen our determination to die to self, and rise with Him and live

according to His commandments. That is a powerful antidote to the infiltration into our

lives of ungodly values and practices which we should seek to wash away frequently.

That is why we encourage Holy Water at the entrance of homes. It is another way of

reinforcing a safe haven for our religious culture in the home.

We mention this to emphasise the importance given to the use of Holy Water both

at Church and in the home. In the 1950's one could enter a Catholic home and expect

to find Holy Water at least at the entrance. Some people place them at the entrances to

bedrooms as well. Today, the custom has declined as have family prayers and other

traditions. This article is a call to reverse these declines and to promote

enthusiastically a restoration of all that will help us "draw a line" of no retreat! We

have seen enough of disintegration, confusion, slackness, carelessness and all too

apparent collapse of our religious culture. It is within our means to make a quiet stand

in our own home and revive our very beautiful cultural heritage.


The question may arise, if one chose to use both a mezuzah and a Holy Water

font, does one engage with both on entering or leaving the home? Does one alternate

their use, or combine them, or what? We are free to devise our own routine practices.

The writer knows of some who touch the mezuzah, put those fingers to their lips and

then dip them in the Holy Water font underneath and make the sign of the Cross. But

this is a matter for personal choice.

The essential thing is we seek to be cleansed by God's grace, of our failures and

shortcomings before entering (in this case) our home, or (as it could be) our local

Church. Holy Water and baptism are links to the ancient mikvah bath which is one of

Judaism's holiest rituals in preparation for worship.

You can learn more about the 'mikvah' at the links we list in the Appendix under

"Mikvah and Baptism". Also there — more about "Holy Water".

B. Establishing An Oratory — Place of Prayer

We are all familiar with the person who boldly declares, "You don't have to go to

Church to worship! You don't have to be religious to live a good life! ….. ", and so on.

We know many of our readers have their own well established routines and religious

disciplines. We would only wish to support those and give God praise for such

examples of faithfulness. However, "the times are a-changing", and many of us are

likely to benefit from a little help to keep up religious customs and belief. The setting

up of a small oratory in our home can be a huge help in maintaining a vibrant, full-on

Faith in spiritually perilous times.

We encourage readers of any denomination to set aside a portion of their home as

a place (no matter how simple or small) where we consciously study God's Word,

meditate, pray and discuss sacred things. Once, our churches were mostly unlocked

and we could visit them during the day for prayer. Today, most need to be locked for

fear of vandalism. Visits to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament have fallen off, and our

churches are sometimes not the places of warmth and spiritual focus they used to be.

In the 1940s, 50s and 60s it was common to go into a Catholic home and find a

small votive lamp burning before a sacred image. This practice, too, has dwindled. We

encourage our readers to consider the value of establishing a "prayer space" in the

home. The tradition has a venerable history. We attach a link to our article online, "An

Oratory At Home" That article provides a full guide to the setting up of an oratory in

one's home.

If we go back to Section 5 of Part I, we find a reference to God among His people.

It also spoke of a rhythm God established: He calls, we respond, He blesses us with an

enriched sense of communion with Him. Setting up an oratory in our home is another

form of response to God's desire to be present in our homes and family life.


Unit II Consecrating Ourselves: Body and Soul

Unit 1 dealt with consecrating our homes in a way which corresponds to the

consecration of a church building. This unit continues to expand what we can do to

establish firmly a culture of fellowship and celebrate the presence of God: Father, Son

and Holy Spirit in ourselves and our homes, and to let this flow over into our worship

in church. We discuss two customs: (a) headwear and (b) the talith (pronounced TARlit

or TaLEET) — the prayer shawl.

The two items we discuss, head covering and prayer shawl, were both

traditionally used by men and boys, with some exceptions in various countries. In some

contemporary congregations, women also wear appropriately styled head covering and

prayer shawls for the same religious purposes. These articles for women and girls are

considered by some to be helpful in today's busy world and are a popular aid to prayer

and devotion. Fashions vary from place to place and time to time, and whilst various

Biblical principles of gender appropriateness are observed, all are welcome to

participate in these traditions. (See Deuteronomy 22: 5)

A. Headwear

Introduction

Of all the items and ideas we will be discussing in this article, religious headwear

may, to some people, be the strangest. Yet, if we look beyond our own Western

religious culture, however, it really is not strange at all in Christian culture as found in,

for example, the middle East, or Egypt etc; or for that matter, even in contemporary

Greek and Russian Orthodox culture, wherever that has now taken root.

