One of the core prayers of the Jewish tradition is the
Shema, based on the Book of Deuteronomy:
Hear, O Israel, the
Lord is our God, the Lord is one.
Therefore, you shall love the LORD your God,
with your whole heart, and
with your whole being,
and with your whole strength.
Take to heart these words which I command you
today.
In the Book of Jeremiah, God promises a new covenant with the people of Israel in the
form of this very law that God will write upon their hearts: I will place my law within
them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my
people
(Jer. 31:33).
Like the Jewish people, we are called to
accept God’s “signature” (his seal)
as the source of our identity, and that means we are to love God with our whole
heart, with our whole being, with our whole strength. It is up to us to say yes to this covenant,
to a loving relationship with God, allowing God to work in our lives. The perfect model of the beauty of this
relationship is Jesus himself, whose prayers to God are heard because of his reverence. As we move toward Holy Week, may we embrace
these words written upon our heart,
participating fully, accepting God’s will and allowing it to rule our own, to
be the only identity we seek.
(Above: Rare Babylonian bronze cylinder seal, used to sign clay tablets)
For more information on the Shema, visit http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Torah/The_Shema/the_shema.html.
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