The BreadCast

(Gn.8:6-13,20-22; Ps.116:12-15,17-19; Mk.8:22-26) "Noah then removed the covering of the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was drying up." A return to earth, the flood waters having ceased. A new day dawns in this "the first month, on the first day of the month." The world is made anew, and it shall last, and man shall last upon it, until the last day comes. Here is the second Creation, the first re-creation… the new generation extending from Noah. After the cleansing rain, a soft white glow is upon the earth, a radiance of God's presence. Gradually it comes to us, this vision of new life that is the Lord Himself. Three times Noah sent the dove forth from the ark before the blessed moment came when "it did not come back," when all could rejoice that the waters had subsided. And twice the Lord touched the blind man's eyes before "his sight was restored and he could see everything clearly." Just as first the dove came back quickly, then with a "plucked-off olive leaf" in its bill (showing that the tops of trees were visible), before finding a place to make a home; so first the man sees people "like walking trees" before the Lord touches Him again and perfect vision becomes his own. It is only gradually – day by day, week by week, year by year – that we come to full awareness of the Lord and with Him make our home. And once out of the ark, "Noah built an altar to the Lord." And how pleased the Lord is with the "sweet odor" of the sacrifice he offers. Here is the beginning of the sacrifices at the heart of Jewish worship which shall find their place in the temple at Jerusalem, "in the courts of the house of the Lord," and know their fulfillment in the eternal sacrifice of the only Son. Of course, it is not the odor alone which pleases the Lord, but what it signifies: Noah thinks first of Him who always thinks of us first, and so engages God in a marvelous mutual love. Here our second human father reveals to the Lord that the goodness He has planted in us is not gone, that it is not necessarily so that "the desires of man's heart are evil from the start," that he is capable of love… though this truth shall not be known in full until the redemptive offering of Christ on the cross. "As long as the earth lasts, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease," and mankind shall not be struck again from the land. "How shall [we] make a return to the Lord" for this special blessing? And how shall we repay Him for "the cup of salvation" we now "take up," the cup which holds the blood of the Son? For Noah's sacrifice is indeed made complete in our midst, before our eyes, and the waters that once threatened to overwhelm us now recede as we discover our home in the heavenly kingdom. We must show that the fullness of God's love exists in us and join our lives to our Savior's holy sacrifice. ******* O LORD, open our eyes that we might know your presence among us and offer you due praise in the sacrifice of our lives. YHWH, may our sacrifice be acceptable in your sight. May it come from a sincere heart and express our gratitude for saving us from the overwhelming waters of our sins. May it be joined to the sacrifice of your Son and so be fruitful, and so serve to keep us from all harm and bring us to your kingdom. Our blindness we beg you cure, LORD, by the grace at the hands of Jesus. May He take us aside and place us in your presence that we might be healed of all that keeps us from knowing you and praising you for your goodness. Help us to have faith that you are leading us to the land you promise, to the new heavens and new earth. For this grace let us ever call upon your NAME. And help us to make return to you, O LORD, you who alone deserve our worship and love. A holy offering may we lift up even as we lay down our lives with your only Son.

