The BreadCast

O great teacher of the Catholic faith who served to set a foundation upon which she could grow in peace and in truth, in the Spirit of God, you who valiantly defended her against attacks of heresy and shed your blood in the battle – pray we shall find shepherds today to explicate the faith of the apostles as clearly and loyally as you have done, that none shall be led astray into false doctrine by whim and fancy, by pride and envy, but drink rather the pure milk of our Mother and of the one true God. To vision of the Father let us come by revelation of His only-begotten Son.

O great defender of the Mother of God and of the faith itself, courageously you declared that Jesus is God indeed, become Man in Mary His Mother; this you made plain for all to see, O shepherd of the people of God, that truth might reign and the Virgin might find her proper place among us – pray, O brave teacher, that we shall not be afraid to proclaim the truths inscribed by the Spirit upon the heart of the Church and in her inspired writings; and may indeed our Mother, the Mother of Jesus, the Mother of God, be recognized for her preeminence amongst the saints, that the Word of the Lord might be fulfilled and all generations call her blessed.

(Gn.13:2,5-18; Ps.15:1-5; Mt.7:6,12-14;) "How narrow is the gate that leads to life, how rough the road, and how few there are who find it!" In our first reading today, the way Abram walks with God is contrasted with the path Lot chooses for himself. Though the road seems wide and clear, this gate leads to damnation, and indeed, as our gospel states, is one which is chosen by the traveler himself; whereas the narrow path is one which is found in God. Lot and Abram could no longer dwell together; their possessions were too great and the tensions were too high among their servants. Taking "no reproach against his neighbor," acting as the just soul spoken of in our psalm, "Abram said to Lot: 'Let there be no strife between you and me,'" and put the whole land at his disposal, offering to take what remained. So "Lot looked about," Scripture tells us, to see what pleased his eyes, and then "chose for himself," again the words of Scripture, that broad expanse of land which he thought would be fruitful for his needs. And where does this decision he takes by the sight of his own eyes lead him? To the depraved, to the reprobate, to the dogs and swine – to the infamous land of Sodom, whose people "were very wicked in the sins they committed against the Lord." To such we are led by our senses. Once Lot is gone, how is Abram led to his destination – are his feet led by his own eyes as well? No, the Lord comes to Him as guide. It is He who tells him to "set forth and walk about in the land." It is again God and his faith which serve as his light. And what promise there is by way of this path! But what difficulties one must face to attain it. When Abram arrived at his destination, "he built an altar to the Lord." (In what contrast is this altar to the unholy sacrifices offered at Sodom.) The altar of Abram signifies both the faith of this just man and the sacrifice necessary to walk with God and find the life to which He leads us. We know that Abram's path will be particularly rough, as will be that of his descendants. There will be slavery and wandering in the desert, and once come into the land of promise, it shall not remain with them. Indeed, it is only we now in the Spirit following the coming of Christ for whom that promise is fulfilled. And yet do we struggle. And yet every day must we examine our conscience and reform our lives to prepare ourselves to enter that gate which is so narrow. No sin will it accept. No foolish pride can exist in our hearts if we hope to enter life. The way is rough, but what blessed protection the Lord gives by His guidance; and we "shall never be disturbed" by the trials of this world but come thereby to the sure promise of heaven. ******* O LORD, the wide road of the world leads to damnation; the narrow gate of the Cross of Christ takes us to Heaven. YHWH, let us be just, as Abraham, and as faithful to your Word. Not by our own eyes let us set forth, but led by your command. Your narrow way let us follow, the way that leads to life. The just man thinks only the truth in his heart, and does not slander his fellow man. He is a man of peace who takes up no reproach against his neighbor but gives him preference of place. This is what it means to treat others as we would be treated, for when we give others such deference (as Abraham does for Lot), you, O LORD, defer to us… and we are truly blessed. For no one is as just as you. Let us come to know your justice, LORD, and we shall be kept from the dogs and swine. Through the narrow gate let us enter and not the gate that is clear and wide, and we shall be preserved from all evil – for you will be at our side. And though the Cross does enter into our lives, it only serves to bless us with passage into your Promised Land.

