The BreadCast

(Rv.15:1-4; Ps.98:1-3,7-9,Rv.15:13; Lk.21:12-19) "By patient endurance you will save your lives." Jesus tells His disciples bluntly: "People will manhandle and persecute you." Some will be "put to death" as they are "brought to give witness on account of" His name – "All will hate you because of me." Yet in their witness He promises to provide "words and a wisdom" to serve as an impenetrable defense against their enemies… and in the end, after persevering through all suffering, eternal life shall be theirs. John's vision in our first reading reveals the fulfillment of the Lord's promise. Even as "seven angels holding the seven final plagues" of "God's wrath" stand ready to cast these culminating tribulations upon the earth, the Evangelist sees "those who had won victory over the beast and its image" – over the illusory power of the evil one – "holding the harps used in worshiping God," and singing "the song of the Lamb" who was slain but now lives forever: "Mighty and wonderful are your works, Lord God Almighty! Righteous and true are your ways, O King of the nations!… You alone are holy." Brothers and sisters, let us "sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for Him, His holy arm." Yes, "the Lord has made His salvation known," and as those who stand "on the sea of glass" give praise to God with harps in hand, so does "the sea and what fills it resound," so do "the rivers clap their hands, [and] the mountains shout with them for joy." Let us join their holy song "before the Lord, for He comes, He comes to rule the earth"; His everlasting "justice" is upon us. And though we may have to suffer for a time in this world of darkness and sin, where light is shunned by the sons of men, yet even in our persecutions this eternal joy should take hold of our souls so that we know not the suffering from the rejoicing – for both are done in His name, and soon the former shall pass away. Indeed, the song of the Lord is already upon our lips; we wait now only for its eternal resonance before His throne. ******* O LORD, let your will be done in us and our souls be saved, that we might praise you forever. YHWH, let your song of praise be on our lips for the salvation you have wrought in our midst. With the Lamb let us come into your heavenly kingdom. Through all persecution let us endure with your Word within us. What is our suffering in this life, O LORD, when the eternal life of Heaven awaits us and comes to us even this day. We shall rejoice with the rivers and mountains and all the earth, for we shall win victory with your Son over the devil and his illusions – that battle is being won even as we speak. Be with us, LORD, this day, this hour; every hour we toil on this plane, let us toil only with you and for you. And we shall have nothing to fear at the death of the body or our being dragged before the rulers of this age. For we shall never die! For you who are life never die and our home is in you. Praise you, O LORD our God! Do your mighty works in our midst and we shall glory in your holy NAME forever.

(Rv.14:14-19; Ps.96:10-13; Lk.21:5-11) "Use your sickle and cut down the harvest, for now is the time to reap." Brothers and sisters, you will "hear of wars and insurrections," and "there will be great earthquakes, plagues, and famines in various places, and in the sky fearful omens and great signs." "These things are bound to happen first, but the end does not follow immediately." The end does not follow immediately from the signs, so do not set your hearts upon them – "take care not to be misled" by those whose seed has no root and so jumps up at any indication of travail. There has been travail throughout human history and the end, which is upon us every moment now, will only be fulfilled at the angels' cry. When this will be, be assured you do not know. In John's vision, at the first angel's cry "the one sitting on the cloud wielded his sickle over all the earth and reaped the earth's harvest." At a second angel's cry another "wielded his sickle over the earth and gathered the grapes of the earth… [and] threw them into the huge winepress of God's wrath." And so the end comes. But does John see the future only, the past or the present as well… or a time that exists quite apart from our own? And even the angels did not know the time had come until they obediently acted upon the word of their God. And would you yet listen to the anxious rantings of those without eyes, those whose vision does not approach the heavenly reality? The Lord "shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with His constancy" when "He comes to rule the earth." This you can know even now; of this you can be assured. But when "the heavens [shall] be glad and the earth rejoice… [and] the sea and what fills it resound," none can say – this word is in His mouth alone, and when the Mighty One shall pronounce it is known to His Heart alone. He has spoken once at the coming of Christ, but when He shall speak finally cannot be ascertained; it is but for us to be prepared for that Day. For He will come again, we know, and the angels' sickles shall be sharp, and separate with certainty the wheat from the chaff. The time of harvest is at hand. (In the harvest of the wheat and the grapes of the earth at the end of the age is made perfect this Body and Blood of Christ we eat and drink from our altar today. The saints' flesh and blood become the Lord's own.) ******* O LORD, when harvest time comes, let us not be fearful but rejoice in the return of your Son. YHWH, you rule the world with justice and in the end your justice will be known. There will not be left a stone on another as you reap the harvest you have sown and cast the unrighteous into the winepress of your wrath. Those who love you, LORD, shall rejoice at your coming, at the return of your only Son and all His angels with Him. They shall rejoice that the end has come and your justice will be fully known. And you shall gather them into your barns. But those who are not your own, LORD, will not be able to endure that day, for they will be anxious and afraid at the glory that comes to rule the earth. Turn all hearts from the empty illusion of this passing world and set them on your kingdom which passes not away but is fulfilled in the judgment of your Son on the Day of His return. Let us not fear the violence coming upon the land but look to the peace that follows.

