The BreadCast

(Is.26:1-6; Ps.118:1,8-9,19-21,25-27; Mt.7:21,24-27) "Trust in the Lord forever! For the Lord is an eternal rock." Sand or rock? Upon which do we build our house? If we "take refuge in the Lord" and enter "the gates of justice," we shall find salvation in the Lord's kingdom; if we "trust in man" and "princes," we shall be leveled with the dust – our house shall collapse and we be "completely ruined." The choice is set before us. "Those in high places" will be humbled to the ground; those who find refuge in the empty things of this world will find no protection on the day of His coming. But for the "nation of firm purpose," which "comes in the name of the Lord," "He sets up walls and ramparts to protect." And they shall "give thanks to the Lord" as they enter the gates of His holy city. Jesus states clearly, "Only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven" will enter His kingdom: the one "who hears my words and puts them into practice" is he who is wise. And the putting into practice is key. Jesus has come in the flesh, and flesh there must be to our deeds. He is real, and we must be as real as He in our love. Otherwise we deny Him. We deny His coming if we do not live His way. God is not across the ocean or in the sky; He walks upon this earth now and must be in our lives. Only this will bring us strength. Only this will enable us to stand when the torrents come and the winds blow and buffet our house – for these have no power over those who are set in the Hand of God, who do His bidding. "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it" (Lk.11:28). We cannot but think of these challenging words from our Lord, referring greatly to the Mother of God – whose service to the Lord we particularly celebrate in these days of preparation – and cannot but hope to abide by them and become the handmaiden Mary has shown herself to be, that the eternal blessings of God might be ours as well. In Him let us trust. In Him let our faith be set. And let us do His will. ******* O LORD, let us dwell in your House, built on the Rock that is you. YHWH, how shall our city be strong if we do not trust in you? How shall we stand on your Day if we are not your children, if we have not done your will in this world? How can we enter your House and there dwell in peace if we have not the key to your kingdom, if we live not as your Son? O LORD, we shall but fall to the dust and be trampled underfoot if we have only words to offer you. If we have lived our lives in vain, then we have built our house on sand, and it shall but collapse when you stand before us on your holy Day. There is no hope for those who do not come to your Son and put His words into practice. But for those who trust in you and serve you, the gates of justice open up and they enter in and dwell in your presence – these stand strong whatever may come for they stand with you who are the eternal Rock, the foundation that cannot be shaken. Let us enter your House and give thanks to you, O LORD, for you are our Savior and in you we take our refuge.

O holy apostle of the Lord, model of faith in God and love of the Church, has there been a soul to match your zeal for the salvation of the world? Convict us of our laziness, of our sloth, of our distraction by the things not of the kingdom of God; of what worth are our lives if not spent in service of the Lord and of neighbor? O missionary of missionaries, by your prayer let the Church on earth, which flounders so in empty illusion, be renewed by a living faith that reaches to the ends of the world and banishes all darkness from the hearts and minds of men. Pray God's kingdom come and reign amongst us.

