The BreadCast

(Ex.2:1-15;   Ps.69:3,14,30-31,33-34;   Mt.11:20-24)   “I drew him out of the water.”   Moses was drawn from “the watery depths” by Pharaoh’s daughter and nursed by his own mother.  Into the river all male Hebrew children were ordered cast, but by the providential hand of God, this “Moses” is saved.  And it is through him his people shall be drawn out from amongst the Egyptians and the slavery put upon them; and it is by the Law spoken through him that those who believe are kept from “the abysmal swamp where there is no foothold,” that one finds release from the bonds of sin. But now Moses’ zealous concern for his people has caused him to slay an Egyptian, so now he must flee from the face of Pharaoh who seeks to kill him for his sin.  And what irony is there that having fought one day for a Hebrew oppressed by an Egyptian, the next day he finds two Hebrews fighting!  And what apparent lack of appreciation for his concern for their plight – he who has no fear of being enslaved, living in Pharaoh’s palace as he does – do the Hebrews show.  How similar is this lack of appreciation to the cities which Jesus reproaches for “their failure to reform” at His preaching and at the miracles He has worked among them.  Here is an even greater than Moses, the very Son of God, coming to heal them of all their ills and bring them eternal salvation, but they refuse even to turn from their sins that they might find such blessing.  What hope is there for them?  If the power of God cannot convince them, then indeed the flood shall overwhelm them and they “shall go down to the realm of death,” for they refuse to be drawn up out of their sins. Oh that this not be said of us, brothers and sisters!  We indeed have been drawn out of the water.  Baptized by the Spirit who moves upon the waters and nourished at the breast of holy Mother Church, eating the Lord’s own Body and Blood and ever finding forgiveness for our sins by his priests’ commission, we have been graced with all we need to be led from the darkness of this world, from the abysmal swamp where there is no foothold.  We must be ever mindful not to slip back into the watery mire of sin to which this world would draw us and lose the blessing the Lord has provided us to maintain us for the day of judgment.  Great miracles the Lord has worked in us; great miracles He works for us this day.  Let us never fail to reform our lives and conform ourselves to His grace.  Our own death sentence has been removed, washed from us by the blood of Christ; let us not fall again into the swamp of sin, but ever rise to the glory of God. ******* O LORD, we would all go down to the realm of death if it were not for the grace of Christ – let us hear and heed His words and reform our lives. YHWH, you call us to repentance that we might be raised from the abysmal swamp of sin.  Your Son works His miracles in our midst to bring us to sackcloth and ashes.  But are our hearts not hardened, even to His sacrifice?  Then how shall we be saved from the watery depths? Moses was drawn from the water to which he had been condemned by the whim of Pharaoh.  Though but a child, he cried to you, LORD, and Pharaoh’s own daughter you sent to rescue him.  Her heart you softened to the forsaken.  And now that we are afflicted and in pain, in exile from your presence because of the darkness of sin, will you not answer us if we call out to you, O LORD?  Is your help not with those who seek you, who seek to be saved from your impending judgment by the reformation of their lives? O let us turn from our sin, LORD! that we might be exalted to the skies.

