The Lessons of Nehemiah

Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermons - Catholic Preaching and Homilies

Bishop Robert Barron

Spirituality, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality:christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 4.6K Ratings

🗓️ 25 January 2004

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Our first reading for this week is taken from the book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament. Nehemiah returned from exile in order to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and to preside over the reconstitution of the Israelite nation. The Church, the new Israel, is a people with an identity grounded in tradition, law, word, and sacrament. When we allow those foundations to be destroyed, we are in danger of losing ourselves.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Word on Fire is brought to you by Catholic cemeteries, serving the Chicago area since 1837,
0:06.5	and FSP dedicated to food service excellence.
0:10.9	This is Cardinal Francis George, and I invite you to join me for the next few minutes to
0:15.1	reflect with Father Robert Barron on the Word of God, which is the Word on Fire.
0:21.7	Father Barron will challenge us to open our hearts to the Word on Fire, which is God's
0:26.0	Word of Love for each of us.
0:28.3	If our hearts are open, the Lord can change and transform us, who we might speak with love
0:33.7	about the One who is love.
0:36.6	The Archdiocese of Chicago through the generosity of Sacred Heart Parish and Winetka now presents
0:41.6	the Word on Fire.
0:44.3	Peace be with you.
0:45.3	Friends, for the homily today I want to concentrate on a little known, but an extremely important
0:50.9	book of the Old Testament.
0:52.8	The book of Nihemiah, our first reading from yesterday, is taken from Nihemiah.
0:59.9	Nihemiah was a Jew who was the cup bearer of King Arta Zerxes, King of the Persians.
1:06.9	Now this setting is actually quite important.
1:08.7	Remember, one of the key events in Israelite history was the Babylonian captivity.
1:14.8	So the Jews in 587 BC are overrun by the Babylonians, Jerusalem destroyed.
1:20.8	The people carried off into captivity.
1:24.7	In the course of several decades, Israel fell into decay and decline, Jerusalem destroyed,
1:31.9	the people dispersed, the culture compromised.
1:36.1	Well after several years, the Persians overran the Babylonians.
	...

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