January 23, 2010

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
 

Nehemiah 8: 2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 

Accordingly, on the first day of the seventh month, the priest Ezra brought the Law before the assembly, consisting of men, women and all those old enough to understand. In the square in front of the Water Gate, in the presence of the men and women, and of those old enough to understand, he read from the book from dawn till noon; all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

    The scribe Ezra stood on a wooden dais erected for the purpose;

In full view of all the people — since he stood higher than them all — Ezra opened the book; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed Yahweh, the great God, and all the people raised their hands and answered, 'Amen! Amen!'; then they bowed down and, face to the ground, prostrated themselves before Yahweh.

Ezra read from the book of the Law of God, translating and giving the sense; so the reading was understood. Then His Excellency Nehemiah and the priest-scribe Ezra and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all the people, 'Today is sacred to Yahweh your God. Do not be mournful, do not weep.' For the people were all in tears as they listened to the words of the Law. He then said, 'You may go; eat what is rich, drink what is sweet and send a helping to the man who has nothing prepared. For today is sacred to our Lord. Do not be sad: the joy of Yahweh is your stronghold.'

Psalm 19: 8-10

The precepts of Yahweh are honest, 
    joy for the heart; 
the commandment of Yahweh is pure, 
    light for the eyes. 

The fear of Yahweh is pure, 
    lasting for ever; 
the judgements of Yahweh are true, 
    upright, every one, 

more desirable than gold, 
    even than the finest gold; 
his words are sweeter than honey, 
    that drips from the comb.

January 21, 2007 

INTRODUCTION – You’ve heard frequently of the Babylonian exile and how the Persians conquered the Babylonians fifty years later and allowed the Jews to return home. Many of the Jews in Babylon had become rather comfortable there and they did not return to Israel all at once. Little by little they came. Even a hundred years after they began to return they were still struggling to rebuild their cities and their civilization. The Persians were still in control of the entire Middle East which included Israel. Nehemiah, a Jew, had been a high level servant to the king of Persia and he asked his king to allow him to return to Israel to help his people rebuild. So the king of Persia appointed him to be governor of Israel. In Nehemiah’s efforts to rebuild the nation, he had to start with what was most important and that was to remind the people that God had to take first place in their lives. He realized much of the trauma his people had gone through at the time of their exile was because they had forgotten their God. In today’s first reading Nehemiah called for a general assembly of the people and the priest Ezra read God's word to them. Remember, ordinary people did not have books in those days. Books were very rare and very expensive, since each one had to be individually written word by word. So, if the ordinary person were ever to know God's word, someone had to read it or preach it to them. Ezra, thus, read God's word to the people and interpreted it for them. The reading was most probably from the first five books of the bible. Notice that there was active participation on the part of God’s people as they heard the word, possibly for the first time: raising their hands, answering “amen,” bowing to the ground, listening attentively, weeping and rejoicing.


HOMILY - The central theme of today’s liturgy is God's word. The people were saddened by God's word in today’s first reading. Perhaps they recognized how they had failed to live up to it. But Ezra and Nehemiah told the people God's word should bring us joy. Even if they had not been living by God’s word, on hearing it they could learn from it and start living as God instructed them. When we break the laws of our society, we may get thrown into jail. God doesn’t send the police around when we break his laws, but when we ignore his word, it’s going to catch up with us in the long run. So many people rationalize bad behavior by saying Jesus is a good guy. He won’t punish me for this or that. But they forget, Jesus didn’t come to punish us. He came to show us the way to happiness and eternal life. When we choose a way contrary to his teaching we bring unhappiness upon ourselves.

One of my favorite psalm verses is: “Your word is a lamp for my steps and a light for my path.” (Ps 119, 105) If you have to go somewhere in the dark, it’s nice to have a flashlight to help you see where you’re going. You can walk in the dark if you wish, but that would not be very smart and you might be likely to end up hurting yourself. When we try to make it through life without God's word, we’re walking in the dark. We can’t say God is punishing us if, while we’re walking in the dark, we run into something or we fall. We did it to ourselves.

