The BreadCast

jameshkurt@gmail.com
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Spirit-filled daily reflections on the Mass Readings of the Roman Catholic Church from the book Our Daily Bread by James Kurt (with imprimatur). The daily podcasts are voice only, while the podcasts for Sundays and Solemnities are produced with music and other elements. Another podcast recently added: Prayers to the Saints - a prayer to each saint on the calendar for the US. Also with imprimatur.

  1. -1 Ч

    April 18 - Saturday of the 2nd Week of Easter

    (Acts 6:1-7; Ps.33:1-2,4-5,18-19,22; Jn.6:16-21) "The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear Him, upon those who hope for His kindness." Alleluia. As the apostles set out to cross the lake, "it was dark, and Jesus had still not joined them; moreover, with a strong wind blowing, the sea was becoming rough." As they struggled to row and keep afloat, "they sighted Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water." They had not expected their prayers for assistance and their wishes that Jesus was with them to be answered so remarkably, and so they must have wondered if He was a ghost. But He assures them, "It is I; do not be afraid." (And these eternal words of comfort and peace come to rest upon His Church.) The disciples of the Lord now were ready "to take Him into the boat, but suddenly it came aground on the shore they had been approaching." He is with you, brothers and sisters, be assured, and will bring you to the home you seek, despite the storms you may face. In our first reading, the eyes of the widows must have been looking to the Lord, wishing that He were with them to provide for them. In this case, "the Twelve assembled the community of disciples," and though they do not enter the boat themselves, do not "wait on the tables" to address the tumult that had arisen between the factions, they provide what is needed to calm the winds and see this boat ashore by laying hands on "deeply spiritual and prudent" men chosen from their own. And so, "the word of God continued to spread" through the apostles' concentration "on prayer and [their] ministry," "while at the same time the number of the disciples in Jerusalem enormously increased." So the widows are fed as the Word is spread; so the boat comes aground on the land it approaches. Jesus is with us, brothers and sisters. In all things He is there, working. He ministers to us always as the head of His Church through the hands and hearts and voices of all His disciples. And each to his own call, and this ship shall find its port assured. And all shall sing His praises as they see in us and we know in Him that "upright is the word of the Lord, and all His works are trustworthy." His eyes are upon us. Do not be afraid. ******* O LORD, give us our bread this day, that we might come with your Son to the farther shore. YHWH, from death you deliver us; you preserve us in spite of famine. By your own hand you feed us, through your apostles; and them you watch over always as they guide your boat. And so we need not fear – we should but praise your faithful care for our souls, and bodies. Your Son comes to us across the waters, O LORD, walking steadily though the sea be rough. He is unafraid of the trials and tribulations of this world, caring only that our lives are preserved, seeking always to bring us to our home in you. O let your Word go forth, dear God, bless those who serve as the ministers of your Church. Our hope in your kindness shall not be disappointed… All shall hear of the blessings upon those who put their trust in you. May all answer that call.

    5 мин.

  2. -1 ДН.

    April 17 - Friday of the 2nd Week of Easter

    (Acts 5:34-42; Ps.27:1,4,13-14; Jn.6:1-15) "I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living." Seeing the vast crowd following Him up the mountain as He seeks to sit with His disciples, Jesus asks the one without guile, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat." In honesty Philip answers, essentially, "It is impossible." Ah, but nothing is impossible with God. Brothers, is it not their seeing "the bounty of the Lord" that causes the apostles to leave the Sanhedrin and the whipping they received at their hands "full of joy that they had been judged worthy of ill-treatment for the sake of the Name"? And is not this bounty revealed most clearly here "in the land of the living" in the Bread of Life Jesus provides for us at His Eucharistic table? And so should we not rejoice every day in this miracle? "Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord." Are not David's words the ones Jesus speaks to His children in the feeding of the five thousand? Should the apostles not but sing, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?" as they stand each with one of the "twelve baskets full of pieces left over" from the miracle brought about at the Lord's hands? Does He not here convey their mission of feeding His sheep? And filled by the food at their hands, should not our own reaction be in accord with the joy expressed by the people in that green field, "This is undoubtedly the Prophet who is to come into the world"? For does He not come into us each time we receive Him? But king He shall not be made, not in this world. No, this world cannot contain His Kingship, for we have a greater than David here. The land of the living will ultimately be not upon this grass beneath our feet, but upon the clouds of Heaven. Thus the persecution comes, you see. Thus those who go about "fighting God Himself" scourge and crucify the Word they cannot bear and the messengers who bring it to their ears. But the ill-treatment that comes by their jealous hands brings no fear but only encouragement to the hearts of His apostles. Brothers and sisters, let us be as they who "day after day, both in the temple and at home… never stopped teaching and proclaiming the Good News of Jesus the Messiah," making always this world as one with the kingdom of God. ******* O LORD, it is by faith we are fed, and so let us seek you with all our hearts, with our very lives. YHWH, let us come to the Eucharistic banquet, that your Son may enter into us and we ever dwell as your temple in this world. Your bounty is revealed now, wrought by the hands of Jesus and brought to us by His disciples – let us partake of the Bread you provide and rejoice in all your blessings. None can fight you, O LORD our God; none can destroy what you bring to life. And so, though whipped and ill-treated for the sake of the Name of our Savior, we can but rejoice indeed. For you cannot be overcome, nor those upon whom your Spirit rests. As we follow in the footsteps of your Son, we shall ever live with you. In your House let us indeed make our home; you are our refuge, O LORD, and with you we are never afraid. For the destroying angel shall pass over all who eat of the flesh of the Lamb, all who are anointed by His blood.

