The BreadCast

(Mal.3:13-20; Ps.1:1-4,6,40:5; Lk.11:5-13) "For you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays." Both our psalm and first reading make clear the distinction between the blessed and the condemned: "The Lord watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes," our psalmist declares. The wicked are "like chaff which the wind drives away," while the just are "like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade." Malachi proclaims the same. Where the Lord is healing rays of warmth to the just, for the wicked He comes "blazing like an oven… leaving them neither root nor branch." For one, His fire is holy and life-giving; for the other, it destroys. And what is the sign that we "fear the Lord and trust in His name"? Malachi speaks of "going about in penitential dress" and states, "They who fear the Lord spoke with one another, and the Lord listened attentively." Our psalmist tells us the just "delights in the law of the Lord, and meditates on His law day and night." We must be repentant of our sins and come humbly before Him. We must recognize, as Jesus tells us, that we indeed are ones "with all [our] sins." This is first. But most importantly we must trust in Him and turn to Him, and pray in His Name. For "the heavenly Father give[s] the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him." He is not remiss in making them His own. He wishes all to be blessed and come before Him whole. But we must not fail to seek His will, to seek His way, to beg it of our God. We cannot be remiss in asking and seeking and knocking, for this persistence proves our love of Him and of His way, and by it we will find Him. Brothers and sisters, there is nothing more important or more powerful than prayer. It is our way of coming to Him and becoming one with Him. It is at the heart of the distinction "between him who serves God, and him who does not serve Him." For all that we do will come to naught if not done in His presence, and it is only by prayer we enter the presence of His holy light. First and always we must have faith, yes. First and always we must believe. But now and ever we must seek Him; forever we must ask His grace to come into our lives. And He will hear. He will "give [His] children good things." So neglect not to remain in the presence of God and your reward will be assured, and you will know the blessed light of His face. ******* O LORD, give to us the Holy Spirit, that in all things we might follow along the way of your Son. YHWH, we ask for your grace and mercy, your compassion upon our souls, that we might not be burned up with the wicked on your holy Day but stand blessed in the light of your face. Let us be healed of all sin and come to serve you with all our hearts, leaving behind all doubt of your glory and trusting in your goodness toward us. For you have made us and we are your own if we but have faith in you and come humbly before you with our petitions. Yes, let us ask you for what we need, for all good things, those in accord with your will. If our hearts are set on serving you and others, what will you not give us? For then we will truly be your sons. But, O LORD, if we should turn our sights upon the advancement of our own name, seeking to prosper by doing evil, the wind shall indeed drive us away, and we shall perish in unholy fire.

(Jon.4:1-11; Ps.86:3-6,9-10,15; Lk.11:1-4) "Your kingdom come." "You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish." How beautifully Jonah speaks of God's blessed compassion on His people. And how poorly he is able to accept and live that grace. The Lord's forgiveness extends now to the ends of the earth; let us not be loathe to offer it unto all. In our first reading, Jonah is angry with God for His mercy in forgiving Ninevah, the pagan empire and enemy of Israel. But the Lord teaches Jonah that He watches over these, too, not only Israel, signaling His universal call to salvation (which shall be fulfilled in the teaching of Christ). By comparing the city of Ninevah to the plant "that grew up over Jonah's head, giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort," the Lord instructs us that not only does He care for all nations, but indeed that all nations have a holy call, a blessed purpose, in which God Himself takes pleasure and comfort. He has raised all the nations and each is called as a member of His kingdom. This word should give us great understanding of the graciousness of our God, and great joy in knowing that we are called by Him: "You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in kindness to all who call upon you." We can join with David in his prayer, knowing that God will "attend to the sound of [our] pleading" even as He does this blessed king of Israel; even as He listens to His chosen people, so He listens now to us, for the walls of division have been cast asunder and His love now extends to all. But we must not be as Jonah shows himself to be today. We must "forgive all who do us wrong" or the Lord will not hear our prayer to "subject us not to the trial." If we harbor anger, it will mean our death; and