The Jewish things we do in the Catholic Church

Why do we dip our fingers in water and dab it on our face, shoulders and chest?

Psalm 26:6 I will wash my hands in innocence

so that I may process around your altar, Lord,

This is an “ablution”. In the Old Testament, Jewish Priests, the Levites, before they would enter the Temple of God, would wash themselves to purify of any uncleanness.

Of course, we recognize this as the Sign of the Cross which we perform upon entering the Church. We, who have been baptized into Christ, are Priests, Prophets and Kings. As members of the common Priesthood, when we enter our Temple, the Catholic Church, we wash ourselves of uncleanness, sin, by dipping our fingers into Holy Water and remembering our Baptism.

This ceremony is effective in washing away our venial sins.

Wow! Yeah, I was totally blown away when I made this connection.

Why do Priests lift the Bible over their head before they read it?

It comes from the lifting of the Torah, in the Synagogue, before it is read by the Jewish teacher. They believe that a blessing is imparted to the believer as he looks at the book/scroll as it is comes in sight.

This is why the Priests lifts the Bible over his head and processes it around the Church. So that we may exalt and worship the Word of God and receive the blessings which are imparted to us by the holiness of God’s Word.

Amen? Amen!!!

Why do Priests put the Eucharist in a little box?

That little box, we call the “Tabernacle”. And, in my opinion, this tradition is drawn from the Jewish tradition of keeping the Torah, or Word of God, in a little box which they call the “Ark”. The Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ and thus, Sacramentally, the Word of God.

Yes sir. Ours is the fulfillment!

I hope you guys know that the Eucharist is directly from the Passover.

Remember the Lamb of God? That’s why St. Paul says:

1 Corinthians 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, ….

But did you know that the Eucharist is also a connection to the Toda sacrifice?

Toda means “Thanks” in Hebrew. And they traditionally celebrate a Toda sacrificial meal with, you guessed it, bread and wine.

Interestingly, it is said that the Midrash, a pre-Christian Jewish text, prophecies that the Toda sacrifice will be the only one that remains. This coincides with the New Testament Text which says:

Hebrews 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

As you know, Eucharistia is the Greek word for “Thanksgiving”. Therefore, the Eucharist, the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the appearance of bread and wine, is a direct connection to that Jewish tradition. And apparently, the fulfillment of that prophecy, since the Thanksgiving or Toda, is the only sacrifice left both in the Jewish and Catholic world.

Why do we use unleavened bread for the Mass?

Matzo is unleavened bread. The Passover is celebrated with matzo bread and has been from its inception. The Mass is also celebrated with unleavened bread.

CCC#1339 Jesus chose the time of Passover to fulfill what he had announced at Capernaum: giving his disciples his Body and his Blood:

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the passover meal for us, that we may eat it. . . ." They went . . . and prepared the passover. And when the hour came, he sat at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you I shall not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.". . . . And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And likewise the cup after supper, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood."

The blessing we hear in Mass

Perhaps you recognize it. Here’s the Jewish blessing:

Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.

Here’s ours:

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life.

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become our spiritual drink.

Yeah, we owe our Jewish brothers a great deal

St. Pope John Paul II even called them our “elder brothers”.

Nostra Aetate:

4. As the sacred synod searches into the mystery of the Church, it remembers the bond that spiritually ties the people of the New Covenant to Abraham's stock.

Thus the Church of Christ acknowledges that, according to God's saving design, the beginnings of her faith and her election are found already among the Patriarchs, Moses and the prophets. She professes that all who believe in Christ-Abraham's sons according to faith -are included in the same Patriarch's call, and likewise that the salvation of the Church is mysteriously foreshadowed by the chosen people's exodus from the land of bondage. The Church, therefore, cannot forget that she received the revelation of the Old Testament through the people with whom God in His inexpressible mercy concluded the Ancient Covenant. Nor can she forget that she draws sustenance from the root of that well-cultivated olive tree onto which have been grafted the wild shoots, the Gentiles.(7) Indeed, the Church believes that by His cross Christ, Our Peace, reconciled Jews and Gentiles. making both one in Himself.

I hope you like those

But I’m sure there are many other Jewish things that we do which I’m not aware of. If you know of any, let me know in the combox. Thanks!