Nehemiah knew the people needed God's light if they were ever going to succeed in getting back on their feet. Jesus knows we need God's light. In today’s gospel, Jesus is beginning his public ministry and he uses the Scriptures to describe the work he will do. People were impressed at first, but unfortunately, as we will hear next week, they rejected him.

Jesus said “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” “Today” is the important word here. It tells us God is speaking to us whenever we hear the Scriptures. Those who heard Ezra read the word of God and interpret it were hearing about things that happened almost a thousand years before, the stories of Abraham, Moses and the Exodus. But they saw its relevance for them that day. Jesus read from the book of Isaiah, written centuries before he was born, but he told his audience it had great meaning for them that day. “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” God's word always speaks to us because God is a living God and his Spirit continues to communicate to us through that word.

In our second reading today, Paul reminds us of the importance of community. He tells us we can’t say I don’t need a church, I don’t need to come to Mass, I don’t need to pray with all those other people. We do need to because we are part of the body of Christ and we can’t say we do not need one another. When we separate ourselves from one another, we are denying the spiritual gifts God has given to others to help us and we are denying to others the spiritual gifts God has given us to help them. We need each other. We need to share our faith with each other, even if it is a matter of praying with one another. To sum everything up, we need God's word and we need each other to make it through this life to the joys of eternal life.

1. The Holy Father wishes me to express his gratitude for your kind gift of a collection of homilies by Fr. Joe Robinson. He appreciates your thoughtful gesture. His Holiness will remember you and your associates in his prayers. Invoking upon all of you joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ, he cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing. 11/24/2009 - Holy Father - Vatican

2. I thank you for your beautiful letter and for the fine publications of Shepherds of Christ Ministries you sent me. With all my best wishes for your splendid apostolate. 11/24/2009 - Cardinal - Rome

3. Thank you cordially for the booklet, you sent to me, especially for the sermons of Fr. Robinson. I am a retired bishop, but can use it for meditation. Also my sincere thanks for your continuous prayer and for your apostolate for the priesthood and for vocations. With you I pray for that daily. May God bless you and your apostolate with all esteem, wishes and blessing and cordial greetings. 11/10/2009 - Cardinal - Netherlands

4. Thank you very much for your kind letter of November 13th last, enclosing Fr. Michael Barth's homily given during your monthly retreat in China, Indiana. With cordial regards, I remain 11/27/2009 - Cardinal - Vatican.

5. Thank you for your letter addressed to Cardinal and the books and material you enclosed from the Shepherds of Christ Ministries. The Cardinal has asked me to extend his thanks to you. Wishing God's blessing, I remain 12/4/2009 - Cardinal - Vatican.

6. I thank you very much for spreading the Priestly Newsletter for the past 15 years and for all the other pastoral and liturgical actions you undertake. You fulfil this pastoral task with an exceptional courage and continuity. I pray for your work and that of all the Shepherds of Christ Ministries and I hope you can carry on this work in the service of spiritual life. 12/1/2009 - Cardinal - Belgium

7. Thank you very much for your respectful letter, which enclosed material produced and used by the Shepherds of Christ Ministries to promote the renewal of the spiritual life and the prayer for the priests, as well as the homilies of Fr. Joseph Robinson and Fr. Michael Barth. But above all, thanks for your prayers which all of us priests need, in order to be faithful instruments of God’s grace.  11/18/2009 - Cardinal - Vatican

8. I am pleased to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated 13 November 2009, wherein you kindly enclosed several publications of Shepherds of Christ Ministries. Thank you very much for your consideration in this regard. I remain grateful for your important service to the Church, and in particular to the priests and bishops. I am confident that all you do is a tremendous support to the clergy and no doubt will bear great fruit. With renewed sentiments of gratitude and warm regards 11/14/2009 - Cardinal - Vatican