O virgin pure and brilliant, you gave your life in defense of the faith, refuting all arguments to its contrary; though you were but a child yourself, you stood strong before your tormentors, enduring the persecution and torture they struggled in vain to muster against you, ever shining the light of purity and truth before their corrupted minds and hearts – pray for those who defend the faith and all those who would explain it away, that the light of pure reason will dispel all doubt and darkness and the verity of the faith be known by all souls on this earth, undeniable as it is by the mind of any man. Pray we not waste words or time but live a holy life before God, giving witness to His presence in the world and in the Church, and come finally to rest on His mountain.

(Rv.14:1-5; Ps.24:1-6; Lk.21:1-4) "They are pure and follow the Lamb wherever He goes." Here is answered most definitively the question David sings: "Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place?" In John's vision, the Lord Jesus, the Lamb of God "was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him were the hundred and forty-four thousand who had His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads." Here are they who are worthy to stand with the perfect and pure One, for their "hands are sinless, [their] heart is clean": "on their lips no deceit has been found; they are indeed without flaw." And so they "receive a blessing from the Lord, a reward from God [their] savior." The greatest blessing of all is theirs – remaining in His presence forever. And these holy ones play the thunderous song of praise "on their harps," "singing a new hymn before the throne in the presence of the four living creatures and the elders." They indeed have found their place as firstfruits of the kingdom of heaven, singing a hymn no one else could learn. And again, it is their purity, their perfection in the sight of God, that brings them to this holy place. All they have given over to the Lamb, and so He makes them like Himself. And in our gospel we see in the simple widow indication of the spirit necessary to enter God's presence. She holds nothing back from the Lord, but gives "every penny she ha[s] to live on." Yes, brothers and sisters, every penny must be paid; all we have and all we are must be given to Him. If we are like this widow and like the holy ones who stand before the throne and give all while here on the face of the earth, we shall come quickly to heaven and find our place in His presence prepared. If not, the purgatorial flames await to take away any flaw in our soul, to remove any selfishness from our hearts – to bring us then to give up all that we yet have to Him, that with Him we might truly be. But the saints tell us these flames are not pleasant. In fact, they say they are much the same as the fires of hell, though they shall come to an end. So let us here and now offer all we have to the Lord; let us seek to serve Him with all our lives, that we might by His grace avoid the cleansing fire and come immediately before Him. Only those in absolute purity follow Him and stand in His place. ******* O LORD, come; send your Son a second time and let us enter your kingdom. YHWH, that we might be able to stand secure before your Son on His coming Day, that great and terrible day that leads to the eternal kingdom! O that we might eat the fruit of the crystal river that flows from your throne and that of the Lamb, that heals us of all our illness and enables us to live forever! O that we might stand in your holy light, that we might look upon your face, your NAME written on our foreheads! O that we might forever reign with you! O LORD, let us sing your praise even this day that we might come to sing your praise always in your kingdom. Let us bow down in our worship and kneel before you who have made us. You are our God, you alone; let our hearts not be set on any of the things of this world but on you who have made them all, that we might transcend this earth and all its emptiness and come quickly into your presence. O let us heed your Word this day and ever serve you faithfully. Glory to you, O LORD our God!

