26th Day of Judaism in Siedlce: discovering hope together
Celebration of the Divine Word, taking place in the evening in Siedlce Cathedral, was the last agenda item of the 26th Day of Judaism. The prayer was presided over by Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś, Chairman of the Committee for Dialogue with Judaism of the Polish Bishops’ Conference. The prayers were prepared by communities of the Neocatechumenal Way.
“We started the day with a prayer and end it with a prayer. It is the framework of everything we have done today. We wish to rediscover the meaning of our entire reflection in a living encounter with God and His word,” pointed out at the beginning Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś of Łódź.
The reflections referred to this year’s motto of the Day of Judaism, a verse from the Book of Exodus: “The coming of the Lord: you are leaving today” (Ex 13:4).
The first reading was from Genesis, Chapter 18, and described the scene of the angels visiting Abraham. A commentary on this passage was provided by Rabbi Boaz Pash.
- Human relationships, a life in mutual friendship and love are more important than great philosophies. By living this way, we can expect the same from God, noted Rabbi Boaz Pash.
In his word to the faithful, Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś, reflecting on the Gospel reading on the vocation of Zacchaeus, pointed out that the name of the protagonist of this passage means that each and every one of us can relate to this story of being called.
Zacchaeus lived a life of sin. Evil was part of his occupation. occupation. Zacchaeus is the one who, as a rich man, passed through the “eye of a needle.” Jesus was the only one who could see in him his purity, his truthfulness and his innocence. He also saw what his great dignity was obscured by. This Gospel passage shows that God needs the sinner.
- The God revealed in Jesus shows that he needs a sinner. And this is the paradox of the Gospel, highlighted the Metropolitan Archbishop of Łódź.
- “Today” is one of the most important words of the Bible. Everything important takes place “today.” The "today" that God gives us, is at the same time His visitation and an invitation to go out, to change, to move and to abandon what I was still living yesterday and what seemed to me the only right way of functioning. [...] “Today” frees me from the fear of what will happen tomorrow, said Archbishop Ryś.
diecezja.siedlce.pl / Press Office, Polish Bishops’ Conference
