The BreadCast

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 worthy of those blessed words come from our Savior's mouth: "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into your Master's joy." Pray according to your own blessing from the Lord that this earth He has given us to care for may be saved from the greedy hands of corrupted man and serve as source of nourishment for all.

(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 the Lord is true to His word, protecting Paul throughout his year-and-a-half stay, and keeping him even from having to defend himself from charges in today’s first reading. In our gospel Jesus reassures the disciples at the Last Supper, as He is about to leave them and their hearts begin to be troubled: “You will grieve for a time, but your grief will be turned into joy.”  And though there remains ever a measure of grief in our hearts as we labor in this world, our bodies apart from the fullness of the grace of heaven, yet we know that Jesus’ promise has indeed been kept in His sending His Spirit upon the apostles from His heavenly kingdom.  It is, of course, this Holy Spirit who inspires and guides and protects Paul, making his missionary work fruitful, for he does all having been baptized by the fire of Christ.  And, of course, the disciples to whom Jesus speaks today will soon have no more fear, for Pentecost is not far from them. Pentecost is not far from any of us, brothers and sisters.  The promised Spirit is come into the world to answer all questions, to calm all our anxieties.  As we wait these nine days to celebrate this great feast of the Church, as we prepare again to enter into its birth in the Spirit of God, let us be assured that the Lord’s promise remains: “You are sad for a time, but I shall see you again; then your hearts will rejoice with a joy no one can take from you.”  No one can take from us the promised joy we now hold in our hearts and which is renewed in this season.  As Paul is emboldened even through his most difficult trials, as the apostles rejoice at their persecutions for Jesus’ sake, so we should know that the Lord “brings people under us, nations under our feet”; and so, as powerful as the world may seem in all its brazen immorality, yet we are assured that “He chooses for us our inheritance, the glory of Jacob, whom He loves.”  “There are many of [His] people in this city,” here where we dwell on earth, and we must speak to them of the Lord’s glory, His love strengthening us for every task.  It is He who accomplishes all in us, and so He will guide and guard our way.   ******* O LORD, give us reassurance of your presence with us, now and until the end of time. YHWH, soon our hearts shall rejoice at the return of your Son and our union with you in Heaven forever.  But now your Spirit is with us reassuring us of the fulfillment of this promise and guiding and protecting us along the way.  We can accomplish all the tasks you set before us because of the glory that is among us even this day in our Advocate from on high. O LORD, though there is cause for us to weep and mourn in these days we remain apart from complete unity with you, we are strengthened as we wait by the knowledge that Jesus is yet present with us in the Spirit He sends.  Let us take refuge in this gift and, as we wait now again for its outpouring in a few days, let us remember your faithfulness to us and our destiny to praise you forever in your eternal kingdom.  O you who sit upon the throne, shine your light upon us this day.

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 we all shall come to be witnesses to Jesus and His eternal glory wrought in our midst by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let none shy away from the Lord but assume their rightful place in His presence.

(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 the brothers" and declared the need expressed in Scripture, and though the one hundred and twenty brothers gathered together "nominated two," the prayer of the disciples, as well as their actions, makes clear by whom Matthias is chosen: "O Lord, you read the hearts of men. Make known to us which of these two you choose for this apostolic ministry." As Judas is destined for perdition, so Matthias is chosen by the Lord to take his place, for all is indeed in the hands of God. And what loving hands these are, brothers and sisters; and what loving hands all His disciples are called to employ. The words of the Lord in today's gospel breathe the very love of God upon His apostles. "Love one another as I have loved you" is His command to them. "Live on in my love." Our "fruit must endure," and it can only endure, we can only bear fruit, sharing in the love of Father and Son. For then the Holy Spirit is upon us, who brings all to life. And the way in which we share in divine love the Lord makes clear as well: "There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." And it is this laying down of his life to which Matthias is called today; and it is the same service in His name that makes us all friends of Jesus. "From the rising to the setting of the sun is the name of the Lord to be praised," for indeed "high above all nations is the Lord; above the heavens is His glory." His ways are certainly far above our own, and it is His ways to which we must come, obediently following His command, His command to love. Today He reaches down and "raises the lowly from the dust… to seat [Matthias] with princes, with the princes of His people." Today His choice is made of who will follow the Son. None but He knows the ones He chooses, the way we must walk, for none is "like the Lord, our God, who is enthroned on high and looks upon the heavens and the earth below"; and our joy is made complete only in going forth as He leads, for, simply put, none can compare with His love. Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Carie Fortney. Music By Carie Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, you choose those whom you send forth – let us live in your love. YHWH, help us to love one another as your Son has loved us that we shall live ever in His love and bear fruit in His Name. May we take our place with Him and all His apostles in your kingdom this day. O LORD, as you chose Matthias to take the place of Judas, to sit with your princes, so let us know that we, too, are chosen by you to do your will in this world as the friends of Jesus. We take no honor unto ourselves but all honor you bestow upon those you call to your side. The greatest honor you would give to all – to be formed in the image of your Son. Let us be faithful to that call, O LORD; let us give you due honor, you who are enthroned on high, far above heaven and earth. We are but dust, dear God, but you sit above all Creation, and this dust you would raise up to dwell in your eternal presence. In all your children let your will be done. Let us give witness to your Son's resurrection and so join Him at your side.

(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 not follow. And so we celebrate the Lord's Ascension in particular; but we also hear of the coming Pentecost and the apostles' call to go forth to the ends of the world. "As they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him from their sight." Now He goes to heaven, returning to the Father, as He has said, to enter into glory. And as He has asked, we should be joyful, we should "shout to God with cries of gladness. For the Lord, the Most High, the awesome, is the great King over all the earth," and now Jesus, our Savior and our brother, is with Him, and so brings us to Him. His glory becomes our own, and so His now assuming His throne in heaven should cause us to "sing hymns of praise" to Him who now "reigns over the nations." And from His place seated "at the right hand of God" "upon His holy throne," the Lord keeps "the promise of the Father about which [we] have heard [Him] speak." For "in a few days [we] will be baptized with the Holy Spirit"; Pentecost will be here, and Jesus' words to His disciples as He prepares to ascend will be our own: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you." It is from this Holy Spirit that the Church takes its strength, through whom we are all made one in "faith and knowledge of the Son of God," and by whom we attain to "the full stature of Christ." He it is who inspires all, and He could not come except that our high priest has entered the sanctuary of heaven – opening for us the way to enter there – and from there delivered unto us the grace which through Him comes. And what does this inspiration, this absolute strength we take in the Spirit call us to do but to heed the Lord's words and "go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature," knowing as He has said, "I am with you always, until the end of the age"? And so, apostles and prophets and evangelists and all His children go forth empowered by His Spirit that "hearts [may] be enlightened," that all might know "the hope that belongs to His call… the riches of glory in His inheritance… and what is the surpassing greatness of His power" – that all might believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is now seated at the Father's right hand in heaven, "far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come." All things are "beneath His feet," for "King of all the earth is God," and Jesus is God. But though the Son has joined the Father, remember He is with us always, suffering with us still and bringing us to His side by the power of His Spirit. Wait now on His Word. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "There Is No End to Life" (1st half) from Thoroughfare, seventh album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, may the cloud which took Jesus from our sight soon bring Him back to us and keep Him with us forever. YHWH, your Son mounts His throne of glory, He ascends to you in Heaven, drawing us up into your presence and giving us the power to proclaim your glory and baptize all in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit – with you, O God, let us be made one! And let us go, O LORD, even to the ends of the earth, your Son working through us by the power of the Spirit upon us. As we wait now for your promise to fall upon us and be fulfilled in us, let us with faith set our hearts on your surpassing presence. From the bonds of this earth let us be freed, that by the power of the Spirit we might indeed join Jesus at your right hand. O let thy kingdom come! Soon your Son shall return to us and we will sing in unending joy. But even now we are the Body of Christ, united with Him in Heaven. O LORD, send your Spirit forth that we might find the strength to call all souls unto your glory.

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 children whose eyes beheld you, offer ourselves in union with the Cross of Jesus for the salvation of all and the renewal of the Church and the world.

