Father, I’m Jewish…

Roberto Ackerman, Venezuela

January 1, 2009

Tags: Jesus Christ, Jewish I was invited by a friend in the Work to meet “the Father” (Saint Josemaria). I felt a healthy curiosity about him, and now I always carry a picture of him with me, and sometimes I talk to him. I don’t pray to him, because I don’t belong to the same religion, but I think he must be in the same heaven, with our Father God.
I wanted to know his attitude towards Jews, and I started off by saying: “Father, I’m Jewish – ”
Immediately, he interrupted me: “Jewish! I love all Jews a lot, because I love Jesus Christ a lot – madly – and he is a Jew. I don’t say he was, but he is. Jesus Christ is alive, and he is Jewish, like you. And the second love of my life is also Jewish: the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ. So I look on you with great affection. Go on!”
The founder of Opus Dei talked about the love he felt for Jews, for Mary, and for Jesus, who were Jewish. It was a totally frank, open admission. I never imagined he would give me an answer like that. He expressed his feeling for Judaism as a very pure love, recalling what the two religions have in common, because they both have a common base.
I remember it vividly, as if it were today. It made a very deep impression on me. Then he begged my pardon for not letting me finish my question. I said, “I think my question has already been answered, Father!”