The BreadCast

(Rv.10:8-11; Ps.119:14,24,72,103,111,131; Lk.19:45-48) "I gasp with open mouth in my yearning for your commands." In our first reading, John is told to "take the open scroll from the hand of the angel" and to "eat it." In his mouth "it tasted as sweet as honey." And now he who has eaten of the blessed word of God "must prophesy," must speak the words upon the scroll, despite the sour stomach, the persecutions, it will inevitably bring. In our gospel we hear that "the entire populace was listening to [Jesus] and hanging on His words" as He taught daily in the temple. The Lord has cleansed the temple of the impure forces at work within it, and for this and for His speaking the irresistible words of Truth He shall know the sour stomach of persecution – the cross is now quite close on the horizon as the leaders of the people seek "a way to destroy Him." O Lord, "how sweet to my palate are your promises, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" "The law of your mouth is to me more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces." "Your decrees are my delight," "the joy of my heart," and despite the cross I find in consuming and then having to proclaim them, I shall not cease to eat of your glorious presence. Day to day you come to me. Moment to moment you whisper in my ear. You speak to my heart your wondrous promises, instilling faith and hope in my soul, and I shall not turn back from loving you. May all "peoples, nations, languages, and kings" know of your greatness; may all embrace the inheritance you offer by the death of sin in our lives. Open your mouth, brothers and sisters, and He will fill it. He will feed you with the food that comes without cost; the sweet Bread of Heaven shall be yours. Even at His altars and from His pulpits it is today offered forth. Eat, and it will bring life to your soul, life that lasts beyond the destruction of the world. ******* O LORD, let us listen devoutly to your Word that we might be cleansed of sin and made whole in your sight. YHWH, your words are sweeter to us than honey, and your NAME the sweetest Word of all. Speak to our soul this very day; let us hear your truth in our heart, though it bring persecution and trial. As your Son let us be, O LORD, unafraid of the Cross which comes from doing your will. Let our concern be to cleanse your Temple, to make your House a house of prayer, though it bring the body's destruction. We are in your Temple, O LORD, and you call us to eat of your words and partake of your Son's Body and Blood. This gives life to our very spirits, a life that does not pass away. Be our inheritance, all that we desire in this land. LORD, we are unworthy to proclaim your words, to receive them in our souls and speak them to the world. How can we prophesy in your holy NAME? Let your Son be with us every step of the way; may His blood strengthen our service.

O holy Temple of the Lord, preeminent member of His Church, you who were destined from all ages to bear the Son of God, to be His chosen dwelling place… you were weaned into His Temple; there you ever remained, becoming yourself the House of God, where He now ever stays – pray we be built into His Temple; pray we become sons and daughters unto you. In you let us make our home, dear Mother, that the holiness of Jesus we shall ever share. We cannot live in Him if apart from you; we cannot be as Christ’s Body, blessed by the Holy Spirit and doing the Father’s will on earth, if you are not our Mother, if you are not the Temple in which we dwell. Pray our holiness mirror your own.

(Rv.5:1-10; Ps.149:1-6,9,Rv.5:10; Lk.19:41-44) "Do not weep. The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has won the right by His victory to open the scroll with its seven seals." "Jesus wept over" Jerusalem "because [she] failed to recognize the time of [her] visitation"; and so she will be destroyed, and so her enemies will "leave not a stone on a stone within" her walls. And John "wept bitterly because no one could be found to open or examine the scroll" "in the right hand of the One who sat on the throne." The scroll "had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals." How wonderful it must be! But "who is worthy to open" it? The tears of both will be appeased, both by the One. For whom does John see appear at the throne of God but "a Lamb standing, a Lamb that had been slain" – Jesus, our Savior! who is on His way even in our gospel today to conquer death, to receive the wounds John witnesses, that by His blood He may purchase for God "men of every race and tongue, of every people and nation"… that He might take the destruction of Jerusalem upon Himself and thus redeem her from annihilation. Because of His sacrifice, He is able to read the wisdom of the ages to all waiting hearts, for that wisdom is known only in such dying, only in His redeeming love. And so, let us join with the elders who fall "down before the Lamb." Let our prayer unite with "the prayers of God's holy people," which rise up like "aromatic spices" before the throne of the One on high. Let us sing the new hymn unto the Lamb who was slain for our sins and so saved us from all tears. "Sing to the Lord a new song of praise in the assembly of the faithful." Weep no more but "let the high praises of God be in [your] throats" and "praise His name in the festive dance." How great is our God! How profound is the revelation of His wonders in our midst! What joy do we find in His blood! His wounds bring us victory over death, and we reign now in the New Jerusalem as priests in the service of our King, joining ourselves ever to His sacrifice, finding ever the wisdom only He brings. ******* O LORD, offering the sacrifice of your only Son, we become priests in your Temple; this blood we shed He makes holy by His love. YHWH, you have made us a kingdom of priests who offer continually to you the blood of your Son in our holy prayer. O LORD, it is we who have slaughtered Jesus, your Lamb, we who by our blindness have caused Him to be pressed hard from every side, not a stone left on a stone in this holiest Temple… Yet by His willing acceptance of our sins He washes clean the blood upon our unholy hands and redeems our souls from destruction. By His blessed sacrifice He makes us holy, as holy becomes the sacrifice we make. O how can we fathom your love for us, dear LORD? How can we plumb the depths of your Son's sacrifice? We are left with nothing but high praises for you in our throat! O LORD, let us exult in your glory this day, in the glory that is ours by the wounds upon your Lamb. Make us a nation of priests offering always this living sacrifice in your NAME. Let us ever praise you and the One who was slain – save us from all sin!

