The BreadCast

O marvelous Wonder, O Lady who shines like the sun, who brings the Light into our midst and calls us to repentance that we might be saved, that the whole world might turn to the Lord and be preserved from destruction… you come at the end of the age to lead us back to your Son before He comes again and finally – pray we shall hear and heed your warning to our souls and, with the faith of the childr...

(Acts 17:15,22-18:1; Ps.148:1-2,11-14,Is.6:3; Jn.16:12-15) "It is He 'who gives' to all life and 'breath' and everything else." "His majesty is above earth and heaven," brothers and sisters. And so our psalmist today encourages all in the heavens and all on earth to "praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted." "From one stock He made every nation of mankind to dwell on the face of...

O child of courage, though but a boy you gave your life as the strongest of men, proving thus your love for Christ, a love that steels souls even in the face of death, even in the youthful breast – if but a young child like yourself could die so freely for the faith and show the face of Jesus to the whole world, how much more should we, so graced by the Lord with years of devotion, be ready to giv...

O brave soldiers, the world could not take Christ from your hearts; though it tried to expunge Him from the army in which you served, your allegiance to the holy One of Israel, our Lord and God, remained firm, and so death you preferred to life without Jesus – pray for us who are so weak in faith, that our stale complacency might be invigorated by the blood of our Savior, the blood you yourselves...

(Acts 16:22-34; Ps.138:1-3,7-8; Jn.16:5-11) "Immediately all the doors flew open and everyone's chains were pulled loose." "Your right hand saves me," David sings unto the Lord this day in our psalm. Mighty indeed is His power, and so we should "worship at [His] holy temple, and give thanks to [His] name," for He has "built up strength within [us]"; by the power of the Holy Spirit He has set us fr...

(Acts 16:11-15; Ps.149:1-6,9; Jn.15:26-16:4) "You must bear witness." The Spirit will come and call to your hearts to speak of the name of Jesus and His salvation. As He prompts you, you must speak the truth in love, you must go as He calls – you must bear witness. And sometimes the word you speak, and you yourself, will be accepted with the faith and great hospitality as known in Lydia (who is sa...

O leper with the lepers, you united yourself so thoroughly with those you served that you became one of them, one of the frightful and rejected souls abandoned by the world but redeemed by the blood of Christ through your intercession. To them you brought the consolation of government support and the love of the Lord, and so, many were inspired to drag themselves into your chapel – pray we join th...

(Acts 8:5-8,14-17; Ps.66:1-7,16,20; 1Pt.3:15-18; Jn.14:15-21) "Put to death in the flesh, He was brought to life in the Spirit." It is of this way to life Jesus teaches us when He says, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments," for what is it to keep His commandments but to carry His cross – to lay down our lives, to die to the flesh, to suffer for His sake – and what is love but the life t...

(Acts 16:1-10; Ps.100:1-3,5; Jn.15:18-21) "I chose you out of the world." What is the world but heartache and sin; from this the Lord would release us. Jesus tells His disciples: "You do not belong to the world," and yet, as is most evident in the journeys of Paul, to all the world do the apostles go. The Master tells them, "You [will] find that the world hates you"; even so, they preach to a worl...

(Acts 15:22-31; Ps.57:8-12; Jn.15:12-17) "There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." Do not Judas and Silas fulfill the Lord's command to "love one another"; do not they lay down their lives for the Lord when they bring word "to the brothers of Gentile origin in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia" of the apostles' decision regarding those who have "upset [them] with th...

(Acts 15:7-21; Ps.96:1-3,10; Jn.15:9-11) "We are saved by the favor of the Lord Jesus." We are told of the Council of Jerusalem, convened to determine if the Gentiles need be subject to circumcision and the Mosaic Law, "After much discussion, Peter took the floor," and that after he had finished speaking, "the whole assembly fell silent." What is there to say after the Rock of the Church has spoke...

(Acts 15:1-6; Ps.122:1-5; Jn.15:1-8) "I am the vine, you are the branches." And within Him we must remain; nurtured by the Church He has planted we must always be. We must have His blood flowing in our veins and His Word inspiring our souls. There can be no separation from Him and from His teaching if we are to bear fruit abundantly, as is the Father's desire. Paul and Barnabas bear fruit abundant...

