The BreadCast

O priest of joy whose song of service rises unto the Lord until this day, whose delight in sacrifice inspires others to give themselves in freedom to the work of Christ – pray all God’s priests and people will give themselves so completely in the love of the only Son that indeed a holy song might rise unto the heavens until He returns from there to carry us home forever. May the Lord’s healing graces be poured forth through your generous intercession that all souls might be prepared to unite with their Creator and Redeemer, with the Spirit who inspires the Church even here with His glorious presence.

(Dt.4:32-34,39-40; Ps.33:4-6,9,12,18-20,22; Rom.8:14-17; Mt.28:16-20) "You must know now, and fix in your heart, that 'the Lord is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other.'" "Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live?" Moses asks the Israelite nation. "Did any god venture to go and take a nation for Himself" with the great "signs and wonders" that accompanied Israel's release from Egyptian bondage? No. For the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God of heaven and earth, the one true God. For "by the word of the Lord the heavens were made; by the breath of His mouth all their host." Yes, "He spoke, and it was made, He commanded and it stood forth." None is great as the Father in heaven. And of the power of the Father, Jesus, the Son, shares: "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me," He declares in truth. It is He who suffers and dies for us; it is He who thus reveals God's love – it is He whom all nations adore in the holy court. The words of the Father He brings to our ears; His commands, which bring life and "deliver… from death," He speaks in our hearing. Here is the Word by which all comes to be made flesh in our sight. And we, "we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ" – to this "the Spirit Himself bears witness," speaking in our souls the NAME of God. Yes, "those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God," and the Spirit is now with us to lead us, to help us "keep His statutes and commandments," that we might "have long life on the land which the Lord, [our] God, is giving [us] forever." And now so on fire with the Spirit of God, Jesus present with us always in body and soul, and standing as holy children of the Father… we must "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that [the Lord has] commanded." "Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield." His presence is upon us always for good, and we long now to know the fullness of the Trinity. He whose "works are trustworthy" we seek to make our own, that we might be one with Him who is One. "Of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full." May He who "loves justice and right" be known in His fullness by all. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Speaking of God" (second half) from The Whole Whale, eighth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us remain in your NAME and in your power, and carry our cross unto Heaven. YHWH, you are God of Heaven and earth; there is none beside you. By your Word all came to be, and all is held together by your love. We can but hope for your kindness, LORD, to preserve us from the death we deserve. We can but be baptized in your NAME and pray to be as your children. O LORD, let us be your heirs with Christ. Let us suffer with Him that we might be glorified by the Spirit and come to dwell as one with you in the kingdom. To this earth bring your Word and let us be remade in His image. For He is one with you and the Spirit, worthy of all our worship; and as we worship Him, the Spirit inspires us to cry out, "Abba, Father!" with your only Son. O LORD, what great grace and mercy you have shown us! You have taken us from the midst of darkness and sin and brought us into your marvelous light by the sacrifice of your Son. In the fire of the Holy Spirit you speak to us and guide us on our journey to you. Help us, LORD, to keep your commands that we might prosper and have eternal life with you in Heaven.

O humble soul whom the Lord blessed with mystical elevations to His heavenly presence, you who remained so faithful through all trials and encouraged others to seek such perfection as well – pray that this proud age which leans so distinctly from the truth, from the love of God, will be consumed as you were by the Holy Spirit, by desire for the Lord’s overtaking of our lives, that all souls will turn from the false gods at their hands, idols that overshadow their spirits, and toward the humility known only in our Savior’s blood. Only in Him is life eternal; pray all souls will come to His love.

O Shepherd and Father, defender of the faith and of holy MotherChurch against those who would rob her of her freedom, those who would rape her, stealing away her purity, those who would deny her singleness in the sight of God as the House which He has founded – those who would destroy the faith and bring to naught the Church, our Mother, and Peter, our Holy Father, do not relent in their efforts… and so we need still your prayers and your courage to aid us in standing strong against the tide the evil one stirs up in this world. Pray indeed, O Father, that all our shepherds and all God’s people will tirelessly defend the truth in love.