the Lord will send "a burning east wind" and a sun to beat down upon us, too, to draw us from the hardness of our hearts and the condemnation we breathe in our souls. Our vision must be that of God, who sees that sinners "cannot distinguish their right hand from their left," or as Jesus says from the cross, "They know not what they do." And so we, too, must forgive. Let us join in prayer today, brothers and sisters, that the Lord's kingdom may come to earth. Let us rejoice that His reign extends to all. For it is the Lord's desire to "forgive us our sins," and it is His will that all find refuge in the shade of His presence. And so we partake of "our daily bread" here in His Word and in His Sacrament; and so we live the kingdom of God. ******* O LORD, let our prayer rise up to you, the Most High, who are merciful and kind and forgiving toward all and hear us when we cry out to you. YHWH, you are abounding in kindness toward all, a gracious and merciful God desiring to show clemency to sinners, to lead them from the death upon their souls to a holy life in you. For this what can we do but praise you? What can we do but say: let thy will be done! But how often we keep your mercy from others, dear God; how often we expect it for ourselves yet refuse to share it with those who seek it from us. This is not your will. In this your kingdom does not come. For where forgiveness is withheld, your love does not exist; and where your love does not exist, you are not present. Let us not die in desolation, O LORD, beneath a scorching wind and a burning sun. Open our hearts to share your compassion and we shall find relief from all the trials we bring upon ourselves by our lack of pity, by our condemnation of others.

(Jon.3:1-10; Ps.130:1-4,7-8; Lk.10:38-42) "He repented of the evil that He had threatened to do them; He did not carry it out." Ninevah is spared. Because "they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth," because they repented of their sin and called "loudly to God," He did not punish them for their iniquity but forgave them and withheld "His blazing wrath." And so this pagan city finds God's mercy through the preaching of Jonah. We are all called to repent. We are all called to turn to the Lord and seek His forgiveness and grace to overcome and be spared of punishment for our falling short of His glory. Our psalm declares, "Let Israel wait for the Lord, for with the Lord is kindness and with Him is plenteous redemption." And so to find His mercy we must have faith and we must be patient. We must be as Mary in our gospel today, seated at His feet, listening to His words. We cannot remove ourselves from this place and hope to find salvation for our souls any more than the Ninevites could have taken a break from their sitting in sackcloth and ashes to have a snack and yet hoped to find the forgiveness they so desperately needed. Our fast must be total, our obedience complete. Do you think Mary had a mind to rise as she listened to her Lord? Do you think she was distracted by anything? Certainly not. And we in our prayer and in our work and in our lives must find the commitment she embodies if we hope to know the grace of God truly working in our hearts. Indeed, the Lord "will redeem Israel from all their iniquities." Indeed, He hears the voice of all who cry to Him "out of the depths" of their sin. He will come and wash us clean; He will come and make us new. If we choose "the better portion," we "shall not be deprived of it" and its reward. But it must be our whole hearts that turn to the Lord, that are set on His word… that heed His preaching as it comes with its grace to our ears. If we are short of prophets today, listen more closely, brothers and sisters. If it is difficult to find the Word preached with the power and blessing of Jonah, open your Bibles and turn to your hearts. Sit still before Him in silence and He will fill your soul with His light. And fail not to come into His presence where the people gather for Mass. The Word shall indeed fill you; His Bread shall indeed nourish you. And your soul shall be saved according to your commitment to Christ. ******* O LORD, let our hearts be set on you and your presence; may our ears be open to hear your voice. YHWH, let us turn to you with all our heart that we might find forgiveness of our sins and peace in your presence. If in sackcloth and ashes we cry out to you in repentance, you will look kindly upon our souls; if in silence we sit at your feet, what shall we not be taught? All is ours if we make ourselves your own. O LORD, all nations you call to yourself. There is no one for whom you do not care, whom you would not save in your mercy. And so you send your prophets forth even to the ends of the earth, and so your Word goes out to all places and times – and so all who listen to your voice find redemption for their souls and enter your holy Temple. Your ears listen for our voice calling out to you; your heart longs for us to set aside all things and worship you. O LORD, let your gracious will be done in all our lives that none shall perish in separation from you.