(Tb.12:1,5-15,20; Tb.13:1-2,6; Mk.12:38-44) "Almsgiving saves one from death." We must give alms, yes; and the greatest of alms is the gift of ourselves to God. In our gospel we hear of perhaps the most famous example of almsgiving: the poor widow who gave her two copper coins to the temple treasury; and in our first reading we complete the Book of Tobit, he who is himself a great biblical model of almsgiving, and who is here instructed by the angel Raphael on the merit of giving alms. Yes, the widow gives generously all her money, without hesitation and without a thought. Unlike those who give from their surplus, "she gave from her want, all that she had to live on." She holds back nothing. And at the prompting of Tobit, Tobiah offers half of all the many riches gained from his journey to his guide, Raphael (not realizing he is an angel with no need of these things). As Raphael reveals himself to Tobit and his son, he extols the great merit of almsgiving, which he states is better even than prayer and fasting. He wishes to tell them of the value of almsgiving, it is true, but he wants Tobit to know that his generosity has been witnessed by God and that it has saved him from the death he had asked for. Raphael lets Tobit know, too, that he has been tested by God (in being stricken with blindness) to prove that his generosity is genuine. It must be shown that his virtue is not vain as the scribes', who "recite long prayers for appearance' sake" to cover the fact that they "devour the savings of widows." Does he have the heart of the poor widow in his generosity, or does he just like to parade around in the robes of such virtue? The key to the merit of all our almsgiving is found in Raphael's initial response to Tobiah's offer: "Thank God! Give Him the praise and the glory." All our good works must be done for the praise of God as witnesses to His glory. "Before all men, honor and proclaim God's deeds, and do not be slack in praising Him," the angel exhorts us all. And it is this praise of God we must give first before any treasure of the world. This praise of God and telling of His Name is the greatest of almsgiving. Do you think it is the two coins which save the widow, or can you see the heart for God from which they are offered? Do you think the widow is giving her coins for show, or is it obvious to you that it is her love of God which drives her to this act? We can easily surmise that this woman's life is one of prayer to God, a genuine prayer unlike the vanity of the scribes, and it is this which most pleases God and saves her very soul; for she is empty of all else but Him. And of all the many acts of kindness Tobit has performed, all the dead he has buried and offerings he has given, perhaps none is above his obedience to the angel's final command: "Write down all these things that have happened to you." For by his laying down of his life and the Lord's marvelous grace working in it, more than two thousand years later, we still receive the spiritual gifts contained therein; his praise of God with "full voice" still comes to our ears and gives us hope that we too might be raised up from any vanity in our own generosity and see the face of God. Let us praise the Lord with all our lives and give all our selves to Him. Let us live to praise the Lord. ******* O LORD, let us praise you with full voice; let us give all we have to you. YHWH, you call us to give alms that our souls might be saved. By our generosity you shall know us, if it is in union with you. For all must be done in your NAME and for your praise, or all is quite worthless. Indeed, a little with righteousness is better than abundance with wickedness; and so, whatever we give without giving glory to you is given in vain, but if we give a penny (which is all our lives are worth) in praise of your goodness toward us, how blessed we shall be! LORD, all you do is for our good, whether you scourge us or raise us up in your mercy, for all is done to bring us closer to you. Until all our lives are in your hands, your angel you send to test us and to heal us, to turn us back to you – all empty show be taken forever from our souls that we might dwell humbly with you in glory. Let us not care for the riches of this world even should they increase, but set our hearts on praise of you alone… and the doing of your will with all we have and are.

