The BreadCast

O great interpreter of holy Scripture, seeking the wisdom and power of God you listened to what the Lord says in His Word and so served to dispel ignorance of Christ; from your hermitage you came to serve the Church just so, to enlighten the minds of the faithful – pray the Lord shall send forth today the light of His wisdom and grace upon those who turn to the pages of the Word of God in prayer, that He may be understood in truth, that Jesus may walk amongst us again… that knowing the Christ we may become more like Him and live according to His instruction, as a lamp burning brightly in this world to draw all men to the Lord and the salvation of their souls, which He so deeply desires.

(Col.1:24-2:3; Ps.62:6-7,9; Lk.6:6-11) "We admonish all men and teach them in the full measure of wisdom, hoping to make every man complete in Christ." It is Paul's desire to see the nations "enriched with full assurance by their knowledge of the mystery of God – namely Christ – in whom every treasure of wisdom and knowledge is hidden." It is his desire for us all to be filled with this wisdom that is Christ, for it is his call from Christ to bring His Gospel forth to the eyes and ears of the whole world, to "fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of His body, the Church." And it is our call to join Him in such sufferings in Jesus' name, that indeed His Word might come to its fullness, that indeed in such suffering we might find with Paul the joy of knowing "the mystery hidden from ages and generations past but now revealed to His holy ones." This "glory beyond price" is ours as we listen to His Word, as we follow in His ways. Jesus shows Himself to be the model teacher, the teacher of teachers, the Word itself, in our gospel today. "On a sabbath Jesus came to teach in a synagogue where there was a man whose right hand was withered." For Jesus the synagogue was hostile territory, for the scribes and Pharisees "were on the watch" to "find a charge against Him," to catch Him in His teaching. Jesus does not turn away from the danger before Him but confronts them with the limitations of their interpretation of the teaching perhaps most dear to them – the command to keep the sabbath holy. He would teach them the full meaning of this command; He would fulfill this wisdom before them, showing them that God does not preclude the doing of good for others on the sabbath, that this day made for rest is thus truly a day made for healing and that this day is therefore the best to come to Him for healing – for what does He wish for us but our healing, our salvation? But being blind to the love of God and His desire for good and the good of all, they do not perceive His lesson, and make it instead a cause to "destroy" the Son of God. It is difficult to understand how these leaders of the people could become "frenzied" at the healing of one of their flock – how can this be evil to do on the sabbath? But we must remember that blindness to the will of God is not the sole possession of these scribes and Pharisees. It is a foolishness which is part of us all in our all-too-human thoughts and actions. It is this blindness which the Lord calls us from; it is this wisdom known in Christ to which Paul would direct us all. Let us join with him, with Jesus, in the "work and struggle" to bring God's healing word forth to the hands and hearts of all. "God is our refuge." Let us firmly "trust in Him" and in His wisdom, and we shall be made whole. ******* O LORD, let us be whole in your sight by the sacrifice of your Christ. YHWH, in your Son every treasure of wisdom and knowledge is hidden. In Him let us take our refuge, that we might be taught in fullness of your goodness, of your love for us, and come to share in that love with all your holy ones. O LORD, let us not harden our hearts against your work in our midst, against your Son come among us to lead us to you. Let us not rather stay the path we travel in our blindness but recognize before the great mystery you reveal to us in the presence of your Son that we fall short of His glory because of our limited vision, and embrace the wisdom He holds out to us. O let us stretch forth our withered hands! that we might be healed of all the wickedness in our hearts and come to serve you and your Church as you call us. In suffering for the sake of your kingdom may we find our joy with Christ; ever strengthened and united in His love, let us take our refuge in the glory He bears us.