(Gn.6:5-8,7:1-5,10; Ps.29:1-4,9-11; Mk.8:14-21) "The voice of the Lord is over the waters, the Lord, over vast waters." "Mighty" indeed is the voice of God, but who can hear it? Who listens to its "majestic" ringing in their ears? In the time of Noah the Lord's "heart was grieved," for He "saw how great was man's wickedness on earth, and how no desire that his heart conceived was ever anything but evil." So great was the Lord's grief over man's disobedience that He uttered the saddest words we could hear: "I am sorry I made them," and resolved to "wipe [them] out from the earth." If we have not pleased our Father, what hope have we of life? If we have not listened to His voice, what can we hear but a sentence of condemnation? It seems Jesus' heart is grieved, too, today at His disciples' ignorance of His instruction. Here in a boat upon the waters His voice chastises their slowness to comprehend His call to wakefulness in the Spirit: "Are your minds completely blinded? Have you eyes but no sight? Ears but no hearing?" and finally, "Do you still not understand?" And though He seems eminently frustrated by the fact that their vision is still trained so stubbornly on the bread of earth rather than the Bread of heaven, though they so quickly forget the miracles He has worked and the power He has revealed, yet He shall not remove them from His sight, but continue in patience with their schooling. For just as "Noah found favor with the Lord" and thus served to salvage our race from utter destruction, so the Lord's apostles have found favor with Him. And Jesus knows that as "Noah did just as the Lord had commanded him," putting complete faith in God's word, so these disciples will also in strength and in faith carry out His mission after His own death and resurrection, after His ascension into heaven… and with the Holy Spirit's power upon them. As in Noah's ark God keeps man's "issue alive over all the earth," preserving them from the flood, so now in the barque of Peter "all the [Lord's] household" takes refuge from the fiery destruction that is coming upon the world in these the last days. Like the "one loaf" the disciples hold in their hands is the Church of the Lord – it is all that is needed for food in this world. And so as we sail along to the farther shore, let us listen to God's mighty voice speaking through Her. As the end approaches, be sure to heed the Lord's instruction: "Keep your eyes open!" Beware the hypocrisy and pride of the powers that be. ******* O LORD, how shall we be just in your sight and begin to understand your majesty and glory? YHWH, you are majestic, exalted far above earth and sea and every living creature. But we are deaf and blind to your ways, and so, beset by wickedness. How shall we hear your mighty voice calling to us over the waters, calling to us in your Son? How shall we heed the thunder of your glory and praise you in your Temple with full voice? How do we begin to understand what is far beyond our poor minds? Send your Spirit upon us, LORD, that we might know and eat the Bread that is your Son, that we might be saved from the destruction that is coming upon all living things. Into your Ark let us come, into your holy Church; with your apostles let us dwell, enlightened by your teaching and sharing in your food. The Bread of Heaven make our own, LORD, that we might rise above the earth to where you dwell enthroned in glory and majesty with your only Son.

(Gn.4:1-15,25; Ps.50:1,8,14,16-17,20-21; Mk.8:11-13) "Sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master." Thus does the Lord encourage Cain not to hang his head at his failures in worship but to learn from his errors and be strong. Here already in Scripture we see how redemption is possible, how God gives us power to conquer sin. But Cain does not fight off the demon at his door but instead attacks his brother Abel, killing him who has overcome sin. The jealous demons write their name in Abel's blood, by the hand of Cain his brother. And the Pharisees are the same as Cain. It is they of whom our psalmist sings, they who "recite [the Lord's] statutes, and profess [His] covenant with [their] mouth," but whose hearts are far from Him and who "hate discipline and cast [His] words behind" themselves. It is they who "sit speaking against [their] brother," for indeed they come to "argue with Jesus," to "test" Him who is most especially their brother, who is their Messiah. And it is they who will shed their brother's blood, who will conspire to kill their own "mother's Son." And though Jesus Himself "correct[s] [them] by drawing [their sin] up before [their] eyes," yet, like Cain, they refuse to see the evil taking hold of them, and so will be unable to turn from it. And their punishment shall be greater than that of Cain, for so much greater is their sin. As Cain is banished from the soil which had been his own, so the covenant which the Lord had given into the Chosen people's possession shall be taken from their leaders' hands, and they shall be left empty – except for the hope of turning to Him and cleansing themselves in Jesus' blood. The sign the Pharisees seek is essentially one they would make with their own hands, one which they would find at their command. But "no such sign will be given" them, for then truly would they be condemned. They must come to the sign Jesus is and accept it as the Lord God offers – their attempts to control the Father's will are perhaps the most tragic of transgressions. They say, as does Cain, that God must accept matters their way and are not humble to His Son's teaching. And so, sadly for them, "He left them" there on the shore alone, burning in their jealousy. Fight the demons, brothers and sisters. Ward off sin in all its forms. The Lord promises we shall have the strength, if we are willing to turn from our sins and accept His chastising word… and wash ourselves in His cleansing blood. But if we remain "resentful" and so "deaf" to the Lord's correction, what shall save our souls? And with Cain we will wander restlessly the earth, avoiding the glorious presence of the Lord. ******* O LORD, we are a jealous race; forgive our shedding the blood of our Brother. YHWH, how sinful we are! How we turn our hand against our brother, inflicting upon him the punishment for our guilt. In condemning others we seek to rid ourselves of the condemnation we deserve; but this only brings the punishment on our own heads. Help us to admit our sin and turn away from it! Killing our Brother will not free us from the death upon our souls. O LORD, how can we be so blind, so hardhearted, as to think such wickedness is our salvation? Jesus comes to us as our Brother, as the one closest to us and most concerned for our well-being… but we cannot bear to hear His voice speaking of our need to turn away from sin, and so, what can we do but kill Him? O set us free from bloodguilt! Accept the sacrifice of a pure heart, dear God; make our offering to you sincere. Our very hearts let us give in the service of our brother.