(Tb.11:5-15; Ps.146:2,7-10; Mk.12:35-37) "The Lord gives sight to the blind." Now in His teaching Jesus truly begins to open the eyes of the people. We have witnessed this week His fielding their questions regarding theology and the law, but He now takes a step further, revealing to them and to us the Truth itself – that He Himself is the Son of God. "The majority of the crowd heard this with delight." Many eyes begin to open, many hearts begin to see… but will they remain so joyful when Jesus reveals Himself to them completely (on the cross)? And of course, our first reading speaks principally about the opening of Tobit's eyes, as he who has been blind these four years is healed by the fish gall acquired through the intercession of the angel Raphael. But the reading is really about more than this: it shows the love of his parents in their longing for Tobiah's return. Notice that as his eyes are opened, Tobit exclaims, "I can see you, son, the light of my eyes!" as he weeps with his arms around him. And at the very beginning of the reading we find Anna, his mother, "watching the road," looking desperately – she has been there for weeks – for Tobiah to return from his journey. When she sees him, she, too, throws her arms around him, and says, "Now that I have seen you again, son, I am ready to die!" as she sobs aloud… It is not so much the fish gall that has cured Tobit's blindness, for the light of his eyes, that which causes them to see, he himself ascribes to Tobiah his son. And it is not so much seeing Tobiah that brings such absolute joy to his mother, as it is being with him again, knowing that he is alive – for she had seriously feared him dead. Brothers and sisters, are we like Anna and Tobit? Do we watch vigilantly for the return of the only Son of God? We proclaim that our eyes have been opened to know Him as our Savior, but is He truly the light of our eyes? Even today do we make seeing Him and knowing Him the life that brings breath to our souls and makes our hearts beat? Are we the "oppressed," the "hungry," the "captives" – those who are "bowed down" of whom our psalm speaks – who will thus know His "justice," His "food," His "freedom"… His "resurrection"? We must love dearly our Holy Catholic Church, for it is essential here on this earth, where it is the keeper of the Father's vineyard; but we must remember Jesus goes beyond religion, beyond theology and laws. For He is more than these. He is what sets us apart from any other religion, for He is a person, the second Person of the Trinity – God. Let us open our eyes and our hearts and follow Him with our lives, knowing He is our only Son, our hope, the light of our eyes. For He who is the Son of Man is also the Son of God. ******* O LORD, open my eyes that I might praise you forever. YHWH, it is you who give sight to the blind, you who set captives free. Your Son is indeed light to our eyes and salvation for our very souls. Give us new life that we might praise you all the day. You keep faith with us, O LORD, for though we wait many days, though we must hope even in the darkness, you do not disappoint our expectations – you do not take back your Word. Your Son has come among us now and revealed your glory to our eyes. He who lived before us has been born into our midst and died for our sakes. Now His enemies become His footstool. Now His reign has begun. And those who have longed for His coming rejoice in praise of your holy NAME. O may He return soon to us! For blindness besets us yet while we dwell upon this plane. Send your angels to bring Him back to us, O LORD, that forever we might look upon His face. Give us courage now; raise up the souls that are bowed down. Alleluia!

(Tb.6:11,7:1,9-14,8:4-7; Ps.128:1-5; Mk.12:28-34) "Love the Lord your God" and "Love your neighbor as yourself." On these two great commandments rest all the Law and the Prophets. By them we shall be "not far from the reign of God." In them the Lord leads us into His bridal chamber, where we shall be made one with Him in glory forever. Here on earth we dimly mirror the love of the Lord for His Church in our marriage of husband and wife; in this, love of neighbor is known in its most intimate and complete way. But always love of God must precede love of any creature, for it is "those who fear the Lord" who are happy, who "eat the fruit of [their] handiwork" and see their children prosper. Tobiah has such love. Such strength of love does he have in his heart for Sarah that he hesitates not at all even in the face of death. Seven have died before him, but he gives fear of this not a thought. And it is not in his lust that he takes such great strength; he is not led foolishly by his eyes and his loins. It is indeed his fear of the Lord, the love for his God and his desire to keep His commands, in which he finds unwavering hope. Even from his marriage bed does he rise to invoke the name of God, demonstrating his "noble purpose." He recognizes that God first must be praised, and that it is He who gave Adam his Eve. Jesus loves us just so, brothers and sisters, and even greater than this is His love for His bride. He heeds fully the command of God regarding His Church: "Take her and bring her back safely to your father." He comes to us, as it were, on a long journey, the angels of the Lord blessing His steps, and seeks without fear His rightful wife, who has languished so long surrounded by death. This death He takes upon Himself, facing it with faith and prayer alone to show us the love God has for us, and that we must have for one another. And wedding us unto Himself, He redeems us from the death we have known and makes us so fruitful in His Name. Yes, brothers and sisters, we must love the God who has loved us so, and love one another the same. May God bless all marriages; May they witness to the love the Lord has for His Church. Amen. ******* O LORD, if we but love you and our neighbor, all will be well; we will approach the kingdom of Heaven. YHWH, you are love and love is stronger than death; so those who love you shall conquer death and live forever in your love. O let us but love! The demons are ever round about, dear LORD, working to take the life from us, the life that is rooted in you and blessed by you – the life which you yourself are. Let us have your angels to guide us through the darkness of this earth to your unending light; teach us to love you with all our being, to keep nothing back from you. By our trust and in our prayer may we be saved from all evil. If we but praise you with all our heart, you will certainly hear our plea. No lust let there be in any marriage bed, O LORD, but may every husband take his wife with you and your purpose in mind. Then shall all be blessed; then shall all creation praise you… then shall love be known to the ends of the earth. Then shall all the devils flee and your kingdom come to be present in all souls. Let us take our place in Heaven with you and your Son! To Him let us be wed.

