The BreadCast

(2Sm.15:13-14,30,16:5-13; Ps.3:2-7; Mk.5:1-20) "Many are saying of me, 'There is no salvation for him in God.'" Today David's sins rise to his neck, and he is persecuted for them. But in accepting the persecution as chastisement from the hand of God, David regains his kingly stature, becoming once again humble and obedient to the Lord. David's son Absalom has successfully led a rebellion against him among the Israelite nation under David's command. The king is forced to flee, and as he leaves, his son will lie with the wives and concubines he has left behind upon the same roof where David first spied the bathing Bathsheba. How his sins come to visit him! But it is in mourning David flees Jerusalem and climbs the Mount of Olives – the hill upon which Christ's own passion shall begin in the garden where He is taken by the sword. David "wept without ceasing. His head was covered and he was walking barefoot." Repentant is the king in remembrance of his sins and the punishment now come upon him. And his sincerity he exhibits profoundly again, for as Shimei curses and stones him, though he is surrounded by soldiers he does not exact retribution or seek to stop him. Despite the fact this kin of Saul has no right to act toward the king in this way, yet David is struck to the heart by the truth of his words: "Now you suffer ruin because you are a murderer," and leaves all in the hands of God, responding to his soldier, "Suppose the Lord has told him to curse David; who then will dare to say, 'Why are you doing this?'" Open is David about the fact that even his own son is seeking his life, and so what standing can he expect to have with his enemies. As he endures his trial, he hopes only it shall be purgatorial: "Perhaps the Lord will look upon my affliction and make it up to me with benefits for the curses he is uttering this day." And so he does not "fear the myriads of people arrayed against him on every side," for he rediscovers his faith in God. And as the Lord casts out the legion of demons from the possessed man of Gerasene, so He shall purge David of his sin. To whatever extreme our afflictions have grown, the Lord is present to save. For if this man who could not be secured with chains, who "uninterruptedly night and day amid the tombs… screamed and gashed himself with stones," could be found by a word from the Lord "sitting fully clothed and perfectly sane," what have we to fear of all the devils who accuse us of our sins? Jesus is mightier than them and there is no telling "how much the Lord in His mercy" can do when we fall on our faces before Him in homage. True repentance brings salvation to all sinful souls. ******* O LORD, let us come from dwelling among the tombs to sit at your feet in peace. YHWH, though our adversaries be arrayed against us on every side, you are there to rescue our souls. Though the devils press upon us and accuse us of our sins, you grant forgiveness… and bring us to our right minds. O let us proclaim what you have done for us! Though we have merited death, new life is ours in you. How great is the attack of our foes in this dark world, dearest LORD. Do not sin and death rule in this forsaken place? Does Satan not have great power to harm your servants? Yet so much greater is your power, for you look with pity upon our afflictions and cross the sea to come to save us. It is our sins that cause us to weep and mourn – but our sins you take from us and so free us from the chains of the evil one. The stones that shower down on our heads we accept as chastisement from your hand, knowing they shall bring cleansing of our guilt and that of others. O LORD, we beg you to stay with us.

O wise doctor of the Church who ate the bread of angels in your long hours of prayer and study and writing and shared with us the knowledge you gained of the sublime truth of God, shedding the light of reason upon the faith we hold so dear – teach us this day to know God that we might better love and serve Him, that we might not be blind to His presence in our midst, to the holiness to which He calls us. Pray we shall enter into His Cross, His love, His obedience; pray we, too, might have knowledge, true knowledge of His grace and the everlasting life which is ours in Him… and pray the Lord send us holy teachers to fill your shoes.

