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WOF Radio > Sermons > Sermon Archive for 2013 > Sermon 629 : Walls and Bridges : 3rd Ordinary Time

Current rating: 3.4 (17 ratings)

Sermon 629 : Walls and Bridges : 3rd Ordinary Time

1/27/2013

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This week's reading from the book of Nehemiah provides a reflection on the importance of keeping firm our religious identity and finding strength in our religious identity so we can go out into the world with confidence and grace. By keeping our strength in God we can go out into the world and Christify it.

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Comments

joan

I had a dream Sunday night. Somebody ? told me their favorite Psalm was 119 and I repeated it back because I didn't want to forget it. When I woke up, I did remember it and looked it up in the Catholic Study Bible.

The Psalm is titled, "A Prayer to God, the Lawgiver."

How excellent, I think, it fits here.

1/23/2013 6:01:50 PM

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LUIS CARLOS PALACIOS RICO

Soy un diacono permanente recien ordenado en Colombia; no es posible escuchar estos sermones del P. barron en español? Gracias

1/24/2013 9:56:40 AM

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mw

With all due respect, I found the tone of the sermon to lack humility and insight into the gospel readings...to equate the porous walls of ancient Jeruselem to Vatican II would seem to be theologically very limited.

1/25/2013 2:27:40 AM

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Kathy

RE: 'mw' As a convert to Catholicism, I consider it a priviledge to deepen my understanding of Vatican 11; a priviledge to read the BIBLE and listen to Fr. Barron's sermons on scripture, on society, and note other blogger's and their responses. I do not take God, or His Church, the people for grant-it. It is never tedious for me to contemplate Vatican 11, and the wide window sash thrown open to shed light withing the form of prose, on the Churches responsibility to society. Did you really think this sermon lacked humility? Explain what you see as theologically limited. A fellow seeker....
God Speed!

1/25/2013 10:13:10 AM

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harry bendelow

WOW!

1/26/2013 6:23:00 AM

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Fr.Eliud

finds the reflection helpful and an aid as I prepare my homilies.

1/26/2013 12:11:14 PM

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Marita

I agree with Kathy... I found this to be a beautiful reflection on the readings. As a religious ed teacher, I think it's my job to teach the kids the stories from our faith (Scripture & tradition) but also help them read the culture in light of both. This analogy Father Barron spoke of helped me understand this approach better.

1/26/2013 12:54:33 PM

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a disciple

(Neh. 8:2) “He opened the scroll so that all the people might see it — for he was standing higher up than any of the people —;and, as he opened it, all the people rose.” Here we have it, this history gives us another account to why we rise (stand up) in Mass for the reading of the Gospel. (Lk. 1:2) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free__Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” I was blind, but, today I can see the beauty in the book of Nehemiah that I could not see, before this magnificent sermon; today I can freely accept the fact that we can not be the same, we must accept the difference of opinion and customs of other people, today I understand better the reason for Vatican II.

(1 Cor.12:12)_ “ For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. Now the body is not a single part, but many. You are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.”
Today we are more conscious of the ecosystem in which we live and that we are more connected to it than we were aware of; as members of the church and as citizens of the world we are one in the Lord.

(John 17:11)_ “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name--the name you gave me--so that they may be one as we are one.” Father Barron, thank you for all your teachings and the fact that you are really evangelizing us all. God bless you.

1/26/2013 1:35:01 PM

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AvecLuiJeVis

mw
Father Barron was talking about the 1st reading and I think all he suggested by the ‘porous walls’ was that the Church de-emphasized some things worth preserving during Vatican II. One way to renew the vitality of the Church is to go back to the mystery and history of salvation and rediscover the stories. If you read some of the earlier chapters of Nehemiah you’ll notice all the tribes assisting to rebuild the gates and really you see the same thing today with the ecumenical movement. Also, we’re reminded that this is ‘The Lord’s day’ so we need to dry our tears, ‘rejoice’ and join the banquet. Personally I find this extremely relevant.

1/26/2013 1:59:33 PM

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Dcn Marcelino

Fr Barron! You have voiced what I have been feeling for years! Our identity and mission are tied together with what we do as the Body of Christ. But having a foundation, that of our Church, we have direction and our marching orders. Outside of that we are floundering in a sea of questions. Who we are and what we are has to be redefined so we can truely be that "New Israel" to the world. Thank you again for articulating it so well!.

