The BreadCast

(Heb.5:1-10; Ps.110:1-4; Mk.2:18-22) "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek." Without beginning or end is the holy priesthood of our Lord; high above all sacrifices reigns His own. "Taken from among men" is Jesus our high priest "and made [our] representative before God." Like others He is in this respect; yet the "gifts and sacrifices" He offers are infinitely greater than any that have ever been, for it is Himself He lifts up for our sins. "He is Himself beset by weakness," though not His own; He is Himself pierced for transgression, though not of His making – and in the cross of our condition He bears "in the flesh," in the crucifixion He suffers at our hands, does the high priest become the victim whose blood covers the earth with redemption. Yes, "Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered; and when perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him." What other high priest can boast as much? And yet the people would limit the grace that pours forth in the blood of His sacrifice, in the sweet-smelling flesh He offers, to a dying law which has been corrupted by the hands of man. They fail to see that the old is subsumed by the new… and so the Lord seeks to teach them to receive the "new wine" He would pour into their hearts with minds open to the light of God. They do not yet know the joy His disciples experience just being in the presence of the Messiah, the bridegroom of all faithful souls; as yet their hearts have not been circumcised by the nails of the sacrifice He makes in their name. But soon their time will come, we pray. When He is lifted up, perhaps they shall see. And in our psalm we have David's verse of Jesus: "The Lord said to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool.'" Jesus is David's Lord even then, for Jesus our Savior has always been. Beautifully does David speak of this as well, in the voice of God: "Before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you." As the dew covers the earth unseen before the sun rises, so before the Father pronounced the words "Let there be light" – first bringing the universe into being by the power of His Word – Jesus was eternally present, even as the water the Spirit moved upon. And so He has "princely power," seated at the right hand of God. And so He "rule[s] in the midst of His enemies," His sacrifice destroying the death which seemed to take hold of Him. And so, like the order of Melchizedek, which came well before the institution of the Israelite's priestly line, from all eternity His salvific priesthood is – and shall last until the end of time. ******* O LORD, you sent your Son to offer Himself in our stead; may we be clothed anew in His grace. YHWH, the priesthood of your Son is from all eternity and will last until the end of time for the expiation of our sins. And the sacrifice He offers is Himself in the suffering and death He endures in our midst. Though He rules forever at your right hand, He humbles Himself to suffer at our hands that the evil in our hearts might be washed clean by the blood He freely sheds. O let us be made as new wineskins able to receive the grace He pours forth. Jesus is our Prince who fights our battles and puts all our enemies under His feet. He crushes the head of the devil and destroys all the weakness by which we are beset, and He does this by the weakness He endures and the death He suffers for our sakes. O LORD, let us know the glory He would bring to our poor souls, the salvation wrought by His holy sacrifice, and let us join ourselves to that sacrifice by fasting and doing penance in His stead as long as He is apart from us, until the Day He returns.

(Is.62:1-5; Ps.96:1-3,7-10; 1Cor.12:4-11; Jn.2:1-11) "As a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you." "There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and His disciples were also invited to the wedding." And it is here Jesus "revealed His glory"; here the beginning of His signs would take place in His changing water into wine. But why? Why here at a wedding? And why this transformation as His first miracle? He would have begun His ministry some twenty years prior, in the temple at Jerusalem at the age of twelve. Would this not have been a more appropriate place, and a more marvelous age? But His Blessed Mother drew Him from there then, and He was obedient to the wisdom she offered by gift from her Spouse, the Spirit. She would teach Him of our human condition, and lead Him to bear His own patiently, that our high priest might be able to sympathize with our nature. Indeed, to all He seemed an ordinary man. And now it is she who leads Him to accept His station as the Son of Man. Here at that most blessed, most cherished of human events – one which St. Paul tells us mirrors Christ's own union with the Church, one spoken of repeatedly by the prophets of old (as does Isaiah today) to demonstrate the Lord's great love for His people, and one which at the end of time (a time so marvelously depicted by John in his Book of Revelation) will be fulfilled in our midst in the descent of the New Jerusalem, the Bride, the Holy Church, from Heaven to earth… here at this feast so human and yet so divine, He simply changes water into wine. As Eve the wife of Adam once offered her husband the apple he would consume to produce our fall, so here the "Woman," Mary, the Mother of the Lord and Spouse of the Spirit, offers Jesus His ministry, which will lead to the death that redeems us all. And the water becoming wine indicates