The BreadCast

(Heb.12:1-4; Ps.22:26-28,30-32; Mk.5:21-43) "Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who inspires and perfects our faith." Like the woman in our gospel who saw Him in the crowd and with great confidence made her way toward Him but to reach out and "touch His clothing," knowing in her heart that by this she "shall get well"; like the official of the synagogue who draws near and falls at His feet begging healing for his daughter, who even after being told, "Your daughter is dead," does "not grow despondent or abandon the struggle" but takes refuge in the Lord's encouragement to trust; like all the "cloud of witnesses" that have sought Him, that have believed in Him, that have never taken their eyes off Him or His love – let us be saints who "lay aside every encumbrance of sin which clings to us and persevere in running the race which lies ahead," and we shall receive our reward even as those who have gone before us have done. By endurance in faith we shall find Jesus. Sin it is, of course, that is the greatest obstacle to sanctity in the Lord, to achieving our goal of eternal life in heaven; death and disease are merely the fruits of this poisonous tree. And so the "fight against sin" is truly our greatest struggle, for once sin is set aside, peace comes to our souls and we are no longer anxious or fearful, despite any workings of the devil – despite the destruction in his hands. The woman's "flow of blood" (for as many years as Jairus' daughter, "a child of twelve," has been alive) is but symptomatic for us of the greater affliction of transgression against God. And even the young girl's death is nothing really, for it is so that "she is [only] asleep," as the Lord says, and not dead at all… and so death and disease mean nothing unless they are accompanied by sin. It is this plague which must be overcome. And for this healing we come to Him. For this grace we must press upon Him, like the crowds who surround Him this day. And like the raised child's parents our "astonishment [will be] complete," for we shall be clean: we shall be alive in the Lord. "To Him alone shall bow down all who sleep in the earth"; by Him alone all shall be raised. So let us keep our eyes and our hearts fixed upon Him, knowing "they who seek the Lord shall praise Him" – in Him our faith is complete. "To Him alone [our] soul shall live"; therefore, let us bleed with Him this day. ******* O LORD, let us be freed of all illness; let us be raised from our graves to walk with you. YHWH, our faith unites us to you and so we find healing for every disease and every sin, for no evil lives in you. And so, help us to endure all, keeping our eyes ever fixed on your Son and the hope He brings to our souls, and we shall be well in your presence. O LORD, you raise us from the sleep of death and sin. Your Son who walks in our midst leads us to your glory. And so, let us bow down before Him, humbling ourselves in faith, and our every prayer shall be answered; and we shall be united to you and your glorious majesty. Why should we be afraid? Why should we fear placing our trust in you? Let no obstacle stand in the way of our coming to you that we might join the band of your holy ones in your eternal kingdom. Though we must shed our blood in the struggle, let us know our salvation is assured.