9. I thank you for your recent letter to me. Thank you for the information which you have forwarded to me – along with a copy of the homilies preached by your brother, Fr. Joseph Robinson, and others. You are in my thoughts and in my prayers as you continue your apostolate. 11/16/2009 - Cardinal - Scotland

10. I recently received your letter of 13 November 2009 in which you presented a homily by Fr. Michael Barth. Thank you for your prayers and concern for me and the work; they are much appreciated. In reviewing the materials on your website, it appears that your materials may be available in Italian as well as in English. If you have materials in Italian I would be interested in seeing those in lieu of the materials in English. If the materials are only available in English then we would be most happy with those items. Availing ourselves of this opportunity to express our thankfulness and to extend our best wishes for a blessed Advent 12/4/2009 - Cardinal - Vatican

11. Please accept my appreciation for your letter of November 13, current. My commitment to remember in prayer the efforts of the Shepherds to support priestly formation and lifestyle. Your practice of perpetual adoration before the Blessed Sacrament is a wonderful expression of the kind of entrustment to the Lord of those many needs which priesthood in the contemporary Church continues to experience. Before the same Altar, kindly remember me and those associated with me in the service. 11/16/2009 - Cardinal - Vatican

12. Thank you very much for your wonderful letter and for the Homily sent on November 13, 2009. Please be assured of my prayers for you and your wonderful ministry. 12/2/2009 - Bishop - USA

13. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness! I have received Fr. Joe Robinson’s Cycle C, Guiding Light Feed My Soul along with the prayer cards and the CD titled The Priest, A Gift from God. I will share these with the priests and the faithful of the Diocese. May God shower his blessings upon you this holy Season of Advent and Christmas! 12/10/2009 - Bishop - USA

14. Thank you for the books and materials you sent me. Your support for all priests is very much included. I pray for you and your ministry – Shepherds of Christ Ministries. God bless you. 11/11/2009 - Bishop - USA

15. Thank you very much for the book of homilies and other prayer cards from the Shepherds of Christ Ministries. I will enjoy reading your book – During this Year for Priests, I commend you for the good work you are doing for the Church and for priests, and pray that the Lord will continue to bless you and your work. Please keep me in your daily prayers, as you are assured of my prayers. 11/12/2009 - Bishop - USA

16. His Excellency has asked me to thank you for the gracious communication of November 13, 2009, and especially for all the documents which you sent. The Bishop is grateful for your thoughtfulness and kindness in sending this information to him. 11/17/2009 - Bishop - USA

17. Thank you for your recent letter and for the items from Shepherds of Christ. I look forward to listening to the CD and to reading the homilies. 11/6/2009 - Bishop - USA

18. Thank you so very much for the many ways that you express your love for Jesus and Mary and your love for priests. I am most grateful to you for your prayers, especially before the Blessed Sacrament. I thank you for this current mailing, very especially for the homilies of your brother, Fr. Joseph Robinson, on Cycle C. May God continue to bless you and your ministry in rich abundance! 11/9/2009 - Bishop - USA

19. Thank you for your letter of November 13^th and also, for the information on the ministry of Shepherds of Christ Ministries along with the book, booklets, cards and CD. May God continue to bless you and your ministry. 11/9/2009 - Bishop - USA

20. I thank you for your letter of November 13, 2009 with Guiding Light, the book of homilies for Cycle C, by your brother, Fr. Joe Robinson, as well as a CD recording of Fr. Michael Barth and various other materials relating to Shepherds of Christ Ministries. With my appreciation and an assurance of my prayerful best wishes. 11/9/2009 - Apostolic Nuncio - USA

21. Thank you for your recent letter and for the various materials from the Shepherds of Christ Ministry. I appreciate your kindness in forwarding these materials and look forward to reviewing them. With prayerful best wishes. 11/9/2009 - Bishop - USA

