The BreadCast

(Prv.21:1-6,10-13; Ps.119:1,27,30,34-35,44; Lk.8:19-21) "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act upon it." Our readings today are filled throughout with one line pearls of wisdom culminating with Jesus' above instruction in our brief gospel. And though each individual proverb or paean to the command of the Lord seems a separate entity distinct from the others which sur...

(Prv.3:27-34; Ps.15:1-5; Lk.8:16-18) "The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but the dwelling of the just He blesses." Light fills the house of him "who walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in his heart and slanders not with his tongue," for he who does these things is as light itself, having no part with darkness. He knows that "to the Lord the perverse man is an...

(Ws.2:12,17-20; Ps.54:3-8; Jas.3:16-4:3; Mk.9:30-37) "Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice." And can there be any greater foul practice come from jealousy and selfish ambition than that of which we hear in our first reading from the Book of Wisdom, for here the wicked plot the death of the Son of God – here is spoken of the horrible persecutions whic...

(Eph.4:1-7,11-13; Ps.19:2-5; Mt.9:9-13) "Through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message." "Till we become one in faith and in the knowledge of God's Son, and form that perfect man who is Christ come to full stature," the Word of the Lord shall be carried forth by all His "apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers"; indeed, "each of us has recei...

(1Cor.15:12-20; Ps.17:1,6-8,15; Lk.8:1-3) "Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep." This is the heart of our faith. This is the "Good News," the Gospel preached in our midst. This is our firm belief. Upon it all our hopes stand. Christ has been raised, and His disciples will follow Him. As surely as we accompany Him here in His mission on earth, so s...

(1Cor.15:1-11; Ps.118:1-2,16-17,28; Lk.7:36-50) "I am the least of the apostles." Brothers and sisters, "little is forgiven the one whose love is small." And it is in the sweet tears of repentance that we discover the love held in the merciful heart of the Lord. Paul speaks the truth of himself when he claims that he does "not even deserve the name" of apostle because he has "persecuted the Church...

(1Cor.12:31-13:13; Ps.33:2-5,12,22; Lk.7:31-35) "We piped you a tune but you did not dance; we sang you a dirge but you did not wail." "Like children squatting in the city squares and calling to their playmates," seeking to have them comply with their own selfish will, so are "the men of today" according to our Lord. And so is their song not "a noisy gong"? Do they not lack of love? Could they be...

(1Cor.12:12-14,27-31; Ps.100:1-5; Lk.7:11-17) "A great prophet has risen among us." A great prophet, yes, and so much more; for here is He who is Himself the "one body" upon whom the "one Spirit" rests, and in whom all find their home. "The body is one and has many members; but all the members, many though they are, are one body; and so it is with Christ." Christ is all things: He is apostle sent...

(1Cor.11:17-26,33; Ps.40:7-10,17,1Cor.11:26; Lk.7:1-10) "Just give the order and my servant will be cured." By a word from His mouth what cannot be done? For those who have faith this is all that is needed. Listen, brothers and sisters, to the centurion's explication of "the meaning of an order": "I say to one, 'On your way,' and off he goes; to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; to my slave, 'Do...

(Is.50:5-9a; Ps.116:1-6,8-9; Jas.2:14-18; Mk.8:27-35) "I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living." A simple enough statement made by our psalmist today, or so it seems. For what does it mean to walk with Jesus along the way of the Almighty God? What does such travel entail? Is it but to impart a word of peace and blessing to those in need, and continue merrily along? Is it but to say,...

(1Cor.9:16-19,22-27; Ps.84:2-6,8,12; Lk.6:39-42) "Although I am not bound to anyone, I made myself the slave of all so as to win over as many as possible." How like His Lord is Paul in his declaration, "To the weak I became a weak person with a view to winning the weak." For as Jesus descended from heaven to take on flesh and save those corrupted by its sin, so the Apostle has made himself "all th...

(1Cor.8:1-7,11-13; Ps.139:1-3,13-14,23-24; Lk.6:27-38) "The measure you measure with will be measured back to you." And what is your measuring stick, brother? Is it the ruler of this earth, limited by eyes of flesh? Or is it the yardstick of heaven, which reaches unto the Lord's side and finds us in His sight? Do you toil on this plane alone, or do you climb the mountain where He sits, where He te...

(1Cor.7:25-31; Ps.45:11-12,14-17; Lk.6:20-26) "The world as we know it is passing away." And so, "hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, forget your people and your father's house," for the King is calling you from this passing world to the heavenly marriage feast – "He is your Lord, and you must worship Him." This call is for every chosen soul, for who is the Lord's virgin daughter, who is His...

