The BreadCast

(2Sm.1:1-4,11-12,19,23-27;   Ps.80:2-7;   Mk.3:20-21)  “They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan.”  For David's leading his men in mourning for Saul, it might have been said of him what was said of Jesus: “He is out of His mind.”  But even to the end David proves himself sincere in his respect for God's anointed, even slaying the man who claims to have dispatched the king upon Saul's request (after he had dealt himself a mortal wound).  David is not anxious to claim the throne for himself, as so many around him suppose he should be.  Like Christ, he does not grasp at what is his, but continually humbles himself before his Lord and God, and waits and accepts the will of the Father. And so David weeps and fasts for the man who forever sought his life.  And so he is given “tears to drink in ample measure.”  And so he cries with the Israelites, “fed with the bread of tears” at the death of their king.  Jonathan, David truly loved.  He was indeed better to him than any brother or any lover.  For him his tears are understandable.  Jonathan repeatedly saved David's life, to the point of provoking the wrath of his father against himself.  But there is no explanation for his love of Saul, other than the Lord loved him and had blessed him.  And so, David's love is as the love of God.  His tears fall from on high. And what shall we say of our gospel today?  Jesus and His disciples are so pressed upon by the crowds of people, they made it “impossible for them to get any food whatever.”  We should remember this situation when we consider the Lord's family coming to “take charge of Him.”  We should understand their concern for His health when we interpret their statement that “He is out of His mind.”  They mean not that He is insane, but that He needs someone to look after His temporal needs, lest He tax Himself overmuch. But the Lord's strength, like David's love, also comes from on high – it is not earthly.  And His work is His food, and the Father will take care.  His mourning and weeping and fasting and dying for us is blessed by His Father, and will bear fruit unto His kingship in heaven.  If He did not live by the standards of heaven, there would be no hope for our salvation, for why should He die for sinners such as us, other than it is the Father's love? ******* O LORD, your love for us goes beyond reason, beyond the death we deserve for our sin. YHWH, your Son must be out of His mind for loving us as intensely as He does.  Why should He so forget Himself for those who have betrayed Him, those who have sought His life?  We ask this day: Why did David mourn over Saul, and why does Jesus die on the Cross? He spends Himself for our sakes, obedient to your will in all things, sacrificing Himself for those you would save.  And He cares not that those for whom He prays, those whom He heals by a word from His mouth, shall turn upon Him on the day you have assigned.  He desires only what you desire, dear God: that your wayward children shall not perish. As for a brother He gives Himself; members of your family He would make us.  With us He has been fed with the bread of tears, and from these He comes to rescue our souls.  O LORD, let us not drown in the surrounding sadness!  Let us rise from our fall with Him.

O first of souls to shed blood, whose sacrifice began the great persecution, you indeed handed your bodies over to torture, to the mad king of this dark world, but everlasting reward you have gained for yourselves and for the Church; your robes washed clean in the blood of the Lamb, you served to nourish the growth of the people of God – pray your holy offering shall always be remembered, that the Church in this day and in all days may be blessed by your witness of faith, that you might light our path to Heaven until our crucified Lord returns again to gather all of faith and courage into His redeeming arms.

(Gn.21:5,8-20;   Ps.34:7-8,10-13;   Mt.8:28-34) “When the afflicted man called out, the Lord heard, and from all his distress He saved him.” Ishmael is the model of the afflicted man calling out to the Lord and being heard in all his distress.  His very name means “he whom God hears” and indeed we see clearly today how, though “it is through Isaac that descendants shall bear [Abraham's] name,” nonetheless, the Lord has pity on Ishmael and his plight – his rejection by the mother of the promised child and his wandering in a trackless waste – and declares that of him a “great nation” shall come.  Indeed he is left to die by his mother, so desperate had their situation become; but upon the child's crying out, the Lord hears and sends His angel to assist them and assure them of the boy's future greatness. Ishmael is a son of Abraham; though born of a slave woman, yet “he too is [Abraham's] offspring,” and so for this the Lord takes special care to watch over him.  For God has chosen Abraham to be the father of many nations and does not wish to see His blessed patriarch distressed.  We have already seen how God has heard the prayer of Abraham for Lot; now we see the same regarding Abraham's concern for Ishmael.  We must, brothers and sisters, understand whence our own blessing comes.  We are spiritual sons of Abraham, of Moses, of David… but most particularly we are children of Jesus and His apostles, the Church.  A far greater intercessor have we in the Son of God Himself, so let us not be afraid to cry out to Him in our need.  For if God heard the prayers of Abraham, how much more will He hear the prayers of His Son?  And if God watched over the kin and offspring of the blessed patriarch, how much more concern does He have for the children of light born of the blood of Jesus Christ? Our confidence must be sure in Him, for He cannot help but hear our prayer.  Indeed, our gospel tells us that when “the demons kept appealing to Him,” even them He heard and granted their plea.  If the Lord hears such as these, how can we even begin to doubt His presence to us?  Now let us not be afraid to come to Him.  Let us not be like the inhabitants of that Gadarene territory who found the Lord too much to bear and “begged Him to leave their neighborhood.”  Let us not think in our hearts coming to Him we will die, that His light is simply too bright.  No.  He calls us as children to take refuge in Him.  It is His desire to bless our days.  Turn not away from Him, for as David sings for us, “Those who seek the Lord want for no good thing”; He hears and answers all our cries. ******* O LORD, you have power to bless and to save; you have pity on every poor man, and so, let us not be afraid to cry out to you. YHWH, you cannot help but answer our cries; your Son cannot turn his back on those in need, those who plead for His mercy.  For you are love and mercy itself, and your compassion knows no bounds.  And so, the son of the slave girl you bless, and even respond to the demons' request. And will you not hear us when we call to you, LORD?  Should we doubt your concern for our well-being?  Every afflicted soul you would save from distress, if he would but your mercy seek. For this grace let us praise you, LORD; let us not turn away from you in fear.  For our sins you would wipe away, remembering them no more.  Be with us now and let us grow in you.  Let us remain with you forever, your blessing upon us all our days.  O let us prosper in your love, in your holy presence.

O most blessed apostles of the Lord upon whom the Church is founded and the faith goes forth, in you we cannot be shaken and the Lord's reign extends to the ends of the earth – pray we always take refuge in His House and in the teaching of His mouth. It is you who preserve the authenticity of the faith; through you we may be assured the Spirit of God is with us, leading us out of the dark prison of this world along the narrow path to Heaven. Pray the chains fall from our hands and we heed the angel's command, remaining faithful to the end, pouring out our lives like a libation. Feed the poor sheep in your care.

Acts 12:1-11;   Ps.34:2-9;   2Tm.4:6-8,17-18;   Mt.16:13-19)   “On this rock I will build my Church, and the jaws of death shall not prevail against it.”   We go through death to life, for death has no power over us: the power of Jesus founded firmly on Peter, brought forward by Paul, and present in all the members of the Church and in its faith, has conquered death and leads us all to heaven. Today we celebrate the solid foundation of the Church in Peter, the man of faith, first of the apostles and rock upon whom we are firmly set; and Paul, the great Apostle, through whom that faith went out to “all the nations.”  Our readings today clearly manifest the faith we possess, which overcomes even death, in Jesus' commissioning of Peter and in the example shown in the lives of both Peter and Paul. Our first reading describes Peter's mystical release from prison and reveals in this act our own coming to the heavenly kingdom: the chains of sin fall from us, we are clothed in righteousness, and led through the snares of this world to freedom.  And it is he who holds “the keys of the kingdom of heaven” who is led out; and indeed by these keys, by this office and its grace, “the iron gate leading out to the city” opens before us “of itself.”  And in our second reading we find Paul declaring the faithful life he has led even unto the end, which he now faces, and that his fighting of the good fight has merited the crown which awaits him on the Day of Lord.  He is able to state with confidence, “The Lord will continue to rescue me from all attempts to do me harm and will bring me safe to His heavenly kingdom.”  Finally, our psalm confirms the protection the Lord grants His faithful ones: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” We are sharers in this faith with Peter and Paul.  This is evident in the Church who “prayed fervently to God” on behalf of Peter, and whose prayers were answered in this astounding fashion, and is made certain in Paul's proclaiming that Jesus gives the reward of a heavenly crown not only to Paul himself “but to all who have looked for His appearing with eager longing.”  The Church is one in all its members, and though the Lord has chosen certain of us to special places and granted them special blessings and powers, all are blessed by this same God. So, today as we rejoice in this faith with which we have been gifted by the Lord, as we “together extol His name,” let us consider the place we have in His holy Church and the work to which He calls us.  And let us resolve to fulfill that call, pouring ourselves out unto death, that we might be assured of our entering through the heavenly gate.  Let us walk in faith the narrow path the Lord has set before us, for it leads beyond death to life. Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by James Kurt. Music by Carie Fortney; performed by Carie Fortney and Annette Meyer.  Used by permission. ******* O LORD, may we be loosed from the chains of this earth that we might walk with you in Heaven.  YHWH, the gates of the netherworld cannot prevail against you and your Church.  To Peter you have given the keys to the kingdom and these shall open every lock the devil can devise; the chains fall from our wrists by the angel you send to guide us. You deliver us, LORD, from every evil and bring us into your heavenly kingdom.  The lion's mouth shall not close upon us, nor any prison door keep us from you.  For we are redeemed by the sacrifice of your Son; in Him and in His blood your Church finds power and grace to facilitate release from all the wiles of the evil one.  Jesus sets your people on solid rock through His commissioning of His apostle Peter.  And your Word goes forth to the ends of the earth through Paul and all your disciples.  And so, on the day of your Son's appearance, all shall enter freely through the eternal gates to dwell in your presence forever.  You have heard our cries to you, O LORD, and bring us quickly to Heaven.

O great teacher of the Catholic faith who served to set a foundation upon which she could grow in peace and in truth, in the Spirit of God, you who valiantly defended her against attacks of heresy and shed your blood in the battle – pray we shall find shepherds today to explicate the faith of the apostles as clearly and loyally as you have done, that none shall be led astray into false doctrine by whim and fancy, by pride and envy, but drink rather the pure milk of our Mother and of the one true God. To vision of the Father let us come by revelation of His only-begotten Son.

(Gn.18:16-33;   Ps.103:1-4,8-11;   Mt.8:18-22)   “While the two men walked on farther toward Sodom, the Lord remained standing before Abraham.”   “Then Abraham drew nearer to Him…” A marvelous scene.  First, as Abraham walks along with the Lord, we hear the Lord's thoughts.  The Lord wishes to share His plans with him, not to act apart from His blessed one.  He tells Abraham of the imminent destruction of Sodom, knowing he will be concerned for his kinsman, Lot.  The Lord then stops and stands still, granting Abraham opportunity to speak.  In great humility, but with the strength provided by God, he petitions the Lord.  And the Lord is pleased to hear him.  He is pleased that Abraham recognizes the justice of God, and He is satisfied with his fear in approaching Him: “I am but dust and ashes!” exclaims Abraham, and comes to each question with trepidation, pausing in silence before each to hear in that silence the Lord calling him to ask further.  The Lord hears and answers his prayer to spare Lot. Evident in this scene is the psalmist's words: “Merciful and gracious is the Lord.”  How patient and kind and forbearing.  How He desires that we draw near to Him and share in His will.  And how forgiving is He: “He pardons all your iniquities…  He redeems your life from destruction.”  For Lot He shall spare from that evil land; indeed, to all who repent He shows His favor.  His promise is sure. But we must come to Him in the humility of Abraham.  We must not approach Him as does the scribe in our gospel, proclaiming so boldly and so foolishly his willingness to follow Jesus, yet knowing nothing of the glory of God and what following Him entails.  Nor must we come so shakily as the disciple who makes excuses.  Upon hearing of the difficulties, he attempts to put off following Christ for a time…  There is but one time with God, and it is present, and it is now.  We must come to Him in humility and find the strength His grace provides as He draws us to Himself. There is a time to speak, brothers and sisters – a time to speak and a manner of speaking.  It is not right to speak until the Lord stops to listen.  We must wait on Him and His grace.  One does not burst into the court of a king unannounced proclaiming his loyalty to Him who sits on the throne.  One waits until called and then pours out one's heart, trusting in the compassion of the Lord. It is His desire to share with us all His works.  It is His pleasure to hear our good prayers.  But let us realize to whom we speak and come in true faith and humility; and He will hear and answer all our petitions, and we will become sharers in His promised glory.   ******* O LORD, in the Day of Judgment you will spare those who walk with your Son. YHWH, how kind and merciful you are, for you stop to listen to our prayers; you desire to share with us your plans.  What are we but dust and ashes?  And yet you make us your own sons and shower your blessings upon us.  Be so kind as to answer our call to save all those in need. Your Son you send to us, LORD, to walk among us and lead us to you, our Father in Heaven.  And so, all things of this earth we must leave behind if we are to walk in His way, if we are to rest with you in the heavenly kingdom. But we are weak, dear God, so weak and so blind.  We know not what it is you ask of us, and are afraid to come to your side.  Draw us unto you, LORD, in your kindness; in your compassion help us to approach you with our plea.  Without your help we shall not find the salvation you wish to share with us poor creatures.  Without your grace we cannot follow your Son. 