O learned master whose life itself was as a monastery, consumed as you were by study and teaching and writing and prayer, who till the very end spoke the name of the Lord in all your words and deeds – pray that the incense of your life will rise unto the throne of God and intercede for us here below who are so far from His presence, from knowledge of His providence and remembrance of His sacrifice. How will we find ourselves one with the Lord of Creation and ascend to His glory if you do not pray for us, O blessed soul so united to His will, so held within His Hand and breathing forth His name?

(Jas.5:13-20; Ps.141:1-3,8; Mk.10:13-16) "Let my prayer come like incense before you; the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice." "The fervent petition of a holy man is powerful indeed." For indeed Elijah "prayed earnestly" and "no rain fell on the land for three years and six months." Then "when he prayed again, the sky burst forth with rain." And now greater things are accomplished by prayer, especially of "the elders of the Church," our priests, who, in union with Jesus the Lord, "reclaim the one who is ill" and bring "forgiveness" to the sinful soul. Redemption itself is at our hands through the Anointing of the Sick and Confession, and all the other blessed sacraments. And prayer by all souls is a constant guard and reclaimer of lives gone astray. And in our gospel it is made clear what our disposition should be when we pray, when we come to Jesus. The Lord encourages the little children to come to Him and states unequivocally: "Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a little child shall not enter into it." We must always come to Him as children – with faith, in innocence, of truth – if we hope to gain a hearing in His sight, brothers and sisters. If when we call upon Him we do not have the pure faith of a child, how can we expect to communicate with Him who dwells in absolute light? If our prayer and our song fall short of the love and joy of innocent praise, then we fall short of reaching Him. But if in such innocence and with such faith and of such truth we come to Him, know that He will treat us just as the children who come to Him today: "He embraced them and blessed them, placing His hands on them." Yes, then His holy hand will be upon our lives, and His great power we will find at work within us and through us. "Toward you, O Lord, my eyes are turned." Please "hearken to my voice when I call upon you." "In you I take refuge; strip me not of life," but make me as your child of light. Our prayer comes like incense before the Lord when it is united with the sacrifice of the Son. Anointed by the Lamb's blood, all our cries rise unto the Father of Life. ******* O LORD, as a child let us come to you, in trusting prayer, and you will hear and answer us. YHWH, how powerful prayer is! For it unites us to you and to your great power; it makes us as your children. Let our prayer be sincere, that we might find your gentle embrace. There is nothing we need fear, dear LORD, if we but turn to you. If we ask, you will give, and cure us indeed of every ill. And so, let us pray for one another in your NAME, desire the salvation of all souls by your grace, and the blessing of your Son's Cross will reign here on earth and bring us soon to Heaven. Let your will be done and your kingdom come. Let us pray especially for your priests and the special power you give them to forgive men's sins and make your presence known among us. In your sacraments we take our refuge, LORD; let them always be celebrated in accord with your Word. Let our prayer come like incense before you, O LORD; may it be acceptable in your sight. Let it always come from an innocent heart.

