The BreadCast

(Ez.33:7-9; Ps.95:1-2,6-9; Rom.13:8-10; Mt.18:15-20) "O wicked one, you shall surely die." The Lord declares to the prophet Ezekiel: "You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel." He is to "speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way," that the sinner might not "die for his guilt" and that the prophet himself might not be "responsible for his death" by his silence. As the Lord calls Ezekiel, so He requires all the Church to "warn the wicked, trying to turn him from his way." We must be diligent with all those in our care, all those we find in need, not in order to deliver condemnation upon souls but to invite all to "bow down in worship" and "kneel before the Lord who made us." How can someone know this great glory if there is sin upon his soul? And how will he know to turn from his sin if those the Lord gives words to speak hold their tongues as the sheep goes astray? And what shall become of this soul who has not offered the word of loving wisdom, but rather determined in himself that there is no hope for the sinner he sees? Brothers and sisters, when we are called to declare: "'You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,' and whatever other commandment there may be," it is out of love for the soul we see straying that we speak. For love is "the fulfillment of the law"; it sums up all its precepts, and so all its precepts are expressed in love. Do not think the law is opposed to love – love and justice are one in God; and the Lord does not call us to ignorance or acceptance of sin, but to truth and salvation. "Jesus said to His disciples, 'If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault'"; do not pretend the fault does not exist, but confront him, for his sake and your own. For "if he listens to you, you have won over your brother" – you will have brought him back to the fold. However, "if he doesn't listen," the Lord calls us further: "Take one or two others along with you." Bring objective witness to sway your loved one from evil. And "if he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church." Ah, the Church! The keeper of the Spirit of Truth and the flame of wisdom which no man can deny. What teaching the Lord has left with Her! And what power: "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." For here are those "gathered together in [Jesus'] name," and He indeed is "in the midst of them." And if the soul "refuses to listen even to the Church," what hope has it of finding salvation? But at least you have done all you can. All must be done in justice and in love to save the soul straying in this land. This is why the Lord has left us the Church; this is why He has left His Spirit – and we are called to speak His Truth, that salvation might come to all. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "No Paranoia" from Cleansing Human Frailty, fourth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, help us to love one another, to bring one another to repentance that all might sing your praise. YHWH, help us to love others as we should, to speak the truth to them; let our concern be the salvation of souls, as it is for your Son. LORD, you institute the Church to be your representative on earth, and you call each member to reflect your love and your glory; your justice must be the desire of every soul. And we must show that desire in our relations with others, in our concern for their welfare. Who could stand by and let his brother perish if he truly loves him? And will not sin cause the death of any who will not repent? And so, what should we do but speak out in your Name? Let our tongues not be silent as we see others fall. Especially your pastors we pray for this day, that they not be afraid to chastise their flock, to warn them against wayward paths. And let their words be heeded, LORD – save souls from dying in their sin, that all might praise your holy NAME.

O lover of the poor and of the unborn, in whom you saw the face of Christ, by whom you held Him close to your heart and so comforted His thirst for souls – pray for us who are so blind to the presence of Christ in the least among us or even in those beside us. Pray, dear Mother, that we will hear their cry, which is Jesus' cry from the Cross, and that we shall not fear the darkness as we enter beneath the shadow of His loving arms, where we shall find true light.