(Heb.11:32-40; Ps.31:20-25; Mk.5:1-20) "They broke the jaws of lions, put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword…" In each of these descriptions of the powerful deeds of the men of old what is conquered is an instrument of death, and so what is indicated is the power of God – from whom these men derive their strength – to destroy death itself. This is made more obvious in the fact that "women received back their dead through resurrection" by their faith in God, and is apparent even in those who "were tortured and did not receive deliverance"; for they suffered all "in order to obtain a better resurrection," one not simply of the earth and the body, but one which is absolute, one which pertains to spirit and body in heaven… and we can be assured they received such reward. Brothers and sisters, death is the devil's instrument, but life is of God; and the Lord of life holds power over all death and banishes it by His word. That death is the devil's tool, so ready at his hand, is made evident after Jesus "gave the word, and with it the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine": immediately "the herd of about two thousand went rushing down the bluff into the lake, where they began to drown." As the demons had driven the man of Gerasene into the tombs upon taking possession of him, so they drive these swine to their demise. Death is the devil's will; he would see the destruction of all life. And what of those men of old who seem so much like our possessed man today; what about those who "dwelt in caves and in holes of the earth" and "went about garbed in the skins of sheep or goats, needy, afflicted, tormented"? How do these differ from the poor soul of Gerasene? Does the devil not have power over them, too? The answer is no – the two are clearly different. The power the devil had over the ancient prophets, which is witnessed most fully in Christ Himself as well as all His followers, is a power only over the body, over the physical circumstances of life. As with Christ and His followers, the spirit, the soul of these ancients, remained untouched by the devil's claw. The same is not so for the poor soul among the tombs: of him the devil had taken possession body and soul. And, you might say, Is the strength exhibited by the demoniac not like that of Samson when he broke the chains of the Philistines? What of this similarity? My friends, the chains upon the demoniac were meant to help preserve his life, and when he "pulled the chains apart and smashed the fetters" by the strength of the devil, it was only that he could continue "gash[ing] himself with stones"; whereas Samson broke his fetters by the power of God in order to preserve his life from the clutches of the Philistines. (One must always use right judgment and discern well, especially the things of the spirit, avoiding preoccupation with the superficiality of circumstances and jumping to quick decisions.) "Love the Lord, all you His faithful ones!" Keep "constant" in faith and "from the plottings of men" and "the strife of tongues" He will "shelter" you. Whether overcoming or being overcome by death in this life, the life of heaven awaits you and is with you. ******* O LORD, of the least of us you make use, joining all to your Body to proclaim your glory. YHWH, your power is greater even than that of death, and your power you share with all your holy ones, that in your NAME they might overcome death and all its workings. What great deeds are we not capable of if we but put our trust in you? We shall indeed rise from the dead with Jesus your only Son. Death surrounds us in this world; it is as if we dwell in a tomb. For where can we turn where sin does not exist, and so, how can we be free of its clutches? It is like the lion's jaw or a raging fire or the devouring sword. But you give power to conquer sin to those who take refuge in Christ's blood. Even in this dark world, they are screened in your abode. Though we are made to dwell in caves or in holes of the earth, you are yet with us, LORD, we who are to be made perfect in you. O let us sit at your feet in our right mind all the days of our lives! Let us declare your goodness to all.

(Heb.11:1-2,8-19; Lk.1:68-75; Mk.4:35-41) "Why are you so terrified? Why are you lacking in faith?" "Faith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see," our brother Paul would have us know, and realize. We all hope for something; there is ever something we all long to see. The eyes are set in the front of the human head and always he is looking at what is before him, straining to see what is ahead. And what is it we hope to see further along this road we tread? What is our hope for the future – what is set indelibly in our hearts, calling us forward to tomorrow? Are we as Abraham, who was "looking forward to the city with foundations," to the city of God, and so was able to uproot himself from his city here on earth, "not knowing where he was going," and dwell in tents? Have we the same hope as he? If we have his hope, we should have his faith as well, and more. For what upon this earth is worthy of greater assurance than the coming of the kingdom of God? Is there any firmer promise in which to believe? And if Abraham and all the "men of old" were able to live by faith and so find God's approval and His blessing, how much more should we be ready, how much greater confidence should we have, we upon whom the light which they only "saluted… from afar" has dawned? To our eyes has been brought what they were kept from seeing; and so our faith should go beyond hope – it should be most real, utterly unshakable by the vicissitudes of this world. For He is here, He who was "promised through the mouths of His holy ones, the prophets of ancient times." Brothers and sisters, it is time to "cross over to the farther shore" with our Lord. What Moses could only view from afar is now present to us in the flesh of Christ: heaven is in our midst, and nothing should we fear… no room for doubt should we make. In the words of our gospel we witness the disciples coming gradually to see Him who has entered their boat, who has power over all. And their fear shall leave them soon, even as awe overtakes them. And we must be the same, and more. For upon us the Spirit has already come, completing the Trinity's presence among us. Nothing more is there to look forward to than our life in heaven, and nothing for our crossing do we lack. Sure indeed should we now be. And so, "rid of fear and delivered from the enemy" by Him who is all-powerful, "we should serve Him devoutly, and through all our days, be holy in His sight." Let faith find its fulfillment now in the lives we lead in His name. Cast all fear away, and love. ******* O LORD, you are able to raise us even from the dead – let us put our faith in you. YHWH, will Jesus not lead us to the farther shore, to the kingdom where you dwell? Will not He who holds the wind and the waves in His hands and commands them by a word of His mouth, will He not save us from all that would keep us from you? But are our hearts set on the Promised Land of Heaven as was Abraham's and all the prophets' of old? Are we so willing to give up all the things of this world to find your eternal City? O LORD, have we the faith that you are able to raise from the dead, that even death and sin and all the wiles of the devil and the trappings of this earth are in your power to command? If so, then why should our hope ever be dimmed; why should we be afraid? Save us, LORD, from our faithlessness! Let us serve you in holiness all our days, our hearts set on the land to which Jesus would take us.

