The BreadCast

(2Cor.4:7-15; Ps.116:10-11,15-18; Mt.5:27-32) "While we live we are constantly being delivered to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh." In our gospel we continue to see how the grace of Jesus supersedes the Law of Moses. Yesterday we were told not only must we not murder, but that we must not even be angry with or speak ill of another. Today Jesus tells us the commandment against adultery applies even to our eyes, to our thoughts, and that God allows no divorce… And of what does Jesus speak but that which Paul tells us as well – that our bodies, our sinful flesh, must die in order for the glory of God contained therein to shine. Jesus makes this graphically apparent when He speaks of gouging out our eye and cutting off our hand: the body must provide no hindrance to entering the reign of God, and so it must die; sin must indeed be rooted out of us. "In earthen vessels" we are, weak and mortal, subject to the afflictions of time. The trials of this world therefore do not escape us and indeed are necessary for us to overcome, to purify, our mortal flesh. We must be chastised. We must suffer. But we do not suffer in vain. "We are persecuted but never abandoned; we are struck down but never destroyed." The trials of this earth have no ultimate hold over us; in fact, they do not lead to death but to life. Why? Solely because it is "the dying of Jesus" we carry in our bodies; entirely because we unite our suffering to Christ's, it becomes redemptive and not destructive. "We have that Spirit of faith," and that Spirit of faith is life to us even in our greatest afflictions; and that Spirit of faith turns the deaths we undergo to new life. How? By our overcoming of these deaths and thereby giving death to sin. A man is addicted to alcohol – this is a temptation and an affliction for him. By the power of Christ and faith in His Name, he puts down the bottle. Who can measure the grace at work in him? Who can capture the life he now knows? And we all have our addictions, be they anger or lust or greed or whatever, and they all must be overcome. And as we overcome them, what freedom do we find. For in this we thwart the devil's plan to bring us to destruction by the weakness of the flesh. He does not like to see our faith in Jesus spawning such resurrections. And neither does the world like to see a man make progress in God. So the afflictions will be doubled; the world and the devil will attack our weak human vessels all the more. But "precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His faithful ones"; and the more we set aside the sins of the flesh, the more He will bless us – the greater He will preserve us from evil. He that is in us is far greater than he that is in the world, brothers and sisters. And the more the devil tempts us, the stronger only do we become, because the God of life holds even this purveyor of death in His all-powerful hand. We must but have faith and we will find life; through all our afflictions we will rejoice. ******* O LORD, all must be sacrificed for the sake of the kingdom, and in the death of this mortal flesh we shall find life. YHWH, how sweet is the death of your faithful ones who unite themselves to the dying of your Son! How blessed is the fruit of such sacrifice! For not only is life revealed in the flesh of those who die for the sake of Jesus, but also in those to whom such witness speaks. And so, indeed, let our bodies die, our earthen vessels be broken, that our spirits might live forever with you in Heaven. O LORD, despite the afflictions that come, though we are indeed delivered to death, yet we shall pay our vows in the presence of all your people; yet we shall remain faithful to our call to serve you by laying down our lives. For we are not adulterers and we wish for no lover but you alone. May we be wed to your Son in His sacrifice that we might be wed to Him in glory! All our bonds you loose, O LORD, when we are prepared to die, when we hold to nothing of this sinful life. And so we shall not despair nor be destroyed even as we bleed for you and the love of our neighbor.

