The BreadCast

(Phil.2:12-18; Ps.27:1,4,13-14; Lk.14:25-33) "Work with anxious concern to achieve your salvation." Strive we must always to attain the kingdom of God, setting our hearts on salvation alone, and trusting in the Lord all the while. "If one of you decides to build a tower, will he not first sit down and calculate the outlay?" And do you think the outlay for being a follower of Christ is any less important to consider? For what is required of the soul on the path to the kingdom is nothing less than all he owns, and the work involved is the laying down of his very life. And so we must be prepared; and so we must act with conviction, to dispel any "fear of laying the foundation and then not being able to complete the work." It certainly cannot be said of St. Paul, "That man began to build what he could not finish," for he states with absolute conviction to his beloved Philippians, "Even if my life is to be poured out as a libation over the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad of it and rejoice with all of you." He is prepared to die to accomplish the work the Lord has set for him, and he shall. But he witnesses the fruit of his efforts: "As I look to the day of Christ, you give me cause to boast that I did not run the race in vain or work to no purpose." In his disciples he sees the faith he has planted grow. And now throughout all the earth do his words go forth, bearing the fruit of Christ among all who listen. And so, brothers and sisters, set your hearts on accomplishing the work the Lord places before you. Let no doubt or fear cause you to stumble on the way. Proclaim with David, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?" Have this same confidence and commitment to His grace. For "it is God who, in His good will toward you, begets in you any measure of desire or achievement." It is His work you do and so He will surely bless it. Know that your King is able to do battle with any enemy, that none holds any sway over Him, and be as He is, giving yourselves entirely to His mission, His cause. And you shall "gaze on the loveliness of the Lord and contemplate His temple"; and you shall certainly achieve your salvation. Onward, soldiers of the Lord. ******* O LORD, help us to renounce the things of this world and come into your Temple, into your presence, and there remain all our days – accomplish your work in us. YHWH, you are our light and our salvation; it is you who beget in us any desire for you and your kingdom. And it is you who bring this desire to fulfillment, if we but work to achieve it. Help us, O LORD, to know the way you call us and prepare us to walk your way without fear, without hesitation. In you we take our courage, for you are great and care greatly for our welfare. It is your bounty alone we desire, and so you will bring us to your House where we may gaze on your face in holy light. What need we but to dwell with you, O LORD? What of this world could keep us from coming to you? Help us to renounce all else but your holy presence; even our lives let us lay down in service of you. And we shall find our salvation, despite the darkness all around. It is you who defend us in battle, LORD; it is you who build our house. May we carry our cross with your Son this day, and so be blessed with confidence in your kingdom.

O humble and charitable soul whose healing hands served the poor and all those the Lord placed in your care, with great love you looked upon Christ on the Cross and in the Blessed Sacrament, and so sought to love your neighbor even as Jesus Himself – pray we shall somehow learn to put others before ourselves, that in this way, in the way of the Lord, we will truly love and serve God, knowing our sins outweigh those of any other soul, and yet that the mercy of our Savior outweighs any human fault. And so, pray we shall be humble as you, as kind and as caring, that we too will lay down our lives in prayer and in penance, in the blood and tears of Jesus.