(Ex.1:8-14,22;   Ps.124:1-8;   Mt.10:34-11:1)   “The more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread.”   The Israelites lived and worked side by side with the Egyptians for some four hundred years; they had virtually become members of the same household.  But jealousy overcame a “new king” of Egypt, who determined “to oppress them with forced labor,” hoping to break their will as well as their backs.  But they only grew stronger because, as our psalm tells us so vividly, the Lord was with them.  “Had not the Lord been with us… when men rose up against us, then would they have swallowed us alive.”  And, quite literally, “then would the waters have overwhelmed” them, for it was commanded that their newborn males be thrown into the river.  But the Lord was with them, and through all this oppression they only grew stronger. The Israelites stand as an example for our own faith and its struggle with the world today.  Jesus tells us in our gospel that peace shall not be found with the earth, and even those of our own flesh, by following His call.  Indeed, He has come, “in short, to make a man’s enemies those of His own household.”  How true this was for the first Christians, all of whom were Jews, and all of whom would find resistance and even persecution for following this way in which Jesus calls us.  Division among the family must have been common.  But it is no less true today that a man who truly seeks to follow the way of the Lord will meet with the same resistance, even from those who profess to be Catholic and Christian (even from within himself), because the same jealousy the Egyptians had toward the Israelites exists now, and always will, and the same fears the Jews had of Christ also will not easily pass away.  The world is ever in opposition to the cross, yet knowing this, Jesus emphasizes that “he who will not take up his cross and come after [Him] is not worthy of [Him].”  We are eternally called to turn from the world, in all its forms, and lay down our lives and our wills. But we are not alone in this mission to overcome the sins of the world.  As the Lord was with the Israelites, He is certainly with us.  Following Him so closely, it cannot but be that He is near at our sides.  And not only He and His Spirit but His people as well are present to us in this struggle we undertake.  We do have brothers and sisters in the struggle; there are many who give us “a cup of cold water” along the way.  Still the Lord is ever here to help us; still when the world seems to overwhelm us, we are “rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.”  Still we grow stronger through all the oppression we endure.  Let us praise the Lord for His saving power upon us.  Let us continually recommit our lives to His mission on earth, placing Him even before family and friends, and in the losing of our lives we shall come to life and ever grow in His eternal light.   Strengthen us, O Lord, under the burden of work we endure for you; help us to carry our cross. And may we multiply and spread in your Name.   ******* O LORD, let us bring ourselves to naught for the sake of Christ and He will redeem us from every persecution. YHWH, what division there is in this world!  What oppression your disciples bear!  Even from neighbors, even from those in their own households, persecution comes.  But this should not trouble our souls: the Cross is to be expected.  For certainly jealousy exists among the sons of men, and so, will there not be those jealous of the greatest gift of all?  But through it all you are with us. O help us to lose ourselves for your sake, dear LORD!  Help us not to be afraid of such total dispossession.  Let us treasure being bereft of all things of this world that we might truly find our place in Heaven.  For our reward will not be wanting – all we do for you is greatly blessed.  And so, if we give our very lives, will we not find the greatest blessing? You free our souls from every snare; however much the waters rage they will not overwhelm us.  For you are with us in our labor, LORD, and save us from all danger.

(Gn.49:29-32,50:15-24;   Ps.105:1-4,6-7,33;   Mt.10:24-33)   “Whoever acknowledges me before men I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.”   Joseph does well in acknowledging God before his brothers, as, refusing to take revenge on them, he states of his suffering that “God meant it for good.”  He thus proves himself a servant of the Lord; realizing that “no pupil outranks his teacher, no slave his master,” he asks, “Can I take the place of God?” and so simultaneously accepts the scourgings that come with being a servant of his “father’s God.”  Indeed, further applying the Lord’s words to the apostles in our gospel to Joseph, we know that it has been his proclaiming before the world, before Pharaoh himself, the dreams the Lord has spoken to him in the secret of his room that has brought Joseph to this position of eminence wherein he can so dutifully and kindly provide for “the survival of many people.”  And so, as he prepares to die, as this sparrow falls – even as his father before him “drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and was taken to his kindred” – it is with confidence the Lord will acknowledge him before the Father of all that his life ends, as well as with the faith that his children shall be blessed and come into the land promised them by Him who holds both body and soul in His all-powerful hands. And what of our own witness?  Have we the forgiveness of Joseph, which is the forgiveness of God?  Do we “seek to serve Him constantly” and “proclaim all His wondrous deeds,” as our psalmist encourages us today?  Are we true pupils of this great teacher, faithful to our call to live and to die in His light?  Or are we afraid for the body and judging by the dictates of this earthly life? These are questions we must ask ourselves each day, for each day and at every moment our souls are required of us, lest we die for want of the Bread which comes to us by His holy hands.  The Lord holds our life’s breath in His hand and “every hair of [our] head has been counted” by Him, so indeed we should fear Him.  But that fear is born and finds recompense in love; the fear that comes from the world and its power brings only death to our bodies and souls.  Let us simply recognize the truth of His presence and His power to all we meet, to all for whom we are responsible, and our salvation and the blessing of our progeny will be assured.  And so with confidence, with faith of the Holy Spirit, we shall die and come to life, this day, and in eternity.   Lord, make us true servants of your love; and gather us into the bosom of Abraham and into your sacred heart. ******* O LORD, let us become like our Teacher and die on the Cross; may we make His presence known by laying down our lives. YHWH, let us seek to serve you constantly, that we may be your chosen ones.  Let us proclaim your NAME from the rooftops; then we shall live in your light and be blessed – then we shall die in your arms and be gathered into Heaven. Why should we fear for the life of the body when you are ready to hear our prayers, our pleading for mercy.  You watch over our every step for your heart is set upon us to save us from every evil, to keep us from the persecution of a sinful world.  And we shall take rest in your presence, LORD, when our days are over. Let us be as your Son, our Teacher.  Let us follow His instructions and walk ever in His way.  Then indeed we shall be blessed and have nothing to do but praise your NAME.  Then indeed all our sins will be gone, and we shall enter the land you promise.