the transformation we all undergo, baptized in the Spirit of the Lord, wed unto heaven. And this transformation produces in the Church the "spiritual gifts," the outpouring of knowledge and prophecy and healing St. Paul speaks of today: our marriage to God cannot help but produce blessed fruit in us, even as God's espousal of Mary has produced the only Son. And, of course, each day we drink the spiritual wine, the wine become blood, poured forth upon our table, upon the altar of the Church. And this primarily feeds our spirits, sustains us human beings with food from heaven, not of earth. One with the Lord do we become by the consumption of this sacred fruit; in this Sacrament our Bridegroom rejoices in us His Bride and calls us to rejoice in Him, to "sing to the Lord a new song" of the purest love as we "worship [Him] in holy attire," in the finest, the purest of wedding garments – in His flesh and blood. Sing alleluia to our God! Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Miracle" from Listening to the Lamp, ninth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, no longer forsaken, we rejoice and sing praise at the revelation of your Son. YHWH, we should sing as at weddings for your Son has revealed your glory to us here on this earth. You rejoice in us as a bridegroom in his bride, and should we not rejoice all the more at this great grace you bestow upon us? You make us as your own and place your Spirit within us. O make your Spouse fruitful in your sight! In holy attire let us worship you, O LORD, clothed by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Pure and spotless let us be that we shall be desolate no more but know the blessing of your presence among us and partake of your surpassing wine. The hour has come to join ourselves to you by uniting ourselves to the flesh of your Son, and to proclaim such a wonder to all peoples. Give us wisdom, O LORD, the wisdom to know that we are your own and to do your will in all things. Let us forever praise your NAME by the power of the Spirit upon us.

(Heb.4:12-16; Ps.19:8-10,15,Jn.6:63; Mk.2:13-17) "Nothing is concealed from Him." In God's eyes all men are sinners; this is what His penetrating vision cannot help but see. Yet it is just such sinners as we He has come to call, to call away from our sin. The Pharisees cannot bear this sword of truth to pierce their soul, and so they take up the sword of anger against those who are being redeemed, and He who is redeeming them. Let us not be as these hardened hearts, brothers and sisters, but expose our sin to the Lord's sharp gaze, that He might heal us by His grace. That Jesus Himself sees all that is in a man is indicated by His "overhearing the remark" of the complaining Pharisees today, and more clearly elsewhere in His reading their and His disciples' thoughts without a word being spoken (e.g. Mt.17:25). As nothing is concealed from the Father, so nothing is concealed from the Son: "The reflections and thoughts of the heart" are open to Him. And He knows the troubles that affect each of us. And these, even of the Pharisees, He would heal, even as a wise physician – but we indeed must come with our souls exposed and prepared for surgery. And though this process can be painful, and though we might say to ourselves, "We are not deserving" – though the questions of the Pharisees might be our own – yet we must witness Jesus' attitude toward Levi and his fellow tax collectors/sinners. Yet we must see how He defends these from attack, not bringing their shame before them as the Pharisees would, but with a heart set only on forgiveness. For indeed "we have a great high priest," one who takes our sins upon Himself, one who suffers with us our weakness in order to save us from its consequences. And so with Levi and his friends we should "confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and favor," both in the confessional and at the Eucharistic table, for our need He has come to fill with His love. "The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul"; Jesus is this law made flesh. "The command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye"; to remove the darkness of our vision, the all-seeing God has come. "The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever," and as long as we come before Him, trembling for our sin, we shall live on in His love. Shine your light upon our souls, O Lord, and remove all darkness from them. In your grace you make us whole; with you let us be holy. ******* O LORD, your Son has come to save us from our sins; may the light of His Word dispel all darkness from our souls. YHWH, let the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart find favor in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer. For you see into the depths of our hearts; you know well the sin that is within us – yet you are merciful in judging us, desiring only to heal us of our sickness. O let us always come humbly before you to find your blessing upon our souls, that we might ever serve you well with our poor lives! O mighty God, O all-seeing and all-knowing LORD, let us treasure your Word, your Law, which is as balm for our troubled spirits. Let us welcome your Son to our table that He might feed us with your truth, that we might find wisdom and learn by your grace to live forever in joy in your presence. How we need your Son, our high priest, as our physician, He who gives Himself to take away our sin. O LORD, may we indeed find your favor through Him, obediently answering His call to salvation.