(Rv.4:1-11; Ps.150:1-6,Rv.4:8; Lk.19:11-28) "O Lord our God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power." "A man of noble birth went to a faraway country to become its king." And of this faraway country and of its king, whom "everything that has breath" should praise, John has vision today. "Above me there was an open door to heaven"; and a "trumpetlike voice" called the great Evangelist, "Come up here and I will show you what must take place in time to come." And so, "caught up in ecstasy" he sees the "One whose appearance ha[s] a gemlike sparkle," the Lord of all, seated upon His throne. And on twenty-four thrones surrounding this King he sees the elders, "clothed in white" with "crowns of gold on their heads," sharing in their Master's Kingship. And the four living creatures are at the center, singing, "without pause": "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty!" And ever do the elders worship Him and join in the song of praise which rises continually to the One through whom all things "came to be." "Praise the Lord in His sanctuary… praise Him for His sovereign majesty," for He reigns justly over all and is indeed worthy of all praise. "With the blast of the trumpet… with lyre and harp… with clanging cymbals" – with every instrument that is placed in our hands, with all the talents He provides here as we wait for His return, we must join in the song of the angels and the saints in the heavenly kingdom and praise His holy Name. For He will seek "to learn what profit each [has] made" when He returns to us from His journey. He will "send for the servants to whom He [has] given" His possessions, and call them to account in His love. Will our deeds then praise "His mighty deeds"? Glorious is the kingdom of the Lord, and blessed are they who join Him in such marvelous glory. These He puts in charge of His cities; with these He shares His crown and His throne. And everywhere He has a right to reap, for only He does so in love – and there is nowhere He has not sown. All are invited into His radiant presence: to all He gives gifts that will bring them there. And but for their employment does He wait, that they might learn to praise His glory. Follow Him as He continues "with His ascent to Jerusalem," and the cross He meets in this city will lead you to the light of paradise. ******* O LORD, let us rejoice in serving you all our days, and praise you forever in your kingdom. YHWH, let all your creatures give you praise: by your will we came to be and were made. We are in your hands; by all that is at our hands may we give you glory and honor and praise. May we know the blessing of praising you with full voice. Before you let us bow, O God; before you let us throw down our crowns. All we have is from you alone – let us return it to you with great profit. May your glory be multiplied in us and we enter your holy City with joy. Holy are you and worthy of all our praise, and by our praise we enter your glory. Who are we, O LORD, that you place talents in our hands? Who are we that you would put a crown upon our heads? Are we to be even as your Son, our King and Savior? Is His reward to be our own? For this gift we could not praise you enough, and so we shall praise you forever.