O witness to the Truth, to the Light that has come among us, you gave your very life and death for the sake of Christ, who redeemed us in His blood, blood you shed with your Savior; you who were a pillar of iron against the whole land and against its king, you who stood so strong against the lust of the world, suffering its persecution so willingly, fortified even in death by the Lord and His promise – how can our meager lives measure up to your blessed sacrifice; how can we who are so weak of knee endure our exile so bravely? Pray for us, O forerunner of the Christ both in word and in the giving of your life, that our blood may be joined to your own and so to that of our holy Lord.

O shepherd made anew by Him who is within, Him who made us all, the Light above and beyond every soul who gave His life, His flesh as food that we might live – pray that the Lord and God of all will break through our deafness and dispel our blindness, that He will breathe His fragrant Spirit upon us and we too will be created anew, saved by His grace from the sin that has kept us from Him and thirsting for the wisdom which became your own, with which you shepherded His people apart from the things He created to His very Beauty itself, that all souls might rest in Him who made them.

O tearful mother whose persistent cries for the soul of your son were heard in time by the Lord our God and so led to his conversion, to his becoming not only a Catholic Christian but a bishop and doctor of the Church, a saint like yourself – pray for the prayers of all mothers who cry for their wayward sons; pray indeed that all souls may turn and come to know so deeply the love of our Lord and God and the blessing upon His holy Catholic Church. Pray that all who stray, many as they are, shall be raised from the death of sin and come to the life of Heaven, where you wait with your son to welcome all his brothers.

O guardian angel of poor children who formed them in the image of Christ, an education of body and soul you provided those most in need, those most impressionable and thirsting for the Lord’s care, and led so many others in this work for the least of our brothers – pray we shall become fellow workers with Jesus in the cause of truth and teach with deep love, the greatest patience, and profound humility, the souls He places in our hands. May the desire to see all attain eternal life be that which most impels us and especially those whose responsibility is the formation of Christian youth, that all men might rejoice at the straight paths these walk to the kingdom. Your zeal despite persecution may we maintain in our call from the Lord.

O loyal subject of the Lord and of His Church on earth, though a king you did not exalt yourself but listened rather to the words of your Savior and chose to serve Him, doing His work in this world: the poor you cared for, your children you raised in the teaching of Christ, and for all those in your reign you sought true justice and maintained concern for their spiritual welfare – pray we poor souls will emulate your desire for penance and prayer, and your faithful obedience to God and MotherChurch. May we be blessed as your sons to have your wisdom in our ears, a wisdom reflective of Jesus’ own.

O apostle of the Lamb, man without guile led by love to the Lord, you who declared Jesus Son of God and King of Israel, whose eyes of faith were illumined by angels’ wings – pray we shall be found by the Christ under our fig tree in peace, in prayer, and carry with you His holy Gospel to the very ends of the earth. With you as a foundation stone, one of the Twelve, may the Bride of the Lamb be led to her Husband, her heart burning with love for Him alone; her soul thirsting only for God’s presence, may her eyes be opened to see her Lord. To vision of Heaven pray we all come by an angelic belief in the Son of Man.

O penitential soul whose eyes saw the Lord, whose ears heard His voice calling all to the Cross, obediently you accepted the afflictions that are necessary to attain union with God and His surpassing glory – pray that fearful souls like our own, which turn in complaint from every torment and trouble, however small, may be blessed with a measure of your selfless devotion, that the unfathomable treasure of the Lord’s grace might be our own as we endure, and even desire as you, the pains that pave the road to Heaven. Then we shall know Christ even as you and proclaim His glory to all creatures.

O Queen of Heaven and earth, you radiate the glory of God, for now you stand at His right Hand in the heavenly kingdom. Clothed with the sun, the moon under your feet and a crown of twelve stars upon your head, you give light to all souls who thirst for the grace our Lord and King pours upon us through your intercession. O how the angels rejoiced, how the heavens rang with praise when the Son led you into His presence clothed in gold to be forever His Bride! O pray for us, dearest Queen and Mother, that we too shall be led in among your maiden companions to stand in God’s glory forever. Our cause we entrust to your Immaculate Heart.