(Jon.1:1-2:1,11; Jon.2:2-5,7-8; Lk.10:25-37) "A Samaritan who was journeying along came on him and was moved to pity at the sight." First let me note that the book of Jonah is not a parable, not an imaginary story, as popular scholarship would have us believe. How do I know this? I have faith, yes, which those who would explain away any miracle of God so sorely lack; but I know it, too, by Scripture itself. For elsewhere the Lord compares Himself to Jonah, and states explicitly that the people of Ninevah – who had the faith to repent at the preaching of Jonah – will rise on the day of judgment and condemn those of Jesus' time, and us, for our failure to repent at the words of the Son of God. It is not possible that imaginary people could condemn others' souls (the very idea is absurd, of course, but such are our minds in this "enlightened" age), and this comparison would suggest that Jesus Himself is but imaginary, which seems not against the belief of the vain prophets of our day. In today's gospel we have a parable: The Good Samaritan. It begins as the universal story all parables are – "There was a man…" ("a man," any man, every man), and its express purpose is to impart a lesson. And the lesson today is God's universal love. The dreaded "Samaritan" represents nothing but faithlessness and sin to the Jewish mind, but Jesus demonstrates that it is sinners He calls – and that those thought of as sinners indeed often show the greatest faith. We see this not only in our gospel, but also in our reading from Jonah, for notice how quickly the pagan mariners turned to their gods, who are no-gods, to seek deliverance from the "breakers" and "billows" which pass over them. Indeed, it is they who arouse Jonah, who has fallen asleep in the despair of his separation from the will of God, to pray to his Lord. And what horror overwhelms them when they hear how he has disobeyed the Lord's command – "How could you do such a thing!" Who has the faith here? Who convicts whom of sin? Though Jonah is clearly different from Jesus in this his sin, he is like Him in a crucial way – he sacrifices his life for those in danger of death. Notice his words: "Pick me up and throw me into the sea, that it may quiet down for you." And so it does when he is finally cast forth (after remarkable, faith-filled prayer by these pagans); and so also these men "offered sacrifice and made vows" to the Lord, coming it seems to faith in God following Jonah's laying down of his life. And, of course, as Jesus will spend three days in the belly of the earth, so Jonah spends three days in the belly of the whale; and as the Lord will rise on the third day, so Jonah is "spewed upon the shore." Brothers and sisters, the Lord heard Jonah's prayer from "the midst of the netherworld," "from the belly of the fish." Do not doubt and test the Lord as the lawyer who seeks "to justify himself" in his pride. In your moments of darkness, come to the Lord as the humble servant He calls you to be, and He shall assuage your doubts, He shall be moved with pity looking upon you, and teach you of the love and compassion only He knows. ******* O LORD, how shall we be saved from the pit into which we cast ourselves if we do not have compassion for the plight of others? YHWH, we have fallen into the pit, beaten and left for dead by robbers, by the demons, for our sin. The breakers and billows pass over us and we are doomed to drown in the dark of the deep. But you are merciful, LORD, truly compassionate to all in need. And so you look upon our troubled state and send us help when we cry out to you – our prayer, even from the midst of the nether world, reaches your holy Temple, and you have pity on our poor souls. For this let us ever praise you! And to what do you call us but to be compassionate as you, to love you and to show that love by loving our neighbor as ourselves. For we are all one in you and so if we are in you we will see that helping others we indeed help ourselves, and please you greatly by our love, by such awareness of our oneness in you. May all our being worship you, O LORD! Let us live your will of love and compassion.