    5 мин.

  3. -2 ДН.

    April 16 - Thursday of the 2nd Week of Easter

    (Acts 5:27-33; Ps.34:2,7,9,17-20; Jn.3:31-36) "The One whom God has sent speaks the words of God; He does not ration His gift of the Spirit." And thus it is that Peter and the apostles, sent by the Lord to speak His words, can boldly proclaim to the Sanhedrin's chastisement for continuing "to teach about that name": "Better for us to obey God than men!" In no way do they ration the Spirit as they testify that God "has raised up Jesus whom [they] put to death," that it is "He whom God has exalted at His right hand as ruler and savior," that He is "to bring repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." The praise of God and of His Son is "ever in [their] mouth," for indeed they know the happiness of "the man who takes refuge in Him." And they know, too, the folly of those who deny the Truth of God's presence in Jesus the Christ. For as He Himself says to Nicodemus in our gospel, "Whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure the wrath of God," and as David states in his psalm, "The Lord confronts evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth," so the blessed Rock and his fellow apostles convey to the high priest and the Sanhedrin as they are persecuted by their hands. Their declaration that not only do they testify to Jesus as the Messiah but "so too does the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those that obey Him," is a clear indictment of those to whom they speak, those who are deaf to the Spirit's words. And it is for this implication that they lack the truth that the Sanhedrin "were stung to fury and wanted to kill them." But it is they who shall be killed. It is their rule which shall not last, which shall be overcome by the Just One and the Spirit of Truth upon Him and His own. It is Peter, who speaks for all the apostles, who shall lead the New Jerusalem, the holy Church of God. Such chastisement the leaders cannot bear, save perhaps for Nicodemus; the testimony of "the One who comes from heaven" they cannot accept, and so they fail to "certif[y] that God is truthful." What then shall be left to them? Brothers and sisters, though the just man find himself "brokenhearted," "crushed in spirit," and with many "troubles," know that "out of them all the Lord delivers him." And He shall deliver you, if you but speak His truth. Find strength in the witness of the apostles, in the saints and martyrs of all the ages, and in the Lord Himself. He is with the one He sends and so will bless him as he speaks the truth without fear. "The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to Him," and He, in turn, gives to those whom the Spirit inspires. Trust in Him with all your lives. ******* O LORD, by your risen Son the evil are confronted and the just lifted up – let your Spirit be upon us. YHWH, your Spirit is upon the one who believes in your only Son, for He is from Heaven and so the Spirit is upon Him. Let us be as He is; let us live and speak the truth, despite all threats of persecution, knowing well that you will save us as we cry out to you and for you. O LORD, let us never disobey you or your Son. For what life can he have who turns from your will? How can the Spirit rest upon him? Let us not be afraid to admit our guilt, that we have put to death our Savior and are responsible for His blood, and so let that blood pour over us for the forgiveness of sins as we repent of what we have done. Let our hearts not be hardened, LORD, by the chastisement of your Son and those who follow Him. Let us accept their testimony, let us thirst for such truth. For only this will bring us from our earthly bonds to new life in your kingdom – let your Spirit be upon the brokenhearted to carry them to your presence.

    6 мин.

  4. -3 ДН.

