The BreadCast

O devout mother and queen whose concern was ever for your children and your people, that they might ever be fed in body and in soul and so grow unto the fullness of Christ – pray for us, O holy queen, that we the Lord’s poor subjects might receive from His hand all we need to become His sons and daughters. In prayer and gratitude let us remain ever before His throne, that by such holy fear we might be made fruitful as you, bearing children unto Him and raising them to His glory. A heart for the poor may we ever nourish that, as poor as we are, by our King’s gracious blessing we might give what He provides until all enter His reign.

(3Jn.5-8; Ps.112:1-6; Lk.18:1-8) "When the Son of Man comes, will He find any faith on the earth?" So beset by weakness are we on this earth, brothers and sisters. So doubtful, so fearful… so seemingly without help, alone. And so our faith does falter, and so we do fall. And we wonder, "Where is God?" But the Son asks us today where we are. He emphasizes "the necessity of praying always and not losing heart." Why should we think that God does not listen to us? If the corrupt judge can give justice to the widow who begs him constantly for her "rights against [her] opponent," "will not God then do justice to His chosen who call out to Him day and night?" Do we make Jesus a liar by failing to believe in the Lord's "swift justice"? Is this corrupt judge more reliable than He? And listen to what John writes to Gaius. He says to him, "You demonstrate fidelity by all that you do for the brothers." He has "testified to [his] love before the church" by caring for its members. And John now asks this beloved disciple to support those who pass through his neighborhood carrying the message of the Gospel to the nations, to "help them continue on their journey." And we can be assured that this child of God does continue to demonstrate his generosity, that "he is gracious and merciful and just" toward his brothers in their need. And if this man "dawns through the darkness, a light for the upright," shall the Lord Himself then leave us alone when we call out to Him in our need? Why are we of such little faith? Why do we so easily falter in our trust of the Lord's protection, of His grace at work upon our souls and His providential hand in our lives? If weak human beings can give aid to those in distress, cannot God? Are not all "wealth and riches… in His house"; does He not hold all the world and all our souls in His loving hand? Then why should we be afraid? Why should we think He does not answer our prayer? It is not because He is not listening that we have not the good we desire – this lack is from our lack of faith. Brothers and sisters, be encouraged by the Lord today to never give up hope, to never give up our petitions to the Lord. He does not need to be worn down, but is ready at every moment to help us. Seek but to believe in Him. ******* O LORD, your Son will come to us as the answer to our prayers – let us do all we can this day to bring Him here. YHWH, why have we not faith in your care for our souls? Why do we so easily cease praying to you? Do we not think that you can answer our calls? Those who follow in your way care for those in need, and so should we not trust that you watch over us this day? O LORD, take our lack of faith from us; let us cease to doubt your loving concern. Help us to open our mouths and cry to you, who know what we need before we ask. For if we do not ask, you cannot answer – how can a prayer be answered that is not made? You wait for us to turn to you… let us do so this day in faith. And let us then treat others as you treat us; let us respond in generosity to their needs. Let us be ready to help your children on their way, that your work might be accomplished on this earth. Your light break forth upon all just souls.

O patron of scientists and philosophers, you of brilliant mind who taught with both human and divine wisdom, who led your students to deeper and purer understanding of God and His world and most especially His Church – pray we partake of your teaching this day, that the light you brought to the minds of your flock will not be lost or forgotten by eyes blind to the truth. Pray the word upon your soul will bring us closer to the Lord that we might partake of Him in sacrament and in preaching. O how shall we see if you do not pray for us, if you do not serve to guide us to the glory that surpasses our poor ability to comprehend Him?

O mother of the faith and helper of the stranger in the New World, you sought with great diligence to preserve the true religion in a land hostile to Mother Church, to assist those in spiritual as well as physical need – pray a measure of your missionary spirit be poured out upon your daughters, upon the many houses you established and all those served by them. Pray the country you took to heart and which became your own will turn resolutely to the Lord and His blood and away from the destruction of its soul, upon which it seems so set. Pray the faith shall be restored from shore to shore and this nation in truth become a light on a hill.

O shepherd thirsty for souls, whose only desire was the unity of the Church under Christ her King and on the Rock of Peter… for this cause you gave your life; for this call from the Lord you shed your blood – pray this day all may be one, that none shall shrink from fulfilling this desire of Jesus but by the power of the Holy Spirit work tirelessly and with great courage to slake the thirst of the Lord. We are all children of one Father; we have but one Brother in Christ and one Mother in the Catholic faith. Pray this truth shall prevail over the deceptions of the devil, who would separate and conquer souls but who is turned back from his evil course when we are willing to die for one another.