(Is.25:6-10; Ps.23:1-6; Mt.15:29-37) "The hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain." And He will heal us. And He will lead us. And He will feed us. Jesus went up onto a mountainside along the Sea of Galilee and sat down to teach and to heal. The sick were laid at His feet. Isaiah says, "On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples." This mountain is the Lord. It is Jesus who reaches out His hand to heal those lying at His feet. It is Jesus who raises the bread for blessing and gives all to eat. And it is He who "will destroy death forever." "This is the Lord for whom we looked." And it is through His Church Jesus works; through the blessing of the priest who raises the bread and the cup, Jesus gives us His Body and Blood – this is our "feast of rich food and choice wines" envisioned by Isaiah. It is He who forgives our sins, He who removes "the reproach of His people," wiping away "the tears from all faces" in the confessional. He anoints us with the oil of the Spirit in Baptism; He joins us as one in holy Matrimony… He shepherds us with the Word of His teaching, leading us "in right paths," "beside restful waters," to "dwell in the house of the Lord" forever. "Let us rejoice and be glad that He has saved us!" If "only goodness and kindness" follow us all our days, what have we to do but rejoice? If we have a Lord who looks with such pity upon our hunger, what need we fear? If it is He who "spread[s] the table" before us, even here in this world, "in the sight of [our] foes," where sin besets us… what can we lack? If "cripples, the deformed, the blind, the mute, and many others" were healed of their maladies, what sickness of ours is beyond His redemption? In this world we "walk in the dark valley." In this world we hunger. Here "the veil that veils all peoples" is upon us. But here, too, He is with us to refresh our souls and feed us with His Body and Blood in the New Jerusalem. ******* O LORD, feed us on the holy mountain which is your Son with His own Body and Blood. YHWH, you are He for whom we have looked, and you come to us in your only Son, who gives to us His Body and His Blood that we might feast upon your presence even in this world. Let us not be afraid but remember that you are with us. How glorious is your kingdom, LORD, where all are made well, where all are fed by your hand. Though we have so little to offer, you take it and bless it and multiply it that we might have an abundance. And so, even in the valley of death through which we must pass, you are with us to guide us, for your Son has gone there before us. On your mountain let us make our home, O LORD our God; in the Word and Bread your Son offers let us take our refuge. He is the mountain on which we must dwell – in Him all death is dispelled and we are made whole in your sight. Let us remain ever on this mountain.

(Is.11:1-10; Ps.72:1,7-8,12-13,17; Lk.10:21-24) "The earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea." And so, "there shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain," says the Lord. The vision is sure: "The wolf shall be the guest of the lamb… the lion shall eat hay like the ox… the child shall lay his hand on the adder's lair," for all shall live as one in the Spirit of the Lord. "Justice shall flower in His days, and profound peace" – such is the vision to which all hearts aspire. Jesus is the fullness of that peace. And so He says to His disciples, "Blest are the eyes that see what you see," for what "prophets and kings wished to see," what Isaiah prophesies for us today, is present there before them. And He is present before us. But we can only see and hear Him if we are as "merest children," else His presence will be hidden from our eyes. He wishes to reveal Himself, desires to lead us to the Father whom He alone knows, to whom He alone can lead us – but to find such fullness of vision, to gaze upon the face of God, to be filled with His wisdom and knowledge as is His Son, we must first fear Him, as He does, and seek to abide by the words and the commands that come to us by "the breath of His lips." All must be slain that is wicked in us, and His justice and faithfulness shall be ours. "May His name be blessed forever; as long as the sun His name shall remain," for He Himself is light, and indeed His dwelling is glorious. With judgment and justice He is endowed, and in the light of His wisdom and grace we stand eternally blessed. But are our eyes open to Him? Now should we pray for the Lord's light to fill us, for His knowledge to cover us, that our eyes may be open to see Him, that we shall not miss Him as He comes. O Lord, prepare our hearts to see you, and the blessing of your presence, your peace, among us. ******* O LORD, open our eyes and ears to your glorious presence among us. YHWH, your Son is our justice; our hope for peace is in Him – open our eyes to see His presence, to see your presence among us. Upon Jesus your favor rests, O LORD, and that favor you would share with all of us; that favor He would share with us if we would but turn to Him with the heart of a child. May we be truly humble, O LORD, truly loving and truly kind, that your justice might be upon us for good, and to your salvation, to your holy mountain, we shall be called. In awe of you let us stand, LORD, our eyes and ears filled with your glory alone. O how shall we bear such blessing? How shall we come to know such surpassing peace? How shall we come to stand in your presence and live in your perfection? Only if your Son reveals to us your glory; only if we are sustained by His grace will we be filled with knowledge of you, our only God.