(Phil.2:5-11; Ps.22:26-32; Lk.14:15-24) "The lowly shall eat their fill." Yes, "happy is he who eats bread in the kingdom of God." Indeed, he shall have his fill. But who shall partake of such grace? Who shall come to the feast when the Master calls? Brothers and sisters, our "attitude must be as Christ's: though He was in the form of God, He did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at." Rather, He made Himself lowly, as we are lowly. And now He is exalted; now He prepares the banquet of salvation for all lowly souls. Who are the lowly souls? The lowly souls are they who bow down before the Lord. "At Jesus' name every knee must bend in the heavens, on the earth, and under the earth." If one does not bend the knee before our Savior, he is not humble, he is not lowly – rather, he stands in his vain pride. And these proud souls shall not come to the table in the kingdom. If when He calls they turn away unto their own affairs, spurning the only appointment which carries importance, they lose their place in the Banquet Hall. And listen to the command of the "master of the house" to his servant: "Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame." The Jews having rejected the invitation which was most especially theirs, we the outcast Gentiles now hear the call of the apostles of the Lord, a call that goes out to the ends of the world. All the poor souls are now invited. Brothers and sisters, "all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; all the families of nations shall bow down before Him. For dominion is the Lord's, and He rules the nations. To Him alone shall bow down all who sleep in the earth," all in the heavens, and all on earth. None shall be deprived of hearing the call to the feast the Son prepares; all shall stand before Him and have opportunity to bend the knee, to realize our lowliness before Him whom every tongue does praise. So "let the coming generation be told of the Lord that they might proclaim to a people yet to be born the justice He has shown," that all forever might bow their hearts before His majesty and proclaim: "JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!" In such humble praise they shall eat their fill of the blessings of the kingdom. ******* O LORD, let us honor your Son who has given His life for the salvation of all, that we might enter your kingdom and eat the Bread He sets before us. YHWH, let us bow down before your only Son and give Him due honor and praise, for He alone is Lord; He alone among us is worthy of our worship, for He alone is your Son. Let us humble ourselves as He has done and so find ourselves in your kingdom with Him. O LORD, if only we could eat bread at your table, if only it were the desire of our heart to enter your presence and rejoice in your glory. It is your desire to share with us all your gifts and graces, to feed us with your finest fare. But how can we celebrate in your House if our hearts are turned to earthly matters, if our thoughts are vain and our souls proud? Your Son has humbled Himself to come among us and call us to you, LORD. He has set aside His place at your side that He might become as a slave in our midst, that He might lead us to your side. Let us not reject His holy sacrifice but proclaim it with our lives as we eat bread at your table this day.

(Wis.3:1-9; Ps.23:1-6; 1Cor.15:51-57; Jn.6:37-40 Note: there are any number of readings possible for this day) "The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them." Is this not what it means to be a Christian? To have faith in the resurrection from the dead. To believe that after our time of trial there shall be peace, that we shall be refined by the hand of God to stand in His presence, to share in His kingship. "Grace and mercy are with His holy ones, and His care is with His elect." This is our faith. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." And so we have no fear. The Lord watches over us and guides our path, and in His blessing we take refuge, knowing we shall come to be with Him, knowing He is with us even this day, knowing even death we shall conquer in His Name. "I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come." Nothing shall remove us from His presence. "We shall not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed." Indeed, though all die, all shall come to life. None can remain as they are; all must be changed. All that is mortal must take on immortality, and in this immortality, in this incorruptibility we gain, death is swallowed up – it is no more. "Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." It is an eternal victory. "Everything that the Father gives me will come to me." It cannot be that the Father's will not be done. Jesus awaits us with open arms. He has gone before us, He has prepared a place for us, and we must but come to Him as drawn by the will of the Father. "Everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I shall raise Him up on the last day." Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ! Death is not our realm, brothers and sisters. Though it comes to us all, it is but a passageway into Heaven, it is but the Lord's means of preparing us for the kingdom. And so, whether we experience it today or tomorrow or yesterday is of no consequence. It is there. It shall come to us all. But all who believe are preserved from its clutches and drawn into the life the Father offers. Let us pray this day for all holy souls to come by the Son into the hands of the Father. Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Carie Fortney. Music by Carie Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, help us find victory over death in Jesus, your Son, and so come to dwell with you forever. YHWH, though we walk through the dark valley, we fear no evil – for you are at our side. Though death close its mouth upon us, we remain courageous, for your Son has given us victory over sin and death by His sacrifice on the Cross; and as we take refuge in Him, we are raised to dwell with you in eternal life. Let all souls be raised to your side with Him! Where in this world can we turn where there is not sin, where there is not darkness, where there is not death? O LORD, it is so, that this world is clothed with corruption, with mortality. All is now doomed to die for the sin that besets Creation. But where does the grace of your Son not penetrate? To whom would He not bring new life? And what need we but faith in Him to find that life dwelling in us even this day? Soon the end will come – the end of sin and the end of death. Let us not die with death, LORD, but find the victory you desire to impart to all souls through your Son. May your goodness and kindness follow us all our days and lead us to your eternal kingdom. May all who have died be at your side.