O great defender of the Mother of God and of the faith itself, courageously you declared that Jesus is God indeed, become Man in Mary His Mother; this you made plain for all to see, O shepherd of the people of God, that truth might reign and the Virgin might find her proper place among us – pray, O brave teacher, that we shall not be afraid to proclaim the truths inscribed by the Spirit upon the heart of the Church and in her inspired writings; and may indeed our Mother, the Mother of Jesus, the Mother of God, be recognized for her preeminence amongst the saints, that the Word of the Lord might be fulfilled and all generations call her blessed.

(Ws.1:13-15,2:23-24;   Ps.30:2,4-6,11-13;   2Cor.8:7,9,13-15;   Mk.5:21-43)  “God formed man to be imperishable; the image of His own nature He made him.” “God did not make death, nor does He rejoice in the destruction of the living.”  “By the envy of the devil death entered the world, and they who belong to his company experience it,” but God has nothing to do with death: He is but Life, and would have us be with Him where He is. It is the Lord's will that all live, that all are rescued from death and destruction; and so Jesus “became poor, so that by His poverty [we] might become rich,” and so He died that we might live… and so He comes healing us of our disease and raising us from the dead.  David witnesses to His power in our psalm today – “You brought me up from the netherworld, you preserved me from among those going down into the pit” – and in our gospel Jesus heals the woman of her flow of blood and wakes Jairus' daughter from her sleep. “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” the Lord whispers to the child of twelve as He holds her by the hand, and “she [arises] immediately and walk[s] around.”  Despite the commotion and the ridicule of the crowd outside, the Lord enters her room and calls quite clearly to her heart…  Do you hear Him?  Do you hear Him speaking?  Does He not call to all our hearts to rise from the dead, from the death of sin or complacency, or whatever disease has gripped our lives?  What He speaks to the little girl He says to all: “Rise from your slumber, O sleeper!” It is not death to which we are called, but life.  This Jesus clearly shows in His ministry upon the earth.  And though this life can only be fully known having entered the gates of heaven, and though each day we are called to lay down our lives, to die as the Lord has shown us – though this indeed be a world of suffering for the Christian soul who always carries His cross, we know the Mighty One, the Creator of the universe, holds us each in His loving hand, and He will turn our “mourning into dancing” as He breathes life upon us again.  “At nightfall weeping enters in, but with the dawn rejoicing,” as we see that never really do we die, as we discover in His presence among us our eternal life… as we sense even now our blessed immortality.  Remain with Him forever. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "To Eternal Life" from Thoroughfare, seventh album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, lay your hands upon us that death might flee and we be healed. YHWH, in you death has no place, no power at all.  By a word from the mouth of your Son, the death we have brought upon ourselves is dispelled, and we are raised to life with you.  It is for life you have made us; bring us back to your side. In this world we weep and mourn, O LORD; we cry out for the darkness that closes in.  But what is this death that seems to take hold to those who have faith in you?  Those who closely follow your Son shall be cured of their diseases, healed of every affliction – even from death they shall be raised, as if they were only sleeping.  For He will speak to our hearts, and hearing His voice we shall arise.  We shall live in peace forever. Jesus has laid down His life that we might be brought up from the nether world.  Though death and sin and the envy of the devil threaten to take our posterity away, yet we shall sing praise to you, O LORD, for the salvation wrought in our midst.

(Gn.18:1-15;   Lk.1:46-50,53-55;   Mt.8:5-17)   “Is anything too marvelous for the Lord to do?”   Our theme again is faith.  Do we believe as Abraham, as Mary, as the centurion?  Only such trust will save us. In our first reading the Lord appears to Abraham.  We have here the marvelous scene of faith being born, being conceived.  Abraham sits patiently, waiting, praying – expectant of the Lord's return to confirm His word to him.  Then, “looking up, he saw three men nearby.”  There is the Lord before him.  His reaction is one we all must learn to follow: he does not hesitate an instant.  He runs to them, bows before them (even to the ground), and begs them to stay with him that he might serve them.  With haste he has food prepared for them, “and he waited on them under the tree while they ate”; his eyes “like the eyes of a servant on the hand of his master” (Ps.123:2), he watches their every move to be certain they are well pleased.  (In addition to this quote from Psalms, one cannot help but think of Jesus' words to the church at Laodicea in the Book of Revelation (3:20): “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.”) As Abraham sits there gazing at the Lord, He speaks to His servant: “Where is your wife, Sarah?”  Here comes that which Abraham has been longing to hear.  His heart leaps up, and the Lord states His promise in no uncertain terms.  Now Sarah laughs.  But Abraham is no longer laughing.  The Lord tests him with the question, “Why did Sarah laugh?” to show to Abraham that he no longer thinks the promise too marvelous for the Lord to fulfill.  The Lord repeats the promise.  Abraham believes to the depths of his soul; He knows the word spoken to him is of truth.  And he shall take his wife in fruitful embrace. How appropriate to hear Mary's Magnificat in our daily bread, she who is the handmaiden of the Lord, who believed the words of the angel and so found the greatest blessing of the Lord and the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham.  How like Mary, the model of all the faithful, has her father Abraham come to be. And, of course, our gospel finds Jesus marveling at the faith of the Roman centurion, greater than any He has found in Israel.  It bodes well that all of faith shall be found at table in the kingdom of God, but we must heed Jesus' warning that “the natural heirs will be driven out.”  For we are the heirs of the Israelites.  As Catholics we now hold the covenant.  We have the apostolic succession, the sacraments, the teaching – all the gifts are ours.  But have we the faith necessary to gain entrance into His kingdom; are we prepared to come to His table and dine with Him who feeds us with the food of everlasting life?  Do we believe?  This question the Lord puts on all our souls.  How shall we answer? ******* O LORD, let us be quick to serve you and you will make a place for us in your kingdom. YHWH, instill faith in our very souls, the faith of Abraham and Mary, the faith the centurion shows even though he is not of your people.  And we shall bear fruit in abundance; and your mercy shall be known to the ends of the earth. Though our hearts be old and withered, O LORD, though we be beyond the age of giving birth, yet you come to us in your mercy and make us fruitful in your NAME.  And so, what should we do but praise you?  How ready we should be to obey your commands! Look upon your servants in our lowliness.  We are not worthy to have you come under our roof, yet your Son you give to us as our very food.  We indeed should feed you, O God, but it is you who provide for our needs; by your hand we are fed each day at the table of sacrifice – we who have been so far from your face, you heal and bring near by a word from your mouth, and so we praise you in joy.

(Gn.17:1,9-10,15-22;   Ps.128:1-5;   Mt.8:1-4)  “Can Sarah give birth at ninety?” Abraham laughs to himself as he asks the question; and indeed many scoff at the idea today, or simply choose to reason the possibility away.  And can a leper be made clean in an instant, just by a touch of Jesus' hand and the words “Be cured”?  Is the arm of God, who created the universe, somehow shortened to such miracles?  Why do we think it so?  Wherefore our lack of faith? God appears to this ninety-nine-year-old man and tells him whose wife is barren, in the words of our psalm: “Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; your children like olive plants around your table.”  And Abraham laughs.  (As will Sarah, too, upon hearing such news – thus the name of their child Isaac: “he laughs”.)  It's an understandable reaction.  Who would not find the thought humorous?  But Abraham does something more than laugh: he also “prostrates himself” before the Lord, face to the floor.  How many of our modern scoffers would do such as this?  It is human to question, to doubt; but it is godly to humble oneself in faith.  There is a world of difference between a laugh of wonder and the scoffing of the skeptic.  The latter shall remain barren, never finding the living water that would make him fertile and fruitful; the former by his fear of the Lord opens himself to His favor, to His blessing – and such life-giving breath of blessing will make him bear fruit abundantly. This humble faith is perfectly evident in the leper as well, and is indeed the catalyst of his healing.  We are told the leper “came forward and did Him homage” – falling on his face like Abraham – and said to the Lord, “If you will to do so, you can cure me.”  First he shows humility, he shows fear of the Lord; then he expresses his faith.  Simply put, he believes in the power of God.  And so he is healed.  He is made whole, more whole indeed than the Pharisees and priests who stand by calculating how this can be. God does not come to the proud.  He does not show Himself to the self-righteous.  He cannot.  They refuse Him at every turn.  To the humble of heart, to the poor in spirit, the Lord is present – and His blessings they receive.  And miraculous are they beyond what the eye can see.   Amen. ******* O LORD, free us from all our disease by a word from your mouth, as we bow humbly before you.  YHWH, by a word from your mouth the barren womb bears fruit; by a word from your mouth we are healed.  Our reproach, our leprosy, is taken from those who come to you in faith, who bow before you in humility.  Only in this way are we saved – only in this way are our lives of any worth. In wonder we look upon your works, O LORD, in wonder and thanksgiving.  How can we not give you praise for your blessings upon us?  If we fear you and the hand you stretch forth to redeem our souls, we shall indeed know your blessings upon us through all generations. Laughter you put into our mouths, dear LORD, as we look upon your hand at work.  What joy you bring to the tired soul by your grace living amongst us!  Though we seemed at the point of death, though disease had taken hold – you have freed us to walk with you… in all our days your will is done.

O greatest of men born of woman, before you were formed in the womb the Lord called you; while still in this cave you leapt for joy at His presence come to you… a sharp, two-edged sword He made you to hail the coming Messiah, the Light in our midst, the New Covenant born of the Old – how shall we humble ourselves as you have done; how shall our call be realized in flesh and blood as was your own? Pray, dear brother, that from darkness we be taken, from blindness and inability to speak we be rescued, that the Word among us we may know and raise our voices to proclaim His salvation to all.

(Is.49:1-6;   Ps.139:1-3,13-15;   Acts 13:22-26:   Lk.1:57-66,80)   “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”   The voice of one crying in the wilderness, he who hails the coming of the Lord, is born today.  This voice speaks of the Word among us.  And from before his birth he is called, in the womb he is formed, to proclaim with the sword of truth God's salvation for His people.  “Surely the hand of the Lord was with him,” and surely we find the grace of God by walking the path he blazed for us in the desert; for surely that way leads to the glory who is the Son of David. Yes, “to us this word of salvation has been sent.”  To us this light has been brought forth.  We “distant peoples” hear now the call of the voice which pierces our souls: Make straight the way of the Lord!  The tongue now speaks; no longer silenced, no longer hidden, it has risen from “the depths of the earth” to plainly declare the coming of Christ.  Yes, in the womb of the Old Testament the Lord wonderfully formed the salvation of Israel, probing and scrutinizing all its ways and preparing it for birth in the light of day.  And now what He hid in His quiver He shoots forth to wound with amazement the hearts who have waited to hear the Word of life.  “John heralded His coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel”; by his voice a place is made for the Savior, Jesus. At the turning point of the history of salvation John stands.  He has come to direct souls to the Promised Land.  For this he was made.  To this call he answers – to lead us to the Son of Man.  The old is passed away; now all is made new.  Fulfillment has come.  The womb has brought forth.  The time of salvation is here.  For He through whom time and the earth and heavens were made is now come to wash even the dirt from our feet.  Listen to the voice which hails the Word of God in our midst.  His call is for all ears; the light shines for all “who are God-fearing.” Your recompense is upon you now.  You, too, make known His light to the world. Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Carie Fortney. Music by Carie Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, your Word of salvation you speak through the mouth of John, whom you have blessed with your might and power. YHWH, your Word of salvation goes forth to the ends of the earth, proclaimed through the mouth of John, the fulfillment of the prophets of Israel.  In his birth what is old passes away, and what is new comes.  Now the light of the nations enters this house. Loose our tongues to declare your glory, dear LORD.  You who have formed us in the depths of the earth, in the womb of the Church, now gather us into your arms that we might be raised unto the glory of your Son, brought into union with you who are our Father and our God.  O may we share your Name as we are born into your kingdom! Let your hand be upon us for good, O LORD; let your will be accomplished in us as it has been in John.  Let all souls know that it is you who probe us and know us, you who understand all our thoughts and ways.  May all our thoughts and actions be in accord with your own, and so in all things let us declare to all that your Son has come – O let us be His servants!

