The BreadCast

1Thes.2:9-13; Ps.139:1,7-12; Mt.23:27-32) "Make your lives worthy of the God who calls you to His kingship and glory." God is our Father, and those who preach "God's good tidings" love us "as a father does his children," for their message is "not as the word of men" but truly "the word of God at work within [those] who believe." Come to the Lord's table. Eat of His Body, drink of His Blood. Become as He is by His holy Word. Children of light we are called to be, and what is that light but the one which shines in all places at all times and which is inescapable. "Where can I go from your spirit?" David wonders in our psalm. Whether we fly to the heavens or "sink to the netherworld," He is there. For Him "darkness itself is not dark, and night shines as the day" because He Himself is light, and where He is, light shines – and He is everywhere. How can we become children of such an awesome God? How can we enter "His kingship and glory" as Paul exhorts us in our first reading? The only way is by Jesus and the only way is to follow those who bring Jesus to us, whose conduct is "upright, just, and irreproachable" as is Paul's – our means of salvation is the Church, its prophets and martyrs, its teaching and sacraments… its grace which comes to us through Jesus Christ to lead us to the Father of all. On the apostles and their message of the Gospel our faith is set. In our gospel Jesus again chastises the Pharisees, those who have not been loving and faithful fathers for the people, those from whom care of the kingdom will be taken for the "hypocrisy and evil" within them. For though they present "a holy exterior," it is but the bones of the saints they hold within their whitewashed tombs and not their blessed spirit. Indeed, they shall show themselves murderous as their forefathers, who shed the prophet's blood – and whom they ascribe to themselves by name – in their giving up the fulfillment of the prophets to crucifixion. "Full of filth" inside and lovers of the tomb's darkness, they are not worthy to be called fathers of the Lord's children. And Jesus proves that God's light shines in even the darkest places by exposing their corruption in our gospel today. Brothers and sisters, beware of following false leaders whose motives are not pure, who do not lay down their lives for the flock. Remain within the walls of the Church, where the Spirit dwells and where the Father nourishes His people on their way to His kingdom and glory. ******* O LORD, take all falsehood from our souls and let us toil only for you. YHWH, how shall we become true servants of your Word, free of all hypocrisy and evil, not seeking our own gain but the salvation of others? Purge us of the filth within us and make our conduct irreproachable, that you may be known and all your children follow in your way. Surround us, O LORD, with your presence this day; let your Word be at work within us. Let us not whitewash our sin but acknowledge it before your all-seeing eye, and in repentance find our freedom. Guide us in all things, even in the darkest night, that we may come to know you are ever with us. For you let us work, LORD, and not for the burying of your light. Let us toil on this earth only to bring your truth to all souls. From the tomb let us be raised to dwell in your holy presence.

(1Thes.2:1-8; Ps.139:1-6; Mt.23:23-26) "First cleanse the inside of the cup so that its outside may be clean." The Lord rails against the Pharisees again today, calling them from false practice to genuine faith; and in Paul we again see the paragon of true ministry in the Lord's Name. In our gospel the Lord calls the Pharisees "frauds," for they have the appearance of holiness in clothing and posture and minor actions, but inside are "filled with loot and lust." In our first reading, it is quite evident that the preaching of Paul "does not spring from deceit or impure motives or any sort of trickery," as does the work of the Pharisees. He is not at all guilty of "flattering words or greed under any pretext," seeking the glory of God rather than "glory from men." This, of course, is the central question: do we perform our acts for others to see, from selfish motives of pride and greed and the accolades we might gain from man; or are we laying down our lives for God, giving no thought to our own importance or the opposition we may face? Does our work and our life spring from truth, or does it spring from lie? "O Lord, you have probed me and you know me," David sings in our psalm today. Truly the Lord is "the tester of hearts." He is familiar with all our ways and the motives whence they come. Indeed, "even before a word is on [our] tongue, behold, O Lord, you know the whole of it." Inside and out He sees us, He scrutinizes us, that He may enter into us and renew us. It is by His grace that the inside of the cup might be made clean and so our work be fruitful in His Name. And so, what of us, brothers and sisters? What does the Lord see when He peers within our hearts, when His penetrating gaze pierces our soul? Do we meet "the test imposed on us by God" as Paul