(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 the earth,” and it is “in Him we live and move and have our being.”  And so should we, “His faithful ones,” not offer Him praise? Brothers, be not ignorant as the men of Athens who thought “the God who made the world and ‘all that is in it,’ the Lord of heaven and earth,” as “something like a statue of gold or silver or stone, a product of man’s genius and his art.”  Could man with all his intelligence make the sun or wind?  Then how can it be that he might contrive the Creator of these?  Such groping in darkness for the God who is “not really far from any of us” shall not be tolerated forever.  For the time has come to turn on the lamp which lights the room and let all shadows flee.  He who is going to “judge the world with justice” is among us now; it is He whom God “has endorsed in the sight of all by raising Him from the dead.”  And it is faith in Him to which we must come. Jesus promises the disciples that “the Spirit of truth… will guide [them] to all truth.”  It is He who “will not speak on His own, but will speak only what He hears.”  He receives from Jesus, who possesses “all that the Father has,” all that He announces to us.  And Paul is His mouthpiece today, speaking not what he has invented by his erudite learning and fanciful imagining, but rather proclaiming the truth he hears the Spirit inspiring in his soul and burning in his heart. We shall not get to heaven on stairs we make with our soiled hands; they cannot but crumble under the pressure of time and the weight of truth.  Only by obedience to the Spirit who inspires all, shall all find the presence of the “God Unknown” to hearts of stone and minds as fleeting as a wisp of smoke.  “He calls on all men everywhere to reform their lives,” for their scoffing at truth shall bring them alone to a dark room, where there shall be no breath of the Spirit.  But we who know all wisdom comes from God, living in its light are made His children. ******* O LORD, may we know your glory in the Word announced to us by the Spirit Jesus sends. YHWH, the light of wisdom you alone shine by the Spirit of Truth come through your Son.  You are exalted above earth and Heaven, and we cannot approach you by our minds or the work of our hands – only by faith will we come to know your surpassing glory. O LORD, let your glory be announced to all that all might praise you in whom we live and move and have our being, that all might thus come to know themselves by realizing we are your offspring.  If we do not see you, how blind we remain to everything, hopelessly groping in the dark for truth and light.  We cannot make truth, we cannot make you, for it is you who have made us.  May we heed your call to reform our lives, dear LORD, that we might come to understanding, that guided by the Spirit we might come to faith in you and praise your Name forever with all your children in the heavenly kingdom.

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 give for the name of God? Pray your innocence may renew our hearts and your strength fortify our commitment to give our lives for Christ and His Church.

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 shed as you filled up what was lacking in the sufferings of Christ. Pray we shall not turn from the sacrifice to which the Lord calls us but embrace with joy the cross we must bear, and which bears us unto Heaven.

(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 free from our prisons, from the chains of sin. “When I called you, you answered me,” David sings.  And how the Lord answers Paul and Silas as they call unto Him in song of their own.  “After receiving many lashes they were thrown into prison, and the jailer… put them in maximum security, going so far as to chain their feet to a stake.”  Yet what do we find these apostles doing in the deep of the night? – “praying and singing hymns to God as their fellow prisoners listened.”  And God hears their prayers; they bring “a severe earthquake [which] suddenly shook the place, rocking the prison to its foundations” and setting all those inside free of their chains. Can we have a clearer sign of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power than this?  Well, yes, because as wondrous as earthquakes are, the truest sign of the Spirit came this night when the jailer “and his whole household were baptized.”  The earthquake and the flying open of prison doors may have opened his heart to hearing the word of God, but his wholehearted acceptance of “his newfound faith in God” is the Spirit’s great work.  For what is of greater importance, the stone and steel of a prison cell shaken and cast to the ground, or the salvation of the eternal soul of man? The Lord Jesus has promised to send the Spirit as Advocate to plead our cause and prove us right about our faith in the One who saves from sin.  In justice and in truth He goes to the Father, and from His exalted throne He sends forth the Paraclete to prove His presence with us still; and by the grace and power of the Holy Trinity at work in our midst, “the prince of this world has been condemned” and the prison he built to contain us destroyed. “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart.”  Let us sing to Him, brothers and sisters.  Let us join with David and Silas and Paul, and all the redeemed of the Lord, and “joyfully celebrate with [our] whole family,” with all the children of our God, our everlasting faith in the Father, Son, and Spirit.  From prison we have been released; with the Savior we are risen.  His Spirit is upon us now. ******* O LORD, may we believe in your Son and so be saved from our sin, entering your House with songs of praise. YHWH, you have saved us from certain death, death at our own hands because of our sins.  To our very foundation you have shaken us and served to make us new men.  May all be baptized in your Name! Send your Spirit forth, O LORD, to shake this place in which we dwell, that we might be released from our prisons, from dwelling in our self-made hell.  The chains of this world are easily broken by your power come from above; let us turn quickly from our sin and acknowledge your power and might, and we shall be saved – we and all our household. No fear let us have of the world’s efforts to chain your Word, O God.  Despite all, let us sing your praise, knowing the devil has been condemned, and the Spirit will never die in us.  And whatever darkness may surround us this day shall soon pass, and with your angels we shall sing your praise in your eternal kingdom.

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 them there, listening attentively to the Word of salvation and finding healing for the disease that eats away at our souls; help us to embrace the cross the Lord provides to lead us on the narrow way to Heaven.

(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 the Spirit brings. And both dying to self and loving God we find the Spirit at work in our lives; He is "the Spirit of truth," yes, but also the Spirit of love, for He is the love of the Father and the Son, and it is by Him we become one in love with Father and Son, and so share in the oneness of the Holy Trinity. Love and truth are really one and the same; neither exists without the other, for both are of God who is one in Himself. We know the commandment of God, which calls us by the fire of truth to kill all the sin within our souls, is simply a commandment to love, for the whole law is summed up in love. And when Peter calls us to "always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks [us] for a reason for [our] hope" (in other words, to speak the truth of the risen Christ), he cannot but immediately add, "Do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear"; for if not spoken in love, it is no truth at all – it is but vain posturing. Truth and love may also be seen in Philip's work in the city of Samaria. He went and "proclaimed the Christ to them" – thus the sword of truth goes forth to pierce hearts and bleed them of sin – but the new life that is brought about by this death to the flesh is also evident, in the signs of God's love he enacted in casting out evil spirits and in the "many paralyzed or crippled people [who] were cured." And oh how the fullness of truth and the perfection of love came upon these converts when Peter and John "laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit." Alleluia! If before "there was great joy in that city" upon being "baptized in the name of Jesus," now what joy there is for them to know this blessing would never leave. Jesus promises to send "another Advocate to be with [us] always"; this is the Holy Spirit who confirms in us that once dead to sin, we shall live forever in Him. For this blessing let us "shout joyfully to God" and "sing praise to the glory of His name." For indeed now by His kindness and His truth, by His grace and by His might, in love and justice He has set us free from the death of sin and brought us to life in Him. Alleluia! Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Loving Sprit" from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, reveal yourself to us this day that we might praise you with joy. YHWH, we sing praise to your Name for all your gifts and graces but especially for the great gift of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love and truth, the Spirit of the Christ, ruling our lives. For sealed by the Spirit we are forever joined to you and your Son in surpassing glory. Alleluia! How blessed are we, dear LORD, that your Son has been preached to us and we have welcomed Him into our hearts and so found healing from all that sin had inflicted upon us. What joy there is in being baptized in the Name of Jesus! 96 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} What everlasting joy we know in having the hands of your apostles laid on our heads that we might receive your Holy Spirit! For now we are filled to overflowing with your glorious praise. No longer orphans, we are joined to you, our Father, through Jesus your Son. One with you, O Triune God, we become as, put to death in the flesh, we are brought to life in the Spirit. Alleluia!

