After the temple had been destroyed for sixty-seven years, the Israelites returned from exile. Following seventeen more years of seeing the temple lie in ruins, the Lord raised up the prophets Haggai and Zechariah (see Zec 6:11-12) to command Zerubbabel the governor, Joshua the high priest, and the remnant of the people to get to work (Hg 2:1-2, 4).

Four groups of people were necessary for the rebuilding of the Temple. If we are to rebuild the Church, we will need these same four groups of workers. First, we need prophets to tell us what God is saying. Without them, we don’t know what work to do or when to do it. “Without prophecy the people become demoralized” (Prv 29:18). After the prophets tell us what God wants, we need civil officials who do not play party politics, but who come under the lordship of Jesus. Next, we need priests who will rebuild the Church by fearlessly proclaiming our need for repentance and salvation. Finally, we need the “remnant of the people” to do the work of rebuilding the Church. The remnant is not just the “leftovers,” the few remaining people in a time of eroded faith. They are prophetic, called by God, uncompromised with the world, and totally committed to the Lord.

With two prophets, several righteous politicians and priests, and members of the remnant, we have the workers needed to rebuild the Church.

Rescript:  "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from August 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Vicar General, Chancellor, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio January 12, 2021"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.