O you who were martyred over three centuries of persecution in a country so bitter toward the faith, bishops and priests and laymen alike, native to the land and foreign-born, all innocent souls who suffered even torture in joy, all for the sake of the Lord and His Church – pray we shall be as ready as you to bear witness to the faith with our lives, that all as one in the Body of Christ we will be willing even to die to satiate our thirst for the kingdom and for the salvation of souls. O what joy to be as Jesus, to walk in His steps even to the Cross! No greater blessing could any soul know on this corrupted plane… Pray we shall come with you to Heaven.

(Dn.7:13-14; Ps.93:1-2,5; Rv.1:5-8; Jn.18:33b-37) "My kingdom does not belong to this world." "The Lord is King, in splendor robed," our psalmist cries. "King" is our word for our great Lord; it is the best our imperfect thoughts and pale vocabulary can utter. But much more than king is our Lord Jesus Christ, for kings do come and go but "His kingship shall not be destroyed"; His "throne stands firm from of old" – it is "from everlasting" to everlasting. More than a king… He is God. "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.'" He has no beginning or end but is Himself the beginning and end of all things. He "came into the world to testify to the truth," and now His truth is spoken, and His kingdom is coming. "Behold, He is coming amid the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him. All the people of the earth will lament Him. Yes. Amen." None shall be able to hide from the Truth, from the King of "all peoples, nations, and languages." And the same vision as John has Daniel had so many centuries before: "I saw one like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven," He whom the Ancient One gives "dominion, glory, and kingship." And the testimony of two witnesses holds truth, cannot be broken. He is coming, and all are called to "serve Him." Brothers and sisters, He "loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood," which He offers without a fight before Pilate this day. By His sacrifice He "has made us into a kingdom, priests for His God and Father." And the kingdom we are is not of this earth, is "not here"; and the sacrifice we offer now is heavenly – it comes down to us from above… this miraculous blood we drink and shed ourselves in His Name. Here our King stands before us, standing in the hearts of all His holy ones. He who lives forever now draws us into the kingdom where He ever remains. Not of this world, we come before His radiant majesty. "To Him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen." Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Vision of Children" from The Innocent Heart, first album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, your Son's kingdom is not here, is not of this world, but remains forever in Heaven – let us meet Him in His reign. YHWH, from you Jesus has received dominion, glory, and kingship. From all eternity He is your Son. To Him be glory and power forever, and may we join Him at your side. To testify to the Truth He came into the world, to reveal your presence unto us, dear LORD. And so that we might become holy as He, as you, He died to take away our sins. May our hearts be set upon the Truth you are, the Truth He declares by His very presence among us, and may we follow Him through this world on His way to Heaven. To this world He does not belong, and so should we transcend this place. Its honors and its power are as the dust, but with Him is life everlasting. He is the One who is and who was and who is to come – He is all things, dear God. And with Him we shall be made into a kingdom, and share in your eternal glory.

O father of holy monasteries who dug deeply in the earth, in the heart of man, and laid their foundation on the Rock that is Christ that they might be made in His image, in the image of Him who created us – pray we shall love the Lord as He commands and so be holy as He is holy, truly reflecting the image of our God and living in His surpassing peace. Pray austerity serve well to make us in the Lord’s image, to purge from us all that is not of Him; may we be blessed to serve with untiring devotion and care the will of our Lord in all things, in worship of Him, in prayer, and in genuine love of our neighbor, that the Gospel may go forth to the ends of the earth not just in words but in our very flesh and blood.

