The BreadCast

(Sir.44:1,9-13; Ps.149:1-6,9; Mk.11:11-26) "They are as though they had not lived, they and their children after them." This line from Sirach could refer well to the Jewish nation symbolized by the fig tree "withered to its roots." For "never again shall anyone eat of [its] fruits"; its temple now destroyed shall never be rebuilt. And yet Sirach speaks not of those who have perished in sin, and so are never to be known again in the sight of God, but of "godly men" of Jewish ancestry who, though "there is no memory" of the particulars of their actions in time – as there is with the great patriarchs and prophets of old – yet are of the race of those "whose virtues have not been forgotten": the memory of their goodness lives on in the heart of God, and "through God's covenant with them their family endures." The covenant is removed from the hands of the Jewish people. This is indicated clearly in our gospel today not only in the withered fig tree, but in Jesus' driving out those who had made their station in His Father's temple. These shall be replaced by the Lord's appointed servants, and the Church shall be built where the temple once stood. But this does not mean that the godly deeds of the godly men under the covenant of old are forgotten now that the New Covenant has been instituted; nor does it mean those in His Church are beyond reproach. Let us look more closely at the Lord's interaction with the fig tree, for it can teach us much. First, Jesus "felt hungry" – He desires our souls. Then He saw "a fig tree some distance off" – far removed are we from His sacred presence. He is attracted by its "foliage" – it has the appearance of fruit and life. But "when He reached it He found it had nothing but leaves…" There is no fruit upon it to satisfy His hunger; and so for its uselessness He curses it to dust. As He has done with the faithless Jews, so will He do with the faithless among us. But "it was not the time for figs," you say, as if to justify your emptiness. My brothers, in the Lord's kingdom it is always time for figs – we in His Church are ever called to bear fruit in His name, in season and out of season: our souls are required of us this very day. And if we satisfy not God's hunger for our fruits of prayer and charity, if we too have polluted His house with acts of "buying and selling" instead of the worship demanded of us… if we have gilded the temple to attract the eye but are utterly barren within, what shall He say when He enters our temple area? What action shall He take against those who serve as thieves of His love? They shall indeed be blotted from His Book of Life. But those who "put [their] trust in God," those who serve Him in spirit and in truth, shall not be forgotten by the Lord, whether their names are known in this world or not. "For the Lord loves His people, and He adorns the lowly with victory." It is not the "acclamations from the crowd" in which Jesus puts His heart, but in doing the will of God. And so all who are like Him shall secure with Him their place in heaven. "Let the children of Zion rejoice in their King," for none "in the assembly of the faithful" is forgotten. ******* O LORD, let us trust in you and rejoice in you… let us bear fruit in your NAME. YHWH, we pray that we shall be remembered by you, that we shall not be cast out of your Temple for making it a den of thieves, for failing to worship you as we ought. Though we not be remembered by the world, though we perform no great deed worthy of history, yet let us find room in your memory, in your heart – in your Book of Life. The humble you look upon with favor, LORD. The godly of any age you bless. You will not remove your favor from any who remain faithful to your Word. But those who abuse their power, who take for granted your grace upon their souls, these you cannot but cast from your presence as you overturn the tables in which they trust. Let us bear fruit for you, dear LORD, fruit that will last unto Heaven. May our prayer be made in fidelity and sincerity that we may come to praise you in your kingdom with all those of holy heart. May our glory never be blotted out.

