The BreadCast

(2Kgs.2:1,6-14; Ps.31:20-21,24-25; Mt.6:1-6,16-18) "As they walked on conversing, a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind." Jesus instructs us in our gospel, "Whenever you pray, go to your room, close your door, and pray to your Father in private." This prescription the holy prophet Elijah fulfills in our first reading when he miraculousl...

(1Kgs.21:17-29; Ps.51:3-6,11,16; Mt.5:43-48) "Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me." We have hope, brothers and sisters; we have hope that the very depths of our sin and depravity against the Lord shall be forgiven, and we shall be made new, washed in His blood. For the Lord "sends His rain on the just and the unjust," and this He proves today in our readings. The Lord forgive...

(1Kgs.21:1-16; Ps.5:2-3,5-7; Mt.5:38-42) "I will obtain the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you." How divergent are the paths of Jezebel and Jesus. This Queen of Israel, wife of Ahab, holds the philosophy that if someone won't give you what you ask for, take it by force; whereas the Lord says if someone wishes to take something from you, give it and more. Here are the way of the world and th...

(Ex.19:2-6a; Ps.100:1-3,5; Rom.5:6-11; Mt.9:36-10:8) "I bore you up on eagle wings, and brought you here to myself." As the Lord rescued the Israelites from slavery to the Egyptians and brought them into His presence in the desert of Sinai, so in the same way, in a full manner, "God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." God loves us and draws us to Himself...

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...

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...

(1Kgs.19:19-21; Ps.16:1-2,5,7-10; Mt.5:33-37) "I will follow you." Elisha gives His yes to Elijah, and so to God. He "kiss[es] [his] father and mother good-bye" and weds himself to the prophet who has thrown "his cloak over him." And he shall not turn back, shall not fall short of giving his entire self to the service of God, and so shall be greatly blessed. All he leaves behind. His very liveliho...

(Dt.7:6-11; Ps.103:1-4,8,10,17; 1Jn.4:7-16; Mt.11:25-30) "He has loved us and has sent His Son as an offering for our sins." Who better to hear from on this blessed feast than John, the Lord's beloved disciple, whose words indeed continually breathe the fact that "God is love" and who eternally exhorts us to "love one another." John cannot but speak of the love God has for His children and the lov...

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 apar...

(1Kgs.18:41-46; Ps.65:2,10-13; Mt.5:20-26) "You have visited the land and watered it; greatly have you enriched it." "There is the sound of a heavy rain." The Lord is speaking. The Lord is teaching. Jesus is revealing the strait path of holiness that leads to the Father, and His words and His Person come like a fruitful rain upon a drought-stricken land. O Lord, "thus have you prepared the land: d...

(1Kgs.18:20-39; Ps.16:1-2,4-5,8,11; Mt.5:17-19) "If the Lord is God, follow Him; if Baal, follow him." Today "the only surviving prophet of the Lord" comes to reveal to the people that "the Lord is God!" Elijah seeks to open the Israelites' eyes to the presence of God, to bring them "back to their senses." And how evident it becomes that "they multiply their sorrows who court other gods," and that...

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 C...

(1Kgs.17:7-16; Ps.4:2-5,7-8; Mt.5:13-16) "The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the Lord sends rain upon the earth." Again today we see in our readings that the Lord provides for His children's needs, that indeed He is with us until the end of the age – yes, "the Lord does wonders for His faithful one." As "the brook where Elijah was hiding ran dry," t...

(1Kgs.17:1-6; Ps.121:1-8; Mt.5:1-12) "My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." It is He whom we seek when we "lift up [our] eyes toward the mountains." And what do we find but that "the Lord is [our] guardian; the Lord is [our] shade; He is beside [us] at [our] right hand." Does the Lord not watch over those who trust in Him? Take Elijah for your example. He is led into exile under th...

(Dt.8:2-3,14b-16a; Ps.147:12-15,19-20; 1Cor.10:16-17; Jn.6:51-58) "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever." "Not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord." And here is the Word standing before our eyes. Here is the Bread that gives us life. Here is Jesus Christ, in this Blessed Sacrament, nouris...

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 t...

(2Tm.4:1-8; Ps.71:8-9,14-17,22; Mk.12:38-44) "Put up with hardship, perform your work as an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." In final words to his blessed disciple, Paul exhorts Timothy with all the strength he is able to muster "to preach the word, to stay with this task whether convenient or inconvenient – correcting, reproving, appealing – constantly teaching and never losing patience." He e...

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...

(2Tm.3:10-17; Ps.119:157,160-161,165-166,168; Mk.12:35-37) "Princes persecute me without cause but my heart stands in awe of your word." The Word of God and persecution are our topics for today. On the one hand, Paul tells Timothy, "All Scripture is inspired of God and is useful for teaching," and Jesus uses a passage of Scripture (Psalm 110) to refute His persecutors and verify that the Son of Go...

(2Tm.2:8-15; Ps.25:4-5,8-10,14; Mk.12:28-34) "Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior." Brothers and sisters, "Remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, was raised from the dead." He is our Lord. He is our God. He is our Savior who speaks only truth. Listen to Him and walk in His way, "following a straight course in preaching the truth." After Jesus proclaims the gr...

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 ser...

(2Tm.1:1-3,6-12; Ps.123:1-2; Mk.12:18-27) "He has robbed death of its power and has brought life and immortality into clear light through the Gospel." It is this Gospel which Paul exhorts his "dear child" Timothy to serve, to preach and to teach "with the strength which comes from God, bear[ing] [his] share of the hardship which the Gospel entails." Paul has suffered for the sake of the Gospel – a...

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...

(2Pt.3:12-15,17-18; Ps.90:2-4,10,14,16; Mk.12:13-17) "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's but give to God what is God's." "Some Pharisees and Herodians were sent after Jesus to catch Him in His speech." These "two groups" seem to come one from God and the other from Caesar. But their devious plotting shows the only party present of God is Jesus Himself. And to whom do we belong? Peter makes it abundan...

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...