The BreadCast

O great missionary, you served to convert a land and a people that had never heard of our blessed Savior, and though killed for your work, you loved those to whom you were sent and toiled tirelessly for their salvation – pray the same kind heart you showed we shall also know in serving souls placed into our care; and pray the name of our Lord shall go forth in freedom to the very ends of the earth...

(Acts 11:19-26; Ps.87:1-7,117:1; Jn.10:22-30) "Of Zion they shall say: 'One and all were born in her.'" "I tell of Egypt and Babylon among those that know the Lord; of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia," sings our psalmist today. Yes, "when the peoples are enrolled" in the kingdom of heaven, when it is noted: "This man was born there," it shall not be to the soil of Jerusalem to which the angels refer, bu...

(Acts 11:1-18; Ps.41:3,42:2-3,43:3-4; Jn.10:1-10 or Jn.10:11-18) "God has granted life-giving repentance even to the Gentiles." In his vision Peter sees "an object like a big canvas… lowered down to [him] from the sky by its four corners." Upon it he discerns "four-legged creatures of the earth, wild beasts and reptiles, and birds of the sky." Like Noah's ark it seems to contain all the animals up...

(Acts 2:14a,36-41; Ps.23:1-6; 1Pt.2:20b-25; Jn.10:1-10) "Whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep." Jesus says in earnest to the Pharisees, "I am the gate for the sheep… Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture." But they are as the thief who "comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy." Today, too, brothers and sisters, the thief...

O proclaimer of the Word of God, we know of our Lord who suffered and died that we might rise with Him on the third day because the Spirit inspired you to tell us of this Good News. Faithful you were to the Lord and to His blessed apostles, and so became an apostle yourself, carrying the Gospel to men of every nation – pray that the Word which you have served to impart to us may be remembered and...

(1Pt.5:5-14; Ps.89:2-3,6-7,16-17; Mk.16:15-20) "Go into the world and proclaim the Good News to all creation." Such is the call and accomplishment of our evangelist Mark, whose gospel reflects the song of our psalmist today, "The favors of the Lord I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness." For his inspired Word lives forever to declare the faithfulnes...

O charitable and zealous soul who gave your life that others might know the true and abiding Catholic faith, you who cared for the sick and the dying, those who were ailing in body and diseased in spirit – how shall we learn to sacrifice all as you have done, to stand in the face of opposition and speak the truth though those we would help would devour us instead of listening to the words come fro...

(Acts 9:1-20; Ps.117:1-2,Mk.16:15; Jn.6:52-59) "My flesh is real food and my blood real drink." And "the man who feeds on this bread shall live forever." The truth is simply stated to those who wonder at His words today in our gospel. As the Israelites in the desert asked, "What is this?" when presented with manna as their food, so now the Jews say, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?" For...

O persecuted shepherd whose flock repeatedly drove you from their midst but who accomplished great work of conversion among them… to these indignant souls you repeatedly returned, ever spreading Christ's net further – pray for us, apostle to nations, that in God's Church today His Word may go boldly forth to convert hearts so hardened by sin, that the acquired ignorance of peoples returning to pag...

O courageous soldier in the army of our Lord, you gave up the ranks of this passing world for the kingdom wrought by Jesus Christ, dying willingly for such a just cause and showing us the path we must tread to be found worthy to stand with our God – pray that we may be strengthened in the battle of earthly life, that our weak limbs may not be disjointed, that we might not tremble in fear at the th...

(Acts 8:26-40; Ps.66:1,8-9,16-17,20; Jn.6:44-51) "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." How evident it is in our first reading that the Father draws all believers unto Himself. For though it is clear that the Ethiopian eunuch is in search of God, has a desire for God, and welcomes God – He is coming from pilgrimage to Jerusalem, is reading Holy Scripture, and "invite[s] P...

(Acts 8:1-8; Ps.66:1-7; Jn.6:35-40) "Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you, sing praise to your name!" And why should there be such exultant joy among all the peoples of the earth? What should cause all men to "shout joyfully to God"? It is Jesus' profession that "everyone who looks upon the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life." Nothing but life everlasting can bring such abs...

O sublime teacher and defender of the Church and her freedom, the joy of Heaven you sought in your spiritual life, and for the autonomy of MotherChurch you fought in your call as shepherd – pray that we who remain so blind to the presence of God will have our eyes opened and draw closer to Him who is our life, in whose light we alone find peace; and pray, too, that we shall fulfill our call as dis...

