Mama Mondays: Influencing the family culture.

I made Challah today. It was the first time in years I had braided the soft dough, and I was hopping up and down with excitement as I watched it rise and cook in the oven. It came out beautifully, and one tiny bite was all it took to flood me with memories.
You've noticed, I guess, that these conversations with Messianics I've been having online have been really getting my thinker going! And in some sense, I'm all the more thankful for them since they really confirm for me, in a time where I'm having so many challenges due to the progressive agenda I see in the  faith lived out in the Catholic Parishes around me and subsequently doubting myself and my choices (not my choices to be Catholic, but my choices about where to go and what to do about it) that it has been refreshing to take the time to really stop and re-examine the scriptural and historical roots of Catholicism and spend some time reflecting on how well I represent those to my kids in catechizing them.
My personal faith journey has taken me through Messianic Judaism. Very early on in my "purposeful" Christian walk I recognized the relevance of my Jewish roots and the signs in the Hebrew Bible pointing towards the Messiahship of Christ. Nothing is by accident in Scripture.
As a protestant, I began to discern the need for liturgy, and a lack, as it were, in my worship that came from non-adherence to both Oral and Written Torah. I never joined a messianic congregation, but I did frequent a reform synagogue and a Hillel at the University for Shabbat, going to my regular Churches on Sundays, for years, and I did begin, in my own "uneducated way" to live an authentically Jewish life. My time in the army was the first time I officially identified myself as "Messianic" despite the previous decade of attempting to keep Torah in the context of my Christian faith.  I remember the decision to put "Messianic" on my dogtags was an intense one for me to make. And it was in the army that I realized how special it was that the man I had just met and who I knew was going to be my future husband shared in his understanding of the importance of Judaism in the context of his own Christian faith... after all, we each, totally independently of the other, spent our "worship" time in the Army alternating between the protestant praise service and the Jewish service.

When we got out, however, the bond we shared in that was somewhat broken.... we were married, and my personal Jewish "life" went out the window for the most part in obedience to him, as he was not interested in keeping a Kosher household, for example, and didn't have much of an interest in Shabbat or otherwise. He was a good sport, though, indulging me in my many visits to our local Orthodox synagogue and in many a night of forced Hebrew singing and praying. :P I think in part because he felt a real draw towards Judaism.... he understood it. I personally believe that ANY person who has felt the call of the gospel of Christ on their heart and who responds will find, in Judaism, a deeper understanding of that need for God. My husband was aware of it. Some are not.
In fact, after much prayer we felt our call towards Judaism could only mean one thing, and began looking into life in Israel, hoping against hope that we would somehow be able to make it work. "Next year, in Jerusalem." It means something special in our house. Discovering that we were in no way eligible for Aliyah without signing a paper that said we renounced faith in Jesus as Messiah, we knew that wasn't happening. And to make a long story short, his interest in Judaism and in Israel, while he still supported Israel in every way he could, waned.
At that time, I didn't lose my hope that Jewishness would somehow find it's way back into my family culture, but I made a conscious effort to give it to God and let Him do what He would. And He did!
An event occurred that really stands out in my mind as the day I decided to put my "one foot in, one foot out" Judeo-Christian life away for a while, and that was the birth of my son. We were on Medicaid at the time, and the hippies had JUST succeeded in passing a law that said circumcision was no longer covered by Medicaid and we hadn't been informed about it until we were literally standing in front of the delivery room door staring at a sign with great dismay that said we needed $400 on the spot to circumsize our coming son. I was ENRAGED. The importance, to me, of circumsizing my son, my son with a Jewish name and a Jewish identity, was beyond words. My poor husband tried over and over again to comfort me despite his own frustration by reminding me that circumcision was not "necessary" any longer under the new covenant, (true) but it was no use. I was devastated and remain devastated.
Immediately upon returning home from the hospital, I began making phone calls to see about raising the money somehow for a procedure at the pediatrician's before it was too late, but had no luck. God had not made a way. Undaunted, I began placing phone calls to Mohels all over the state... even traveling Mohels who would come from anywhere to do such an important mitzvah. But each time, as soon as they heard that the child would be raised to know Jesus as Messiah (yes, they asked!) they told me they couldn't help. Frantic, I thought to check the Messianic congregations in the area, if there were any. Did they have Mohels? I had no idea, but it wouldn't hurt to find out. To my surprise and great joy, I found three within a short distance. I explained my situation and asked if they could help me. And each time, I was told that if the child was not going to be raised a messianic, rather than a Christian, they regrettably couldn't help me. WHAT??