O God's holy ones, His apostles and martyrs, His virgins and confessors, all who have borne witness to Him with your lives, who have washed your robes in His blood, whose hands are clean in His sight and so are clothed in white, all you who have suffered under the Cross in the flesh in this world and so now stand in His light in the Spirit before His throne in Heaven… O all holy ones of the Lord from every age, from every time and place; from every nation you come, speaking in every tongue of His undying love – please, pray for us, His pilgrim children!

(Rv.7:2-4,9-14; Ps.24:1-6; 1Jn.3:1-3; Mt.5:1-12) "Everyone who has this hope based on Him makes himself pure, as He is pure." All our readings speak of this purity this holy day. In the first reading we hear of the saints who "have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Our psalm tells us it is "one whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean," who stands in God's presence. The above quote is from our second reading, and Jesus tells us in our gospel, "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God." Indeed, this purity of heart is the essential characteristic possessed by all the saints in heaven; and so we must strive to achieve it. I note a striking parallel particularly between our first reading from Revelation and David's psalm: the reading begins with the image of the four angels (at the four corners of the universe) being prevented from their call "to damage the land and the sea" until the seal of God is placed upon the foreheads of the "one hundred and forty-four thousand [symbolizing absolute fullness in number] marked from every tribe of Israel"; and our psalm begins by proclaiming, "The Lord's are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it." The reading continues with John's "vision of a great multitude" who "stood before the throne and the Lamb" in their white robes; while, as it continues, our psalm tells us that only the pure of heart "can ascend the mountain of the Lord" or "stand in His holy place." Then the reading from Revelation cries out, "Salvation comes from our God" and exclaims of the blessings upon the Lord and so His faithful; and David's psalm concludes that it is he who seeks Him who "shall receive a blessing from the Lord, a reward from God his savior." What does all this tell us but what John states quite simply in his letter, our second reading: "Beloved, we are God's children now," and that when "what we shall be… is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." Yes, we are anointed by Him as His own creation and shall come to stand in His presence with all the angels and saints, proclaiming the blessing He is and the salvation He has provided us. And in our gospel Jesus climbs the mountain and sits and teaches those who gather around Him. And how blessed are these eyes that see Him! How blessed are these ears that hear Him! And how blessed are we, too, insofar as we hear Him this holy day as He calls to our hearts to have faith in Him and in the kingdom of heaven, to set our hearts on the hope of which He speaks. And blessed are we most when we suffer insult and persecution for the sake of the Lord, for by this we are purified, and through this "our reward will be great in heaven." For we must die in Him before we rise in Him with all the saints in glory. Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Roger Fortney. Music by Roger Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, let us be made pure as you are pure, as your saints have been made pure in the blood of the Lamb. YHWH, let us seek you with all our hearts, that we may find you and share in your glory with all the saints in Heaven. Help us to wash our robes clean, that they may be white, that we may be pure and so able to stand in your light. Make us your children, O LORD, blessed to dwell in your sight forever. If we must be purified by persecution in this world, what should that matter to us, LORD; why should that cause us concern? We should rejoice in this blessing even as we rejoice in the blessing of Heaven, for does not one lead to the other – do we not find Heaven even here, even now, in our suffering with your Son? But give us your love, LORD, and all shall be cause for celebration for us. O how we long to worship you in your kingdom, LORD! How we long to bow before your throne with all your angels and saints. How we long to sing your praise with them. Let it be so, LORD. Let it be so even this day in our souls.