(Gn.46:1-7,28-30;   Ps.37:3-4,18-19,27-28,39-40;   Mt.10:16-23)   “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation.”   We are as exiles in this world.  Indeed, the Lord sends us forth “like sheep among wolves.”  In Egypt must we dwell for a time, until we are prepared for the coming of Christ. But here He meets us.  Here He weeps over us and so enables us to face the death which is upon us, which indeed surrounds us in this foreign land.  Even in our trials, in all our persecutions, He is there: He suffers with us, and we with Him.  And His Spirit is very present to lead us; it burns in our hearts to guide us, giving us the words we must speak, assuring us that Jesus is with us in all we do. As Israel sets forth for Egypt, he is fearful.  But he calls upon the Lord in his sacrifices, and in vision once again God comes to him, providing His assurance, His continued blessing.  David’s psalm speaks so well of the protection and blessing which is ours in this land of exile: “The Lord watches over the lives of the wholehearted; their inheritance lasts forever.  The salvation of the just is from the Lord; He is their refuge in time of distress.”  Yes, He is our refuge in this land where we walk as exiles, in this world which would persecute the Word of God, pursuing it to kill it, to destroy it.  But it is even in Egypt that a great nation shall be made of Israel; here, even under slavery, the people of God shall multiply and prosper.  And so it is with us who follow Jesus: here in this world of persecution we are refined and made whole, as individuals and as a people; here under the threat of death we come to life, for His gentle yoke is upon us, and in Him we find refuge and even joy in all our sufferings.  By undergoing persecution in His Name, we draw so very close to Him; and laying down our lives we find the great love which is without end. Jesus speaks to us; the Spirit is here with us.  There is no need to fear.  “Trust in the Lord and do good, that you may dwell in the land and enjoy security.”  Have faith in the word He speaks to your hearts and be assured that He watches over you here in this land of exile, not only protecting you from the wolves that surround you, but even increasing your blessings all the while.  Your home in heaven is assured; see that Jesus is alive now and dwelling with you and you shall be able to close your eyes in peace, knowing all your brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, you will see again when the Lord brings you to the land of promise.   ******* O LORD, bring us to the place we will find your presence, the place we will find your love. YHWH, you go with us into Egypt; through the persecutions of this world you are with us to speak for us and bless us and increase our yield.  We need not be afraid of the way you call us, for you indeed love what is right and so are with the just who reflect your goodness.  Though the wicked be destroyed, the inheritance of your faithful ones lasts forever. Nothing can separate us from you, LORD; nothing can take us out of your hand or from the land you promise your chosen.  Even death we escape by your grace and mercy, by your secure protection. Give us the wisdom we need this day, O LORD, and the innocence to make our way through this world remaining on the path you set for us.  Even the powerful of this world you send to save us, for we are your favored sons.