(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 spoken?  And how marvelously his declaration mirrors Jesus’ own simple command to His disciples, “Live on in my love.” I am certain that before he stood to speak in the midst of the din of argument that pervaded this first assembly of God’s people, Peter heard the words of Jesus speaking to his heart: “Simon, son of John, feed my sheep.”  He remembers his call and the Spirit the Lord has placed upon him as keeper of the keys of heaven.  He remembers, too, the vision the Savior of mankind brought to his mind, instructing him not to discriminate in his sharing of the Word of God.  He therefore reminds his brothers that God “reads the hearts of men,” and particularly of how “He showed His approval [of the Gentiles] by granting the Holy Spirit to them,” just as He had done to those gathered in this assembly.  God “made no distinction… but purified their hearts by means of faith also.”  And would they then place undue burden upon what God has wrought by His own hand? Yes, Peter in his pronouncement sings of the “new song” of the Lord and by doing so encourages all to “sing to the Lord; bless His name.”  He hereby “announce[s] His salvation,” that His glory might be told “among the nations; among all peoples, His wondrous deeds.”  Here he demonstrates how the Lord “governs the peoples with equity.”  The righteous judgment that James makes, now shared in harmony by all assembled, is none other than the judgment Peter has proclaimed – which is none other than Jesus’ own word for all to keep the commandment to live in the Father’s love that all our “joy may be complete,” that all may be gathered into the Father’s kingdom. Scripture says of the House the Father builds here on earth, of Jerusalem, His Church: “From its ruins I will rebuild it and set it up again, so that all the rest of mankind and all the nations that bear my name may seek out the Lord.”  What was the house of David now shelters all the nations – the old Jerusalem has become the new City of Peace held in God’s own hand, His Holy Spirit breathing upon its members and giving them life.  By the favor of Christ has this been accomplished; let no man shorten the arm of the Lord.   ******* O LORD, may all peoples be saved by the love your Son bears to us. YHWH, it is by faith you have purified our hearts, and it is to love you call us.  It is by the Spirit we are saved and drawn into your holy kingdom. O let the favors of your Son be upon us, dear God!  His love beat in our hearts and course through our veins.  Yes, let us live in His love and so remain in your joy forever. Your commandments are not burdensome, O LORD, but lead only to freedom, absolute freedom in the light of your presence.  Help us not to take unnecessary burdens upon our shoulders, burdens that would keep us from you and your love.  Let us never quench your Spirit at work in our lives. Work your wonders in our midst, dear LORD, and may we cooperate fully with them, that forever we might sing your praise and bless your holy Name with all our brothers and sisters.  In faith may all souls seek your face, and so find it by your grace.

(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 abundantly.  As “the church saw them off… they made their way through Phoenicia and Samaria, telling everyone about the conversion of the Gentiles as they went.”  And to each branch of the vine they went, “their story caused great joy among the brothers.”  Here is the vine’s growth evident, the blood of the Lord coursing through its veins.  “When they arrived in Jerusalem they were welcomed by that church,” too, and there they “reported all that God had helped them accomplish” to the apostles.  Why have they come here to Jerusalem?  Because “in it are set up judgment seats.”  As great as their work had been, yet they knew the necessity to be obedient to the structure of the vine the Lord tends by His hand.  And so when a controversial question arises, Paul and Barnabas “go up to see the apostles and elders in Jerusalem” to find answer. Why Jerusalem?  Because the Church, the New Jerusalem, is “built as a city with compact unity,” and still at this time the Rock, Peter, and the foundation stones, the twelve apostles, reside in this place.  If one separates oneself from the roots of this vine, one effectively separates oneself from Jesus and becomes “like a withered, rejected branch, picked up to be thrown in the fire and burnt.”  “No more than a branch can bear fruit of itself apart from the vine, can you bear fruit apart from me,” Jesus instructs His disciples.  And Paul and Barnabas know the order that must be preserved if the vine is to remain whole, if their work is to be truly fruitful.  So here as to the question of circumcision, the first major controversy in the early Church, “the elders accordingly convened to look into the matter.” “If you live in me, and my words stay part of you, you may ask what you will – it will be done for you.”  The Lord’s promise is great.  But to receive such grace we must keep our feet firmly planted within the gates of the New Jerusalem, in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church He has founded.  We should rejoice to “go up to the house of the Lord,” for there we shall find Jesus, there we shall find His vine spreading faithfully to the ends of the earth – in it we shall always be nourished by truth.    ******* O LORD, may your Church bear much fruit in you and in your Son; with you let us be one. YHWH, to your House let us come; in your City let us dwell – in the New Jerusalem let us make our home and we shall ever remain united to your Son and bear fruit in His Name.  Apart from Him we can do nothing, and if we separate ourselves from the Church He founded, we separate ourselves from Him… and His blood does not course through our veins. O LORD, let us display the obedience of Paul and Barnabas to the rightful authority you set up to stand in the stead of your Son.  If we listen to these, we listen to Him, and thus your will is done.  If we take matters into our own hands, what hope have we of salvation, for what does man make but destruction?  Let us not be unfruitful branches fit for the fire but be pruned of all uncleanness of heart by the Word your Son speaks through the apostles and elders of holy Church.  Only in this way will we be one with one another and with you.

(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 from towns in which they have preached by those who would destroy them and their word.  Paul is stoned, seemingly unto death.  But their trials do not dissuade these apostles from retracing their steps through the very towns from which they have been ejected and installing elders, priests, in each one, “commend[ing] them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith.”  And so they arrived again at the place “where they had first been commended to the favor of God for the task they had now completed.”  Now they are able to relate in joy “all that God had helped them accomplish, and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles,” perhaps the greatest feat of the growing Church, the Body of Christ on earth. Of course, Jesus’ words to His disciples are the same as Paul’s: “‘Peace’ is my farewell to you, my peace is my gift to you,” Jesus says, and adds, “I do not give it to you as the world gives peace.”  For the peace Jesus gives is deeper and abides eternally; it remains through any trial of the world for it is not dependent on the consolations that come from earthly things.  And so He can assure them, “Do not be distressed or fearful.”  He can freely invite them into the peace He possesses and to which He returns, as He retraces His steps back to the Father from whom He has come, whence He had first been commended to the favor of God for His mission.  He knows they will suffer, even as He is about to suffer death at the hands of “the Prince of this world.”  But He knows the devil’s power “has no hold” on Him, and would have us know Satan has no power over us either.  For we are with Jesus; we are with the Father in heaven.  And though we be as Paul in his persecutions, though we be stoned and “dragged… out of town” and left for dead, the Lord’s angels will surround us as Paul’s disciples surrounded him – as they come to Jesus in the tomb – and like Paul, and like our Lord, “before long” we shall get up and return to our call; and ultimately we shall rise from the dead to eternal life with Jesus, coming to the home He now prepares. “I go away for a while and I come back to you,” Jesus assures His disciples, and asks them to be joyful that He returns to the greatness of the Father, whose “dominion endures through all generations.”  And so, brothers and sisters, may our “mouth[s] speak the praise of the Lord” all our days; “may all flesh bless His holy name forever and ever.”  Let us do as He commands and “discourse of the glory of [His] kingdom and speak of [His] might,” and that power will enable us to endure all things, and we shall be brought at last into His reign. ******* O Lord, though it mean we must die, let us be obedient to your command, that we might enter your reign. YHWH, let us discourse of the glory of your kingdom; let us carry your Word to the ends of the earth.  Let us not fear the trials that must come to all who enter your reign but hold the peace Jesus offers ever in our hearts.  Let us, too, come to you in Heaven. Though we be stoned and left for dead, we shall rise up again, for you, O LORD, are with your disciples, surrounding them with your grace and protection.  As Paul returned even to the towns from which he had been cast out, so let us be ready to enter every battle this world presents, knowing the power you give us is greater than any of this earth, for it overcomes even the Prince of darkness. Let us give you thanks, O LORD, in all the works we do and so make known to all men your glory.

(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 is this blessing of “the living God, ‘the one who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them’” that Paul and Barnabas would bring to the hearts of the Gentiles to whom they preach.  It is in the name of Jesus, Paul brings healing to the lame man who “used to sit crippled, never having walked in his life.”  Indeed, the same healing he would bring to all the pagans before him who also have been crippled all their lives by the folly of worshiping “idols [that] are silver and gold, the handiwork of men” and the products of human imagination.  Never have they walked in the true light of the Lord.  In fact, their limitations are most evident in their desire to sacrifice to Barnabas and Paul themselves, as Zeus and Hermes; “even the priest of the temple of Zeus… wished to offer sacrifice to them,” and Barnabas and Paul must shout at them “frantically”: “We are bringing you the Good News that will convert you from just such follies as these”! “Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name give glory” is our psalmist’s refrain today, and the same is exclaimed by Barnabas and Paul: “We are only men, human like you.”  Worship the living God! is their exhortation.  And Jesus Himself speaks in the same humility and with the same deference to the Father: “The word you hear is not mine, it comes from the Father who sent me.”  All comes from the Father and must return to Him; and so we are all encouraged to make our home with Him alone. “Our God is in heaven; whatever He wills, He does.”  He wills to love all, to bless all, to make His home with all.  To find our homes with Him, to know the blessed love the living God has for all His creatures, we must listen to the instruction of His Son, to the Holy Spirit the Father now sends in His name, and to the ones who are sent to preach the truth of the living God.  May the light of His face shine upon you.   ******* O LORD, let us keep your commands and so live in your surpassing love. YHWH, you come to all who love your Son and keep the Word He imparts to us.  It is this Word that brings us love, and all who cherish love, cherish it, and so find your presence.  May you be revealed to all souls in your only Son. Help all wayward people to turn from vain worship to know you, O living and true God.  May all your creatures give you due praise, turning resolutely from the work of their hands.  Glory abides with you alone; may we find that glory by obedience to your call to love. Let us dwell with you, O LORD; come, we pray, to dwell in us.  Help us indeed to keep your commands, which are but life for our souls.  Your Spirit be with us this day to lead us to all truth in your Son’s Name, that we might do your will in strength, proclaiming the Good News of salvation to all men.  O let us rise from the dust to live in your Heaven!