To English speaking Christians however, the thought of wearing a skullcap would

immediately be considered as "Jewish". Whilst it is true that most early Christian

customs arose out of Jewish culture, the use of the skullcap specifically, is very much

a Christian expression of traditional covering of the head. The writer of this article, as

a young monk in the 1960s, wore a black (traditional Christian) skullcap — 'beretino'

(Italian for "little beret") as we called it. The key question for us, however, is why is a

skullcap worn?


Let's Pause To Consider A Warning

….. claiming they are of pagan origin, e.g. during the Babylonian

captivity or similar. This is simply not true.

Many of our readers are familiar with sampling articles spread across the whole

Internet. Our literature search has revealed a surprising range of material dealing with

religious headwear, both for males and females. A considerable volume supports the

most literal, fundamentalist, so-called Biblical interpretation, based on unquestioned

assumptions regarding use of Scripture to support a particular position. Some of what

we have discovered is amongst the most critical, demeaning, and aggressive writing,

exhibiting highly judgmental and factually distorted explanations of Scripture. Some

display an absolutely obsessive attitude against different cultural perspectives and

traditions — But typical of their mindset, they are quick to ridicule and condemn what

they do not understand. How common is that!

Judged by these people, our explanations in this leaflet would be seen as fanciful

and romantic. Of some significance is the observation that their extreme opinions are

pitched more at rabbinical Judaism as it has evolved since the Roman sacking of

Jerusalem, rather than the Temple Judaism of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our warning to

readers is to beware of the fundamentalist method of using Sacred Scripture like a

mechanic's manual to support pre-determined theological positions. This practice is

widely in use, and is frequently utilised to discredit ancient Jewish customs as originally

pagan, or unworthy of Christians who now "have the Messiah in their midst". We are

firm in our rejection of much of this unjust misrepresentation of our Hebrew Christian

culture.

Both Christian and Jewish sources are sometimes in disagreement within their

own traditions as to the geographic spread of certain customs — and over what time

frame they developed. The wearing of headgear by men and boys is a particular

example. The fact is that practices varied considerably in both Jewish and Christian

cultures but a substantial custom regarding the covering of the head was very evident in

what we call New Testament times.

A Warning From St. Paul

"….. for a man it is not right to have his head covered, since he

is the image of God and reflects God's glory ….." (1 Corinthians 11:7)

When St. Paul wrote this letter to the small Christian community at Corinth, he

would not have dreamed of worshipping in the Temple or any synagogue without

ensuring his head was covered for the glory of God. So, how can he write to this little

community and say what is written above? Is he reciting Hebrew Law, and procedure?


We read or hear many a preacher take these words of St. Paul without explaining

any of the context in which they were given. This is commonly done throughout the

whole of Christianity and leads to major distortions of Biblical teaching. Here we warn

readers how misleading that can be. The wise adage needs to be remembered:

"A TEXT WITHOUT A CONTEXT IS A PRETEXT!"

In this part of his letter to the Corinthian Church, he is not forbidding the small

number of Jewish male members from covering their heads during worship, according

to Jewish custom. His Greek vocabulary is clearly understood by the congregation to

speak firmly and resolutely against the depraved and unmanly — but very commonly

observed — custom in that part of the world of men indulging in various elements of

feminised cross-dressing. Corinth was seen as a place of gross indecency. Some

modern authors dispute this, but it is clear St. Paul saw it that way. He thus speaks out

in typically uncompromising language that men should not cover their heads in any

way which derives from features of women's dress. Thus he is calling for men to

accept their God-given role, and perform it in a masculine and forthright manner.

We repeat that his declaration has nothing to do with changing the Hebrew custom

of wearing headgear during worship and at other times according to local custom. Our

article strongly supports St. Paul's prohibition, as well as upholding the venerable

custom God put in place from the time His priests led the worship of the Hebrew

people in the Tabernacle of the desert at Sinai, and later, the Temple at Jerusalem.

Note: We would remind readers that the Internet records some highly aggressive,

offensive and demonstrably distorted comments about St. Paul's teaching — and for that

matter, other aspects discussed in this article. Everything we have presented here can be

proven to stand on a strong, Biblical foundation.

Why we Cover the Head

There are many explanations as to why a skullcap or other headwear is worn:

some purely practical, and some entirely spiritual. No doubt some are a mixture of

both. Hebrew Catholic custom spans many centuries as well as countries and cultures.