(2Cor.3:15-4:1,3-6; Ps.85:9-14; Mt.5:20-26) "See the splendor of the gospel showing forth the glory of Christ." Today the gospel is preached: Jesus, the image of God, has come among us, "glory dwelling in our land," and removed the veil from our understanding so that now we "are being transformed from glory to glory into His very image by the Lord who is the Spirit." The words of life are spoken by the Lord; the Holy Spirit comes amongst us as light to illumine our minds and lead us beyond the bounds of the law to the kingdom of God itself. And we must live in that light, we must make it our own, becoming children of the light of the Spirit of God, "that we in turn might make known the glory of God shining on the face of Christ." He has indeed come amongst us, salvation is at hand, and we must become perfect as the Father is perfect, as Jesus who is the pure reflection of the Father is perfect – we must allow the Spirit to remove any taint of darkness from our souls. Jesus tells us, "Unless your holiness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees you shall not enter the kingdom of God." Here He means that the law may lead us out of Egypt, it may serve to release us from the bonds of this world of sin, but this guard we have while treading this earth is not enough to bring us into the promised land, into the heavenly kingdom to which we are called. And as long as we concern ourselves only with fulfilling the minimal requirements of the law (not to murder, not to commit adultery…), we will continue to suffer; we will remain unfulfilled. Jesus calls us to greater than that: He calls us into His very light of perfection in the presence of the Father. This call is implanted upon the soul of each one of us, and as long as we ignore it, as long as we veil our minds to the depth and the breadth of this call to perfection with Christ… as long as we say, "Well, I haven't killed anyone," and stop there… so long we will remain unsatisfied, so long will the fires burn – so long will we be in prison paying the last penny. Jesus is calling you now, brothers and sisters; Paul and all the true preachers of Holy Church are calling you now to remove the veil from your eyes, to come into the Lord's light – to cease to make excuses for your sins, however small they may seem – to seek perfection in Christ… to find the kingdom of God. The Spirit will aid you in your journey; He will be with you every step of your walk on the way of perfection, be assured of this. The Lord does not call us to Himself and then leave us alone to struggle vainly. He is with us through all our trials. But we must come to Him and live in His light of purity, and shine that light for others to see. ******* O LORD, your kingdom comes by the power of the Holy Spirit, who purges us of sin and makes us shine with His radiance. YHWH, your glory shines now in our midst in the face of Christ, and He calls us to that same glory by the Spirit that is within us. Let your light shine in the darkness of this world; let us make known your glory by our words and actions. In the way of salvation we walk, insofar as we follow the commands of your Son and His love. He calls us to dwell with you, O LORD, to reconcile with one another and be perfect as you are perfect – to find our holiness fulfilled. We fall short as long as we limit ourselves to the principles of the law; your glory is far beyond the basics of the law, and it is to your glory and your love Jesus calls us. What a gift is ours in Christ! Union with you, dear Father in Heaven! Let us not be blinded by the god of the present age, by unbelieving minds, but let the veil be lifted from our faces to gaze upon the glory of your Son and so be transformed into that glory by the Spirit upon us. Alleluia!

(2Cor.3:4-11; Ps.99:5-9; Mt.5:17-19) "Not the smallest letter of the law, not the smallest part of a letter, shall be done away with until it all comes true." Jesus comes to fulfill the law and the prophets. The law watches over us while we are here in this world. It guards us and puts to death the sin that is inherent in our earthly nature. There is great glory in this blessed protection, as is witnessed in our psalm today – "Holy is the Lord, our God" – because it acquaints us with God's justice and, as said, watches vigilantly over us to maintain our standing in the presence of God. But the law does not bring us to the fullness of God's love; it does not bring us into the heavenly kingdom and "the glory that endures." Moses brings the Israelites to the banks of the Jordan, but he does not cross over with them. He looks out over the Promised Land from his place on the mountaintop, but does not enter therein. It is Joshua who leads the people into the land promised through Moses (as even he does in today's Office of Readings). And so it is Jesus who brings us to the heavenly kingdom by His law of love. In speaking elsewhere of the glory of love (1Cor.13:8), Paul tells us that prophecy shall fail and tongues shall cease but love is eternal, favored well beyond any other gift. Prophecies speak of earthly matters and the law is for our earthly nature, but love speaks of God and heaven. We must be very careful to heed the words of Christ and realize that as long as we are in this world and subject to the sin that our flesh brings, the law has a prominent place in our lives and