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 Spirit of Truth and we shall all be as brothers of the Lord, living in His love and revealing the Father. As you have performed the works of the Son, so let us join in the work of redemption, that all the earth will come to see that Jesus is in the Father and we are made one in Him.

(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] out of darkness into His wonderful light." The house we become, the priests we are, and the sacrifices we offer are evident throughout our readings today. First, in our gospel Jesus tells the disciples very directly, "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places" and that He is going "to prepare a place" for them, and so for us, there. And even now He draws us to that place He is with the Father, each to our own room, each with his own ministry. For, second, the priesthood all share in Christ is pictured in our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. As the community of disciples grows in Jerusalem, so do the functions prescribed to its members. It becomes clear that the Twelve and their successors are to "devote themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word," so in order to care for the particular concerns surrounding such matters as the daily distribution of food, they ordain "respectable men" to "serve at table," thus instituting the ministry of the deacon. And, finally, the spiritual sacrifices all offer to God are sung of by David in our psalm: "Exult, you just, in the Lord; praise from the upright is fitting." As this humble servant "give[s] thanks to the Lord on the harp" placed in His hands by God, so all have their place in the kingdom founded on Jesus; all have their lives to offer in praise of God by the instruments He provides. "Whoever believes in me will do the works I do." Yes, the Lord's works in great abundance are given to us to accomplish through Him who now sits with the Father. The way to His heavenly kingdom has been made clear by the ministry and the sacrifice of Jesus, and we must follow in His footsteps, for we are now the Body of Christ here on this earth. In Him and through Him we offer ourselves and all we do to draw all to the House which He prepares in light, to proclaim with our beings that "of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full." Today we are encouraged to hear that "even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith," that the priests of the Old Covenant were now finding themselves true priests under the New. And so we should realize the manner in which we are all called to service in the Temple of the Lord as members of His own Body, giving praise to the Father of us all through His only Son. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Blood in My Palate" from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us live in your Son and so in you that we might do your works in this world and praise you forever in Heaven. YHWH, let us be built into and grow as the Body of your Son. Make us a royal priesthood, a holy nation – your Church. Into your House let us come and dwell, eternally praising your Name. Jesus is in you and you are in Jesus, and those who believe in Him and so in you become one with Him, and so with you, dearest LORD and God. O Father in Heaven, to Heaven let us come, to oneness with you. Let us do your works on earth and so find our way to your kingdom. 96 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} Why should we be troubled when we have the promise from Jesus that He prepares a place for us? Why should we fear when He is near in the power of the Holy Spirit? Let us follow closely the way He leads, that indeed we might exult in your presence forever.

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 indeed that the Lord will raise up leaders, prophets of His true teaching, of His narrow way, which leads through the body He assumed, the death He took upon Himself for our sins, to His divine presence in Heaven.

(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 to the Lord, all you lands, break into song; sing praise” – our first reading tells us “the Gentiles were delighted when they heard this and responded to the word of the Lord with praise.”  Thus does the light of the Lord’s salvation go out to the ends of the earth. And our gospel makes clear just how salvation comes to all.  First Jesus declares with wonderful clarity the oneness of the Son and the Father.  When asked by Philip, “Show us the Father,” Jesus responds, “After I have been with you all this time, you still do not know me?”  Notice that Philip’s request refers to the Father but Jesus’ response refers to the Son, as if to ask of one is to ask of the other.  The Lord then states the truth of His oneness with the living God in plain terms: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”  There is no separation here, and all that Jesus does is done by the Father, so the living Lord of the universe is at work in absolute fashion through the Son’s words and works.  In Him the Father’s will of love, His desire to save His children from sin and death, is accomplished. But more than this is made evident of the working of salvation, for the Word must reach to the ends of the earth.  How is this accomplished?  The Lord again declares with absolute clarity the oneness now of Himself and His disciples.  In order “to glorify the Father in the Son,” He makes them the solemn promise, “The man who has faith in me will do the works I do.”  And the oneness of Jesus and His disciples is made more poignant in His definitive statement: “Anything you ask me in my name I will do.”  Who does these works of the Lord?  Who brings His salvation forth?  We do the works, do we not?  We are those still on this earth with flesh and bone and voices.  Yet He says “I will do” them to show how He works through us in all we do, to reveal our oneness with Him and the Father. Our first reading tells us, “Almost the entire city gathered to hear the word of God” when Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch in Pisidia.  In this simple line is shown both that the salvation of the Lord is going forth to all, and that it is occurring through His disciples.  For it is indeed “the word of God” that Paul the apostle speaks and not his own, and this Word is irresistible in its truth and love to all hearts open to hear the voice of Him who speaks, for this Word brings only joy.   ******* O LORD, looking upon your Son we see you; when others look at us may they see Jesus. YHWH, you live in your Son, accomplishing your works, and He in His turn works through us.  What grace and blessing you grant all your disciples, that we might share in your very life and work!  Alleluia! And this grace and blessing extends to all throughout the earth; all may know the salvation wrought in men by the only Son.  And so, what can we do but sing to you in joy, for your light is with us even in the persecution your Word brings. O let us be one with you, dear God, even as Jesus is one with you.  To your side let us, too, come; this is your will now that you have revealed yourself to us in your Son.  May we say in truth, He is in us and so we in you.  No separation let us know from your surpassing glory. I pray, O LORD, even the words on this page be spoken not of myself but by you, that your work be accomplished in this poor servant.

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 He makes His eternal dwelling. We are but poor creatures, simple and weak; pray the Lord our God and His Son for whom you cared will bless us with your dignity, O righteous man of God.

(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 enlightening Paul’s speech.  The disciples’ hearts are troubled at the Lord’s speaking of His imminent departure; that He must die begins to sink in to them.  But the only Son tells them, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places,” and, “I am indeed going to prepare a place for you.”  Not only this, He also promises, “I shall come back to take you with me, that where I am you also may be.”  The words come like a river of peace, like a wind of love breathing upon them, and upon us.  And the same message is spoken by Paul to “the children of the family of Abraham and [all] others who reverence our God.”  His is “this message of salvation,” that though the rulers condemned Him to death and “laid Him in a tomb,” “yet God raised [Jesus] from the dead.”  And now His witnesses, those to whom He appeared thereafter, declare the Good News of His resurrection, and our own.  “The words of the prophets which we read sabbath after sabbath” and “what God promised our fathers He has fulfilled for us, their children, in raising up Jesus.”  This is the word Paul brings to the waiting ears of his Jewish brothers, and which should be heard by us all. “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” brothers and sisters.  The Lord is near and is calling us to His home.  Even as we speak He is preparing a place for us.  The death that you experience day to day is passing away, and all that will be known is the truth, the life of God the Father.  The Lord declares, “I myself have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain,” and Jesus is that King for all ages and all peoples.  With His truth He shatters kings, and so death itself, “like an earthen dish”; He takes “the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for [His] possession.”  He has died, but He is risen, and now all must “serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice before Him.”  There is no breaking in to the place He prepares for us to dwell. The devil has been defeated by the Son begotten of the Father; his house has come crumbling down.  We need but follow the way Jesus is to find our home in the New Jerusalem.  Death no longer holds dominion, for the Son is now come. ******* O LORD, you have begotten Jesus and raised Him from the grave we have made that we might be saved, that we might dwell with you forever – Alleluia! YHWH, may we come to you through Jesus your Son; may we follow in His way, for His way is truth and leads to life, and leads to you.  O may we be resurrected from the dead with Him that we might come to new life with you who are Life itself. Let us not be troubled, LORD, by the death Jesus had to die, and the death we too must know.  What is this world and the things of this world in comparison with you?  What can this world do to us if we have Jesus as our guide?  For He shatters the powers of evil like an earthen dish and raises all the faithful from the tomb.  Let us come to the dwelling He prepares for us in your heavenly kingdom. Though He has died, He has been raised, and we shall be raised with Him, all according to your will, Father God.  And on Zion we shall find our home with your eternal King.