"No one explanation fits all." We therefore give only a few notes for the reader's

discernment.

The Appendix offers further information under, "Covering the Head".

1. The first Hebrew Christians saw themselves, as did St. Paul, loyal members of the

Jewish Faith. They continued to walk in that faith and made changes to their religious

practice only insofar as accepting Yeshua (Jesus) to be the Messiah rendered

appropriate. This state of affairs continued into the third century C.E. when the Gentile

members of the Faith way outnumbered those from Jewish background. Given the

unfortunate animosity which developed between official Judaism and Christianity,

Jewish culture in the Church became, somewhat less overt. Thankfully a new era of

mutual respect is unfolding and permitting the gradual transformation of relationships.


2. It is difficult to quote dates, decisions and other details with absolute certitude,

since customs and the spiritual meaning of them varied from place to place. (Beware of

articles which do not take this into account.) However, Christians who dedicated their

lives to God in religious orders and societies often adopted various kinds of headwear as

part of their outward demonstration of their consecration. As mentioned the black

skullcap became and has remained a common feature of Christian male monastics. This

was later adopted by Jews — depending on which part of the world they lived in —

from approx. C.E. 150 to 500 or even later. Much later still,, this form of skullcap in

Jewish use became decorated by colours and patterns which are more familiar to people

today.

Incidentally Christian use of the skullcap also underwent development and

became an outward symbol of (by colour) of one's role and rank in the clergy of the

Church. This of course was complemented by the use of mitres, birettas, and other

liturgical garb.

Over the millennia, many explanations have been given as to the religious reasons

for wearing specific headwear, whether for liturgical use or general custom. Our focus

here is not so much on liturgical or everyday usage. Christian spiritual perspectives are

very closely related to contemporary Jewish, but take on a Trinitarian aspect. A good

starting point is to look at the "big three" reasons covering the head, common to both

Jews and Christians, and then say a little about each.

a) Presence of God (and His desire to have us gathered around Him.)

b) Submission to God (following the example of Jesus.)

c) Protection by God (prefiguring our life with God in heaven.)

a) Presence of God

After the Exodus, when the Hebrew people were assembled in their camp at Sinai,

God gave very specific instructions that a Tabernacle — a Tent of His Presence — was

to be set up in their midst. Research about this Tabernacle clearly indicates that the huge

cover forming, as it were, the interior ceiling, was attractively decorated and protected

by two other layers and then by an exterior cover of robust badger skins. The interior

ceiling was made of very fine linen which included blue, purple and scarlet threads. The

Levites (priests) serving in the Temple were also clothed in fine linen. (See Exodus 39:

27 — 32).

Of particular interest is the depiction in the linen "ceiling" of the Cherubim,

angels whose special role is —

— praising God;

— indicating the abiding presence of God among His people;

— magnifying the holiness, majesty, power, and glory of God

in our midst, and bowing before God — to acknowledge

this outwardly.


Thus the ark, as well as the Lord's priests serving before Him, were covered in a

manner which reflected the beauty of God's Presence within. This is a key principle in

understanding the link between God's presence among His people, and their individual

presence in His midst.

From the time God took up residence in the Tabernacle (Tent of Presence) in the

desert of Sinai, He signalled His Presence by the very visible Shekinah — the cloud of

His Glory which hovered above. His people reflected this reality in the covering of their

head. They thereby gave outward evidence of their interior belief in God's Presence and

this symbolic action strengthened the belief that He was also present not only above

them but around them and even, in a manner of speaking — within them.

How can it be said they believed God's presence was manifest within them?

Proverbs 20: 27 tells us:

"The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD, searching the deepest

self". The spirit, here, is the life principle which God breathes into

a human being, when entering the body. See Genesis 2: 7.

The devout person recognised that God's gift of breath to each person brings a

spark from God's light: enough for that person to look into their actions and see how

faithful they are to the teach the Torah they are. Thus God is a partner — always present

and ready to guide each person on the Path, the Way of His Commandments: that His

People may be a light for the Gentiles. One cannot be closer than when sharing in this

way with God — with one exception: when we forgive those who have failed in their

keeping of Torah, God's Words of Eternal Love, and Eternal Wisdom. We are nearest to

God and most like Him when we forgive.

One of the names Jews gave their skullcap in much later Jewish history is

"Yarmullke" which is derived from the Yiddish language, pointing to the awe and

respect due to God.