does and live in "justice and mercy and good faith," or is there but corruption within us which will not allow the Lord's light to enter, thus making us blind to His grace? The Lord surrounds us so, that we call out with David, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; too lofty for me to attain." Indeed, the Lord is far above and beyond our comprehension and His holiness can seem beyond our ability to attain; but if we have hearts that are open and trusting and loving of His Word, we find that He is "gentle as any nursing mother fondling her little ones," that He, in fact, shares with us His very life, and so makes us as His own. The Lord will cleanse the inside of the cup. Let Him act upon your soul. ******* O LORD, you see clearly the inside of our cup, and would cleanse it by your gaze. YHWH, you are the tester of our hearts; you scrutinize all our ways. And you know us – you know us well. The greed and deceit within us we cannot hide from your watchful eye. You are not fooled by empty show. You surround us with your presence, LORD, and test us by our trials. You are far beyond us in eternal glory, and yet you come near. You draw near to us in your Son and so declare to our souls the truth of who we are and what we have done, and what we have failed to do. But you do this not for our condemnation; it is because you love us as a mother her child that you chastise us. It is to make us whole. O LORD, though knowledge of you is too wonderful for us to comprehend, though great fear fills our souls as you come to us with your piercing fire – though your scrutiny may cause us great humiliation, great suffering, you work gently to heal our hearts of all their affliction.

(1Thes.1:2-5,8-10; Ps.149:1-6,9; Mt.23:13-22) "You turned to God from idols, to serve Him who is the living and true God." Contrast is at the heart of today's readings again. The faith of the Thessalonians and the inspired preaching of Paul are in distinct opposition to the empty ways and words of the scribes and Pharisees. In our first reading Paul praises the Thessalonians, who are "laboring in love, and showing constancy in hope in our Lord Jesus Christ," telling them, "Throughout every region your faith in God is celebrated." In our gospel Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees for their blindness to the presence of God. In contrast to the Thessalonians, they have turned from worship of the true God to idols; their vision set on the gold therein, they are unable to see the temple and how sacred it is – their hearts set on things of this earth and the laws they have contrived, they are blind to the Son of God, who sits upon the throne of heaven, as He stands before them. And not only are their vain beliefs in contrast to the true faith of the Thessalonians, but their failures in carrying the Word of God forth stand also in sharp contrast to Paul's fruitful preaching. Paul's preaching was "one of power; it was carried on in the Holy Spirit and out of complete conviction," and so led to the conversion of many nations. On the other hand, Christ says to the scribes and Pharisees: "You shut the doors of the kingdom of God in men's faces… You travel over sea and land to make a single convert, but once he is converted you make a devil of him twice as wicked as yourselves." We must be the fruit of the Apostle's preaching, brothers and sisters, and not the vain teaching of those who set their souls on the gold of this world. For as the faithful "sing to the Lord a new song of praise," as they "rejoice in their king" and "praise His name in the festive dance," even so the voice of the wicked will be silenced: they shall choke to death on all their pride. So let us be those who "await from heaven the Son [God] raised from the dead – Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come." With the Thessalonians let us prove our faith in our labor of love, working ever for the coming of the kingdom. And "the high praises of God [will] be in [our] throats" and the "glory of all His faithful" will be ours. Turning from all the idols of this blind generation, let us be born now of the Spirit of God. ******* O LORD, we are your own; let us offer ourselves to you. YHWH, let high praise of you be in our throats; let us sing for joy in your presence. O let us worship you who are the living and true God! Let us turn resolutely from the idols of this vain world and so be made fruitful in your sight. May the doors of your kingdom open for us and for all souls, we pray. Jesus is seated upon the throne of Heaven and it is through Him we come to you, O mighty God, that we might be delivered from the wrath to come and be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Truth be upon our hearts and our tongues as we preach the Gospel of Christ with all our lives – thus may we be found worthy to praise your NAME in the assembly of the faithful. There is woe in store for those who pervert your words to selfish ends, O LORD, who blind themselves and those they teach to the glory of your presence among us. O let us labor in love in the Body of your Son!