(Gn.15:1-12,17-18;   Ps.105:1-4,6-9;   Mt.7:15-20)   “Abram put his faith in the Lord, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.”   In our gospel today, Jesus teaches us, “You can tell a tree by its fruit.”  And what can we tell of Abram but that he is a bountiful tree, faithful and strong.  Indeed, in his faith is his goodness, and in his children, who reach down even unto this day, his blessed fruit is known. What holy, gentle conversation the Lord has with Abram, coming to him in visions to speak to his soul, to thus nourish this tree which He has planted upon the earth.  And how faithful Abram is, patiently awaiting the growth which comes from God.  Here, my friends, is the Lord's relationship with man exemplified.  This is how we should be with our God… seeking the Lord, asking Him the questions which are upon our hearts, believing Him as He speaks to us – as He surely does.  For such is our God to us: coming to us in our fears, reassuring our souls, remaining ever faithful to us as He brings to maturity the fruit He has planted in our spirit.  No doubt we should have of His blessing.  His promise is sure. And so with our psalmist we should celebrate; we should “glory in His holy name.”  For we are “descendants of Abraham,” partakers of the faith brought to fulfillment in Jesus, fruit of the tree of life.  And the Lord “remembers forever His covenant.”  This grace we have been given shall never leave us; the life within us shall remain.  And in our days, through our time, as we partake of our daily bread, the Lord continually speaks to us and blesses us, bringing our fruit to maturity as we progress and grow in His Name.  And we shall look upon our children's children.  Our own trees shall indeed bear fruit in His light.  We must but remain faithful to Him; we must but keep diligent as Abram who, though “birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses,” stayed by his holy sacrifice.  We shall see the false prophets of our age come to naught; we shall see these trees “cut down and thrown into the fire.”  And we will see and know the rebirth of true doctrine: our Church we will witness in all its heavenly glory.  “Fear not!” the Lord says to Abram, and so He speaks to us.  Our descendants shall be numerous as the stars.  With all the children of God we shall rejoice.  Keep faith in your hearts.   ******* O LORD, how fruitful indeed is Abraham, whose spiritual children surpass the many nations born of his loins. YHWH, let us be fruitful in your sight.  Come to us and reassure us of your presence with us, of your blessing upon our souls, that we might enter into the Covenant you made with Abraham and be fruitful in faith as he.  O let our descendants be as the stars in the sky. O LORD, make us as your chosen ones, serving you constantly on this earth, and we shall rejoice forever in the glory of your kingdom with all your saints in light.  Steadfast let us be in doing your will, in keeping the wolves at bay.  May the sacrifice we offer be holy, and we be acceptable in your sight. Your voice make known to us, LORD; let us hear and answer your call.  A faith so simple and profound provide your disciples – make us as children before you.  And as we seek you so, let us find you....  May the blood of your Son course through our veins, and so we bear fruit all our days in your holy NAME.

O kings of martyrdom who indeed laid down your very lives rather than heed the dictates of an evil emperor, whose loyalty to the Lord and the Church He established stands unparalleled, your defense of the faith and conscience written in the blood you shed – pray that the mediocrity, the utter inability to stand for truth in this relativist age, will be defeated by souls founded firmly in the Spirit of Christ and in the Cross He offers forth for our salvation. Pray for leaders of Church and State to embrace your singular devotion.

O lover of poverty who gave up great wealth to find her abiding within the walls of your heart, a heart which turned thus to God's people and the shepherding of them with great care – pray that we too may hear and come to realize in our lives the call of our Lord to give up all things for the sake of the kingdom, to be attached to nothing but service of the poor, service of God Himself in the humble of this earth; pray that like you we may have the heart of a shepherd, of a laborer in Jesus' vineyard, united in the Spirit with all God's children with whom we share His Heaven.

(Gn.13:2,5-18;   Ps.15:1-5;   Mt.7:6,12-14;)   “How narrow is the gate that leads to life, how rough the road, and how few there are who find it!”   In our first reading today, the way Abram walks with God is contrasted with the path Lot chooses for himself.  Though the road seems wide and clear, this gate leads to damnation, and indeed, as our gospel states, is one which is chosen by the traveler himself; whereas the narrow path is one which is found in God. Lot and Abram could no longer dwell together; their possessions were too great and the tensions were too high among their servants.  Taking “no reproach against his neighbor,” acting as the just soul spoken of in our psalm, “Abram said to Lot: ‘Let there be no strife between you and me,'” and put the whole land at his disposal, offering to take what remained.  So “Lot looked about,” Scripture tells us, to see what pleased his eyes, and then “chose for himself,” again the words of Scripture, that broad expanse of land which he thought would be fruitful for his needs.  And where does this decision he takes by the sight of his own eyes lead him?  To the depraved, to the reprobate, to the dogs and swine – to the infamous land of Sodom, whose people “were very wicked in the sins they committed against the Lord.”  To such we are led by our senses. Once Lot is gone, how is Abram led to his destination – are his feet led by his own eyes as well?  No, the Lord comes to Him as guide.  It is He who tells him to “set forth and walk about in the land.”  It is again God and his faith which serve as his light.  And what promise there is by way of this path!  But what difficulties one must face to attain it. When Abram arrived at his destination, “he built an altar to the Lord.”  (In what contrast is this altar to the unholy sacrifices offered at Sodom.)  The altar of Abram signifies both the faith of this just man and the sacrifice necessary to walk with God and find the life to which He leads us.  We know that Abram's path will be particularly rough, as will be that of his descendants.  There will be slavery and wandering in the desert, and once come into the land of promise, it shall not remain with them.  Indeed, it is only we now in the Spirit following the coming of Christ for whom that promise is fulfilled.  And yet do we struggle.  And yet every day must we examine our conscience and reform our lives to prepare ourselves to enter that gate which is so narrow.  No sin will it accept.  No foolish pride can exist in our hearts if we hope to enter life.  The way is rough, but what blessed protection the Lord gives by His guidance; and we “shall never be disturbed” by the trials of this world but come thereby to the sure promise of heaven.   *******  O LORD, the wide road of the world leads to damnation; the narrow gate of the Cross of Christ takes us to Heaven.  YHWH, let us be just, as Abraham, and as faithful to your Word.  Not by our own eyes let us set forth, but led by your command.  Your narrow way let us follow, the way that leads to life. The just man thinks only the truth in his heart, and does not slander his fellow man.  He is a man of peace who takes up no reproach against his neighbor but gives him preference of place.  This is what it means to treat others as we would be treated, for when we give others such deference (as Abraham does for Lot), you, O LORD, defer to us… and we are truly blessed.  For no one is as just as you. Let us come to know your justice, LORD, and we shall be kept from the dogs and swine.  Through the narrow gate let us enter and not the gate that is clear and wide, and we shall be preserved from all evil – for you will be at our side.  And though the Cross does enter into our lives, it only serves to bless us with passage into your Promised Land.

O patron of youth whose innocence was unsurpassed, whose desire to give yourself to the Lord in poverty and purity led you to relinquish your wealth in this world at a tender age that you might embrace Jesus fully – pray for the youth of our day and the child in each of our souls, that all might turn away from the temptations which surround and threaten to enter and enslave; let all turn toward the love of the Lord and His heavenly call, a call to a kingdom that surpasses everything of this earth and brings the joy known only in breathing and speaking His holy Name.

(Gn.12:1-9;   Ps.33:12-13,18-20,22;   Mt.7:1-5)   “The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear Him.”   There is a plank in our own eye; there is but a speck in our brother's.  This is what the Lord sees.  And this is what we see if we fear the Lord.  If we fear the Lord, we remain humble before Him.  If we fear the Lord, we will be released from judgment.  If we fear the Lord, we indeed will be as Abram, following His blessed commands.  “Abram went as the Lord directed him,” our first reading tells us so aptly today.  He left his father's house at a word from God and followed wherever God led, his path illumined only by faith.  He walked not by his eyes but only by his faith in the Lord's promise to him; the Lord became his eyes and he trusted himself and all his family and all his possessions to these eyes which watched over him.  In darkness and in quiet he sets out, the Lord as his only light and His voice as his only guide.  Such faith, such blessed faith and humility. Such faith must we all have, brothers and sisters, for it cannot be otherwise but that the Lord calls each one of us to such faith, to such trust; He calls each of us from our “father's house” to walk with Him alone and find our way in His presence.  Do we fear Him?  Do we love Him?  Are we humble before Him?  If so, we will know the path upon which the Lord leads us; we will hear His voice speaking quietly in our ears and in our hearts.  And we will follow Him.  And He will bless us and fulfill His own call for our lives.  He will remove the plank from our eyes and grace us with the ability to remove the speck from others'.  He will be our wisdom in teaching, our strength in serving.  We will not go forth vainly in our own power, but will know His hand guiding us in all we do, for all will be done in His Name.  Then great things will be accomplished in us.  Then we become sharers in the promise of Abraham. The Lord is our God.  He watches over.  He judges.  He leads.  All healing and all grace and blessing come from His hand and not our own.  Our eyes see only what is before us; His illumine the universe.  But we may share in His vision, we may partake of His presence, if we have faith, if we humble ourselves before Him and go as He directs. And as He blesses us so with His guidance, as we find ourselves coming into His kingdom, let us not fail to build an altar to His Name, let us remember to praise Him for His grace.  And we shall find our path sure; and in time we shall come “by stages” to eternal life. ******* O LORD, let us not judge, but love; let us go as you direct us. YHWH, who can see as you see, who has vision so pure?  Only he who repents of his sin and obediently follows your way, walking in harmony with his brother.  If we are not humble, we are blind, for your power is not known to us.  We shall remain in darkness forever if we do not come to faith in you. Let us be faithful as Abraham; let us reflect his obedience to your Word.  Let us listen this day to your Son and turn from hardness of heart and judgment of others that your kindness may be upon us, O LORD.  If we are not kind and forgiving, neither shall we be forgiven, but rather bring condemnation upon our own souls – O let us repent of such blindness! Save us, O LORD, from the death of sin, from vain pride; preserve our souls in this land of famine, in this foreign place.  Let us leave behind the idols of this age and build an altar in our hearts to you.  You are our God, you alone.  Help us to leave all behind to find your way, walking humbly with one another.  Then our eyes shall be opened.

(Jb.38:1,8-11;   Ps.107:23-26,28-31;   2Cor.5:14-17;   Mk.4:35-41)  “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?” Need you ask?  If you must, I will tell you: this is He who “shut within the doors the sea, when it burst forth from the womb”; He who “set limits for it and fastened the bars of its door” – He who speaks to Job: “Here shall your proud waves be stilled!”  This is the Lord, the great I AM! When the Lord “raised up a storm wind” against those “trading on the deep waters… which tossed its waves on high… their hearts melted away in their plight.”  But “they cried to the Lord in their distress [and] from their straits He rescued them.”  Is not He who “hushed the storm to a gentle breeze, and the billows of the sea were stilled,” the same God who in our gospel when the disciples cry out, “We are perishing,” because “a violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat” – is this not the same God who “rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Quiet!  Be still!'” by whose hand “the wind ceased and there was great calm”?  The power is the same and the God is the same.  Jesus is Lord! And is it not this same God, this same Christ, who stills the waves of your own pride when its waters begin to fill your boat with sin, when it seems you shall sink into the deep and never return?  Do you not know your sin?  Do you not know His power?  Is it not the Lord's great power and the peace we find by its great grace of which Paul, too, speaks when he says, “The old things have passed away; behold, new things have come”?  Is it not the same salvation he refers to when he declares, “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation”? Brothers and sisters, “Let us cross to the other side.”  Let us allow the Lord to bring us “to [our] desired haven.”  Through the tribulation of this life let us pass, impelled by “the love of Christ,” knowing He holds power over all the proud waves of the sinful sea in His redeeming Hand.  Let Him but speak a word to our impenitent hearts to break the waves we raise up and make us whole.  “Do you not yet have faith?”  Then indeed be dead in Christ and live “no longer for [yourselves] but for Him who for [our] sake died and was raised.”  This is the Lord our God.  Silence your tongue before Him. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "The World Is a Work of Art (Made by the Hand of God)" (final section), from The Whole Whale, eighth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, in you we find our peace, for you created us, and for our sake your Son died and was raised. YHWH, what need we fear if we are already dead in your Christ?  How could the proud waves of this world be a threat to him who has already reached his desired haven, who has already come to the opposite shore?  The power of wind and sea mean nothing to the One who commands these and all other things, and it is He who is with us now. O LORD, increase our faith in the salvation that is ours through the death and resurrection of your Son.  Flesh now has no hold of Him, and so it should no longer trouble those who are reborn in Him.  His life should be our own, and this life is unconquerable.  O let us trust entirely in His love! Though the waves do rise above our heads and threaten our boat with sinking, the Spirit of your Son is present to us to command the sea to be still.  And so we shall sail peacefully into your kingdom, if we but remember His presence, if we but call on your NAME.

O sign of perfect solitude who heeded so well the Lord's command to enter into your closet in order to pray, whose great measure of self-denial led you to the peak of contemplation in God's holy presence, whose only desire was that souls might draw close to Him – pray all who seek the Lord may approach Him with a whole heart, a heart set on Him alone, that in such perfect devotion all might find Him present in their souls, in their spirits, and be elevated in their lowliness to His indescribable divine love, to His peace which passes all our understanding but draws us ever closer to His wounded side.