(1Cor.6:1-11; Ps.149:1-6,9; Lk.6:12-19) "You have been washed, consecrated, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." Yes, "power went out from Him which cured all." And as all were "healed of their diseases" and "those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured" by His touch, so we, too, are made whole in His sight; so we now become His holy children of...

(1Cor.5:1-8; Ps.5:5-7,9,12; Lk.6:6-11) "Let us celebrate the feast not with the old yeast, that of corruption and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." For indeed, "Christ our Passover has been sacrificed"; indeed, the new Sabbath has come. And on the Day of the Lord only goodness remains. "Get rid of the old yeast to make of yourselves fresh dough," Paul commands the...

(Is.35:4-7a; Ps.146:2,6-10; Jas.2:1-5; Mk.7:31-37) "He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." The Lord makes all whole. He "sets captives free" from all their afflictions as He redeems us from all our sin. "Here is your God, He comes with vindication; with divine recompense He comes to save you." This is He who "has done all things well"; this is the Lord Jesus Christ. "And immediately the man's...

(1Cor.4:9-15; Ps.145:17-21; Lk.6:1-5) "God has put us apostles at the end of the line, like men doomed to die in the arena." "Up to this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, poorly clad, roughly treated, wandering about homeless," the great Apostle Paul tells us of the persecution and slander all the Lord's apostles must undergo. And yet "when we are insulted we respond with a blessing," for this i...

(1Cor.4:1-5; Ps.37:3-6,27-28,39-40; Lk.5:33-39) "The salvation of the just is from the Lord." "For the Lord loves what is right, and forsakes not His faithful ones." And so He comes. He comes bearing a new garment; He comes with the blood of a New Covenant, His own blood, to wash us clean and make us whole as He is. Drinking this new wine indeed we are made holy. It is not as "John's disciples" or...

(1Cor.3:18-23; Ps.24:1-6; Lk.5:1-11) "Amazement at the catch they had made seized him and all his shipmates." What a truly remarkable scene! Here upon the call of the apostles, the first of apostles, Simon Peter, "fell at the knees of Jesus." Here in his barque, boats once desolate now suddenly fill to bursting with fish flopping about everywhere, unable to be contained… This is a painting for the...

(1Cor.3:1-9; Ps.33:12-15,20-21; Lk.4:38-44) "To other towns I must announce the Good News of the reign of God, because that is why I was sent." "And He continued to preach in the synagogues of Judea." And He continues to preach to all hearts through His blessed apostles, and His Church continues to grow. To the ends of the earth the kingdom progresses, and we each have a hand in its rising. Yes, "...

(1Cor.2:10-16; Ps.145:8-14,17; Lk.4:31-37) "We have the mind of Christ." The demon has been cast from us and we see the Lord as He is: "Good to all and compassionate toward all His works." "The glorious splendor of [His] kingdom" is before our eyes, and it is this which gives us light. We have bowed ourselves down before Him, the demon has thrown us "to the ground before everyone's eyes," and we h...

(1Cor.2:1-5; Ps.119:97-102; Lk.4:16-30) "Your faith rests not on the wisdom of men but on the power of God." Paul comes to the Corinthians with preaching that has "none of the persuasive force of 'wise' argumentation, but the convincing power of the Spirit," and with them he determines to "speak of nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Similarly, when "Jesus came to Nazareth where He had be...

(Dt.4:1-2,6-8; Ps.15:1-5; Jas.1:17-18,21b-22,27; Mk.7:1-8,14-15,21-23) "Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls." Welcome it, yes, and "be doers of the word and not hearers only." For how else shall you show that the word of God is planted in you except that you bear fruit? All that is planted well indeed grows and bears fruit in the light of God. Brothe...

(1Cor.1:26-31; Ps.33:12-13,18-21; Mt.25:14-30) "He called in His servants and handed His funds over to them according to each man's abilities." All comes from the hand of God. Yes. Do you see this? God it is who provides any talent you possess on this earth and "God it is who has given you life in Christ Jesus." Not yourself. It is not from you any power comes. God has proven His power by choosing...

(1Cor.1:17-25; Ps.33:1-2,4-5,10-11; Mt.25:1-13) "The world did not come to know Him through its 'wisdom'." "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and thwart the cleverness of the clever," says the Lord God. And in its place we find the Gospel, "the message of the cross," which is "complete absurdity to those who are headed to ruin, but to us who are experiencing salvation it is the power of God."...