Some of the rabbis taught that the Shekinah hovers above each person earnestly

seeking to walk the path of the Torah, — God's Teaching (especially when studying or

meditating upon Sacred Scripture) and thus it is appropriate to "clothe" the head out of

respect. The head covering is not to be viewed as a separation or barrier between the

Creator and the created. Although it is a line of distinction — a border, — it is also a

seam, a joining, a sure bond between God and His beloved, as they try to follow the

path of His Commandments. It is a celebration of mutual presence, respect and love.

This was spoken of by Jesus to the Father: "I in them, and You in Me." (St. John 17:

23) Our Lord emphasised mutual in-dwelling to express His love and loyalty to those

who followed Him.


b) Submission to God

One of the features of the angels is their constant bowing and prostration in God's

Presence. This is an outer expression of interior respect for the most holy Will of God,

and His Divine Presence. The custom evolved in Judaism which signified a similar

disposition: the desire to be constantly honouring and worshipping God, and to join the

angels in their prostrations before God. Specific headwear became associated with

symbolising the desire to be constantly bent down before God in humble adoration.

The Jews, as clothing fashions changed, adopted the skullcap and called it a "Kippah"

— a dome-like covering, the name being derived from Hebrew, meaning "to be bent

over".

"The lord is faithful in all his Words

and holy in all his works.

The Lord lifts up all who are falling,

and raises all who are bowed down ……

May my mouth speak the praise of the Lord,

and may all flesh bless his holy name

forever and ever." From Psalm 145

For Hebrew Christians, the ultimate example of such dedication to God's Will, is

Yeshua — Jesus Christ and His total abandonment to the Will of His Father throughout

the whole of His Life. Thus, for a Christian to cover his / her head in God’s presence, is

to be likeminded and consecrated to the total service of God through His Son, Jesus

Christ our Lord.

The term "Kippah" is also related to the Hebrew word for lid of the Ark of the

Covenant, called the "Mercy Seat". Again, there is the idea of covering. In this case the

Mercy Seat is where the High Priest pours blood as an offering for the sins of Israel. To

wear a kippah or skull cap is to be united to this great act of consecration.

As mentioned, For the Hebrew Christian, it is to be united to the offering of the

atoning Blood of Jesus in the sacrifice of His Life for the redemption of all humanity.

It is true we are not Levites but as St. Peter says (1Peter 2: 4 and 5) we share the

priesthood of believers. While not the same as the sacramental priesthood, we are called

to be our Lord's "talmidim" (His disciples) and thus play our role as such, in the Church.


c) Protection by God.

The Scriptures abound in references to God's protection of His People. The cynic

is quick to jeer: "If God is so protective of His own, how come they suffer so many

terrible things!" But the truly spiritual person accepts the outcomes of Sin in the world

and knows that God permits suffering among the innocent only for a time and for the

outworking of His divine Will. There is a day set for the end of tribulation and for the

final perfection of His Kingdom. Meanwhile we pray for protection — giving greater

prominence to our need of spiritual protection — but in this we know God delights in

providing our every need.

"Can a mother forget her infant,

be without tenderness for the child of her womb?

Even should she forget,

I will never forget you.

See, upon the palms of my hands

I have engraved you ….." Isaiah 49: 15 and 16.

For Hebrew Christians, in this article, we have encouraged the restoration of an

early Christian custom of covering the head to honour God:

first, focussing on God's gift of His presence, beginning at

Sinai;

secondly, acknowledging the beauty of submission to God,

exemplified perfectly in the acceptance by Jesus of His

Father's Will; and

thirdly, seeking God's protection especially in the spiritual

realm, graciously provided by the fellowship of the Holy

Spirit sent to be our helper and guide in a troubled world as

we prepare for the Lord's Return.

Concluding Thoughts On Covering The Head

This leaflet, in the briefest manner, encourages the covering of the head during

prayer, Scripture study or reflection, and any period of devotion. Some choose to wear

their chosen form of headwear outside devotional times as well to express dedication to

Jesus Messiah — our Way of Truth to Life.

The traditional Christian head covering has long been the black beretino

(skullcap).

We strongly recommend that contemporary distinctly Jewish adaptations of this in

colour and size be left to them to use since they, understandably, want to promote it as

an outward sign of Jewish membership. Surely this should have our strongest respect

and support.


