The BreadCast

(Ex.22:20-26; Ps.18:2-4,47,51; 1Thes.1:5-10; Mt.22:34-40) "If ever you wrong them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry." In this simple statement by the Lord is revealed the essential nature of our God in His relation with His people. It demonstrates certainly what He says of Himself, "I am compassionate," for what is He telling us but that He has an ardent care for the poorest among us and the injustice they suffer? But it also demonstrates the justice of God itself, for what does He mean when He says He will "hear their cry" but that He will punish the wicked for their heartless crimes? He states clearly, if any should "wrong any widow or orphan… [His] wrath will flare up, and [He] will kill [him] with the sword." Now in the Church today we find an arbitrary and utterly deceptive and false separation of members into "liberal" or "conservative" camps, as if the Lord and His Church could be limited by either assignation. The liberal hears "love God and neighbor" and ignorantly excuses himself from keeping the law; and the conservative grasps the law so tightly he squeezes the very life, the very love, out of it. The Lord is neither liberal nor conservative, but may be said to be both – and that to the extreme in both cases. First of all, He has come to liberate us from our sin, to free us from the sentence of death all justly deserved as much as the adulteress or the thief on the cross He forgave. No one could be more liberal in His free giving of Himself and His love. What compares to the shedding of His blood, and the free gifts we gain thereby? Yet it must not be forgotten that the Lord Jesus is absolutely conservative in His teachings and in His ways; at all costs He preserves the truth. For though He says that "the whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments" of love of God and neighbor, He does not thereby do away with the whole law. Indeed, He strengthens it. Does He not say not a single letter, nor even part of a letter, will pass away until all the law is fulfilled? Does He not tell us now that even to look at a woman lustfully is adultery and to be angry with another is as murder (see Mt.5:17-30)? And will He not come at the end of the age and judge all hearts, separating the evil from the good and casting them into eternal darkness and eternal flames? Though He "delivers us from the coming wrath" if we love Him, failing that, we cannot but be thrown into hell. The Lord has two hands and either taken alone is ineffective, is, in fact, wicked, for either alone falls short of love and truth. The Lord is absolutely kind and absolutely just: these two meet and kiss in Him. And so they must in each of us. We must be "model[s] for all the believers." Let it be said that from us "the word of the Lord has sounded forth," that "in every place [our] faith in God has gone forth – that we have carried both His love and His truth to every heart we touch. Then we shall rightly call the Lord our "rock" and our "deliverer"; then we shall exclaim, "Praised be the Lord" and be "safe from [our] enemies." Then He will hear our cry and save us, and all who truly love Him, for then we will be His disciples. Written, read &chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "The Child and the Beast" from Remove the Mask of Lies, second album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, help us to love you with all our heart, and to love others as you love them. YHWH, we must turn from idols to worship you alone, for you are the living and true God and deserve all the love of our heart, mind, and soul. And we must love others as you love all, ever sharing your unending compassion with our neighbor. For you hear the cry of the poor, and to that call we must attend or we are not loving you at all. Whose compassion is beyond is beyond your own, LORD? Whose love can approach your perfection? For your love is founded on perfect justice, a justice we cannot fathom apart from your favor toward us. Your justice cannot but punish evil, for if not, how could it protect the good? How could the widow or orphan find your compassion if you did not destroy those who oppress them? 96 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} But even as you destroy the wicked, you do so out of love, out of mercy even toward those you destroy. For how shall they turn from their sin and be saved if you do not chastise them for their wrongs, for the lack of compassion which separates them from you? Your kindness be upon all this day, O LORD, that we might live in your love.

O zealous apostle who traveled throughout the earth driven by the fire of the Holy Spirit, you labored strenuously, rejoicing in poverty and welcoming hardships as you gave your very life for the flock in your care – pray the love of Christ will urge us on to holy zeal that we might approach your apostolic spirit, desiring to inflame all men with the fire of God's love. Concerned always and only for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, may we fulfill our call; as sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, with her same purity and commitment, pray we give birth to Christ in souls by the preaching of the Gospel until all are formed in His image in the heavenly kingdom.

