The BreadCast

(Jas.4:1-10; Ps.55:7-11,23; Mk.9:30-37) "In the city I see violence and strife; day and night they prowl about upon its walls." The violence this world holds is known most poignantly, of course, in "the Son of Man… [being] delivered into the hands of men who… put Him to death," but exists most pervasively and fundamentally in our own bodies, insofar as they are conformed to the spirit of the world. For as James asks so pointedly, "Where do the conflicts and disputes among you originate? Is it not your inner cravings that make war within your members?" It is indeed the evil desire in our bones, the "envy," the "love of the world [that] is enmity to God" which causes us to "quarrel and fight," which is the source of all sin, and so death, and so war. That "the spirit He has implanted in us tends toward jealousy" is evident even in the apostles, whom we find in today's gospel "arguing about who was the most important." Even these, who have yet to receive the "greater gift" – the Holy Spirit of God who serves to cleanse His children of the evil in them – even these are divided by the cravings that make war in our members. Even these contribute to the crucifixion of Christ. Brothers and sisters, if you would "find shelter from the violent storm and the tempest" at work in you and about you, you must "cast your care upon the Lord, and He will support you." "Submit to God; resist the devil and he will take flight." "Purify your hearts" of all that is not in conformity with the Spirit of God and you will find safe haven from the violence of this world and the violence of your own hearts. For "never will He permit the just man to be disturbed." And both James and the Lord teach what it is to be just, what it is to excel before God. If you desire the goodness of the Lord, rend your hearts; "be humbled in the sight of God and He will raise you on high." You cannot raise yourself, for you are but dust; and dust you must be if you desire holiness in the presence of the Most High: "If anyone wishes to rank first, he must remain the last one of all and the servant of all," as is Jesus, the suffering Son crucified for the sins of each of us. Brothers and sisters, let our hearts be so docile as to welcome His children openly – as His humble children we ourselves must be. For then we shall welcome Him; for then we shall be sons of the Father, free from sin and so no longer subject to the violence known in the city that is this world of sin. May our own members and all the members of the Church be cleansed of all strife by the power of the Holy Spirit. ******* O LORD, help us to be humble before you, that you might raise us up from our sin. YHWH, should we not be as children before you? Is your Son not like a Child, O LORD? Is He not the humblest of all? O let us be like Him, and you! Is there some other image in which we should be made, LORD, than your own? What of this world should beguile our soul? To whom should we aspire but our heavenly Father, and how shall we find you except through your Son? Does He not show us the way by His death on the Cross? O LORD, let us not be deaf to your speaking to us in His words and actions, for He reveals to us who we must be. Help us to leave the example of the world behind, to abandon all hatred and jealousy, all the sinful pride and insatiable greed wrought into our fallen nature, and come to you even this day that we might be redeemed by your Son's sacrifice and our sharing therein. O help us to be humble, LORD, to find the humility only you know. With all our hearts let us serve you, and your glory will be ours.

(Jas.3:13-18; Ps.19:8-10,15; Mk.9:14-29) "The command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye." What is the wisdom of which James speaks in our first reading but this enlightening of the eye and the mind by following the command of the Lord? It is the words and the wisdom of Jesus, reflected clearly in the Lord's own life, James relates to the waiting ear this day. What does he instruct but to practice "a humility filled with good sense" and to "cultivate peace," not to "nurse bitter jealousy in [our] hearts" but to "refrain from arrogant and false claims against the truth"? We must be as "innocent" as the Lamb of God, and as forgiving. Then we will realize that "the decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple," for "wisdom from above" will then fill us, and lead us by its sacred light. How clear the command of the Lord is in our gospel, and how powerfully it enlightens the eye. As He comes down from the mountain where He has been transfigured before His principal apostles, "a large crowd… on catching sight of Jesus" is immediately "overcome with awe. They [run] up to greet Him." Being presented with the boy possessed by a spirit that often "throws him into the fire and into water," Jesus "reprimanded the unclean spirit by saying to him, 'Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: Get out of him and never enter him again!'" And the boy is healed; he is freed from bondage to the devil, and now in his right mind, he can see. Though perhaps not always so dramatic, every command of the Lord casts out just such darkness which pervades our souls. Coming in faith before Him as the father who trusts in God and in His Son, the same healing do we know. Following His words, our eyes and ears are opened, too, and we discover that indeed "the law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul." So, brothers and sisters, let us pray with David today: "Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart find favor before you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer," that we might remain ever in His enduring purity and light. ******* O LORD, if we but lived lives of prayer in all humility, never could we be separated from you and always you would work through us. YHWH, how shall our words and thoughts match those of your Son, who commands and the devils flee, whose heart is set always on your will… who sacrifices His life for our sakes? Help our unbelief, our lack of trust in you and in your power, that we might by your grace come to share in that power with Jesus, even as we share in His humility. How can we live in your perfect innocence, LORD, we who are such a faithless lot, we who lack prayer in our heart? O how easily we are overcome! But you are our hope. You come down from the mountain, from the glory on high, to dwell with the likes of us and save us from the devil's grasp, which has such a dire hold upon us and upon our children. Only by the grace of your presence will this generation be saved – leave us not till your work is accomplished. Teach us, O LORD; give us your wisdom, that your peace might be ever in our souls and we might serve you with all our thoughts and words. Save us, dear God, from all darkness.