We have tried to demonstrate that the wearing of a skullcap was an early custom

of the Church in the first few centuries, and are open about the fact that we encourage

its restoration. But the decision is for each individual, and so we recall the age-old

principle to guide us: all may, none must.

Further information on this topic is listed in the Appendix under "Covering the

Head".

B — Prayer Shawl — Talith

"Let me dwell in your tent forever,

Take refuge in the shelter of your wings."

Psalm 61: 5

In these beautiful words of King David, we read one of the most frequent

aspirations of those who seek to dwell in His Presence forever. From the beginning,

God's people looked upon His tabernacling with them as a most gracious gift. David

prayed about it often —

"Keep me as the apple of your eye;

hide me in the shadow of your wings." Psalm 17: 8

"How precious is your mercy, O God!

The children of Adam take refuge in the shadow of

your wings." Psalm 36: 8

"In the shadow of your wings I seek refuge ….." Psalm 57: 2

Although God is spoken of anthropomorphically in the Bible quite often, the

reference by David to God's wings has a very specific application. The wings referred to

in the Psalms are those of the two Cherubim, the two angels seated on the lid of the Ark

of the Covenant, in the Holy of Holies — the most sacred part of the Tabernacle in the

desert, the Tent of Presence. That lid was called the Mercy Seat, or Atonement Cover,

and was God's throne. The wings of the two Cherubim, the Angels of God's Presence,

covered the Mercy Seat at all times. This continued to be the case also when the Temple

of Solomon was built.

"The cherubim shall have their wings spread out above,

covering the propitiatory with them; they shall be turned

toward each other, but with their faces looking toward the

propitiatory # .

This propitiatory you shall then place on top of the ark. In

the ark itself you are to put the commandments which I will

give you.


There I will meet you and there, from above the

propitiatory, between the two cherubim on the ark of the

commandments, I will tell you all the commands that I wish

you to give the Israelites." Exodus 25: 20 — 22

# propitiatory — Of or offered in propitiation; conciliatory; place of reconciliation.

In his psalms, King David expressed the most intense desire to reside in God's

presence seated as He was above the tablets of stone containing the Ten Commandments

under the cover of God's tent. David wanted to rest in the shadow of the wings of the

Cherubim. We can see here the beginnings of the spiritual link between the presence of the

Divine Word and the One who gave the Commandments: a presence not just of words on

rock, but the Living Word Himself — who spoke, and it was!

This desire to respond to God's presence positively, in obedience — warmly and

lovingly, has been the hallmark of all those who consider themselves people of God.

God encouraged this sense of communion with Him by commanding of the Israelites

wear a tassel (tzitzit) on each corner of their garment to remind them at all times that

they are a people of His Word, of His Law or Torah, of His Teaching — and totally

dependent on Him. By following His Commandment regarding wearing of the tzitzit or

tassels, fringes, cords (in Hebrew, the plural is tzitzyot), they would enjoy His Presence

and the benefits of His Household. (This Biblical custom was not confined to the

ancient Israelites and can be fulfilled by all Christians as well.).

These fringes were to be placed on the four corners of their garments: two at the

front and two at the back. This symbolised devotion to God's Will by being immersed in

His Word: His Torah, i.e., Teaching — His Words of Life. This understanding of Torah

is based on the original root verb: to guide and to teach.

Incidentally, the whole of Jewish law, i.e. oral and written is referred to as the

'Halakha' from the root verb to walk. So in Hebrew thought, 'Law means the way to

walk'.

We should add that there is also an option to wear a much reduced talith — more

like a singlet without sleeves — which is worn under the shirt. Sometimes the tassels

are lifted out so they are visible, reminding the wearers of the Presence of God in His

Divine Word, as they follow the Path God has provided in His Law.

As styles of clothing changed, various methods were devised to enable God's

command in the Scriptures regarding tassels on the four corners, (Numbers 15: 8 and

Deuteronomy 22: 12) to continue to be fulfilled. The most common form of this

garment today is the talith although this may look more like a scarf around the neck. We

recommend reviewing some of the material available in the Appendix under: "The

Talith: Prayer Shawl," to find out more about the construction and design of the prayer

shawl, and how to use it. Our chief concern here are the spiritual reasons for wearing a

talith during prayer or religious study.


The Hebrew word talith means a "little tent". There is a strong link to the Tent of

Presence, the Tabernacle, and the dwelling place of God among His people. The tassels

hanging from each corner represent to us our promises to keep God's Commandments

and to keep His Word echoing, as it were, in our heart and soul. In this way we remain

close to God in our day-to-day living through His Word

Remember our Lord's command (not advice or invitation, but command) in

St. Matthew 6: 5 — 8.