(Jer.17:5-8; Ps.1:1-4,6,40:5; 1Cor.15:12,16-20; Lk.6:17,20-26) "If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all." For His reward is in heaven; His kingdom is not of the earth. And our faith is in His resurrection. It is not to this world we come, not in the things of the earth we make our boast, for he "who seeks his strength in flesh" is he "whose heart turns away from the Lord" and His holy kingdom… but we are among those "whose hope is the Lord." The contrast could not be clearer than it is today in our readings: on the one hand is he who "delights in the law of the Lord" and so follows His ways; and on the other, he who "walks in the way of sinners," finding his delight in the world. And the blessing and the curse each respectively finds is also made obvious for us – one path leads to resurrection and life, the other to a miserable death. And which shall we choose, the kingdom of God or the prison of man… the blessing or the curse? "Woe to you who are rich… to you who are filled now… to you who laugh," for a fate worse than death awaits you – the pleasures you take in your insolence will soon turn to the most despicable bitterness. You stand "in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth," and in it you shall sink if you do not soon look to the light of Christ. The poor and hungry souls who weep and mourn for your salvation, who suffer persecution by your haughty tongue will soon "rejoice and leap for joy" – on the day of resurrection you can count. And what will become of your own soul when you stand, or cringe, before the otherworldly light of your Creator? What shall you then say? The time is short. The rewards of heaven are near. Let us take strength in the Lord's resurrection. Let us bear joyfully His cross. Though drought be upon the land, and though it show itself in His Church, we must be one with Him who "still bears fruit," planted eternally beside the nourishing streams of our Christ. Him they stripped of even His clothing; His skin they scourged at the devil's command. His flesh they nailed to the dying tree – a worm and no man. But He lives, be assured of this; His Spirit never fails. And body and soul He looks out from heaven, waiting for us to join Him there… Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Ballad to the World" from Remove the Mask of Lies, second album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us not know the curse of the world's acceptance and your rejection, but the blessing of being your humble children. YHWH, like a tree planted near running water let us be, fruitful as your Son who alone has your Spirit upon Him. Why should we turn to things that take us from your way? Why should we desire to stand in an empty, lava waste? His Cross let us lift up onto our shoulders, that we might rise to you. O LORD, let us not follow the way of the wicked and so be driven to distress. Their counsel let us not take upon ourselves. Let us rather trust in your Son and meditate on His Word day and night. For here is wisdom that reaches unto Heaven. Here in the call to lay down our lives, to die with your Christ, we find our way to eternal life, where we will leap for joy forevermore. Our hunger now is but a yearning for your face, our weeping but a cry to look upon you. And in such suffering itself we find your presence, LORD, for we share this grief with your Son, who now reigns on high.