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 encouraged to enter the gates of Heaven she guards and opens to all souls in communion with the Savior and His way… May Peter lead us unto His Day.

(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 worthy to loosen the thongs of His sandals”(Lk.3:16).  The second is the mere statement of fact that He “washed the feet of the disciples.”  And so with two questions I will tell you who He is: Tell me, who is worthy to unfasten His sandals?  Then tell me, whose feet does He not wash?  Mary washed His feet with her tears and her hair and knew herself nothing but unworthy to touch Him (Lk.7:38).  Jesus stoops to cleanse the feet of even Judas, His betraying apostle, who will kiss Him on the cheek, but to whom He shall turn the other one.  He heals lepers; children come to Him – none is beyond His humble reach.  Yet this man with the towel around His waist is none other than the Son of God. The Israelites awaited His coming.  Hundreds of years they expected Him.  Paul tells us that “God testified, ‘I have found David son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart who will fulfill my every wish,” and in this Son of David the Father’s every wish is indeed fulfilled.  Here is the “Savior for Israel.”  It is of this Christ the Lord speaks when He says, “With my holy oil I have anointed Him, that my hand may be always with Him, and that my arm may make Him strong.”  And He in turn says of the Lord, “You are my Father, my God, the Rock, my Savior.”  So obedient is Jesus to the Father that there is none for whom He will not die; for all He shall drink the cup the Father offers, that the whole world might know the Father’s love.  Here is the great “I AM”, “the fulfillment of Scripture,” the WORD made flesh, the image of the living God: Jesus, Son of David, Son of God – God Himself dwelling among us.  And as He was Chosen, so He now chooses, instructing men to go forth. Do “you know all these things”?  Do you see who He is and hear the words He speaks?  Then “blest will you be if you put them into practice.”  For in humble service of the Name of God, with Him you shall “be exalted.”  Bring forth His message of love. ******* O LORD, obedience to the Church is obedience to your Son, and obedience to your Son is obedience to you – may we all be as faithful as Jesus.  YHWH, may we be men after your own heart, men formed in the image of Jesus and so reflecting your glory – may we be worthy to be called your sons.  O let us never raise our heel against you but ever put into practice your humble love. O LORD, you call us to serve as you called David; you anoint us with oil even as your only Son.  Let us, too, be sons of David, calling you our God, our Rock, our Father – in the image of Jesus let us indeed be formed. None is worthy to unfasten the sandals of our Savior.  None of your poor creatures could even touch your Son.  Yet He comes to wash our feet, to touch us with your merciful love.  Help us, O LORD, to imitate Him; help us to reveal your glory in the service we show one another.  Help us ever to declare your faithfulness, made known in your only Son.

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 one in that surpassing light and peace of the Trinity. May holiness be all men's desire, to live in accord with the will of God.

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. May this Spouse of the Spirit lead us into God's presence where with you and all the heavenly saints we shall find ourselves one with the Most Holy Trinity and sing forever the praises of our Lord and God.

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 this day. What are our lives compared with the service of Christ and the salvation of souls in faith in His name? Let us live with your same zeal the love that is Jesus and His Cross.

(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 is among us, those teachers who do "not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climb over elsewhere." For neither seeing nor caring to seek the wholeness of Scripture, that it is here that God speaks, they attempt to enter another way, relying on their own devices. So it says in the commentary of the missal I read: "the author of the First Letter of Peter" and "the author of John's gospel," for the author here shows he knows not the Word of God. Like the Pharisees who were so preoccupied with the words of the law that they could not see the Author of Life standing before them, so these are blind to the voice of Jesus and His apostles speaking in this Holy Book. As they piece together the fragments of supposed facts gleaned by their fanciful imaginations, the wholeness of the Word, holiness itself, entirely escapes them. How can they hear His silence amongst such chatter? And so the false shepherds strip the "verdant pastures" and pollute the "restful waters" of Holy Scripture. On wrong paths for their own sakes they lead others into the "dark valley" with no "rod" or "staff" of the Lord to give "courage." Only coming before the Word of God as children will they "receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" and so see the truth of prophecy – but this is entirely too shameful to their pride. By their own minds must they live; in their reason alone they seek their refuge, caring not to "dwell in the house of the Lord" and have His "goodness and kindness follow" them. They need this not – they are quite self-sufficient. Brothers and sisters, my prayer is that you "save yourselves from this corrupt generation," that you "run away" like sheep at the "voice of strangers," saying, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." And as for these blind guides, I pray that they shall cease their vain effort to crucify the Lord again by making Him and His Word into a metaphor, a symbol – an empty construct of the human imagination – rather than the flesh and blood of God He Is. May they be "cut to the heart" as those at Peter's preaching, and like the rest of the faithful who "had gone astray like sheep" now return "to the shepherd and guardian of our souls." Entering through the gate that is Jesus, may they recognize the voice of God as He speaks through His Rock and His Beloved. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Lose the Pretense, How Do We?" from Remove the Mask of Lies, second album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, the innocent Lamb is Himself our Shepherd; may we find salvation at His side. YHWH, let us enter into your presence through your only Son, who is the true Shepherd guiding us to you. May we follow in His steps. Even though it lead to the Cross, may we remain near Him, ready to give our lives as He has, as the innocent Lamb for our salvation. Though we are cut to the heart by the truth He speaks in His Word and through His apostles, let us turn to Him in repentance and find His comfort and peace – let us thus find ourselves in your holy arms. O LORD, let our ears be open to hear His voice and His voice alone. Let us not be led astray by false shepherds, false prophets who seek only their own gain and not the welfare of your sheep. It is to sacrifice you call us, not to selfishness, and by laying down our lives, by entering the wounds in His flesh, we shall find eternal rest in your House. Let us be washed clean in His blood and so be saved from corruption.

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 cherished in the hearts of all believers, and that we, too, shall work, inspired by the Spirit, to build up the Body of Christ, making it ready for His return to dwell with us forever.

(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 faithfulness of God. And "happy the people who know the joyful shout," who exclaim like Peter in our first reading, "Dominion be His throughout the ages!" For they "walk in the light of [the Lord's] countenance," and so "they rejoice all the day." "The Eleven went forth and preached everywhere," and those who believed in the Good News they proclaimed indeed were saved, as are we today. The promise Peter makes in our first reading is true: "The God of all grace, who called you to His everlasting glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish those who have suffered a little while." Though answering the call of the Lord bring suffering in this world, it is but little to endure for the surpassing glory which is ours in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And so to "bow humbly under God's mighty hand, so that in due time He may lift [us] high" is a joy in itself; the suffering we experience for the sake of the Word is itself laced with great joy, for we know in our souls and have seen that it but leads to exaltation at the right hand of God. "Through your justice they are exalted" – so our psalmist praises God for His mercy and His truth. And all souls converted to the Lord will know the Lord's justice in full flower. And oh the signs that "will accompany those who have professed their faith," the strength in the Name and the Spirit of God and the healing graces that are known in them. Every day and in every situation such power is invoked and implemented by those who believe. Be not so forgetful of the wonders Jesus works through those who walk with Him. "The heavens proclaim your wonders, O Lord, and your faithfulness, in the assembly of the holy ones." The verse is true, my friends. And as "the Lord continued to work with [the apostles] throughout and confirm the message [they proclaimed] through the signs which accompanied them," so He will not leave alone this day anyone who takes up His cross and even in the humblest fashion proclaims His holy Name. The news is good and the Lord wishes all to hear. Make His message known to the ends of the world: salvation has come to all. Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Carie Fortney. Music by Annette Meyer; used by permission. ******* O LORD, though we suffer for His Name, your Son is with us all the day, and we walk in the light of His countenance. YHWH, you call your apostles to go out to the whole world and preach the Good News of the coming of Christ. May they be faithful in their mission and may all believe and be baptized, and so be saved. Humbly let all souls come to you, that we might be exalted at your right hand. There is suffering in your call, O LORD; there is even the shedding of blood. But though we might die for the sake of your Name and that of your Son, your peace rests upon us. For it is you who fulfill your work in us, you who go out with all your apostles… and you who are with them till the end of time. May they lay their hands on the sick that they might recover, and not be afraid to lose their lives in the process. To every corner of the earth let your Word now come, LORD, to every soul that sits in darkness. Awaken hearts to sing of your glory, you who raise all who bow humbly before you.