(Acts 2:1-11; Ps.104:1,24,29-31,34; Gal.5:16-25; Jn.15:26-27,16:12-15) "The time for Pentecost was fulfilled." A driving wind comes from the sky. It fills the house. Tongues of fire come to rest on the disciples, and they speak in tongues of every nation. The gathered crowd of "Jews from every nation under heaven" ask in wonder, "How does each of us hear them in his native language?" How is such perfect communication possible? How could such light fall upon mankind? How can we be made one? "The Advocate comes." "The Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father," sent by the Son to "guide [us] to all truth," declares the glory of God in our midst, fulfills the Word among us, making us brothers and sisters in the light of the Lord. "O Lord, my God, you are great indeed!" What wonders you work before the eyes of man! What glorious speech you bring to our ears! So far are your ways above our ways; so little of the truth can we weak human beings bear. But you strengthen us. You give us your Word. You anoint us with your Spirit to destroy this sinful flesh and prepare our hearts to receive the grace that comes only by your power. We praise you, Lord, for the glory you impart to our souls. "May the glory of the Lord endure forever," and we endure forever in Him. Let us never be separated from the blessing which comes from the One who never dies, the One who brings life to every creature upon the face of the earth, and in the heavens above. "Brothers and sisters, live by the Spirit" now. Hold closely to the gifts He offers freely and powerfully forth this holy day and every day of your lives. In no other way will you be fulfilled; by no other means will you come to heaven. The Spirit is the source of all truth and only by His guidance you will hear of the glory of God. And only by His power will you keep it. In the Church now the Spirit dwells, teaching all her children. From the four corners they come to receive the bread of life. Let us be fed well for the time is at hand when all the Lord's words will be fulfilled, when the Son shall return again. Our refuge now is the Spirit. In Him let us place our trust. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "There Is No End to Life" (final part) from Thoroughfare, seventh album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us be baptized in your Spirit, renewed for the proclamation of your love. YHWH, comes the driving wind from Heaven, the Spirit Jesus breathes upon His apostles, and so we are made your sons, dear Father, and declare your glory unto all. May your Church with one voice offer you due praise and teach the nations of your eternal call. We must leave our sins behind and accept the gifts of the Holy Spirit, living as one with the Son of God. If we keep His commandments, we shall dwell with you forever, O Father God. For He is with you and through Him you send the Spirit; all who desire to be your children you bless with purging fire this holy day. Now the promised gift of the Spirit falls upon our immortal souls and we are refreshed and made new creatures, formed in the image of Jesus, your Son. One you make us in Spirit and Body, free from all the works of the flesh. Your Son stands in our midst and offers us His peace; the Advocate now testifies to all Truth… Come and make your dwelling in us, O glorious LORD and God.