"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to

stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so

that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have

received their reward.

But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,

and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who

sees in secret will repay you.

In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that

they will be heard because of their many words.

Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need

before you ask him. St. Matthew 6: 5 — 8

When Jesus talks of our "inner room" He is using the image of the outer shawl

(which later came to be the "talith") lifted up and over the head in prayer. Here, in

privacy and concentration, one can approach God as at the Mercy Seat where He meets

those who seek Him. Whether it is lifted up over the head or not, the talith becomes a

"Tent of Presence" and assists us to worship God at the depths of our heart and soul.

Enough has been said, even in this brief description, to demonstrate the

importance of consecrating ourselves, heart and soul, for intimate communion with

God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Nowhere have we suggested this cannot be achieved

without religious headwear or garments: skullcap (beretino) and prayer shawl (talith).

However, we are convinced of the value of restoring these customs followed by the

Christians of the first few centuries, and benefitting from the practical help these

traditions provide. It is important to emphasise that what we promote is the restoration

of a custom of Christians in the first centuries of the young Church. Again, readers may

well come across Internet articles which are obviously opposed to the Christian wearing

of the God-given "fringed garment". They will heap Scripture upon Scripture with the

intention of denigrating the practice. Our experience is that their use of Scripture is

frequently flagrant abuse of the Bible and we advise extreme caution in consulting their

presentations. We encourage our readers to leave our critics to their protesting while we

get on with restoring our cultural heritage in a society which may otherwise drown us in

a sea of anti-religious bias.


Unit III Consecrating Each Day

A — Times of Prayer

For members of the Household of God, prayer of course is a privilege, though we

may well feel within us sometimes, more of a sense of duty to seek God's presence

and perform some religious exercise. Whatever one's personal approach to prayer is,

we offer here the suggestion of following the ancient tradition of the Patriarchs, and

aim at praying three times each day: morning, afternoon (or early evening), and night

time (from sunset to bedtime). Religious people pray frequently throughout the day

and night — but we are talking here of a routine, disciplined mindset with regard to

honouring God at times especially set aside for the purpose, as we do for meals and

other important activities.

One of the benefits of putting in place a customary pattern of prayer, is that this

offers a wonderful support throughout the day and night, and generally leads to a more

regular, richer, prayer life. Without a pattern, it becomes rather easy to just pray when

we "feel like it;" or to get into a stereo-typed rut and rattle off a very restricted range

of prayers.

A regular routine of daily prayer should never become a burden. If life deals us

some rather exhausting days or unexpected challenges, there is no reason why we

shouldn't decide to merge prayer times or modify things to make the day or evening

more manageable. All of these considerations arise out of our state of life, and we are,

each the best judge of what is appropriate. The writer remembers an old monk quoting

a favourite source: "Pray as you can — not as you can't!"

It is helpful to remember that, traditionally, Christians have always seen their

individual family prayers as joined to those of the whole Church — the Body of

Christ, as it renders loving praise, worship and thanksgiving to God: Father, Son and

Holy Spirit. So we do not pray alone — we do so in union with the whole Body. When

we simply cannot manage our usual offering, we reduce it appropriately, and trust in

God to accept our humble efforts in union with the whole prayer and worship of the

Church. This is a very beautiful teaching.

B Prayer Customs

Our Fellowship has focussed on three quite different forms of prayer — which can

be pursued alone, or in the company of others.


1 Meditation

The popular trend over the past 30 to 40 years has been towards very simple

methods of centring prayer, reciting a mantra, or following some newer methodology

promoted by a particular person or group. Often these are presented as having their

roots in early Christian traditions. As is our custom, we focus on a Hebrew Catholic

approach which is quite distinct from these other ways.

For some years, we have been assembling a series of "Reflections" based largely

on the Three Year Lectionary and providing guidance on understanding the Sunday

Gospels. This arrangement is designed to help families to prepare for the following

Sunday Eucharist. It provides parents with support notes in the hope that it will

encourage them to lead very simple meditations in the family home. The notes are also

prepared with the leader of a study or meditation group in mind, who is given

confidence and empowered to lead a group "walk through" the Gospel reading and to

pause to feed on it.