(Is.66:18-21; Ps.117:1-2,Mk.16:15; Heb.12:5-7,11-13; Lk.13:22-30) "People will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God." "I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory," even those of "distant coastlands that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory," says the Lord. The Word goes forth. The Word goes forth to the ends of the earth and it will open the eyes and ears of all peoples. But who shall be ready for its coming? Indeed, Isaiah's prophecy and the verses of our psalm are in harmony with the Lord's own words: all the nations shall come, all shall "praise the Lord," and all shall find a place in His kingdom. The light that goes forth, the glory of the Lord, knows no boundaries, is not limited by constructs of time and place – there are no walls in its way. All nations. All tongues. All peoples at all times and in all places are called forth by the all-encompassing love of our God and our Savior. You are welcome at His table, my brother, my sister, whomever you are, wherever you are. It is the Lord's will that all come to Him who is the Father of all nations and of all creation. But do you know the way? The way of the Lord is not easy; it is narrow and rough – it is one wrought with chastisement, with discipline. "For what 'son' is there whom his father does not discipline?" And how can you expect to come into His paradise if the soil of this world still clings to your soul? The cross is the way to the kingdom; only the scourging discipline of the Lord will enable us to sit with Him. And this discipline, this cross, is of love. Do you see this? Do you see how much the Father loves you in His reproof of your sin? "At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it." If you have not learned this basic lesson of the working of the Lord's love, you "will not be strong enough" to enter His gate. You must "not be disjointed but healed" as the Lord takes from you all that is unfit for His presence. Your suffering the loss of this life is all that will bring you to heaven. We note that even the above words of the Lord are as chastisement to the Israelite people who walk with Him, for He is telling them they are not alone in the call to God; other nations shall indeed enter before they. And as this pride in their heritage must be wrested from them before they are prepared for the kingdom, so all that limits the love of the Lord from working in our lives must be taken from us before we may enter in. Fear not the pain this brings. The "wailing and grinding of teeth" outside His gates is more painful by far – and for this suffering there is no healing anymore. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "There Are No Words" (middle part) from Breath, the Apple Rises, fifth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, teach us always to do what is right that we might be as your sons and enter into your House. YHWH, all peoples are called to your glory, to your kingdom, for all are sons and daughters to you. But truly you must be our Father, we must come from you, we must reflect your image, the image your only Son reflects to us in His way of the Cross, if we are to enter your presence. Relying on accidents of time or place we shall never be saved. Only by accepting the discipline you offer will be made ready for Heaven. Strengthen us, O LORD, by the chastisement you bring to our souls, by the Word of truth come from Jesus' mouth. He knows you and is the way to you – let us be obedient to His call and the call of His apostles to enter through the narrow gate, to leave all of this world behind that we might come rejoicing to your holy mountain with all our brothers and sisters, with all your blessed children. May all men hear your Son's voice this day, that none shall be barred from your kingdom.