1/26/2013 5:16:43 PM

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Fr. Barron

MW, you have to listen more carefully. I have absolutely nothing against Vatican II, and I do not compare it to the porous walls of Jerusalem. I was speaking of the period that followed the council.

1/26/2013 8:54:09 PM

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vito benigno

Peace be with you my Dear Father Barron!Thank you for this most brilliant sermon!As a young actor, Blessed John paul had found a way during those horrific times to hold onto the beautful polish culture through poems and theater.iam half sicilian and armenian. The stories of my great grandparents comming to america with nothing.They had to learn a new language and adapt to a new country.By the Grace of God, they built there own business and even sent many of there children to college.i agree Father about knowing where we came from can tells us what the mission is.knowing our Catholic faith does infact give us that Catholic identity so very much needed in our world.At the end of every mass having received our LORD JESUS CHRIST,body,blood,soul and DIVINITY we can with confidence go out and proclaim this most precious identity JESUS gives us.PRAISE BE JESUS MI IMMACULATA

1/26/2013 10:17:36 PM

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Faithful

Thanks for your sermon... so brilliant. I am fully able to understand today's gospel. So important to throw those windows wide open.

1/27/2013 12:56:19 AM

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john halpin md

father you are blessed to make biblical and church teachings crystal clear. Good bless your apostalate.

1/27/2013 7:49:02 AM

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Michele

Excellent!

1/27/2013 10:24:27 AM

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MK

Fr. Barron, thank you for speaking the truth. Today we are allowing the world to change the Church by compromising and watering down the Truth instead of the Church to transform the world by proclaiming and living the Truth. Love is to speak the Truth at any cost not to water it down or to hide it.

1/27/2013 11:51:49 AM

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Loren T.

Por LUIS CARLOS PALACIOS RICO:
http://www.nuevoespiritunica.blogspot.com/

Thank you Father as always. Your sermon was extremely fruitful for my vocation discernment. The Holy Spirit is upon you indeed. God bless and speed!

1/27/2013 11:53:28 AM

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AA

Just got back from March for Life and meetings with my representatives. One rep emphasized Roe as the law of the land and I mentioned Dred-Scott was also once the law of the land and dehuminized many of God's children. We must always remember we are children of God and remain obedient to "the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth." (1Tm3). He is the way, truth and the life. This can't be said for all our civil institutions. Thanks Fr. B for helping to let the light out.

1/27/2013 12:45:57 PM

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Chris McGoff

I am not exactly sure what the point is here. I get that an organization needs to take a stand and stand firm if it wants to impact the world. So walls and windows are important. But this principle applies to good and bad organizations. The key question is what is the catholic church standing for. And central in that question is how a person achieves salvation. This is the heart of the matter. And there are only 3 choices; 1) Works, 2) Grace, or 3) a combination of Grace and Works. Paul was clear. Our salvation is based on what Christ did not what we do. So if the catholic church is STRONG at teaching grace ... it is good. If it is strong at teaching works it is not good. It is less about the walls and more about the essence of what those walls contain. Make sense?

1/27/2013 6:43:15 PM

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vito benigno

RE:CHRIS, you must first understand that JESUS the SON of the LIVING GOD, SECOND PERSON of the HOLY TRINITY founded Holy Mother Church HIMSELF."FOR YOU ARE PETROS PETER AND UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH AND THE GATES OF HELL WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT."Holy Mother CHURCH that JESUS the very mind of GOD LOGOS founded.Holy Mother Church as Father has said many times is a living organism,it is the pillar and bullwork of the very TRUTH itself JESUS CHRIST.Faith without works is dead.it will bear no fruit. everything is by the primacy of GRACE through JESUS CHRIST but humanity fallen as it is must copperate with the Holy WILL OF GOD.thy kingdom come thy will be done.

1/28/2013 10:39:40 AM

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Gerry McIvor

A very erudite and beautiful sermon from Fr Robert on the analogous relationship of city walls and bridges to the Church and Her evangelizing mission towards the surrounding culture without being completely subsumed by it.

2/10/2013 2:16:40 PM

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