22. Thank you for the very helpful books that will help us celebrate The Year for Priests. I am grateful to you and those who serve with you for all that you do to support us priests. It pleased me especially to know the hours that are spent before the Blessed Sacrament. That is the most wonderful gift. God’s peace to all. 11/10/2009 - Bishop - USA

23. It is with sincere appreciation that I received your letter of November 13, 2009 and the information you sent on the Shepherds of Christ Ministries. Thank you for the materials you sent on your ministry for priests, including the book Guiding Light and the CD The Priest – A Gift From God. Thank you also for your kind words, and for the work you do in support of our priests. In this the Year For Priests, may our Lady, the Mother of all priests, bless your efforts and endeavors to promote a greater love and appreciation for the holy priesthood. And let us continue to remember and pray for all priests, to grow in love, fidelity, and courage in the service of the people of God and of the Church. 11/10/2009 - Bishop - USA

24. Thank you for your letter and for the enclosed book, Guiding Light: Feed My Soul, CD, The Priest: A Gift from God, and materials. I appreciate you thinking of me and taking the time to send them. Be assured of my prayers for you. May the Lord bless you with His love and mercy. 11/11/2009 - Bishop - USA.

25. Many thanks for your recent letter and for the many years your group has been praying in prayer chapters in all parts of the world. It is overwhelming to hear that prayers are offered for our intentions every day, at all hours of the day. What a wonderful gift you are to us. Thank you for sending me a copy of the homily by Fr. Michael Barth given during a retreat in China, Indiana. With gratitude to you and all your associates in the Shepherds of Christ Ministries for your continued remembrance of us and with the assurance of my own prayers for you. 11/11/2009 - Archbishop - USA

26. Thank you for your letter and for your many kind gifts. I am grateful for your thoughtfulness and generosity, and I appreciate very much your continued prayerful support of my brother priests and me. Please also know of my appreciation for your work to advance the Kingdom of God through Shepherds of Christ Ministries. 11/12/2009 - Bishop - USA

27. I would like to thank you for sharing with me the book Guiding Light: Feed My Soul, CD and other pamphlets. I am sure your efforts in putting together these materials will be greatly rewarded. I appreciate your thoughtfulness and prayers. 11/11/2009 - Bishop - USA

28. On behalf of Bishop, thank you very much for the copy of the book, Guiding Light: Feed My Soul – Homilies by Fr. Joe Robinson and the CD: the Priest A gift from God – Recording of Fr. Michael Barth. Bishop is currently out of the office, but will no doubt appreciate your thoughtfulness in remembering him with this gift. 11/15/2009 - Bishop - USA

29. The book Guiding Light: Feed My Soul and The Priest: A Gift from God DVD which you were kind enough to send to Archbishop arrived and he has asked me to thank you for your thoughtfulness in providing this gift. 11/17/2009 - Archbishop -USA

30. A word of thanks for the material I just received and your letter of November 13^th. Our priests will be on retreat beginning November 30^th. I am sure that your prayers will help them have a wonderful spiritual experience. 11/18/2009 - Bishop - USA

 

Responses from Priests

31. Thank you for sending Fr. Robinson's book of homilies for Cycle C. Actually you had given me a copy earlier, and now I can share this treasure with another priest. And a treasure it is, both the introduction and homily text. I sincerely hope the holiest Birthday anniversary will be a religious experience for you and all of Shepherds of Christ.  12/20/2009 - priest - Ohio 

32. Just a small devotion to let you know I enjoy reading Fr. Joe's homilies. God bless you and your ministry in 2010. 12/23/2009 - priest - Kentucky 

33. Thank you for Guiding Light by your brother, Fr. Joseph Robinson. I greatly appreciate this gift and I thank you very much. This "Feed My Soul" is based on the Sunday Gospels of Year C — Do you still have spare copies for Years A and B? What do they sell for? Thank You. Enjoy the Christmas Season. 12/2009 - priest - Florida 

34. Please accept this donation to help in some small way the apostolate you have so devotedly engaged in for the glory of God and the spiritual growth of his people. 2009 – priest - Ohio