cannot be jettisoned prematurely – as many advocate by their lack of diligence to its precepts, presuming heaven before its time – yet we must always remember that it is the glory of heaven and not of earth to which Jesus calls us, and that there the law will be fulfilled; there we shall be made perfect in the light of God. The law is "destined to pass away" only insofar as it is fulfilled, and therefore it never really passes away but is subsumed by a greater law. Let us continue to glory in the chastising hand of God and in the service of purification the law provides us. Let us come by its means to the flesh of Christ, and by the grace of God enter fully into Him. Jesus is our Promised Land, brothers and sisters; with the law as our guide, but above all with faith in our hearts, let us come into His holy, eternal, loving presence. We have the manna of the Eucharist to share this day; tomorrow we shall feast in fullness on the Bread of Life that is Jesus Christ. ******* O LORD, your commands must be fulfilled or they shall remain, along with our sin. YHWH, you are holy and your glory surpasses all that is of heaven and earth. Though we are your creation and you are present to us, though you are with us even in the law you gave to Moses, and though we need your law to purge us of all evil, to put to death the deeds of the flesh… yet in such death we are not fulfilled. We must come to join you in your glory; we must find life in you. And so, O holy LORD, your Son walks among us, not to destroy the law or contradict the prophets who call us from our wayward path, but to fulfill their voice by the very presence of the Word. Now your holiness has taken flesh, and so at your mountain we can worship in Spirit and in truth. Now we may enter your kingdom. It is in Jesus we are saved from the death the law brings; it is through Him we find the ministry of the Spirit and so the glory that passes not away. This glory is your very presence speaking to us and shining upon us, dear LORD. O let us call upon your NAME and dwell with you forever!

(2Cor.1:18-22; Ps.119:129-133,135; Mt.5:13-16) "God is the one who firmly establishes us." "Light of the world" and "salt of the earth" – this is what we are by the power of God. It is by Him we are "set on a hill" to give "light to all in the house"; it is we who preserve the integrity of creation. It is a holy call and a demanding one, and we should not waver in our resolve to follow the Lord and fulfill His work and His will; for it is indeed His will that we show His goodness before the eyes of men, and so "He who anointed us and sealed us" will always strengthen us for our task – by Him who holds the entire world in His palm, our own work will be made light. But heed the words of our readings: we must always give our "yes" to God. Having put our hand to the plow, we cannot turn back. In fact, we should say with the psalmist, "I gasp with open mouth in my yearning for your commands"; so great should be our love for God and for His life-giving words that ever do we thirst more greatly for the love and the light He brings us through our walking in them. His discipline is redeeming and freeing; and as we drink in its light, as we find ourselves becoming one with Him and with His Son who has shown us clearly and completely the way of perfection, we become the light He is. And we cannot but shine that same light to others, directing them to Him who establishes all holy souls in His blessed kingdom. What joy should be ours as we find ourselves becoming one with God as His children of light. What absolute exhilaration is evident in Paul's preaching to the Corinthians, as well as in our psalm. The source of such excitement is his firmness in faith; the Spirit is speaking in his heart and he is not afraid. Indeed, he takes his very life, his daily bread, in proclaiming it. Have we such faith in our hearts, or have we somehow gone flat? Can we proclaim our unwavering trust in the Lord, or is our light still shaded by doubts and fears? If our love for God is true and our love for one another is real, we shall be firmly established – our light shall go forth. Let us pray to Him that from the light of His words we shall not be distracted. The light of His presence is all that matters. Shine forth His light to the world. ******* O LORD, may the Spirit of Truth be with us to guide us by His holy light. YHWH, your promises have been fulfilled in Jesus and in Him you firmly establish our place before you, the Holy Spirit in our hearts. You call us to be salt and light to this world, to be the disciples of your Son. Help us to be steadfast in that call, that the light of the Spirit might go out to the ends of the earth. We are anointed with the Christ and have His life within us. He it is who walks before us, making our footsteps firm. We must follow in His way and give our 'yes' entirely to you. O LORD, let us not waver in our weakness but ever keep your commands and so radiate your goodness to all men. Make our witness sure and true; let us ever remain in the light of your presence. O LORD, let all praise be given to you from hearts filled with your glory. With open mouth let us ever yearn for your Word. In wonder let us stand before you, worshiping ever in your kingdom as your holy children. Let your countenance shine on your servants; transform us into your light.