(Ti.1:1-9; Ps.24:1-6; Lk.17:1-6) "Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place?" "He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain." Of priests and holy men our readings speak, yes, but most especially of bishops, who are most entrusted with the Word of God, with the preaching of the Gospel of eternal life… and how silence in this regard leads but to condemnation. Paul sets the standard for the "servant of God." He presents himself "as an apostle of Jesus Christ for the sake of the faith of those whom God has chosen and to promote their knowledge of the truth as our religion embodies it." Here is the bishop in sum. Here is the priest in sum. Here is the sum of any sent to teach in His name: increase the faith and knowledge of the flock. And in this service certainly a priest must be "irreproachable," and "the bishop as God's steward must be blameless." He must be "steady, just, holy, and self-controlled. [And] in his teaching he must hold fast to the authentic message, so that he will be able both to encourage men to follow sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it." But how many of our leaders hold to Paul's words? How many encourage the keeping of sound doctrine, and, perhaps more to the point, how many refute error? Worse yet, how many travel merrily along with the error of the day? "If your brother does wrong, correct him," Jesus says. But how many tell their flock, "You should not fornicate or commit adultery" or "You should not abort a child or contracept him" or "You should not be 'self-willed or arrogant, a drunkard, a violent or greedy man'"? And how many freely engage in sins such as these themselves? Yes, Jesus says, "If he repents, forgive him" (even "seven times a day") of the brother in your care; but how can he repent if he knows nothing of the wrong he does, and how can you instruct him if you are committing the same sins as he? And so where is true forgiveness? "Scandals will inevitably arise, but woe to him through whom they come." It is a terrible warning the Lord gives today, particularly to those entrusted with much, for how great will be their punishment for the abuse of their call. And of course, the source of such travails in the wayward soul is simply a lack of faith. Not "the size of a mustard seed" or a speck of dust is the faith of too many. If even it could be detected with a microscope it would show itself in good works. But it is not there. And so, who indeed shall climb the mountain of the Lord? How many vainly grovel at its base? And if our leaders do not climb, how shall any follow? So, who shall come to holiness? Let us awaken to the call of our God! Let the Church serve as His presence in this world. Let us be "the race that seeks for Him," putting holiness before all else. And let the ordained among us lead us in this way. ******* O LORD, let us be men of faith who carry your Word forth blamelessly, that all may come to see your face. YHWH, how shall we serve you if we have not sinless hands or clean hearts? And so, how shall we find our reward in your kingdom? Will we not rather be cast into the sea for our unfaithfulness, for our failing to hold to your true teaching and leading others astray? Help us who are far from you. Forgive us our sins. Do we not travel blindly in this day, dear LORD, lacking the guidance of holy shepherds? Does your people not suffer for lack of knowledge of you and your ways? Is the truth not hidden from our eyes by the silence of your teachers? And are many not led away from you by their example? Who is there that stands in your stead; who climbs your holy mountain, making a way for others to follow? There are a few, no doubt; but are there not more who are afraid to speak in your NAME? Help us, LORD, for your Church shall be lost without the guidance of good shepherds. Encourage all souls to seek your face, and so find the blessings of Heaven.

(1Kgs.17:10-16; Ps.146:1,7-10; Heb.9:24-28; Mk.12:38-44) "She, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood." Jesus sits in the temple and watches as "the crowd put[s] money into the treasury." When He sees "a poor widow… put in two small coins worth a few cents," He calls His disciples over, and speaks the truth to them: "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury." Whatever wealth anyone else might have stuffed into the box cannot begin to compare to her whole sacrifice – it mimics His own. And in our first reading we find another poor widow sacrificing her livelihood to the Lord and His prophet. It is the time of a great famine upon the land (called down from heaven by Elijah himself) and the widow has nothing left to eat but "a handful of flour in [her] jar and a little oil in [her] jug." She tells us her situation: "Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks, to go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die." A last supper. Straits most of us can only imagine. Yet when the prophet Elijah asks her, "First make me a little cake and bring it to me," invoking the name of the God of Israel and promising His blessings, this woman who is not even of the house of Israel does not hesitate to give first to this stranger of the only sustenance she has for herself and her son. Another sacrifice mimicking Christ's own. Both widows' sacrifices shall be blessed by the Lord; we can be assured of this. For "the widow He sustains"; it is He who "gives food to the hungry" and "protects strangers"… and any offering made in His name can only be multiplied. Indeed, Elijah proves himself not to be as the Pharisees who "devour the houses of widows," for by his presence with his benefactor "she was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well," the flour and the oil remaining until the rains returned. "The Lord keeps faith forever." Brothers and sisters, Christ "has appeared at the end of the age to take away sins by His sacrifice." He does this "once for all," and so does not "offer Himself repeatedly." But we, brothers and sisters, we must join with that sacrifice – it is for us to offer ourselves as He has, as these widows have, if we are to partake of its graces. As it is manifested on our altar each day, we renew our commitment to be sharers in the blood He shed. As we drink from His cup let us remember always that it is our very lives that we are giving up. And the Lord will bless us as His own. And with these widows we shall sit at His table in heaven. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Under God" from The Innocent Heart, first album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, we must give what we have to you or we shall have nothing. YHWH, help us to give our whole livelihood to you, to join in the sacrifice of your Son. For you will not abandon those who hunger for your love but bless them with all they need for their journey to Heaven. The widow you sustain, dear God; those who believe in you, you indeed bless. And we must show that we eagerly await the Second Coming of your Son by not being attached to the things of this passing earth. We must rather make known our faith in you by entrusting all into your hands. For Jesus, who has entered Heaven on our behalf, taking our sins with Him that we might be purged, will not abandon us on the last day if we offer ourselves in union with His sacrifice. All we have let us give to you, O LORD, even our food for the day, and you shall feed us from Heaven with the Bread that sustains all poor souls unto eternity. Our jar of flour shall not go empty nor our jug of oil run dry, for in them are the Body and Blood of your only Son.