(Jas.5:9-12; Ps.103:1-4,8-9,11-12; Mk.10:1-12) "Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger and abounding in kindness." And we must be like Him. James makes clear that we must "not grumble against one another," nor swear on earth, any oath at all," but rather simply speak "in the name of the Lord": "Let it be 'yes' if you mean yes or 'no' if you mean no. In this way you will not incur condemnation." And as a sign of the endurance we must have to find the Lord's blessing, he reminds us of "the steadfastness of Job" and "what the Lord, who is compassionate and merciful, did in the end." "As your models in suffering hardships and in patience, brothers, take the prophets." And, of course, Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophets, and His suffering in silent servitude the sentence of crucifixion is the fulfillment of their endurance of persecution. And in our gospel today, does He not give example of the patience we all must hold and the clarity with which we all must speak? For when the Pharisees "ask Jesus whether it was permissible for a husband to divorce his wife," how do they intend their question but "as a test"? But the Lord does not take offense at their temptation; He simply answers them, clearly and to the point: "At the beginning of creation God made them male and female; for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and the two shall become as one." And lest there be any doubt that He is saying no to divorce, He continues, "They are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, let no man separate what God has joined." And even when "the disciples beg[i]n to question Him about this" again later, He remains patient and gives direct answer: "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery." The question would seem a simple one and the answer easy to understand, but is it not this question that is at the heart of man's disobedience, of his grumbling against God? Is it not this answer man seeks most to change, thus leading to his greatest sins, and really to the destruction of society? Yet the Lord's love is greater than our profligacy, and as the father so readily forgave the prodigal son, so He waits for us to turn to Him – to His presence, to His truth. As David sings of God: "He redeems your life from destruction, He crowns you with kindness and compassion"; and so He longs to "put our transgressions from us" "as far as the east is from the west." Indeed Jesus "pardons all [our] iniquities, He heals all our ills" – for this has the Savior come. And if we but bless Him for "all His benefits" and share in His love in our relationships with others, we shall find the merciful Lord enabling our endurance of all on this earth and making firm our place with Him in heaven. ******* O LORD, man and woman are one and are brought together in your will; in our covenants let us reflect your mercy and faithfulness. YHWH, give us your patience in enduring all things. You are kind and merciful; let us be like you. Help us to practice your compassion in our marriages and in all our relationships – let us be ready as you to forgive. Yes, let all our sins be put far from us. If we endure with you, O LORD, shall we not be blessed? If with you we practice patience and kindness when put to the test, will we not share in your reward? Let us be so joined to you, LORD, that we may indeed be called your Body in this world. O my LORD, let us never be divorced from love of one another or love of you. Let our covenants be sure as your own; for you have promised to be with us even till the end of the age, and so, should we abandon one another? Would this not be an abandonment of you? Let our 'yes' be 'yes', O LORD, and let us therefore live forever in your eternal Word, in the truth and love only you hold.

(Jas.5:1-6; Ps.49:14-20,Mt.5:3; Mk.9:41-50) "You lived in wanton luxury on the earth; you fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter." "You rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries," James warns all those who trust in their wealth. For though they were "contented with their lot," to find which they "condemned, even killed, the just man," yet "like sheep they are herded into the netherworld," where "quickly their form is consumed." "Your wealth has rotted, your fine wardrobe has grown moth-eaten, your silver and gold have corroded" – all these things in which the fool has trusted will not only die of themselves but also "devour [his] flesh like a fire," for so greatly has he placed his heart upon them that with their destruction he is also destroyed. "See what you have stored up for yourselves against the last days." The rich man fattens himself for "Gehenna, where 'the worm dies not and the fire is never extinguished.'" Thus does Jesus call us to repentance in such severe terms, for lacking of it indeed how "quickly [our] form is consumed." It is not the body which matters, or this earth; heaven is all that matters, and so our souls. Therefore, it is indeed better to cut off hand or foot or tear out one's eye than to "enter Gehenna with its unquenchable fire." For what are these things, what are all the riches of the world, in comparison with the kingdom of God and its eternal riches? Do not, therefore, be led astray by your earthly passions; store up treasures for heaven. "The shouts of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts." "The wages you withheld from the farmhands who harvested your fields" are known to God. And as "it would be better if anyone who leads astray one of these simple believers were to be plunged in the sea with a great millstone fastened around his neck," so much better would be your fate than to suffer eternally the fires of hell. For what shall your unjust wealth benefit you there? From whom shall you steal among your fellow prisoners in chains? "The netherworld is their palace," those who grow rich on the backs of the poor and oppressed of this world. For ultimately "death is their shepherd, and the upright rule over them." They "shall never more see light"; but peace shall reign in the hearts of all God's children. ******* O LORD, let us not be plunged in the sea or herded into the nether world, but let us set our hearts and minds on you and so find life everlasting. YHWH, let us be poor, poor in spirit, poor to this world and its deadly passions. Let us put no hope in the riches that rot, or we shall rot with them. Let us seek, rather, the riches of your kingdom by giving our poor cup of water for the upbuilding of your Church. Take from us, LORD, all that keeps us from you. Let us not steal or walk in the paths of the unrighteous or look with lust upon anything or anyone. Take hand or foot or eye from us instead; keep us from all sin. Let our salt not rot, our lives not be worthless, but let us bear fruit in your NAME. LORD, our God, take especially from us our foolish pride, our belief that we can do anything of ourselves. O let us not trust in ourselves or in the things of this world but only in you and help rather than hurt the just man you bless in your holy will. Let all souls be led to your kingdom.