(2Cor.1:1-7; Ps.34:2-9; Mt.5:1-12) "Blessed are those persecuted for holiness' sake; the reign of God is theirs." Here is the core teaching of our faith. Here are the beatitudes, the call to sweet humility which flows like blessed honey from the lips of our Savior. And that teaching is that the humbled shall be exalted, that those who mourn and sorrow for the lack of love we find in this tainted world and who strive to bring that love to the hard heart of man shall be blessed, are blessed, for they share in the sufferings of Christ, who wept for the sins of His people, who, looking out upon them from the cross cried: "My God, why have you forsaken me?" Why has this world made in the image of Christ turned so against Him, and when shall it return to the love of God? And we who cry with Christ, even for our enemies, even for the most despicable criminal, we shall know the joy He finds – like the repentant thief, we shall be this day with Him in paradise. "Just as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the consolation," St. Paul so concisely states. One can hear him brimming with joy as he speaks of the comfort we find in the Lord in all our afflictions, and the grace of sharing that consolation with others. This is our great possession. This is the kingdom of God within us: to see through all trouble and affliction, to conquer it in Jesus' Name – to find such strength even while here on earth to overcome all evil and come to heaven. "Blest are you when they insult you and persecute you… Be glad and rejoice." How marvelously the Lord exhorts us to come to the glory of heaven, to overcome the dark with light. For light it is where we dwell, and this light is unconquerable. Let us make room for Him in our hearts, brothers and sisters; let us give place to Him in our lives. Let us even in the simplest ways show heaven's glory here on earth. If we are lowly and we are true, our light cannot help but shine. And for those who seek it our lamps will shine, and we shall illumine one another. Let sweet humility be your treasure and the Lord's peace your goal in life. The angel of the Lord is around us to save us. Nothing of this earth shall touch us. Let us lay down our lives to destroy death's bonds. ******* O LORD, it is the cross of suffering with Christ that brings us great joy. YHWH, blessed are we when persecuted because of our love for you, because of our desire to be as your Son, for enduring all the sufferings this world brings we find great joy in your presence. You console the afflicted who call out to you, for you are the refuge of all who suffer for your sake. O LORD, let us be holy as you are holy; let us be made whole in your Son. If we must sorrow and mourn to be conformed to your Son, to be purged of all sin and join Him in your kingdom, let it be so. Let us take our strength in you; in you we find refuge. Reward in Heaven is all we desire – to you let us come by way of the Cross of your only Son. Bless you, LORD, for the goodness you show to us, for the joy you bring us in our suffering for you. You deliver us from every danger, and so we stand firm in hope, consoled by the promise in the words of Jesus. Let us remain ever blessed as we set our hearts on serving you.

(Acts 2:1-11; Ps.104:1,24,29-31,34; Rom.8:8-17; Jn.14:15-16,23b-26) "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him." The Spirit of God is with those who keep His commandments; and His Commandment is to love. In such love all become sons of God, all are made one in His Name. (Spirit of Love, anoint us.) In our first reading the oneness of God's children is emphasized: "They were all in one place together" and "they gathered in a large crowd." The first quote refers to the disciples of Christ waiting for His Holy Spirit, the second to "devout Jews from every nation under heaven" who would be made one with the disciples by the power of the Spirit. We note particularly the word "devout": because they were keepers of the Word of God, the Spirit descends upon them. Our psalm exalts the renewing power of the Spirit of God; all creatures in the palm of God are given life, and new life, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Alleluia! We rejoice in His grace. In our second reading, Paul contrasts the life-giving Spirit with the death-bringing flesh, speaking, much as Jesus in our gospel, of the Spirit who dwells in those of God. "Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him," but belongs to sin and the world. He does not keep the Word of Jesus and so dies in the flesh; his flesh lacking the Spirit that gives life, he becomes as an empty shell. The love of God is not in him. But for those who keep the Word of God, their hearts cry out in joy to the Father of all as they are made one with Him and one another, and led to the truth of everlasting life in His Spirit. May the Spirit of Jesus be with us. Further note: expounding on the theme of keeping the Lord's Word, we see in the fact that people of all languages hear this one language of the Spirit that the Word is not beholden to any tongue; it is the tongues of flame, the tongue of the Spirit which speaks the Word of God, we all must keep. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "There Is No End to Life" (end) from Thoroughfare, seventh album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us be baptized in your Spirit, renewed for the proclamation of your love. YHWH, comes the driving wind from Heaven, the Spirit Jesus breathes upon His apostles, and so we are made your sons, dear Father, and declare your glory unto all. May your Church with one voice offer you due praise and teach the nations of your eternal call. We must leave our sins behind and accept the gifts of the Holy Spirit, living as one with the Son of God. If we keep His commandments, we shall dwell with you forever, O Father God. For He is with you and through Him you send the Spirit; all who desire to be your children you bless with purging fire this holy day. Now the promised gift of the Spirit falls upon our immortal souls and we are refreshed and made new creatures, formed in the image of Jesus, your Son. One you make us in Spirit and Body, free from all the works of the flesh. Your Son stands in our midst and offers us His peace; the Advocate now testifies to all Truth… Come and make your dwelling in us, O glorious LORD and God.