(Acts1:15-17,20a,20c-26; Ps.103:1-2,11-12,19-20; 1Jn.4:11-16; Jn.17:11b-19) "As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world." Jesus sent the apostles forth, and "none of them was lost except the son of destruction"; and Judas was lost only "that the Scripture might be fulfilled," that the betrayal of the Christ might be accomplished. Otherwise, those whom He sent He also protected, He also guarded well from the evil one, that what must be accomplished in them should likewise be brought to fulfillment – that they be one with Jesus in the Father and bring His holy Name to the world, that all might be gathered together as one in God's truth and His love. To begin the accomplishment of this mission after the departure of the Christ, the principal soul whom Jesus sends stands up in the midst of all his brothers and calls for the replacement of Judas, that Scripture – "may another take his office" – continue to be fulfilled. Matthias is chosen by the Lord to become the twelfth "witness to His resurrection," and so "the apostolic ministry" is now in place; and so the army of God can now go forth to reveal that "His kingdom rules over all." And what is His kingdom, brothers and sisters, but a kingdom of love? Our beloved John ever makes this clear, ever emphasizes this essential word of truth, and we must declare in truth his essential word of God's love: "We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us." His proclamation must be our own. We must see and know how the Lord guards us, how He protects us from the snares of the world and preserves us in His love by putting "our transgressions [far] from us," that we might praise His name in faith even unto heaven. We must say with John, "We have seen and testify that the Father sent His Son as savior of the world." In genuine recognition of this basic truth we shall find the love of God living in us. And "if God so loved us" by sending His only Son to us, "we must love one another" by heeding His call to be sent to others. Like Matthias and the apostles, we too have a blessed vocation in Christ to bring His love and His truth to this dying world. To this let us consecrate ourselves as freely as has our Jesus, as freely as the Twelve… "that we might share [the Lord's] joy completely." We "do not belong to the world any more than [He] belong[s] to the world": let us find our place in His kingdom. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Can You Love?" (part B of "Liars Don't Love, Lovers Don't Lie") from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, keep us in your Name from the evils of the world that we might remain in your love. YHWH, send us forth in your Name and that of your Son; you are God and Father of all and Jesus shares in your glory. May we come to share in that same glory by the love you have shown us in sending your Son, and may we share that love with all. Your Word of truth take not from our souls, dear LORD, but let it be spoken in our every breath. Your love dwell ever in us that we might dwell ever in you and do your will in all things. O let us be consecrated to you with your Son! Let us be made sacred in your sight, that indeed we might be your children, your apostles of love and truth. Count us among your disciples, LORD, you who are mighty and rule over all, that freed from our sins your love might be perfected in us and we become one with you in Heaven. For us has Jesus laid down His life in perfect love – may we acknowledge His Sonship and so share in your love.

(Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48; Ps.98:1-4; 1Jn.4:7-10; Jn.15:9-17) "This I command you: love one another." And so we hear the Lord's essential instruction: love. If we keep His commandments we will love, and if we love we will keep His commandments. His commandment is to love. But what is love? John gives us the simple answer, of course: "God is love," but also indicates further the nature of love, corroborated by the Lord Himself. It is "not that we have loved God, but that He loved us." Love comes not from us but from God, because, as we have said, God is love; we are not love. It is God the Father who has sent His Son to reveal His love by dying for our sins; without this sacrifice we would not know love, could not comprehend the love that is God, that is willing to lay down His very life for the sake of His children. Apart from this love we remain in the dark about love – any love separated from this offering is not love at all. And as it is not we who love but He who gives love, who is love, so it is not we who choose Him but He us. We did not contrive the sacrifice of the Son: we could never have imagined it. We have, in fact, great difficulty in simply accepting it, so beyond our concept of love it is. But there it is. There He is, calling us to His love, to this love, to the sacrifice of our own selves for one another, that we might thoroughly share in the gift of love. We need but respond to know love. And who may share in this love? Let us come to Peter's realization: "In every nation whoever fears Him and acts uprightly is acceptable to Him." There is none from whom the Spirit can be withheld, for, as John confirms, "Everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God." So we need but love. We need but put our hope in Him and in His love. We need but keep His command, and His love shall be our own, and we shall find ourselves "speaking in tongues and glorifying God"; whomever we are and wherever we come from, we know "the salvation by our God" by living in the love of the Spirit and being "baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." Alleluia! There is not much else to say. Alleluia! Praise the Lord! Let us forever live in His love. Let us forever die for one another. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Love, the Meaning of: Can You Love?" from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, thank you for sending us your Son, for sharing with us your love – may we also share Him with others. YHWH, help us to love one another, to die for one another, that we might find the love you offer us in the sacrifice of your Son, that we might live ever in your love. What more could we want than to be begotten by you and know you by living in your love? What greater call can there be for our lives than to be united with you who are love? O LORD, all who fear you and act uprightly, all who love you and love their neighbor, all who desire you and your love you come to in your Son – may all be baptized in His Name! Pour out your Spirit upon all souls, dear LORD, that all might be conformed to your will and made in the image of your Son. As Jesus let us all be, laying down our lives for one another in the Spirit of love. We are all but men, LORD, but your Son calls us His friends as He draws us into union with you and your love. Alleluia!