(Heb.10:32-39; Ps.37:3-6,23-24,39-40; Mk.4:26-34) "You need patience to do God's will and receive what He has promised." Brothers and sisters, "we are not among those who draw back and perish, but among those who have faith and live." Whatever "great contest[s] of suffering" may be before us or behind us or upon us even now, we do not "surrender [our] confidence" in the Lord but stand strong, enduring all by our "trust in Him" and so coming by these means to the kingdom of God. My friends, we know we have "better and more permanent possessions" in heaven, and so "the confiscation of [our] goods" upon this earth, the "insult and trial" we have to endure, and even the prison into which we may be thrown, hold no sway over our souls and do not deter our resolve to follow the way of Christ – in fact, they but increase our firmness in the Lord. For seeing how "He delivers [us] from the wicked and saves" us when we "take refuge in Him" reveals to our souls the firmness of His hand upon us and the passing nature of any vain temptation or torture. We comprehend hereby that we need but "commit to the Lord [our] way… and He will act"; He is the one who preserves us from all harm and sees that fruit is born in our lives. And so, day by day we come to Him; night after passing night we approach His presence. We grow in His sight even as "the soil produces of itself first the blade, then the ear, [and] finally the ripe wheat in the ear." Even unto the day of judgment we shall grow so gradually, so blessedly, steadily producing fruit in His glorious light, and thus avoid any condemnation. For He has taken possession of our souls; His hand is upon us now, and from such marvelous grace we cannot turn our faces away. "A brief moment, and He who is to come will come; He will not delay," says the Lord; and so, brothers and sisters, let us "live by faith" as the Lord's "just man," knowing full well that "He will make justice dawn for [us] like the light," that on His Day we shall be drawn into the kingdom of God. "Bright as the noonday shall be [our] vindication," so let us endure all patiently and bravely in this world, ever bearing fruit in His name. ******* O LORD, help us to endure all persecutions that we might grow steadily unto your kingdom. YHWH, let us take refuge in you and there find protection and blessing. Let us grow gradually unto your kingdom, enduring all with patience and faith. Your justice will dawn for the man who remains steadfast in your sight. O LORD, what should we care if we must suffer persecution, if our goods are confiscated and we are thrown into prison? For what blessed possessions we have in you, those which last forever. And so, increase our faith day to day as we see your hand continually rescue us from all distress, from every trial; let us ever grow unto your presence and make our home in your branches. If we could but be the man you desire us to be, LORD, for our own sakes! If we could but trust in you and your constant blessings! Then we would forever be sustained, knowing that you will not delay your coming but very soon we will be with you in eternity. Be with us as we wait here.

