The BreadCast

(Gn.3:1-8; Ps.32:1-2,5-7; Mk.7:31-37) "The eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked." How different this opening of the eyes of Adam and Eve is from the opening of the deaf man's ears in our gospel; for our first parents' eyes were opened unto blindness, but the deaf mute's ears and tongue only to light. Why this difference? Why such contrast in the freeing of the senses to receive their signals? Why is one evil and the other good? The opening of the eyes of the man and the woman brings their downfall because they are not prepared for what they see. They seek to be "like gods who know what is good and what is bad," but they have not the skins to hold such wine of wisdom. And so they burst. And so they died before the glorious light suddenly before them… and so "the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden," for they could not show their faces of dust before His Face of Majesty. (Indeed, the woman first erred when she "answered the serpent," when she responded to his enticement, not realizing she was no match for his "cunning"… much as she failed to understand she is no match for God's wisdom.) On the other hand, the opening of the deaf man's ears and the loosing of his tongue is prepared by Jesus Christ, He in whose presence we are able to see light itself, He who provides the new wineskins for our becoming like God, enabling us to stand before the wonder of His Holy Face. Notice how "Jesus took him off by himself away from the crowd" before healing the deaf-mute; see how this contrasts with Adam and Eve's hiding from God. Where they would avoid the glance of the Lord, Jesus brings the man closer to Him by drawing him away from the crowds; and there, more perfectly in His presence, He heals him. And the man is healed, of course, because he himself does not hide: he is brought openly by his friends to Jesus. In this way he "acknowledged [his] sin" before God; his "guilt [he] covered not" (as the man and woman covered their nakedness with fig leaves). No, in his "spirit there is no guile," and so his "fault is taken away"; and so, paradoxically, he who "confess[es] his sin to the Lord," as the humble King David, finds that by the Lord his "sin is covered" – he is forgiven. Brothers and sisters, let us learn to open our tattered souls to our Lord and God, never to hide; for to hide is hell and the Lord calls us to Him in the light of heaven. And He will prepare our eyes to see, and He will make our ears ready to hear, and our tongues shall be loosed to praise His name and exclaim our amazement at His grace… for we shall be released from the blindness of sin and be as His Son, who alone can answer the devil. ******* O LORD, let us hear your voice calling us to confess our sins and return to you this day. YHWH, how terrible it is when we transgress your Word, when we rebel against your loving will! We are blinded by our sin even as our eyes are opened to our weakness… and so we hide from your glory, which we cannot contain. We have bodies, LORD. You have made us so. We are not like you, pure Spirit and perfect Light. And how weak our bodies can be when we lack your secure protection, when we lose your presence with us by our failing to love you. Who can save us from such travail? Who can open our ears again to hear and heed your holy Word? O LORD, as we confess our faults to you, as we come before your Son to seek His healing – He who comes to show us that we are like you (for He is like you and we like Him), He who would restore us to our place as your children, blessed to be in your image… then our nakedness is covered; it is taken away as we reveal our weakness before you. Let us listen only to you!

