The BreadCast

O great preacher of the Word of God, you who were entrusted with this angelic office to bring light to Christian minds and dispel the darkness of sin and error – pray all souls this day may be blessed with hearing the Word of God you spoke so well, that all hearts might turn in faith to the Lord purged by its cleansing fire. O blessed teacher, pray men of every tongue be told of the truth, that all might live by the Spirit of God in grace, that the renewal of the Church and every soul might be made complete and the ranks of the New Jerusalem be filled to overflowing.

O suffering shepherd severely persecuted for your work of evangelization, you ever continued to preach the faith and convert multitudes despite all the tortures the ravenous beasts of this earth could muster; a true apostle you proved to be, martyred even as Christ’s Twelve – how shall we find a measure of your conviction, of your persistence in spreading the Gospel of the Lord? Pray for us, blessed shepherd, that we who are weak of will and so fearful of the slightest disturbance to our comfort and ease shall learn by God’s grace to give our lives as freely as you in the service of man’s salvation.

O servant of the sick whose compassionate heart melted at the sight of every suffering soul, who constantly visited Christ as He lay in hospital… how deep was your charity, how complete your love and dedication to the poor – pray that we too shall leave the cares of the world behind and have only concern for serving Christ and our fellow man; pray the hard hearts of this age will be saved by the Lord’s grace even as they look upon Him in the face of those in need. How shall we match your stature, which was so like Jesus’ own; how shall we find perfect charity, taking the Lord into our homes? Pray our hearts be set on Him alone.

O Mother of contemplation who heard the Word of God and kept it, pondering its wonder in your heart, you who were so faithful to His call and remain ever in His presence – how shall we know our Lord if you do not pray for us, if you do not intercede for souls so blinded by the distractions and temptations of a fallen world? Our prayers are with you, dear Mother, who pray as one with our dear Lord, who are so one with Him in body and soul, who stand at His side this day in the kingdom of Heaven… There on His holy mountain help us to make our home.

O good doctor who taught the way to God by death to things outside the Cross, by resting with Christ in the tomb that we might pass from this world to the Father – pray our passions indeed be silenced that the fire of God will carry our soul to Him who is beyond the operations of our mind; pray our surrender to Him may be complete and the Holy Spirit lead us in loving flame to the kingdom. Where is the longing of our soul for God, and who will assist us on the journey? Speak to our hearts this day, good teacher, from your place in His radiant presence.

O wise virgin                so willing to leave your people behind                to wed the only One                who could win your heart,                the Lord Jesus Christ,                you were not swayed                by punishment or persecution                to renounce Him whom you loved                but remained humble and diligent                in your chastity and poverty and penance,                sleeping on thorny mats                for your Bridegroom and your persecutors –                pray we too will be led into the desert,                into the wilderness where God speaks,                that we, too, might be espoused to Him                and wait patiently for His coming,                when all our scarred faces                will be transformed as yours by His glory.                Pray every tribe and tongue and nation                will come in innocence before the Lord                and so be adopted                as sons and daughters                of the great King.

O you who were king and emperor yet set your sights on the reign of Heaven and the reform and upbuilding of the Church on earth, who dedicated yourself to the Lord of all and service of His apostles – pray our cares and responsibilities will not distract us from remembrance of our God and His mercy but that we shall indeed dedicate these and all our lives into the hands of our Savior, that He might dispose of them and us as He sees fit. Pray our kingdom not be of this earth but of Heaven and that we shall make our home at the foot of the throne of the Almighty.

O greatest of men born of woman, before you were formed in the womb the Lord called you; while still in this cave you leapt for joy at His presence come to you… a sharp, two-edged sword He made you to hail the coming Messiah, the Light in our midst, the New Covenant born of the Old – how shall we humble ourselves as you have done; how shall our call be realized in flesh and blood as was your own? Pray, dear brother, that from darkness we be taken, from blindness and inability to speak we be rescued, that the Word among us we may know and raise our voices to proclaim His salvation to all.

O kings of martyrdom who indeed laid down your very lives rather than heed the dictates of an evil emperor, whose loyalty to the Lord and the Church He established stands unparalleled, your defense of the faith and conscience written in the blood you shed – pray that the mediocrity, the utter inability to stand for truth in this relativist age, will be defeated by souls founded firmly in the Spirit of Christ and in the Cross He offers forth for our salvation. Pray for leaders of Church and State to embrace your singular devotion.

O lover of poverty who gave up great wealth to find her abiding within the walls of your heart, a heart which turned thus to God’s people and the shepherding of them with great care – pray that we too may hear and come to realize in our lives the call of our Lord to give up all things for the sake of the kingdom, to be attached to nothing but service of the poor, service of God Himself in the humble of this earth; pray that like you we may have the heart of a shepherd, of a laborer in Jesus’ vineyard, united in the Spirit with all God’s children with whom we share His Heaven.