(Phil.2:1-4; Ps.131:1-3; Lk.14:12-14) "Let all parties think humbly of others as superior to themselves, each of you looking to others' interests rather than his own." The key to Christianity is to see others, even the blind and the lame and the crippled beggar, as superior to ourselves, and place ourselves at their service in love. As Christians we can never look down upon another individual; if our heart is proud and our "eyes haughty," we are certainly set up for a fall, for the Lord who sees all and humbles Himself before all will certainly humble our proud souls. Rather, we must maintain the "fellowship in spirit, compassion, and pity" of which Paul speaks, "possessing the one love, united in spirit and ideals" and thus always giving one another the "encouragement" we owe in Christ. Jesus would teach this humility and unity of spirit to the chief of the Pharisees today. He would have him adopt a truly Christian attitude, expecting nothing in return for his feeding of the sheep, concerned only for the welfare of the poorest in his midst. Thus He would convert him to the faith by wiping the mocking smile from his face in a spirit of genuine compassion. He tells him, "Whenever you give a lunch or dinner, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or wealthy neighbors." He should not be concerned simply with those of his blood and the people of means, for certainly these would "invite [him] in return and thus repay" him. No, quite a novel idea has the Son of God for the head of the Jewish Church: expect your recompense at "the resurrection of the just," not on earth. Set your heart on things that are above, not below. And go beyond your blood to invite all into the hall of the Lord, especially those most in need, those most outcast. Such a call must have been shocking to the sensibilities of this Pharisee, as indeed it remains shocking to most even today. But He only calls us to do as He has done – empty ourselves completely for the good of others. "Make my joy complete by your unanimity," Paul begs the Philippians; and unanimity in the Lord encompasses all. In it there can be no "rivalry or conceit" because in it there are no factions: all are one in the Lord. To this unity, found only in humility, the only Son does call us all, for He knows it is there we shall find our peace; in such humble service we find our eternal rest upon the lap of our Father. ******* O LORD, let us not seek our reward in the things of this world or follow in its ways; rather, in all humility let us find our peace in your arms. YHWH, help us to look to others' needs and not our own, to seek to serve you in all things, not looking for reward. How shall we be humble as your Son, placing ourselves entirely in your hands? How shall we become as your children if you do not bless us? For we are selfish and self-seeking and need your grace upon our souls to save us from such vain pride. To sacrifice your Son calls us, LORD, to unity with all our brothers and sisters. He would have us empty ourselves as He has done in coming among us and dying on the Cross. This great blessing He would make our own, if our desire were for Heaven. Give us, O LORD, true wisdom and peace of soul to see and know the glory to which Jesus calls us by His holy sacrifice, to share the love that exists between you and Him alone. O let us be your children! free of all snares of the flesh and the world and the devil, desiring only to sup with you.