(Acts 7:51-8:1; Ps.31:3-4,6-8,17,21; Jn.6:30-35) "No one who comes to me shall ever be hungry, no one who believes in me shall thirst again." "I myself am the bread of life," Jesus declares, and it is in this Bread we take refuge. It is by this Bread we are fed. Do you think that Stephen is at all hungry as he lives again the trial, way of the cross, and crucifixion of the Lord in our first readin...

(Acts 6:8-15; Ps.119:1,23-24,26-27,29-30; Jn.6:22-29) "This is the work of God: have faith in the One whom He sent." It is this faith that moves Stephen; it is this work upon which he sets his heart. And so he was unmoved when "the people, the elders, and the scribes… confronted him, seized him, and led him off to the Sanhedrin" and "brought in false witnesses" against him. Surely the words of our...

(Acts 2:14,22-33; Ps.16:1-2,5,7-11; 1Pt.1:17-21; Lk.24:13-35) "God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses." Peter stands up "with the Eleven" and proclaims to all the Resurrection of the Christ, that He who was crucified has been released "from the throes of death." David "foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was He abandoned to the netherworld nor did His fle...

(Acts 6:1-7; Ps.33:1-2,4-5,18-19,22; Jn.6:16-21) "The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear Him, upon those who hope for His kindness." Alleluia. As the apostles set out to cross the lake, "it was dark, and Jesus had still not joined them; moreover, with a strong wind blowing, the sea was becoming rough." As they struggled to row and keep afloat, "they sighted Jesus approaching the boat, walkin...

(Acts 5:34-42; Ps.27:1,4,13-14; Jn.6:1-15) "I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living." Seeing the vast crowd following Him up the mountain as He seeks to sit with His disciples, Jesus asks the one without guile, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat." In honesty Philip answers, essentially, "It is impossible." Ah, but nothing is impossible with God. B...

(Acts 5:27-33; Ps.34:2,7,9,17-20; Jn.3:31-36) "The One whom God has sent speaks the words of God; He does not ration His gift of the Spirit." And thus it is that Peter and the apostles, sent by the Lord to speak His words, can boldly proclaim to the Sanhedrin's chastisement for continuing "to teach about that name": "Better for us to obey God than men!" In no way do they ration the Spirit as they...

(Acts 5:17-26; Ps.34:2-9; Jn.3:16-21) "He who acts in truth comes into the light, to make clear that his deeds are done in God." Jesus is "the light [that] came into the world," and "happy the man who takes refuge in Him." None shall fear anymore who love the Lord, for He shall answer all his cries. And newness of life shall be ours. The Sadducees, who do not believe in the resurrection of the dea...

(Acts 4:32-37; Ps.93:1-2,5; Jn.3:7-15) "The community of believers were of one heart and one mind." This oneness is itself of heaven, is itself the sign that they are "begotten of the Spirit." And this oneness is reflected in a very real manner in the fact that "none of them ever claimed anything as his own; rather, everything was held in common." This sharing of goods, of "lay[ing] them at the fe...

O martyred Father of the Church, you laid down your life to save her from the enemy, to preserve her in the truth of orthodox faith; unmindful of the humiliation and exile you bore at the hands of the king of this world, you died that all might know the Christ in His divinity and humanity – pray we shall indeed be saved from all temptation to turn from the faith, and so find our way to the kingdom...

(Acts 4:23-31; Ps.2:1-9; Jn.3:1-8) "No one can see the rule of God unless he is begotten from above." "Princes conspire together against the Lord and against His anointed," we are told in our psalm as well as our first reading. But their rule shall be shattered "like an earthen dish" by the power of the Spirit and God's anointed One, to whom He gives "the nations as an inheritance." And in the Boo...

(Acts 2:42-47; Ps.118:1-4,13-15,22-24; 1Pt.1:3-9; Jn.20:19-31) "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." Jesus comes to the disciples, repeatedly appearing to them after His Resurrection, to make certain there is absolutely no doubt in them: "Do not be unbelieving, but believe." He invites them even to put their fingers in His hands and their hands into His side. To Thomas He speaks...

O soldier of Christ who stood with courage against the powers of this world, leading the troops in your charge even unto death – pray that we may remain loyal to our call, faithful to the Lord even unto our own death, standing strong and tall against the assaults of the world and the devil and forming those entrusted to us in the ways of God as you, dear shepherd, have bravely done. Let us not be...