(Ruth 2:1-3,8-11,4:13-17; Ps.128:1-5; Mt.23:1-12) "The greatest among you will be the one who serves the rest." Today we can contrast the faith of Ruth with the Pharisees' of Jesus' time. In our first reading, Ruth says to her mother-in-law Naomi, "Let me go and glean ears of grain in the field of anyone who will allow me that favor." She puts herself at ready service in all humility, despite the potential dangers that come with being a foreign woman working in a place dominated by men who may not have the greatest of respect for women in general and especially for her. In contrast, in our gospel Jesus says of the Pharisees, "They bind up heavy loads, hard to carry, to lay on other men's shoulders, while they themselves will not lift a finger to budge them." These Pharisees have no heart for service; they are sooner the oppressors of the poor and vulnerable, and are rather concerned for "places of honor at banquets" and "marks of respect in public" than the needs of others. How stark the contrast is between she who serves and those who are inflated with pride. And how true are Jesus' words: "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, but whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." Indeed, God's providential hand watches over Ruth as she gleans in the field that "happened to be the section belonging to Boaz of the clan of Elimalech," her father-in-law, and so a close kinsman. Not only does Boaz make provision for her safe and fruitful gleaning of his fields – instructing his young men to do her "no harm" and indeed to leave food behind that it will be easy for her to gather – but he seeks diligently to take her to wife… and through their union she (and Naomi) is blessed with a son who will be grandfather to King David. But what of these Pharisees and their vanity? From them Jesus will take the keys of the kingdom, the teaching authority on earth which they so misuse for their own gain, and give it to others as He builds His Church on Peter and the apostles. And so today we hold up Ruth as a model of faith, while these dead men's bones which walked the earth in whitewashed tombs now find their home rotting in the grave. "You shall eat the fruit of your handiwork," our psalm proclaims. Those like Ruth who "fear the Lord, who walk in His ways… shall be like a fruitful vine" and their "children like olive plants around" their table. However, those inflated with pride, serving no one but themselves, shall come to naught. Let us heed our Lord's warning today not to exalt ourselves in any work we do, but rather set our hearts on serving others. Then we shall truly be fruitful, for then we shall know the fruits of heaven. ******* O LORD, you bless all those who fear you, who are humble before you. YHWH, make us humble before you and before others, ever willing to serve in your NAME. Then we shall be blessed. Then we shall find our place in your kingdom. For then we shall be fruitful and our fruits shall raise us to you. Anyone to whom you lead us, let us serve, dear LORD. Guide our steps to the field where we shall glean grain for food that will sustain us all our days. You alone are our nourishment, and fed by your hand we shall have abundance. But if into pride we fall, exalting ourselves above others, assuming the place reserved for you and your Son, how we shall be cast down! Our hearts and our hands will be empty as our deeds: our vanity will spell our end. No fruit of any worth shall we bear, and so our souls shall starve for want of love. O LORD, let us be truly humble! Let us be like you.

(Ruth 1:1,3-6,14-16,22; Ps.146:2,5-10; Mt.22:34-40) "Wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God." How well our readings harmonize this day. Jesus speaks plainly to the keepers of the law the greatest commandments – total love of God and neighbor – and Ruth puts them into practice for our witness. And our psalm sings the praises of our great God of love, whose care for "the hungry" and "the strangers," "the fatherless and the widow," we are called to imitate. Alleluia, indeed. Ruth is a foreigner, from a land which follows other gods; yet she is willing to leave "her people and her god" to follow Naomi and the living and true God unreservedly. Oh how this mirrors all our call to leave all of this world behind and follow the Lord and His way. Oh that we had the courage and faith of this Moabite woman who will become the great-grandmother of King David. How well this illustrates God's call and blessing to any and all who seek Him, who long to walk in His steps. And how well His way of compassion and love is shown in His care for this widow Naomi, who came to Moab hungry and leaves now to return to Israel with this blessed daughter-in-law to be with her and serve her without restraint. The words of the Lord are so true: "Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, and with all your mind," and "love your neighbor as yourself." They silence even the hardest of hearts with their radiance. We know that God is love, that through His help we find blessing – that His concern for all those in need extends "through all generations" – and we know that we should be like Him… but how often we fail to practice Ruth's resolve. This day let us cast off our reservations, brothers and sisters, and cast ourselves upon the love and grace of the Lord. Let us resolve never to "abandon or forsake" Him. Knowing clearly the love of God which comes from the lips of our own Lord of love and our blessed psalmist, and which is embodied by Ruth's profession of faith and commitment to love, let us vow in this spirit to return the Lord's boundless love, for in loving we become like Him whom we love and so stand with Him who "shall reign forever" in the eternal kingdom of light and love. Again I say, now is the acceptable time; today is the day of salvation. Follow Him unreservedly. ******* O LORD, may we increase in purity daily, for the hour of your Son's coming is nigh and we must be ready to become His bride. YHWH, help us to trust entirely in you, to love you with all our heart, and our neighbors as ourselves. Help us to leave behind our people and anything that keeps us from you. To you and to your love let us come, and with you make our home. You provide, O LORD, for all those in need, for the widow and the orphan, and the stranger who draws close to you. You make no distinction among people: it is those of faith who are acceptable to you and whom you bless. Those of faith who reflect your great love become as your sons and daughters; these are wed to you. O let us never abandon or forsake you, LORD! Let us go wherever you lead, and make your people our people. With you and with those who follow you let us stay and remain, and we shall dwell securely in your love. You are our only hope – reign over us forever.