(Hb.1:2-3,2:2-4; Ps.95:1-2,6-9; 2Tm.1:6-8,13-14; Lk.17:5-10) "The vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint." And we are servants of this Gospel. And so, with faith and in patience we must accomplish "what we [are] obliged to do." We must serve the Word of God. Never hardening our hearts against the voice we hear, rather, we should "stir into flame the gift of God" we are blessed with as Christians, as Catholics; "the Holy Spirit that dwells within us" should be our refuge and our guide – it should be our stronghold despite any "destruction and violence" we witness before us. For we know that if we endure till the end, till the fulfillment of the vision of the Gospel, though we deserve it not, the Lord will call to us when we "come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field and say, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table.'" Indeed, He has promised in His mercy and His glorious benevolence to put on His apron and serve us, His "unprofitable servants," at table in the eternal kingdom. But have we the faith to believe? Have we the patience to endure? Listen to His assuring words: "Wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late." His Word is certainly true and the vision written "clearly upon the tablets" of our hearts, if we believe. And we show our faith when we "sing joyfully to the Lord," when we "bow down in worship" before Him in spite of any "clamorous discord" that surrounds us in this world. In such praise in the face of the darkness of evil we bear "hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God." Yes, He alone is our strength; it is from Him alone that we find the faith and patience to endure and produce fruit upon this earth. So, "let us kneel before the Lord who made us. For He is our God, and we are the people He shepherds." Though we cry out, "How long, O Lord?" with the prophet Habbakuk, we know that if we listen to the instructions of the Apostle Paul to "take as [our] norm the sound words [we] heard from [him]," "in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus" we shall endure, and we shall find answer to our prayer. The vision is coming to fulfillment. The Lord of all is with us now. Let us "not be ashamed of [our] testimony to our Lord," but proclaim with courage the word the Spirit prompts in our hearts – Jesus is Lord! Let us say it. Let us not be afraid of it or its consequences. Let the truth of God cross our lips even as it stirs the faith within us. Jesus is Lord, and His Kingdom comes. Do not delay your service of Him. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Duty" from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, help us bear the hardship of the Gospel that we might look upon your face. YHWH, you call us each day to love and to serve you that we might know your love in our hearts even this day. It is our great grace and blessing to do your will, for then we share in your glory, in your presence among us today. If we had but faith, O LORD, what is there we could not do in your Name? If with patience we waited for your coming, we would know how near you are. Help us to fan into flame the gift of your Spirit that makes us strong in holiness. O let us accomplish all you command, never turning our faces away! We have seen your works; we have done your works. We have spoken the Word you have placed in our hearts and on our lips. Let us not now doubt that you are God or think that any power of this earth holds any sway in our lives. Let us trust only in you, dear God, for your promise is on the horizon and you do not disappoint.

(Bar.4:5-12,27-29; Ps.69:33-37; Lk.10:17-24) "He who has brought disaster upon you will, in saving you, bring you back enduring joy." That enduring joy which comes to us after this time of trial is our theme today. Not only does Baruch come to it in his exhortation for the people to "fear not" anymore but to turn to God and be glad, but it is David's song as well: "You who seek God, may your hearts be merry!" he exclaims as he assures us that "God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah," which were once "left desolate" "for the sins of [her] children." Yes, as Baruch encourages Israel, "Fear not, my children; call out to God!" so David confirms that "the Lord hears the poor." And from all their sins He shall save them. And does not our gospel tell us the same. In it we are told that "Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit" and gave the Father "grateful praise," saying, "What you have hidden from the learned and the clever you have revealed to the merest children." To His children, to the humble, to the poor, He reveals Himself. And what can those who are blessed so, to see "what many prophets and kings wished to see" – what can we do but rejoice in His Spirit? For He has given us "power to tread on snakes and scorpions and all the forces of the enemy, and nothing shall ever injure" us. For sin no longer holds sway in our lives as it once did when we turned in the hardness of our hearts from the face of God and so were "handed over" to our foes. Though once we "forsook the Eternal God," we now return to Him; and so the "mourning and lament" suffered because of our sin now become joy in His eternal presence. "Nevertheless, do not rejoice so much in the fact that the devils are subject to you as that your names are inscribed in heaven." We should rejoice not so much in the gift as in the giver, not so much in the power we have as in Him who gives the power. For great and wonderful as the overcoming of evil in this life certainly is, its entire purpose is to bring us into communion with the Lord in the New Jerusalem, in His heavenly kingdom. "Those who love His name shall inhabit it," so let us join with Jesus in the Holy Spirit to praise the Name of the Father and the great blessing of life He imparts to us. And we shall find redemption from the punishment of our sins and rejoice as children in His presence forever. Amen. ******* O LORD, the Son has made you known, and we may see Him, and we may hear Him – let us turn from our sins! YHWH, great mourning has come upon us because of our sins, but great hope we have in you who desire our salvation. Great joy is ours as we turn now from our sins and seek you ten times the more. You are ours as we come before you on our knees, and the joy you bring us will last forever. O God, you are eternal, dwelling in unending light. And as that light comes to our eyes, what can we do but rejoice with your Son that your poor ones you bring to glory? In Heaven our names are written by your loving hand, in the blood of your merciful Son; all He has He has given to us, revealing even your presence, dear Father. What power has Satan over your faithful ones, those whom you bless with your power and love? The Spirit has set us free from all bonds that we might walk with you, eternal LORD.