(Gn.44:18-21,23-29,45:1-5;   Ps.105:5,16-21;   Mt.10:7-15)   “It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you.”   Remarkable words from the mouth of Joseph as the brothers who sold him into slavery in Egypt stand dumbfounded before him, fearing indeed for their own lives.  And indeed Joseph may have been justified to command the ending of their lives to avenge his treatment at their hands.  But the Lord has looked with favor upon him who had been “bound with chains,” raising him up to be lord of Pharaoh’s house and “ruler of all his possessions,” and Joseph rightfully attributes such blessing to God and sees His hand at work in all this matter.  Here is the great example of trust in God’s providential care.  And Joseph has but a deep love for his brothers, and will now care for their lives and that of his father. The same trust in God’s providence is asked of the disciples in our gospel.  Jesus sends them forth with “no traveling bag, no change of shirt, no sandals, no walking staff,” telling them, “Provide yourselves with neither gold nor silver nor copper in your belts”: “the workman, after all, is worth his keep,” and God will always provide for those who serve Him. Certainly a great lesson is in this for all of us.  Do we have such trust in God?  Joseph says that it is God who has, in effect, sold him into slavery that he might later be made a leader in Egypt and save his family from famine, this despite the fact that his own brothers have treated him with such disdain.  Do we have such a blessed view of the trials which come our way?  Can we see them as the hand of God working, and working for the good?  Can we forgive so beautifully those by whom the trials come?  Have we such vision that sees the hand of God at work in all things?  “All things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose,” Paul tells us elsewhere (Rm.8:28).  Can we give all things which happen to us to God and trust that His will shall be done, is done, in them all? Where is our trust?  Is it in money and the things of this world?  Do we think that these things will provide for us, will make us happy, will keep us satisfied – are these our gods?  Or do we seek and accept the reign of God which the Lord tells us is at hand?  Do we receive well His message of peace, His blessing of God’s love and care, or do we expel Him from our homes?  And do we share His free gift with others? There is great “famine on the land,” a famine of the hearing of God’s word and trusting in His hand.  Let us come to the Son who has accepted scourging in the will of His Father and find all we need from Him who now sits on His throne.  Believe that He does provide, and all will indeed be yours.  And your trials will be turned to joy.  ******* O LORD, you bring your peace to every house, and so, too, do your disciples. YHWH, it is you who provide for all we need, you and you alone.  And if we but trust in you, all we need will be ours.  If we but set our hearts on your holy will, your blessings will rest upon us – no trial will overcome us. The blessing of peace your children bring to every house they enter, for you are with your disciples, O LORD and God, and work your will in all they say and do.  May we freely give the blessing of peace you have so freely given to us.  May every soul we meet be offered your peace and be encouraged to enter into your presence. What need we more than this peace?  What more than your presence can feed us?  In all things you work toward good for those who trust in your providence.  And in this we find our peace.  In this we find release from every prison; every sin is forgiven.  Let us but have faith that you are at our side at all times.

(Gn.41:55-57,42:5-7,17-24;   Ps.33:2-3,10-11,18-19,22;   Mt.10:1-7)   “The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear Him.”   In our gospel, Jesus commissions the twelve apostles to go forth after “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” in order “to expel unclean spirits and cure sickness and disease of every kind” and bring His people into “the reign of God.”  In our first reading, we see that “famine had gripped the whole world,” and the lost and hungry sheep of Israel, the sons of Jacob themselves come to Egypt and their forsaken brother Joseph to find food, to find healing for their ills.  They have sinned terribly against Joseph, and against God, by selling their younger brother into slavery because of their jealousy of him.  Now that God has favored him who was so forsaken, he stands above them with their very lives in his hands, holding not only their food as procurator of Egypt, but also with the power to cast them into prison, or to release them. Do we see the similarity between Joseph and Jesus?  Jesus is the Son of David, the Son of Man, the Savior of the nation of Israel and, in the flesh, one of their own – their favored Son.  And He who will be forsaken and sold to the Romans for crucifixion, He whose elder brothers will betray Him into the power of this world, is He who holds their, and our, very lives in His hands.  It is when He opens His hands that they are fed; when He says the word, they, and we, are cast into prison – or released.  By His word all demons are expelled and all infirmities healed.  He indeed has every right to cast our souls into everlasting prison and torment; but, like Joseph, He takes pity on those who have wounded Him: like Joseph, we know that “He wept.” But His weeping does not come automatically.  Just as with Joseph, it is prompted by the repentance of His brothers, who have so despised him but now recognize their sin and bewail it to the Lord.  His forgiveness and His healing – His salvation – come to those who in like manner “fear Him.”  Upon these the Lord looks with pity.  With these Jesus Himself cries.  For these the Lord sends forth His apostles, to heal them and call them into the reign of God.  As for the repentant, He will indeed “deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine.”  These lost sheep He will save. And “the plan of the Lord stands forever”: it reaches to us this day.  It is eternal, for all who fear Him, in whatever time or place.  His word extends now to the ends of the earth, to the twelve tribes of Israel and beyond.  Founded firmly in the Twelve (apostles), it now comes to the ears of all mankind.  Let us repent even this day, brothers and sisters, be healed, and be fed by the hand of God.  ******* O LORD, your reign is at hand, at hand for all to touch… for your holy will endures forever, and calls us ever to enter in. YHWH, your eyes are indeed on those who fear you; those who hope for your kindness, you do not disappoint.  For you send Joseph to Egypt before his brothers to preserve the Nation from famine; and the apostles your Son sends forth to heal us of all our ills.  Into your reign let us be gathered! How lost we are, dear LORD, as we travel through this world.  How much in need do we find ourselves, we who have strayed from your pasture, we who have separated ourselves from you by our sin.  Because we are hard of heart and have condemned our brother, we find ourselves in desperate straits.  And what hope do we have but to come to you?  What can we do but turn to the Brother we have so harmed, begging for His mercy?  And what can He do but look with pity upon us – what can He do but weep for our sakes?  And so salvation comes to us.  And so we bless you, LORD.

