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Letters to God find a home

28 Dec 2008 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Just before Hanukkah and Christmas a handful of Jerusalem postal workers leave the post office for a few hours and head to the Western Wall. They are hauling thousands of letters addressed to "God, Jerusalem Israel," "the Almighty," or "the Wailing Wall," among others. At the wall the workers separate the letters by gender, going either to the men's or women's prayer sections. They then carefully open the envelopes, fold the letters into slivers, and insert them into crevices. The letters arrive from dozens of countries, some of which, like Malaysia and Kuwait, do not have diplomatic ties with Israel. "The majority come[s] from Christians, but a sizable number come from Jews and even a few from Muslims," said postal worker Avi Yaniv, the manager of the "dead letters" department. "There are also quite a few letters to Santa Claus." Yaniv, a 65-year-old grandfather some call "God's postman,” said he and his fellow postal workers read some of the letters before placing them in the wall, but are careful not to look at the senders' names out of respect for their privacy. Of all the letters he has read over the years, Yaniv said he was particularly moved by one from a mother asking God to heal her son of alcoholism and drug abuse. Another, from a little boy, asked God to bring him a Harry Potter wizard's wand for Christmas. Many others ask for strength to confront challenges ranging from illness and unemployment to marital problems and sexual abuse. Regardless of the religion of the sender, all letters addressed to God are taken to the Western Wall, said Avi Hochman, general manager of the Israel Postal Service. "Israel is a Jewish country and the Kotel [Western Wall] is a sacred place. All people are welcome to pray here. We respect all minorities," Hochman said. "I'm religious myself, so this task gives me the opportunity to go to the Kotel and be part of it," said Iris Cohen, another letter sorter. "I'm attached to this job." "It is a privilege," said Yaniv. "In Jerusalem we feel very close to God, as if he is just a local call away." Source: An article by Michele Chabin for Religion News Service

Christmas western wall wailing wall letters hannukah avi yaniv jerusalem temple israel postal service

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Sign & sacrament

11 Mar 2012 - Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle B

The story of the cleansing of the Jerusalem Temple is one of the few included in all four gospels. It must have made a real impact on the memory of the disciples that Jesus, this man of peace and gentleness, got so worked up over merchants in the Temple providing services for out-of-towners who came to offer sacrifice. Maybe Jesus didn't like the implied idea that people had a quid pro quo relationship with God, that God's graces could be somehow "bought." Rather, he was zealous for the Temple to be known as a house of prayer for everyone, a sign that God provides for all who ask.

jerusalem temple

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Exploring the word

15 Mar 2009 - Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle B

In Torah commentaries rabbis always point out the unequal proportions of the Decalogue. The first four Commandments (concerning our obligations to God) take up ten extended verses, while the ensuing six (about mortal relationships) occupy a half dozen clipped lines. It should be noted that in Jewish tradition the Commandments are numbered differently. Because the two forbidden “covetings” at the end are combined as one prohibition, the first four Commandments are counted as follows: 1. God alone is the God of Israel (vs. 2-3); 2. Idols and images are forbidden (vs. 4-6); 3. False oaths using God’s name are forbidden (v. 7); 4. The sabbath must be kept holy (vs. 8-11). God’s singularity, as well as the holiness of the divine name and the day of rest, are clearly weighted with more significance than the obligations we have toward one another: parents, neighbors, and fellow citizens. In Hebrew, in fact, the weightiest Commandment is the one regarding the sabbath day, if sheer word power is the measure. To get the sabbath right paved the way to getting everything right. That is why the use Jesus made of the sabbath was the most shocking part of his ministry. He used the sabbath for the sake of his neighbors and fellow citizens—even strangers and outsiders! He used God’s day for the welfare of people. It turned the traditional understanding of the Law inside out and on its head. If we listen to the responsorial psalm of the day, we hear a refrain that echoes through the Psalms, not to mention the books of law, prophecy, and wisdom. God’s law is perfect. You can trust it. You can bet your life on its clarity and purity. Many righteous people resonate with that idea. Submitting yourself to the dictates of law—whether the laws of the land or God’s laws or interior convictions—is a most uncomplicated way to live. It removes ambiguity and indecision from the picture because, in a sense, you don’t have to decide at all. You just have to obey. The icon of that submission, of course, was the Jerusalem Temple. There, lawgivers rendered their judgments on individual cases. There, sacrifices on behalf of the nation were judiciously performed. There, offerings were made and taxes were collected to serve as ballast against sin. When Jesus made his assault against the Temple, which he did toute de suite in John’s gospel, he challenged the traditional understanding of Law altogether. And when his motives were questioned, Jesus declared that he was replacing the great institution of the Temple with himself. Of course no one understood him, nor would they have believed him. An incarnate law changes everything. Related scripture links Gospel parallels: Mark 11:15-19; Matt. 21:12–17; Luke 19:45-48 My temple a house of prayer: Isa. 56:7 In your eyes, a den of thieves: Jer. 7:11 Jesus in his Father’s house: Luke 2:49 Jesus the highest authority in the heavens: Phil. 2:9-11; Col. 1:16 Built into living stones: 1 Pet. 2:4-5 Catechism links Monotheism: CCC 200-202 Idolatry: CCC 1852; 2112-14 Jesus and temple authority: CCC 576; 583-586; 651; 653

Authors Alice Camille

commandents torah sabbath god's law jerusalem temple

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