(Gn.2:18-25; Ps.128:1-5; Mk.7:24-30) "A man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body." And Jesus leaves His Father's side and His mother's care, and takes to wife His chosen people. From His side indeed we are born, and become His holy family. To the "sons of the household" Jesus comes; among the Israelites He walks, calling them to His table to eat the food of eternal life, of eternal union with Him and His Father. Those who were conceived by God, who were taken as a rib from His own side and formed as His special bride, Jesus seeks to bring to full nuptial blessing in Him. For this He would even die (as any man should for his wife). But one "approached Him and crouched at His feet" who was not among those called to the "table first," who was not of the family of the Chosen. Unfazed by His rebuff she continues begging, not for "the food of the children" but just for their "leavings," their crumbs, knowing even this will be enough to join her to His banquet, believing only a word from His mouth will save her own daughter from the devil's clutches and bring her to His sacred presence. And moved is He by her who is unmoved by His rebuke. And so, "when she got home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone." And so she finds herself and her family wed to Jesus the Christ. Why? Because she is one who does indeed "fear the Lord," who does in fact "walk in His ways"; crawling on her knees before Him, she finds herself "happy" and "favored," eating "the fruit of [her] handiwork." She knows she is not one of the "wild animals" or of the "birds of the air": she is made in God's image, a human being, and is inextricably drawn to His side, the side from which she has been born… and thus she finds her life and becomes with her daughter (with all us Gentile people) one of the "olive plants around [His] table," grafted onto His "fruitful vine." Let man love woman as his own flesh, and let all men love one another as fellow children, for our Father in heaven loves us all much more greatly and draws us all to be wed to Him through our Bridegroom, His only Son. As His side is opened by the lance and so we His Church are born in His blood, washed clean by His holy water, so let husbands give themselves for their wives, knowing they are "taken from" their own sides. Yes, let us all die for one another that the love of God might extend to "the recesses of [His] home," from which no soul is excluded. In His blessed marriage feast let us all shout for joy! ******* O LORD, blessed are those who humble themselves before you; they shall be joined to you. YHWH, flesh of your flesh we are; flesh of your flesh let us be, wed to you through the flesh of your only Son. One with you let us dwell forever, for from you our very lives taken. And help us thus to love one another, LORD. If you love us so much to give us yourself, let us then reflect your love and so give ourselves for the sake of others. Let husbands love their wives and all souls serve the needs of others, finding great joy and blessing in thus serving your will. To your table let all come, LORD, that they might share the food of your children, the Bread that is Jesus your Son, the Word that is your Spirit. May all souls recognize the greatness and the goodness of Him who walks among us, and may we be hidden with Him in you and so become your fruitful children. In faith let us be born and live in you and with you forever; let none be alone or apart from you.

(Gn.2:4-9,15-17; Ps.104:1-2,27-30; Mk.7:14-23) "The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being." In addition, "out of the ground the Lord God made various trees grow that were delightful to look at and good for food." These would feed the body of the man. But only spirit feeds the soul. Body and soul. They meet in man and become one, yet one is the cause of life while the other passes. When God formed man out of the clay of the ground, what He held in His hands was the body, and at the time it was dead. Not until He breathed into him did man become alive: in this breath he found his soul. And the time shall come when this form does rot, but not the soul. Only in heaven will we have bodies that live eternally with our spirits (though certain saints – as did our Blessed Mother – may know this holy union even here on earth.) And so does Jesus tell us "that nothing that enters a man from outside can make him impure," and, to make this point graphically clear, adds, "It does not penetrate his being, but enters his stomach only and passes into the latrine." What is of the body is just so passing, and therefore of no consequence. It is "what emerges from within a man" that "makes him impure." For sins such as "acts of fornication, theft, murder," etc. are not the result of the food we eat, but of the thoughts in "the deep recesses of the heart." These are what make a man impure – or, by contrast, which will make him pure. It is the soul that is capable of good or evil, not the body. And even though it is eating of the fruit of "the tree of the knowledge of good and bad" that causes man's downfall, this is not the result of the fruit itself, but of the covetousness and pride of man's disobedience. It is the 'eating,' the desire of the eye and the heart and the act which follows, which constitutes the sin, and not the fruit eaten. Our psalmist speaks of the body and soul as well. It is so that by the Lord we are "filled with good things," that He gives us "food in due time," food we need for our survival; but as the psalmist says of the soul, "If you take away their breath, they perish and return to the dust." How quickly we would die, in a moment or two, without the breath of God in our nostrils, without His Word to give us life. And what great care we should take of the spirit that enters our beings. May our souls ever be set upon our God and His teaching. May our every thought and word and action be of Him, that we shall never be disobedient. O Lord, "when you send forth your Spirit, [we] are created, and you renew the face of the earth." Give us your divine breath of life in our nostrils this day. ******* O LORD, you make us of the clay of the earth, but it is not the body that is of consequence but the Spirit breathing within us – let it be your own. YHWH, it is you who make us of the clay of the ground and you who breathe the breath of life into our nostrils. It is you who feed us in both body and spirit – you are our LORD and God. It is you who care for us each day, O LORD, you who send your Son to take away our sins. He reveals to us that it is not the flesh that gives life but the Spirit that is within; and He would cleanse us of all iniquity that we might stand as your sons always. Though Jesus comes in the flesh and gives us of His flesh to eat, this food is not the passing kind but that which lasts unto eternal life. And so, LORD, we pray that we shall embrace Him and the Word, the Spirit, He imparts to us. Thus will we be raised from the dust of death, from the chains that bind us to this earth, and rise with Him unto Heaven. Feed us with your Word, LORD, that we might be renewed and live forever in your Garden.