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 from the Savior's mouth? Penance and prayer are so far from us this day, and who really cares to show others Christ's way? Pray this ship shall be strengthened by holy souls eager for the salvation of all and confirmed in the truth and love of the Spirit.

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 paganism will be thoroughly dispelled by truth. Forth let all souls journey, humbly proclaiming the Gospel till all have heard and understood the glory to which they are called by our Savior.

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 threats of the mighty but take our refuge in the Almighty and fight for Him who fights for us until we are wrapped in His arms, until we cling to His breast.

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 disciples of truth and defend with your same strength the life of our Mother, despite the persecutions that come.

(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 flesh see corruption." The women who went to His empty tomb early Easter morning saw "a vision of angels who announced that He was alive"; this they declared to His apostles. And as for the two sojourning to Emmaus, "He was made known to them in the breaking of bread," whereupon they "returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the Eleven and those with them who were saying, 'The Lord has been raised and has appeared to Simon!'" All reports converge. The earth cries out of the presence of the living God. He is risen! "As you see and hear," you who "invoke as Father Him who judges impartially," "exalted at the right hand of God, [Jesus] received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father and poured Him forth." This truth is evident in all the words of Scripture, in all His holy witnesses, and in this bread and wine made the Body and Blood of our Lord. Do you not see? Do you not hear? Do you not know that "you were ransomed from your futile conduct… with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb"? Is it not you "who through Him believe in God who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory"? Is it not so that "your faith and hope are in God"? Do you not see? Do you not hear? Do you not know Him even as these witnesses? And do you witness with them? Let us cry out with the words of our psalm, "O Lord, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot," even as we approach His altar today. As we receive Him, let our eyes be opened to recognize His presence. Our hearts should burn as He speaks to us and with His witnesses "open[s] the Scriptures to us," and in His breaking of the bread we should see Him. And then we should go forth, inspired as Peter, inspired as the women, inspired as the two disciples and all those gathered in His name, to proclaim that He is risen, that He is with us – that we see Him and know Him. Let all hear and understand that "He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time" for the sake of all. Yes, "the Lord has truly been raised." Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "What Do You Think?/Open, No Horizon" (second part) from All One, sixth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, truly has your Son been raised from the dead, and we with Him. YHWH, open our eyes and ears to see and hear of your glory, of the resurrection of your divine Son. In the Scriptures and in the breaking of the Bread, in the preaching of your apostles let us come to believe in you and in your presence here among us even this day. How slow of heart we are to believe! Open our hearts and minds to your Word. The Christ shall not know death and its corruption; He shall rise from the grave. This is declared to us by your prophets and kings, and is realized by all of faith. And our souls, too, shall not be abandoned to the nether world, if we but believe in Him whom you have sent, if we but live in the Spirit He pours upon us. O LORD, let us abound in joy forever in your presence. 96 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} Walk with us, O God, and speak to us along the way. Reveal your presence in the Sacrament of the altar. You are our portion and cup. In hope of your glory we dwell this day.

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 where now you dwell with the Lord and all His holy angels. May our leaders be as strong as you and we follow them loyally in the name of our Redeemer.

(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, yes, but them all He teaches. For He is commissioning them to go forth in His name in word and sacrament to bring forth life to souls who are dying, to preach the salvation from sin by His resurrection from the dead. "Peace be with you," He says to His Twelve. "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And so He breathes on them the Holy Spirit, giving them power even to forgive men's sins. Now, those to whom they shall proclaim that God "in His great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" will not have had the benefit of seeing the Lord. And so, how can one expect them to believe just by the word of another if the speaker of that word is not completely convinced of its truth? Their witness, their commitment, must extend even to the grave – as it shall – if it is to go beyond the grave. And the strength of the apostles' witness and the fruit it has borne – which, in turn, becomes a faithful witness unto others – is greatly evident in our reading from Acts. Here we are told the first disciples "devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers." Sharing all in common, their lives were centered on daily prayer and the Eucharistic meal, the feast of thanksgiving. And "with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people," they lived their lives in truth, they lived their lives in faith. What Peter ascribes to the disciples of Christ we find in these: "Although you have not seen Him you love Him; even though you do not see Him now… you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." How effective his and the other apostles' witness has been. Brothers and sisters, "His mercy endures forever." The apostles' words reach down to us this day and the sacraments of their hands are still in our midst. And so "the joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just" we too should know. We too should sing, "My strength and my courage is the Lord, and He has been my savior." Though the Church has been made to suffer persecution and been dispersed to the ends of the earth, this is but to bring the Word forth, and through all suffering to make it perfect within us. For ultimately the kingdom is not in this place; heaven we cannot completely see. Only faith will lead us to the Lord's risen presence. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "What Do You Think?/Open, No Horizon" (first part) from All One, sixth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, let us make our home in the nail marks of your hands and the wound in your side that we might rise to new life. YHWH, how great is your mercy toward us! How great the wonders that come upon us through your Son, our Lord. For He reveals your ineffable presence to us, taking from us all hardness of heart come from doubt and sin that our eyes might be opened to your glory, that we might enter into your joy. He has been rejected that we might be accepted. His hands and feet and side have been pierced and He has died that we might rise with Him from the grave. All our sin He would take from us, and so He leaves this power with His apostles and with the descendents of His apostles, who, though they have not seen Him yet have His Spirit breathing upon them to accomplish His merciful will in our midst, to reveal your merciful love to us, O LORD and God. 96 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} O let us fall at His feet! Let us proclaim His divinity. Let us join as one in prayer and in the breaking of the Bread in His Name. O LORD, let us be your blessed disciples and so know your salvation of our souls. Alleluia!

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 afraid to shed our blood for the truth, to suffer persecution in order to light the way that leads to life, the life that is Christ, who strengthens us with the armor of God.

O good teacher of the poor boys in your care, minister of the Lord to those most in need, with what humble affection you carried out your work in educating souls in the Gospel of Christ and guiding others to do the same – pray that we, too, shall give ourselves in sacrificial silence to the call the Lord has placed upon our souls, and especially that teachers of the young and disadvantaged will find grace and strength from our Lord to carry out in truth and love their work for Christ and His Church. May the Temple of God be built up on this earth in all poor souls washed in Christ's blood.

O great preacher who taught so well the love of God and the precepts of the Church, who worked with such zeal to repair the breach within the Church in a time of corruption – pray that now the Word may again go forth to the ends of the earth, that all might hear the voice of the Spirit speaking in their hearts and turn resolutely from their sins to the grace of the Lord; and pray, too, there will be priests to preach God's Word with that same loving zeal you had for the Church and every soul.

(Acts 10:34a,37-43; Ps.118:1-2,16-17,22-24; Col.3:1-4 or 1Cor.5:6b-8; Jn.20:1-9 or Lk.24:13-35) "Everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins through His name." "His mercy endures forever," brothers and sisters, and it is for us to "declare the works of the Lord": that Jesus was "raised on the third day," that He lives, that He still is "healing all those oppressed by the devil." With Peter and the apostles we must "preach to the people and testify" that "the right hand of the Lord is exalted." Yes, "they put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree," but "the stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." Yes, we all bear guilt for the death of the Son, but in His rising He brings about the death of our sin. Brothers and sisters, "you were raised with Christ" and should have nothing more to do with sin. "Christ is seated at the right hand of God," and we must be seated there with Him. To Him should we raise our eyes for our "life is hidden with Christ in God." "Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." No more should sin find place in us or grow within us unto death, but now that new life has come, we should find our place with Him. Peter and John ran to the tomb upon hearing the news that Jesus was not there. Upon entering, they "saw and believed," they "understood the Scripture that He had to rise from the dead." Upon believing, death no longer held dominion over them; and soon they would proclaim to all the world the Gospel of life and peace. Soon the cornerstone of truth would take hold of all who heard their words, and grow in time unto heaven. And His kingdom shall not be removed. Brothers and sisters, each day the Lord opens the Scriptures to us as we gather as His children. Each day we recognize Him in the breaking of the bread. Each day we are called to make known the glory of the resurrection we hold in "our hearts burning within as He [speaks] to us on the way." Here at His table we receive Him each day in Word and in Sacrament. May all men know the gift of life that is ours through the forgiveness of sins He offers. Let us pray that all will believe. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Every Day Is Christmas" from All One, sixth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, He whom we crucified has been raised; the tomb is empty and His Word now burns in our souls – Alleluia! YHWH, your Son has truly been raised. Alleluia! And this stone rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone of your Church. Let us be built up in Him and come to His glory. Alleluia! Help us, O LORD, to keep our eyes fixed on Him and on the glory to which He leads us. In Him we find the forgiveness of our sins and so become new men. Let us not turn back as we walk on the road with Him; may His Word always burn in our hearts along our way to you, and may we partake always of His precious Body and Blood until we are present with Him in your eternal kingdom. O LORD, we praise you for your glory, for your grace that has come into our lives and leads us to union with you. O let us die and be raised with Christ! Let us humbly run to the empty tomb and declare with His disciples that He has been raised. Let all hear His Word and believe in Him, and so enter into His glory. Alleluia!