(Tb.3:1-11,16-17; Ps.25:1-9; Mk.12:18-27) "He is the God of the living, not of the dead." Rich readings. First of all, we see the striking similarity between the story woven by the Sadducees to thwart the wisdom of the Lord and the situation in which Sarah finds herself. In both cases, seven – the number representing fullness – husbands have died. In one the wife has also died; in the other, she wishes for death. And in both there have been no children, no fruit, no new life. Death in its fullness is throughout today's readings, as even Tobit begs to die. In addition to death, our readings are also clearly about prayer. In our first, Tobit and Sarah pour out their hearts in tears before the Lord whom they so love. Our psalm is the lifting up of the soul in prayer to God by the humble. And the Sadducees questioning of Jesus is also a kind of prayer, though one which comes from a hardness of heart, inauthentic and insincere. And what has the Lord to say of death; what is the answer to these prayers? We often hear that God always answers our prayers, though often in ways we do not expect. Such is the case here. Neither Tobit nor Sarah will get the death they seem to seek; instead, Raphael – the angel whose name means "to heal" – "was sent to heal them both." And the Sadducees, "who hold there is no resurrection," will not find confirmation for their creed which clings to death as the end of all. Yet all will be answered according to the disposition of their hearts, and in this sense all receive exactly what they seek, for the Lord looks upon the heart. The prayer of Tobit and Sarah is not really to die but "to be delivered from such anguish" – it is healing they seek, and this they shall find. And the Sadducees, who do not really seek an answer of the Lord regarding resurrection, whose hearts are closed to the life-giving power of God, will likely not hear the words of Christ… and so by their ignorance come to adhere more firmly to their creed of death. We do get what we ask for. As our psalm tells us, the Lord "teaches the humble His way." The compassion and kindness which are synonymous with God are known to those who trust in Him; but "those shall be put to shame who heedlessly break faith," for the compassion of our Lord finds no place in them. For them there is no hope, no life, no resurrection from the dead… and they shall not know how God answers prayer. Brothers and sisters, let us pour out our hearts before our Lord and God, and know His healing grace, and find His everlasting life. ******* O LORD, though we wish to die when amidst the persecutions of this race, let us be resurrected with you. YHWH, hear our prayer and save us from the insults of your enemies. Let us not be overcome by darkness or by sin. You are our God and you answer all our pleas; let us not be put to shame. You look upon the heart, O LORD, and listen to our true desires. Every prayer you cannot help but answer according to the faith by which it is offered. You give us what we ask for, not in our words but by our intention. And so, you thwart the insincere prayer of the wicked, but are merciful to those who are humble before you. And you protect us, LORD, from every attack of the devil. Those who break faith heedlessly shall not triumph over your righteous ones; they shall be turned back by the power of your Word. For in life alone you dwell – in you there is no death – and so those whose hearts desire life in your presence shall rejoice… even as those who do not believe fall helplessly into the earth.