(Gn.1:20-2:4; Ps.8:2,4-9; Mk.7:1-13) "God created man in His image; in the divine image He created him." At God's word "the water teem[s] with an abundance of living creatures… birds fly beneath the dome of the sky," and "the earth bring[s] forth all kinds of living creatures," too. And "God saw how good it was." Then God conceived the crown of His creation and said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." And so, "little less than the angels He made him" and gave him "dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth." And all this was "very good" in God's eyes. Alleluia! But what does man do with this ultimate blessing from His Creator: he takes the freedom and power placed in his hands and makes himself a slave to "cups and jugs and kettles," forever trying to wash his hands clean of the sin upon them. God gives man "rule over the works of [His] hands, putting all things under his feet," and all man can do is trample upon them as he forgets the God who made him. "How accurately Isaiah prophesied about [us] hypocrites when he wrote… 'Empty is the reverence they do me because they teach as dogmas mere human precepts.'" Placing our traditions and practices above God's commandments we lose sight of the glory upon us, of the majesty of God's works around us, as we lock ourselves in a dark and empty room of our own making. And all the creatures God has placed in our unclean hands suffer too, as our hearts turn from their stewardship to our selfish plottings. And so, though we are crowned by God "with glory and honor," we crown Him with thorns. O Lord, "what is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him?" Lord, come and restore us to our former glory. Father, let us give you true honor. May your Word be made fruitful in our lives and we become as your Son. Let all be blessed and made holy again in your sight. In Jesus' blood please wash our hands, that we might help you build your peaceful kingdom. ******* O LORD, may your Word be fulfilled in us; may we who were created in your image be recreated in the image of your Son, washed clean in His blood. YHWH, you place all things in our hands, and we but corrupt them. Your glory and majesty you reflect in your creation, and especially in man, but he cares not well for your gift and abuses his dominion. His hands are not subject to your will but soiled by his own, and so creation with them. In your image you create us, LORD: what greater blessing could there be! Like gods we are made to reflect your presence on this plane – why have we gone so astray? And how shall we return to you? Only by heeding the chastising word of your only Son, who speaks with your own authority. Listening to Him we heed your commands; turning from Him we can only be condemned. Thank you for all your blessings, LORD, for the beauty and goodness of your creation. Most of all, we thank you for making us in your image. Let us not nullify your word and remove ourselves from your presence, but honor you in all we do.