(Heb.10:19-25; Ps.24:1-6; Mk.4:21-25) "Since we have a great high priest who is over the house of God, let us draw near in utter sincerity and absolute confidence." Let us shine our light without fear, for it is the light of the Lord and cannot be removed. "Let us hold unswervingly to our profession which gives us hope, for He who made the promise deserves our trust." Do you think He will fail you in your commitment to Him? No, His love is always first to come; you need but follow. And let us "encourage one another," brothers and sisters, even as Jesus does us all in our gospel today. Let us "rouse each other to love and good deeds," calling one another to shine our light, the light that is in each of our hearts by the grace of our Savior. "Our hearts sprinkled clean from the evil which lay on our conscience and our bodies washed in pure water," ready we are to do His will in this world; "the blood of Jesus assures our entrance into the sanctuary," and so, with our place in heaven set firm, we hesitate not to put our love "on a stand" and let it pierce the darkness all around. "We should not absent ourselves from the assembly," brothers and sisters. We should not think we need not gather together in His name. For we cannot take strength alone to fight our battles in this world; apart from one another we will be worn down by sin, by pride. Our light is not our own but is meant to be shared; indeed, it belongs to the whole community for it belongs only to the Lord. And it can only grow and increase when given in measure to others; otherwise it will be taken from us. So let us draw near our Lord as we draw near each other in the sharing of our gifts. Let us be as "he whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain," and our gifts will be acceptable one to another, and our lives will be acceptable to God. And we shall "ascend the mountain of the Lord" and "stand in His holy place" – the place He makes for us by His sacrifice… "We shall receive a blessing from the Lord, a reward from God our Savior," if we seek His face alone. Do not be afraid. Hide not your light. Enter His presence, do His will, accepting the grace He imparts to our lives. He calls you to join in His sacrifice. ******* O LORD, all the world is ours if we but come to Jesus for the cleansing of our sins. YHWH, let us be the race that seeks your holy face and to shine your holy light to all around us. This world is your own and we are in your hands, and none of us can ascend to you if we come not through your only Son. Let us come to Him with confidence and joy and seek to serve one another and the salvation of all. Then we shall be seeking you; then we shall be serving you – then we shall be standing again in His stead, and so find your holy blessing and receive it more and more. O LORD, let us give ourselves as Jesus has done. Let us be His very flesh and blood. Bless your Church, O God, with His love, with His light shining in every member. Let us not hide in fear but freely offer the gifts you impart to each of our lives for the service of the whole Body. The more we give the more we shall receive, for the more we give the more we share in your love. Let us not fail to shine forth your light as you call us to do.

(Heb.10:11-18; Ps.110:1-4; Mk.4:1-20) "I will put my laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds." He will plant His seed firmly upon "good soil," and it shall yield fruit abundantly. Let us be open to receive His word each day. Today we hear Jesus' well-known parable of seed sown in four places: "on the path," "on rocky ground," "among thorns," and "on good soil"; and the Lord makes clear that only in the last place will the seed bear a profitable yield. And, of course, the Lord hereby calls each of us to consider what place we make for the seed with our lives. Clearly, "what the sower is sowing is the word," and just as clearly, our hearts are the ground into which that word is sown. Therefore, the question is: What kind of hearts have we for the word of God, for His love? The seed does not change; in every place it is sown the same. It is only the soil which changes, and thus determines its fruitfulness. Are our hearts barren of the Spirit, or wrought with stones or choking thorns… or do we make a welcome place for the love of God to take root in our lives and grow? Though our tree shall be known by its fruit, only we really know where our heart stands with God, and so this question Jesus would bring to our minds, not to condemn us for our emptiness or hardness of heart, but that we might turn to Him and bear fruit in His light, that He might take away the "sins and… transgressions" that keep us void of life. Do you know the Spirit at work in your hearts, brothers and sisters, at work in your souls? Is His word taking root in you and being nourished by the waters of the Lord? "To you the mystery of the reign of God has been confided," and so, what a pity it would be to turn from His instruction, or fall short at all in preparing a place for the Lord to reside. The Spirit burning in our hearts, the blessing of His pure light, is all we should thirst for in our lives. "Like the dew" before the dawn He comes; each morning you should find yourself wet with that dew and set to do good works in His name. Yes, brothers and sisters, upon the heart of each of His children, the Lord God writes His name, places His law, His love, by the blood of His only Son. He thus makes us one with His infinite presence, ever giving growth to our tree. With His word piercing our souls, our soil is prepared to receive His seed. Let us therefore open our hearts to His light touch – His finger, His breath, His word, inscribing His NAME at the center of our being – and we shall grow in Him even unto the kingdom. ******* O LORD, let us be cleansed of our sin by your Son that we might be good soil to receive the Word He offers and bear fruit in your NAME. YHWH, our sins and transgressions remember no more; the blindness of our minds and hardened of our hearts take from us forever. By the sacrifice of your Son this is accomplished in our lives. Let us be good ground to receive His Word and bear fruit in His Name. Jesus sits forever at your right hand, O LORD; He remains there ever to cleanse us from our sin. His sacrifice is complete and whole; let it be made effective in our lives. Rule over us, O LORD our God, through the scepter of your only Son. By the power that is His from you, let our days be ordered as holy flowerbeds. Good soil indeed let us be, not choked by the world or weakened by the flesh or robbed of the Spirit by the devil – let our hearts be set on you alone and in you and in your Son find growth and bear fruit. May His blood water us well and His light shine through us always.