(Tb.2:9-14; Ps.112:1-2,7-9; Mk.12:13-17) "The heart of the just man is secure, trusting in the Lord." Today in our reading and gospel we find just men put to trial and testing. Our Lord is steadfast before the devious inquiry of the Pharisees and Herodians, answering them with a wisdom greater than Solomon's; for what can Jesus, who is Himself the Word made flesh, do but take refuge in the Father with whom He is one. And so wisdom is His to answer His foes, and He is unmoved, indeed moving with "amazement" those who would trap Him. The heart of Tobit does not remain as secure. We see in his anger that his trust in the Lord has been shaken. He has always been just, generously giving to those in need, taking the plight of his people to heart. Indeed, it is after performing a good work – "fatigued from burying the dead [I] went to sleep next to the wall of my courtyard" – that his trial comes upon him. Here is a man who has done all he could to help his fellow Jewish exiles suffering persecution at the hands of the Ninevites, and now he is stricken with blindness. But the Lord does not leave him alone; He does not cast him out. For two years his needs are cared for by Ahiqar, and then his wife is able to work to meet their expenses. And successful she is over and above expectations. Yet he is prodded into anger by her good reward. His response (in the words of St. Dorotheus, from today's Office of Readings) "breaks the cover on the passionate anger within him," an anger, an unease, he has likely been harboring for some time. It is an anger, we can surmise, that comes from the helplessness his blindness has brought upon him. He is no longer in control of his fate, but must depend on others for survival. And though the Lord provides, he finds it too difficult to trust in this provision. (He may indeed be particularly resentful that it is now his wife who provides for him, taking the role he believes in his heart he should play.) We can certainly understand Tobit's frustration over his condition. Few but Jesus would stand up well to such trial. But Jesus is our ideal. It is to be like Him that we are called. We shall always need to do battle against the sins that are ever with us, but as St. Dorotheus says of the Christian, "The more perfect he grows, the less these temptations will affect him. For the more the soul advances, the stronger and more powerful it becomes in bearing the difficulties that it meets." Let us set ourselves to trust in the Lord and so ever find security in Him. We must place all in His hands, even unto death, and then we shall be free. Let not the things of Caesar weigh upon you; you belong to God and not the world. ******* O LORD, only you can make us secure – let us trust in you and not in money. YHWH, with the things of this earth let us not be concerned; let us know that we are in your hands. To you let us trust our very lives, and we shall not be disturbed. The forces of the world close in on us, enticing us to fear and anger. But if we stand strong in the faith, the Spirit will be with us to save us. In you, O LORD, let us remain. The just man delights in your commands; the upright shall ever be blessed. Let us indeed remain steadfast, LORD, that we might look down upon our foes. And though persecuted for righteousness' sake, if afflicted for doing what is right let us not resent our fate, but continue to look to you to cure our blindness. Your Son, O LORD, has suffered the Cross though innocent – why should sinners like us complain? It is hard, LORD, and we do often break, but help us to return to you this day and stand before our accusers with the same faith your Son so peacefully displayed. Let us give ourselves entirely to you.