(Is.2:1-5 or Is.4:2-6; Ps.122:1-9; Mt.8:5-11 I shall treat of both first readings) "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!" For it shall come. "The mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest mountain…. All nations shall stream toward it," and there the Lord will give judgment. And His judgment will cause the banishment of war, for all shall be one in Him, and to all He shall grant "shelter and protection," by night and by day. The coming peace and unity all find on the holy mountain of Jerusalem prophesied by Isaiah is signaled in our gospel passage today as the Gentile centurion approaches Jesus with a request made in great faith. His surpassing faith prompts the Lord to reveal the truth of the coming kingdom: "Many will come from the east and the west and will find a place at the banquet in the kingdom of God with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." For it is faith that brings us to Him and to His blessings. Certainly the serving boy for whom the centurion intercedes receives healing from the Lord; and certainly all those who "go up to the house of the Lord" in faith shall themselves be gratefully received. I pray we all remain in Zion, remain in "her place of assembly," and so find refuge from "storm and rain" and from the "heat of day." The New Jerusalem we know is the Catholic Church, is the faith handed down by Jesus through His apostles and blessed by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We know that within these walls we shall always find peace and protection, and we pray for all to stream toward the truth and the glory found in this House. There all shall find cleansing from their sins; "with a blast of searing judgment," the Lord has created this Virgin Bride. So, "let us walk in the light of the Lord!" As Jesus remarks to His followers, "I have never found this much faith in Israel," He is calling them to an increase in their faith. He calls us, too, brothers and sisters, to act more readily upon His commands. Let us not fall short in our service to Him, and the peace of Jerusalem shall just as readily be ours. ******* O LORD, may all souls come to your holy mountain and find there a home of peace. YHWH, peace reigns in your House, and all those of faith find a place there. From every corner of the earth, men shall stream toward Jerusalem, where you dwell, where you teach the nations. Draw all souls into Holy Church. You are the refuge and protection for all who are purged from their sin; all who come to you for cleansing of the blood from their hands find in you a place of peace and forgiveness, LORD. May all swords be beaten into plowshares – the war come from men's hearts be banished forever. All nations you call, O LORD, and all those of faith you accept into your kingdom. Let us be obedient in serving you that we might find your peace within our hearts and dwell on your holy mountain forever.

O brother of the Rock of our Church, you who brought him to our Lord, you who were crucified on the Cross of our Savior, who shed your blood freely for His cause… you who thirsted for His coming and welcomed Him so readily into your life – bring us also to the Messiah's side and pray we shall receive Him as well as your brother has done; pray we, too, will abandon our boats, our moorings in this world, to follow the Christ along the way He leads, even apart from home and family. Brothers to the Son pray we become, accomplishing the Father's will with our lives; capture us in His net this day that we too might stand in His light with all the redeemed of Israel.

(Is.2:1-5; Ps.122:1-9; Rm.13:11-14; Mt.24:37-44) "Come, let us climb the Lord's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may instruct us in His ways, and we may walk in His paths." "Beat [your] swords into plowshares." "Throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light." "It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep," and to "stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come." And even now He calls you to "go up to the house of the Lord" and "pray for the peace of Jerusalem." Advent has come, and so we are reminded of the Lord's coming and our need to be prepared. He will not come in vain, and will not accept any vanity into His kingdom. His is a kingdom of light into which no darkness enters. His is a place of peace where "rivalry and jealousy" and all "the desires of the flesh" find no provision. If in the days of Noah they were blind to the time of their visitation, and so "the flood came and carried them away," how can it be the same with us, who have the first coming of Christ in the manger and on the cross to stir us to wakefulness? If we live now as in the days of Sodom, how much greater will be our punishment? If we allow our house to be "broken into" though we have His voice calling to our hearts, what could make us think that He will take us with Him when He comes again? It is indeed time to wake from the sleep of sin and "stream toward… the Lord's mountain." There we shall rejoice in His grace as His "relatives and friends"; there we shall find the light of His teaching. "For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem," and it shall fill the earth with holiness. The Lord has been born in our midst. The Word has been made flesh and walked among us. Now we are called to become like Him, to walk in His ways of peace. And so when He returns at the end of time, we will be prepared to "set foot within [the] gates" of His kingdom. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Can We Go Together?" from Bearing the Birth Pangs, tenth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us walk in the light of your Son until He comes. YHWH, let us go up to your House, where we shall find our peace, where we shall find the instruction we need to leave behind all deeds of darkness and enter into your holy light. When your Son returns for us, let us be awake and ready to welcome Him, and He will welcome us into your kingdom. O LORD, let all the nations come to your holy mountain, to the place of wisdom and peace, that all weapons of destruction might be themselves destroyed and war might be no more. Let not any nation raise the sword against another, and let no man fall again into sin. Let us be trained for peace, not war; purity, not lust. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem, that it shall extend to the ends of the earth. In this time let it come and dispel all rivalry and jealousy, all the works of the flesh. Your Spirit reign upon us, O LORD; let your Son come to carry us to you.