(1Cor.4:9-15; Ps.145:17-21; Lk.6:1-5) "God has put us apostles at the end of the line, like men doomed to die in the arena." "Up to this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, poorly clad, roughly treated, wandering about homeless," the great Apostle Paul tells us of the persecution and slander all the Lord's apostles must undergo. And yet "when we are insulted we respond with a blessing," for this is our call in the Lord: to love even our enemies, that we might show the love of God to all, that we might indeed become "a spectacle to the universe, to angels and men alike" – "fools on Christ's account," yet bearing all patiently that the Gospel might truly be fulfilled and the last shall be shown to be first in the eyes of God. It is this birth to which Paul brings the Corinthians, his "beloved children." And though it seem a difficult fate to call down upon a people, yet we know that David's psalm is true, that "the Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth"; and so through all trials He leads us and comforts us, making any suffering a light burden to bear. And just as Paul is father to this nation, so the Father of all is there always to watch over all His children, for it is "in Christ Jesus" the Apostle has begotten them; and as He has heard the cry of His Son upon the cross and brought Him to resurrection, so "He hears [all His children] cry and saves them." In our gospel the Lord's disciples are hungry, and so, in the hot sun, "walking through the standing grain" with Jesus, He feeds them: all around is food at their hands. Truly their prayer does He answer; their need does He see. But instead of seeing that the Lord "fulfills the desire of those who fear Him," all the Pharisees can do is ask, "Why are you doing what is prohibited on the sabbath?" Thus the very men who should be present to bless and comfort and guide the followers of the Holy One can but call them into the arena of persecution with the rest of the fallen world. Thus the shepherds who are called to feed the sheep would remove the food from their hands and see them perish. Instead of becoming apostles themselves, they become their bane. For they cannot comprehend that God's love transcends God's law, that "the Lord keeps all who love Him" and this is what makes Him "just in all His ways and holy in all His works," and not the mere precepts to which they hold so desperately, so blindly… so jealously. Thus the chosen of God become in their eyes "the world's refuse, the scum of all." And what can they be but crucified? All must come to the holy Lord and "all flesh bless His holy name forever and ever." And though war be brought upon our souls, we must always "try conciliation" – peacemakers covered with blood and spittle is the state to which we are called. No other way will the world come to know that the love of God transcends all, and all call upon Him from their hearts. ******* O LORD, though persecuted and poor, we are surrounded with your presence, and so are fed in times of famine. YHWH, you are our LORD and God; when we cry out to you, you save us. Though we must endure persecution for your sake, though we suffer want and go hungry, you surround us with standing grain – you are ever near to help us. Let us indeed praise your holy NAME! What should it matter to us if we are beaten, if we are insulted and spat upon; if you are with us we are free of pain, for all these things your Son endures for our sake. We are your children and you love us, so even these trials you turn to good. Remain ever with us to save us by the Cross of your only Son. He is Lord over even the Sabbath. He has power from on high. For you, LORD, have given all things over into His hands, and for us He does provide. Our rest we take in Him, our food He places in our mouths – through Him we remain close to you: He is our Bread of Life. And so, let us rejoice to walk in His way.

(1Cor.4:1-5; Ps.37:3-6,27-28,39-40; Lk.5:33-39) "The salvation of the just is from the Lord." "For the Lord loves what is right, and forsakes not His faithful ones." And so He comes. He comes bearing a new garment; He comes with the blood of a New Covenant, His own blood, to wash us clean and make us whole as He is. Drinking this new wine indeed we are made holy. It is not as "John's disciples" or as "the disciples of the Pharisees" we shall find our salvation – only as disciples of the Son of God, only by "commit[ting] to the Lord [our] way" will "justice dawn for us like the light." And that His way, His covenant, is whole we see in His teaching that "no one tears a piece from a new coat to patch an old one," for this indeed "will only tear the new coat, and the piece taken from it will not match the old." What foolishness this would be. No, the New Covenant founded in the blood of Jesus Christ, though absolutely in accord with the Old, is whole unto itself and serves to redeem and fulfill the covenant that has come before. One cannot take pieces of it as it might suit one's judgment – it must be received entire as grace from the Lord. Then, "bright as the noonday shall be your vindication," and feast with the bridegroom you shall. Brothers and sisters, "the Lord is the one to judge," and His Word must be accepted in full. Only "He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and manifest the intentions of hearts," for only His eyes see all things. And so, do not attempt to judge for yourselves the worth of a person or even yourself. Paul says, "I do not even pass judgment on myself," not because he is innocent, but because God alone knows his heart. And as we cannot judge one another, so we cannot (as James