The BreadCast

O converter of peoples, called from the quiet of cloister walls you went obediently over seas to preach to the souls to whom you were sent, and the Lord worked through your obedience, spoke through the words you uttered to the nations… and so the light of holy faith banished the darkness of error and souls indeed were gathered into Christ's fold – pray, O shepherd, obedience shall be ours, too, and all whom the Father would hold unto His breast shall come indeed to that sacred place and there find their rest. May God's will be accomplished in His Church and we bear fruit in His name.

(1Pt.1:18-25; Ps.147:12-15,19-20; Mk.10:32-45) "The Son of Man has not come to be served but to serve – to give His life in ransom for the many." As Jesus and His apostles make their "way up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes," He tells them that these elders of the people "will condemn Him to death and hand Him over to the Gentiles, who will mock Him and spit at Him, flog Him, and finally kill Him." He then adds, "But three days later He will rise." Here is the Gospel in short. Here is "the living and enduring Word of God," the "indestructible seed" which brings us to life by our "faith and hope" centered upon it. Yes, "by Christ's blood" we "were delivered from the futile way of life" that sin wrought in us; this blood is "the blood of a spotless, unblemished lamb chosen before the world's foundation and revealed for [our] sake in these last days." Christ has died, Christ is risen, and in Him we come to life again. And we must "drink the cup" He drinks; we must "be baptized in the same bath of pain." There is no other way to His glory. Our lives on this earth must be joined in sacrifice with Him. Never are we to "lord it over" others; but always we "must serve the rest." So Jesus instructs His apostles in this most weighty moment filled with "wonderment" and "fear," as He stands at the precipice of His sacrifice. And Peter tells us the same when He counsels us to "love one another constantly from the heart." Jesus' blood is the greatest love and it is in this river we must swim; in this ocean we shall be cleansed – "by obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves for a genuine love of your brother," the Lord's principal apostle declares to all his faithful readers. "He has proclaimed His word to Jacob, His statutes and ordinances to Israel," and all these are summed up in the blood of the Lamb of God. "Swiftly runs His word" to all who seek redemption from God; swiftly it comes to pierce our hearts. And though by it we ourselves bleed with Him, by it "He has granted peace in [our] borders" – through Jesus we are "believers in… the God who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory," and His same glory is ours as we die with Him now. Let this Word be inscribed upon your heart. ******* O LORD, your Son is the Word spoken by your mouth that comes quickly to save us; may we share in the cup He raises to His blessed lips. YHWH, we are purified by the Word your Son speaks to us, by the Gospel preached in His Name – by His death and resurrection, which you desire us to share. Let His blood be upon us for good this day, that we might be thoroughly cleansed of our sins and come to serve you and one another. Our faith and our hope are in you, LORD; all our desire is to join you in glory. The blessing of your way be known to us – let us walk the path to Jerusalem with your Son. For if we die with Him, if we lay down our lives in service of one another for your sake, then we shall live with you, saved from the death that comes upon all flesh. Our lives are passing as the grass of the field; this you know, O LORD. But your Son has come to redeem our souls, to raise us from the dust that we might sit with Him in your kingdom. Let your will be done and we come by the drinking of His cup to the heavenly Jerusalem.

O priest of joy whose song of service rises unto the Lord until this day, whose delight in sacrifice inspires others to give themselves in freedom to the work of Christ – pray all God's priests and people will give themselves so completely in the love of the only Son that indeed a holy song might rise unto the heavens until He returns from there to carry us home forever. May the Lord's healing graces be poured forth through your generous intercession that all souls might be prepared to unite with their Creator and Redeemer, with the Spirit who inspires the Church even here with His glorious presence.