(Dn.7:15-27; Dn.3:59,82-87; Lk.21:34-36) "The day I speak of will come upon all who dwell on the face of the earth." And so we must "pray constantly for the strength to escape whatever is in prospect, and to stand before the Son of Man." The vision is explained to Daniel, and really it is quite simple: evil shall come, but good shall triumph in the end. Kingdoms of the Beast, of the evil one, "shall arise on earth. But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingship, to possess it forever and ever," the angel tells Daniel, and reiterates this simple point: "All the kingdoms under the heavens shall be given to the holy people of the Most High, whose kingdom shall be everlasting." Yes, evil kingdoms shall rise and make war "against the holy ones," devouring the earth, beating it down, and crushing it… but the court of the Lord will be convened and the "final and absolute destruction" of the evil one is thus at hand. In Daniel's vision "the time came when the holy ones possessed the kingdom." And so it is; and so it shall be. "Be on the watch," the Lord exhorts us in our gospel for this the final day of our liturgical year. We must indeed "be on guard," for if we do not watch, we will not be prepared for the coming day of the Lord which is ever at hand. Certainly we do not wish to be destroyed with the devil and his angels, but if our "spirits become bloated with indulgence and drunkenness and worldly cares," how shall we stand? And so it is that we must indeed pray constantly for the strength to withstand the coming chastisement – we cannot underestimate the devil's power to seduce us with his lies even as the grass grows beneath our feet. As the grass grows, so must our spirits grow, in truth and goodness and love. His peace must surround us to guard us against the sin which attacks us here as we live and breathe upon the face of the earth. The day will come. Let it be our joy to be found waiting for the Lord. (And so, Advent is now upon us.) ******* O LORD, preserve us from what is to come; give us the strength to stand in your glorious presence. YHWH, the day of your judgment is coming upon all who dwell on the face of the earth, but on that day your holy ones will be glorified. The beasts and their kingdoms shall all be destroyed and your holy people will reign with your Son. But we must be ready for that day; we cannot fall into drunkenness. If we become bloated with indulgence and worldly cares, we shall not stand secure before Jesus but be driven out with the evil one. O let not that day overtake us, dear LORD! Rather, take us then into your kingdom. There is great trial coming upon this world; it is now underway. War is made against your holy ones, and they must suffer and even die. But let us praise your eternal glory, LORD. Let all your servants, the souls of all the just, bless your holy NAME. For our salvation is on the horizon, and nothing need we fear from Him who comes. Let us be awake in prayer.