(Acts 7:55-60; Ps.97:1-2,6-7,9; Rv.22:12-14,16-17,20; Jn.17:20-26) "I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me." The Father gave Jesus His glory. It is Jesus' own glory He owns, for He had it "before the foundation of the world," but now the Father has given it to Him anew in His incarnation as the Son of Man; and in His death and resurrection He shall not only confirm it in Himself, but serve thus to make it our own. What glory is ours in this Son of God who has come among us to draw us into the Father's immortal, eternal love! It is the same glory the Father and Son know and share in the Spirit who makes them one. We are called to be so one with this Holy Trinity. Our jaws should drop at such a prospect, our hearts reach up, and praise of the Most High God resound upon our tongues; for what does Jesus pray for us but that we be one in glory with the Righteous One? And this glory is "coming soon." Jesus promises John that soon He shall return, and then absolute glory will be our own, if we have washed clean our robes from sin, if we have prepared our souls to eat from "the tree of life and enter the city through its gates," coming thus to where the glory of God dwells in eternity. But if we are not clean, if we attempt to enter the city by other means than the gate before us, the gate who is Jesus and His teachings – climbing over the wall we shall but fall, and find the taste of the fruit of the tree terribly bitter. The people and their leaders could not well partake of the blessed word Stephen brought to their ears. Of the glory of God and their own falling short they would not hear… and so could but stone its bearer to death. But Stephen finds himself present there within the City gates, even while upon his knees and crying out; for his eyes are open to see God's glorious One, and these stones he returns to their throwers with but a prayer for peace. Open your ears, my brothers and sisters. Open your hearts to His call. "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come,'" and you must echo their glorious song to the Alpha and the Omega. To us soon Jesus the Christ is coming; "all peoples [will] see His glory." Invite Him in and be one with Him, even as the stones are falling. "Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!" Amen and Alleluia! Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "There Is No End to Life" (2nd half) from Thoroughfare, seventh album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us hear the Word of your Son and come to join Him in glory with you on high. YHWH, you are the Most High over earth and Heaven, and you call us to yourself through your only Son. He would have us be one with you in the kingdom, and so He joins Himself to us that we might be joined to Him and so to you. To your glory let us come, O LORD. Soon Jesus shall return to us; let us be prepared. Let us see Him at your right hand as has Stephen, and welcome Him so freely into our lives, ready even to die. For what is our death in this world but a falling asleep? What matter the stones raining upon our heads if we have vision of you in our eyes and in our minds? May we wash our robes clean and so freely call upon your Son to come. With you and with your Son let us be one; let us see your glory. O may we stand in your presence forever, LORD! Please receive our spirit.