(Jas. 4:13-17; Ps.49:2-3,6-11,Mt.5:3; Mk.9:38-40) "Anyone who is not against us is with us." And whoever is not with the Lord is against Him. There are only two ways by which a man may walk. We choose to place our lives in the hands of God, or we worship the things of this earth. Indeed, anyone who "perform[s] a miracle in [His] name" is with Him, for a tree is known by its fruit. If indeed we commend our lives into the care of the Lord, saying, "If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that," then we shall find His blessing at work within us, and we shall be His children, doing His will. And demons shall be expelled at our words. And we shall never "fear in evil days when [our] wicked ensnarers ring [us] round." But if instead we "make arrogant and pretentious claims," boasting reprehensibly of the profits this earth shall bring us by the power of our own hands, we are in utter danger of the destruction we think can never touch us. For "in no way can a man redeem himself, or pay his own ransom to God." If we "have no idea what kind of life will be [ours] tomorrow" – and who knows the turns this earth does take? – what can we do at all by our own wills? We are, in fact, utterly dependent upon God for each breath we draw, and He may withdraw such life from us at any moment. What fool is there among you who "trust[s] in [his] wealth"? Who are they for whom "the abundance of their riches is their boast"? Have you no eyes in your head? Is there no sense in your mind? "Hearken, all who dwell in the world, of lowly birth or high degree, rich and poor alike," and from all lands and of all times – it is in Jesus alone that you find strength to draw your next breath; it is He alone who brings light to your eyes. Your riches will rot. Even prophecies will cease. There will not be a stone here left upon another. Consecrate yourself now to the Lord of all and begin to find His grace at work within you. And each day renew the power of God at work in you for that day. In His name do all things, and you shall be with Him, and He shall not leave you. ******* O LORD, let us be for you, living perfectly in your will. YHWH, let us be with you; let us give our lives to you, doing your work in accord with your will and not following the vain path our own desires mark out for us. Let us be your own; let us be your own, your disciples in this world. How can we do anything if you do not bless it, LORD? Where shall we end if apart from you? For we indeed are as vapor that quickly vanishes, and empty are all our plans. But with you and in your NAME, miracles we can perform. Great works we may accomplish if in humility we follow your way; for you are great and all powerful, and we become as you are when we walk with you. O LORD, we do not know what tomorrow may bring. Even this day is a mystery to us. Let us but place this day into your hands, and tomorrow will care for itself in your will. Let us not die seeking the vain riches of this earth but come to life by your saving grace.

O sacrificial sheep, priests of the Lord who offered your lives even as you offered Mass, in union with Christ and His Church for the sake of your homeland: you prayed for its peace even as violence was done to you; you celebrated the Mass and baptized your flock even when it became a crime, even when it cost your lives – such union with Christ pray all souls, and especially our priests, shall know to the depths of their heart; let none be afraid to shed their blood as one with His redemptive sacrifice. The Cross pray we follow where it leads, despite the world’s persecution.