The BreadCast

O wise doctor whose intellect served well in defense of the Church and her teachings, who bore well the light yoke of Christ that leads to eternal life and shepherded your flock in following you along this path of our Lord – speak to us this day your words of grace that the souls of all within the Church's gates might be founded well on the truths of the faith and on the love of God. Pray we shall be wise as you in knowing the way the Lord marks out for His sons; pray we shall have shepherds so blessed with His light that all shall be saved from the wolves about and remain secure in the Father's arms.

(1Cor.15:1-11; Ps.118:1-2,16-17,28; Lk.7:36-50) "I am the least of the apostles." Brothers and sisters, "little is forgiven the one whose love is small." And it is in the sweet tears of repentance that we discover the love held in the merciful heart of the Lord. Paul speaks the truth of himself when he claims that he does "not even deserve the name" of apostle because he has "persecuted the Church of God." "But through the favor of God" he has "worked harder than all the others," preaching the Gospel of the Lord. As small as he is and as undeserving as he is, so great is the Lord's blessing upon him. In the measure he recognizes his sin, the Lord pours His grace into him, and through him to others. And what grace pours forth through the woman in our gospel today! In her we see our own encounter with the Lord. Here is she who is "known in town to be a sinner" standing and kneeling in tears before her God. And the Lord knows well "who and what sort of woman this is that touches Him – that she is a sinner," and He knows well, too, her repentant heart. While the others at table see neither their own sin nor the woman's repentance, He allows Himself to be touched by both (her sin and her repentance) – it is for just such a moment as this He has come. And how well the Lord speaks the truth in His detailed description of the woman's repentance; how well we see His love reflected in her… and how blest is she to hear these words for which every heart does long: "Your sins are forgiven." And how her tears increase at this word come forth from the mouth of the Holy One. And so, while the others argue blindly among themselves, He reaches out His hand, touches her face, and whispers to her soul: "Your faith has been your salvation. Now go in peace." "O my God, I extol you… You have been my savior." Indeed, your "mercy endures forever," and now I know that "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord." This is the song the woman must sing; this is the song of St. Paul. This is the song of every soul redeemed by the love of the Lord. So let us all "stand firm" in the Gospel preached to us by those who have seen Him, from Peter to this wretched Paul; we "are being saved by it at this very moment if we retain it" in its purity. And here is the Word simply put: "That Christ died for our sins in accord with the Scriptures; that He was buried and, in accord with the Scriptures, rose on the third day." What grace is ours, we the least, we poor sinners – we who know the greatness of His love. ******* O LORD, let us have faith in your Son and in His sacrifice for our sins; on our knees in love let us come to Him, and we shall find His mercy. YHWH, how can we see you if tears of repentance do not fill our eyes? How will your mercy be known to us if we do not come on our knees before your Son? If we love but little we shall be forgiven little, and our sins will continue to blind our eyes. Have mercy on us, O LORD, we are all burdened with debt we cannot repay. But you hear our prayers, you have pity on our poor, sinful souls, and you reach out your hand to touch our hearts, to relieve the burden we carry by the sacrifice of your Son. Thank you, LORD. We praise you for your love. Let us welcome you into our homes; let us receive Jesus into our very hearts. In our spirits take up your residence, LORD, by our faith in Him and in His death and resurrection. For us He died and was buried; for us He rose on the third day. Let us never forget His enduring mercy – in great humility let us embrace your love.

O brothers in Christ, in death and in life you gave yourselves as one for the sake of the flock; for the cause of the faith readily you shed your blood to serve the growth of God's Church – pray we today will be zealous as you in defending the faith with our lives; by fasting and by prayer, by standing courageously before the courts of the world and offering our flesh in sacrifice, may we imitate you who imitated Christ and so come with all our brothers to His resurrection and life. Shepherd us well even this day from where you now stand at the Lord's side, that we might be unafraid to speak and to live the truth in undying love. O let us lay down our lives with you!