35. Greetings from Ohio. And Merry Christmas! Thanks for the book of Fr. Joe's homilies. I've used it already today in my own homily. I remember you from the Athenaeum Chorale. 12/20/2009 – priest - Ohio

36. Greetings! Last year you sent me the book – Guiding Light: Focusing on the Word. It is a series of homilies by Fr. Joe Robinson. What a wonderful gift. I have used it for all my homilies and spiritual reading. It has been a blessing for me and even more – a blessing for my parish. I am very grateful for this gift. – 10/22/2009 – priest - Florida

37. Enclosed, please find a check for the book entitled, “Guiding Light: Feed My Soul”, by Fr. Joe Robinson. I enjoy his homiletic reflections very much. They are very helpful and spiritually uplifting. Thank you for sending the book so quickly. I received it in just a few days following my order, just in time for the First Sunday of Advent. I would be very interested in receiving the Cycle A edition when it is in print. Thanks again for all your help. 2009 – priest - Ohio  

38. Thank you so much for your gift book, “Guiding Light”. I’ve read a number of homilies, and they are really good. However, the book has already led me into sin! You see, I’ve “stolen” some of Fr. Robinson’s stories and incorporate them into my own homilies! Many blessings, and I will certainly be purchasing items from you. 2009 – priest – Ohio

39. Thank you for remembering me and for your kindness. Be assured of continual prayers for you and your family. 2009 – priest – Ohio 

40. Thanks for the copy of your brother Joe’s homilies. Years ago he and I worked together at St. Columban. He is a good friend. 12/19/2009 – priest – Ohio

41. Thank you for Father Joe’s Cycle C homilies. 12/19/2009 – priest – Ohio 

42. Thanks for the book. Enclosed please find check. 12/2009 – priest – Ohio 

43. Merry Christmas and I blessed New Year. Thanks for your prayers for priests. You also will be remembered in my prayers. 12/2009 – priest – Ohio 

44. Thank you for the book gift of “Guiding Light”. Much appreciated for enriched preaching. Enclosed is a little token gift. Many thanks! Christmas cheer and blessings! 12/22/09 – priest – Ohio 

45. Thanks for the good work. May the Lord receive your prayers for all priests. 12/2009 – priest - Florida 

46. Thanks for sending me the book “Guiding Light”. I wish you all success and for my prayers for the noble ministry you do. 12/2009 – priest – Florida 

47. Thank you for sharing Fr. Joseph Robinson’s homilies with me. May God bless you and your apostolate for us priests! 12/24/2009 – priest – Indiana 

48. Thank you for the gift of the book of homilies and especially all you do spiritually for the Church and for priests. We need more emphasis on the spiritual aspects of the priesthood, along with all the other things priests are asked to do. I do Parish Missions and realize many Catholic’s seek a deeper spiritual life along with their lived “human” life. 12/27/2009 – priest – Kentucky 

49. Many thanks for the Cycle “C” homilies by Fr. Robinson. Very insightful! God bless you in your work, that’s a tremendous apostolate. 11/19/2009 – Msgr. – PA 

50. Thank you so much for the “Cycle C” readings. I always read the “B” ones – great insights and ideas. Wishing all of you the Blessings of the Christmas Season. Hope 2010 will be a time of great joy in your ministry. 12/2009 – priest – Missouri 

51. Thank you for the complimentary copy of Guiding Light Feed My Soul – the homilies of Father Joe. I am grateful for your kindness. May God continue to bless you and your ministry in the New Year. 12/2009 – priest – Ohio 

52. Thank you for your generous gift of Fr. Robinson’s homilies and for all your care and kindnesses for priests. I too will remember you in prayer. The world needs us. May God bless you and your ministries. 12/2009 – priest – Ohio 

53. Thanks a lot for your lovely greetings. I appreciate your love and prayers. Wish you a hope-filled 2010 – with New Year blessings! 12/29/2009 – priest – Kentucky