(Zeph.3:14-18 or Rom.12:9-16; Is.12:2-6; Lk.1:39-56) "Sing praise to the Lord for His glorious achievement; let this be known throughout all the earth." How can we capture the joy of this day? For here is the sign of our promised salvation; here we find the first apostolic act in Mary's bringing the Word of God, so recently conceived in her womb, to Elizabeth, and to her son John the Baptist. "Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel!" Zephaniah encourages the holy nation. And for what does Zion, and indeed the whole world, rejoice but that which we celebrate this day? Here in these simple, lowly women we find all of Israel rejoicing as she brings to birth her Savior. Yes, even now "the Lord, [her] God, is in [her] midst," even in her womb; and already He begins to bring salvation forth. Already we find a kind of first Pentecost as first, "Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out in a loud voice: 'Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb'… and then Mary said: 'My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my savior?" And already the Baptist in the womb of his aged mother has been inspired by the presence of the Son of God; already he has "stirred in [her] womb for joy," just at the sound of Mary's voice touching the ears of his mother, even as Jesus is but days old in Mary's blessed womb. And how does all this joy come but through humility. "For He has looked upon His servant in her lowliness; all ages to come shall call [her] blessed." Yes, Mary is raised "to high places," is become the Mother of God, because of her great humility before Him. It is this lowliness she proclaims in her canticle today; it is this lowliness Elizabeth exudes when she asks, "Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" – and it is this same lowliness which is required of all the children of Israel, of all Abraham's descendants, if we are to know that "the Lord has removed the judgment against [us]," if we are to "shout with exultation" for "the Holy One of Israel" in our midst. Let us heed Paul's instruction to the Romans to "put away ambitious thoughts and associate with those who are lowly" that we might "rejoice with those who rejoice." As our holy women today, these models of faith, let us "look on the needs of the saints as [our] own" and "be generous in offering hospitality." "Be fervent in spirit; He whom you serve is the Lord." For it is He who comes under your roof this day. It is His holy name you should proclaim in all you do and say. And the blessing of salvation shall be upon you. Mother of God, bring to us this day our Savior, that we might rejoice with you in heaven. Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Carie Fortney. Music by Carie Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, you have looked upon us in our lowliness and sent your Son to dwell among us – may we praise you always for your glory! YHWH, let us praise your holy NAME this day, for you have come into our midst and raised us poor creatures from the dust to dwell with you in your Temple. Praise you, LORD! Visit us this day in your love, through the intercession of the Blessed Mother. O LORD, make us humble and lowly as she who carries your Son to us, humble and lowly as Israel your Chosen one – humble and lowly as Jesus Himself. In Mary's womb with Him let us dwell and so hear your voice calling to our hearts through all she speaks unto our poor ears. In darkness we remain, in the cave of this world; but you bring us light and life – for such grace let us praise you! Dispel all fear from our hearts, LORD, at the sound of your Mother's voice, and so with her let us proclaim your greatness, and the salvation you have wrought in your mercy. We are nothing, nothing but simple souls waiting on your Word… Speak to us this day and awaken us to your glory, that our hearts might exult in your presence all our days. Mother of God, pray for your poor children.

(Acts 15:1-2,22-29; Ps.67:2-6,8; Rv.21:10-14,22-23; Jn.14:23-29) "The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." And so is "the holy city Jerusalem" protected; and so are its boundaries defined. And so we come to the apostles to find the true teaching of Christ. When "there arose no little dissension and debate" between Paul and Barnabas and certain brothers from Judea who were insisting the Gentile converts must be "circumcised according to the Mosaic practice," what was the recourse needed to settle this most crucial of questions – the first great question of the Church? "It was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders." There the debate would be settled. There authority is found – in the apostles and those they appoint. There is nowhere else on earth any could turn to secure the truth, to find genuine guidance of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus has promised "will teach [the disciples] everything," who will be with the Church as its Advocate till the end of time. And so the apostles and elders speak in truth when they write to the waiting souls of the Gentiles: "It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden," for indeed they speak of the Holy Spirit and for and by the Holy Spirit – indeed they speak the truth. Brothers and sisters, is not the reason the Church is fractured into hundreds if not thousands or even millions of pieces (each soul following his own way without regard for the teaching of the Church), is not the reason some advocate for abortion, or euthanasia, or female or homosexual priests, or a thousand other indiscretions and blasphemies – is not the cause of the great turmoil within the walls of the temple as well