(Tb.1:1-2,2:1-9; Ps.112:1-6; Mk.12:1-12) "The stone rejected by the builders has become the keystone of the structure." First, Tobit is not a parable; it is not a "story". A parable begins, as does Jesus' own in our gospel, with a statement such as, "A man planted a vineyard…" It is always "a man", a generic man, never a particular man in a particular place at a particular time, as is the case with Tobit. For parables deal expressly with the universal. Though one may derive universal significance from the life of Tobit, it is his life itself which is related to us and not that of an "Everyman". (How this simple fact is overlooked I can only attribute again to a lack of faith which blinds reason.) This aside, today we see the persecution and mockery "a sincere worshiper of God" suffers before the face of the world. It is evident in Tobit's being "hunted down for execution" for performing the corporal work of mercy of burying the dead, as well as in the wagging of his neighbors' tongues; and it is, of course, fulfilled in the crucifixion of Christ, which the Lord speaks of today to the elders of the people in a thinly-veiled parable of their persecution of all the prophets. What a good man Tobit is, desiring to share his feast with the poor and rising even from table to do the work of God, always ready to serve Him. And how he weeps for the oppression of his people. Jesus is just the same, coming from the majesty of the Father's table in heaven to call us to His wedding feast, and weeping over those who, like Jerusalem, fail to hear His voice. Our lot in this world is one of suffering and persecution, but it is not without hope. For we know that as Job found greater wealth in his latter days and Tobit shall be rewarded for his patient endurance, so the Lord is resurrected from the grave. It is our psalm which reminds us of this promise despite any darkness around us: "The Lord dawns through the darkness, a light for the upright… the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance." So let us not lose heart on the hard road we tread, but endure all patiently with Jesus, for we shall find our place in His joyful kingdom; we shall drink the wine of His vineyard. ******* O LORD, how shamefully your servants are treated! – but Jesus rises from the dead, and we with Him. YHWH, you are a light in our darkness; you are with us in our tears and in our mourning, and so, from our graves we are raised. Has not your Son come among us and suffered at the hands of men? Has He not been beaten, dragged outside the walls of Jerusalem, and killed? And has He not been raised again – does He not sit at your right hand? The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone. How marvelous are your works for your faithful to behold! Though Tobit weeps in exile, LORD, mocked by neighbors and friends, though he must bear the murdered body of his kinsman to a shallow grave; yet wealth and riches are in his house, for it is in your House he dwells, and his name you shall remember forever. Your Son bears His Cross before His accusers; though blessed at table in your House, He quickly comes to us at your Word… and we bear Him away. But the plans of men are thwarted by you, LORD, and all our evil you turn to good. Let us set our souls on the sacrifice of your kingdom.

(Sir.51:12-20; Ps.19:8-11; Mk.11:27-33) "When I was young and innocent, I sought wisdom. She came to me in her beauty, and until the end I will cultivate her." Oh how Sirach speaks of his love, of the wisdom that is the light of his life! He is "resolutely devoted to her" and does "never weary of extolling her." To his teacher he gives "grateful praise," for he treasures her sweetness above all things. "I will ask you a question. If you give me an answer, I will tell you on what authority I do the things I do." So does wisdom speak. So does the Lord inquire as to what is in the hearts of the scribes and Pharisees and priests. But there He does not find wisdom's radiant beauty; there He finds nothing, for these leaders are so empty, so pitifully vain. Rightly do they say, "We do not know," for there is no light in them – only the dark connivings of the world's greed and pride. And can wisdom answer him who has no ears? Can she speak to those who do not listen to her voice whispering in their souls? She does not engage in useless activity and cannot wed herself to those whose spirits are impure, whose hearts are not set on her fruits. "In cleanness I attained to her," Sirach happily declares, for he "purified even the soles of [his] feet" to find her. But these men who weary so easily of her "great instruction," who would so readily look upon the riches of this world, how can they taste her sweetness? How can they gaze upon her infinite beauty…? And so the Lord turns away from them. He cannot tell them "on what authority [He] do[es] the things" they see displayed so powerfully before their eyes, for their eyes are blind and their hearts are turned against Him. They do not wish to know the answer to their question; they do not truly seek wisdom. And she does not come to those who do not desire "her secrets." "The decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple." In silence, in obedience, in humility and purity you will hear the Lord speaking. And He will guide you to all His grace; and His name alone you will bless and praise. What great profit you shall find if from your innocence you cultivate wisdom until the end of time. ******* O LORD, open our eyes and minds to your light, that by the power of the Spirit we might be formed by wisdom into the image of your Son. YHWH, send your wisdom upon us; let her make her home in us. May we be distracted by nothing of this world as we seek her diligently and with a whole heart. You will be faithful in giving her to us if it is she we truly desire. The Pharisees could not know your wisdom, LORD, because your wisdom they did not really want. They cared only for their positions and their goods and what people would say or do to them, and not at all for the truth. And so the truth escaped them. Wisdom will settle in with none who do not have an open heart. O LORD, we recognize the authority of your Son, that all wisdom and power are with Him; indeed, that He is your only Son. Let us delight in His words and give Him grateful praise for all He has taught and done for us. More precious than gold is the light He brings to our eyes and to our minds, and the love that through Him makes its home in our spirits.