The BreadCast

(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.

(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.

(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.