O successor to Peter, Shepherd of God’s Church, Father of all the churches in the Body of Christ, these you instructed well; these you gave a shepherd’s care… for these and for the Lord you shed your blood – pray for God’s Church even this day, that she shall remain united under her one Lord and Savior, each member serving the good of all as wholly as you have done. Pray we all work together in Jesus’ name and in His blood to do the Father’s will and so become as holy as He, as holy as you were blessed to become. Pray the teaching of the apostles ever ring in our ears that we shall never forget the way the Christ marks out for us, the way of truth that leads to life.

(Rv.11:4-12; Ps.144:1,2,9-10; Lk.20:27-40) "After three and a half days, the breath of life which comes from God returned to them." And these his two witnesses "went up in a cloud as their enemies looked on" "in sheer terror." For it seemed they had "conquer[ed] and kill[ed]" the Lord's prophets. Their corpses had lain "in the streets of the great city, which has the symbolic name 'Sodom' or 'Egypt,' where also their Lord was crucified." Fire had "come out of the mouths of these witnesses to devour their enemies," but now it seemed the truth had been overcome and sin and death had won the day. And so "the earth's inhabitants gloat[ed] over them and in their merriment exchange[d] gifts." But their death, as with the death of the Lord, was not to last, was only to show the absolute power of the God of life. And fire comes from Jesus' mouth today to silence the evil conjurings of the enemies of life. His word is truth and cannot be answered, cannot be gainsaid by even the most unbelieving mind. And what He tells all today is that "the dead rise again," that death has no dominion in the kingdom of the living God. The Lord is "the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," and these fathers of the faith along with the prophets and saints of any and all time "are alive for Him," for He is but Life: in His reign all His children "become like angels and are no longer liable to death. Sons of the resurrection, they are sons of God." This truth cannot be denied, will not be conquered. "Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war." It is He who is "my shield, in whom I trust, who subdues peoples under me." As He was with His only Son, giving Him victory in every battle and final victory over death; as He was with His witnesses who devoured their enemies' lies and rose from the dust after three and a half days; so He is with all who put their trust in Him, enabling them to conquer all doubt and fear, all surrounding sin and death. For Jesus crucified sits now at the right hand of God, and His witnesses with Him; and all who take their refuge in His power, though they die, cannot but rise to life. Yes, they will hear "a voice from heaven say to them, 'Come up here!'" and will again have the breath of life. Alleluia! (Note on "three and a half days": more than its obvious similarity to the three days the Lord spent "in the heart of the earth" (Mt.12:40) may be an allusion to His approximately thirty-five years spent on this earth (which is half the span of a human life – "seventy is the sum of our years" (Ps.90:10)), itself a kind of death for Him.) ******* O LORD, let us be set free from death; raised from the grave, may we praise your NAME forever with your angels and your saints. YHWH, what need we fear if you are with us, you who hold even death in your hand? If we serve as your witnesses, we will be united to you who are life; and even though we die, in the sight of our enemies, in the sight of the devil and death itself, we shall be raised up to Heaven on a cloud. You are our refuge! With you as our stronghold, LORD, with you as our God, we shall indeed gain victory over all the forces of evil – nothing shall keep us from you who desire our presence in your kingdom. Make us as your Son who has died and been raised; make us sons of the resurrection, like angels, no longer subject to death. This is our hope, O LORD; this is our desire… Let us not wait long for Jesus' return. Then we shall be one in your presence, your holy children, O Most High God. Then we shall celebrate forever your glory in Heaven, all our enemies cast far away.

O holy virgin and martyr, you sang a song of love to Jesus, a song that could not be dimmed, could not be taken away, for you were protected by an angel of the Lord and willing to give your life to maintain your love for Him – pray for us poor souls of this day and age from whom purity is so far removed, who need deep conversion to believe, to see the angel at your side, to know the path to which the Lord calls us, the Cross which is every Christian’s song. So far removed, so far removed are we, and so impassible is the way to Him… inspire in our souls, dear saint, the desire for the incorruptible that beat in your heart, that we too might sing a song to Jesus pleasing to His ears.