(Heb.10:1-10; Ps.40:2,4,7-11; Mk.3:31-35) "I have come to do your will, O God." But what is this will of God? How do we know it? How shall we live it? The will of God is known through the obedience of the Son, in His sacrifice for our sins; and all who seek to do the will of God must follow in His way, offering themselves freely, innocently, to the Lord for the sake of the Body of Christ. "Who are my mother and my brothers?" Jesus asks the crowd. Who enter into His fold, becoming children of God the Father? "Whoever does the will of God." Whoever does the will of God is the only answer He could make. Whoever is as His mother and says, "Behold the handmaiden of the Lord; be it done unto me according to your word"; whoever is as His brother apostles and suffers martyrdom for the faith, unafraid to speak out in His name; whoever is like the simple sheep surrounding Him in the gospel today, listening so obediently to the heavenly words He utters… these are "brother and sister and mother" to Him. Oh what a glorious family to be among! Brothers and sisters, we no longer have "only a shadow of the good things to come" but rather a "real image of them" in the flesh and blood of the only Son. The salvation of our God is abstract and fleeting no more, for the Lord has come in a body to make ever so real for us the glory of God. Our hearts should leap up at His presence; our ears should be "open to obedience" to hear and heed His voice. Our mouths agape, we should wonder at His presence among us and desire only to become one with Him who holds our very lives in His sacred heart, in the Spirit upon the flesh He is. Oh have we not "waited, waited for the Lord"? And how should we not act now that He has "stooped toward" us, now that He has humbled Himself to become man? A spirit of exultation should fill us, for by His presence with us He "put[s] a new song into [our] mouth, a hymn to our God." Our hearts are set on fire with the anointing of the Holy Spirit and we can no longer "restrain [our] lips," but must declare even with our precious Lord: "I have come to do your will," to join in your blessed sacrifice – to know the glory of kinship with you, my God, by whom we are all called. O Lord, "I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth in the vast assembly." I declare it on these pages. Please gather me this day into your holy family. ******* O LORD, help us to join your Son in doing your will by laying down our lives in this world. YHWH, let us do your will. This alone we ask of you. Let us do your will that we might join with your Son, our Brother, and be sanctified by the offering of His body for our sakes. Let us join with Him in seeking to do your will, in offering our bodies as sacrifice, in declaring your goodness to all souls. Put a new song into our mouths, LORD, one that proclaims your glory. Let us be filled to overflowing with your presence in our souls that we cannot but speak of your kindness and your truth, your faithfulness and your salvation. Here am I; I come to do your will. Let this be our song. Let us be cleansed of sin by the sacrifice of Jesus – let our body be as His own. O that we might be your holy family, LORD, that we might be as Mary and the apostles, giving our complete "yes" to your call. May your Son open His arms to gather us into your presence.