O Shepherd of the Church who led her through a difficult time, seeing to her reform in faith and morals, in teaching and prayer, that the foundation once established by the Lord Jesus Christ might be confirmed and strengthened, kept from decay – pray this day, too, MotherChurch will be blessed by the nourishing food of the Spirit, that she might be fed at the Lord’s table and all might be encouraged to enter the gates of Heaven she guards and opens to all souls in communion with the Savior and His way… May Peter lead us unto His Day.

O wise and holy virgin whose love for God was matched by a great love for the Church and a great desire to see her pure and holy as He… peace you brought to peoples and to MotherChurch, for peace you held within your blessed soul, held as you were in the hand of God – pray the light of the Lord will be shed upon the Church and all souls this day, and that reconciliation shall come and we stand as one in that surpassing light and peace of the Trinity. May holiness be all men’s desire, to live in accord with the will of God.

O apostle of Mary and so of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the Lord you drew souls through devotion to His Mother. How perfectly you have spoken of this grace upon the Virgin and the role she plays in the salvation of the world – pray this day that her sweet protection and most blessed intercession will be with all the children who turn in faith to the one chosen by the Father to be Mother of His Son. May this Spouse of the Spirit lead us into God’s presence where with you and all the heavenly saints we shall find ourselves one with the Most Holy Trinity and sing forever the praises of our Lord and God.

O great missionary, you served to convert a land and a people that had never heard of our blessed Savior, and though killed for your work, you loved those to whom you were sent and toiled tirelessly for their salvation – pray the same kind heart you showed we shall also know in serving souls placed into our care; and pray the name of our Lord shall go forth in freedom to the very ends of the earth this day. What are our lives compared with the service of Christ and the salvation of souls in faith in His name? Let us live with your same zeal the love that is Jesus and His Cross.

(Acts 9:26-31; Ps.22:26-28,30-32; 1Jn.3:18-24; Jn.15:1-8) "Let the coming generation be told of the Lord..." Let the vine that is Christ continue to grow; let its branches extend to the ends of the world. Anointed by the Spirit, let all His children proclaim the name of Jesus, that "all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord," that in our midst the call upon the Church of God shall be fulfilled. Brothers and sisters, we should all be like Paul, who "spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord." Though it brought him the threat of death, he did not mind; his sole concern was for greater growth of the people of God – that all might become branches of the vine of Jesus. And so, by apostles like Paul, "with the consolation of the Holy Spirit [the Church] grew in numbers" and spread to the four corners of the world, and "a people yet to be born," including ourselves, have heard of the salvation that comes only by the Lord. And so this growth must continue. Those who are still yet to be born, whether because they are still in their mother's womb or because their hearts have not been touched by the Spirit of God, must also come to be grafted upon the holy vine. And so, can we fail to speak of Jesus our God? Can we fail to perform the deeds to which our Father calls us? Would you see any deprived of the blessing of "the true vine"? "By this is [the] Father glorified, that [we] bear much fruit and become [His Son's] disciples," bringing others to that same discipleship, that the house of the Lord might be filled to overflowing. "The lowly shall eat their fill," hearts hungry for the word of God shall find their joy, only if we "fulfill [our] vows before those who fear the Lord," only if we do the will of Him who sends us forth. Brothers and sisters, let us "remain in Him, and He in [us]"; let "the Spirit He gave us" preserve us in His love… Let it be His blood which courses through our veins as we drink His cup. And let us call all souls to share in this cup, that we might be assured all our "descendants shall serve Him." Lord, let your Church be built up in your truth and your love. May all believe in your name. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Branch of the Vine" from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let your Spirit be with us to strengthen us to speak out in the Name of your Son. YHWH, let us go out to the ends of the earth preaching your Name fearlessly among the nations. Let us be true branches of the holy vine that is your Son Jesus. If in truth we live before you, then we shall be blessed with doing your will. Help us, O LORD, to love one another, to believe in your Son and be as He was. If we live in Him, He shall live in us and we shall bear fruit in His Name. Let us never be separated from Him, becoming branches fit for the fire, but ever have His blood coursing through our veins. Yes, let your Church be built up now, LORD, in the power of the Holy Spirit; let all be well fed on your Word, that every soul might bow humbly before you. We ask in the Name of your Son that your glory become known in us all.