O father of monks and all who would give themselves completely to the Lord, you who have been so obedient to the word of God, to His call to sell everything, to renounce all possessions and follow Him – how we need your prayers this day, when love for material things possesses our very bodies and souls, when prayer and penance seem things of the distant past. Make present to us the blessed call of the Lord, the renunciation of the world, that we too might find the riches of Heaven you knew so well. Pray we give up all for God.

(Heb.4:1-5,11; Ps.78:3-4,6-8; Mk.2:1-12) "The promise of entrance into His rest still holds." But only those with faith in Him shall be made whole. Paul says of the Israelites in the desert, "The word which they heard did not profit them, for they did not receive it in faith." Though they had seen "the glorious deeds of the Lord and His strength and the wonders that He wrought," they yet became "wayward and rebellious, a generation that kept not its heart steadfast nor its spirit faithful to God." Yet they disobeyed and disbelieved. And so they entered not into His rest; they received not the grace of union with the Lord in His peaceful kingdom, but rather died in the desert in their sin. Thus does Paul warn us not to "fall in imitation of Israel's unbelief," but ever to "strive to enter into that rest" God holds for all His faithful. And the faith necessary to enter God's rest is illustrated clearly in our gospel today, as is the woe of unbelief. It is "when Jesus saw [the] faith" of those who lowered the paralytic through the ceiling to Him that He said to this poor soul, "My son, your sins are forgiven"; and it is upon hearing these grace-filled words from the Savior's mouth that some of the scribes, those faithless souls so much the descendants of their faithless fathers, grumbled against Him and accused Him of "blasphemy." And as the Lord here makes clear the equation of forgiveness and healing ("Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk again'?"), commanding indeed the paralyzed man: "Stand up! Pick up your mat and go home," so does this healed soul, washed clean of all his sin, with his companions and all those of faith who stand "awestruck" as they look on… so do these enter God's rest – even as the scribes gnash their teeth. Brothers and sisters, "God rested from all His work on the seventh day," and that rest awaits all at their completion of the Lord's work in this world. This truth Jesus reveals in our midst even this day. And so we "should put [our] hope in God, and not forget the deeds of God but keep His commands"; for "it is we, who have believed, who enter into that rest," so long as we keep faith in Him. ******* O LORD, let us enter into your rest, that we might rise and carry souls to you. YHWH, how shall we have our sins forgiven if we have not faith in you and in your Son; how shall we enter into your rest if we turn away from you? We must come to you and to your Son, believing in the salvation wrought by you and letting nothing stand in our way… and you will bless us and gather us into your arms. O Lord Jesus, forgive us all our sin this day. Cast far from us all that keeps us paralyzed, all that prevents us from rising and following you. Take away our rebellious souls, our unfaithfulness before you – O may we hear your gracious words calling us to stand and walk with you! O may we know the peace of your forgiveness! O LORD, you are our God, and in you alone we find our rest, we find healing from all our sickness and sin. Help us to be strong in faith ourselves and serve to bring others to you as well. You await our coming to you; let nothing else matter to us at all.