(1Pt.1:10-16; Ps.98:1-4; Mk.10:28-31) "Set all your hope on the gift to be conferred on you when Jesus Christ appears." "The Lord has made His salvation known: in the sight of the nations He has revealed His justice." That "which the prophets carefully searched out and examined" but was hidden from their eyes, that into which "angels long to search" is now indeed made known "by those who preach the Gospel to you, in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven." Yes, "the divine favor which was destined to be [ours]," "the sufferings destined for Christ and the glories that would follow" spoken of in all Scripture by the Spirit of Christ, are now come into our midst; and it is these we wait to see fulfilled. And as we await our salvation we must "become holy… after the likeness of the holy one who called" us. As we stay, we must share in His sufferings to find His glory. "Obedient sons" of the one Father, we must pattern ourselves after His only Son. "The desires that once shaped [us] in [our] ignorance" must be absolutely abandoned as we become holy as He. And the same Peter who instructs us in the salvation prepared for us from all ages and the holiness which alone befits it, exclaims to Jesus in our gospel today, "We have put aside everything to follow you!" as if to plead, "Have we done enough?" And the Lord assures him all that he gives up for the kingdom's sake shall return to him a hundredfold, and "in the age to come" he shall have "everlasting life." For indeed, as the Lord has been, so the apostles have followed, and in these same steps we must walk – to this same cross we must come. Here we stand at the end of salvation history, as the last in a long line of the children of God. But first we can be with the Spirit as our guide and conformed to the sufferings of Christ. Being at the end of this line we have the benefit of all the prophecy and teaching that has prepared this time; greater fullness of truth is ours than at any time before. And so, more so are we called to be like our Savior; impossible is it become for us to hide in ignorance. "All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God," the light of Christ has been cast upon all hearts, and to continue in sin becomes yet a greater torture – for our eyes are so much less blind. Now must the earth become obedient to His voice, calling so clearly in its soul; condemnation awaits otherwise. Now the simple word of truth spoken by God at the heart of Scripture must be our sure guide: "Be holy, for I am holy," and our expectations will soon be fulfilled in Him. ******* O LORD, your Son has come and now sends forth the Spirit; let us put all aside to follow Him in holiness of life. YHWH, your salvation you have made known to us; what the prophets declared has become so in our midst – your Son has walked among us and died for us that we might be saved. O let your salvation be fulfilled this day! O LORD, make us holy as you are holy, that we might be where you are. Help us to walk the path to glory by fully embracing the Cross your Son provides. Help us gladly to give up all things that we might find all things anew in your presence. What of this earth matters, O LORD? What is there we should put before our love for you? For all things are in your holy hands and only by you is anything blessed. And so, let us give ourselves to you who are holy, and you will make all things holy for us. Thank you, O LORD, for your kindness toward us. Thank you for the blood your Son has shed. Thank you for making your love known to us, for now by your grace this love we may share. Open our eyes and our hearts to the glory of your way, and let us walk that way with Jesus.

O humble soul whom the Lord blessed with mystical elevations to His heavenly presence, you who remained so faithful through all trials and encouraged others to seek such perfection as well – pray that this proud age which leans so distinctly from the truth, from the love of God, will be consumed as you were by the Holy Spirit, by desire for the Lord's overtaking of our lives, that all souls will turn from the false gods at their hands, idols that overshadow their spirits, and toward the humility known only in our Savior's blood. Only in Him is life eternal; pray all souls will come to His love.

O Shepherd and Father, defender of the faith and of holy MotherChurch against those who would rob her of her freedom, those who would rape her, stealing away her purity, those who would deny her singleness in the sight of God as the House which He has founded – those who would destroy the faith and bring to naught the Church, our Mother, and Peter, our Holy Father, do not relent in their efforts… and so we need still your prayers and your courage to aid us in standing strong against the tide the evil one stirs up in this world. Pray indeed, O Father, that all our shepherds and all God's people will tirelessly defend the truth in love.

O learned master whose life itself was as a monastery, consumed as you were by study and teaching and writing and prayer, who till the very end spoke the name of the Lord in all your words and deeds – pray that the incense of your life will rise unto the throne of God and intercede for us here below who are so far from His presence, from knowledge of His providence and remembrance of His sacrifice. How will we find ourselves one with the Lord of Creation and ascend to His glory if you do not pray for us, O blessed soul so united to His will, so held within His Hand and breathing forth His name?