(2Cor.12:1-10;   Ps.34:8-13;   Mt.6:24-34)   “Seek first His kingship over you, His way of holiness, and all these things will be given you besides.”   The call to treasure in heaven continues.  What care we for the things of this earth?  What is money, what are food and clothing to us?  Indeed, they must not be our concern.  And what matter to us is our bereavement of these things and other like afflictions which the world may inflict upon us.  We are called to be like Paul and be “content with weakness, with mistreatment, with distress,” yes, even to boast about such weaknesses in the flesh, because we know that when the world attacks us, Jesus comes to save us.  “In weakness power reaches perfection,” for when we are afflicted we share in the very “power of Christ,” which is all we can depend on in such times, and which comes to us without fail.  Thus even our persecutions become cause for rejoicing and proclaiming with David, “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” There is a weakness we should avoid, however.  The beatings which come to us from outside us are indeed an opportunity for celebration; but the weakness of being distracted by the cares of the flesh and its pleasures is not to be ours.  The Lord speaks lovingly to such weakness in us in our gospel today, gently calling us away from such preoccupation, for He knows, and states quite clearly, that such distractions will keep us from the gates of heaven.  “You cannot give yourself to God and money.”  We cannot be divided in this way.  Our hearts must be set on the holiness of God, trusting even the needs of the flesh to His care, in order to come to vision of heaven – in order to know Christ the Lord and the Father to whom He leads us.  Jesus is not concerned for these things and neither should we be.  Whether we have or not and in what measure should not matter.  We must find the vision of the Lord which rejoices even in our utter bereavement of all things of the earth.  Indeed, we cannot come to heaven until we die.  “Running after these things” will only kill the life of Christ in us; it is death to such concern which will bring us the true life of heaven. All that we need will be given us, brothers and sisters, if we set our hearts on Christ.  The Lord is not blind to our needs.  He sees all and is ever near to assist us in all our troubles.  “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”  We shall “want for no good thing” if we but seek His face.  Readiness for heaven must now be with us.   ******* O LORD, how weak we are as we struggle in this world, the Cross placed upon our backs – but O the power of your grace at work within us! YHWH, what a blessing it is to share in the sufferings of your Son, for then we share in His glory – it is then He is with us; it is then your angel watches over us. What need we fear of the persecutions of this world if you are at our side?  And if we put our trust in you, will you not provide?  What is food and what is clothing, what are all the riches of this earth but things that pass with the dawning day?  But you do not pass away.  You hold all these things in your hand.  And so, if in our weakness we find ourselves in need of assistance, you are ready to help us.  Indeed, this is your great pleasure, O holy LORD. Help us to depend on your grace, LORD, for nothing can come to us except as a gift from your loving heart.  We shall indeed prosper on this earth and come quickly to the glory of Heaven, if we but take our refuge in you, if we but learn to trust in your care.  Thank you for your goodness, which is always with us.

(2Cor.11:18,21-30;   Ps.34:2-7,18;   Mt.6:19-23)   “Store up heavenly treasure, which neither moths nor rust corrode nor thieves break in and steal.”   It is clear where Paul's treasure lies, and where it does not lie.  In the litany of the sufferings and afflictions he has endured as a “minister of Christ,” we understand without question his utter lack of concern for the things of this world.  How could it be otherwise with one who sacrifices himself so completely, readily bearing “labors” and “beatings” at every turn?  He gives not only all his possessions, but his very body for the cause of the gospel.  This is where his treasure lies – in Jesus and in His word – and he lays down all of this earth to see that blessed Word planted in the souls of all and grow to eternal life.  Beatings and stoning and hunger are as nothing to him; it is “anxiety for all the churches” which causes him the greatest pain. And now, though the moths and rust of this world could not touch him and he remained untroubled by the thieves who waylay ships at sea, there is another kind of thief who is attempting to break in and steal, to steal that about which he is concerned the most.  False prophets have come along to influence his flock, and this corruption of the Word he cannot bear; so in this emotional diatribe he in effect calls on the Lord to open the eyes of the churches.  And it is not only those at Corinth who need to be roused from their stupor of nodding approval to the voices of all who come speaking high-sounding words in God's Name: we today and everywhere must heed the call to be on guard against the thieves who would break into our souls.  How strong and knowledgeable must we be in our faith, now with a history of Church teaching behind us – but how weak we often are. Paul's words were as caustic salve healing the wounds of his people.  I pray they may be so now in calling us to right Church teaching.  Each day we hear from those preaching the comfort to be taken in earthly treasure as they bow toward the god of this world – let us stand with eyes of holy light and speak of the unfading glory of heaven.  On this may our hearts be set and on the word of Jesus, that all our afflictions will be as so much dust blown away by the wind, by the Spirit of Truth.  In Him let us take our refuge.   ******* O LORD, the darkness of this world is deep indeed; but we are not overcome by it, for we do not live in it but in the light of Christ. YHWH, let our light not be darkness; let us not set our hearts on the things of this world but on the things of Heaven.  Attached to this earth we would perish in sin – let us be aflame with the Spirit. Why should we care if we must be beaten, if the threats of thieves surround our souls?  The dangers of the world are as nothing, for what can they take from us but this mortal flesh?  Our affliction comes only in seeing others fall into sin; our only fear is for their immortal souls, and our own.  O LORD, let all stay close to you. May all your children extol your NAME in the heavenly kingdom.  May we all shine forth your light, even now while here on this dying earth.  Let its corruptibility not touch us, LORD, as we set our hearts on doing your will.  Be the light that shines in our eyes and our minds and we shall never go astray but through all trials increase in faith and come at last to eternal joy in your presence.

(2Cor.11:1-11;   Ps.111:1-4,7-8;   Mt.6:7-15)   “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”   And what we need is to be holy as He is holy.  And it is this we ask for in the Lord's Prayer.  We simply seek to be like Him, and that all obstacles to holiness be removed from us.  And like a loving father He meets our needs. And Paul is a father to the community at Corinth; he loves them “with the jealousy of God Himself.”  He has given them in marriage to Christ and is solicitous that the wedding chamber not be corrupted by false doctrine.  “Super apostles” have come among them who “win a hearing by the sheer multiplication of words,” rattling on like empty wind and taking money from Paul's children for the sound and the fury they bring.  But they signify nothing by all their skill; they are but ravenous wolves amidst the flock. Paul says of himself, “I may be unskilled in speech but I know that I am not lacking in knowledge”; and how his words echo Christ's own, that we should not get lost in mere words.  And how like a father knowing and caring for the needs of his children is Paul.  In our psalm, too, is reflected the Father's “gracious and merciful” nature which Paul shows to the Corinthians: “Sure are all His precepts… wrought in truth and equity.”  This knowledge of God is what must be conveyed, and it is this Paul offers the people.  And like a caring father who provides sacrificially for his children, Paul refuses to take return from them for his work: his work among them is a labor of love for which he seeks no recompense.  By this they must learn how freely God gives to those who seek Him and be purged of their notion that it is those whom they pay, and greatly, who care for them.  Indeed, the Father knows always what we need, and gives it freely to those who simply come as repentant children.  He exacts no cost and requires no dramatics to receive His presence and His love. Forgive my folly here, but why do you turn to the icons and idols of this glamorous age to find the peace you seek, when in His Church the Father waits to answer all your needs?  Do not be led astray by the powerful-seeming images which surround us in this day; come to the Lord of all, and before Him in silence kneel and pray:    “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us the wrong we have done as we forgive those who wrong us. Subject us not to the trial but deliver us from the evil one.”     Amen. ******* O LORD, you know what we need and provide our food, the Bread He is, through the apostles. YHWH, let us not be seduced by our pride – it is not by our own words and our own will we shall come to Heaven.  It is you who must inspire us; we must but be your humble servants.  Then great deeds will be accomplished in us, for it will be your work alone that we do. You, O LORD, are faithful and just to all who call upon you in truth, to all who have faith in your enduring love.  Those who share your mercy with others are blessed with freedom from all cares, for in your mercy the evil one finds no place.  Let all souls pray to you and know that you desire to give us all we need. You are not blind, O LORD, to our plight; we know nothing of which you are unaware.  And so let us not reach out our hands to the fruit of disobedience – let us not seek in ourselves or in those around us the glory that comes only from you.  Then we shall remain in your Garden forever, doing the work for which you made us.  Then we shall be wed to your Son.

(2Cor.9:6-11;   Ps.112:1-4,9;   Mt.6:1-6,16-18)   “Keep your deeds of mercy secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”     In the ground, hidden and secret, the seed is planted.  From the womb of the earth it sprouts, and gives its yield.  We plant the seed; God provides the seed.  And it is through His power that anything which we plant grows and increases.  So it is with our generous acts, as well as our prayer and fasting. “Happy the man who fears the Lord… His generosity shall endure forever.”  For “He who supplies seed for the sower and bread for the eater will provide in abundance; He will multiply the seed you sow and increase your generous yield.”  Trusting in Him, we shall know His blessings; and greater blessings than these shall we know and shall others know, who praise God for the gifts He provides.  Wonderful it is to behold God's ever-increasing generosity; more wonderful yet to participate in it.  It is a fountain welling up to eternal life, in which we are cleansed and made of light. But let us take to heart the warning of the Lord this day: “Be on guard against performing religious acts for others to see.”  The world does not see God, it cannot know God.  Thus God is termed “hidden” and “secret.”  And though we are to make God known to the world, we cannot do so unless we exist where He is.  In the recesses of our heart, in the quiet, we shall find Him.  In the center of our being we must place Him.  Closing the doors of our rooms, entering the stillness of our souls… kneeling there we shall find Him.  And He shall hear us, and He shall reward us with the blessing of answered prayer, of fruitful yield in His Name.  If we do not remain with Him there in secret – even in the midst of the city, even among the distractions of this world – all our actions will be in vain.  It does us no good to gain the whole world and lose our souls; and all our good deeds are empty show without Him who is goodness at their core. “He who sows bountifully will reap bountifully.”  Let us know the blessing of bearing fruit in God.  Let us give generously, knowing that for all the good we do, the Lord will provide yet more seed for us to sow, and we shall reap in abundance His heavenly blessings.  If we do all without fanfare, but quietly, humbly, secretly trusting all to His care – the blessing of His presence we shall keep with us, and we shall see our works and our prayers bear fruit in the kingdom of God.   May God bless all humble souls with His bounty. May He reveal Himself to their hearts.   ******* O LORD, let us give all we have, and give always from the heart, and we will be giving with you… and you will increase our yield. YHWH, let us cheerfully give to you all we have; all we have is from you and so it is but justice that we place all in your hands.  You will multiply our offering if in sincerity we sacrifice it to you. In secret let us keep our deeds of mercy; hidden in the depths of our soul, let them grow by your Spirit.  In the stillness you reside, and so, there we shall find you.  There you shall hear and bless our prayers.  O LORD, let our prayers rise up to you! Help us to trust in you, dear God, and in your generous love.  You wish to bless us with all that is good but cannot do so unless we believe in your goodness, unless we reflect your grace and mercy in our lives.  We are called to live with you and remain with you.  Let the light of faith dawn upon us this day. Then we shall fear nothing; then we shall live in awe of your presence, LORD.  Your glory dwelling in us and shining through us, we shall be greatly blessed.  Then we shall give freely to all!