has said elsewhere – 4:11) judge the Law of God. We must simply live under His Law, seeking to obey the Word of His covenant. We must only make it our concern to "turn from evil and do good, that [we] may abide forever." For when the Lord comes again, when the New Covenant is fulfilled in our midst, "at that time, everyone will receive his praise from God." Neither praise nor condemnation from the mouth of man has worth. Trust not in this. "Trust in the Lord and do good, that you may dwell in the land and enjoy security." Commit yourself entirely to His Word and Blood, and a new skin to receive His grace you shall find. ******* O LORD, let us put ourselves entirely in your hands, and we shall be made new and holy in your sight. YHWH, you are our salvation, you alone. How shall we be clothed in the white wedding garment of purity, how shall we enter your kingdom and feast at your table, if you do not save us, if you do not deliver us from the evil of the world and the evil in our souls. Let us give ourselves to you whole and entire, that new we may be made in your presence. You declare men holy, LORD, for you alone judge hearts. We cannot see, we cannot know who is just in your sight, for our vision in limited to the surface of things – all we see are acts, but you know the intentions of hearts, the thoughts of man and what he truly desires… and so you alone know who is worthy of your blessings. Make us worthy, O LORD, to rejoice at your table, to drink wine in your kingdom, to have the blood of your Son upon us to wash us clean in this world. Make our skins new, our souls new, to receive the grace you impart to your faithful disciples.

O great Shepherd, watchman of the House of God and protector of His flock, though in the monastery you would have stayed, when called to the Chair of Peter you guided the Church well through difficult times – pray that as difficult days continue a firm hand may continue to be found at the helm of MotherChurch. O pray that the faith be strengthened, that the Rock upon which this House is set will remain unshakable and its light, its wisdom, serve ever as a beacon calling straying souls into the Lord's welcoming arms. Humility and holiness may all our leaders embody, that by the Word of God on their tongues and His wounds in their hands all the poor of the earth will be carried unto Heaven.

(1Cor.3:18-23; Ps.24:1-6; Lk.5:1-11) "Amazement at the catch they had made seized him and all his shipmates." What a truly remarkable scene! Here upon the call of the apostles, the first of apostles, Simon Peter, "fell at the knees of Jesus." Here in his barque, boats once desolate now suddenly fill to bursting with fish flopping about everywhere, unable to be contained… This is a painting for the ages, this blessed moment! It is this image which drives the Church forth, filling the barque of Peter with blessed, saved souls. "From now on you will be catching men," the Lord says to His Rock – and so the Church is called, on this sunlit day. Yes, "the Lord's are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it." And how wonderfully that fullness that is the Lord's is revealed in these boats continually filled "until they nearly sank," and how clearly these abundant fish represent we who dwell in God's world. Even literally our psalm is fulfilled: "He founded it upon the seas," David sings; and as He founded the world, so here He finds the Church, His renewal of the world, here upon the Sea of Galilee. Here He sends out His call to those who "stand in His holy place"; and through His apostles all will find the strength and purity to "ascend the mountain of the Lord." Here is the faith firmly rooted, here in the barque of Peter. The race that "seeks the face of the God of Jacob" shall find Him now, shall see Him even as clearly as Peter looking up at Him from here at His knees on this marvelous day. "All things are yours," Paul declares, "and you are Christ's and Christ is God's." Indeed, the fullness of heaven and earth are at our hands through Jesus and the ministry of His apostles. All the apostles are ours, the world is ours, life and death are ours, the present and the future… Why? Because we are in Christ, in the boat in which He sits, surrounding our leader on his knees – all is ours because we leave everything to become His followers. After the Lord's resurrection this scene shall repeat itself, and so the call be fulfilled. Here it begins though, here in "nets [that] were at their breaking point," here in boats that are filled – here in one man falling to his knees, all come before the Lord of all. ******* O LORD, it is only by your power anything is done – make us holy by your Word. YHWH, upon our knees let us come to you; in the way of your Son let us follow, and in Him and in His Church, all shall be ours. What can we lack if united to you? What is not ours if your abundance we know? O LORD, all the world and all those who dwell in it are in your hands. The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the soul of every man you hold. And to your Son you give all. And to your Church you give the same. For those who follow Jesus, who leave all behind for the kingdom's sake, shall know your abundant blessings even this day. To what of this earth should we hold, LORD? What is of worth apart from you? Let us know nothing but your Son, the Christ, and we shall ascend your holy mountain, and become holy as you. This alone should be our goal, the desire of our heart must be to be united to you. Praise you for all your blessings, LORD! But praise you most for calling us through your only Son to dwell in your Church, where you reside.