(Dn.7:2-14; Dn.3:59,75-81; Lk.21:29-33) "The beast was slain and its body thrown into the fire to be burnt up." Daniel prophesies the coming of pagan empires in his vision of the four beasts. The vision is, in short, an overview of the coming salvation. Notice that even as Daniel watches the beasts emerge with their horns and tusks and great iron teeth, even as he watches these terrible creatures devour and crush and trample in a kind of destructive euphoria… what does he see? "Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took His throne." The Lord God, the Eternal King, is there. (He is never far away.) And the arrogant horn is cast into eternal flame, and the other beasts lose their dominion, too, though they received "a prolongation of life for a time," indicating that a measure of the wickedness of such beastly empires – several of which we have seen very clearly in the last century – shall remain. But, nonetheless, there is "one like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven," and He indeed receives "everlasting dominion," a "kingship [that] shall not be destroyed." Like the Father in His eternal reign is the Son, who has come into our midst and even now winnows away the chaff of this world. That even as evil presumes to reign the Lord is at work, is assuming His eternal reign in the heavenly kingdom, is evident in Jesus' words to the disciples in our gospel. He has told them to watch for the terrible signs which will come upon the earth and bring its destruction, and equates the recognition of these signs and wonders of the end time with the budding of a fig tree signaling the coming summer. Jesus is the fig tree, the peace that is born even in the midst of war, the love that grows though surrounded by hatred – the light that overcomes all darkness. "The heavens and the earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." Though the mountains fall into the sea, the Lord's heavenly reign but comes to fulfillment. Then all creatures, all "beasts, wild and tame," "everything growing from the earth" and all "seas and rivers" will "praise and exalt Him" whose kingdom lasts forever. ******* O LORD, the myriads ministering to you overcome the power of all beasts, and by your only Son their fate is sealed and the kingdom comes forever. YHWH, your reign is near, always at hand. Despite the beasts which remain for a time, your Son has come and conquered all darkness. There is no death or sin in Him, no power that evil has before Him, and so those who find their life in Him shall indeed endure forever. Heaven and earth are passing away but His dominion is everlasting. Thank you for sending your Son to us, dear God, to cast all evil to the dust, to teach of the kingdom to come. In Him indeed summer is near, a time of great fruitfulness – the time when we shall share with Him in the eternal fruits of Heaven. Peace is upon us, though the destruction of war be all around. And so, what can we do but praise you, LORD of Heaven and earth? All your creatures can but sing of your glory and bless your holy NAME. This day let your fire burn all our sins away. Alleluia.

(Dn.6:12-28; Dn.3:59,68-74; Lk.21:20-28) "Your ransom is near at hand." "He is a deliverer and savior, working signs and wonders in heaven and on earth." And as "He delivered Daniel from the lions' power," so He shall save our souls from the destruction to come upon the face of the earth. The king's prayer is answered: "To Daniel he said, 'May your God whom you serve so constantly, save you.'" And when the lions' mouths are closed because of David's innocence before God and men, Darius in awe of the living God writes to the nations that the kingdom of the God of Daniel "shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall be without end." Another pagan king is brought to his knees in truth… "Praise and exalt Him above all forever"! Indeed, "let the earth bless the Lord." But it is deliverance which is our theme today. Daniel is delivered from certain death in the lions' den, and our Lord speaks to us of the utter destruction of Jerusalem and the coming of the end of time – "Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" – and of our means of escape from annihilation. Yes, we must flee the devastation that is near, flee to the mountains from the midst of the city, not linger behind in the land of Sodom as the angel comes to guide us to safety. Indeed, we must lift our heads to the sky even as its powers are shaken and all comes crashing to the ground but the strength of our God. For on that Day He will be made manifest, and on that Day, if we "stand up straight," our deliverance from sin and the powers of this world will be joyously known by our eternal souls. And we shall celebrate as did the king and Daniel upon the holy man's removal from the lion's den – and we shall praise the Almighty's name with "nights and days," with "lightnings and clouds," with all the elements of the Lord's universe. Alleluia! Fear not, brothers and sisters, "in anticipation of what is coming upon the earth." Even as you are called, so you must be – to be "clever as snakes and innocent as doves" (Mt.10:16). Follow the saints' examples in simple obedience to the Shepherd's voice and, harboring no ill will toward your persecutors, be prepared to lay down your life if it be in the Lord's will, knowing full well that He will rescue you.* * For this final thought I credit St. John Chrysostom and his wisdom, as found in this morning's Office of Readings. ******* O LORD, you are coming with great power and glory – praise your holy NAME! YHWH, we need not fear that the lion's mouth will close upon us. Though the heavens be shaken and darkness cover the land, with your Son we may stand tall. Anticipation of His coming, joy at the salvation He brings – the eternal peace that follows in His wake – will keep us strong on the Day of judgment. From the den of the lion we shall be freed. The end must come, we know, O LORD. All these things must pass away. May we stand in innocence before you on that day, and so live with you forever in your kingdom. In this city let us not desire to remain, but with your Son let us fly to Heaven. O LORD, let all hearts turn to you before that great and terrible Day; let even the kings of this world recognize you as the one true God. Send your angels throughout the earth to work your wonders and save all holy souls from destruction.