O sorrowful Mother whose heart was pierced by a sword, who stood at the foot of the Cross dying in spirit as your Son died in the flesh… Jesus was sent to suffer and die for our sins, and how intimately you shared in the profound pain He carried about all His life; how preeminently you filled up what was lacking in His suffering, suffering the whole Church must share with our crucified Lord – pray we shall indeed enter into the sacrifice of Christ your Son, following in your wake, O Mother of God; pray we shall meet Him along His Way of Sorrow that His blood upon our souls will carry us to Heaven, where you stand at His side.

(1Cor.12:12-14,27-31; Ps.100:1-5; Lk.7:11-17) "A great prophet has risen among us." A great prophet, yes, and so much more; for here is He who is Himself the "one body" upon whom the "one Spirit" rests, and in whom all find their home. "The body is one and has many members; but all the members, many though they are, are one body; and so it is with Christ." Christ is all things: He is apostle sent by the Father, prophet speaking for God, teacher instructing all on the narrow path that leads to heaven, miracle worker raising the dead, healer of body and soul causing the deaf to hear and the blind to see, assistant washing the feet of His disciples, administrator apportioning the gifts and graces which are His own, and speaker in tongues upon whom the flame of the Spirit eternally rests and whose Word goes forth to all nations. We are not all apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, healers, and speakers in tongues – but He is. He is all these things for He is whole; He is the only Son of God, and we are "His people, the sheep of His flock" who share in His power according to our baptism in His Name. And so should we not "sing joyfully to the Lord" for the Savior who has been raised from among us? Should not all "lands," all members of His blessed body "serve the Lord with gladness," that all might tend to the glory of God? In our gospel "a considerable crowd of townsfolk were with" the widow, and "a large crowd accompanied" Jesus. These met at "the gate of the town" called Nain. When the Lord raised the son of the widow from the dead, "fear seized them all and they began to praise God." Is not this scene of celebration like that which should encompass the body of Christ? Should not such joy in recognition of the greatness of God course through all our veins, strengthening all our muscles? For we know more than they. We know this Man is more than a prophet – we know it is the Messiah who is among us. And so, let us "enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with praise" as we "set [our] hearts on the greater gifts" at work within us now as members of the body of the only Son. Alleluia! He raises us all from the dead to speak in the power of the Spirit. ******* O LORD, let us be raised from the dead to live in you, ever praising your NAME. YHWH, in your Son we approach the gates of Heaven; as His Body we become your own. Sheep of your flock let us ever be – let us enter the New Jerusalem. O LORD, raise us from our litter, from the bed of death to which sin has brought us. The hand of your Son touch us this day, His voice let us hear speaking to our ears, that we might be filled with your Spirit and rise from our graves to praise you, to give witness to your glory dwelling in our land. Alive in you let us ever be, O LORD. The blood of your Son let course through our veins. In His Body let us make our home, as His very members. Then we shall remember you; then we shall enter your courts with praise and ever give thanks to your holy NAME. Let us do your will, O LORD, your work on this earth. As Jesus your Son, let us live out our days, bringing His Word and His teaching to everyone.