(1Pt.1:3-9; Ps.111:1-2,5-6,9-10; Mk.10:17-27) "Go and sell what you have and give to the poor; you will then have treasure in heaven." "You may for a time have to suffer the distress of many trials," for even if you are not a rich man with "many possessions" to give up, all that you have that is of the world must die before you will find "birth to an imperishable inheritance incapable of fading or defilement, which is kept in heaven for you." You can have no pride, you can have no greed, you can have no lust in your heart if you are to find the kingdom of God. Your faith must be like "fire-tried gold" whose "genuineness [will] lead to praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ appears." Jesus' question to the rich young man: "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone" is, I think, often misunderstood. The Lord is not saying not to call Him good because that title is reserved only for God, for He is God and deserves every title of praise we can utter. Rather, He is testing the young man, who kneels at this moment at His feet, to find out if he truly recognizes that He is "good", that He is the Son of God. This is borne out by the Lord's response as to what the young man should do "to share in everlasting life." Jesus first lists only the latter commandments, which refer to love of neighbor, which the young man rightfully states he has kept well. "Then Jesus looked at him with love and told him," in essence, of his need to keep the first three commandments, those which refer to love of God, in a more complete fashion. For what is He telling him in our quote above but to have no false gods, to love the Lord with heart, mind, soul, and strength – and how is this accomplished but in His instruction: "Come and follow me"? As we give up the idols which spring from the earth, as all our possessions and our trust in them are taken from us, we find the "birth unto hope which draws its life from the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." By such death we follow Him unto heaven. Brothers and sisters, "there is cause for rejoicing here," for on this strait path, through this "needle's eye," we are "achieving faith's goal, [our] salvation." Let us "give thanks to the Lord with all [our] heart in the company and assembly of the just." Let us "rejoice with inexpressible joy touched with glory" because God "has sent deliverance to His people; He has ratified His covenant forever." And "He will ever be mindful of His covenant" – always He will be at our side by the grace of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to lead us to the "salvation which stands ready to be revealed in the last days." Endure now the sadness and distress of the death of this life, and find therein the fulfilling of your hope for the treasures of heaven. ******* O LORD, you make possible even the salvation of our souls; let us give up all things to follow you to everlasting life. YHWH, we praise you, for with you all things are possible, even the salvation of our souls and our coming into your eternal presence. And so, whatever we suffer here brings us only joy, for all things bring us to your kingdom. O LORD, may we be truly consecrated to you, thoroughly confirmed in your covenant with us, that the new birth you grant through the resurrection of your Son might be fulfilled and we come to dwell with you forever in Heaven. Let nothing of this passing earth stand in our way; let nothing obstruct our worship of you, that we may be truly happy and rejoice all our days in you. Help us, dear God, to give up all our possessions, to desire to hold to nothing but you. Take all that is not of you from our souls and bodies – let our hearts be set on your surpassing glory. What trial can sadden us, LORD, if our love is for you? You redeem us from all evil and give new life to our mortal frame. For such grace let us ever praise you.

O Holy Tabernacle, preeminent member and model of the Church to whom you gave birth… as you are Mother of the Head, so, too, Mother of the Body, of all those redeemed by the Blood of your Son, with whom you shared such intimate union – pray that we be made fruitful by your intercession, children of the Lord Most High and your children, conceived of the Spirit that overshadowed you and for whom you waited with the apostles in the upper room. Pray we make our home in you as in the Church born from the side of Jesus pierced upon the Cross beneath which you stood. Dear Mother, pray we follow you into glory.

(Acts 2:1-11; Ps.104:1,24,29-31,34; 1Cor.12:3b-7,12-13; Jn.20:19-23) "Suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were." What our first reading captures in all its dramatic moment, David's psalm declares in clarity – "When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth" – and our gospel defines in Jesus' word and action with His apostles: "He breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" The Spirit comes from heaven above, through the only Son, to redeem, renew, and strengthen all on the face of the earth. "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit," and they all spoke "of the mighty acts of God," and each one of those gathered there "from every nation… heard them speaking in his own language." For the language in which they spoke was the language of the Spirit, the language all understand. "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body… and we are all given to drink of one Spirit," and what does this Spirit say but, "Jesus is Lord," the truth to which all are called, for which every heart yearns. And though all find life in "the same Spirit," though all declare as one that Jesus is Lord, for each of us "there are different kinds of spiritual gifts." As David exclaims, "How manifold are your works, O Lord!" And is not this call to "different forms of service" revealed in the fact that "there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each of them"? Each is thereby given his own "theme," his own song to sing to please the Lord, and our prayer should therefore always be, "May the Lord be glad in His works!" (And for those who deny that man has been given the gift of forgiving sins, do they not read the Lord's straightforward words to His disciples at this most decisive moment: "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained"?) Praise God for the gifts He imparts to all His children. Praise Him for the peace He leaves us and the mission on which He sends us. But praise Him most especially for the breath of the Holy Spirit which animates our very beings, for "if [the Lord] take away [our] breath, [we] perish, and return to [our] dust," but with this Spirit we share in the very power of God. Fill this house, O Lord, with the power of your Spirit. Let the Church always proclaim your praise. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "There Is No End to Life" (final part) from Thoroughfare, seventh album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us be baptized in your Spirit, renewed for the proclamation of your love. YHWH, comes the driving wind from Heaven, the Spirit Jesus breathes upon His apostles, and so we are made your sons, dear Father, and declare your glory unto all. May your Church with one voice offer you due praise and teach the nations of your eternal call. We must leave our sins behind and accept the gifts of the Holy Spirit, living as one with the Son of God. If we keep His commandments, we shall dwell with you forever, O Father God. For He is with you and through Him you send the Spirit; all who desire to be your children you bless with purging fire this holy day. Now the promised gift of the Spirit falls upon our immortal souls and we are refreshed and made new creatures, formed in the image of Jesus, your Son. One you make us in Spirit and Body, free from all the works of the flesh. Your Son stands in our midst and offers us His peace; the Advocate now testifies to all Truth… Come and make your dwelling in us, O glorious LORD and God.