(2Cor.8:1-9;   Ps.146:2,5-9;   Mt.5:43-48)   “Love your enemies, pray for your persecutors.”   Our psalm today begins with praise of God and the proclamation of the happiness of those “whose hope is in the Lord,” for it is He who “gives food to the hungry” and “raises up those that were bowed down.”  Freeing captives, giving sight to the blind, protecting strangers… such is our God and Father.  And in our gospel Jesus tells us, “You are sons of your heavenly Father,” and “you must be made perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  We must be His image, doing the things He does. Paul presents Jesus, the only Son of the Father, as our model in generosity.  In his gentle reminder he states: “For your sake He made Himself poor though He was rich, so that you might become rich by His poverty.”  He also presents to us the Macedonians, whose “overflowing joy and deep poverty have produced an abundant generosity.”  And Jesus makes clear that our generosity, our “sharing in the service” of God, must extend beyond our friends.  The Father makes no distinction – “His sun rises on the bad and the good, He rains on the just and the unjust” – and so we are challenged “to know the grace of God” completely by giving our love to all, even as Christ's arms are open to everyone as He hangs on the cross. How is it that poverty produces such generosity?  And how can we share in both with our God?  The poverty of which the Apostle speaks and which Jesus exemplifies and calls us to follow is the emptying of self of all which is our own, and in the very act of emptying, of giving, is generosity itself.  Whether it be a man of riches handing over his money or a man of great love performing acts of kindness, he who has is divesting himself of that which he has to enrich another.  We remember that when the woman touched the hem of His garment, Jesus perceived power had gone forth from Him (Mk.5:30).  Here is that emptying of love to heal the other.  And on the cross, of course, Jesus emptied Himself completely… and so He died. Should we be afraid, brothers and sisters, of sharing so completely in Jesus' love?  Do we think that if we give to others, we will have nothing remaining for ourselves?  Is Jesus hanging on the cross the end of the story?  No, brothers and sisters, we should not be afraid.  We must see, indeed, that the more we give, whether of money or of love, the more we are bound to receive.  Do you think that God does not see your generosity?  Do you not realize that He rewards those who are His children?  Do you think Christ still hangs on the cross?  Come to the holiness of God, brothers and sisters; there is no greater grace on earth.  Give of yourselves entirely, love even your enemies, and you shall know in ineffable wonder the surpassing love of God for all.  Such is our call and our joy. ******* O LORD, let us be perfect as you are perfect, loving as Jesus on the Cross – we will not know you otherwise. YHWH, how shall we be made perfect as you are perfect; how shall we love as Jesus on the Cross?  You alone are generous in giving.  You are only of love.  Help us to be unsparing as you who have given us your only Son. It is you who provide seed, you who provide bread.  We can produce no nourishment for our lives or the lives of others by our own hands.  All is yours, but you will give abundantly to those who seek to love as you.  All we need we will have, O LORD, and more, if we empty ourselves of all we own. O make us ready to give all over to you, to love as you do!  Let us not be afraid to share our very lives even with those who would kill us.  To them let us give more freely, for they need your love all the more.  You cannot but help love all those in need, LORD, to feed the hungry, to give sight to the blind, to set captives free… and we who hope in you, what else can we do but reflect your eternal glory?

(2Cor.6:1-10;   Ps.98:1-4;   Mt.5:38-42)   “When a person strikes you on the right cheek, turn and offer him the other.”   “Now is the acceptable time!  Now is the day of salvation!”  Alleluia!  And how do we know the salvation of the Lord except by the cross.  This is our joy.  These “difficulties, distresses, beatings, imprisonments, and riots”; the “hard work, sleepless nights, and fastings” – these crosses bring us immeasurable joy, for through them we share in the suffering of Christ and so also in His resurrection glory.  Thus the Lord can encourage us not to seek to avoid such suffering; thus He instructs us to be prepared to suffer over and above that which comes to us – for He knows that as we give of ourselves in this ready way, as we lay down our lives without hesitation, we shall find ourselves in the hand of God, we shall come quickly to join Him in heaven.  With Paul, we must “present ourselves as ministers of God, acting with patient endurance amid trials,” and His salvation will be made known in us.  And we will rejoice with Paul in all our sorrows.  And we will be able to exclaim with him, “We seem to have nothing, yet everything is ours!”  For the fullness of Christ will reside with us. Give.  Give, and do not count the cost.  How hard it is for us to freely give of our possessions, much less of our very lives.  Are we ready to “give to the man who begs” from us?  Are we prepared to care for others' needs?  Or do we hold tightly to our possessions, calling them our own?  And what of the possession of our pride and the protection of ourselves from injury?  What of our judgment of others?  Are we ready to give these up so completely?  Can we turn the other cheek to those who do us wrong, offering the pain to God and finding great comfort there, or do we need to strike back against the offending party, exacting the retribution due us according to the law?  Do we indeed live by the law, or have we transcended the law: do we now live by the Law of love?  Are we a new creation in Christ? It is not easy to lay down our lives in such a way as Christ calls us.  The world ever mocks the absurdity of this sacrifice.  But we who are in Jesus should know the absolute truth of Paul's words and Jesus' instruction.  If we are to be Christians, we must know the joy and freedom that come from suffering all with Him who is our salvation.  He is all that matters.  If we have Him, we have all things.  Come to this truth, brothers and sisters; leave behind the fears wrought by attachment to the things of this world.  This world is of sin, anyway.  As we lose our possessions for Him, He gives us all the more.  As the body dies, the spirit comes to life.  What the devil would take from us, let us give him, for he cannot touch the life that is Christ: our souls are in the hand of God.  And, as with Job, all will be restored to us, and more, in the day of the Lord.  So, “wielding the weapons of righteousness with right hand and left,” let us learn always to turn the other cheek to our persecutors.   ******* O LORD, grant us the grace to endure all trials in patience and with love, that we may give witness to your salvation at work in us. YHWH, your salvation has come to us, and it comes in the form of a Cross; in the suffering and death of your Son we are set free to rejoice in you.  Though we seem to have nothing, though we be beaten and robbed, yet Jesus is with us, and with Him everything is ours.  O let us accept the salvation that He brings this day!  Let us be patient amid all trials and we will know your presence among us. Help us, dear LORD, to walk with your Son on the way of the Cross.  He is struck repeatedly; He is stripped and forced to carry the burden of our sin.  We beg you not to turn your back on us, though we have turned our backs on Him.  Help us to do what we are unable to do – to give witness to the truth and love of the Christ… to endure all as He has done. O to be disciples of Him who saves us!  O to know His holy innocence and unending life!  O to sing with joy to you, dear God, in the unbreakable Spirit of your Son.

O gentle preacher of the Word, the fire of the Holy Spirit upon your soul for the conversion of heretics and the leading of all   to God – hold us in your arms even as the infant Jesus who appeared to you along the way, and pray that the Word may be instilled in our hearts even as it was in your own, that we shall never go astray but always have the consolation of the Spirit of God and His love and innocence to lead us through this life till we find ourselves at home in the Father's arms, where you dwell in peace with all His blessed saints. Pray for us, our teacher and brother, this day.

(Ez.17:22-24;   Ps.92:2-3,13-16;   2Cor.5:6-10;   Mk.4:26-34) “They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.” The imagery today is of trees and plants and the growth and strength of the kingdom of God.  “The just one shall flourish like a palm tree, like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow,” our psalmist rejoices, and adds, “They shall bear fruit even in old age; vigorous and sturdy shall they be.”  In our gospel Jesus tells us that the kingdom of God is like the seed that grows gradually, imperceptibly into ripe grain ready for the harvest, and compares it also to the mustard seed, “the smallest of all the seeds on the earth,” which “springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” God is the seed from which all is sprung.  Jesus is the “tender shoot” spoken of by Ezekial.  Taken from “the crest of the cedar,” the humble bloom of the house of Israel, He is “planted on a high and lofty mountain” – raised up to the right hand of the Father – and by the power of the Holy Spirit, thence He “put[s] forth branches and bear[s] fruit, and become[s] a majestic cedar”: His apostles and prophets go forth and plant the Word of God in all hearts; and as it grows unto heaven and blossoms forth in the works of every Christian, the Church is made to stand fast in the sight of the Lord.  “Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it”; everyone who seeks refuge from the heat of the sun that is this world of sin beating down upon the human soul shall find in His Church a place of peace and comfort, a house in which he is nourished and sent on his flight, carrying the love of our God across the heavens to all lands. Brothers and sisters, let us be “courageous,” as indeed Paul declares we are.  Let us be strong and sturdy lowly trees growing by the grace of God to heavenly heights in all our deeds on earth.  Though “we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord,” though we would today see the kingdom of heaven fulfilled before our eyes, yet as long as we have the flesh of this tree enrobing our souls, let us always “aspire to please Him,” to please our God, to grow closer each day to where He sits on His throne in the kingdom, that when we “all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” we “each may receive recompense” and together “sing praise to… [the] Most High.” Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Gradual Heaven" from All One, sixth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us dwell beneath the shade of your boughs when harvest time has come, when your Son returns. YHWH, let us be planted in your House and grow by your grace into your kingdom, where you dwell in the highest Heaven.  We are but lowly creatures, weak and prone to sin, but by your Son and by His Word and His blood we are strengthened and rise, we know not how, to your throne, where He sits with you in eternal glory with all the angels and saints who have done your will in this world. How can we be made worthy of your kingdom, O LORD?  How can we be courageous, believing that we shall be saved from this corruptible flesh and come home to you?  Is it not the lowly one you look upon?  Is it not to save just such as us that you have sent your Son, who has instructed His disciples, who have instructed us, and through whom we are blessed?  O let this Tree be a tree of life growing ever unto your kingdom, all souls entering there with songs of praise to your NAME!

(2Cor.5:14-21;   Ps.103:1-4,8-9,11-12;   Mt.5:33-37)  “The love of Christ impels us who have reached the conviction that since one died for all, all died.” How strong is Paul's “yes” for the Lord.  With what ardor does he cry out: “The old order is passed away; now all is new!”  How purely he is led in the Spirit to call to our very souls, “In Christ's name: be reconciled to God!”  He has no need to swear by earth or heaven of his conviction that Jesus died for our salvation.  He is indeed a new creation and can but speak of that which he knows to the depths of his soul; driven by the miracle of his own reconciliation to God, he desires naturally – by the supernatural grace at work within him – to draw others to “become the very holiness of God.” Paul sings out with our psalmist: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all my being bless His holy name.”  He cries out with David: “He pardons all your iniquities, He heals all your ills.”  This is the truth which impels him, which he cannot but preach – that our sins are forgiven in Christ the Lord and we need but to come to Him to be raised up to new life.  This is His ministry of reconciliation; this is the message entrusted to him… and he must appeal for God's holy will to be accomplished in us. Let me join in his shout, let me state so unequivocally – let us all be convicted with Paul of the love God has for us, of the death He has died for us… of the new life we have in Him.  Yes, let us indeed shout it from the rooftops, let us cry it out for all to hear.  Many are on the path to destruction, many are dying in their transgressions; all are inclined to the condemnation the devil has wrought in our lives, and all must be encouraged, all must hear the exhortation to turn from their sins.  May we give our “yes” firmly to God and our “no” firmly to the devil, that others might know in our very lives of the holiness of God and the glory to which He calls us. “Merciful and gracious is the Lord”: this the world must know.  “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He put our transgressions from us”: this the sinful heart wallowing in the darkness of doubt must hear.  The blood of Christ must be shown to all.  Let us not hesitate to speak the great truth of God's salvation through Christ the Son.  Let us not fail to live His new life every day of our lives. The Lord calls.  The sound of His voice is unmistakable.  All our sin is dead in Him; through Him we are raised to life.  May this Word go forth to the ends of the earth, and may we help carry it there. ******* O LORD, by Jesus' grace let us be reconciled to you – let us say Yes to Him and No to the world. YHWH, let us be reconciled to you.  Let us be a new creation through Christ your Son and give our ‘yes' ever to your will.  Sure of soul let us be, of the salvation you bring in Jesus and His messengers.  He has died for our sakes that we might be raised with Him.  O let our transgressions be far from us this day! What kindness you show to your wayward sons, O LORD.  None of us has been found worthy of your kingdom, but in Jesus all our sins you wash away that we might stand in your presence.  May all hear the call of the Apostle to our souls and be reconciled to you in Jesus' Name.  May all know the grace and mercy you offer freely forth. Make us simple and make us sure; let us in all things do your will, giving our ‘yes' to you and our ‘no' firmly to the evil one.  Then to Heaven we will come, LORD, to dwell with you upon your throne – O let us enter the New Jerusalem as your sons and daughters impelled only by your love.

O Sanctuary of the Father, Temple of the Holy Spirit, Mother of the Son of God who carried Him in your womb and contemplated Him in your heart – how shall we find Jesus within us; how shall we become the temples of the Spirit the Lord calls us all to be if you do not pray for us, if we are not formed in your womb, in the love with which you are blessed? Hold us in your soul, dear Mother, that our spirits might join with your own and we might thus become one with our Lord and brother. In us also let Him make His home.

O son of encouragement and of consolation in the Holy Spirit, you who were filled with faith and lived that faith for the Lord, giving up all things to bring His Name forth to the ends of the earth, calling all souls and confirming them in the truth by the authority of the risen Son – whose footsteps go forth today as did yours upon the birth of the Church; what souls are so blessed to be set apart by the Spirit to perform His works in this dying world, to bring His light to those who sit in darkness? Pray the Lord shall indeed send out laborers into His vineyard and they shall with the same faith be an encouragement to all, a consolation to Christian souls.

