4 Oct 2023
Rebuild My House
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For 4 October 2023, The Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, based on Nehemiah 2:1-8
In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was served to him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. Now, I had never been sad in his presence before. So the king said to me, ‘Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This can only be sadness of the heart.’ Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, ‘May the king live for ever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my ancestors’ graves, lies waste, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?’ Then the king said to me, ‘What do you request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven. Then I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favour with you, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ graves, so that I may rebuild it.’ The king said to me (the queen also was sitting beside him), ‘How long will you be gone, and when will you return?’ So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a date. Then I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may grant me passage until I arrive in Judah; and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, directing him to give me timber to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.’ And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me.
Scripture passage from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
05 October 2023 @ 1:49 am
So grateful, Megan for bringing the Word of Nehemiah into our present day struggles. Your reflections and questions challenged me to think again of how I might do some rebuilding within and without to express the Truth of God’s love and justice today in my heart, family, neighborhood, our church and in our world.
God bless you continued preaching of the Word,
Brigid Cannon, OP
05 October 2023 @ 3:35 am
You have distilled and delivered the essence of what Pope Francis hopes this Synod will put into practice. Thank you for your preaching.
05 October 2023 @ 10:22 am
Thank you. Justin
05 October 2023 @ 1:27 pm
Well preached truths and challenges. Thank you, Megan.
05 October 2023 @ 11:59 pm
Superb preaching Megan. Thank you.