(Acts 14:19-28; Ps.145:10-13,21; Jn.14:27-31) "We must undergo many trials if we are to enter into the reign of God." "With this instruction" Paul and Barnabas "gave their disciples reassurances, and encouraged them to persevere in the faith." Their apostolic journey has been a witness that the road to the Lord is wrought with difficulties, but that it bears great fruit. These apostles are pursued...

(Acts 14:5-18; Ps.115:1-4,15-16; Jn.14:21-26) "May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth." "Anyone who loves me will be true to my word, and my Father will love him; we will come to him and make our dwelling place with him." Thus are we blessed, by keeping the word of the Lord. Thus we know His love, for thus we accept the love He offers by His instruction and by His presence. It i...

O holy apostles of the Lord upon whom the Church is established, your words go out to the ends of the earth, bringing the Gospel to all nations. You who were near to Jesus Himself, who were with Him all the time He walked among us… there is no greater witness to the way and the truth and the life of our God, our Savior – please pray for the Church in the world this day, that it shall be led by the...

(Acts 6:1-7; Ps.33:1-2,4-5,18-19,22; 1Pt.2:4-9; Jn.14:1-12) "Let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." Peter tells us in his letter that we are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own." Quoting Scripture, he calls us to "'announce the praises' of Him who called [us] ou...

O defender of the faith in the divinity of Christ, bulwark of the Church of the One who is true God and true Man, upholder of the way in the face of all persecutions – pray that the shepherds of the Church will today be so staunch in the faith, never afraid to defend the truth from attacks from within and outside her walls. So many souls are led so astray by the teaching of false prophets; pray in...

(Acts 13:44-52; Ps.98:1-4; Jn.14:7-14) "I have made you a light to the nations, a means of salvation to the ends of the earth." In the preaching of Paul today is fulfilled the words of our psalm, "All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God." Rejected by the Jews to whom he comes, he "now turn[s] to the Gentiles," and – fulfilling the words of our psalm which read, "Sing joyfully...

O humble laborer in God's House who served to build up His Temple by the sweat of your brow and your careful concern to follow His will – pray that we shall embody the same obedience to the Word of God and His call to our souls, that we too will consecrate ourselves and our daily labor to service of the Lord and the upbuilding of His Church, and that we, too, might be built into the House wherein...

(Acts 13:26-33; Ps.2:6-11; Jn.14:1-6) "You are my Son; this day I have begotten you." This same verse appearing in both our first reading and our psalm is spoken also by Jesus in our gospel when He says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me," for such is the Son begotten of the Father. How comforting are Jesus' words in our gospel, and how enlighten...

O Shepherd of the Church who led her through a difficult time, seeing to her reform in faith and morals, in teaching and prayer, that the foundation once established by the Lord Jesus Christ might be confirmed and strengthened, kept from decay – pray this day, too, MotherChurch will be blessed by the nourishing food of the Spirit, that she might be fed at the Lord's table and all might be encourag...

(Acts 13:13-35; Ps.89:2-3,21-22,25,27; Jn.13:16-20) "He who accepts anyone I send accepts me, and in accepting me accepts Him who sent me." And who is this Jesus who sends apostles like Paul forth traveling from Syria to Cyprus to Asia Minor? Who is He of whom Paul rises to speak in this distant synagogue? Two quotes I offer for your consideration. First is the Baptist's declaration, "I am not wor...

O wise and holy virgin whose love for God was matched by a great love for the Church and a great desire to see her pure and holy as He… peace you brought to peoples and to MotherChurch, for peace you held within your blessed soul, held as you were in the hand of God – pray the light of the Lord will be shed upon the Church and all souls this day, and that reconciliation shall come and we stand as...

(Acts 12:24-13:5; Ps.67:2-6,8; Jn.12:44-50) "Set apart Barnabas and Saul for me, to do the work for which I have called them." These words came to the Church at Antioch "while they were engaged in the liturgy of the Lord and fasting"; spoken by the Holy Spirit, they show how intimately the Church and her apostles are connected to the Lord Jesus and His Father. In John's gospel, Jesus proclaims, "T...

O apostle of Mary and so of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the Lord you drew souls through devotion to His Mother. How perfectly you have spoken of this grace upon the Virgin and the role she plays in the salvation of the world – pray this day that her sweet protection and most blessed intercession will be with all the children who turn in faith to the one chosen by the Father to be Mother of His Son....