(Dt.6:2-6; Ps.18:2-4,47,51; Heb.7:23-28; Mk.12:28-34) "You are not far from the kingdom of God." If you "fear the Lord, your God, and keep, throughout the days of your lives, all His statutes and commandments," you will have "long life"; the Lord will "give you a land flowing with milk and honey." The promise spoken by Moses to the people stands true, and truer, today. If we "take to heart these words which [both Moses and Jesus] enjoin on [us] today," the kingdom shall indeed be not far from us. For these words are life-giving, they are the heart of the law, the heart of God's love, and so breathe the breath of life upon the obedient soul: "Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." (And the seconding of the Commandment is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.") This Command, this word of Truth and Life, the ancient Israelites inscribed upon their doorposts and lintels, and wore upon their person, never to forget what wisdom had been imparted unto them. And now we, where shall we wear this essential Command, which silences even the hardest skeptics…? It should be inscribed upon our hearts. It should pour forth as praise from the mouth of all, all the faithful exclaiming with David in song, "I love you, O Lord, my strength." "The Lord lives! And blessed be my rock!" Our hearts indeed should overflow with love of God, who is so near us. Oh brothers and sisters, do you not know how near He is to you now? Do you not know that Jesus "is always able to save those who approach God through Him, since He lives forever to make intercession for [us]"? Do you not know that you have a high priest who is "holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens," and that He draws you unto the Heaven where He dwells? No longer do we turn to weak men, as even Moses was, but to "a Son, who has been made perfect forever." And His Sonship we share even this day when we love as He has loved. Love God, brothers and sisters. Love Him with heart and soul, mind and body. Let the four corners of the universe declare His praise and honor His Name in unending love of all. It is Jesus' blood, Jesus' love, which courses through our veins now. How much closer can we come than this Bread of Life? Heaven has come to earth in flesh of love, and raises these earthen vessels we are unto the gates of the kingdom. On the doorstep you stand; only enter in. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Love, The Meaning Of (Liars Don't Love, Lovers Don't Lie)" from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, if we love you and our neighbor, indeed we draw close to your kingdom. YHWH, if we but keep your Word, we shall be blessed; if we but love you, O LORD our God, we shall know your love. If we worship you alone, we shall soon come to Heaven. O let your love fill us with praise of your NAME! And may that love overflow to all souls. We love you, O LORD; we praise your holy NAME. You are exalted above all gods and your reign endures forever. And that reign you would share with all who are obedient to your Word, to your call to love. And so your Son has come among us as our high priest; as priest and victim He stands in our midst and calls us to your kingdom through His holy sacrifice. Once for all He offered Himself that we might be saved, that He might live to make intercession for us all our days – that we might learn to love as He loves, as you love, dear God, giving all our lives for your sake and that of our neighbor. Alleluia!

(Eph.6:1-9; Ps.145:10-14; Lk.13:22-30) "Do God's will with your whole heart as slaves of Christ." These words Paul addresses to the slaves of his time, instructing them to "obey [their] human masters with the reverence, the awe, and the sincerity [they] owe to Christ," but they apply well to us all, who are in all things to serve the Lord. Always we should "give [our] service willingly, doing it for the Lord rather than men." This is as "the narrow door" of which our Lord speaks; this is what will bring us into His heavenly kingdom. For it is certain that "each one, whether slave or free, will be repaid by the Lord for whatever good he does." Brothers and sisters, the Lord's "kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and [His] dominion endures through all generations." It matters not when we live or where, or what position we have in society – none of these things pertain to the reign of God. For those who are to be saved shall indeed come from the four corners of the universe and from every period of time, and as Paul says to masters of their slaves: "You and they have a Master in heaven who plays no favorites." So if you think that any honor or preference of this earth will smooth your way into the kingdom, you are surely mistaken and risk the grave disappointment of discovering that "some are first who will be last," or finding yourself barred from His House for failing to serve the Lord with all your heart in all the things of the world. For He has come to serve and not to be served, and He "lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down." Jesus goes "through cities and towns teaching – all the while making His way toward Jerusalem." Even unto the cross He offers instruction to those who would follow Him. He is as the fathers Paul instructs to "bring [their children] up with the training and instruction befitting the Lord." But we must heed His words; we must honor and obey the Lord as children are expected to honor and obey their parents. For His words are wise and they carry the greatest promise: "That it may go well with you, and that you may have long life," not so much upon this earth, but in the heavenly kingdom. Do all things in His name, brothers and sisters. Honor Him. Obey Him. Serve Him well that He might see you and "know where you come from" and thus honor you "at the feast in the kingdom of God." ******* O LORD, let us follow in your narrow way that we might be saved; let us honor you with all our lives. YHWH, all are one in your kingdom, for you do not play favorites with your children but call all the same to your presence. And so the lowly you raise from the dust and the exalted you tear down… for all must come to you on an even path. The narrow way that leads to your glory is not dependent on the concerns of this age. And so slaves are no less your children than their masters; masters no less than their slaves – it matters only their devotion to you. All are called to serve you, LORD, to follow the command you give to each one. And so father and son may come equally unto Heaven if they do as fits their role, as fits your call. Let children obey their parents and parents nurture their children in the faith. Let workers perform their tasks with zeal and those over them treat all with respect and love. Let all discourse of your glory by their service to you, giving you thanks for the splendor of your kingdom, to which they thereby come. Praise you, LORD, for your goodness toward all!