(Rv.3:1-6,14-22; Ps.15:2-5,Rv.3:21; Lk.19:1-10) "Today salvation has come to this house." To two of His houses, two of His seven churches, does the Lord speak today, calling them both to repentance, that they might know the salvation Zacchaeus has found. In no uncertain terms does the Lord call the churches in Sardis and Laodicea, chastising both dearly, telling the first: "I know the reputation you have of being alive, when in fact you are dead!" and the second (who think themselves "so rich and secure that [they] want for nothing"): "How wretched you are, how pitiable and poor, how blind and naked!" In Sardis there are only "a few persons who have not soiled their garments"; and the Laodiceans, who are "neither hot nor cold," are promised by the Lord, "I will spew you out of my mouth!" All the unfaithful, all those who have lost their fervor and who pride themselves on their own works shall be spewed from the Lord's mouth, shall be cast from His presence. All He calls to "wake-up," to "repent," to "buy white garments in which to be clothed, if the shame of [their] nakedness is to be covered." All He summons to rouse themselves in sharpest and truest of words, for "whoever is dear to [Him] [He] reprove[s] and chastise[s]" – for He knows that only by the jettisoning of our sin will we find the salvation He so dearly desires for each of our lives. Brothers and sisters, the Lord "stand[s] knocking at the door. If anyone hears [Him] calling and opens the door, [He] will enter his house." And He will sup with him, and He will sit him on His own throne. Listen to the promise our Lord makes: "The victor shall go clothed in light. I will never erase his name from the book of the living, but will acknowledge him in the presence of my Father and His angels." And see how the promise is fulfilled in Zacchaeus, who in his great fervor "climbed a sycamore tree which was along Jesus' route, in order to see Him"; who in his great generosity promised "to give half of [his] belongings" to the poor – and who has had the Lord in to sup in his home and has heard the blessed words spoken over him: "Today salvation has come to this house." And so, strive with all you have to be as "he who walks blamelessly and does justice, who thinks the truth in his heart and slanders not with his tongue." Let His chastisement bear blessed fruit in your life; turn from your sin… and you too will know the victory the Lord Himself has won for all faithful souls. ******* O LORD, save us from our sin by your chastising Word, that we might walk in white before you. YHWH, let us hear and heed your Word: let us repent of all our sin that we might enter in and sup with your Son. Do we not have ears, O LORD, and should we not have hearts set on you and the doing of your will? And yet, are we not lacking in zeal, are we not pitiable and poor in accomplishing your work? Are we not dead? Have we not soiled our garments instead of purifying our souls to receive your blessings? O how shall we turn from our sin to your Son's presence among us? Save us, O LORD, from the thought that we are safe and secure, from putting our faith in the riches we amass in this world. Let us know and remember the only true riches are of the Spirit and come to us only by your grace. And only by your grace do they remain. Make our hearts blameless, dear LORD; cover over our nakedness with your white garments, and we shall rejoice in your glory.

O woman who prayed always and had great mercy on souls, whose missionary zeal led you across the ocean, thousands of miles from your home, to educate the poor and care for the sick, to bring the love of Jesus to those most in need – pray we too shall have a heart set on service of the Lord and remembrance of His presence, that our concern for those apart from Christ will drive us to great ends, even to the ends of the earth, where certainly He dwells. Pray we shall have your courage in facing the unknown, in calling all home to the Heart of God; and through all we do for Him let us remain in prayer, knowing His Heaven here on earth.

(Rv.1:1-4,2:1-5; Ps.1:1-4,6,Rv.2:7; Lk.18:35-43) "Jesus of Nazareth was passing by." A blind man sat begging by the side of the road. "Hearing a crowd go by the man asked, 'What is that?'" And he was told that "Jesus drew near," that all he could possibly ask for was upon him – and so he begged with the greatest sincerity he could muster. And as the end of the Church year approaches, we hear from the Lord's beloved "servant John" "the revelation God gave to Jesus Christ"; he "bears witness to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ," telling us truly that "the appointed time is near," that He "who is and who was and who is to come" is passing by the way. It is time to call out to Him, and know His healing touch. To the church in Ephesus specifically, the Lord instructs His apostle to speak today, to commend the disciples there on their "patient endurance" and their lack of tolerance for "wicked men," and to call them back to their "early love… the heights from which [they] have fallen"; thus do they need to "repent," to call out themselves to the Lord for renewal of their innocent hearts and their burning love for God. You see, all have their own reason to call out to Jesus as He passes by. What need have you to call upon the Lord's Name as He passes by here at the end of days? Do you walk at every point in "the way of the just," or are you somehow blind to His presence, or are you in some way cold in your love? Or have you any of innumerable other sins that keep you from His kingdom? Be careful. The time is indeed short, and we are indeed sinners – and Jesus is indeed still passing by to heal us. Do not be afraid to cry out to Him, to leave "the company of the insolent" and find His redeeming graces. Let the light of faith burn in your soul that you might know "the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven lampstands of gold." His holy light is coming now upon the earth, and you must join yourself to it. "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" ******* O LORD, heal us of all our sin that we might walk in the way of your Son. YHWH, grant us vision to see the appointed time is near and Jesus is passing by to heal us of our blindness, to return us to our early love. And let us not be afraid to cry out to Him. Bring us healing, Lord Jesus, for you have come from the Father and pass through our midst this day. To us you bring His surpassing love; may we join ourselves to it and follow you along your way. You speak to us by your Spirit, LORD; you inspire your apostles with your Word. You teach us of the way to you, and that with all our heart we should walk it. Help us to meditate on your Law day and night; ever let us dwell in your light. Make us always fruitful, LORD, as we delight in serving you. Let our hearts cry out in joy for the blessings you bestow on faithful souls. Make us your own and let us enter your glory.