(Jgs.11:29-39; Ps.40:5,7-10; Mt.22:1-14) "You have made a vow to the Lord. Do with me as you have vowed." As with the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is blessed not so much for giving birth to Jesus – or consecrating herself to God as a virgin – as for hearing and doing the word of God, being the handmaiden of the Lord extraordinaire… so the Lord delights not in "sacrifice and oblation," per se, but in "ears open to obedience." In accepting the sacrifice of her fertility (the greatest sacrifice a woman could make, though it may be difficult to realize in these days of abortion and contraception), Jephthah's daughter demonstrates the obedience required of all the redeemed. "Happy the man who makes the Lord his trust; who turns not to idolatry or to those who stray after falsehood," David proclaims in our psalm today. "The spirit of the Lord" upon him, Jephthah defeats severely the Ammonites, a nation which practiced the sacrifice of their children to their god, Molech. The Lord thus shows disdain for them and their ways. Thus also it should be evident that Jephthah would not do in the spirit of the Lord that which is directly opposed to His will. The sacrifice of Jephthah's daughter is of her fertility – it is her virginity she mourns and not her death. And Jephthah maintains his vow by consecrating her wholly to God, knowing that his generation will cease, since he has no other sons and daughters to bear his name, and thus making a great sacrifice himself. If it were her life itself he offers God, he would be no better than those he destroyed and certainly no son of Abraham, who was taught the truth against such sacrifice so many years before. This aside, we turn to our gospel. It is clear that Jesus is telling the chief priests and elders of the people that they do not have the obedience required of the redeemed. "In the written scroll it is prescribed" that all must do the will of God, but these who know the Scriptures so well, know nothing of them at all… and so the Word goes out to draw the whole world into the kingdom prepared by God. But to these, too, Jesus has a warning: "The invited are many, the elect are few." If we are "not properly dressed for a wedding feast," if we have not aligned our lives with the will of God, we too shall be thrown "out into the night" with the man who had to "wail and grind his teeth." And this wailing shall not come as holy sacrifice unto the ears of God; it shall not demonstrate our obedience to Him, but rather be the inflicting of judgment upon our souls. Let us be obedient to the will of God in all things, brothers and sisters. Let us hear His voice alone and follow where it leads. ******* O LORD, let us offer ourselves as a holocaust to you; then we will be fit to enter your presence. YHWH, how shall we give true worship to you and offer you the sacrifice you are due? Only complete obedience to your will shall bring us into your presence; it is our very lives you desire of us. For you know that only this will make us joyful – only union with you and your Son will fulfill the longing of our hearts. To your wedding feast let us come, O LORD, and there let us remain, ever praising your glory with full voice, happy to be among those you have saved. And so, in purity let us come, single-hearted let us be, and we shall not be cast out into the night but live in your holy light. Your Spirit you send upon those who call upon you, who devote themselves to your will. Let us fulfill our vows to you, LORD; let us turn from all idols and trust in you alone, and we shall be blessed forever in your House.