(Heb.9:15,24-28; Ps.98:1-6; Mk.3:22-30) "His death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions." By his death Jesus has disarmed the devil; the Lord has destroyed Satan's power by His holy sacrifice. Because of Jesus' innocent blood, "Satan has suffered mutiny in his ranks and is torn by dissension," for none of his adversarial accusations can stand before such pure love. "He cannot endure, he is finished"… and with him, sin also dies, for there is no longer anyone to accuse us of our sin. It is as if Jesus says, "Kill me if you will," and once having done so, Satan has nothing left in his arsenal. Once taking all our sins out of his bag and piercing the Savior through with their cumulative strength, what more power has he to effect death? Death has its day, and life – the life that is the love of the Son – has triumphed over it: our sins' effects have come full force against our Lord and Maker, and "His right hand has won victory" over them. And so this great promise the Lord can make, this astounding statement He brings to our ears: "I give you my word, every sin will be forgiven mankind and all the blasphemies men utter." Though the sin against the Spirit will not be forgiven – for how can he who calls salvation condemnation find the grace of God; how can lies find discourse with Truth? – yet all the sins man has committed in his ignorance and lust will be washed clean in Jesus' blood when any soul comes humbly to Him. And in consequence of this blessed mercy, "those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance," for our Savior has "entered heaven itself that He might appear before God now on our behalf." Yes, He serves as mediator now, interceding before the Father against our transgressions, that He might prepare for us a path to His kingdom. His cross and His sacrifice stand as our ladder unto heaven. "The Lord has made His salvation known" by the offering of His Son, and to "all the ends of the earth" "His holy arm" is revealed. He has appeared once in weakness to take away our sins, but "He will appear a second time not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him." And so, as we are washed clean of sin in His blood, we must stand ready for His final coming, for our promised reward, "sing[ing] praise to the Lord." ******* O LORD, cast all the demons far from us that we might worship you in faith and truth and come to your kingdom. YHWH, we should be offering you and your Son songs of praise, not blaspheming against your goodness toward us. For He has come to deliver us from sin, to cast Satan from our midst that we might enter your kingdom and glorify your NAME – let us not doubt or deny the grace you send us; let us not court condemnation with a hardened heart. There is a pride from which we suffer, LORD, a pride and a fear. We are unable to humble ourselves before your majesty or receive the love you bring. Our hands are grasping and our hearts impure, and so we do not see how much we need the salvation wrought by your Son. Help us to turn from our sin, to seek the blood of Jesus upon our souls, that we might become pure and innocent as children before you, living only in the truth, and so, joyfully singing your praise.

(Neh.8:2-4a,5-6,8-10; Ps.19:8-10,15; 1Cor.12:12-30; Lk.1:1-4,4:14-21) "He opened the scroll so that all the people might see it." These words are spoken of Ezra the scribe who "brought the law before the assembly" of all Israel as he stood above them preparing to read the word of God, but it surely more distinctly refers to Jesus the Christ, the Incarnate Word of God, who reveals Himself to the souls in the Nazareth synagogue today. As "Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God, interpreting it so that all might understand," so the Word is perfectly read and interpreted for us in the Person of Jesus Christ. Jesus came "into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage" in Isaiah which speaks of Him: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me…" Thus is "fulfilled in [the people's] hearing" the salvation promised from all time; the presence of the Word is with us in flesh and bone. Brothers and sisters, the eyes of all are filled with vision of His light, of His glorious being in our midst; all ears are filled with the sound of His voice, like gently rolling thunder soothing our hearts. And so we see. And so we hear. And so His Church has eyes and ears of the Lord, for we become "Christ's body and individually parts of it." Our feet now walk with Christ and our hands serve Him, and all for the blessing and honor and upbuilding of the whole. If I write this to you now and you hear, do I write for myself alone? Is it even I who write at all? Are not all things in the Body in the Lord, taking strength from Him and nourishing in turn all its parts? What are we apart from the Body – we could not stand alone! Does the Lord not reveal these things to us in the opening of Scripture before our eyes? Is He not whole and one with all? In our first reading all wept at the words come from the mouth of Ezra, and all celebrated together this day of feasting. All stood as one when the book was raised, and all were prostrate as the name of the Lord was praised. The Body is one, as St. Paul tells us, and none go off on their own: "If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy." Brothers and sisters, "the ordinances of the Lord are true, and all of them just." Let us live as one in the WORD of the Lord, "the words of [our] mouth and the thoughts of [our] heart find[ing] favor before" our God, that the world might see the truth and the light of Christ alive in His Body. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Body of Christ" from The Whole Whale, eighth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, your Spirit be upon us to accomplish your will in Jesus' Name. YHWH, your Law is perfect and is perfectly revealed in the presence of your Son. He it is who fulfills in our hearing, in our sight, the glory of your Word. Here is the Word made flesh for us to taste, and so to become as His Body. High above us Jesus stands to shine the light of your wisdom upon all souls. By His presence in our assembly all eyes are enlightened, for by Him your command is made clear. And what gifts are thus given to your Church, O LORD, by the Spirit upon us now. How shall our eyes take in the vision you share with us in Him? How shall we hear of the joy He proclaims? How shall we come out of our prisons and embrace the grace of His message, dear LORD, we who have dwelt so far from your will? Refresh our souls this day, dear God, with the flesh and blood of your Son. Let us become one with Him and declare your truth to the world.

(Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22; Ps.117:1-2,Mk.16:15; Mk.16:15-18) "Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to all creation." One would not have expected these words to be spoken so profoundly to the heart of St. Paul. For he, then known as Saul, had spent such time and with such vigor had persecuted the followers of Christ. Why does the Lord shine His light all about him? Why does He speak to him and reveal Himself to him? Why is it this man who is picked to bring the Name of Jesus to all the nations? Perhaps it was his very vigor in persecuting His followers Jesus admired. Perhaps his sincerity and commitment to this cause in the name of God He knew He could use for the cause of justice and right. Perhaps he is a sign to us all that none is beyond the redemption the Lord offers. We know only that he who was persecuting the Church now works to build it up. We know only the story of this great Apostle to the world. "Recover your sight," Ananias says to this Saul, and so Paul, once blinded by the light of the Lord, now has his eyes open to see. So he who once went about with scales on his eyes, he whose vision was once so prevented from realizing the truth of the Jesus in his midst… he who was once so like his brother Pharisees, now sees. And what he sees is not simply Ananias standing before him. What he sees standing before him in this faithful disciple of Jesus, is Christ Himself. And he realizes whom he has been persecuting, and repents. And so he is baptized. And so his mission, one wrought in the suffering of Christ, begins. "Praise the Lord, all you nations; glorify Him, all you peoples!" are the words of our psalmist, but they could as easily be the exhortation of the Apostle Paul. Having himself believed in the Good News proclaimed to all creation and accepted Baptism into its way, he himself now brings so many others to walk along the same path. Great signs accompany him, and his words to our ears are as those of Jesus to him, for now he is such a strong part of the Body of Christ, persecuted by this world and calling it to salvation. On this day all our hearts should turn to the Lord, that we might join Paul and profess our faith in His Name. Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Carie Fortney. Music by Carie Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, help us to believe and so turn to your Son to be saved. YHWH, let all men turn to you as has your great Apostle. Reveal yourself to the eyes and ears of all souls who seek God, all who are zealous for the truth. Why should we continue so blind? Let all be baptized into the way of your Son and so be blessed with His power and His love. Let us not be afraid to lay down our lives for you, O LORD. Let us not turn away from what we must suffer for your Name and that of your Son. In this we should find our joy; proclaiming the Gospel to all Creation should be the food that sustains us. Let us be the sign of your presence in this world. Lay your hands upon us, LORD, that we might be healed. Send your disciples to us to teach us of your way and your truth. Let us enter into that way with them and declare to all that Jesus is the Messiah and in Him all souls are saved and brought to light.