The BreadCast

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....

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...