(Gn.32:23-33;   Ps.17:1-3,6-8,15;   Mt.9:32-38)   “You test my heart, searching it in the night.”   “You have contended with divine and human beings,” the angel says of Jacob; and so he receives his new name, Israel: “he strives with God”.  Such striving with the Lord in this night which has set upon the earth is our lot in life.  May we prevail upon Him as has Jacob. As he is about to reenter the Promised Land after fourteen years away, fearful for what awaits – particularly in the face of the potential anger of his brother Esau, whose birthright and blessing he has assumed – Jacob sets himself apart from all things and alone prepares to confront the Lord.  We are told he wrestles all the night with a “man,” for indeed as such does God appear to him through His messenger.  In contending with the Lord, Jacob remains strong and earns the blessing of his new name.  He is a worthy combatant in the struggle to know God in this life, and so, “on waking” the next morning, as he goes forth at dawn, he is “content” in God’s presence; he is prepared for any danger which lies before him.  And reconciliation with Esau he shall find.  And the father of the Israelites he has become. How much easier it is for us to behold the face of God, to come to know Him whom our souls long to see, now that Christ has come.  And yet the struggle goes on; it is not over, but rather finds a certain intensification through clarification in the shadow of the cross.  We see in our gospel how Jesus Himself struggles.  His children are “like sheep without a shepherd,” “lying prostrate from exhaustion,” and He must become exhausted as they, as He tours their towns, constantly teaching and preaching and healing all their infirmities – and all this while being accused of doing the work of “the prince of demons” by those in the role of leaders.  The struggle Jesus undergoes is most evident in His entreaty to His disciples: “Beg the harvest master to send out laborers to gather His harvest.”  Jesus desperately needs assistance. The Lord shall find assistance in His apostles; they, too, shall carry the cross of Christ, laying down their lives for the building up of the Church.  But all of us are indeed called under the cross; all of us are beckoned into the struggle for souls, the divine and human drama that is our lot in this world.  But first we must be tested, as will be Peter and the apostles; for we must be tried in His holy fire to be purified of any “malice” and “deceit” which clings to us, and so be prepared to enter the struggle, to labor in the fields – to meet our destiny which lies in the heart of our Lord.  There we shall find comfort, but here the dark night is upon us as we strive with God to be made perfect in His sight.  May the dawn break upon us and we go forth at His side.  ******* O LORD, let us labor with your Son, striving always for union with you. YHWH, may we all be gathered into your arms, safe from all that could harm us.  Help us to meet the test you set before us; enable us to meet with you, O mighty God.  For how shall we come face to face with you if you do not bless us, if you do not give us the strength we need.  Heal us this day of all infirmity, of all the disease that sin does bring, that waking from the dark night this world imposes, we shall be content in your presence. You try us by fire, LORD, by holy fire that would purge us of all dross, of all sin that clings to our souls.  Remove all doubt and fear from our hearts; hear us as we call to you.  Do not leave us till we are blessed to bear your NAME. Why should we question your goodness, LORD?  Your goodness cannot but prevail.  May we embrace the Son who walks among us, and be joined to you by His compassion.

