Lighting the Night!

We enjoy having friends over and
lighting the menorah every  year.
Right now, the light comes from outside,
but tonight it will come from us.

Chag Urim Sameach to those who are celebrating their miracles!
In our house, we are celebrating Hanukkah with you-- and many people keep asking us why.

There are several reasons Hanukkah might be a meaningful celebration to a Christian family, not the least of which is that it celebrates a miracle in which God preserved the Jewish people.
This is a victory for all people who believe in religious freedom.

The events of Hanukkah are recorded in the Deuterocanonical books-- they are not considered scripture by most protestants, but to Catholics and Orthodox these are sources of great treasure.
The Holy Maccabean Martyrs are considered saints by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches and are commemorated on August 1. The events of their lives are certainly worthy of attention and reflection.

As an observant Jew, probably a pharisee, Jesus Himself observed Hannukah, and would have done so according to Jewish custom. We read in John 10:22:

Now it was the feast of the Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 

And Jesus walked in the temple...

As a side note, it was at this time, while God's miraculous provision was being remembered,  that Jesus chose to utter these six unthinkable words: "I and my Father are One."  Words which by the way are outrageous to a Jew, but considered to be truth by followers of the itinerant Rabbi from Nazareth.

The feast of the Dedication was known as the Festival of Lights, (ie. Hanukkah,) and commemorated the re-dedication of the temple in Jerusalem after the Seleucid King Epiphanes desecrated it in 167 BC. You can read about these events in 1 Mc 1-4, which is considered scripture for Catholics and Orthodox but not protestants at this time. According to the Orthodox Study Bible, "during this festival, the leaders of Israel's past were commemorated, many of whom were themselves shepherds."

The story of Hanukkah is very moving.
After many hardships during the terrible persecution of the Jews by the Greeks, the Jewish people managed to retake the land. Sadly, they had discovered there was only one day's worth of oil left with which to purify the temple. They lit the lamp anyways... and God Himself provided the oil necessary to keep them burning the eight prescribed days.

Tonight, we celebrate His miracle. Not the oil alone, which flowed freely, but the hearts of the strong who fought bravely.

My oldest daughter decorated our house in preparation for tonight's kickoff...it is one of our favorite times of year. There is a special bond of indescribable love for Jews everywhere that is felt at the moment of lighting, a love which has so sorely lacked throughout time.

I encourage you to ask your Jewish friends for a Hanukkah invite this week or to ask them how to celebrate in your own home. Also, if you are a Catholic, please keep in mind that the US Bishops have asked that you not alter or change the traditional Jewish blessings if you are participating in this or any Jewish holiday out of respect for the Jews to whom this holiday belongs.

Hearing the traditional blessings and remembering these events among family and friends, may our eyes and hearts be opened.