    April 15 - Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Easter

    (Acts 5:17-26; Ps.34:2-9; Jn.3:16-21) "He who acts in truth comes into the light, to make clear that his deeds are done in God." Jesus is "the light [that] came into the world," and "happy the man who takes refuge in Him." None shall fear anymore who love the Lord, for He shall answer all his cries. And newness of life shall be ours. The Sadducees, who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead, "arrested the apostles and threw them into public jail." They attempt to hide the truth in darkness, to kill the light of the Spirit. "During the night, however, an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the jail [and] led them forth," telling them to preach again in the temple "about this new life." And so, "they went into the temple at dawn and resumed their teaching." Do you see the resurrection at work here, brothers and sisters? Do you see how the Word is rescued from the darkness of night, from the prison into which the world would cast it, and brought into the clear light of dawn? The Truth cannot be chained and death shall never overcome life. And what do the apostles preach but the words Jesus whispers into the waiting ears of Nicodemus in the middle of the night – bringing him, too, out of the darkness into the Lord's marvelous light: "Yes, God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him may not die but may have eternal life." Eternal life! This is the Word come from God through His only Son begotten in love for us all. The high priest and the Sadducees would hide this; but here one of the leaders listens. He does not question anymore how this can be. And so the seed of eternal life is planted in his heart. That seed must be planted in all hearts, and so the apostles repeatedly return to preaching, unafraid of the consequences. For how clearly it has been shown them that "the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them." How well they believe their own words, that in Jesus is found eternal life. In their hearts burns the faith, and so, openly they speak. And though they shall see just how much "men loved darkness rather than light," yet they shall seek the salvation of all: unto death they shall stand in the light of truth, confident in the resurrection to follow. May all believe "in the name of God's only Son" and thus avoid condemnation. May all stand confidently in the Light of the new day, for the darkness of sin and death is banished when we call upon His Name. ******* O LORD, by faith in your Son and His resurrection, may we be freed from all condemnation and come into your light. YHWH, in the morning light the apostles preach in the temple of the new life found in Jesus, your Son. From the prison of darkness they would rescue all souls, as they themselves have been rescued. Your angel delivers all who love you from death and fear; may our souls glory in the salvation found in your only Son. That we might not die you sent Jesus into the world as the Light that conquers all darkness, and those who believe in Him come into the light and so find eternal life. There is no power that can chain or imprison your Word, O LORD, for it is your will that it go out to the ends of the earth. May the Name of Jesus be proclaimed to all men that all who seek the salvation of their souls, all who would be released from their afflictions, might find the freedom of your sons and daughters and do all in you and in your light, O LORD our God.

    6 мин.

  5. -4 ДН.

    April 14 - Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Easter

    (Acts 4:32-37; Ps.93:1-2,5; Jn.3:7-15) "The community of believers were of one heart and one mind." This oneness is itself of heaven, is itself the sign that they are "begotten of the Spirit." And this oneness is reflected in a very real manner in the fact that "none of them ever claimed anything as his own; rather, everything was held in common." This sharing of goods, of "lay[ing] them at the feet of the apostles to be distributed to everyone according to his need," is but an earthly thing. It is easy to see; it is easy to know, for it deals indeed with the things of the earth. But if like Nicodemus this earthly matter is beyond our comprehension, if we say such living as one on this plane is impossible, how far short we will fall of understanding the oneness that exists on the heavenly plane. For do you not see that one not only reflects the other, but in fact leads to the other? How can one be as the wind which "blows where it will," how can one's origin and destination be said to be unknown if one is unduly placed, indeed rooted, in the houses, in the property of this earth? And so Barnabas is indeed a "son of encouragement," because by selling his entire farm and laying the money derived therewith at the apostles' feet he is saying: I no longer live here on earth. My home is in heaven. How tied we can be to earthly things. How blinded by them. And yet they can be a means to heaven, if one gives them to the Lord. For then already here in this world we will begin to see and know the life of heaven. Even now the Spirit shall move within us and our eyes will be opened to see "that all who believe may have eternal life" in Jesus. Yes, by the giving up of our goods, by dying to self in this real way, we may transcend this earthly plane. "Holiness befits your house, O Lord, for length of days." Do you not understand this matter, brothers and sisters? Do you not see that you are called here on earth during your limited length of days to live as though in heaven? Do you not know that it is but this which will lead to the unlimited number of days lived in holiness in heaven? Do not think that one is somehow separated from the other, as if heaven can be kept apart, as if its power is not all-encompassing. Here you must begin; even here you must find yourself on that eternal road. For such has Jesus been lifted up, to show you the emptiness of your earthly self. To such oneness with Him and His disciples does He call you – to be a child of heaven. Let us walk together in the Spirit of the Lord and love one another with the love that comes only from God. ******* O LORD, let us be as the wind, moved by your holy will alone. YHWH, in Heaven with you we find our home, not in the things of this earth. And so as we give the things of this earth over to you and your apostles, we draw closer to you and your kingdom. Help us to be born of you, to have life in you and in your Spirit, and not put trust in any possession. You are King, O LORD, in splendor robed, and holiness alone befits your House. Thus, if we would dwell with you, we must indeed be holy. And to be holy we must be purified of any attachment to this world. As Jesus is lifted up on the Cross, we must be lifted up with Him; as He stands empty of all things, so must we be, if we are to be ready for Heaven – if we are to be raised in glory with Him. It is in the resurrection of Jesus we take our life, dear God, but to find His resurrection we must first die; to dwell with you in Heaven we must lay down our lives. O may we live here as His disciples!