(Gn.28:10-22;   Ps.91:1-4,14-15;   Mt.9:18-26)   “Know that I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go.”   What the Lord says here to Jacob, He says indeed to all of us:  He will protect us on our journey; let us but take refuge in Him.  Our dearest Jesus is the abode of God, and in Him our souls are safe. As Jacob sets forth alone from the land of Canaan, he fears that he shall not return to this place of His promised inheritance.  But the Lord comes to him in a dream to stand “beside him” and assure him that the promise is firm: “I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you.”  With these words of encouragement and the vision of heaven’s ladder still in his mind, Jacob cries out in “solemn wonder” of that place in which the Lord revealed Himself to His servant.  He sets up a memorial stone, thereby to mark “God’s abode.” Our psalm today sings of the Lord’s protection upon those who trust in Him.  He answers our call in distress, rescues us from “the snare of the fowler,” and gives us refuge.  Thus we “dwell in the shelter of the Most High,” abiding in His shadow, covered by His wings of blessed protection.  “Because he clings to me, I will deliver him,” says our psalmist in the voice of the Lord; and indeed we know that trusting in Him is our salvation. And in our gospel we discover where such refuge lies; we find Him who is the true house of God, and we are shown the faith which is necessary to make our home there.  What Jesus says to the woman, He says to His whole Church: “Courage, daughter!  Your faith has restored you to health.”  Her great faith told her she needed but to “touch his cloak,” but to press up against the walls of the temple that is Christ to find healing.  And the synagogue leader states simply and clearly his faith in the Lord: “My daughter has just died.  Please come and lay your hand on her and she will come back to life.”  Yes, indeed the protection of the Lord, the refuge and strength He is to us in our faith, reaches beyond the grave. Our own journeys can be arduous, brothers and sisters.  At times it can seem as if the Lord is leaving us, as if He is far away.  Faith.  Faith, brothers and sisters, will see us through all difficulties, even death.  We are destined to rise with Him on the last day; we are blessed here now along the way.  Jesus is the ladder which leads to heaven; He Himself is the House of God.  With faith in Him and in His protection, let us climb with the angels to His abode. Today in our hearts let us set up for Him a memorial stone, that we might remember His sacred presence.  For now we do more than touch the tassel of His cloak; He enters us and we enter Him whole.   ******* O LORD, we shall be raised up, if we but trust in you. YHWH, you are our refuge; help us to trust entirely in you.  If we have but faith, we shall be saved from all disease and even death.  We shall dwell with you forever.  For you bless those who trust in you, who seek to do your holy will. To Heaven let us come, dear LORD; send us your Son to carry us there.  He is the ladder upon which we climb, aided by your angels.  How shall we fly unto you if you do not reach down to us?  If you do not call us, we cannot go forth.  Without your protection we shall surely die.  We have no hope but you. You raise the daughter of the faithful man; you heal the hemorrhage of the poor woman.  Into the Promised Land you guide your chosen child, Israel.  You alone are awesome, O God.  You alone save us from distress.  Bring us into your House this day, for your House is a fortress where we take refuge and find our souls secure.

(Gn.27:1-5,15-29;   Ps.135:1-6;   Mt.9:14-17)   “Pour new wine into new wineskins, and in that way both are preserved.”   “Jacob.”  The name means “the supplanter”.  Here he supplants his twin brother, Esau, whose name means “red earth”.  Though born second, Jacob receives the blessing of the firstborn.  Of what significance is this supplanting, is this blessing of Jacob, who is to be “Israel”, and from whom the twelve tribes shall proceed?  Far more than some sibling rivalry, it shows the coming of the New Covenant of the spirit which shall supplant the Old of the flesh. It is not the will of Isaac to bless Jacob; his love is for Esau – who before this time has forfeited his birthright to Jacob in order to feed his hungry belly.  But Isaac is blind.  He is blind because he, too, is a natural man, a man of the flesh seeking to feed his belly.  And so the Lord inspires Rebekah to intercede, to see that His will is accomplished.  Notice please the words of Isaac when Jacob comes to him dressed in the hairy skin of a beast and the clothes of Esau: “Although the voice is Jacob’s, the hands are Esau’s.”  Indeed, the voice is of the spirit; the skin he feels is of the flesh.  And the Word must go to the word, the Spirit to the spirit; and so it is Jacob who must receive the blessing, despite the will of Isaac.  And how is Isaac brought to do the Father’s will?  He is deceived by his own preoccupation with the flesh, with the old wineskin.  Upon eating his fill, and drinking his fill of the old wine, he is blinded further.  And smelling the clothes of Esau he is inspired to pronounce his blessing.  