(Gn.1:1-19; Ps.104:1-2,5-6,10,12,24,31,35; Mk.6:53-56) "How manifold are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have wrought them all." It is the Lord who "fixed the earth upon its foundation not to be moved forever," and "with the ocean, as with a garment [He] covered it" – "the earth is full of His creatures." By the Word of His mouth all comes into being, and is sustained, sustained in the goodness of God. Here as we read the beginning of sacred Scripture, we might do well to quote St. Bonaventure from the day's Office of Readings. In speaking of knowledge of Christ as "the main source of a firm understanding of the truth of all sacred Scripture," He states: "It is impossible, therefore, for anyone to achieve this understanding unless he first receives the gift of faith in Christ. This faith is the foundation of the whole Bible, a lamp and a key to its understanding." But how many read God's Word as though in a dark room. The prevailing lack of faith and so blindness to the truth of Scripture is evident again today in the commentary of my missal, which says of the Creation prophecy in Genesis, "The story is divided artificially," giving as example the fact that "the sun is created after light." How indeed we grope in darkness without the light of the Spirit; without childlike faith we shall never understand God's Word, never enter His kingdom. Is the light of God dependent upon the sun or the stars? When our psalmist sings of the Lord "robed in light as with a cloak," is it sunlight of which he speaks? Does the light of the Lord not necessarily precede the limited light of the sun – which the Lord has but made "to govern the day" for a time – even as it shall be all by which we see when the sun and the moon and the stars pass away? Where is your faith, where is your understanding… why is the Lord's light not in you, my brother? Brothers and sisters, as the people of Gennesaret upon seeing Jesus "immediately recognized Him" and "scurried about" to bring all their sick to Him, so we must be drawn by the light of God to the Truth that is Christ the Lord. He is in every page of Scripture. He is at work with the Father in Creation. He is the all-powerful Word which brings all into being by its eminent wisdom made flesh before our eyes; and we shall never know the wonder of God's works and the wonders He has wrought in our own soul unless we come to faith in Him. In Jesus are all God's works revealed. He is the light of the universe. (And though His radiance extends beyond our sight to infinite galaxies, it is here in this dome between clouds and sea we dwell, the earth from which we have been formed solidly beneath our feet.) ******* O LORD, you created the world and all it holds and redeemed us by your Son – let your light be upon us this day. YHWH, by a word from your mouth you have created the heavens and the earth and given us light to guide our way. It is you in whom all glory and majesty dwell, yet you have made this world as a reflection of your beauty. For this we should ever praise you. But how we have disfigured your Creation, LORD! How we have lost our way. Still, you do not leave us alone in the darkness we have made – to us you send your only Son, Word made flesh, Light of the world. And as we recognize in Him your glory in our midst, as we reach out to Him for healing, we are made well again, whole in your sight. Let us dwell, O LORD, in the place you have made for us; in your goodness let us remain. Through the ministry of your Son let us be fed by your hand, that we might be led one day to your Promised Land.

(Is.6:1-2a,3-8; Ps.138:1-5,7-8; 1Cor.15:1-11; Lk.5:1-11) "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" "the voice of the Lord" asks in the presence of the angels and Isaiah. "Here I am… send me!" is the prophet's response. And so this "man of unclean lips" having been purged of his uncleanness by an ember from the altar of God is ready to speak for "the King, the Lord of hosts!" Grace come through the seraphim prepares his soul to do the will of the Lord. "By the grace of God I am what I am," Paul, "the least of the apostles," declares, having been saved from his persecution of the Church of God and made the great Apostle to the nations, he knows, only by the favor of the Lord Most High. And now the Gospel he preaches with a mouth anointed by the blood of Christ, the word of God which he speaks, brings salvation to all who "hold fast" to it. And Peter, too, the first of apostles, we find coming to faith and power in the Lord by His grace-filled call. A catch of fish is what touches his soul and makes him fall to his knees, "a sinful man." And as He has deemed to stoop to the level of Isaiah and Paul, so the Lord reaches out his hand to Peter, lifting him to his feet and speaking to his ear his call of "catching men." And so the Rock of the Church is born. King David sings in truth when he says: "All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O Lord, when they hear the words of your mouth." And having heard these words speak clearly to their hearts, so are our prophet and apostles set to proclaim with David "the glory of the Lord" to all who likewise hear. And certainly the grace given them "has not been ineffective," for even now a multitude is drawn into "the presence of the angels," where they "worship at [the Lord's] holy temple and give thanks to [His] name." Alleluia! Join His call. Let your nets to the depths descend, to draw up souls redeemed by the Gospel of God, that many might sing "Holy, holy, holy" to our heavenly King. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Calling" from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, help us to love our enemies even as your Son has done for all of us sinners. YHWH, you are gracious and merciful, but we are weak and sinful. How shall we be like you? How shall we bear the image of your Son? How shall we move from being earthly to heavenly men? Indeed, it is only by your mercy. O LORD, we must reflect your great mercy if we are to find the mercy we so desperately need for our own souls. And sharing in this mercy of yours is mercy itself, is your greatest gift to us, your poor creatures. What more could we hope for than to be like you? For what more could we ask than to be of your love? You it is who pardon all our iniquities, who spare sinful man. Though our deeds against you deserve death, though for our crimes we merit destruction – though we should be nailed to the ground with one thrust of your spear, we are freed from such a fate by your Son's sacrifice on the Cross… and we are called to join Him there. Forgive all who sin against us, LORD, that we might be saved.