(Gn.3:9-24; Ps.90:1-6,12-13; Mk.8:1-10) "You are dust, and to dust you shall return." Because of the fall we come face-to-face with this truth: our own mortality, our own humility, that we are but a creature made from the dust of the earth. And this truth we must understand. Because we have "eaten from the tree of which [God] had forbidden [us] to eat," "thorns and thistles" the earth brings forth for us and "by the sweat of [our] face shall [we] get bread to eat," until we learn our place – for our own sakes – before our Creator, or "until we return to the ground, from which we were taken." "Cursed be the ground because of you!" the Lord God exclaims to the man. The womb of the woman, like the earth for man, shall bring her pain in bearing children, in bearing her fruit… and the serpent shall eat dust "all the days of [his] life." If now we should eat of the tree of life, to what state would we be condemned! How shall we be saved from such a fate, wherein our own flesh brings upon us such pangs – how shall we escape ourselves? And how shall we look upon God again? "Teach us to number our days aright," our psalmist cries, "that we may gain wisdom of heart." And what is he asking but that we realize, as God would teach us, that though He is "from everlasting to everlasting," that though for Him "a thousand years are as… a watch of the night," we are "like the changing grass, which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades." So passing is our life. This indeed we must comprehend, for this is truth, and failing to understand it we shall not find answer to our prayer: "Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants!" But knowing our limitations before our God, He comes quickly to remedy our weakness. See how Jesus looks upon those who "were without anything to eat," those whose bodies fainted before His eyes. Listen to the thought of His heart: "My heart is moved with pity for the crowd. By now they have been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way. Some of them have come a great distance." Oh how the Lord has pity on us! Oh how He knows our plight – that we are but fading grass, having been far removed from His sight! And how He wills to feed us, to nourish those who come to Him, who share the "three days" of His trial. For though they toiled not, "the people in the crowd ate their fill" in the most peaceful of fields. The Lord had come to save them! And now eternal life is upon them. Brothers and sisters, we need no longer fear our dying flesh, for the Lord feeds us with Bread that does not fail, that brings life eternal to the lowly body that eats it. And so, no longer are we dust alone, though to dust our body may return. But we become eternal souls in the hand of our Savior, eating from the tree of life He is. In all humility let us receive His gift, His saving presence among us. And to God we shall return, and now forever. ******* O LORD, feed us with the Bread of life that we might lie in the dust no more. YHWH, have pity on our weakness, for our flesh is like the changing grass – we do but wilt and fade. Weak in body and in spirit we find ourselves separated from you by our sins, by our disobedience to your command. You care only for our good; let us come to you and remain with you till you take pity on our souls. You give us food to eat, O LORD, even the body of your only Son. Let us not prefer the food of this world or that which the devil offers. If our eyes are opened unto death, if we but see our weakness, our nakedness before you, without realizing your eternal love… to what end shall we come? We shall but return to dust. Your punishments are good, LORD; your chastisements are what heal our tortured souls. Let our suffering be joined to Jesus' own, that we shall hunger for you alone, and in our humility you will be quick to feed us and return us to your fold.

(Gn.3:1-8; Ps.32:1-2,5-7; Mk.7:31-37) "The eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked." How different this opening of the eyes of Adam and Eve is from the opening of the deaf man's ears in our gospel; for our first parents' eyes were opened unto blindness, but the deaf mute's ears and tongue only to light. Why this difference? Why such contrast in the freeing of the senses to receive their signals? Why is one evil and the other good? The opening of the eyes of the man and the woman brings their downfall because they are not prepared for what they see. They seek to be "like gods who know what is good and what is bad," but they have not the skins to hold such wine of wisdom. And so they burst. And so they died before the glorious light suddenly before them… and so "the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden," for they could not show their faces of dust before His Face of Majesty. (Indeed, the woman first erred when she "answered the serpent," when she responded to his enticement, not realizing she was no match for his "cunning"… much as she failed to understand she is no match for God's wisdom.) On the other hand, the opening of the deaf man's ears and the loosing of his tongue is prepared by Jesus Christ, He in whose presence we are able to see light itself, He who provides the new wineskins for our becoming like God, enabling us to stand before the wonder of His Holy Face. Notice how "Jesus took him off by himself away from the crowd" before healing the deaf-mute; see how this contrasts with Adam and Eve's hiding from God. Where they would avoid the glance of the Lord, Jesus brings the man