(1Cor.3:1-9; Ps.33:12-15,20-21; Lk.4:38-44) "To other towns I must announce the Good News of the reign of God, because that is why I was sent." "And He continued to preach in the synagogues of Judea." And He continues to preach to all hearts through His blessed apostles, and His Church continues to grow. To the ends of the earth the kingdom progresses, and we each have a hand in its rising. Yes, "he who plants and he who waters work to the same end," but "neither he who plants nor he who waters is of any special account, only God, who gives the growth." As Paul has said to the Corinthians: "Who is Apollos? And who is Paul? Simply ministers through whom you became believers, each of them doing only what the Lord assigned him." As great as the work of any apostle may be, yet it is God alone through whom progress is made. He alone causes "His cultivation, His building" to grow; it is yet Jesus who announces salvation in any of our lives. Indeed, no matter how big our work, it is God who accomplishes all – but also no matter how small. For all are called. And even as Paul and Apollos plant and water by their great gift of preaching, so we are told of Simon Peter's mother-in-law that once Jesus had cast the fever from her, "she got up immediately and waited on them," entirely ready to perform her work for the upbuilding of the kingdom of God. As with the sick the Lord "laid hands on each of them and cured them," and as He taught with authority, so all in their way are invited to offer their service to the only God and thus become built into His kingdom. It is God who builds the House, but indeed "we are God's co-workers" and must cooperate with His grace. And how we should know Him and His working among us and through us! The demons declared, "You are the Son of God!" for they "knew that He was the Messiah" – they knew well He who had come to destroy them. Why is it we whom He has come to build up do not know Him just as well, or even more? Truly it is "He who fashioned the heart of each [of us], He who knows all [our] works"; it is He "who is our help and our shield," and "in Him our hearts [should] rejoice" – and through Him we should accomplish all. Do we know His presence with us so well? Do we rejoice in Him and do His works and become His work…? Brothers and sisters, let it be indeed that the Good News is announced clearly to all through the Lord working upon our soul. ******* O LORD, in your holy NAME let us trust, and we shall be healed of all our ills and grow unto the kingdom. YHWH, let your Word go forth through your people this day; to the ends of the earth let your Son travel, bringing the Good News of your reign to every soul through your Church and especially her apostles. You dwell in Heaven, O LORD, far above our mortal ways, and we take life and do our work only through you who call us. Let us be your co-workers, branches of the vine that is your Son, and your Church shall be built up in truth, in the power that is only upon Him. Let all be healed of their infirmities, LORD, that all might indeed serve you well; raise us from our bed of pain, release us from the grasp of the devil, and we shall work for you with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Let all be done as you will and all shall rejoice in your glory. It is you who have made us, LORD; we are but your poor creatures. But with the blood of your Son coursing through our veins we rise above this dying flesh and make our home in the Spirit. Let us grow in your House this day.