O learned man whose wisdom remained not only in the mind but found practice in the Church of God, you who read and studied Scripture not just for its own sake but that the Word might be implemented amongst your flock – pray we too might live with the Word of God, that we too might share the light He would impart to every soul. Pray God's grace touch our innermost minds, that the understanding our ear receives will penetrate to our heart; and pray, dear shepherd, that God's Word permeate His Church as a whole, led by servants as learned as you in the way of love and truth.

(Gn.1:1-2:2; Ps.104:1-2,5-6,10,12-14,24,35 or Ps.33:4-7,12-13,20-22; Gn.22:1-18; Ps.16:5,8-11; Ex.14:15-15:1; Ex.15:1-6,17-18; Is.54:5-14; Ps.30:2,4-6,11-13; Is.55:1-11; Is.12:2-6; Bar.3:9-15,32-4:4; Ps.19:8-11; Ez.36:16-17a,18-28; Ps.42:3,5,43:3,4; Rom.6:3-11; Ps.118:1-2,16-17,22-23; Mt.28:1-10 or Mk.16:1-7 or Lk.24:1-12) "He is not here." The women come faithfully to the tomb early Easter morning. What do they find but that the stone is rolled back from its gaping mouth; and angel(s) in white deliver unto them the message of the ages: "He has been raised." This night, this early morning, we are led through salvation history, through our own history as human beings made in the image of God here upon the face of the earth, souls coming unto heaven. "Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield," is the song of the Old Testament. From the beginning of Creation our hearts are set on Him. Along the way "Abraham took the wood for the holocaust and laid it on his son Isaac's shoulders," prefiguring the Father's own sacrifice of His Son for our sins and our salvation. Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, out of the land of sin, through the Red Sea, "with the water like a wall to their right and to their left," prefiguring our Baptism as Christians; and they "sing to the Lord for He is gloriously triumphant," prefiguring our own joy. Always we are reminded by the prophets of old: "The Lord calls you back, like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit." And he who heard the call even then sang, "O Lord, you brought me up from the netherworld; you preserved me from those going down into the pit." Yes, repeatedly the Lord calls out through His prophets: "Come to the water!… Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk!" He promises, "With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation." We who "have forsaken the fountain of wisdom" by the sin that plagues our inheritance are called back to "the One who established the earth for all time… before whom the stars at their posts shine and rejoice"; we are called to cling to the Word of God, to Wisdom: "Turn, O Jacob, and receive her: walk by her light toward splendor." For the sake of His Name, the Lord who "scattered them among the nations" now beckons His children home. And those of faith sing with David, "Send forth your light and your fidelity; they shall lead me on and bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling place." Brothers and sisters, we know that "we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death," the death to sin. And having been "buried with Him," we are also raised with Him this night, this morning, that "we too might live in newness of life." Now His holy dwelling place is here among us with the purest of light that rises this day. Let us be children of this holy Light. No longer in the tomb let us dwell. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Removing the Log from My Eye" (third part) from Listening to the Lamp, ninth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, from the tomb your Son has been raised, and we shall be raised with Him. YHWH, your Son is no longer in the tomb, and we have escaped with Him. It is the third day and He has been raised, just as He said. The stone is rolled away and so now all souls may leave the darkness of this world behind and come with Jesus to the light of Heaven. You have led us to this day, O LORD, throughout all our history, it has always been your intention to save our souls and raise us to you, even from the time of Creation. And so you called Abraham to sacrifice his son; and so you led the Israelites out of Egypt. Your Wisdom has been upon your people every step of our way that we might be wed to you in your eternal kingdom. And now in the death and resurrection of your Son you fulfill your will among us. And now we who are baptized into His death are raised to glory with Him. Let it be declared to all, LORD, that the Christ is no longer in the tomb, but awaits us all in new life.

(Is.52:13-53:12; Ps.31:2,6,12-13,15-17,25,Lk.23:46; Heb.4:14-16,5:7-9; Jn.18:1-19:42) "He shall be raised high and greatly exalted." Here is your king: "Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews," Pilate has written upon His cross. Here He is lifted up, where "many were amazed at Him – so marred was His look beyond human semblance and His appearance beyond the sons of man." Yet "shall He startle many nations; because of Him kings shall stand speechless." The Scripture passage is fulfilled: "They will look upon Him whom they have pierced." And there they shall see that He who "was spurned and avoided by people… one of those from whom people hide their faces," held in "no esteem" as He was… this same "lamb led to the slaughter" "shall divide the spoils with the mighty"; for as He has been lifted up on the cross, debased beyond all others, so He shall be raised on high in His kingdom, one with the Father in heaven. Here they "wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on His head." Here they "clothed Him in a purple cloak, and they came to Him and said, 'Hail, King of the Jews.' And they struck Him repeatedly." But there no mockery shall He know; there all shall see that He is the Son of God. Brothers and sisters, "we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God." Our weaknesses He has known in full, and now He brings us "light in fullness of days." Though on earth "He offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears," now has He become "the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him." For all the tears He shed, all the scourging He underwent, all the humiliation He experienced and the death He knew, were all for our sake. "It was our infirmities that He bore, our sufferings that He endured." And having suffered in our stead for the sins of those by whom He is condemned, now He has come unto what is His own, and invites us there as well. "He shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses." The guilt of the nations is removed by Him who had "no guilt in Him," and is known by all who "take refuge" in His wounds. And so, "take courage and be stouthearted, all you who hope in the Lord"; though we, too, may be "an object of reproach" in this world of sin, He awaits us all in His heavenly kingdom. And for this we call this Friday "good." Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?" (second half) from Bearing the Birth Pangs, tenth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* 96 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} O LORD, on this day we killed your only Son – may we look upon Him whom we have pierced that our sins might be forgiven. YHWH, your Son suffers a violent death at the hands of wicked men that our sins might be taken away. All our offenses you lay upon His shoulders, and this innocent Lamb becomes expiation for our transgression. Only by His bearing the Cross will we be freed; only by His shedding of blood will we be washed clean – only by looking upon Him lifted high on the Tree will we come to realize how we have separated ourselves from you who are Life, how we have wrought our own death. And so Jesus takes upon Himself the guilt of us all; and so by His stripes we are healed. This broken, beaten Man whose divinity none can see startles all souls as He enters into His glory. O LORD, may we take our refuge in Him! There is no salvation apart from the Christ; there is no sacrifice that could atone for our sins except that made by this High Priest. LORD our God, let us know that He is One with you, and let us worship Him as our only King.

O little one, holy and true, who wanted no more than to leave the world that you might draw closer to Christ but who was followed by the world and called to teach the world of the way of holiness in our blessed Lord – pray we shall follow His path of Passion and death, death to self and all animosity, all hatred, finding thereby His peace, peace in His Spirit and light. O that we might be sanctified! our hearts converted to God, following your example, which leads to the Cross and so the resurrection of our humble Jesus.