    5 мин.

  6. -4 ДН.

    April 13 - Prayer to St. Martin I

    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.

    1 мин.

  7. -5 ДН.

    April 13 - Monday of the 2nd Week of Easter

    (Acts 4:23-31; Ps.2:1-9; Jn.3:1-8) "No one can see the rule of God unless he is begotten from above." "Princes conspire together against the Lord and against His anointed," we are told in our psalm as well as our first reading. But their rule shall be shattered "like an earthen dish" by the power of the Spirit and God's anointed One, to whom He gives "the nations as an inheritance." And in the Book of Acts we see the apostles begin to collect such inheritance "in the name of Jesus," the "holy Servant" of the Sovereign Lord, the King He has set up "on Zion, [His] holy mountain." All stream to Him upon seeing the "cures and signs and wonders" worked through them by the Holy Spirit. In our gospel, it is these undeniable signs of God's presence which lead a member of the princes who will crucify the Christ to seek understanding from Jesus. And how sad is the question Nicodemus whispers in the night to our Lord: "How can a man be born again once he is old?" It is sad not only because of the futility of his interpretation to "return to his mother's womb," but mainly because this is all he can see. He is so of the flesh he cannot understand anything but the flesh; and this sense extends even to the Pharisees' grasp of the law, which has become as an empty shell void of meaning – bereft of the Spirit as they are. There is hope Nicodemus will hear the words of Jesus; there is possibility other leaders of the people will come to life. But first they will have to leave their vain pursuits behind. "The wind blows where it will… but you do not know where it comes from, or where it goes." So it is with the disciples as by the powerful wind of the Holy Spirit "the place where they were gathered shook as they prayed"; and so, filled within with the Holy Spirit they "continued to speak God's word with confidence." They are born from above. They have new life in the name of Jesus. All their lives are sacrificed with Him to the will of God. And so the princes have no power over them, but to make them rejoice at the persecution they find at their empty hands. "You must all be begotten from above," brothers and sisters. None is to be left behind with the carcasses that gather beneath the eagles' circling flight. Take refuge in the Lord of Life; be born now in His Spirit. ******* O LORD, may the house we are in be shaken by the Holy Spirit, that in Jesus' Name we might proclaim the truth before kings. YHWH, let us be born of the Spirit, let us take life in the Spirit, in the power of the Spirit come through your only Son. In His hands is the inheritance of the nations; in Him all take refuge. Through Him and through His blood we find the strength to proclaim your praise in the face of persecution. Be with us in the power of the Holy Spirit! Though the Gentiles rage and the kings of this earth conspire against your anointed One and all His children, their violence is in vain because you, O LORD, protect your chosen and give them power over every evil. By a word they are saved; by speaking your Name and declaring your glory, great signs and wonders are worked at their hands, for they are new creatures who take life in you. O let us be born from above, begotten by your Spirit, O God!

    5 мин.

  8. -6 ДН.

    April 12 - Divine Mercy Sunday, Year A

    (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!

    7 мин.
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Spirit-filled daily reflections on the Mass Readings of the Roman Catholic Church from the book Our Daily Bread by James Kurt (with imprimatur). The daily podcasts are voice only, while the podcasts for Sundays and Solemnities are produced with music and other elements. Another podcast recently added: Prayers to the Saints - a prayer to each saint on the calendar for the US. Also with imprimatur.

Информация

  • Автор
    jameshkurt@gmail.com
  • Годы выхода
    2007 - 2026
  • Выпуски
    930
  • Ограничения
    Без ненормативной лексики
  • Авторские права
    © James Kurt
  • Сайт подкаста
    The BreadCast