O charitable soul who gave all you owned for the sake of the Gospel, though endowed with great riches you embraced lady poverty that you might serve the Lord with a heart beating for the poor. With your own hands you tended the sickest; into your own home you welcomed the most destitute – pray that in our small way we too may follow in the footsteps of Christ and give our lives to the poor whom He loves and to prayer in His presence. Pray our hearts, too, may know His tender care for souls and our own souls meditate upon Him night and day; pray we too shall give up all to find His holy kingdom.

(Dn.12:1-3; Ps.16:5,8-11; Heb.10:11-14,18; Mk.13:24-32) "He will send out the angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky." On that Day "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky." On that Day we "will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds' with great power and glory." "It shall be a time unsurpassed in distress," but "everyone who is found written in the book" of Life "shall escape"; all His chosen He shall rescue. For He will not "suffer [His] faithful one to undergo corruption," but "show [him] the path to life" and give him "fullness of joys in [His] presence." Brothers and sisters, the Lord has taken "His seat forever at the right hand of God; now He waits until His enemies are made His footstool." Though "He has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated" and "there is no longer offering for sin," the time is yet to be fulfilled for all His chosen to partake of His "one sacrifice for sins" – He who is our "allotted portion and [our] cup" must be drunk to the full by all His elect, must be made perfect as He by joining in His sacrifice. And though "He is near, at the gates," ready to break in upon our world in His time and according to His ways, yet "this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place": all the tribulations must come upon this earth, and all His children must be made ready for His Day. Brothers and sisters, He "hold[s] fast [our] lot" and "with Him at [our] right hand [we] shall not be disturbed." "Heaven and earth will pass away, but [His] words will not pass away," and it is in His word we trust. So let your heart and soul rejoice and your body abide "in confidence" for "the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament" on the Day of the Lord's return. We shall not join those who "shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace" but "shall live forever" in the light of His face. Hear the word the Lord speaks to your heart; see the signs before your eyes. Join yourself to His holy sacrifice, and you shall know "the delights at [His] right hand forever" in heaven where He now reigns. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Salvation Army" from Bearing the Birth Pangs, tenth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us shine brightly in Jesus' presence when He comes. YHWH, how could we escape the judgment coming upon the face of the earth and stand in your presence forever except that Jesus has offered His sacrifice for our sins and now waits with you in Heaven for us to turn to Him and join you there? He is our assurance of your blessing. When He returns again may we be found ready to be gathered to you. Send your angels forth, O LORD, to save us from all tribulation, to strengthen us to stand in peace even as the stars fall from the sky. The darkness let us not fear; rather, let us be purged by it of all our attachment to this forsaken place. O let us not be counted among those who have forsaken you! Abandon us not to the nether world, but let our souls rejoice in the light of your face – let us shine with you forever. The path to life you show us, LORD, that we might find the fullness of joy in your presence. Open our eyes and hearts to your glorious coming.

O blessed mystic of Jesus, you were saved by Him from a life of vain pursuit of the things and thoughts of this world to find union with His Sacred Heart, which holds all heavenly treasures. You see Him now (do you not, dear virgin?) in His perfection, even as you saw Him, though only in the shadow of vision, here upon this plane – pray we shall also know His blessed perfection, the beating of His Sacred Heart within our own, the love which surpasses all understanding illumining our soul… that no more will we ever desire than to be with Him where you are now, in His eternal glory.