(Sir.42:15-25; Ps.33:2-9; Mk.10:46-52) "As the rising sun is clear to all, so the glory of the Lord fills all His works." "How beautiful are all His works! even to the spark and the fleeting vision!" "Can one ever see enough of their splendor?" Yet how blind is man to their glory! How much we need to receive the Lord's vision. "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made; by the breath of His mouth their host"; "at God's word were His works brought into being." And so, bathed in His grace what can heaven and earth be but a wonder to behold? Then why is it we see only darkness? Why are our eyes so blind to His presence in all the creatures He has made only for good? Is it not that we say "I see"? Is it not that we tell ourselves, "There. Now I have God in my hands. Now His ways I understand"? My poor friends, you can never plumb the depths of God's works, for "even God's holy ones must fail in recounting the wonders of the Lord." It is He alone who "plumbs the depths and penetrates the heart; [your] innermost being He understands." And He sees as He looks into your soul that you are blind, that you do not see Him as He is… and He longs to call you up closer to Himself. "The Most High possesses all knowledge": He remembers the past, He sees the future – the moment is in His hand. And you yourself He would hold in His hand and move according to His will, if only you would let Him. Come to the Lord like the blind man you are; do not let the scolding of the world hinder your plea to His compassionate heart. "You have nothing whatever to fear from Him!" for He eternally asks, "What do you want me to do for you?" seeking always to grant you sight. Then when you feel His touch upon your eyes, be as Bartimaeus and "immediately… follow Him up the road." For on that road your vision will ever be increased. On that road you will learn to "pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness"; you will share in His wisdom and wonder as you "sing to Him [your] new song." On the road our Savior trod you will find "the strength to stand firm before His glory." Rise and walk with Him in faith this day. "He gathers the waters of the sea in a flask"; "not a single thing escapes Him" – and so He is certainly not blind to your needs. To His glory He calls you: shine with Him now more brightly than the sun. ******* O LORD, give us the vision to see the beauty of all your works, your presence in everything. YHWH, how blind we are to your glory shining in our midst! How we fail to recognize Jesus on the road He travels to you. Why do we not cry out? Why do we hesitate to proclaim our blindness? Are our hearts not made for your glory? No one can recount all your wonders, O LORD; we cannot penetrate the heart of all being. But if we but trust in you, if we but ascribe to you the awesome power and almighty wisdom that are yours alone, then the beauty of your works will become known even to our poor eyes… and we will be able to sing your praise with the stars and the sea and all you have created. At your Word, by the Breath of your mouth, all was made: you spoke and it came to be. Let us but call out to your Son for pity, LORD, and the glory of your Creation we shall live and see.

O saint of the impossible whose union with Christ in His Passion and His glory serves to grant favors to those in great need, you whose great thirst to be one with our Bridegroom brought the help of the saints yourself – pray we poor souls shall fulfill our vocation, that through the din of this world we shall hear and answer the call of the Lord and give ourselves in His service in the manner He desires. Pray our hearts be so set on union with Him that no obstacle shall stand in our way, that all help we need to find our path to Him will be provided through your prayers. How shall we come to dwell in Heaven? Invoke God’s blessing upon us.

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.

O sublime teacher and defender of the Church and her freedom, the joy of Heaven you sought in your spiritual life, and for the autonomy of MotherChurch you fought in your call as shepherd – pray that we who remain so blind to the presence of God will have our eyes opened and draw closer to Him who is our life, in whose light we alone find peace; and pray, too, that we shall fulfill our call as disciples of truth and defend with your same strength the life of our Mother, despite the persecutions that come.

O chosen one of the Lord, how well you answered His call, giving yourself entirely to the angel’s word and so conceiving in your womb the salvation of the world – pray, O Spouse of the Holy Spirit, that His voice might inspire in us your same commitment to the Word of God and its working in our lives; pray the Son be conceived in us as well that we too might serve to bring His salvation forth into the light of this day. How shall we give ourselves completely to the Lord without your prayers, dear Mother, without your blessed intercession…? O pray we shall follow in your wake and add our ‘yes’ to your own, that the Lord may indeed work in us, that He might make His home in us and we come to our home in Heaven.

O missionary shepherd whose love for the truth was a love for Christ and a desire for your flock to know Him and the way to glorify God, you who gave yourself for the Truth that is Christ and for His Church on earth, through whom He teaches all men and brings them into His fold – may we, too, lay down our lives and work as hard as you have done in the name of Jesus, that all our lives and the lives of all His flock might be in accord with the will of the Lord and faithful to the Mother He has left for our care; let all that is not of God be cast from our midst by the Spirit of Truth this day.

O disciple of John and shepherd who drank deeply of the cup of Christ’s suffering, you who bore both the burden of a long life and the pain of a violent death yet remained faithful till the end – pray that the fire into which we are cast we may also endure as the sacrifice of Jesus and so find it fruitful, and so find it blessed… and so rejoice in the witness we are granted to give in the name of our Savior. May the offering of our lives join with your own and all the saints’ in rising as holy incense to the throne of God and serve as witness, to the eyes that behold us, of the Lord’s great power and love.

O Rock of the Church, leader of God’s people to whom the Father has revealed the divinity of His Son and on whom the Son has therefore built His Church, giving you the keys to the kingdom, the power to bind and loose both on earth and in Heaven, that the ship you steer might conquer all Satan’s power by the power of the Spirit with which you serve your brothers, secure in the blessed protection and guidance of the Lord – pray the Church you do yet lead shall fulfill the call the Christ has placed upon every soul and that we shall come to our heavenly home in the light of the Messiah. Pray we shall indeed be strong and give faithful witness to our Savior.