(Hos.11:1,3-4,8-9;   Is.12:2-6;   Eph.3:8-12,14-19;   Jn.19:31-37) “With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation.” “Shout with exultation, O city of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel!”  From His pierced heart flow forth the waters of salvation; in Jesus' blood we find our life.  Oh how wonderful to have a God whose “heart is overwhelmed,” whose “pity is stirred,” who bleeds and dies for us upon the cross to reveal the limitless nature of His love.  Here is “God's manifold wisdom” made known, here in “the unfathomable riches of Christ” freely given to all, that all might “grasp fully, with all the holy ones, the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ's love, and experience this love which surpasses all knowledge.”  Such unsurpassable grace can but leave us breathless in praising His name! “When Israel was a child I loved him,” says the Lord through the prophet Hosea.  His love “like one who raises an infant to His cheeks” does not leave His blessed child; it only grows with time.  Even though “they did not know that [He] was their healer,” yet He did not turn away – He multiplied His love for us in the sacrificial offering of His Son.  Now having been redeemed of our sin in the cleansing shower of His blood, we can only claim to be “confident and unafraid.”  For with Isaiah we fully proclaim: “My strength and my courage is the Lord, and He has been my savior.”  What the prophet knew in shadow we see now in the fullness of the light that is the Son, and so “in Christ and through faith in Him we can speak freely to God, drawing near Him with confidence” and “attain[ing] to the fullness of God Himself” and to His love. My dear brothers and sisters, let our prayer for one another be joined on this “solemn feast day” with Paul's desire for the Ephesians: “May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith, and may charity be the root and foundation of your life.”  Then like this blessed Apostle who went from being “the least of all believers,” persecuting the Church of Christ, to being shown “the mysterious design which for all ages was hidden in God” – and indeed “enlighten[ing] all men” of the Father's love revealed in Christ Jesus – we too will be raised from our lowly state in this world of sin to our place with the Son at the right hand of God.  The fountain of salvation is open now; come to the water and drink fully of His love, of His blood. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Cleansing" from Cleansing Human Frailty, fourth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, Jesus was pierced for our sins; His blood pours upon us for our salvation. YHWH, you are our healer.  Your Son is the fountain of our salvation; in His blood we are cleansed of our sins.  May we make our home in His Sacred Heart. We praise you, LORD, for your love, for the care you have shown to your little ones.  To us you have sent your only Son to die on the Cross that we might live.  Though it is our lance that has pierced His Sacred Heart, yet His unfathomable love pours upon us and bestows on us the great riches of your glory.  For this gift what can we do but praise your holy Name? O LORD, may your Christ dwell in our hearts through faith in Him; may charity be the root and foundation of our lives, that by the love of your Son we may draw near to you yourself, dear God.  No longer is your mysterious design hidden from men's eyes – O let your great wisdom be known and all souls glorify your ineffable NAME through Jesus who speaks to us ever of your mercy!

(2Cor.3:15-4:1,3-6;   Ps.85:9-14;   Mt.5:20-26)  “See the splendor of the gospel showing forth the glory of Christ.” Today the gospel is preached: Jesus, the image of God, has come among us, “glory dwelling in our land,” and removed the veil from our understanding so that now we “are being transformed from glory to glory into His very image by the Lord who is the Spirit.”  The words of life are spoken by the Lord; the Holy Spirit comes amongst us as light to illumine our minds and lead us beyond the bounds of the law to the kingdom of God itself.  And we must live in that light, we must make it our own, becoming children of the light of the Spirit of God, “that we in turn might make known the glory of God shining on the face of Christ.”  He has indeed come amongst us, salvation is at hand, and we must become perfect as the Father is perfect, as Jesus who is the pure reflection of the Father is perfect – we must allow the Spirit to remove any taint of darkness from our souls. Jesus tells us, “Unless your holiness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees you shall not enter the kingdom of God.”  Here He means that the law may lead us out of Egypt, it may serve to release us from the bonds of this world of sin, but this guard we have while treading this earth is not enough to bring us into the promised land, into the heavenly kingdom to which we are called.  And as long as we concern ourselves only with fulfilling the minimal requirements of the law  (not to murder, not to commit adultery…), we will continue to suffer; we will remain unfulfilled.  Jesus calls us to greater than that: He calls us into His very light of perfection in the presence of the Father.  This call is implanted upon the soul of each one of us, and as long as we ignore it, as long as we veil our minds to the depth and the breadth of this call to perfection with Christ… as long as we say, “Well, I haven't killed anyone,” and stop there… so long we will remain unsatisfied, so long will the fires burn – so long will we be in prison paying the last penny. Jesus is calling you now, brothers and sisters; Paul and all the true preachers of Holy Church are calling you now to remove the veil from your eyes, to come into the Lord's light – to cease to make excuses for your sins, however small they may seem – to seek perfection in Christ… to find the kingdom of God.  The Spirit will aid you in your journey; He will be with you every step of your walk on the way of perfection, be assured of this.  The Lord does not call us to Himself and then leave us alone to struggle vainly.  He is with us through all our trials.  But we must come to Him and live in His light of purity, and shine that light for others to see.  ******* O LORD, your kingdom comes by the power of the Holy Spirit, who purges us of sin and makes us shine with His radiance. YHWH, your glory shines now in our midst in the face of Christ, and He calls us to that same glory by the Spirit that is within us.  Let your light shine in the darkness of this world; let us make known your glory by our words and actions. In the way of salvation we walk, insofar as we follow the commands of your Son and His love.  He calls us to dwell with you, O LORD, to reconcile with one another and be perfect as you are perfect – to find our holiness fulfilled.  We fall short as long as we limit ourselves to the principles of the law; your glory is far beyond the basics of the law, and it is to your glory and your love Jesus calls us. What a gift is ours in Christ!  Union with you, dear Father in Heaven!  Let us not be blinded by the god of the present age, by unbelieving minds, but let the veil be lifted from our faces to gaze upon the glory of your Son and so be transformed into that glory by the Spirit upon us.  Alleluia!

O harp of the Holy Spirit whose song rose up to Jesus and in honor of the Virgin Mary, whose heart was set on Heaven and the eternal light therein, and who served so well to defend the faith when from contemplation you came – pray we too shall have a song dedicated wholly to the Lord welling up in hearts set on His presence, on the kingdom that passes not away; and pray, too, the teaching of the Church shall always be true, shall always be rooted in the Spirit, expressive of the love of God. What is this world as it passes away, and who are we apart from God and His House? O how we long for Heaven! Pray, dear brother, with our Blessed Mother, that we shall come to dwell where you are.

(2Cor.3:4-11;   Ps.99:5-9;   Mt.5:17-19)  “Not the smallest letter of the law, not the smallest part of a letter, shall be done away with until it all comes true.” Jesus comes to fulfill the law and the prophets.  The law watches over us while we are here in this world.  It guards us and puts to death the sin that is inherent in our earthly nature.   There is great glory in this blessed protection, as is witnessed in our psalm today – “Holy is the Lord, our God” – because it acquaints us with God's justice and, as said, watches vigilantly over us to maintain our standing in the presence of God.  But the law does not bring us to the fullness of God's love; it does not bring us into the heavenly kingdom and “the glory that endures.”  Moses brings the Israelites to the banks of the Jordan, but he does not cross over with them.  He looks out over the Promised Land from his place on the mountaintop, but does not enter therein.  It is Joshua who leads the people into the land promised through Moses (as even he does in today's Office of Readings).  And so it is Jesus who brings us to the heavenly kingdom by His law of love. In speaking elsewhere of the glory of love (1Cor.13:8), Paul tells us that prophecy shall fail and tongues shall cease but love is eternal, favored well beyond any other gift.  Prophecies speak of earthly matters and the law is for our earthly nature, but love speaks of God and heaven.  We must be very careful to heed the words of Christ and realize that as long as we are in this world and subject to the sin that our flesh brings, the law has a prominent place in our lives and cannot be jettisoned prematurely – as many advocate by their lack of diligence to its precepts, presuming heaven before its time – yet we must always remember that it is the glory of heaven and not of earth to which Jesus calls us, and that there the law will be fulfilled; there we shall be made perfect in the light of God. The law is “destined to pass away” only insofar as it is fulfilled, and therefore it never really passes away but is subsumed by a greater law.  Let us continue to glory in the chastising hand of God and in the service of purification the law provides us.  Let us come by its means to the flesh of Christ, and by the grace of God enter fully into Him.  Jesus is our Promised Land, brothers and sisters; with the law as our guide, but above all with faith in our hearts, let us come into His holy, eternal, loving presence.  We have the manna of the Eucharist to share this day; tomorrow we shall feast in fullness on the Bread of Life that is Jesus Christ.   ******* O LORD, your commands must be fulfilled or they shall remain, along with our sin. YHWH, you are holy and your glory surpasses all that is of heaven and earth.  Though we are your creation and you are present to us, though you are with us even in the law you gave to Moses, and though we need your law to purge us of all evil, to put to death the deeds of the flesh… yet in such death we are not fulfilled.  We must come to join you in your glory; we must find life in you. And so, O holy LORD, your Son walks among us, not to destroy the law or contradict the prophets who call us from our wayward path, but to fulfill their voice by the very presence of the Word.  Now your holiness has taken flesh, and so at your mountain we can worship in Spirit and in truth.  Now we may enter your kingdom. It is in Jesus we are saved from the death the law brings; it is through Him we find the ministry of the Spirit and so the glory that passes not away.  This glory is your very presence speaking to us and shining upon us, dear LORD.  O let us call upon your NAME and dwell with you forever!

(2Cor.1:18-22;   Ps.119:129-133,135;   Mt.5:13-16)  “God is the one who firmly establishes us.” “Light of the world” and “salt of the earth” – this is what we are by the power of God.  It is by Him we are “set on a hill” to give “light to all in the house”; it is we who preserve the integrity of creation.  It is a holy call and a demanding one, and we should not waver in our resolve to follow the Lord and fulfill His work and His will; for it is indeed His will that we show His goodness before the eyes of men, and so “He who anointed us and sealed us” will always strengthen us for our task – by Him who holds the entire world in His palm, our own work will be made light. But heed the words of our readings: we must always give our “yes” to God.  Having put our hand to the plow, we cannot turn back.  In fact, we should say with the psalmist, “I gasp with open mouth in my yearning for your commands”; so great should be our love for God and for His life-giving words that ever do we thirst more greatly for the love and the light He brings us through our walking in them.  His discipline is redeeming and freeing; and as we drink in its light, as we find ourselves becoming one with Him and with His Son who has shown us clearly and completely the way of perfection, we become the light He is.  And we cannot but shine that same light to others, directing them to Him who establishes all holy souls in His blessed kingdom. What joy should be ours as we find ourselves becoming one with God as His children of light.  What absolute exhilaration is evident in Paul's preaching to the Corinthians, as well as in our psalm.  The source of such excitement is his firmness in faith; the Spirit is speaking in his heart and he is not afraid.  Indeed, he takes his very life, his daily bread, in proclaiming it. Have we such faith in our hearts, or have we somehow gone flat?  Can we proclaim our unwavering trust in the Lord, or is our light still shaded by doubts and fears?  If our love for God is true and our love for one another is real, we shall be firmly established – our light shall go forth. Let us pray to Him that from the light of His words we shall not be distracted.  The light of His presence is all that matters.  Shine forth His light to the world.  ******* O LORD, may the Spirit of Truth be with us to guide us by His holy light. YHWH, your promises have been fulfilled in Jesus and in Him you firmly establish our place before you, the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  You call us to be salt and light to this world, to be the disciples of your Son.  Help us to be steadfast in that call, that the light of the Spirit might go out to the ends of the earth. We are anointed with the Christ and have His life within us.  He it is who walks before us, making our footsteps firm.  We must follow in His way and give our ‘yes' entirely to you.  O LORD, let us not waver in our weakness but ever keep your commands and so radiate your goodness to all men.  Make our witness sure and true; let us ever remain in the light of your presence. O LORD, let all praise be given to you from hearts filled with your glory.  With open mouth let us ever yearn for your Word.  In wonder let us stand before you, worshiping ever in your kingdom as your holy children.  Let your countenance shine on your servants; transform us into your light.

