The BreadCast

(Bar.1:15-22; Ps.79:1-5,8-9; Lk.10:13-16) "We have been disobedient to the Lord, our God, and only too ready to disregard His voice." Woe is upon us for our sin. We "have sinned in the Lord's sight and disobeyed Him," and so "the evils and the curse which the Lord enjoined upon Moses… cling to us even today." And if we do not recognize our sin, as Baruch does so beautifully in our first reading today, if we do not admit our failure to "heed the voice of the Lord," realizing and repenting of our going "after the devices of our own heart" rather than following in His holy way – if we do not accuse ourselves of "evil in the sight of the Lord," He will accuse us on the day of the judgment, as He does with Chorazin and Bethsaida in our gospel… and the woe upon us then shall be interminable, as we are "hurled down to the realm of death" with the cursed Capernaum. But if we turn to Him, if we cry out to Him as does Baruch, as does our psalm this day, declaring the evil and destruction that has come upon us for our sin, that same "reproach of our neighbors" which has "laid Jerusalem in ruins" will be removed from us – the Lord will "remember not against us the iniquities of the past," and we shall preserve our souls on the day of judgment. "They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem": great is the suffering which has come upon the Lord's wayward children. It seems at times the Lord will be angry forever for the sins committed by the perverse heart of man. But we know that His "compassion [will] quickly come to us," that His anger lasts but a moment, it is only for a time, and that He shall indeed "deliver us and pardon our sins." This has He done in Jesus, in His sacrifice, and word of it now is preached to the nations. If we accept it, we save our souls from destruction, from eternal damnation; if we reject the word of the Gospel, we reject Jesus, and we reject Him who holds the world in His creating hand – and so what hope of life have we, who have cast Life aside so wantonly… and so "burn like fire" forever only can the wrath of the Lord, our God. Let us reject sin while there is time. As His Word is still in our hearing, let us come to it and bare our souls before its truth "in sackcloth and ashes." The condition of this world of sin does not change, and it mounts up its punishment for judgment day. Let us come out of the world, humbly professing our sin, and listen now to the voice that leads us to forgiveness and grace, to exaltation "to the skies," standing at His side forever. ******* O LORD, let us not reject you! but come rather on our knees seeking forgiveness. YHWH, the gravity of our sin overwhelms us: our blood is poured out like water, our corpses given as food to the beasts of the earth. How shall we make amends for our wicked deeds if even the presence of your Son and His sacrifice do not move us to repentance? O save us from being hurled down to the realm of death! Let us not reject the Word come from Jesus. O LORD, let us heed your voice. Though we have been disobedient, though the evils that fall upon us are but just punishment for turning our hearts from you, help us, please, to avoid the grave, to be preserved from the fire that is coming upon the earth. Remember not our iniquities; let them be of the past. Let your compassion come quickly to us to raise us from our lowly state. In sackcloth and ashes let us bow humbly before you that we might find pardon for your NAME's sake.