(Bar.1:15-22; Ps.79:1-5,8-9; Lk.10:13-16) "We have been disobedient to the Lord, our God, and only too ready to disregard His voice." Woe is upon us for our sin. We "have sinned in the Lord's sight and disobeyed Him," and so "the evils and the curse which the Lord enjoined upon Moses… cling to us even today." And if we do not recognize our sin, as Baruch does so beautifully in our first reading today, if we do not admit our failure to "heed the voice of the Lord," realizing and repenting of our going "after the devices of our own heart" rather than following in His holy way – if we do not accuse ourselves of "evil in the sight of the Lord," He will accuse us on the day of the judgment, as He does with Chorazin and Bethsaida in our gospel… and the woe upon us then shall be interminable, as we are "hurled down to the realm of death" with the cursed Capernaum. But if we turn to Him, if we cry out to Him as does Baruch, as does our psalm this day, declaring the evil and destruction that has come upon us for our sin, that same "reproach of our neighbors" which has "laid Jerusalem in ruins" will be removed from us – the Lord will "remember not against us the iniquities of the past," and we shall preserve our souls on the day of judgment. "They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem": great is the suffering which has come upon the Lord's wayward children. It seems at times the Lord will be angry forever for the sins committed by the perverse heart of man. But we know that His "compassion [will] quickly come to us," that His anger lasts but a moment, it is only for a time, and that He shall indeed "deliver us and pardon our sins." This has He done in Jesus, in His sacrifice, and word of it now is preached to the nations. If we accept it, we save our souls from destruction, from eternal damnation; if we reject the word of the Gospel, we reject Jesus, and we reject Him who holds the world in His creating hand – and so what hope of life have we, who have cast Life aside so wantonly… and so "burn like fire" forever only can the wrath of the Lord, our God. Let us reject sin while there is time. As His Word is still in our hearing, let us come to it and bare our souls before its truth "in sackcloth and ashes." The condition of this world of sin does not change, and it mounts up its punishment for judgment day. Let us come out of the world, humbly professing our sin, and listen now to the voice that leads us to forgiveness and grace, to exaltation "to the skies," standing at His side forever. ******* O LORD, let us not reject you! but come rather on our knees seeking forgiveness. YHWH, the gravity of our sin overwhelms us: our blood is poured out like water, our corpses given as food to the beasts of the earth. How shall we make amends for our wicked deeds if even the presence of your Son and His sacrifice do not move us to repentance? O save us from being hurled down to the realm of death! Let us not reject the Word come from Jesus. O LORD, let us heed your voice. Though we have been disobedient, though the evils that fall upon us are but just punishment for turning our hearts from you, help us, please, to avoid the grave, to be preserved from the fire that is coming upon the earth. Remember not our iniquities; let them be of the past. Let your compassion come quickly to us to raise us from our lowly state. In sackcloth and ashes let us bow humbly before you that we might find pardon for your NAME's sake.