I was disgusted. My poor little son still has an anteater.... he probably will all his life since I don't see where we would get the money to do it now... all because of hippies and faulty theology. It was more important to Messianics to prevent someone from following Church tradition than it was to do something which God had directly commanded. They were focused on the don'ts, and not on the do's. I didn't want anything to do with Jews and Messianics if they weren't going to live what they professed to believe: that to circumsize a Jewish child is a mitzvah.
It was around that time that I put away the star of david necklace I had worn, and placed my shabbat candlesticks in the drawer.... I was disgusted.
My walk with God took on a distinctly "American Evangelical" nature from then on, and though I still loved all things Jewish and genuinely desired to make those things a part of the fabric of our family life, I realized that it just wasn't possible for Torah observance to be part of my life in my situation. I realized that God was taking me out of my "identity" with a Human family and Putting me back into the fold with His own. 
Fast forward a year or so to my re-discovery of the Catholic Faith. Catholicism is the perfect fulfillment of Judaism, a continuation of Judaism for believers in Christ. It is so easy to see how in Christ, each element of Judaism is perfectly accomplished, and how Catholic observances literally ARE Jewish observances taken in the context of Jesus as Messiah. Catholics are the ultimate Messianics, for they do not compromise their Christianity or New Covenant in any way, theologically. I have said many times over that an observant Jew would not only feel comfortable and recognize what is happening in Catholic liturgy but would probably come to believe in Christ as Messiah simply through liturgical observation and the understanding of that reality that it promotes... just ask the countless Catholic converts from Judaism! (St Edith Stein, who said "I finally feel Jewish again," upon becoming a Catholic, pray for us!)
I didn't know it at the time, but returning to the Catholic Church, and my husband's conversion, firmly grounded us in those Jewish roots I so longed to honor. At the same time, my husband's steadfast "greek"ness, and his alliegance to Western thought and civilization, keeps me constantly grounded in Truth. My life is a perfect blend of east and west.
All this to say that it has been years since I've considered, really considered, the implications of the "Jewishness" of the Catholic faith on my family, and that these lengthy discussions and debates with messianics, who loathe the Catholic Church but honor and uphold Judaism as the root and foundation of the Christian faith, has brought to the forefront of my mind the influence and impact these things have on our family culture, which is already so interesting and varied.
I was born and raised in France, so Southern French traditions are a huge part of who we are. With me come traditions and meals in the realm of mediterranean life, and my children are growing to know what it is like to celebrate life in Provence, Italy, Greece, Northern Africa, Israel.....olive oil, petanques, and a good pastaga, Oh my!
Likewise, my husband is an "American by birth, Southern by the Grace of God," (:P) and my children live here and are learning the ways of the South... .the slow paced, friendly life that honors God, family, and country.
He is also Swedish and Norwegian on one side and Scottish and Irish on the other, and was raised in Germany. I spent a good deal of time "becoming" a Swede when in a serious relationship with one, and my family background is Irish. I lived in Germany for a brief while. All of these elements have their place in our home in many, many ways. Peter loves India, and Korea. I love Tahiti. We incorporate these things into our lives. Although we dislike globalism, and very seldom travel outside the South, we are the most international family I know! And this plays out in our family culture in various ways, because we expose our kids to the wonders of Creation, from Shabbat to Pita bread, from Olives to Kimshi. My children dance like russians and are lulled to sleep with Irish lullabies. They say "thank you," in French and eat Sushi and Schnitzel, Calamari and Lussekater. They plant St Barbara's wheat with provencal children and sing Lucia carols with Swedish children. They wear kilts, and blow out advent candles.
 We decide what to pour into them, and it becomes a part of who they are. I'm thankful to Messianics, then, for the reminder to celebrate the Jewish roots of this family and not "put them away."
Having been only acquainted in passing with Hebrew Catholics in the past, I have joined them this week in hopes of celebrating and making known the Jewish roots of the Catholic faith. Unlike Messianics, they recognize the Truth and perfection of the Traditional, from-the-beginning Church founded by Christ, and they honor and respect ALL the wide spectrum of Catholic Tradition, within the framework of Judaism. I have placed my star of david on my necklace with the Miraculous Medal again. And I'm making Challah again.
All in the hopes of instilling in my kids a sense of identity that reaches far beyond the Babel here below, an identity that reminds them their Kingdom is not of this world-- the heavenly Jerusalem.