(1Cor.2:10-16; Ps.145:8-14,17; Lk.4:31-37) "We have the mind of Christ." The demon has been cast from us and we see the Lord as He is: "Good to all and compassionate toward all His works." "The glorious splendor of [His] kingdom" is before our eyes, and it is this which gives us light. We have bowed ourselves down before Him, the demon has thrown us "to the ground before everyone's eyes," and we have found that "the Lord lifts up those who are falling." No longer "the natural man" who finds "what is taught by the Spirit of God" complete "absurdity," filled with His Spirit we now "recognize the gifts He has given us." And in these gifts we rejoice, for we have become as He is. "The Lord is faithful in all His words and holy in all His works," and so what should we who are His works do but "discourse of the glory of His kingdom and speak of His might," brothers and sisters? Should not all our words and all our works give Him due glory? How can we do otherwise, knowing now how "gracious and merciful" God is and that His "kingdom is a kingdom for all ages"? "All generations" must be called into His holy presence. "He commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they leave." Here is the Good News in action; here is the glory of God come among us. All the evil that possesses the soul of man is cast out by a word from His Son's mouth. And so is paved the way to the kingdom. Brothers and sisters, embrace the Spirit of God at work in the world. Put on the mind of Christ. "The Spirit we have received is not the world's spirit but God's Spirit," and so should we not teach as we have been taught? If indeed the light of the Lord is upon us illumining our minds and hearts, is it not but just that we should be compelled to impart that same Spirit to others that they might not be in darkness but might also be able to "appraise everything" "in a spiritual way," that they too might know "the mind of the Lord"? Devils, be gone! Be silenced before the Son of God! All the evil of the world shall be struck and destroyed by the all-powerful Word of God. All His children sharply shine His saving light. ******* O LORD, let us have your Spirit within us, that our speech may be as your Son's. YHWH, let us be your children of light, with your Spirit within us. The mind of Christ let us put on, and we shall understand all things and be found in your presence. Your Son speaks with authority, LORD, for He speaks your NAME in every word. His word casts all demons from our midst, for what evil can stand before your Spirit? O LORD, let us speak of your glory to all souls, tell the nations of your might. Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages; your dominion shall not pass away. Holy are you, LORD, and no one can know you who does not seek your holiness. But you bless with great gifts those who love you and praise your NAME – your wisdom you grant to the spiritual man. Let us listen to your voice calling to our souls. Let all darkness and sin be cast from our hearts. O let us be faithful to your Word! and we shall find ourselves in your kingdom on high.

(1Cor.2:1-5; Ps.119:97-102; Lk.4:16-30) "Your faith rests not on the wisdom of men but on the power of God." Paul comes to the Corinthians with preaching that has "none of the persuasive force of 'wise' argumentation, but the convincing power of the Spirit," and with them he determines to "speak of nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Similarly, when "Jesus came to Nazareth where He had been reared," in the synagogue He simply read the passage from Isaiah which prophesies the coming Messiah, sat down before the eyes of all, and stated, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." I AM here. I AM He. This is the day of salvation. Period. And here even at the beginning of His ministry we see how the crucifixion is already near, as His townspeople attempt to kill Him for the truth He speaks. Upon what is this simple wisdom, this power of the Lord, based but the Word of God? The psalmist, whose "meditation all the day" is the law of the Lord, declares in truth and in joy: "Your commandment has made me wiser than my enemies." It grants him "more understanding than all [his] teachers" and "more discernment than the elders," because all genuine wisdom comes from the Word spoken by the mouth of God and not through human learning. We have seen that Scripture is the foundation of the teaching of Jesus Himself, who is the Word of God made flesh. Yes, He speaks much more through "the appealing discourse which came from His lips." Yes, there is oral tradition as well (for the Word of God is living and active); but on Scripture He begins His instruction, and continually He refers to the Word. Whether rejecting the devil's temptations, rebuking the Pharisees and scribes, or enlightening the people – as He tries to do today by referring to Elijah's having to go to Zarephath and Elisha's healing only the Syrian, to show how prophets are not accepted in their native place – the Lord's words are founded in the Word of God, in Scripture. And, of course, an integral part of that Word is the suffering the Christ must undergo. But notice that even as the people intend "to hurl Him over the edge" of the hill of Nazareth, just as directly as He has spoken truth to them, so directly and with the power of God He "went straight through their midst and walked away." For the Word is as a sword which pierces all the dark limits of the world, and even through death it shall lead all to salvation. Brothers and sisters, let your faith rest on this Word that is Christ found in Scripture and living in the Church, for the Spirit does not die with the devices of the human mind. This Spirit holds eternal life. ******* O LORD, open our eyes that we might see and know the blessing you bring us by your Son's Cross. YHWH, let us follow your Word and your way, the way of your only Son, the way of the Cross that leads to life. Of Christ crucified let us speak; with all our lives let us give witness to Him. Then we shall be obedient to your Word as He – then we shall make your wisdom our own. O LORD, let us meditate on the Word that comes to us in Scripture, that comes walking among us in your Son. All the day let our hearts be set on the illumination your Word brings. Though in the Word we are chastised for our sins, though it lead us along a narrow path; if we observe your precepts and follow in the way of the Christ, you shall guard our steps and keep us from every evil. For then we shall be wiser than all our foes, wiser than any other soul, for then your Spirit will be with us; His power will be upon us. May the Word of Truth come from our Savior's mouth and lived in His very flesh help us to walk straight through the midst of our enemies and come to you.