(Eph.4:7-16; Ps.122:1-5; Lk.13:1-9) "Each of us has received God's favor in the measure in which Christ bestows it." Paul reminds us today of Scripture: "When He ascended on high, He took a host of captives and gave gifts to men." Christ Himself "descended into the lower regions of the earth," coming to the place where we lowly humans dwell, and then "ascended into heaven, that He might fill all men with His gifts," that those to whom He comes here on earth might know the riches of heaven to which He draws us all. "It is He who gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers in roles of service for the faithful to build up the body of Christ." Yes, He gave us these leaders such as Paul to guide us to all truth, but He no less has given us each a share of His heavenly glory and bestowed upon each of us the gifts that are our portion from Him. None is without gifts, and none can fail to employ these gifts. It is necessary that the Body of Christ has "the proper functioning of [its] members joined firmly together by each supporting ligament" if it is to grow in love as it is called to do. All our gifts must be employed to the full; each must fulfill his role. The Lord makes clear the call upon each of our souls to utilize the gifts He grants to each of His members. Listen to the words of the vinedresser in His parable: "For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree and found none." Who is that vinedresser but Jesus Himself and who is that fig tree but we who claim to be His disciples? And finding no fruit on the fig tree, what does the vinedresser say? "Cut it down. Why should it clutter up the ground?" Why indeed should we drag down the Body of Christ struggling to grow in love in this world; if we are dead members, what place have we in His kingdom? And unless we reform in the short time we are given, what shall become of our souls? Brothers and sisters, do we not wish to "go up to the house of the Lord," to rejoice in the heavenly Jerusalem, to "form that perfect man who is Christ come to full stature"? Then our tree must bear fruit in His name and serve to build up the Body in love; "if not, it shall be cut down," and we shall be separated from the glorious presence of the Lord. See the great graces and gifts the Lord showers upon you; pray for their fulfillment, for their growing more and more – "profess the truth in love" and the favors you have been given will bear their fruit, for your benefit and that of the whole world. ******* 96 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} O LORD, let us not be cut down but built up as the Body of your Son. YHWH, let us make our home in you; in the Body of your Son let us find our place. In your holy Church may we ever dwell, bearing fruit in your NAME. To full maturity let us come, in Jesus who has come to us. O LORD, in your House let us rejoice; let us find our peace in the New Jerusalem. Within Her gates we are safe from every false doctrine, from every whim and fancy of man. For divine wisdom rests in Her whom the Christ has formed by His own hands, in His own blood. Since He has founded the Church and its servants, it is He who lives in it with you. But we must leave behind our sin if we are to find such perfection in Him. We must reform our lives if we are to be made in the image of Christ your Son. O LORD, let our lives not be empty; let us not come to a sudden end… May we please you by our repentance and know your blessings upon us this day. Let your Church and all its members grow and bear fruit in Jesus' Name.

O tireless preacher of God's Word, how well, how completely, you called all men, and especially the priests of the Lord, to a life of holiness, to shine the light of Christ; with patience and sound doctrine and the example of a blameless life you sought to save souls throughout the world and bring them into the fold of Holy MotherChurch – pray this day apostles go forth in the brightness of holiness as light to the world, drawing all men to God. In such wisdom let truth be known, the truth of our Savior Jesus Christ, that every heart might call Him Lord and proclaim the Church as His own. Pray not a day pass, not an hour upon this plane, wherein His Word is not heard.

(Eph.4:1-6; Ps.24:1-6; Lk.12:54-59) "Make every effort to preserve the unity which has the Spirit as its origin and peace as its binding force." Is this not what Jesus instructs the crowds in saying, "When you are going with your opponent to appear before a magistrate, try to settle with him on the way"? Do not both Paul and Jesus speak of the love we must have one for another, even for those who may seem our enemies? Again, in the House of God there is unity, there is peace. Among His children there should be understanding, there should be grace. We must make every effort to have no enemies – to hate no one, to bear no grudge against any – in this life or the next. Brothers and sisters, we are called to live as one, "bearing with one another lovingly," for "there is but one body and one Spirit" in Christ; "there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism," which we all share, and so we should live as children of the "one God and Father of all." On our oneness in the Lord our hearts should be set, and nothing should disturb the peace we find in Him. We see so many other things, we understand so much of the world and its ways… why do we not understand this? Why do we not know and practice God's way? "The Lord's are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it." This David tells us: all are one under the Lord God. But only those "whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean," "may stand in His holy place." We cannot "ascend the mountain of the Lord" if we are not made perfect as He. And so the Lord warns us of the necessity of settling all our accounts here, now, while there is time – while we yet have breath and eyes to see – lest we come to the judge at the end of time with the darkness of sin upon our soul. Now is His mercy offered forth, and we are called in turn to offer it freely to others. Then will be grave punishment for sin, for failures to love and maintain unity. "A blessing from the Lord" awaits us all. He "that seeks the face of the God of Jacob" shall receive his reward. Even now the Spirit of the Lord grants us a foretaste of such grace. But we must be ever diligent to maintain it. We must be ever ready to forgive one another if we are to remain in Him. And so I ask: forgive me, brother; forgive me, sister, any wrong I have done you… and be assured of my forgiveness. ******* 96 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} O LORD, help us to stand in your holy place, as reflections of your peace and your love for all. YHWH, you are LORD of Heaven and earth and all is under your watchful care. We are in you and in your Son and have your one Spirit at our heart's core. Let us live in peace! Let us live as your children, holy as you are. If we maintain not humility and peace in our souls, can we be said to be your own? O LORD, if we settle not with our opponent here on this earth, how can we come unto your heavenly presence? There can be no anger or hatred in us; indeed, our hands must be sinless if we are to enter your eternal kingdom and make our home in you. And so, dear LORD, help us to forgive one another, to love all as you love them – let us be the race that seeks ever your holy face and never turn aside from such desire for utter love in your presence. Forgive all those who sin against us, and please let us be forgiven in your sight.