Items of Interest: Week of Dominica II Quadragesima

How Hebrew Catholics Live Lent Well
by Peter Jesserer Smith (National Catholic Register). «[F]or Hebrew Catholics, both those living in Israel and in communities around the world, the Church’s Lenten pilgrimage is enriched with a perspective born of their heritage and closeness with the Jewish people and common kinship with Jesus the Messiah. “Hebrew Catholics” not only applies to those Jews who found the fullness of their Jewish identity in embracing the Catholic Church, but also those Catholics who belong to Jewish families or have Jewish ancestry, and practice Jewish traditions they chose to celebrate in the light of Catholic teaching.»

Making Sense of Isaiah 7:14 – “Young Woman” or “Virgin”? (Part 1)
(Part 2)
(Part 3)
by Eric Jobe (Departing Horeb). This series addresses an issue regarding the relationship between the Hebrew Bible and the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) in the Emmanuel prophecy in Isaiah 7:14, which notably contains a disputed reference to what Christians have taken to be a prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. Almost everyone is now familiar with the fact that a significant variant exists between the Hebrew Bible (all extant versions are the same) and the Septuagint. In part 1 of this series, Dr. Jobe looks at the textual data regarding Isaiah 7:14 in multiple Hebrew manuscripts and translations into other languages. In part 2, he examines the “wibbly-wobbly” nature of prophecy and the way the biblical text is interpreted differently at different times to refer to different events within history. In part 3, he delves into the meaning of the words themselves within the socio-linguistic context of ancient Israel.

The Depressing Problem with Pro-Life 2.0
by Roberto Rivera (Ethika Politika). «I can’t help but suspect that some important things have been lost in the transition from ‹Pro-Life 1.0› to ‹Pro-Life 2.0.› We are trying to oppose abortion by challenging the premises of the Sexual Revolution while, at the same time, remaining silent about the technology—and the accompanying mindset—that made the Sexual Revolution possible. And we talk about Planned Parenthood targeting poor communities while having little to offer the people who live in them, apart from some pregnant women, besides anecdotes and self-help nostrums. Like I said, things have changed but not all of the changes were for the better.»