(Jgs.9:6-15; Ps.21:2-7; Mt.20:1-16) "The last shall be first and the first shall be last." Jesus, the Son of God and true King, who is first, has made Himself last, and so for His humility will be exalted forever; Abimalech, rebellious son of Gideon, who is least of all his brothers, has made himself first, and so will be humbled for his vain pride. In our first reading Jotham curses his brother Abimalech from the mountaintop as this least of the trees is anointed king after having murdered all other of his brothers. (There were seventy sons of the judge Gideon – who himself refused kingship.) The people of Shechem have fallen by pride in this son of their own city and so they, too, are cursed for taking refuge in his dark shadow. Abimalech's thorns shall pierce them and shall prove a bitter medicine of purgation for these wayward Israelites. They shall indeed be the death of one another. In contrast to this false king, in David's psalm we hear of the blessings the true king receives from God, in whom he rejoices and to whom he gives all glory for victory: "O Lord, in your strength the king is glad." It is not by his own will that this king reigns, but by the will of the Father, and so his place is assured and he is exalted and made "a blessing forever." David, too, was the least of his brothers, but unlike Abimalech, who took matters into his own jealous and bloody hands, he trusted always in the Lord and humbled himself before the God of all, and so, "great is his glory in [the Lord's] victory." And, of course, we know that it is the Son of David, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords: in Him is the blessed kingship of God fulfilled. And, of course, it is His great humility which has made Him so exalted. Did He not take the crown of thorns upon His head? Was He not pierced by the pride of man's rebellion? Did He not accept the bitter wine as He died upon the cross? And so should not all trees bow down to this sanctifying tree, this true vine? Is it not by the fruit of this buckthorn that we are purged from our sins against Him who is Most High? He who has been raised on the cross is indeed King of us all, and all others mere pretenders. Brothers and sisters, it is only in Christ and in the shadow of the tree that is the cross that we shall find blessing, that we shall find glory, that we shall be exalted and receive "a crown of pure gold." Follow no other, for false gods abound and their fall is great. Toil only in the vineyard of the Lord and regardless of the length or breadth of your labor you shall receive your recompense, which is oneness with Him who is eternal and whose generous reign knows no bounds. And be not envious of others' entering in if it is you who must toil long – your service of God should be your joy and a source of great humility. ******* O LORD, those who are least in the eyes of the world are first in your eyes, for you love all souls, but despise sin. YHWH, you have sent us a great King, before whom all others must bow, in whose light all other reigns pale. For He is the only true King, the only King whose reign endures. And only in Him is true justice; and only in Him is true charity. Only in Jesus will all be cared for, will all be united with you. Let us serve your Son well, dear LORD. Let us enter His vineyard and do the work set before us by His gracious concern. He seeks to draw us into His realm that we might be blessed by Him; let us not be idle or jealous of His goodness toward all, but treasure every hour we toil in His presence. There are false gods enough to lead any soul astray, but only you are LORD and only on your Son do your majesty and splendor rest. Let us take our refuge, Father, in the shadow of His Cross.

(Jgs.6:11-24; Ps.85:9,11-14; Mt.19:23-30) "Go with the strength you have and save Israel from the power of Midian. It is I who send you." The world is at enmity with God. The kingdom of heaven is not as the kingdom of this earth, thus Jesus tells us that "the last shall come first." For though we pray the Lord's kingdom come now to this earth, it shall not be fulfilled until "the new age when the Son of Man takes His seat upon a throne befitting His glory." We must therefore not judge with the mind of the world but continually struggle against it and its power. In our gospel Jesus calls the apostles to give up all things for the sake of the kingdom. As He instructs them of the danger of the riches of this world, they are "completely overwhelmed." Judging with an earthly mind, they think riches should be of assistance; but the Lord wishes to teach them of the mind of God, upon which the world is set in opposition. The apostles indeed "have put everything aside to follow" Jesus, and for this they shall receive their reward. But their only reward on this earth will be persecution; it is in heaven their glory shall come. Yes, the Lord "proclaims peace to His people" and "justice shall walk before Him, and salvation, along the way of His steps"; and though the Lord blesses and guides us in our fight against evil now – imparting to us a share of His Spirit – yet we know "His benefits" shall only be fulfilled in heaven; this is the land which "shall yield its increase." As in our first reading the meat and cakes of Gideon are laid upon