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Towards the Messianic Passover
Cardinal Lercaro

"Sacred Scripture in the Liturgy of the Word and the Lamb of God in the Eucharistic Liturgy - these two benefits, the most precious heritage of the Church of today, both come from Israel's inheritance: not only the Sacred Scripture, that is evident, but also, to a certain extent, the Eucharistic Sacrifice which was prefigured in the Passover and the Manna, and was instituted by Christ Himself according to the rite of the Hebrew Pascal Haggadah. Still more do the Word of God and the Eucharist - 'Behold the Lamb of God' - show a mysterious communion between the Liturgical Assembly which is the Church in its most perfect earthly act, and the holy 'Clahar of the sons of Israel... And so it seems to me that a definite allusion to the biblical contacts with the Jews should be made and attention drawn to the vocation which may still be theirs: for (provided that they sincerely and humbly acknowledge the faith of their fathers and recognise the religious significance of the Scriptures) they may bring a biblical and pascal meaning to bear witness even in the world of today.

The Church's hope for Israel's future destiny might be expressed more delicately and tactfully than it is in the present draft. ''The union of the Jewish people and the Church" may have an ambiguous interpretation. We profess the same faith as St. Paul who said 'God has not disowned His people' (Rom. 11:2) and God does not repent of the gifts or of the calls He makes (Rom.11:28) And so they are still very dear to God and how ''much more the fullness of them' (Rom.11:12).

How will that fullness be manifested? Surely by ways still hidden in a religious mystery: 10 the depths of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God"; so those ways are not to be judged or forecast by human standards, but by the eschatalogical tendency of souls towards the Messianic Passover which will link us to one another for ever."