(Ex.12:1-8,11-14; Ps.116:12-13,15-18,1Cor.10:6; 1Cor.11:23-26; Jn.13:1-15) "This cup is the New Covenant in my blood." For this cup holds the Blood of our Lord. And, "Seeing the blood, I will pass over you," says the Lord. "When I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you." As the Israelites mark each of their houses with the blood of a lamb, so our bodies are marked by the Blood of the Lamb; and so we are saved by the Lord our God and become temples of His Spirit. "How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good He has done for me?" the psalmist cries in joy. Each day we "offer sacrifice of thanksgiving," taking up "the cup of salvation" and "call[ing] upon the name of the Lord": each day we partake of His blessed Body and Blood. And sharing in this celebration of the Eucharist we "proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes"; and so, into our midst He comes. "He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist" as "a model to follow": "as I have done for you, you should also do." He says to His brothers in the upper room the night "His hour had come to pass from this world to the Father": "You ought to wash one another's feet." And so by this teaching, and so by His masterful lead, He multiplies His presence in the world through His twelve apostles. And so shall these souls by whom the Bread of Life is multiplied, by whom we have inheritance with the Lord, wash the feet of all His followers by their witness and the ministry they shall bring to the ends of the earth. And so shall all who have bathed in His Blood be made clean for the Holy Day. And we, as they, as the Lord, find the strength to lay down our lives in service of one another by being as our Jesus, who was "fully aware that the Father had put everything in His power and that He had come from God and was returning to Him." Any power that any have comes only from the Father, and comes only through the Son, and is known only in His Blood – which all must share, by which all must be anointed, if we are to be preserved until the coming of the Christ again into this world of darkness. Writen, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Carie Fortney. Music by Carie Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, let us be washed clean in the blood of your Son, and so protected from all harm; let us live in His New Covenant, eating His Body and drinking His Blood. YHWH, as your Son has laid down His life, the innocent Lamb sacrificed for our sins; as He has bowed down to wash our feet that we might be made clean and have inheritance with Him; so let us be humble and serve one another in His Name. Let His blood be upon us to save us from condemnation – let us die with Him that we might live again. In His feast let us partake, of His very Body and Blood. At His table let us sit, His disciples ready to follow Him. Indeed, even as we eat let us be prepared to go out and serve, to step from the table where we have been nourished and into the way of the Cross. Far from Egypt we would be taken, LORD, far from all our sin; and others we would see follow Him in the path to the kingdom. He has died that we might live – O LORD, let us be His children!

(Is.50:4-7; Ps.22:2,8-9,17-20,23-24; Phil.2:6-11; Mt.26:14-27:66 or Mk.14:1-15:47 or Lk.22:14-23:56) "His blood be upon us and upon our children." "The whole people" cry out for the death of Jesus. "Let Him be crucified," they shout ever more loudly. The sins of us all demand the death of the Son. And though He would have us not bear such guilt – "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me" – and though even after we have succeeded in our lust for innocent blood, He forgives… yet bear such a burden we must, to find release from its punishment under the shadow of His cross, where, upon the opening of our eyes in the fear of our crimes and the power of Him whom we have crucified, we shall proclaim, "Truly, this was the Son of God!" Yes, it is an irony that the blood of this "King of the Jews," the Chosen of the chosen, the Messiah, the Son of God, is upon our souls both for condemnation for the great crime all commit in crucifying the Lord always by our sins; and, of course, for our salvation by its cleansing the same sin from our souls through our belief in Him Who Is. And so He accepts our mockery. And so He remains silent before our accusations against Him. And so He "set [His] face like flint," enduring "buffets and spitting"; as "many dogs surround" Him and "a pack of evildoers closes in," He endures all for our sakes, knowing only this will bring us to open our eyes and see the light that is the love of God. "They have pierced my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones." Could more of a sacrifice be made for sinful man? Could greater than this be accomplished in the name of God? What more need you to believe? O let His blood pour upon you! Brothers and sisters, Christ Jesus "emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness… becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." God has come among us and suffered all for our sake, that we might be washed clean of all the evil within us by His gentle acceptance of all our hatred, of all our doubt and fear, of all the violence we could mount, saying to our heart: "I love you still, and my Father, too," that we might return to the grace that is ours in Him. Let us not be ashamed to bend the knee "at the name of Jesus." Let "every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." "You who fear the Lord, praise Him; all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to Him; revere Him all you descendants of Israel." Let His blood pour upon your soul. Written, read & chanted, and published by James Kurt. Music: "My God. My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?" (first half) from Bearing the Birth Pangs, tenth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, your Son humbles Himself to die on a cross for us, and we can but lay Him in a tomb – how shall we be saved? YHWH, your Son is led to death, even to crucifixion, but He turns not His face away from the buffets and the spitting, from the mockery of sinful men. He sets Himself to undergo all the suffering that is rightly ours to bear – and all the while we sleep, we take our rest. All abandon your Son, O LORD; He is left quite alone. None is able to defend Him, to stand with Him in His place upon the Cross. No, we betray Him by our faithlessness, and so now must endure the sight of His bloodied corpse splayed upon the Cross. O LORD our God, let us not fail to repent of our sin, of our crucifying the Son of Man. Let us not fail to recognize who He is and what He has done for us in His Person and death. This day let us partake of His Body and Blood that we might be taken with Him from the Skull place to your right hand in Heaven.

O chosen one of the Lord, how well you answered His call, giving yourself entirely to the angel's word and so conceiving in your womb the salvation of the world – pray, O Spouse of the Holy Spirit, that His voice might inspire in us your same commitment to the Word of God and its working in our lives; pray the Son be conceived in us as well that we too might serve to bring His salvation forth into the light of this day. How shall we give ourselves completely to the Lord without your prayers, dear Mother, without your blessed intercession…? O pray we shall follow in your wake and add our 'yes' to your own, that the Lord may indeed work in us, that He might make His home in us and we come to our home in Heaven.

(Is.7:10-14,8:10; Ps.40:7-11; Heb.10:4-10; Lk.1:26-38) "Behold, I come to do your will." Today we celebrate the fact that the Word became flesh, that God became man through Mary and dwells among us to take away our sins. In this is fulfilled the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The Lord Himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name Him Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us!'" She is the Virgin; He is the Son – we are they with whom He dwells. Praise God for His grace! Obediently Jesus takes on the body prepared for Him by the Father for all ages; humbly He bows under the Hand of God. To come among us is His delight. For He shall fulfill the prescriptions of the old law – as is written, so shall it come to be. And in His blood poured out for our sakes, in the love He shares with us men, indeed shall be fulfilled the will of God. No longer need we wait or search in vain, for all that is written is accomplished in Him. And Mary is, of course, the perfect reflection of the Lord's obedience; it is she in whom He is formed. As He says, "Behold, I come," she says, "Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord." As the Lord says, "In the written scroll it is prescribed for me. To do your will, O God, is my delight," His Lady says, "May it be done to me according to your word." And so by the obedience won from her by the angel, this Blessed Virgin "will conceive in [her] womb and bear a son, and [she] shall name Him Jesus"; and "the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." She in her innocence and by the fullness of grace at work in her believes the reply to her question, "How can this be?" She is assured by the miracle spoken of Elizabeth – for which this holy woman must certainly have prayed – and so the words of the angel: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you," are realized; and she who believes becomes the instrument of our salvation. Brothers and sisters, "we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus once for all." His coming among us is more than the greatest miracle; it means life for our very souls. For by His incarnation and by the sacrifice of His flesh for our sakes is effected the cleansing of our sins and the drawing up of our lives unto heaven where He eternally dwells. As He has dwelt with us, so may we now dwell with Him who has come for this purpose. Let no fear grip your heart. Consecrate yourself to Him and to His holy sacrifice. And give yourself to His Mother, that she may form you in His image, and you may know the blessed obedience which both hold, and which is itself the means of our salvation. Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Roger Fortney. Music by Roger Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, make us all as your handmaid, ready to do your will. YHWH, make us as selfless as Mary, as selfless as your Son, offering our bodies to your service, caring only for the salvation of others' souls. Freely let us give ourselves to your will, that your Son may work through us. A Virgin conceives and bears a Son, LORD, and so your Word is fulfilled; your Word now walks among us. This Virgin you prepared from all eternity to accomplish your will of saving souls. Your own heart you placed within her, one of selfless sacrifice, and now as the angel comes to her, she is ready to accept your Word. Upon hearing of her cousin Elizabeth, she is convinced that the angel is from your side, LORD; hearing answer to her sincerest of prayers, she knows you are in this Word. Did she not perhaps offer her virginity for her cousin's fertility? Certainly her purity is blessed with the greatest fruitfulness, even as she who was thought barren prepares to give birth to a son. Make us so fruitful, dear God. Let us too lay down our lives, as has your Son, as has His Mother, that we might be of your generation, we pray.

O missionary shepherd whose love for the truth was a love for Christ and a desire for your flock to know Him and the way to glorify God, you who gave yourself for the Truth that is Christ and for His Church on earth, through whom He teaches all men and brings them into His fold – may we, too, lay down our lives and work as hard as you have done in the name of Jesus, that all our lives and the lives of all His flock might be in accord with the will of the Lord and faithful to the Mother He has left for our care; let all that is not of God be cast from our midst by the Spirit of Truth this day.