(Neh.8:1-12; Ps.19:8-11; Lk.10:1-12) "They understood the words that had been expounded to them." What a blessed day we hear of in our first reading. And what a blessed reception the Word of God finds in the hearing of the people! For "the whole people gathered as one man" and "listened attentively to the book of the law" of Moses as "Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the occasion" and "read out of the book from daybreak until midday." And we know that all the people indeed understood the wonder of what was read to their humble, obedient hearts, "for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law." They wept for the truth of these words, and for the fact that they as a people were so long without their instruction. The truth of God's Word brought repentance to their hearts, as it should to all. But ultimately the Word of God caused them, as all, "to celebrate with great joy." Certainly this is its ultimate goal. For as David sings so well of in our psalm today: "The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul; the decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple." And the rightness of this wisdom brings "rejoicing [to] the heart." For as rich as the food and sweet the drinks the people were encouraged to consume that day as celebration of the glory of God, none could compare with the commands of the Lord, which "are more precious than gold, than a heap of purest gold; sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb." This bread of life is that which sustains us. And it is this bread of peace and life the Lord sends the disciples to bring to the cities before Him in our gospel today. He tells them that as they declare peace to any house or town along the way, "If there is a peaceable man there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will come back to you." And woe to those who do not welcome the reign of God these disciples bring in Jesus' name. Indeed, we hear that "the fate of Sodom will be less severe than that of such a town." If the Israelites were so open and welcoming to the Word of God read in their midst from the book of the law by Ezra the scribe, how much more welcoming should these people who have the emissaries of Christ Himself, sent to "cure the sick," be to receive the reign of God at hand. And how much more should we be open to receive His Word, who now know of the Lord's resurrection to glory and have the Holy Spirit in our midst by the authority given to His Church on earth. Brothers and sisters, we must hear and understand as well as they of Nehemiah's time, else what hope have we for celebration in Christ's glory? May His sweet words be in our ears and in our mouths, and so may we bleed with Him unto glory. ******* O LORD, your Word brings the sweetest tears of blessed repentance. YHWH, how sweet your Word should be to our ears, to our hearts – O how we should welcome it! Though it bring knowledge of our sin, that knowledge is sweet, for that knowledge brings us to repentance and refreshes our souls. Though we weep, though we cry for our transgressions, how sweet are our tears! For it is these tears, this turning from our sins, that brings us into your presence, that brings your reign into our midst. O how we should welcome your Word, LORD! Once it came only through words in a book; once it had to be read aloud and interpreted for our simple hearts to understand. But now it comes in flesh and blood in your only Son and in the apostles He sends out to proclaim your glory among men. Indeed, your reign, O God, is at hand. Your grace has come to us as a Man. And so let us rejoice this day, for it is thus made most holy.

(Neh.2:1-8; Ps.137:1-6; Lk.9:57-62) "How could we sing a song of the Lord in a foreign land?" Our home is in heaven. "The foxes have lairs, the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head," the Lord tells him who would follow His way in our gospel today. Our home is in heaven, and only there do we find joy. And only finding our place there should possess our hearts. We have a sign of the devotion we must have for the Lord and His Kingdom in our psalm and first reading. Even as the psalmist hangs up his harp and weeps "by the streams of Babylon" for his exile from Jerusalem – "May my tongue cleave to my palate if I remember you not, if I place not Jerusalem ahead of my joy" – so, too, Nehemiah is most "sad at heart" for his separation from and the ruination of "the city where [his] ancestors are buried." And as the king takes pity on his servant and sends Nehemiah to help rebuild Jerusalem, so, too, does the Lord look upon those who seek in ardent desire their true home with Him in heaven. He knows we are sad at our separation from the kingdom of God; He knows only there we shall find peace in our hearts, and so He calls us along the way He walks. But also He warns that all else must be set aside if we are to discover that which our hearts desire. "Whoever puts his hand to the plow but keeps looking back is unfit for the reign of God." Does love for the New Jerusalem truly possess us as did love of the old for these exiles in Babylon? Do we, too, recognize our own exile, our own homelessness, and seek with all our souls only the song that is sung in the