closer to Him by drawing him away from the crowds; and there, more perfectly in His presence, He heals him. And the man is healed, of course, because he himself does not hide: he is brought openly by his friends to Jesus. In this way he "acknowledged [his] sin" before God; his "guilt [he] covered not" (as the man and woman covered their nakedness with fig leaves). No, in his "spirit there is no guile," and so his "fault is taken away"; and so, paradoxically, he who "confess[es] his sin to the Lord," as the humble King David, finds that by the Lord his "sin is covered" – he is forgiven. Brothers and sisters, let us learn to open our tattered souls to our Lord and God, never to hide; for to hide is hell and the Lord calls us to Him in the light of heaven. And He will prepare our eyes to see, and He will make our ears ready to hear, and our tongues shall be loosed to praise His name and exclaim our amazement at His grace… for we shall be released from the blindness of sin and be as His Son, who alone can answer the devil. ******* O LORD, let us hear your voice calling us to confess our sins and return to you this day. YHWH, how terrible it is when we transgress your Word, when we rebel against your loving will! We are blinded by our sin even as our eyes are opened to our weakness… and so we hide from your glory, which we cannot contain. We have bodies, LORD. You have made us so. We are not like you, pure Spirit and perfect Light. And how weak our bodies can be when we lack your secure protection, when we lose your presence with us by our failing to love you. Who can save us from such travail? Who can open our ears again to hear and heed your holy Word? O LORD, as we confess our faults to you, as we come before your Son to seek His healing – He who comes to show us that we are like you (for He is like you and we like Him), He who would restore us to our place as your children, blessed to be in your image… then our nakedness is covered; it is taken away as we reveal our weakness before you. Let us listen only to you!

(Gn.2:18-25; Ps.128:1-5; Mk.7:24-30) "A man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body." And Jesus leaves His Father's side and His mother's care, and takes to wife His chosen people. From His side indeed we are born, and become His holy family. To the "sons of the household" Jesus comes; among the Israelites He walks, calling them to His table to eat the food of eternal life, of eternal union with Him and His Father. Those who were conceived by God, who were taken as a rib from His own side and formed as His special bride, Jesus seeks to bring to full nuptial blessing in Him. For this He would even die (as any man should for his wife). But one "approached Him and crouched at His feet" who was not among those called to the "table first," who was not of the family of the Chosen. Unfazed by His rebuff she continues begging, not for "the food of the children" but just for their "leavings," their crumbs, knowing even this will be enough to join her to His banquet, believing only a word from His mouth will save her own daughter from the devil's clutches and bring her to His sacred presence. And moved is He by her who is unmoved by His rebuke. And so, "when she got home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone." And so she finds herself and her family wed to Jesus the Christ. Why? Because she is one who does indeed "fear the Lord," who does in fact "walk in His ways"; crawling on her knees before Him, she finds herself "happy" and "favored," eating "the fruit of [her] handiwork." She knows she is not one of the "wild animals" or of the "birds of the air": she is made in God's image, a human being, and is inextricably drawn to His side, the side from which she has been born… and thus she finds her life and becomes with her daughter (with all us Gentile people) one of the "olive plants around [His] table," grafted onto His "fruitful vine." Let man love woman as his own flesh, and let all men love one another as fellow children, for our Father in heaven loves us all much more greatly and draws us all to be wed to Him through our Bridegroom, His only Son. As His side is opened by the lance and so we His Church are born in His blood, washed clean by His holy water, so let husbands give themselves for their wives, knowing they are "taken from" their own sides. Yes, let us all die for one another that the love of God might extend to "the recesses of [His] home," from which no soul is excluded. In His blessed marriage feast let us all shout for joy! ******* O LORD, blessed are those who humble themselves before you; they shall be joined to you. YHWH, flesh of your flesh we are; flesh of your flesh let us be, wed to you through the flesh of your only Son. One with you let us dwell forever, for from you our very lives taken. And help us thus to love one another, LORD. If you love us so much to give us yourself, let us then reflect your love and so give ourselves for the sake of others. Let husbands love their wives and all souls serve the needs of others, finding great joy and blessing in thus serving your will. To your table let all come, LORD, that they might share the food of your children, the Bread that is Jesus your Son, the Word that is your Spirit. May all souls recognize the greatness and the goodness of Him who walks among us, and may we be hidden with Him in you and so become your fruitful children. In faith let us be born and live in you and with you forever; let none be alone or apart from you.