(Jer.20:7-9; Ps.63:2-6,8-9; Rom.12:1-2; Mt.16:21-27) "Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship." Paul says the same as Jesus when the Lord calls us to "take up [our] cross," to lose our lives for His sake. And as Paul instructs the Romans: "Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind," so Jesus teaches Peter, and all His apostles and disciples, when He insists he think as God and not as man. Why? Why is the Lord so harsh with this Rock of the Church (and, as I say, with us all)? The answer is spoken clearly in our reading from Jeremiah. In it the prophet declares in near desperation: "The Word of the Lord has brought me derision and reproach all the day." He goes so far as to say the Lord has "duped" him, making evident that he had not expected to become "an object of laughter" upon taking on the mantle of prophecy. "Everyone mocks me," he cries; and yet he "must cry out" still the way of the Lord. Yet he must call the people from their sins and warn them of the "violence and outrage" that is near them. He cannot remain silent, though he would greatly wish to, because the Word of the Lord is "like fire burning in [his] heart, imprisoned in [his] bones," and he can do nothing but shout it from the rooftops, though it bring him scorn. And what has this to do with Peter? Peter has just declared that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah, and it is his voice above all that will cry out this truth to the ends of the earth; thus he and his fellow apostles must know clearly that to which they are called. As the Lord "must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly… and be killed," so must they walk the same path of persecution. This they must see. The contradiction of the cross they must realize, even as they preach it in this hostile world. For to it they must give themselves completely. How? How can it be that the Christian take up such foolishness in the eyes of the world? How can it be that we die so freely, that we suffer such mockery, such persecution at the hands of sinners? Is it not that our "flesh pines and [our] soul thirsts like the earth, parched, lifeless, and without water" for the living God? And is it not because we know that "as with the riches of a banquet shall [our] soul be satisfied"? The key is in this gospel quote: "The Son of Man will come with His angels in His Father's glory." The key is believing on the third day He was raised. If we have this faith it becomes easy to deny the pleasures of the flesh, for even in this we find the eternal life of the Spirit. Because our "soul clings fast" to God and to the hope that is only in Him, we are able to cling fast to His cross and so "discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect." And so we die with Him to live. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Weightless Crucifixion" from The Whole Whale, eighth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, help us always to take the lowest place, that you might call us up to you. YHWH, you give a home to the forsaken and call us to do the same; as you have provided for our needy souls – though we deserved it not – so you call us to care for others, or we shall not find our place with you. We are truly lowly, dear God, for before you, who could stand? How can we hope to sit at the same table as your only Son and partake of the food He provides? Yet to His side He calls us; to be lowly as He is our great gift. His grace we shall know, and in abundance, if with Him we lay down our lives for those in need. Then we shall come to your holy mountain, to the heavenly Jerusalem with all your angels and saints. Washed in the blood of the Lamb you offer for our sakes, emptied of all the vanity of our race, we shall be exalted and chant your praise, dearest LORD, we who have made ourselves humble and lowly before you, we who have thus found our place at your table with Jesus, and been made perfect by His Cross.