a rock, not consumed by the mouth for the sake of the belly but consumed by the fire of the Lord to feed his faith, so it is that the Lord and His angels and all those who follow Him are of the Spirit and not the flesh. And so it is that the Lord chooses those who are least in the eyes of the world, as is Gideon: "My family is the meanest in Manassah, and I am the most insignificant in my father's house," and places His power upon them, to show us not only that "for God all things are possible," but more so to instruct us not to put faith in the passing things of this world but in the eternal "justice and peace" of His heavenly kingdom. We must indeed struggle continually against this world and its power with the strength God gives us, brothers and sisters. In the riches of this life we must never take our ease. For these are set in opposition to God in enmity. God is Spirit and we must be as He is, taking our places in His heavenly glory with the apostles who have laid down their lives and so now judge in righteousness with Jesus the king. Go forth now in His Name. ******** O LORD, let us follow in the way you mark out for us, and we will be blessed. YHWH, you come to those who are lowly, who place their trust in you. Those who set their hearts on you and give up the things of this world will be blessed in your kingdom. Call us forth in your NAME to do your will, O LORD. Without you, we are nothing, the meanest creatures on this earth. But with the strength that comes from you, we can conquer all our enemies. It is from you all blessings come; only through you will our land yield its increase, will we be fruitful here and in Heaven. Why should we desire the riches of this world when you are the only treasure worthy of our time, when it is only your glory that passes not away? O LORD, accept the offering of our lives. Increase our faith in your protection, in the angel you send to call us to you, and we shall live ever in your peace.

(Jgs.2:11-19; Ps.106:4,34-37,39-40,43-44; Mt.19:16-22) "They were quick to stray from the way their fathers had taken, and did not follow their example of obedience to the commandments of the Lord." It is not long before the Israelites break their vows to the Lord, mingling with other nations and worshiping their idols. As soon as the generation which has known Joshua dies out, their children begin to stray. And though the Lord "raised up judges to deliver them from the power of their despoilers," to save them from their enemies when He heard their cry of affliction, repeatedly "when the judge died, they would relapse and do worse." Thus it shall also be with the interminable series of good and evil kings which shall lead to their exile, and thus the necessity of the eternal King, Jesus Christ, under whose reign there is no faltering backward – for He lives forever to intercede. So evil had the Israelites become that they "sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons." And one must ask, should the Lord God not punish such deeds? Does He not hold justice in His right hand? Should such action be allowed to transpire? Although the Lord holds compassion in His left hand and always has regard for our affliction when we cry out to Him, He does not, He cannot, allow sin to go unpunished. If He did so it would but grow more grave and the peril to the soul would be greater, and thus He would fail in compassion not only to the victims of oppression but to the soul of the oppressor. How difficult this is to hear in the materialistic age in which we dwell, where the body is king and possessions take the place of the spirit. How like the young man in our gospel many are when they hear the call to perfection, when they are challenged to give up their possessions, for our souls have become one with our material wealth, and to lose it we think spells death. But it is not death but life to which Jesus calls us, life in the Spirit, which is life itself. And whether we own things or not we must not own them; we must know that all belongs to God, or we shall not belong to God but to the false idols of the nations around us and the death and defilement their evil practices bring. For do we not today sacrifice our children on the altar of abortion in the name of ease and luxury. "There is One who is good. If you wish to enter life, keep His commandments." If you wish for death, continue to stray. ******* O LORD, how shall we give ourselves entirely to you, you who alone love us? YHWH, save us from following the false gods that surround us and close in. Easily we go astray without your shepherds to lead us. May your Son be present to us this day in your Church that we might be kept from falling into the power of our enemies by the sins we commit. Why should we abandon you, LORD? Why should we fall under the devil's sway and give ourselves to the service of the empty things of this world? Look upon our weakness. Help us rather to abandon our passing possessions and put our trust in your unfading glory. Help us keep to your Word and your way and find the goodness, the perfection, only you hold. Your Son calls us this day away from the vain pursuits of this corrupted place. May we heed His voice and turn from the evil sacrifices of wanton nations to join ourselves to His Cross.