as, inevitably, outside it in the world… is it not fundamentally a lack of obedience to the teachings of Christ, to the teachings of His apostles? And though it is so that upon all His baptized is placed the seal of the Spirit, and so all may know the truth, yet it is just as so that without the confirmation of the apostles – as even Paul realized – one cannot be sure of his thoughts, and certainly has no right to teach! Surely the Jews thought they were right in insisting the Gentiles be circumcised. Let none be presumptuous of the Spirit's word. In the heavenly city there is "no temple," there is "no need of sun or moon" – "the glory of God [gives] it light, and its lamp [is] the Lamb." But we do not dwell in the fullness of Jerusalem here; this I can assure you. On earth we have unquestionable need for a Church. And that Church is now founded in Rome with the Pope. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Solid Rock Unshakable Foundation" from The Innocent Heart, first album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let the light and peace of your Son be with us this day as we gather in your holy NAME. YHWH, let us enter your Temple, here on earth and in Heaven. With you and with your Son let us dwell. Your Church, the New Jerusalem, be our home. O LORD, to your holy City let all peoples come – make your face shine upon all souls. To your heavenly glory Jesus calls us, and so, let us indeed keep His Word, His commandment of love, and with us you will come to dwell. But how shall we know if we are keeping your commandments except by the authority you place upon the twelve apostles? How can we be certain we are following the path to the kingdom apart from the declaration of Peter? If we are not obedient to the ones you send, we shall not be obedient to you, and so will be without the light of the Holy Spirit to guide us. O let us be one with you as is your Son, as is your Church on earth! O LORD, let us glory in your presence forever.

(Acts 14:21-27; Ps.145:1,8-13; Rv.21:1-5a; Jn.13:31-33a,34-35) "Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race." This is the promise on which we set our hearts, this vision of John. This is the word which encourages us to look forward to the coming of our God in the fullness of His presence amongst us. How we long to be His bride in heaven! John indeed sees the "new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God," His holy bride. And his ears hear the promise that "He will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes." No more shall there be "death or mourning," no more "wailing or pain" – these things which beset us here shall all pass away. On this glory we must set our sights, for as long as we toil upon this earth there will be tests and trials that can only be overcome with this vision of God. In our first reading we hear that Paul and Barnabas have accomplished the rounds of their mission journey and "made a considerable number of disciples." We witness how God "opened the door of faith to the Gentiles" and so to the world at large. All men of all times are now called into the kingdom of God. And here is cause for great rejoicing. Yet the message of these apostles, borne out by their own experience, is that we must "undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," for though the Spirit of the Lord fall on Christ's disciples, still these disciples are in this world, where the coming of the kingdom has yet to be fulfilled, and weeping at the darkness remains part of our condition. In this world there shall be persecution, no doubt. Though God's "kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and [His] dominion endures through all generations," though Jesus has come and lived and died among us and sent His Spirit for rebirth, though indeed His presence is very much in our midst – yet the evil one enters in; yet he lurks in hiding. And we must be prepared to conquer him, and even to find our salvation by enduring the suffering he devises. In Jesus we see well the way in which God is with us here and how we come to Him in heaven. The Lord says as His hour of death approaches: "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him." Even as Judas leaves to fetch the instruments of His death, Jesus sees His glory come. In His crucifixion He shall destroy the devil and come completely to the Father – and even on the cross, God is with Him. Here we must endure, brothers and sisters, knowing God is with us; and soon we shall come to the fullness of His presence, to "the glorious splendor of [His] kingdom." Soon the Lord will "make all things new," as new as our spirits have already become. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "In Your Eyes" from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us see your kingdom descend into our midst through the love of your only Son. YHWH, let the glorious splendor of your kingdom be upon us; let us dwell in the New Jerusalem with Jesus your Son and with all His disciples. From the ends of the earth gather your Church into your holy presence, that forever we might sing your praise. Though we must endure many hardships to enter your kingdom, it matters little to those who know the glory that comes through the Cross; in fact, it is cause for us to rejoice. For so long as the Cross is with us on this dark earth, O LORD, Jesus is with us bringing His comfort and peace – and so we know the mourning and weeping will soon pass away… so we see how He makes all things new. O let us discourse of the glory of your reign! Let us set our hearts on serving your will by bringing others into your gates. Help us, O LORD, to love one another even as your Son.