(Heb.3:7-14; Ps.95:6-11; Mk.1:40-45) "Today, if you should hear His voice, harden not your hearts." Today we see Jesus continuing His healing ministry, and we see how it becomes "no longer possible for [Him] to enter a town openly" because of the public proclamation of His wondrous and powerful works. We see also how, though "He stayed in desert places… people kept coming to Him from all sides," for His work must be accomplished. But we see most particularly the way we must come to Him to find our own healing. "Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us," David sings, calling all to their proper place before God. And this the leper in our gospel does today, indicating indeed to all the attitude we must have toward Jesus, the place we must find at His feet. With soft hearts we must come before our Lord in tears for the sin upon our souls. Not like those in the Egyptian desert can we be, those who "saw [His] works for forty years" yet "tested and tried" Him constantly. This generation indeed He "loathed" in His anger, calling them "a people of erring heart" who "know not [His] ways." On the contrary, our hearts must burn with a tender love of God and one another as we approach the Lord in the desert where He waits to save us from our sin. He will match any tenderness of our own. "Moved with pity" we shall find Him, ready to gather our broken spirits into His arms. "Take care, my brothers, lest any of you have an evil and unfaithful spirit and fall away from the living God." See that your hearts are never "hardened by the deceit of sin." It is always "today" and the Lord is always calling to your soul, always requiring your life from you – always offering His love to you. Offer your own in return, that you shall not be cast from His presence, that you shall not be ostracized like this leper from the community, but remain ever in His holy fold as "the flock He guides" with His gentle hand… and finally that you might "enter into His rest." He calls you to healing at His hand; hear and answer on your knees. ******* O LORD, make our hearts soft and our spirits loving, as your Son; let us bow down to Him. YHWH, let us not be of erring and unfaithful heart but let our love match your own and that of your Son, for He looks on our poor condition with pity and reaches out His hand to heal us of our sin, of our weakness before you. Why should we harden our hearts against Him when all He wishes is to save us? Let us accept and treasure such blessing which comes only from you. So blind we can easily become, O LORD, so blind to your presence among us and your works done for us. So easily we are led astray; so easily we become deaf to your Word speaking to our hearts. O let our hearts not be hardened! but let us come humbly before you to worship you and call on your holy NAME. This is what brings life to our souls. In this worship alone do we find our rest. O LORD, set us free from all pride, from all failure to remember your presence before us…. Be not angry with your wayward children but gather us into your loving arms.

(Heb.2:14-18; Ps.105:1-4,6-9; Mk.1:29-39) "Since He Himself was tested through what He suffered, He is able to help those who are tempted." And help them He does. Die for us He must. Each healing is a move of love which takes His life as sacrifice for our sins. Jesus died on the cross for us, yes. He opened His arms and let His healing blood pour forth for all "the children of Abraham," all those of faith. But His whole life, and especially His ministry of preaching and healing, is a dying, is a robbing of "the devil, the prince of death, of his power." We see clearly in our gospel today how Jesus "free[s] those who through fear of death had been slaves their whole life long," how He lays down His life for "the whole town [which] was gathered outside the door" of "the house of Simon and Andrew." After healing Simon Peter's mother-in-law of a debilitating fever, He cures all who press upon Him, all "who were variously afflicted"; from them "the demons He expelled." And in these cures, in these expulsions of demons, do we not see our "merciful and faithful high priest" who has come "to expiate the sins of the people" at work in "blood and flesh," dying for the nation's salvation? Has the Lord not equated such healing with salvation, declaring there is no difference between forgiving sins and saying "be well" to the troubled soul (Mk.2:9)? And do not these demons desire to cry out that He is the Christ even as He gouges the life from them as He Himself dies? Does their rule not escape them now with every word of the Spirit He speaks? But He does "not permit the demons to speak," for they would reveal who He is only that He might be tempted to become ruler on earth of these people who would certainly seek to crown Him king. But the salvation He brings rises beyond this dying life, and the Son of God has no relations with the prince of darkness and his lying rule. And so our Lord "went into [the] synagogues preaching the good news and expelling demons throughout the whole of Galilee." So He went forth robbing the devil of His reign, suffering and dying all the while, all the way to the cross, where His ministry is accomplished. And we, brothers and sisters, do we not continue His ministry to this day? Has the Lord not left the dying to us now – a cross upon each of His disciples' backs to fill up what is yet lacking in His sacrifice? Is this not the great gift He gives us? And in His steps, by the apostles' instruction, in union with His Church, do you walk through the suffering and darkness of this world to the Lord's eternal light? For your sake has He died. So "seek to serve Him constantly" as He does you. ******* O LORD, in flesh and blood your Son has come to drive all demons away from us and save us from the power of death. YHWH, your Son has come to heal us, to cast all our sin far from us, releasing us from all power of the devil. Death itself He conquers for our sakes, suffering all the weakness of our human condition that He might free us from its bonds. He has made Himself captive to flesh and blood that we might fly unto the kingdom with Him. And so, let us glorify His Name! O LORD, how your Son lays down His life as He walks among us, taking our sickness upon Himself. How much He suffers as we come to Him to find our healing – how brokenhearted He is to witness our travail. But He does not turn from His mission or rest in His accomplishments; on He goes from place to place, redeeming all who come to Him. And this path leads inevitably to the Cross, to His death and our freedom from all sin. Let us praise Him for the sacrifice He makes, for His offering His life for our sakes.