(Phil.1:18-26; Ps.42:2-3,5; Lk.14:1,7-11) "When you are invited by someone to a wedding party, do not sit in the place of honor in case some greater dignitary has been invited." At the feast of the marriage of Christ to mankind, we are the lesser party, and must act humbly before our God. Jesus comes among us as a guest to eat a meal in our house; He humbles Himself to sit at our table. And this guest who sits in the lowest place among us is in fact the Host of the banquet of which all are invited to partake. Though the Lamb that is slaughtered for all to eat, He the sacrifice rules at the altar of our worship. Listen carefully to what Paul says to his beloved Philippians; see how his own attitude mirrors that of the humble Christ, and how it must be imitated by us all. He says quite openly, "I long to be freed from this life and to be with Christ, for that is the far better thing." In the choice of living or dying, he would opt for the latter, "for, to [him], 'life' means Christ; hence dying is so much gain." As the psalmist sings in comparing his soul to "the hind [that] longs for the running waters": "When shall I go and behold the face of God?" When shall he know full union with the Lord? Only in death, the dawn of perfect day. But though "strongly attracted" to death, Paul has equal attraction to life, and accepts that he must "go on living in the flesh" for the "productive toil" it means; and so he will "persevere with [his disciples], for [their] joy and [their] progress in the faith." He will remain "with the throng" that he might lead them "in procession to the house of God… amid loud cries of joy and thanksgiving," though he himself is already prepared to enter the festival gates. Do you not see how this attitude is as Christ's own? Would not the Lord Jesus have preferred to remain in the heavenly kingdom with the Father? Would this not have been better for Him by far? And yet He comes among us, and yet He remains with us. And yet He takes on flesh which is as the cross itself and bears it with all patience for our benefit. He gains nothing by sitting with us at table as a dishonored guest, but we gain life eternal as we eat the Bread He feeds us. And so, listen to the Lord's teaching. Pray that "when your Host approaches you He will say, 'My friend, come up higher.'" Let His sweet words of humility and sacrifice be in your ears and in your heart – and upon your lips, lived through your body – that with Paul you will "have full confidence that now as always Christ will be exalted through" your own humility; then you will find the same "conviction that this will turn out to [your] salvation." If here you sacrifice your life, at the wedding party of our Lord and our souls you will be given your due place of honor at table in the kingdom. ******* O LORD, may the humility of Jesus be proclaimed to all who wish to see your face. YHWH, help us to be your humble servants, coming to others as a slave, as your Son, concerned only for the welfare of your flock, even as the Apostle Paul. How shall we have the Spirit of Christ within us? How shall we set our hearts on seeking your face and helping others progress in the faith? Let us not care if we live or die, but only that your NAME goes forth. To your House let us come, O LORD; at your table let us sit. The lowest place let us take, for this is the place we deserve. It is only by your grace we come to the table at all, and so, how can we boast of anything? Your Son is the exalted guest among us – let us give place to Him in all things. Call us higher, dear LORD. Call us to your side. Without your call we shall be lost, scrambling blindly for adulation on this empty earth. O let us rejoice as we enter your presence!

(Phil.1:1-11; Ps.111:1-6; Lk.14:1-6) "My prayer is that your love may more and more abound." Paul's prayer is addressed to the Philippians, who "have all continually helped promote the Gospel from the very first day" he came into their midst preaching. He overflows with love for them himself and finds them present "to a man" sharing in his "gracious lot," even as he "lie[s] in prison" far from their land. And so he prays that always "with a clear conscience and blameless conduct [they] may learn to value the things that really matter," and is confident that "He who has begun the good work in [them] will carry it through to completion, right up to the day of Christ Jesus." And Jesus' prayer for the Pharisees is really the same. Though they treat Him as Paul has so often been treated, though He is "summoned to defend the solid grounds on which the Gospel rests" before eyes that observe "Him closely" for any misstep upon which they could capitalize – yet His desire for them is the love of God; yet He would teach them of the ways of the Lord Most High, who cares at every moment for the well-being of even His smallest creatures. Thus does He ask them, "If one of you has a son or an ox and he falls into a pit, will he not immediately rescue him on the sabbath day?" to open their eyes to the innate concern they have for those in their care, that they might see the love of God for all. And though they are not like the Philippians, though they do not accept His word with joy and put it into practice immediately, there may come a time when they will listen, when at least some of them will hear and follow His teaching. "Majesty and glory are His work, and His justice endures forever." This is what every heart must proclaim of the "wondrous deeds" of God. It is not only Paul's wish but the wish of the Lord Himself that all of us "may be found rich in the harvest of justice which Jesus Christ has ripened," which He has brought to maturity in His blood, in His love. "He has given food to those who fear Him"; this food of love is for all who reverence God to share. More and more it should abound in our midst, even as it does in all our churches and on all our altars this day. Alleluia! ******* O LORD, your love extends to all and is undying – help us to share more and more in that love with your Son. YHWH, may your love abound throughout the world and we abound in it. May your glory be known in all your works, through all holy souls the Gospel go forth. We give you thanks, O LORD, we give you praise. For your love is endless and it looks upon every creature with abiding care. In your presence and by the ministry of your Son, we are saved – let us stand in the light of your holy Day! You give food to all who love you, LORD; you heal every soul that comes humbly to you. Let us appear before you with a clear conscience and blameless conduct. Your will be fulfilled in all our lives. Wondrous are your deeds, O LORD; majesty and glory are yours alone. But you desire to share your gifts with your children, continually calling us to dwell in your love. Rescue us from all sin this day, LORD, from the hardness of our hearts, that we might be among the assembly of the just come to full maturity in your Son.