(1Cor.11:17-26,33; Ps.40:7-10,17,1Cor.11:26; Lk.7:1-10) "Just give the order and my servant will be cured." By a word from His mouth what cannot be done? For those who have faith this is all that is needed. Listen, brothers and sisters, to the centurion's explication of "the meaning of an order": "I say to one, 'On your way,' and off he goes; to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." Do you see faith at work? Do you understand the power of a word? And if a mere centurion in the Roman army possesses such power and gains such loyalty by his commands, do you think the Lord's words shall fall short or His servants be found lacking in obedience? "I am not worthy to have you enter my house" are the words the centurion speaks to Jesus before our quote for the day, and they are of course the phrase we utter just before we receive the Lord in Holy Communion. That same sacrament of Communion is described for us by Paul in his letter to the Corinthians; he tells us of the Christ's words and actions upon its institution "on the night in which He was betrayed." "This is my body," Jesus says; and, in Paul's phrasing, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood." And so do we partake of the Lord's Body and Blood even as we remember His sacrifice for our sins; and so, like the centurion's servant, we are healed of our ills. Yet there are "divisions among [us]" regarding this central sacrament of our faith. Perhaps "there may even have to be factions among [us] for the tried and true to stand out clearly." But the Lord is never pleased with a lack of faith. And if He decries the lack of "faith among the Israelites," what is His thought on Christians who cannot believe in His presence in the Sacrament? Does the Lord not also have "soldiers under His command" like the centurion? Do they not also carry out His orders? Or is the word He gives them not powerful enough to carry out His will? Is it somehow impossible for the Lord to make himself present as He has promised by the intercession of His apostles, His priests – even as by the intercession of the Jewish elders the centurion gained his request from the Christ? Does your faith not fall short if you thus limit the power of God, of His Word, of the power given His apostles? "I received from the Lord what I handed on to you," Paul states succinctly as he speaks to his disciples of the Lord's Supper. And this meal shall last till the end of time; and it shall ever feed us body and soul with the presence of Christ. "Behold, I come," says the Lord. To do the Father's will is the Son's "delight" and the delight of all who follow Him. In body He comes and in body He remains, upon our altars and in His sons. This "justice" we "announce in the vast assembly"; we do "not restrain [our] lips." For His faithfulness to us, we His slaves and soldiers well know; and for such love we can but proclaim: "The Lord be glorified"! For by a word from His mouth uttered through His priest – "This is my body" – He is in our midst. ******* O LORD, in faith let us come to you to receive the Body and Blood of your Son, and so find the new life He brings. YHWH, your Son comes to us and gives us His own Body and Blood that we might partake of Him and so find our salvation in union with you. But have we the faith to see Him here in our midst; and have we the love to receive Him into our hearts? The flesh can be such a distraction for us, O LORD; it can leave us quite blind. As we seek to feed our bellies, our souls can be greatly deprived. And so, do we not lose you by our lack of faith? In your Word let us trust, dear LORD, not in the matter at our hands. Our hearts be set upon your grace, upon the sacrifice of your Son, that we might come to dwell in your House. O let us offer our bodies in union with His and we shall become sons as He, doing your will alone and so knowing your blessing. Let us lay down our lives in faith, O LORD, declaring your glory to all with ears. Let our very lives be made in your image, in the image of your only Son. Let us become as He is as we eat His Body and drink His Blood.

O you of golden tongue, how well you proved the Word of God cannot be chained; how well you revealed its radiance to our ears and hearts… unconquered by threats of death and the sufferings the world imposes, you proclaimed the glory of God and His presence with us until the very end – pray, O dear shepherd, who held your flock so close to your heart that they became one body with you in Christ, that we all shall be so willing to lay down our lives, speaking and walking in the Word the Lord gives us to share with all our brothers in light. Pray indeed God's will be done in all His holy children.

(Sir.27:30-28:9; Ps.103:1-4,8-12; Rom.14:7-9; Mt.18:21-35) "Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?" How like the Lord's own wisdom is that of Sirach; how like His teaching. For have we not heard the Master say, "Forgive your neighbor's injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven," in His instruction to His disciples on how to pray? And does He not impart this same lesson by parable today? "Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight." Oh the woe of the unforgiving heart! "Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord?" How can we "refuse mercy to another" and "seek pardon for [our] own sins"? Do we not know that anger is itself a deadly sin, mortally wounding our anxious souls? Do we who sit in judgment think in our hearts that we are without sin, that we are perfect as He who is Most High? If indeed "we are the Lord's" then we will act as the Lord and look with "kindness and compassion" upon others. Instead of condemnation we would practice divine forgiveness, for indeed mercy is the Father's defining trait in His relationship with His children. But no, rather than putting "wrath" and "enmity" and "hate" as far from our hearts as the Lord has "put our transgressions from us," we cherish these abominations, setting them as trophies in our corrupted souls. Again, what woe there is for the unforgiving soul! For the same torture we would inflict upon others for their sins against us shall be the torture we ourselves shall face – then we will know what justice is! Then we will know the wrath of God! Then He who alone has power and wisdom and love to judge rightly shall inflict His punishment on all His wicked servants. My brothers and sisters, fellow servants of the Lord in both life and in death, the Lord cannot emphasize enough to us the need for forgiveness. We must first and always recognize and remember the sinners we have been and the grace we have received at our Lord's hands. And with this ever in mind and heart we must come to others with that same mercy. It is this He desires of us, and He will accept nothing less. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "It Takes One To Know One" from Cleansing Human Frailty, fourth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, surpassing is your kindness toward us; help us to transcend our vengeful hearts and forgive as you have done. YHWH, have mercy on our souls by helping us to show mercy toward others; even your own mercy let us share. Then how blessed we shall be to be like you, O compassionate God! Then your mercy shall pour forth like a refreshing stream and become an overflowing torrent. But your kindness and compassion are far from us, LORD, so long as our sins remain near. So long as we cherish anger, we choke our souls and so cannot breathe in the light of your glory. If only we would turn and forgive, freely and without limit, then we would fully know the great blessing of your forgiveness, and find our sins put far from us. Why should we wish to live or die except in you? Why would we separate ourselves from your loving presence? O let us rather die to the wrath we hold! Let us set all vengeance aside. Then we shall rise to where you are, LORD, to where your Son would lead us.