(Heb.2:5-12; Ps.8:2,5-9; Mk.1:21-28) "A completely new teaching in a spirit of authority!" Thus do the people exclaim at the power of the word which issues forth from the mouth of Christ, into whose hands "all things" have been subjected. The devils see Him and shriek: "I know who you are – the holy one of God!" They know Him and they fear Him, for He has indeed "come to destroy" them and whatever authority they seemed to have. He it is who has come to return man to his rightful "rule over the works of [God's] hands." God has "crowned [man] with glory and honor, and put all things under his feet"; and though "at present we do not see all things thus subjected" because of man's sin, because he has subjected himself to the works of the devil, yet Jesus has come to bring "many sons the glory," to reveal in His own person the power of God present in all mankind. And how does the Lord Jesus Christ destroy the devils? How does He redeem man from their clutches, from their possession? By suffering. By dying. Yes, even now we "see Jesus crowned with glory and honor" – the glory and honor to which we are all called – "because He suffered death." By suffering death He conquered death, and thus any power the devil wielded by its weight upon our souls. And we are free! The devils are cast from us because He has walked among us; He has come into the synagogue and "taught with authority." And so the pride of the devil is broken, and we see the angels' place as servants to man as we see the dignity to which men are called in this Son of Man. And the Lord "is not ashamed to call [us] brothers." Though by our weakness, by our sinfulness, our disobedience, certainly we merit shame – and so, rightly does David cry to God, "What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him?" – yet He does care for us, He is mindful of us… He suffers and dies for us, taking our shame upon Himself in His only Son. And what the Lord has earned we should not spurn, but treasure the grace that is ours through our Brother's sacrifice. Let us put ourselves under His authority that His authority might be our own, and the devil shall be gone. ******* O LORD, all things are under the authority of your Son, who came to save us from all evil. YHWH, what authority is upon your Son! Your own authority, your own glory. He has power over all the earth, and the unclean spirits are subject to His command. There is nothing outside his rule, for His rule is your own. And through your Son, and through His suffering, this rule, this glory, becomes our own. Since He has come as our Brother, we become your sons with Him. And so, great authority you place upon your children, LORD, upon the men you call forth; for you call us to share in the work of your Son and in His consecration. Greater than the angels is Jesus, our Savior. O LORD, only He leads us to your glory this day. May we know the blessing that is ours through the Holy One of God and listen to His teaching. Let all men to the ends of the earth hear of His fame and believe in Him, that all might praise Him in the great assembly.

