The BreadCast

O faithful Shepherd who laid down your life for the sake of true teaching, who was killed by one set against God's Word… though deprived of food and so of this life, you were given instead the life of Heaven and serve as a holy example of what should be sacrificed for love of truth and right – pray that the flock shepherded this day by the apostles will be led by the same loyalty, led by genuine p...

(Acts 19:1-8; Ps.68:2-7,33; Jn.16:29-33) "You will suffer in the world. But take courage! I have overcome the world." "An hour is coming – has indeed already come – when you will be scattered and each will go his way, leaving me quite alone." Yet the Father is always with Jesus, even as He faces His imminent execution, and Jesus is with us by the power of the Spirit through all the trials we face....

(Acts 1:12-14; Ps.27:1,4,7-8,13; 1Pt.4:13-16; Jn.17:1-11a) "One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life." Obedient to the instructions of the Lord, the apostles returned to Jerusalem, where they gathered together in "the upper room" and "devoted themselves with one accord to prayer," waiting for the promised gift of the Spirit of God. With Da...

(Acts 18:23-28; Ps.47:2-3,8-10; Jn.16:23-28) "He went about establishing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah." In our gospel today, Jesus again assures the disciples, "Whatever you ask the Father, He will give you in my name," He tells them of the time when He will no longer speak to them "in veiled language," but "shall tell [them] about the Father in plain speech." A most fascinating q...

O farmer of God's green earth who cultivated the faith even as you cultivated the ground, whose simple and humble life should serve as inspiration to all toiling on this plane – pray that we shall follow your example, sharing our food with the hungry as we work for the salvation of souls. Pray that all the work we do will bear fruit in God's kingdom, that with you and your wife we may be found wor...

(Acts 18:9-18; Ps.47:2-8; Jn.16:20-23) "Go on speaking and do not be silenced, for I am with you." As Paul continues his missionary journey, his fears are calmed by the Lord, who assures him: "No one will attack you or harm you," though he be in Corinth, whose infamous immorality is illustrated in the riotous behavior of the Jews in its court, and to which the court "paid no attention at all." And...

O chosen apostle, destined to serve the Church as witness to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, you who walked with Him from the beginning even until He was taken from our sight yet were not appointed by the Spirit as one of the Twelve until a place was made desolate by the traitorous one – pray that the call upon the soul of all God's children will be fulfilled according to His will and w...

(Acts 1:15-17,20-26; Ps.113:1-8; Jn.15:9-17) "It was I who chose you to go forth and bear fruit." Since "the saying in Scripture uttered long ago by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David was destined to be fulfilled in Judas" and he "went the way he was destined to go," now the word of the Lord must be accomplished: "May another take his office." And though "Peter stood up in the center of th...

(Acts 1:1-11; Ps.47:1-3,6-9; Eph.1:17-23 or Eph.4:1-13 or Heb.9:24-28,10:19-23; Mt.28:16-20 or Mk.16:15-20 or Lk.24:46-53) "God mounts His throne amid shouts of joy; the Lord, amid trumpet blasts." Three events are the subject of today's readings. The key of these is certainly the Lord's ascending into heaven and taking His place at the right hand of the Father. Without this the other two could no...

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...