(2Cor.1:1-7;   Ps.34:2-9;   Mt.5:1-12)  “Blessed are those persecuted for holiness' sake; the reign of God is theirs.” Here is the core teaching of our faith.  Here are the beatitudes, the call to sweet humility which flows like blessed honey from the lips of our Savior.  And that teaching is that the humbled shall be exalted, that those who mourn and sorrow for the lack of love we find in this tainted world and who strive to bring that love to the hard heart of man shall be blessed, are blessed, for they share in the sufferings of Christ, who wept for the sins of His people, who, looking out upon them from the cross cried: “My God, why have you forsaken me?”  Why has this world made in the image of Christ turned so against Him, and when shall it return to the love of God?  And we who cry with Christ, even for our enemies, even for the most despicable criminal, we shall know the joy He finds – like the repentant thief, we shall be this day with Him in paradise. “Just as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the consolation,” St. Paul so concisely states.  One can hear him brimming with joy as he speaks of the comfort we find in the Lord in all our afflictions, and the grace of sharing that consolation with others.  This is our great possession.  This is the kingdom of God within us: to see through all trouble and affliction, to conquer it in Jesus' Name – to find such strength even while here on earth to overcome all evil and come to heaven.  “Blest are you when they insult you and persecute you…  Be glad and rejoice.”  How marvelously the Lord exhorts us to come to the glory of heaven, to overcome the dark with light.  For light it is where we dwell, and this light is unconquerable. Let us make room for Him in our hearts, brothers and sisters; let us give place to Him in our lives.  Let us even in the simplest ways show heaven's glory here on earth.  If we are lowly and we are true, our light cannot help but shine.  And for those who seek it our lamps will shine, and we shall illumine one another.  Let sweet humility be your treasure and the Lord's peace your goal in life.  The angel of the Lord is around us to save us.  Nothing of this earth shall touch us.  Let us lay down our lives to destroy death's bonds. ******* O LORD, it is the cross of suffering with Christ that brings us great joy. YHWH, blessed are we when persecuted because of our love for you, because of our desire to be as your Son, for enduring all the sufferings this world brings we find great joy in your presence.  You console the afflicted who call out to you, for you are the refuge of all who suffer for your sake. O LORD, let us be holy as you are holy; let us be made whole in your Son.  If we must sorrow and mourn to be conformed to your Son, to be purged of all sin and join Him in your kingdom, let it be so.  Let us take our strength in you; in you we find refuge.  Reward in Heaven is all we desire – to you let us come by way of the Cross of your only Son. Bless you, LORD, for the goodness you show to us, for the joy you bring us in our suffering for you.  You deliver us from every danger, and so we stand firm in hope, consoled by the promise in the words of Jesus.  Let us remain ever blessed as we set our hearts on serving you.

O preacher of the Word of God and model of the Gospel, you embraced poverty and penance in accord with the way of Christ and His teaching and called your brothers to do the same, that the Church might be renewed, that she might be holy even as the Father is holy – pray all souls might indeed find holiness of life even as within cloister walls; pray all might embrace the poverty of Christ, living the faith pronounced in sacred Scripture. And pray that they may be led along this narrow path to the kingdom of the Lord by faithful priests and bishops, shepherds like yourself.

(Ex.24:3-8;   Ps.116:12-13,15-18;   Heb.9:11-15;   Mt.14:12-16,22-26)  “The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the Lord.”  The blood of sacrifice, the blood that seals all covenants with God, is upon all our readings today.  In our first reading, on the altar Moses has “erected at the foot of the mountain” where he received the commandments of the Lord – an altar surrounded by “twelve pillars for the twelve tribes” – “young men of the Israelites… offer holocausts and sacrifice young bulls as peace offerings to the Lord.”  Half of the blood of the bulls Moses “splashed on the altar”; the other half he “sprinkled… on the people, saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words of His.'”  And so the people promise to heed the Lord's commands; and so the first covenant is instituted. Our psalm tells us, “Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His faithful ones.”  And our second reading informs us just how precious is the death of the Lord's Faithful One.  Yes, “Christ came as high priest”; as “mediator of a new covenant” He entered the “perfect tabernacle not made by hands… not belonging to this creation,” and offered not “the blood of goats and bulls” but rather “His own blood.”  His “death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant.”  And so does “the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished before God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.” And in our gospel, in anticipation of His crucifixion, on the feast of Passover – when the lamb was sacrificed and its blood used to anoint the houses of the Israelites to thus save them from death – Jesus institutes the New Covenant with His disciples.  First “He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, ‘Take it.  This is my body.'”  Then with the cup He said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.”  It is, of course, this New Covenant we celebrate this day, as we come to the table where all the disciples of the Lord have eaten, where all His faithful have been washed clean in His blood.  Here we share not only with our minds – for then why should it be necessary to eat and drink (one does not eat and drink a symbol, but feasts with eyes alone) – but with our very bodies, with the fullness of our beings; and our very human nature is transformed by His sacrificial presence.  Brothers and sisters, the Lord gives Himself entirely for us; let us here lay down our lives in His flesh and blood.  Let us take up the cup of salvation and each day call upon His Name. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Blood in My Palate" from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, is Jesus not our inheritance; do we not eat the Body and Blood He has given up for our salvation? YHWH, the blood of the New Covenant be upon us for good, the blood of Christ upon our lips; and let us fulfill our vows before you, serving as the Body of your Son.  O let us be blessed with all the graces of Heaven as they pour upon us in the blood of Jesus, our Lord! How can we make return to you, dear God, for all the good you have done for us, for your giving us your only Son to serve as sacrifice for our sins, as food for our journey to you?  You, O God, have come among us in His flesh and remain with us in the Sacrament – how can we grasp such a gift?  How can we thank you for your love toward us revealed in the blood of Jesus the Christ?  Let us but take up the cup you offer and call upon your holy Name.  Let us but serve you with all our lives, worshiping you in all things, O living God, and the promised eternal inheritance will be ours.  O let us drink of the fruit of the vine with your Son in the kingdom!  Prepare our hearts to receive your Lamb.

O apostle of the faith called out from monastery walls to travel into the world, laboring and suffering even to the shedding of blood as you steered Christ's ship pounded by waves but kept on course, spreading out upon the face of the earth by the sacrifice of shepherds like yourself – pray the bishops of today will unceasingly teach the faith, defending the Church from all assaults, never silent in the face of danger, never turning from their call but preaching the Gospel in season and out of season that in all seasons Christ's flock might increase and be strengthened. Let us rather die than give in to the impending darkness.

(Tb.12:1,5-15,20;   Tb.13:1-2,6;   Mk.12:38-44)  “Almsgiving saves one from death.” We must give alms, yes; and the greatest of alms is the gift of ourselves to God. In our gospel we hear of perhaps the most famous example of almsgiving: the poor widow who gave her two copper coins to the temple treasury; and in our first reading we complete the Book of Tobit, he who is himself a great biblical model of almsgiving, and who is here instructed by the angel Raphael on the merit of giving alms.  Yes, the widow gives generously all her money, without hesitation and without a thought.  Unlike those who give from their surplus, “she gave from her want, all that she had to live on.”  She holds back nothing.  And at the prompting of Tobit, Tobiah offers half of all the many riches gained from his journey to his guide, Raphael (not realizing he is an angel with no need of these things).  As Raphael reveals himself to Tobit and his son, he extols the great merit of almsgiving, which he states is better even than prayer and fasting.  He wishes to tell them of the value of almsgiving, it is true, but he wants Tobit to know that his generosity has been witnessed by God and that it has saved him from the death he had asked for.  Raphael lets Tobit know, too, that he has been tested by God (in being stricken with blindness) to prove that his generosity is genuine.  It must be shown that his virtue is not vain as the scribes', who “recite long prayers for appearance' sake” to cover the fact that they “devour the savings of widows.”  Does he have the heart of the poor widow in his generosity, or does he just like to parade around in the robes of such virtue? The key to the merit of all our almsgiving is found in Raphael's initial response to Tobiah's offer:  “Thank God!  Give Him the praise and the glory.”  All our good works must be done for the praise of God as witnesses to His glory.  “Before all men, honor and proclaim God's deeds, and do not be slack in praising Him,” the angel exhorts us all.  And it is this praise of God we must give first before any treasure of the world.  This praise of God and telling of His Name is the greatest of almsgiving.  Do you think it is the two coins which save the widow, or can you see the heart for God from which they are offered?  Do you think the widow is giving her coins for show, or is it obvious to you that it is her love of God which drives her to this act?  We can easily surmise that this woman's life is one of prayer to God, a genuine prayer unlike the vanity of the scribes, and it is this which most pleases God and saves her very soul; for she is empty of all else but Him.  And of all the many acts of kindness Tobit has performed, all the dead he has buried and offerings he has given, perhaps none is above his obedience to the angel's final command:  “Write down all these things that have happened to you.”  For by his laying down of his life and the Lord's marvelous grace working in it, more than two thousand years later, we still receive the spiritual gifts contained therein; his praise of God with “full voice” still comes to our ears and gives us hope that we too might be raised up from any vanity in our own generosity and see the face of God. Let us praise the Lord with all our lives and give all our selves to Him.  Let us live to praise the Lord. ******* O LORD, let us praise you with full voice; let us give all we have to you. YHWH, you call us to give alms that our souls might be saved.  By our generosity you shall know us, if it is in union with you.  For all must be done in your NAME and for your praise, or all is quite worthless.  Indeed, a little with righteousness is better than abundance with wickedness; and so, whatever we give without giving glory to you is given in vain, but if we give a penny (which is all our lives are worth) in praise of your goodness toward us, how blessed we shall be! LORD, all you do is for our good, whether you scourge us or raise us up in your mercy, for all is done to bring us closer to you.  Until all our lives are in your hands, your angel you send to test us and to heal us, to turn us back to you – all empty show be taken forever from our souls that we might dwell humbly with you in glory. Let us not care for the riches of this world even should they increase, but set our hearts on praise of you alone… and the doing of your will with all we have and are.

(Tb.11:5-15;   Ps.146:2,7-10;   Mk.12:35-37) “The Lord gives sight to the blind.” Now in His teaching Jesus truly begins to open the eyes of the people.  We have witnessed this week His fielding their questions regarding theology and the law, but He now takes a step further, revealing to them and to us the Truth itself – that He Himself is the Son of God.  “The majority of the crowd heard this with delight.”  Many eyes begin to open, many hearts begin to see… but will they remain so joyful when Jesus reveals Himself to them completely (on the cross)? And of course, our first reading speaks principally about the opening of Tobit's eyes, as he who has been blind these four years is healed by the fish gall acquired through the intercession of the angel Raphael.  But the reading is really about more than this: it shows the love of his parents in their longing for Tobiah's return.  Notice that as his eyes are opened, Tobit exclaims, “I can see you, son, the light of my eyes!” as he weeps with his arms around him.  And at the very beginning of the reading we find Anna, his mother, “watching the road,” looking desperately – she has been there for weeks – for Tobiah to return from his journey.  When she sees him, she, too, throws her arms around him, and says, “Now that I have seen you again, son, I am ready to die!” as she sobs aloud…  It is not so much the fish gall that has cured Tobit's blindness, for the light of his eyes, that which causes them to see, he himself ascribes to Tobiah his son.  And it is not so much seeing Tobiah that brings such absolute joy to his mother, as it is being with him again, knowing that he is alive – for she had seriously feared him dead. Brothers and sisters, are we like Anna and Tobit?  Do we watch vigilantly for the return of the only Son of God?  We proclaim that our eyes have been opened to know Him as our Savior, but is He truly the light of our eyes?  Even today do we make seeing Him and knowing Him the life that brings breath to our souls and makes our hearts beat?  Are we the “oppressed,” the “hungry,” the “captives” – those who are “bowed down” of whom our psalm speaks – who will thus know His “justice,” His “food,” His “freedom”… His “resurrection”? We must love dearly our Holy Catholic Church, for it is essential here on this earth, where it is the keeper of the Father's vineyard; but we must remember Jesus goes beyond religion, beyond theology and laws.  For He is more than these.  He is what sets us apart from any other religion, for He is a person, the second Person of the Trinity – God.  Let us open our eyes and our hearts and follow Him with our lives, knowing He is our only Son, our hope, the light of our eyes.  For He who is the Son of Man is also the Son of God. ******* O LORD, open my eyes that I might praise you forever. YHWH, it is you who give sight to the blind, you who set captives free.  Your Son is indeed light to our eyes and salvation for our very souls.  Give us new life that we might praise you all the day. You keep faith with us, O LORD, for though we wait many days, though we must hope even in the darkness, you do not disappoint our expectations – you do not take back your Word.  Your Son has come among us now and revealed your glory to our eyes.  He who lived before us has been born into our midst and died for our sakes.  Now His enemies become His footstool.  Now His reign has begun.  And those who have longed for His coming rejoice in praise of your holy NAME. O may He return soon to us!  For blindness besets us yet while we dwell upon this plane.  Send your angels to bring Him back to us, O LORD, that forever we might look upon His face.  Give us courage now; raise up the souls that are bowed down.  Alleluia!

O modern martyrs for Christ who gave your lives even as the early Christians, under torture by the emperor, who remained steadfast as these despite sword or fire come by the power of the king… a new age indeed you ushered in, one of mighty suffering, a time for the blood to mount up on this earth – pray, brothers in the faith, that your sacrifice not be in vain, that we shall join you in loyal service and so find the Church blessed with new growth in the Spirit. Though new to the faith yourselves when you bled and died for the Word, deeply was your foundation laid, unshaken by the threats of the mighty. Should we not be the same; should we not follow in your way, we who profess to love the Lord?