kingdom of God? Are we prepared to leave this land of exile, this foreign land in which we find ourselves, to come to Him to build with the wood He provides the new walls which will be our shelter and our place of worship even in this life? Or do we look back to this world of sin and find ourselves drawn into its sad state? The Lord awaits the turning of all toward Him and His kingdom. He desires greatly our returning to His side. The thought of our heart to give up all for Him He confirms with His blessing and love. But we must be clear that this commitment is total, that nowhere else we shall find our joy but at His side in heaven. ******* O LORD, let us not be separated from you but give all our lives to following in your way, even to the Cross. YHWH, let us set our hearts on you alone and our coming into your kingdom. Why should anything else possess our souls? Of what else should we sing? Should we not proclaim your glory with full voice and so find your reign upon us? We cannot make our home in any place but Heaven; help us to overcome the sadness of dwelling in this dark place, in this land of exile. Bring us quickly into your presence. Your House let us rebuild, O LORD, your House and your City. Let your favoring hand be upon us this day as we seek to accomplish your will. All else let us be ready to leave behind in order to do your work upon this plane. For only in you will we find our joy – hear us as we pray to you. Let us not be dead, O LORD, dead to your presence in our midst. Let our hearts burn with love for you! Let us remember your NAME forever.

(Amos 6:1,4-7; Ps.146:2,5-10; 1Tm.6:11-16; Lk.16:19-31) "Keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ." The Lord is coming. First of all, know this. "The King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see" will reveal Himself "at the proper time." Shall come the end of this world and the birth of the new in the presence of our all-holy God. Do not doubt this. Do not question it in your hearts. But believe. Second, know the nature of our God. This our psalm makes abundantly clear: "The Lord gives sight to the blind" and "protects strangers… The fatherless and the widow He sustains, but the way of the wicked He thwarts." And since "the Lord raises up those who were bowed down," we must bow down and serve Him, bringing His love to this world; keeping "faith forever" we must give "food to the hungry," showing His unending compassion to all those in need. Third, know the fate which awaits those who fail to adhere to His command of love, those who stain themselves with comfort and riches in a vain existence and have no heart for those who suffer now by their lack. As He prepares a place of refuge in Abraham's bosom for those who "pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness," so a place is set for those "who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day" but who were "not made ill by the collapse of Joseph," who have no regard for the destruction of God's people – who step over and upon the poor lying at their doors as they pursue the fatting of their bellies. "A great chasm is established" between the redeemed and the condemned; as Lazarus had no way to enter the door of the house of the rich man, so he cannot pass now into the arms of God… only now that darkness without is eternal – his torment shall not end. It is popular to believe that Jesus somehow did away with punishment, that in His all-embracing love there is no longer need for justice, and so hell is no longer a factor. The "God of the Old Testament" is presented as the one of punishment with Him of the New conversely being of love. Brothers and sisters, they are one and the same God. And as in the time before Christ, the Lord forever showed compassion for the humble of the earth, so now Jesus shows condemnation to the wicked who refuse to turn from their ways. Only now the love and justice, which are also one, are made eternal by the coming of the end of the age in the Person of Jesus Christ. Continue to keep yourselves pure and serve the Lord – His Day is at hand. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "The Child and the Beast" from Remove the Mask of Lies, second album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us make the poor man our brother, and we will know Jesus and so be with you. YHWH, you secure justice for the oppressed; the poor and the downtrodden you raise up even as you cast their oppressors into the bowels of the earth. The path of the righteous you indeed bless, but the way of the wicked you thwart. You confuse those who do not listen to Moses and the prophets, those who reject your only Son, for you are just and no man can own what he readily spurns. If it is the belly upon which we set our hearts, it shall grow fat and keep us from entering the narrow gate. If upon our own needs and wants alone we look, failing to see the longings of others or help them in their plight… we shall fail the test you place before us, and be unworthy to be called your sons, dear God. For you are kind and loving, O LORD, and care always for the hungry and those in captivity. Though you dwell in unapproachable light, to us you come with great mercy to raise us to Heaven with your only Son.