(Heb.1:1-6; Ps.97:1-2,6-7,9; Mk.1:14-20) "This is the time of fulfillment." Brothers and sisters, no longer does God speak to us "in fragmentary and varied ways"; this is "the final age," in which "He has spoken to us through His Son, whom He has made heir of all things and through whom He first created the universe." With full voice does He make Himself known now, for "this Son is the reflection of the Father's being, and He sustains all things by His powerful word." Jesus is the Christ, and in Him the will of God is fulfilled. And is it any wonder the disciples "immediately abandoned their nets and became His followers," that at once they joined Him in "proclaiming the good news of God"? For here is the One they have been waiting for, the voice they have been longing to hear, and what can they do but heed His call to join in speaking the very Word of God? James and John even "abandoned their father Zebedee," a good man, for the greatest of men, the Son of Man, God Himself, had come to them: their hearts could not resist for here indeed was the pure reflection of their Father in heaven, whom even Zebedee desired above all. (With his blessing we can presume they go, the "nets in order" they leave behind.) O brothers and sisters, do you know who this is has come into your midst? Do you realize who has joined your race? This Jesus whom the Father deems His Son sits at "the right hand of the Majesty in heaven," "far superior to the angels," far superior to all creation, for indeed all creation has come to be through Him, who is one in being with the Father. Here is the heart of our creed, this Jesus, this Christ, who is God Himself, and yet also Man with us. Of His Son the Father says, "Let all the angels of God worship Him," and indeed "all gods are prostrate before Him." He is "the Most High over all the earth, exalted far above all gods," who are no gods at all, unable to stand before the glory of His majesty. And so should we not bow down to Him? Should we not follow when He calls, "Come after me"? Do we not wish to join with Him who is our salvation, who has "cleansed us from our sins," on the way that leads to "the reign of God"? Yes, the kingdom of God has come to us in the Person of Jesus the Son; there is nothing more to wait upon. The time has come. Let us now follow Him. ******* O LORD, let us worship your Son in His glory; let us follow Him unreservedly this day. YHWH, let us abandon all things to follow your Son; with the angels let us bow down and worship Him. For He is the pure reflection of your Being all our hearts have been hoping to see, and so let us answer His call for our lives. O LORD, you are the Most High over all the earth and your Son has joined you at your right hand. His glory is far above anything of Heaven or earth, for His glory is your own – and that glory He would bring to each of us, if we would but turn from our sins and set our hearts on His reign. O let us worship Him! Speak to us this day, O LORD, through your only Son; call us to His side that we might do your will and rejoice in your glory. Let us not be deaf to His powerful Word but be transformed by its proclamation and find the time of fulfillment at hand. Alleluia!

(Is.40:1-5,9-11; Ps.104:1-4,24-25,27-30; Ti.2:11-14,3:4-7; Lk.3:15-16,21-22) "Heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove." "Beloved: The grace of God has appeared." Here we see its clear evidence in the Baptism of our Lord. Here He who "baptize[s] [us] with the Holy Spirit and fire" has the Spirit descend upon Himself. In our stead He places Himself (as He shall on the cross), and by the Spirit's presence upon Him, we ourselves are made clean. This Jesus, this Son of God, shall "save us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit," the Spirit which is united with His own, which is His own. And so does He who "rules with a strong arm" enter our midst. And what does He say? "Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated." He who is "clothed with majesty and glory," who has "constructed [His] palace on the waters" and made "the clouds [His] chariot"; He who "travel[s] on the wings of the wind" and "make[s] the winds [His] messengers, and flaming fire [His] ministers"… He comes begging the prophet: "Give comfort to my people." O brothers and sisters, "the kindness and generous love of our God [has] appeared" and our souls have been "justified by His grace." And now we are "heirs in hope of eternal life," life that is in His gentle hands alone. O Lord, "when you send forth your Spirit, [we] are created and you renew the face of the earth." And so this day you send your Spirit forth; upon your Son your Spirit rests, and remains. His prayer – which is no other than our own – you answer, and witness to us that He is the Chosen One. Upon us, too, let your Spirit rest. As "in [your] arms" you gather "the lambs," so let us be gathered with your Holy Lamb and know the Spirit's power upon us, that to us, too, heaven will be opened, and we may enter there in the wake of our Lord. Let the waters of heaven pour upon us. Alleluia! Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Roger Fortney. Music is "Audio Track 8" by Carie Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, be pleased with us as you are with your Son that we might be blessed with the Spirit as He. YHWH, send forth your Spirit and renew the face of the earth. The Spirit has descended upon your Son and through Him has come to all who are cleansed in His blood. By His grace we are made whole; because of your love, all our crooked ways are made straight, every valley filled in and every mountain made low, and we are called into your kingdom with your beloved One. O let be fulfilled in us the Good News you bring this holy day! Our salvation is at hand, for Jesus has come to John at the Jordan and made clean the waters in which we find rebirth. Now with the Holy Spirit and fire we are baptized. And coming up from the waters we hear your voice, O Father in Heaven, calling us to your side, calling us to share your glory with your only Son. O let us give thanks to you, dear God, for paving our way to eternal life! Though you are clothed in majesty, to us poor creatures you come to pour your Spirit upon us through Christ our Savior. Alleluia!