(Gn.2:4-9,15-17; Ps.104:1-2,27-30; Mk.7:14-23) "The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being." In addition, "out of the ground the Lord God made various trees grow that were delightful to look at and good for food." These would feed the body of the man. But only spirit feeds the soul. Body and soul. They meet in man and become one, yet one is the cause of life while the other passes. When God formed man out of the clay of the ground, what He held in His hands was the body, and at the time it was dead. Not until He breathed into him did man become alive: in this breath he found his soul. And the time shall come when this form does rot, but not the soul. Only in heaven will we have bodies that live eternally with our spirits (though certain saints – as did our Blessed Mother – may know this holy union even here on earth.) And so does Jesus tell us "that nothing that enters a man from outside can make him impure," and, to make this point graphically clear, adds, "It does not penetrate his being, but enters his stomach only and passes into the latrine." What is of the body is just so passing, and therefore of no consequence. It is "what emerges from within a man" that "makes him impure." For sins such as "acts of fornication, theft, murder," etc. are not the result of the food we eat, but of the thoughts in "the deep recesses of the heart." These are what make a man impure – or, by contrast, which will make him pure. It is the soul that is capable of good or evil, not the body. And even though it is eating of the fruit of "the tree of the knowledge of good and bad" that causes man's downfall, this is not the result of the fruit itself, but of the covetousness and pride of man's disobedience. It is the 'eating,' the desire of the eye and the heart and the act which follows, which constitutes the sin, and not the fruit eaten. Our psalmist speaks of the body and soul as well. It is so that by the Lord we are "filled with good things," that He gives us "food in due time," food we need for our survival; but as the psalmist says of the soul, "If you take away their breath, they perish and return to the dust." How quickly we would die, in a moment or two, without the breath of God in our nostrils, without His Word to give us life. And what great care we should take of the spirit that enters our beings. May our souls ever be set upon our God and His teaching. May our every thought and word and action be of Him, that we shall never be disobedient. O Lord, "when you send forth your Spirit, [we] are created, and you renew the face of the earth." Give us your divine breath of life in our nostrils this day. ******* O LORD, you make us of the clay of the earth, but it is not the body that is of consequence but the Spirit breathing within us – let it be your own. YHWH, it is you who make us of the clay of the ground and you who breathe the breath of life into our nostrils. It is you who feed us in both body and spirit – you are our LORD and God. It is you who care for us each day, O LORD, you who send your Son to take away our sins. He reveals to us that it is not the flesh that gives life but the Spirit that is within; and He would cleanse us of all iniquity that we might stand as your sons always. Though Jesus comes in the flesh and gives us of His flesh to eat, this food is not the passing kind but that which lasts unto eternal life. And so, LORD, we pray that we shall embrace Him and the Word, the Spirit, He imparts to us. Thus will we be raised from the dust of death, from the chains that bind us to this earth, and rise with Him unto Heaven. Feed us with your Word, LORD, that we might be renewed and live forever in your Garden.

(Gn.1:20-2:4; Ps.8:2,4-9; Mk.7:1-13) "God created man in His image; in the divine image He created him." At God's word "the water teem[s] with an abundance of living creatures… birds fly beneath the dome of the sky," and "the earth bring[s] forth all kinds of living creatures," too. And "God saw how good it was." Then God conceived the crown of His creation and said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." And so, "little less than the angels He made him" and gave him "dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth." And all this was "very good" in God's eyes. Alleluia! But what does man do with this ultimate blessing from His Creator: he takes the freedom and power placed in his hands and makes himself a slave to "cups and jugs and kettles," forever trying to wash his hands clean of the sin upon them. God gives man "rule over the works of [His] hands, putting all things under his feet," and all man can do is trample upon them as he forgets the God who made him. "How accurately Isaiah prophesied about [us] hypocrites when he wrote… 'Empty is the reverence they do me because they teach as dogmas mere human precepts.'" Placing our traditions and practices above God's commandments we lose sight of the glory upon us, of the majesty of God's works around us, as we lock ourselves in a dark and empty room of our own making. And all the creatures God has placed in our unclean hands suffer too, as our hearts turn from their stewardship to our selfish plottings. And so, though we are crowned by God "with glory and honor," we crown Him with thorns. O Lord, "what is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him?" Lord, come and restore us to our former glory. Father, let us give you true honor. May your Word be made fruitful in our lives and we become as your Son. Let all be blessed and made holy again in your sight. In Jesus' blood please wash our hands, that we might help you build your peaceful kingdom. ******* O LORD, may your Word be fulfilled in us; may we who were created in your image be recreated in the image of your Son, washed clean in His blood. YHWH, you place all things in our hands, and we but corrupt them. Your glory and majesty you reflect in your creation, and especially in man, but he cares not well for your gift and abuses his dominion. His hands are not subject to your will but soiled by his own, and so creation with them. In your image you create us, LORD: what greater blessing could there be! Like gods we are made to reflect your presence on this plane – why have we gone so astray? And how shall we return to you? Only by heeding the chastising word of your only Son, who speaks with your own authority. Listening to Him we heed your commands; turning from Him we can only be condemned. Thank you for all your blessings, LORD, for the beauty and goodness of your creation. Most of all, we thank you for making us in your image. Let us not nullify your word and remove ourselves from your presence, but honor you in all we do.