O Mary, sweetest of creatures, whose name on our lips brings joy to our hearts… inflamed with love toward God and you we become in speaking your blessed name – pray we shall call your name, dear Lady, in our time of need, that you will be quick to intercede with your Son for our salvation. Washed in the water from His side and in His holy blood, pray we shall rise above the sea, beyond all rebellion, that obedient as you, His Handmaid, we shall find favor with the Lord and enter into Heaven, our names written beside your own in the Book of Life, dearest Mary.

(1Cor.10:14-22; Ps.116:12-13,17-18; Lk.6:43-49) "Is not the cup of blessing we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread we break a sharing in the body of Christ?" The Body and Blood of Christ we have upon our altar and in the Word of His teaching. It is these which set a firm foundation within ourselves, these by which we bear fruit in His Name – these by which we come to be as He is. Paul tells the Corinthians today "to shun the worship of idols," not because they are real, for they are not, but because these sacrifices are made "to demons and not to God" and we, as sons and daughters of a jealous God, "cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons" nor "partake of the table of the Lord and likewise the table of demons." As "a good tree does not produce decayed fruit any more than a decayed tree produces good fruit," so evil has no place with good and demons no place in the house of God. Partaking of this table is like building a "house on the ground without any foundation" and will only serve to weaken and eventually destroy our faith in the Lord. And so we should have no share in the things of the world or in the decayed fruit which such mammon bears. This unholy food and drink is but to be vomited out in the sickness it produces. And calling upon the name of the powers of the earth and the air will but cause us to choke in an unholy fear. We must "call upon the name of the Lord" and upon His Name alone build our home. It is "the cup of salvation [we must] take up" and drink of the blood that is sanctified by the sacrifice of our Lord and God. And what does our psalmist mean when he sings, "My vows to the Lord I will pay in the presence of all His people" but that, as Jesus Himself instructs us in our gospel, we must "put into practice" the promises we make unto God. Else our words are empty; else our words are evil, for else our words will bear no fruit and our worship will be in vain. A great call have we, brothers and sisters: to be like the Lord. And this call is within our reach. His Body and Blood are upon our table; His words are ringing in our ears. We have but to eat; we have but to listen… we have but to accept these gifts and do His will, and even the torrents of death shall not shake our souls. For we shall be as "the man, who, in building a house, dug deeply and laid the foundation on a rock"; we shall stand solidly with unshakable trust in the eternal Lord. For Him we shall have become by sharing in His sacrifice. ******* O LORD, let us put your Word into practice, living as your only Son, sharing in His Body and Blood. YHWH, let us dig deep and make our foundation in you, in your Word and in your Body and Blood, and we shall bear fruit unto your kingdom, and our house shall stand strong on your holy Day. Let us shun entirely the table of the wicked; let us not partake of the food of demons. Our hearts be set only upon you, and all sin will be purged from our midst. If we act in evil, LORD, what are we but evil? But if we act in goodness, we shall be made good by you. Let us praise you each day for your goodness and your grace that we might be sharers in your glory, that we might be members of your Body. The cup of salvation let us take up each morning and live all our days wedded in the blood of the Lamb. What a gift you give us, LORD, in holy Mass; your own presence in the flesh and blood of your Son. In your Word and in your food let us build our home, and we shall become holy as you.