(Tb.6:11,7:1,9-14,8:4-7;   Ps.128:1-5;   Mk.12:28-34)  “Love the Lord your God” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two great commandments rest all the Law and the Prophets.  By them we shall be “not far from the reign of God.”  In them the Lord leads us into His bridal chamber, where we shall be made one with Him in glory forever.  Here on earth we dimly mirror the love of the Lord for His Church in our marriage of husband and wife; in this, love of neighbor is known in its most intimate and complete way.  But always love of God must precede love of any creature, for it is “those who fear the Lord” who are happy, who “eat the fruit of [their] handiwork” and see their children prosper.       Tobiah has such love.  Such strength of love does he have in his heart for Sarah that he hesitates not at all even in the face of death.  Seven have died before him, but he gives fear of this not a thought.  And it is not in his lust that he takes such great strength; he is not led foolishly by his eyes and his loins.  It is indeed his fear of the Lord, the love for his God and his desire to keep His commands, in which he finds unwavering hope.  Even from his marriage bed does he rise to invoke the name of God, demonstrating his “noble purpose.”  He recognizes that God first must be praised, and that it is He who gave Adam his Eve. Jesus loves us just so, brothers and sisters, and even greater than this is His love for His bride.  He heeds fully the command of God regarding His Church: “Take her and bring her back safely to your father.”  He comes to us, as it were, on a long journey, the angels of the Lord blessing His steps, and seeks without fear His rightful wife, who has languished so long surrounded by death.  This death He takes upon Himself, facing it with faith and prayer alone to show us the love God has for us, and that we must have for one another.  And wedding us unto Himself, He redeems us from the death we have known and makes us so fruitful in His Name.  Yes, brothers and sisters, we must love the God who has loved us so, and love one another the same. May God bless all marriages; May they witness to the love the Lord has for His Church. Amen. ******* O LORD, if we but love you and our neighbor, all will be well; we will approach the kingdom of Heaven. YHWH, you are love and love is stronger than death; so those who love you shall conquer death and live forever in your love.  O let us but love! The demons are ever round about, dear LORD, working to take the life from us, the life that is rooted in you and blessed by you – the life which you yourself are.  Let us have your angels to guide us through the darkness of this earth to your unending light; teach us to love you with all our being, to keep nothing back from you.  By our trust and in our prayer may we be saved from all evil.  If we but praise you with all our heart, you will certainly hear our plea. No lust let there be in any marriage bed, O LORD, but may every husband take his wife with you and your purpose in mind.  Then shall all be blessed; then shall all creation praise you… then shall love be known to the ends of the earth.  Then shall all the devils flee and your kingdom come to be present in all souls.  Let us take our place in Heaven with you and your Son!  To Him let us be wed.

O blessed martyrs for the Lord, in your catacombs the faith flourished, upon your tomb the Church was built… your blood is the seed planted in the ground that has caused the growth of the tree of life; joining in the sacrifice of Christ, His great joy you knew – pray that such grace   will be known to us this day, that we will give ourselves in faith to the Holy One by whom we are saved and so find union with Him in Heaven. How far His consolation is from our souls this day, for how little love we show; have our hearts not become as a tomb? Though cold and lifeless, by your prayers may our faith flourish once more, dear saints.

(Tb.3:1-11,16-17;   Ps.25:1-9;   Mk.12:18-27)  “He is the God of the living, not of the dead.” Rich readings.  First of all, we see the striking similarity between the story woven by the Sadducees to thwart the wisdom of the Lord and the situation in which Sarah finds herself.  In both cases, seven – the number representing fullness – husbands have died.  In one the wife has also died; in the other, she wishes for death.  And in both there have been no children, no fruit, no new life.  Death in its fullness is throughout today's readings, as even Tobit begs to die. In addition to death, our readings are also clearly about prayer.  In our first, Tobit and Sarah pour out their hearts in tears before the Lord whom they so love.  Our psalm is the lifting up of the soul in prayer to God by the humble.  And the Sadducees questioning of Jesus is also a kind of prayer, though one which comes from a hardness of heart, inauthentic and insincere. And what has the Lord to say of death; what is the answer to these prayers?  We often hear that God always answers our prayers, though often in ways we do not expect.  Such is the case here.  Neither Tobit nor Sarah will get the death they seem to seek; instead, Raphael – the angel whose name means “to heal” – “was sent to heal them both.”  And the Sadducees, “who hold there is no resurrection,” will not find confirmation for their creed which clings to death as the end of all.  Yet all will be answered according to the disposition of their hearts, and in this sense all receive exactly what they seek, for the Lord looks upon the heart.  The prayer of Tobit and Sarah is not really to die but “to be delivered from such anguish” – it is healing they seek, and this they shall find.  And the Sadducees, who do not really seek an answer of the Lord regarding resurrection, whose hearts are closed to the life-giving power of God, will likely not hear the words of Christ… and so by their ignorance come to adhere more firmly to their creed of death.  We do get what we ask for.  As our psalm tells us, the Lord “teaches the humble His way.”  The compassion and kindness which are synonymous with God are known to those who trust in Him; but “those shall be put to shame who heedlessly break faith,” for the compassion of our Lord finds no place in them.  For them there is no hope, no life, no resurrection from the dead… and they shall not know how God answers prayer. Brothers and sisters, let us pour out our hearts before our Lord and God, and know His healing grace, and find His everlasting life.     ******* O LORD, though we wish to die when amidst the persecutions of this race, let us be resurrected with you. YHWH, hear our prayer and save us from the insults of your enemies.  Let us not be overcome by darkness or by sin.  You are our God and you answer all our pleas; let us not be put to shame. You look upon the heart, O LORD, and listen to our true desires.  Every prayer you cannot help but answer according to the faith by which it is offered.  You give us what we ask for, not in our words but by our intention.  And so, you thwart the insincere prayer of the wicked, but are merciful to those who are humble before you. And you protect us, LORD, from every attack of the devil.  Those who break faith heedlessly shall not triumph over your righteous ones; they shall be turned back by the power of your Word.  For in life alone you dwell – in you there is no death – and so those whose hearts desire life in your presence shall rejoice… even as those who do not believe fall helplessly into the earth.

O prophet of the Lord who spoke in His defense even before the bench of death, who professed the wisdom of the Cross over the intelligence of our race and all the ideas it could conceive, who chose true worship of the One God even over life itself and taught us also His way in His Church – pray we shall merit with you the name of Christian, the name above every other name, upon our lips and hearts, that we shall follow in His steps seeking always the truth and His love; pray we shall worship Him who deserves all worship and praise and serve Him and His Church even with our last breath on this earth.

(Tb.2:9-14;   Ps.112:1-2,7-9;   Mk.12:13-17)   “The heart of the just man is secure, trusting in the Lord.”   Today in our reading and gospel we find just men put to trial and testing.  Our Lord is steadfast before the devious inquiry of the Pharisees and Herodians, answering them with a wisdom greater than Solomon's; for what can Jesus, who is Himself the Word made flesh, do but take refuge in the Father with whom He is one.  And so wisdom is His to answer His foes, and He is unmoved, indeed moving with “amazement” those who would trap Him. The heart of Tobit does not remain as secure.  We see in his anger that his trust in the Lord has been shaken.  He has always been just, generously giving to those in need, taking the plight of his people to heart.  Indeed, it is after performing a good work – “fatigued from burying the dead [I] went to sleep next to the wall of my courtyard” – that his trial comes upon him.  Here is a man who has done all he could to help his fellow Jewish exiles suffering persecution at the hands of the Ninevites, and now he is stricken with blindness. But the Lord does not leave him alone; He does not cast him out.  For two years his needs are cared for by Ahiqar, and then his wife is able to work to meet their expenses.  And successful she is over and above expectations.  Yet he is prodded into anger by her good reward.  His response (in the words of St. Dorotheus, from today's Office of Readings) “breaks the cover on the passionate anger within him,” an anger, an unease, he has likely been harboring for some time.  It is an anger, we can surmise, that comes from the helplessness his blindness has brought upon him.  He is no longer in control of his fate, but must depend on others for survival.  And though the Lord provides, he finds it too difficult to trust in this provision.  (He may indeed be particularly resentful that it is now his wife who provides for him, taking the role he believes in his heart he should play.) We can certainly understand Tobit's frustration over his condition.  Few but Jesus would stand up well to such trial.  But Jesus is our ideal.  It is to be like Him that we are called.  We shall always need to do battle against the sins that are ever with us, but as St. Dorotheus says of the Christian, “The more perfect he grows, the less these temptations will affect him.  For the more the soul advances, the stronger and more powerful it becomes in bearing the difficulties that it meets.”  Let us set ourselves to trust in the Lord and so ever find security in Him. We must place all in His hands, even unto death, and then we shall be free.    Let not the things of Caesar weigh upon you; you belong to God and not the world.   ******* O LORD, only you can make us secure – let us trust in you and not in money. YHWH, with the things of this earth let us not be concerned; let us know that we are in your hands.  To you let us trust our very lives, and we shall not be disturbed. The forces of the world close in on us, enticing us to fear and anger.  But if we stand strong in the faith, the Spirit will be with us to save us.  In you, O LORD, let us remain. The just man delights in your commands; the upright shall ever be blessed.  Let us indeed remain steadfast, LORD, that we might look down upon our foes. And though persecuted for righteousness' sake, if afflicted for doing what is right let us not resent our fate, but continue to look to you to cure our blindness.  Your Son, O LORD, has suffered the Cross though innocent – why should sinners like us complain? It is hard, LORD, and we do often break, but help us to return to you this day and stand before our accusers with the same faith your Son so peacefully displayed.  Let us give ourselves entirely to you.

O Mother of our Lord, who are we that you should visit us? Over hills you came to see your cousin Elizabeth and the child she conceived so miraculously; to her you brought the Child who brings us all salvation. Yes, to us all you bring Jesus… all holy souls you visit with His grace. John the Baptist proclaims this Savior whom he has known first in your voice, and all hearts leap up at your approach; for the Lord is with you, even in your blessed womb: how blessed is this fruit you bear! Visit us this day, dear Mother, with Jesus our Redeemer, that even this day we may rejoice in His Name.

(Zeph.3:14-18  or  Rom.12:9-16;   Is.12:2-6;   Lk.1:39-56)   “Sing praise to the Lord for His glorious achievement; let this be known throughout all the earth.”   How can we capture the joy of this day?  For here is the sign of our promised salvation; here we find the first apostolic act in Mary's bringing the Word of God, so recently conceived in her womb, to Elizabeth, and to her son John the Baptist. “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!  Sing joyfully, O Israel!” Zephaniah encourages the holy nation.  And for what does Zion, and indeed the whole world, rejoice but that which we celebrate this day?  Here in these simple, lowly women we find all of Israel rejoicing as she brings to birth her Savior.  Yes, even now “the Lord, [her] God, is in [her] midst,” even in her womb; and already He begins to bring salvation forth.  Already we find a kind of first Pentecost as first, “Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out in a loud voice: ‘Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb'…  and then Mary said: ‘My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my savior?”  And already the Baptist in the womb of his aged mother has been inspired by the presence of the Son of God; already he has “stirred in [her] womb for joy,” just at the sound of Mary's voice touching the ears of his mother, even as Jesus is but days old in Mary's blessed womb. And how does all this joy come but through humility.  “For He has looked upon His servant in her lowliness; all ages to come shall call [her] blessed.”  Yes, Mary is raised “to high places,” is become the Mother of God, because of her great humility before Him.  It is this lowliness she proclaims in her canticle today; it is this lowliness Elizabeth exudes when she asks, “Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” – and it is this same lowliness which is required of all the children of Israel, of all Abraham's descendants, if we are to know that “the Lord has removed the judgment against [us],” if we are to “shout with exultation” for “the Holy One of Israel” in our midst. Let us heed Paul's instruction to the Romans to “put away ambitious thoughts and associate with those who are lowly” that we might “rejoice with those who rejoice.”  As our holy women today, these models of faith, let us “look on the needs of the saints as [our] own” and “be generous in offering hospitality.”  “Be fervent in spirit; He whom you serve is the Lord.”  For it is He who comes under your roof this day.  It is His holy name you should proclaim in all you do and say.  And the blessing of salvation shall be upon you.   Mother of God, bring to us this day our Savior, that we might rejoice with you in heaven.   Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Carie Fortney. Music by Carie Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, you have looked upon us in our lowliness and sent your Son to dwell among us – may we praise you always for your glory! YHWH, let us praise your holy NAME this day, for you have come into our midst and raised us poor creatures from the dust to dwell with you in your Temple.  Praise you, LORD!  Visit us this day in your love, through the intercession of the Blessed Mother. O LORD, make us humble and lowly as she who carries your Son to us, humble and lowly as Israel your Chosen one – humble and lowly as Jesus Himself.  In Mary's womb with Him let us dwell and so hear your voice calling to our hearts through all she speaks unto our poor ears.  In darkness we remain, in the cave of this world; but you bring us light and life – for such grace let us praise you! Dispel all fear from our hearts, LORD, at the sound of your Mother's voice, and so with her let us proclaim your greatness, and the salvation you have wrought in your mercy.  We are nothing, nothing but simple souls waiting on your Word…  Speak to us this day and awaken us to your glory, that our hearts might exult in your presence all our days.  Mother of God, pray for your poor children.