(Neh.8:1-12; Ps.19:8-11; Lk.10:1-12) "They understood the words that had been expounded to them." What a blessed day we hear of in our first reading. And what a blessed reception the Word of God finds in the hearing of the people! For "the whole people gathered as one man" and "listened attentively to the book of the law" of Moses as "Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the occasion" and "read out of the book from daybreak until midday." And we know that all the people indeed understood the wonder of what was read to their humble, obedient hearts, "for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law." They wept for the truth of these words, and for the fact that they as a people were so long without their instruction. The truth of God's Word brought repentance to their hearts, as it should to all. But ultimately the Word of God caused them, as all, "to celebrate with great joy." Certainly this is its ultimate goal. For as David sings so well of in our psalm today: "The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul; the decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple." And the rightness of this wisdom brings "rejoicing [to] the heart." For as rich as the food and sweet the drinks the people were encouraged to consume that day as celebration of the glory of God, none could compare with the commands of the Lord, which "are more precious than gold, than a heap of purest gold; sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb." This bread of life is that which sustains us. And it is this bread of peace and life the Lord sends the disciples to bring to the cities before Him in our gospel today. He tells them that as they declare peace to any house or town along the way, "If there is a peaceable man there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will come back to you." And woe to those who do not welcome the reign of God these disciples bring in Jesus' name. Indeed, we hear that "the fate of Sodom will be less severe than that of such a town." If the Israelites were so open and welcoming to the Word of God read in their midst from the book of the law by Ezra the scribe, how much more welcoming should these people who have the emissaries of Christ Himself, sent to "cure the sick," be to receive the reign of God at hand. And how much more should we be open to receive His Word, who now know of the Lord's resurrection to glory and have the Holy Spirit in our midst by the authority given to His Church on earth. Brothers and sisters, we must hear and understand as well as they of Nehemiah's time, else what hope have we for celebration in Christ's glory? May His sweet words be in our ears and in our mouths, and so may we bleed with Him unto glory. ******* O LORD, your Word brings the sweetest tears of blessed repentance. YHWH, how sweet your Word should be to our ears, to our hearts – O how we should welcome it! Though it bring knowledge of our sin, that knowledge is sweet, for that knowledge brings us to repentance and refreshes our souls. Though we weep, though we cry for our transgressions, how sweet are our tears! For it is these tears, this turning from our sins, that brings us into your presence, that brings your reign into our midst. O how we should welcome your Word, LORD! Once it came only through words in a book; once it had to be read aloud and interpreted for our simple hearts to understand. But now it comes in flesh and blood in your only Son and in the apostles He sends out to proclaim your glory among men. Indeed, your reign, O God, is at hand. Your grace has come to us as a Man. And so let us rejoice this day, for it is thus made most holy.

(Neh.2:1-8; Ps.137:1-6; Lk.9:57-62) "How could we sing a song of the Lord in a foreign land?" Our home is in heaven. "The foxes have lairs, the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head," the Lord tells him who would follow His way in our gospel today. Our home is in heaven, and only there do we find joy. And only finding our place there should possess our hearts. We have a sign of the devotion we must have for the Lord and His Kingdom in our psalm and first reading. Even as the psalmist hangs up his harp and weeps "by the streams of Babylon" for his exile from Jerusalem – "May my tongue cleave to my palate if I remember you not, if I place not Jerusalem ahead of my joy" – so, too, Nehemiah is most "sad at heart" for his separation from and the ruination of "the city where [his] ancestors are buried." And as the king takes pity on his servant and sends Nehemiah to help rebuild Jerusalem, so, too, does the Lord look upon those who seek in ardent desire their true home with Him in heaven. He knows we are sad at our separation from the kingdom of God; He knows only there we shall find peace in our hearts, and so He calls us along the way He walks. But also He warns that all else must be set aside if we are to discover that which our hearts desire. "Whoever puts his hand to the plow but keeps looking back is unfit for the reign of God." Does love for the New Jerusalem truly possess us as did love of the old for these exiles in Babylon? Do we, too, recognize our own exile, our own homelessness, and seek with all our souls only the song that is sung in the kingdom of God? Are we prepared to leave this land of exile, this foreign land in which we find ourselves, to come to Him to build with the wood He provides the new walls which will be our shelter and our place of worship even in this life? Or do we look back to this world of sin and find ourselves drawn into its sad state? The Lord awaits the turning of all toward Him and His kingdom. He desires greatly our returning to His side. The thought of our heart to give up all for Him He confirms with His blessing and love. But we must be clear that this commitment is total, that nowhere else we shall find our joy but at His side in heaven. ******* O LORD, let us not be separated from you but give all our lives to following in your way, even to the Cross. YHWH, let us set our hearts on you alone and our coming into your kingdom. Why should anything else possess our souls? Of what else should we sing? Should we not proclaim your glory with full voice and so find your reign upon us? We cannot make our home in any place but Heaven; help us to overcome the sadness of dwelling in this dark place, in this land of exile. Bring us quickly into your presence. Your House let us rebuild, O LORD, your House and your City. Let your favoring hand be upon us this day as we seek to accomplish your will. All else let us be ready to leave behind in order to do your work upon this plane. For only in you will we find our joy – hear us as we pray to you. Let us not be dead, O LORD, dead to your presence in our midst. Let our hearts burn with love for you! Let us remember your NAME forever.