But what Esau possesses in his clothes, Jacob holds in his spirit – this fragrance is that which rises to the nostrils of the Lord.  And it is His will which must be done.  He chooses the spiritual man. And in our gospel, too, we see the blindness of the natural man in his preoccupation with the flesh.  John’s disciples, like the Pharisees – whose stomachs growl from fasts in which they find no blessing – looked jealously upon the disciples of Jesus, who do not have to endure the penance which is so tedious to these men removed from the Spirit.  But in Jesus is the blessing of the Spirit, reflected in God’s choosing of Jacob, here fulfilled in the sight of men whose eyes need yet to be opened to its grace.  The new wine is of the Spirit of God, brothers and sisters; we drink it each day in the blood of Christ.  Let it not be poured into skins that yet look upon the world with eyes of flesh; rather, be made new as it calls you to be, and preserve your soul unto heaven.  It is the Spirit which gives life; the flesh is of no avail.   ******* O LORD, may the new wine of the Spirit be upon us to bless us, always. YHWH, you have chosen Jacob for yourself; you do what you will.  All goes well with Israel, for you have blessed him.  The man of the Spirit is your favored Son, while the man of the flesh finds his birthright gone. Into new wineskins let your blessings be poured, O holy LORD.  Make us new in your presence this day that the blood shed by your Son may be our own.  Let us drink of this New Covenant, anointed by your Spirit, and we shall live forever in your sight, blessed as Jesus with whom we become one. Praise you, LORD, mighty God!  Praised be to your holy NAME!  For all is done in your will, despite our many shortcomings.  You are great in Heaven and on earth and lead your chosen ones by your mercy.  Let us not take refuge in the things of the flesh but rejoice ever in the Holy Spirit, even on this day of fasting.

(Gn.23:1-4,19,24:1-8,62-67;   Ps.106:1-5;   Mt.9:9-13)  “In his love for [Rebekah] Isaac found solace after the death of his mother Sarah.” And of this love Jacob shall be born; and from him shall come the twelve tribes of Israel, who shall people the earth as the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham. Sarah had died and “Abraham had now reached a ripe old age.”  Now conscious of his mortality, Abraham sets his sights firmly on his son and his coming progeny.  Now with great resolve he sets to seek a wife for Isaac, telling his servant as he sends him to his people: the Lord “will send His messenger before you, and you will obtain a wife for my son there.”  And Abraham’s faith in God’s promise is rewarded, as the servant is led directly to Rebekah.  And how inspired is the meeting of Isaac and Rebekah.  We are told they are both looking about for one another, and seem to recognize each other immediately, even from a great distance.  Indeed, they are brought together by God to fulfill His promise to Abraham. Notice in our gospel that Jesus seems to be looking around as well: “As Jesus moved about, He saw a man named Matthew at his post where taxes are collected.”  Like Abraham, Jesus, too, is concerned for His progeny, for those who will follow Him – those who will bring His promise of salvation forth when He has returned to the Father.  And He chooses Matthew as an apostle to follow Him.  And notice Matthew’s response to Jesus’ call: “Matthew got up and followed Him.”  It seems here, too, the love is mutual, that Matthew, too, has been looking about for the Lord, and that the two are drawn together by the Father to ensure the fulfillment of the covenant with His Son.  And Jesus, who has just come from public forgiveness of sin, seems not so much to be speaking to the Pharisees’ complaining of His eating with sinners, as to Matthew, whom He’s calling to carry out His mission of teaching and healing, when He says: “I have come to call, not the self-righteous, but sinners.” The word goes forth.  The promise is sure.  It comes to us even this day.  The Lord provides for its care and will see it through to its fulfillment.  In each one of us His salvation is at work even now.  Brothers and sisters, mourn not so much for the sin which troubles your heart as you accept the Lord’s solace and rejoice in His mercy.  With the psalmist, say to the Lord: “Visit me with your saving help, that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones.”  Amen. ******* O LORD, call our sinful souls into your loving arms, that in death we may be comforted. YHWH, how good you are to your inheritance; how you favor your people with your blessing.  How you watch over us and lead us to the accomplishment of your will, to finding prosperity in your presence.  We are but weak and sinful men, and yet you call us to sit at table with your Son in the kingdom, yet you call us to be your disciples and carry your Word forth.  O let your mercy indeed go forth to the ends of the earth! Help us, O LORD, to observe what is right, to do always what is just in your sight.  Help us ever to follow in your way and be obedient to your command.  For what is your command to us but love itself; where does it lead but to your side?  We are sick, desolate and alone, but you would heal us by your grace.  And so you send your only Son to serve your will, to make us as your holy Bride.