(Heb.13:15-17,20-21; Ps.23:1-6; Mk.6:30-34) "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." All things are cared for by the Lord; our work and our rest are in His hands. Nothing need we fear. No good desire goes unfulfilled – His sheep He loves. Brothers and sisters, "through Christ may [the God of peace] carry out in you all that is pleasing to Him." Let Him guide you "in right paths" for the accomplishment of His will. In "good deeds and generosity," in obedience to superiors, in every intention of the heart, "continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which acknowledge His name," for this thanksgiving He desires before all deeds and in all deeds; such praise will ensure His blessing, and lead to greater praise, and so greater blessing! Have every confidence that the Lord "will furnish you with all that is good, that you may do His will," and rejoice always in all you accomplish by His grace. See in our gospel that when "the apostles returned to Jesus and reported to Him all that they had done and what they had taught," "He said to them, 'Come by yourselves to an out-of-the-way place and rest a little.'" They have done His work faithfully, and now He would give them rest; now He would refresh and renew their souls. "Beside restful waters He leads me": in a "boat by themselves" He takes them. "In verdant pastures He gives me repose": "to a deserted place" the boat goes. And though upon arrival at their destination the people wait "like sheep without a shepherd" and so their work must resume, this does not distract from the promised rest which awaits the finishing of our work in this world, and indeed but emphasizes that our rest shall be complete only in heaven. For now the Lord watches over. Now He cares for us like needful sheep. Now He takes upon Himself all our fears and burdens, and calls us to do the same for all. What should we want? What do we need when we do the Lord's will? In this laying down of our lives all is provided; in our work we take our rest, we eat our bread. For He is with us with His "goodness and kindness"; He remains at our side even in darkness… We become one with our Shepherd, and no further grace we desire. ******* O LORD, in you alone we take our rest, through the blood of your only Son. YHWH, through Jesus may we carry out your will; washed in His blood may we be raised from the dead. In Him let us take our refuge, and nothing shall be wanting to us. In your Son all our needs are met, and this to overflowing. For He has pity on all our weakness – O LORD, let us be obedient to our Shepherd! LORD our God, let us praise you in all things, your NAME ever on our lips. In all our work may we be blessed and brought into your heavenly presence. You would give us rest, dear God; you call us to an out-of-the-way place to be with you. May we find repose in your eternal kingdom after these days of toil are passed. But even here you are with us, LORD, even in this dark place. Your Son is the Shepherd who walks amongst His sheep, leading us ever to your side.