O great interpreter of holy Scripture, seeking the wisdom and power of God you listened to what the Lord says in His Word and so served to dispel ignorance of Christ; from your hermitage you came to serve the Church just so, to enlighten the minds of the faithful – pray the Lord shall send forth today the light of His wisdom and grace upon those who turn to the pages of the Word of God in prayer, that He may be understood in truth, that Jesus may walk amongst us again… that knowing the Christ we may become more like Him and live according to His instruction, as a lamp burning brightly in this world to draw all men to the Lord and the salvation of their souls, which He so deeply desires.

O mighty messengers of the Lord, ministers of His will, bringing His word and His power to all poor souls on earth, you serve to lead us unto Heaven… you who do the bidding of God, you who are first among those who stand around His throne and sing His praise, you who are so faithful in defending His Kingship and keeping us from harm – cast the devil from our midst, instill the word of Jesus' coming in our hearts, bring His healing to the lost sheep, and see that we join you on His holy mountain on high; carry us in your arms to the place the Savior prepares for us with you and all your army in His presence.

O simple and devout layman, husband and father and clerk, suddenly you were forced to flee your homeland and family with your missionary companions, but death for the faith each one of you met without wavering upon disembarking in a foreign land – pray, O blessed martyrs, our faith shall be strong as your own, that should we be called to witness even with our lives to the faith which gives us life, we will be ready to enter eternity with Christ our Lord and Savior. If tortures threaten our bodies, too, intercede for us for grace, that the face of Jesus alone we shall look upon that day.

O faithful ruler whose devotion served to bring your death, though you loved all your subjects, caring especially for the poor, and loved God and His Church above all, your care and your faith caused you to be killed by those so jealous and selfish – pray for us, good king, and for the rulers in our midst, that they will be inspired as you with a self-effacing humility and a desire for the truth of God's way, giving their lives in service of the Lord and His people, not seeking their own gain. Pray the Mother of God guide all leaders and they turn to her in obedience, that the will of the Father shall be done and to this world His kingdom come by the blood of His only Son.

(Amos 6:1,4-7; Ps.146:2,5-10; 1Tm.6:11-16; Lk.16:19-31) "Keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ." The Lord is coming. First of all, know this. "The King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see" will reveal Himself "at the proper time." Shall come the end of this world and the birth of the new in the presence of our all-holy God. Do not doubt this. Do not question it in your hearts. But believe. Second, know the nature of our God. This our psalm makes abundantly clear: "The Lord gives sight to the blind" and "protects strangers… The fatherless and the widow He sustains, but the way of the wicked He thwarts." And since "the Lord raises up those who were bowed down," we must bow down and serve Him, bringing His love to this world; keeping "faith forever" we must give "food to the hungry," showing His unending compassion to all those in need. Third, know the fate which awaits those who fail to adhere to His command of love, those who stain themselves with comfort and riches in a vain existence and have no heart for those who suffer now by their lack. As He prepares a place of refuge in Abraham's bosom for those who "pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness," so a place is set for those "who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day" but who were "not made ill by the collapse of Joseph," who have no regard for the destruction of God's people – who step over and upon the poor lying at their doors as they pursue the fatting of their bellies. "A great chasm is established" between the redeemed and the condemned; as Lazarus had no way to enter the door of the house of the rich man, so he cannot pass now into the arms of God… only now that darkness without is eternal – his torment shall not end. It is popular to believe that Jesus somehow did away with punishment, that in His all-embracing love there is no longer need for justice, and so hell is no longer a factor. The "God of the Old Testament" is presented as the one of punishment with Him of the New conversely being of love. Brothers and sisters, they are one and the same God. And as in the time before Christ, the Lord forever showed compassion for the humble of the earth, so now Jesus shows condemnation to the wicked who refuse to turn from their ways. Only now the love and justice, which are also one, are made eternal by the coming of the end of the age in the Person of Jesus Christ. Continue to keep yourselves pure and serve the Lord – His Day is at hand. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "The Child and the Beast" from Remove the Mask of Lies, second album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us make the poor man our brother, and we will know Jesus and so be with you. YHWH, you secure justice for the oppressed; the poor and the downtrodden you raise up even as you cast their oppressors into the bowels of the earth. The path of the righteous you indeed bless, but the way of the wicked you thwart. You confuse those who do not listen to Moses and the prophets, those who reject your only Son, for you are just and no man can own what he readily spurns. If it is the belly upon which we set our hearts, it shall grow fat and keep us from entering the narrow gate. If upon our own needs and wants alone we look, failing to see the longings of others or help them in their plight… we shall fail the test you place before us, and be unworthy to be called your sons, dear God. For you are kind and loving, O LORD, and care always for the hungry and those in captivity. Though you dwell in unapproachable light, to us you come with great mercy to raise us to Heaven with your only Son.