54. Thank you for the book “Guiding Light” for the Cycle C Readings. May God bless all of you with the best of health and peace throughout the coming New Year! 12/23/2009 – priest – Indiana 

55. A word of gratitude for your prayers, ministry, and copy of “Guiding Light”! God bless your dedicated work in His vineyard! 12/28/2009 – priest – Indiana 

56. Thank you for the homily book – I used them a lot last year. I really appreciate them. 12/2009 – priest – Florida 

57. Thank you for your greetings and the copy of “Guiding Light” I find his books very helpful. 12/7/2009 – priest – Illinois 

58. Thank you for mailing me free copy of Homilies by Fr. Joe Robinson. I enjoy reading his homilies. In the past you sent me that of another Cycle. Happy New Year to all in Shepherds of Christ Ministries. 1/7/2010 – priest – Florida 

59. Many thanks for the gift of your brother’s book of homilies. I am 90, in a nursing home, sometimes with two Masses a day, and I need some ideas for homilies. 1/7/2010 – Msgr. – Ohio 

60. I am delighted to have your greetings at Christmas, with all those dear names personally signed. Thank you. The photo of Fr. Carter with John and Rita is good. 1/5/2010 – priest – Ohio. 

61. I was so happy and overjoyed to receive this past Advent the best Christmas present – one that I had wished for – in your brother’s Cycle c homilies – Guiding Light. The book cover is beautiful and when Cycle B ended I said to myself I wish I had the new cycle, but alas, I didn’t know where I was going to get it…Then like an answer to prayer, it was in the mail! I was already missing his homilies at the beginning of December until the book arrived. I love the cover and I love the work you are doing. In the Year of the Priesthood this is certainly a welcome gift and presentation to the priests. And for me the best Christmas gift. And it came free!! The cover is great, the print is nice and big and easy to read, and the thoughts, of course, are great. One week Fr. Robinson talked about how long he was in a parish and changes, and I could use that talk myself. So the Scripture, reflections, homilies, and personal antidotes are perfect. With your generous gift you have certainly made it a blessed and Merry Christmas for me. Thank you for your prayers before the Blessed Christmas and be assured of our prayers every week when we pull out “Guiding Light – Feed my Soul” for encouraging words for our parishioners here. 1/10/2010 – priest - Florida  

62. Thank you! Great work – great book! 1/2010 – priest – Washington DC 

63. Thank you for your letter and the book of your brother’s homilies, as well as for all your prayers. You and everyone at Shepherds of Christ Ministries are doing wonderful work. 1/18/2010 – priest – Washington DC

64. Hey I just wanted to call you and say blessings – this is simply just an affirmation call. I got in the mail a while back Guiding Light – the Word Alive in Our Hearts – Homilies by Fr. Joe Robinson. I have to admit this has been one of the most edifying pieces of literature I have received in my hands in a long time. Fr. Joe’s homilies are inspiring, they are just wonderful. They are absolutely wonderful. I would love to hear this man preach. I mean that assuming that from what I saw – He’s still around – 40 years – it says on the back here – I haven’t read it thoroughly.  – it even has a song – the song about priests! What an edifying thing that Christ has given to you – the Holy Spirit given to you. I just want to say from one of the priests out here in the trenches along with the great laity of the Church – Thank you! What a blessing this has been to me. So I would love to integrate this in some how, and thank you for the mission of the Shepherds of Christ. What an edifying thing for us today. So no need to call back, but I would just give you my cell phone number. And there’s no need to call back or anything. You got tons on your plate already and everything. But I mean these were just blessed homilies – I would like to see if there is a continuing of Fr. Joe’s homilies and the series and stuff. So anyway – my opinion for whatever it counts. Blessings to you this Christmas season and may the Blessed Mother and all the angels and saints just fill you with Christ’s presence. Talk to you later. – 12/30/2008 – priest - Kentucky

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