(Heb.13:1-8; Ps.27:1,3,5,8-9; Mk.6:14-29) "I will never desert you, nor will I forsake you." A series of parallels we have today between our first reading and our gospel. Paul instructs us in his letter to the Hebrews not to "neglect to show hospitality" to our "fellow Christians," since we may be "entertain[ing] angels" thereby; but it is not angels Herod entertains at his birthday banquet, and a false sense of hospitality leads him to grave sin, as when Herodias' daughter requests the Baptist's head on a platter, "because of his oath and the presence of his guests," he "dispatch[es] an executioner." Paul also tells us to "be mindful of prisoners as if [we] were sharing their imprisonment"; and it seems almost against himself Herod indeed sympathizes with John. We are told, "When he heard him speak he was very much disturbed; yet he felt the attraction of his words." He knows John is the angel he should better entertain, but denies the voice speaking to his heart. And so Paul's warning, "You may yet suffer as they do," proves true with Herod, who is clearly imprisoned by his own fear that John has been raised from the dead to haunt his soul. Of course, the central cause of all Herod's problems is his breaking the command Paul expresses distinctly: "Let marriage be honored in every way and the marriage bed be kept undefiled," for it is "on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married," that John chastises Herod, that the king has the prophet imprisoned, and that he is cornered into murdering him. And so now he knows very deeply the extent to which "God will judge fornicators and adulterers." Indeed, his adulterous relationship and his niece/daughter's dance of lust stand as examples comparable to the profligate lands of Sodom and Gomorrah for their immorality, for their opposition to the Father's love. It is the Father's love and our trust therein which rises above the immorality and violence so present in our gospel. At the heart of Paul's letter is his paraphrase of today's psalm: "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?" Indeed the faith in God David sings of so confidently – "Though an army encamp against me… though war be waged upon me, even then will I trust" – is what the Baptist holds in his own spirit, even as he extends his neck for the executioner's blade. He knows well that the Lord "will hide [him] in His abode in the day of trouble," and so no trouble does his death cause him: the Lord will certainly "set [him] high upon a rock," keeping him untouched by the lust and destruction which surround him in Herod's dank prison. It is Herod upon whom darkness shall fall. "Your presence, O Lord, I seek. Hide not your face from me." Through all things let me remain in your light. And as John's life ended, this greatest of "leaders who spoke the word of God" to us, so let my own, in faith in you, O Lord, who are with us forever. ******* O LORD, though thrown in prison or put to death, still you protect us; in purity in your presence let us dwell. YHWH, O what fate awaits those who feed their lust, who wallow in the wickedness of this world! Theirs is a punishment far worse than death, for never will their fear come to an end. But those who love you and their brothers, LORD, those who have pity on souls most in need, these are shielded by you in the day of trouble and shall rise to be with you in the end. Your children are persecuted on this earth, O LORD our God. They walk in the footsteps of your Son. But despite the war that is waged upon them, despite the threat of death itself, those who trust in you are not shaken. But those who sit upon the thrones of sin, those who give free reign to their passion and greed – these do but fat themselves for the day of slaughter, when the dance of lust shall be long past. Let us serve you in our brothers, LORD. Let us share in the pains of those oppressed and keep ever to your way, and you will keep us from all harm to sit with John and Jesus on the last day.

(Heb.12:18-19,21-24; Ps.48:2-4,9-11; Mk.6:7-13) "You have drawn near to MountZion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…" "…to the assembly of the first-born enrolled in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks more eloquently than that of Abel." Alleluia! "Great is the Lord and wholly to be praised in the city of our God." And great is our call to dwell in His blessed City with all His holy ones, and with our Lord. Could there be a greater cause for joy? For "His holy mountain, fairest of heights, is the joy of all the earth," and the joy of heaven. To the New Jerusalem we are drawn, brothers and sisters, to the fairest heights. Holiness in the Lord is our call – to dwell with our Lord forever. But what is the road that leads to such a blessed mountain? How do we who tread the dust of this earth find our way to heaven? Evident the Lord makes the path today in the summoning of His apostles. In their call we find our own. "Do not bring a second tunic," Jesus says to the Twelve as He sends them forth to preach and to heal. For they are to make no provision, to put no stock in the things of the earth… "to take nothing on the journey." Their trust must be entirely in Him and the word with which He anoints them: the power He gives, the grace He provides, is sufficient not only