O blessed help of the poor, slave to widows and orphans and all those most outcast and in need, the least of Christ's brothers you indeed gave your life to serve, completely spending yourself in their assistance and leading your own brother priests to do the same… and so Christ Himself you waited upon day in and day out upon this earth – pray that we, too, shall be like Jesus, filled with compassion for the needs of our neighbors, sharing their poverty as we empty ourselves as the Lord has done. May all our prayers and desires lead to such charity for the plight of others, that we might fulfill with you our Savior's call to the Cross and come, therefore, to the riches of Heaven.

(Zec.2:5-9,14-15; Jer.31:10-13; Lk.9:43-45) "They shall come streaming to the Lord's blessings." The Kingdom is being prepared. And as bleak as things may seem upon this earth, the glory of the Lord awaits us all. This is the message of Jeremiah in our psalm and the message given Zechariah by the angel in our first reading. "I will turn their mourning into joy, I will console and gladden them after their sorrows," is the word which sustains us. Zechariah prophesies at the time the Israelites have returned from exile few in number to a rather desolate, broken-down Jerusalem. But in his vision presented today he sees an angel measuring the great city of peace, apparently for its restoration. And to this prophet at this difficult time in which hope is hard to hold on to is delivered this reassurance: "People will live in Jerusalem as though in an open country, because of the multitude of men and beasts in her midst." The Lord promises to be "the glory in her midst" and an "encircling wall of fire": "Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day." Jeremiah's message is the same. "He who scattered Israel now gathers them together, He guards them as a shepherd His flock." Yes, even in the darkest moments of our exile here on this fallen earth, there is hope. For ultimately the Lord's love will conquer all; in the end we shall "mount the heights of Zion" – our salvation will be fulfilled. Jesus tries to convey to the apostles the same message. By telling them, "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of men," He seeks to have them understand – even "in the midst of the disciples' amazement at all that Jesus was doing" in teaching and healing the people – that when the time of mourning is brought to bear in their lives, when they see Him offered up for crucifixion… when darkness falls upon the land, then they should be assured that the glorious works they find wrought in their midst by the glorious hand of God shall not be dead at all, but only coming to fulfillment. Our solace is in our sorrow. Happy are we who mourn. For the passing things we are robbed of here, we know will become eternal blessings in heaven. Taste the pain, my brothers and sisters, the blood at the corners of your mouth, and lift your head to see the nations come streaming to His eternal kingdom. ******* O LORD, into the hands of men Jesus must be delivered that He might gather them from far-off lands into the kingdom of Heaven. YHWH, your people have been scattered to the four corners of the earth, but from there you gather them together as one in your holy City. From mourning you deliver your children that they might come in joy into your eternal presence. O may the nations indeed come streaming to your blessings! May all be surrounded by your wall of protection, with you at our very center. The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of men. This sacrifice is necessary to fulfill man's redemption. O LORD, we could not be saved except by His suffering, for blind we were even to our sin until He mounted the wood of the Cross. But now, dear LORD, what was so concealed from us has been revealed by His blood. Let us follow closely His message and His way, that we might be found celebrating within the length and breadth of your kingdom.