(Dt.18:15-20; Ps.95:1-2,6-9; 1Cor.7:32-35; Mk.1:21-28) "A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin." Thus does Moses speak to the people as he prepares to leave them, and they prepare to enter the Promised Land. He prophesies most immediately the anointing of Joshua, who will take his place as leader of the Israelite nation and guide them into the holy land, as well as all the prophets who shall follow… but most especially, of course, he hereby prophesies the coming of the only Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will be raised up from among us, a man as we are, to be God in our midst. No greater fulfillment of this promise could there be: no more real could God make His presence known to us. Here on this earth He stands, and speaks. Our reading from Deuteronomy makes clear the nature and role of the prophet; in this passage we see the inception of this gift, of this power God gives to man. When the people begged Moses, "Let us not again hear the voice of the Lord, our God, nor see this great fire anymore," for fear of death after having witnessed the Lord's most powerful theophany at Mount Horeb, the Most High answered them and promised instead, "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him." Here is the very definition of a prophet: one who speaks for God. Out of a prophet's mouth come the words of the Lord, not his own. And what a Prophet is Jesus! And, of course, so much more than a prophet – the only Son. "For He taught them as one having authority"; His words of rebuke: "Quiet! Come out of him!" cast out all unclean spirits… His power is immeasurable as God's power is immeasurable – all is in His hands and at the command of His voice. For His words are not His own (though intimately His own); they are His Father's. He does only the Father's will and so is the Father's Son. In them together the Spirit moves! Upon all regions of the earth His Word goes forth. "Oh, that today you would hear His voice," brothers and sisters, and "bow down in worship before Him," knowing who is here before you now and consecrating yourself entirely to Him. Then you would but "sing joyfully" and be filled with "thanksgiving" as, free from sin, from all darkness – from all that is unclean – you come to full union with the promised One of all the ages and make your home in His heart, obedient to His blessed, protective commands, and so find yourself "free of anxieties" as you think only of "how [you] may please the Lord." Alleluia! He has come. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Speaking for God" from The Whole Whale, eighth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us listen to your Son, Jesus, who speaks with your authority. YHWH, let us listen to your voice, O God, and the voice of your only Son, for with authority He speaks in your Name, greater than all the prophets. He Himself is God, one with you before time, and so should we not bow down and worship Him; should we not heed His Word? If we desire salvation, we cannot but listen to Him. Why should we doubt Him who commands even the unclean spirits, whose word is as your own, LORD, able to bring the world into existence, or bring it to an end. If we but trust in Him and listen to His teaching, this same authority we will share; nothing will be able to distract us from serving you and becoming as your Son. Cast out all the demons from us, LORD, that we might be free to hear your voice clearly and worship you with a pure heart. As we kneel before you and praise you for your Son, may we indeed become the flock He guides and so enter into your presence.

O holy virgin and spiritual mother to the poorest of girls, whom you protected and guided in wisdom and love, keeping them from the snares of the world and raising them in Christ; you who fulfilled so well the twofold call to love God and save souls – pray for those who so easily go astray this day in a world of great corruption, where souls are in danger of being captured by the wiles of Satan and sin; and pray, too, that there shall be many who desire as you have, with the living love of God, to bring them into His fold.

O blessed disciples of Paul and shepherds of the Church who imitated so well your father in the faith who imitated only the Lord Jesus Christ and thirsted for His Cross – pray this holy Apostle be our father, too, and you with him, that we too might embrace the Cross; teach us the sound doctrine handed on to you that we may hand it on and all souls might fight the good fight and run the race with Jesus unto eternal life. Pray for all the shepherds of the Church that they be faithful as you have been to rightful authority.

O you who persecuted the Church of God but then preached the faith in earnest, you upon whom abundant mercy fell, whose weakness became strength as each day in bearing extraordinary torments you grew closer to God – show us the way to Heaven. Pray we fall continually from our horse, from our pride, and allow the Lord to change our lives. Pray repentance be our constant food, that the love of Jesus and His forgiveness we shall ever know in greater measure.

O most devout spiritual guide, great pastor of your flock and of all souls, you who speak to us even this day with your words of wisdom and blessed direction – pray every branch of Jesus’ vine may aspire to His perfection; in whatever state we find ourselves, let us set our hearts on loving the Lord and serving Him and neighbor prayerfully. Teach us to pray faithfully, to offer our lives in all situations, all for the glory of God. Our call may we hear and heed by your intercession, following the Christ and carrying His Cross as He leads.

O lover of the least, the most wretched of society, whom you embraced when no one else would; how like St. Francis you were in your care for the lepers, in your living the Gospel as an image of Christ: He was hungry and you fed Him, thirsty and you gave Him drink, naked and you clothed Him and cared for Him when He was sick – pray our hearts will burn with the same sacrificial love you bore so well for those most abandoned, that truly we shall see Christ in them and welcome Him into our homes… may their suffering be our own. How else shall we become holy? How else shall we be welcomed into the kingdom with you?

O martyr of the Lord extraordinaire who suffered unspeakable torture but was not bowed by such savagery, who spoke of great faith, singing of God’s glory even as your limbs were crushed, even as all the brutality the world could inflict sought to break your spirit – help us to conquer the world as you have done, as the Lord has done in you, not to be afraid but rather to serve our Savior and His Cross in joy as His blessed disciples; pray we, too, shall enter the heavenly gates open to those in whom the Spirit speaks even unto death.

O holy virgin martyr, O innocent child who offered your life more freely than a bride to her husband, more courageously than a warrior in battle, who though lacking in years was not lacking in faith nor desire to honor your only Spouse… you who were honored by the Fathers of the Church and are remembered to this day as a holy offering, a lamb of God sacrificed in flames yet professing ever your love for Christ – but a small measure of your courage would save our souls. Pray but a drop of His blood we may know falling from our veins.