to cast out demons, but to find all we need for our day-to-day lives. The Lord teaches us as He teaches them that our faith must be complete, our spirits wholly set on His will, if we are to make our way across the dust of this earth to His kingdom. Nothing short of the sacrifice He Himself offers first will bring us there. His sprinkled blood must be upon us, and work through us. "O God, we ponder your kindness in your temple"; we marvel at your grace. For no longer by "fearful… spectacle" of "blazing fire" and "gloomy darkness" do you make yourself known to us. No longer are you "untouchable," Lord. But present in our midst, sandals upon your feet, you, O unapproachable glory, draw near to us, and so enable us to draw near to you, to touch you, O wounded Savior. And your sandals you place upon our feet and invite us to walk in the way you have shown. May we do so, Lord, as humbly as thou; and so to our eyes and our hearts make your kingdom known. All the saints in heaven, pray for us. All His holy angels, watch over our way. May our feet stand forever upon the Lord's holy mountain. In His heavenly City let us make our home. (In His Church, in His Mass, He is with us.) ******* O LORD, may we take with us only the Cross of your Son as we journey to your holy mountain. YHWH, how can we express the joy of the gracious gift of your Son in our midst? In Him your Temple comes to us; in Him we dwell in your City, O living God. He is the mountain to whom all holy souls come. His is the blood that washes us clean and prepares our hearts to receive your glory. May we follow in His steps this day that we might live ever in the heavenly Jerusalem. Nothing need we but your Son and His Cross, O LORD. There is nothing in which we should put our trust but His Word. For walking in His sandals all is provided for us – what does any son need but you. O Father in Heaven, in your great love you think of us and draw us into your presence with all the holy ones. Let us be made ready to stand on your mountain by our trust in you today. Let your Son work in us; in Him let us make our home.

(Heb.12:4-7,11-15; Ps.103:1-2,13-14,17-18; Mk.6:1-6) "Whom the Lord loves, He disciplines; He scourges every son He receives." Like His only Son we must be. For without discipline where would we be? Apart from the Lord's chastising hand, into what state would we fall? Without the cross, how could we find the kingdom? If the Lord did not scourge us, we would be blind as His countrymen in our gospel today, who question even what their ears behold and their eyes see – dead to His presence we would remain. Only the dust of His flesh would we look upon, thinking He is no more than our sinful selves; far short of His divinity would we fall. And so a word of chastisement He brings to our hearts, as He does those of "His native place," of "His own house," condemning our failure to honor God in His prophets and in His Son, calling us beyond our eyes of flesh to the breath of the Spirit. Oh how our "lack of faith distress[es] Him"! Oh how He would stir within us "that holiness without which no one can see the Lord"! For "the kindness of the Lord is from eternity to eternity toward those who fear Him," and His kindness He would have all know. But failing of a reverent awe for the Most High Lord, what do we do but grovel in the dust? Our hearts cannot know Him if they are not humble; our souls cannot bless Him if they are not holy… and so we lose "all His benefits" by a stubborn pride. This is not the will of God. Brothers and sisters, the Lord "knows how we are formed; He remembers that we are dust." But from the dust He calls us to join Him on high, to rise above our earthen state. In His compassion the Father would have us be even as He is; and so He sends His only Son to suffer for our sins, to show us the path to holiness we must walk. "So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees"; fear not the cross of Jesus. For by it you will be made strong, you will be made whole; through it "the grace of God" will pour, and make you as His own. Peace soon follows every cord of scourging; the nails in our hands open our souls to the Spirit's movement, to the Lord's love, as by this bleeding our sins are purged. And in His light we shall soon stand, "all [our] being bless[ing] His holy name." Then we shall no longer question His wisdom but in His mercy make our home. ******* O LORD, may we be your sons not just in flesh but in truth; your compassion be upon us in the discipline of your Word. YHWH, thank you for your discipline, for your blessed chastising hand. It is out of love you correct us; in your compassion you desire us to be with you. Let us praise you for your kindness. Forgive us, LORD, all our blindness, all our failure to see your hand at work. Our disobedience hurts us most of all, for by it we separate ourselves from your love. In our lives let your will be done! If you had not compassion on our erring hearts, if you scourged not our sinful souls, where would we be, LORD, where would we be? From your healing and your teaching let us never be apart. Come to your native place this day, O LORD. Those baptized in your NAME please bless. Let us welcome you with open arms into our houses, treasuring every chastising word, and we shall be at peace in your presence.