(Eph.6:10-20; Ps.144:1-2,9-10; Lk.13:31-35) "Today and tomorrow I cast out devils and perform cures, and on the third day my purpose is accomplished." "Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war," King David sings, for the Lord is the "shield… who subdues peoples under [him]"; He is the "stronghold" by whom "victory" is his. The same image of battle is used by Paul as he encourages us, "Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil." But "our battle ultimately is not against human forces" – in war against nations or even any individual enemy – "but against the principalities and powers, the rulers of this world of darkness, the evil spirits in the regions above." It is spiritual warfare we engage in, and in it we must "pray constantly and attentively for all in the holy company," for the attacks against us are constant and we must ever with our brothers and sisters resist the evil one and "stand [our] ground." Heed Paul's summary of the strength we must draw from the Lord for our mission: "Stand fast, with the truth as the belt around your waist, justice as your breastplate, and zeal to propagate the gospel of peace as your footgear." Does not the Lord do just this? Does He not witness fully to the courage we must have in the battle of earthly life? For though the Pharisees come with the warning, "Leave this place! Herod is trying to kill you," Jesus "proceed[s] on course" in firm resolve. Though "Jerusalem… slay the prophets and stone those who are sent to [her]," yet the Lord's face is set like flint to enter there. In every step along the way, on every day that leads there, He conquers the devil valiantly, displaying His great power over all darkness of this world by His Word of truth; and when He comes to the cross the war will have been won – the evil one will have no weapon remaining. "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord." Blessed is Jesus the Christ, and blessed all those who follow in His way, who fight unto death the evils that beset us here. Brothers and sisters, faith in God will deflect all "the fiery darts of the evil one." "The helmet of salvation" will protect you from all harm; and by "the sword of the Spirit, the word of God," you shall conquer mightily with the Lord. "Pray in the Spirit." Pray always. Pray for the Church militant that she proclaim the Gospel and come quickly to the Lord's salvation. ******* O LORD, we bless your NAME and we are strong; we are ready for battle against all evil. YHWH, give us strength in the battle of earthly life, strength to overcome the attacks of the enemy, strength to stand with you on the holy day. You are our strength; you are our deliverer. You save us from all harm by your invincible power and glory – let us indeed stand strong in battle on this earth, that we may come quickly to Heaven. Your Word go forth, O LORD, to the ends of the earth, your Word of truth, your Word of life. The sword of the Spirit be in our hands, upon our tongues, that we shall defeat all the forces of the evil one. Let us be ever in prayer before you, ever calling upon your holy NAME. And we shall be saved, and we shall save others by the grace that you give to do battle this day. With your Son let us cast out devils, LORD; let us serve to cure the troubled soul of man. Blessed is He who comes in the NAME of the LORD! Let us be blessed to follow Him on the way to Jerusalem, on the way to the Cross – for on the third day He shall rise.

O zealous and loving apostles, to the ends of the earth you brought the Word of the Lord; calling sinners to repentance, seeking healing for all souls, you carried the light of Christ to all the world – pray we shall match your zeal for the Gospel; pray we serve to impart the mercy of God unto life everlasting for all children of the Lord. May the power and glory upon you in the name of Jesus Christ build up His Temple in forgiveness and love this day that soon all will be one with Him and with you in Heaven.