The Reflections can also be used by those who do not use the Three Year

Lectionary

This approach to meditation and Gospel reflection is dealt with very fully in our

website presentation: www.hebrewcatholic.org.nz

We cannot emphasise enough the enormous value in taking time once each week

(say an hour, or a little extra) to reflect on a short Gospel reading, followed during the

week with some short periods of meditation inspired by some part of it. Obviously

family circumstances will determine how short or how long the Gospel Reflection might

be —and at what level they are pitched.

2. Electronic Prayer Book — Morning and Evening Prayer

There are many forms of daily prayer available online for those with access to the

Internet. Printed forms of daily prayer books are easily obtained from bookshops. These

are usually based on the "Liturgy of the Hours" — or "Divine Office" as it used to be

called.

We have prepared a very reduced form of the traditional "Divine Office," in

contemporary language, suitable for average readers, who may want to download it and

use it either at home, or whilst travelling in a train or bus.

Again, this approach to prayer encourages a commitment of a few minutes

morning and evening to prayer, on a daily basis. It is suitable for (or can easily be

adapted to) family use. It can be accessed at www.electronicprayerbook.com

The daily recitation of the Psalms together with a short Bible reading and prayer is

an invaluable aid to strengthening Christian culture in one's home and daily life.

http://www.hebrewcatholic.org.nz/

http://www.electronicprayerbook.com/


3. Mitzvot Office

This is a little "office," or prayer format which draws from two sources:

— the chief commandments of Jesus (Mitsvot, in Hebrew) which

are binding on us (and which should be frequently recalled)

— a slightly enlarged form of the Angelus prayer, rejoicing in the

unique gift of our knowledge of the Blessed Trinity.

Being based on the Angelus, the Mitzvot ('Binding words') Office (Prayer Format) is

recited three times daily. It is a very great help towards establishing a regular daily order

of prayer.

It is easily learnt off by heart, except for the canticles which, if included, can be read

from a small card.

Ideally, it would be recited with all the physical movement symbolising reaching for

the heights and bowing at the depths. But if there is no such opportunity then other

principles based on one's own judgment come into effect.

Thus the Mitzvot Office can be prayed 'anywhere at any time,' even if only internally

without others nearby knowing.

Conclusion

We have tried to present a collection of ideas and

principles to guide people of either Jewish or Christian

background (or neither, if that is the case) with regards to

building a Hebrew Christian spirituality. Whilst we are

enthusiastic about what we do, we cannot lay down hard and

fast rules about most of what is here presented; historically there

are too many variations and much uncertainty. Anyway, the

culture demands a certain latitude. As a group of Jews gathering

to discuss a topic will always declare, "Two Jews, three

opinions!"

Our hope is that we will help one another to safeguard as

much of our Judeo-Christian culture as we can and prepare to

pass it on in more agitated times, the signs of which are

emerging on the horizon at this very hour.

Shalom!


Appendix — Links to Further Information

Doorpost Scriptures — Mezuzah

— What Is a Mezuzah?

— Got questions?

— Jesus Boat — Mezuzah.

— In Mezuzahs, a Custom Inherited by Gentiles.

—

The Mikvah — Gathering of Waters

— Mikvah and Baptism AHC-NZ Article)

— Mikvah (Baptism) A Messianic Jewish perspective

— Mikvah Part I – Spiritual Cleansing

Holy Water

— 8 Ways to Use Holy Water

— Why Is There Holy Water at the Door of the Church?

— The House Blessing (YouTube)

— Holy Water Guide

— Where Did Our Tradition Around Holy Water Come From?

Covering The Head

— Let's Talk About Men's Head Covering

— Should I Remove My Kippah?

— Why We Wear Kippot

— Head-coverings for Messianic Men: Tradition or Torah?

— Head-coverings In Church Cardinal Raymond Burke

The Talith — Prayer Shawl

— Why Would a Christian Wear a Prayer Shawl?

— The Practice and Meaning of Tallit (A long detailed introduction)

— What Is A Prayer Closet?

Note:

Some of these articles have been produced by Messianic Jewish writers who,

whilst representing a different cultural and ecclesiastical background from our own,

offer some very helpful perspectives.

We value their counsel.

Links to our material:

An Oratory At Home

Electronic Prayer Book

Mitzvot Office

Meditation

Documents

Our Homes: Sanctuaries and Citadelshebrewcatholic.org.nz/.../AHC-Our-Homes-Sanctuaries... · 3. Our Culture Although our society is now very much dominated by all the pressures arising