Apostle Thomas: Shema Yisrael

[Crumpy]

Background:
aish.com/literacy/mitzvahs/Shema_Yisrael.asp

This link is an explanation of the what it calls the best known Jewish acclamation.

“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One”

As I was thinking about this, this evening, it occurred to me where I heard it in the New Testament:

John 20:28 Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” (NAB)

Thomas addresses to the risen Jesus not a random babbling expressing his awe, but instead he uses the ultimate, God-ordained acclamation of faith (Deut 6:4) or as much of it as he can stammer out at the time.

 

[Crumpy]

I have such high expectations for the Fall Synod in Rome, dealing with the Word of God in the Daily Life of the Church.

I would like to see the “shema” added in some form as one of the acclamations after the consecration at Mass. We have the Kyrie Eleison or the English equivalent at the beginning of Mass, I think it would be very theologically correct to add it to the list of permissable Eucharistic acclamations, either in Hebrew or in English.

The Second Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible offers an alternate translation of the opening of the Shema:

“Hear Oh Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD alone”

I think this is the best translation. Yes, I know that there are theological and catechetical requirements of the Eucharistic acclamation, but I also think it’s hard to argue with God about the *basic *command in Deut 6 to recite the Shema.