(Gn.1:1-19; Ps.104:1-2,5-6,10,12,24,31,35; Mk.6:53-56) "How manifold are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have wrought them all." It is the Lord who "fixed the earth upon its foundation not to be moved forever," and "with the ocean, as with a garment [He] covered it" – "the earth is full of His creatures." By the Word of His mouth all comes into being, and is sustained, sustained in the goodness of God. Here as we read the beginning of sacred Scripture, we might do well to quote St. Bonaventure from the day's Office of Readings. In speaking of knowledge of Christ as "the main source of a firm understanding of the truth of all sacred Scripture," He states: "It is impossible, therefore, for anyone to achieve this understanding unless he first receives the gift of faith in Christ. This faith is the foundation of the whole Bible, a lamp and a key to its understanding." But how many read God's Word as though in a dark room. The prevailing lack of faith and so blindness to the truth of Scripture is evident again today in the commentary of my missal, which says of the Creation prophecy in Genesis, "The story is divided artificially," giving as example the fact that "the sun is created after light." How indeed we grope in darkness without the light of the Spirit; without childlike faith we shall never understand God's Word, never enter His kingdom. Is the light of God dependent upon the sun or the stars? When our psalmist sings of the Lord "robed in light as with a cloak," is it sunlight of which he speaks? Does the light of the Lord not necessarily precede the limited light of the sun – which the Lord has but made "to govern the day" for a time – even as it shall be all by which we see when the sun and the moon and the stars pass away? Where is your faith, where is your understanding… why is the Lord's light not in you, my brother? Brothers and sisters, as the people of Gennesaret upon seeing Jesus "immediately recognized Him" and "scurried about" to bring all their sick to Him, so we must be drawn by the light of God to the Truth that is Christ the Lord. He is in every page of Scripture. He is at work with the Father in Creation. He is the all-powerful Word which brings all into being by its eminent wisdom made flesh before our eyes; and we shall never know the wonder of God's works and the wonders He has wrought in our own soul unless we come to faith in Him. In Jesus are all God's works revealed. He is the light of the universe. (And though His radiance extends beyond our sight to infinite galaxies, it is here in this dome between clouds and sea we dwell, the earth from which we have been formed solidly beneath our feet.) ******* O LORD, you created the world and all it holds and redeemed us by your Son – let your light be upon us this day. YHWH, by a word from your mouth you have created the heavens and the earth and given us light to guide our way. It is you in whom all glory and majesty dwell, yet you have made this world as a reflection of your beauty. For this we should ever praise you. But how we have disfigured your Creation, LORD! How we have lost our way. Still, you do not leave us alone in the darkness we have made – to us you send your only Son, Word made flesh, Light of the world. And as we recognize in Him your glory in our midst, as we reach out to Him for healing, we are made well again, whole in your sight. Let us dwell, O LORD, in the place you have made for us; in your goodness let us remain. Through the ministry of your Son let us be fed by your hand, that we might be led one day to your Promised Land.