The BreadCast

The BreadCast

May 23 - Saturday of the 7th Week of Easter

5 min · 22. touko 2026
Aloita maksutta
jakson May 23 - Saturday of the 7th Week of Easter kansikuva

Kuvaus

(Acts 28:16-20,30-31; Ps.11:4-5,7; Jn.21:20-25) "I wear these chains solely because I share the hope of Israel." The hope of Israel indeed wears chains. The Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the nation, is fixed to a cross. This is the call of all who follow Jesus – to die. But, Peter is prompted to ask as he walks with Jesus and the Lord explicates his dual call to serve as leader of the Church and to die for his faith, "What about him?" What about John, who follows them? The question pertains not simply to whether or not John also must suffer a martyr's death, but principally – as the principal call of Peter is to feed the Lord's flock – to why Jesus does not call John to serve as His first of priests, standing in His stead, for it is clear to all that John is "the disciple whom Jesus loved." Jesus responds, "Suppose I want him to stay until I come," suppose He does not want John to pour himself out as a libation on His holy altar… that should be of no concern to the Rock of the Church. Jesus calls whom He wills to what He wills for His blessed purpose. And John is not called to die, or to lead. John is, in fact, the only one of the Twelve who does not suffer a martyrdom of blood. He does remain until a very old age. His martyrdom is white, that of suffering a long life. And in several ways he remains ever with the Church on earth, in a sense, as the Christ's beloved Church. It is he to whom the Blessed Mother is entrusted, she who is with us always to nurture us here on our journey. And in our gospel today, the principal call of John is most evident: he is called to "witness to… the things that Jesus did" and to "record them." "It is he who wrote them down," he who is the great Evangelist – he whose words remain with us even today as we read his gospel throughout the most blessed season of Easter. And, of course, it is he who, in his old age, while exiled on the island of Patmos, will receive the great vision that has become the Book of Revelation, thus telling us so thoroughly not only of Jesus' life on earth, but also of His life in heaven. In our first reading, Paul is "allowed to take a lodging of his own." Though "a soldier was assigned to keep guard over him… with full assurance, and without any hindrance whatever, he preached the reign of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ." What Paul does in earthly chains for two years – for soon he, too, shall be martyred for the faith – John does, in a sense, endlessly, or at least until its natural end. "The Lord is in His holy temple… His searching glance is on mankind." He calls all to the martyrdom He chooses. Let us each wear the chains He provides, each find the place in the kingdom to which He leads us, knowing always that "the upright shall see His face." ******* O LORD, however much we speak of you, there is more to tell; you far surpass our poor witness, O hope of Israel. YHWH, if we must stay here in rented lodgings, let us witness to you with our lives. If today we must die, let our blood be shed upon your altar of sacrifice. Whatever we do, whether we live or die, let it be done for you. We do not know how long we shall dwell upon this earth, O LORD. We do not know when we shall die and come with you to Paradise. But we know that your call is upon our souls, that while here we wear your chains and before us is set your Son's Cross. And we know the source of both the chains of this life and the death we must die is the hope we bear in our souls, the hope of entering into your reign. And we know that your reign is alive in us even this day. Peter is the first of priests, sacrificing himself in the place of your Son upon your holy altar. John, your beloved, witnesses to you with his love and in the words he speaks to us. If we must stay and write, O LORD (vision of you upon our souls), or if we must bleed and die, let all be done for you who dwell on high… and let us join you in your Temple.

Kommentit

0

Ole ensimmäinen kommentoija

Rekisteröidy nyt ja liity The BreadCast-yhteisöön!

Aloita maksutta

14 vrk ilmainen kokeilu

Kokeilun jälkeen 7,99 € / kuukausi. · Peru milloin tahansa.

  • Podimon podcastit
  • 20 kuunteluaikaa / kuukausi
  • Lataa offline-käyttöön
Aloita maksutta

Kaikki jaksot

911 jaksot

jakson June 3 - Wednesday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time, Year II kansikuva

June 3 - Wednesday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time, Year II

(2Tm.1:1-3,6-12; Ps.123:1-2; Mk.12:18-27) "He has robbed death of its power and has brought life and immortality into clear light through the Gospel." It is this Gospel which Paul exhorts his "dear child" Timothy to serve, to preach and to teach "with the strength which comes from God, bear[ing] [his] share of the hardship which the Gospel entails." Paul has suffered for the sake of the Gospel – and suffers "present hardships" till the end – and he would see his favored disciple carry on in his way. And so he encourages him: "The Spirit God has given us is no cowardly spirit but rather one that makes us strong, loving, and wise." For of the life Christ brings the world must know, and who shall preach it if we don't? And so, through his letter Paul calls us all to be as he is, "an apostle of Christ Jesus sent to proclaim the promise of life in Him." Does Jesus not bear well His hardships today in our gospel? Does He not stand strong and speak of life everlasting even before those who "hold there is no resurrection"? The Sadducees question Him: "At the resurrection, when they all come back to life, whose wife will she be" – she who has married so many? Again a trap is laid, and again it is shown so futile, for what word can stand before the word of God. And that Word answers simply and directly: "When people rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but live like angels in heaven." These Sadducees "fail to understand Scripture or the power of God," and so they are terribly blind in their mistaken thinking, which sees nothing beyond the present time. (Yet the present, too, they do not understand, for they do not recognize Him who stands before them.) Brothers and sisters, we are called to live like the angels of heaven, and not only to live such, but to preach this life as our Savior has done, as Paul has done, as Timothy. We must keep "our eyes on the Lord, our God," "confident that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to [us] until that Day" when we join Him who is "enthroned in heaven." And so let us "stir into flame the gift of God"; let us speak His Word of life without fear for the hardships the Gospel entails. The Light that lasts forever has come into our midst, and before Him death has no dominion. ******* O LORD, through all the trials of this world, bring us to the light of Heaven. YHWH, God of the living, let our eyes be ever upon you, let us ever remember you whom we serve… and let us ever serve you with strength and dedication, knowing it is through you we are brought to new birth and made immortal as you. O let us live with you now and forever! Why should we be afraid, LORD, of any challenge to our faith? Why should we turn away from our call to worship in your NAME? Why should we hesitate to proclaim your glory and the grace you bring us by your Son's death and resurrection? His sacrifice means life to us, and to turn from His Cross would spell our death. May we serve Him and His Gospel in confidence all our days and so come to the place He prepares for us in Heaven. All your angels and saints live forever in your holy presence, their eyes ever upon you and their voices ever praising your NAME. May we share with them in your holy life even as we toil for you on this plane.

Eilen4 min
jakson June 2 - Tuesday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time, Year II kansikuva

June 2 - Tuesday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time, Year II

(2Pt.3:12-15,17-18; Ps.90:2-4,10,14,16; Mk.12:13-17) "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's but give to God what is God's." "Some Pharisees and Herodians were sent after Jesus to catch Him in His speech." These "two groups" seem to come one from God and the other from Caesar. But their devious plotting shows the only party present of God is Jesus Himself. And to whom do we belong? Peter makes it abundantly clear in his letter today where our allegiance should lie. He exhorts us to "look for the coming of the day of God and try to hasten it!" We must not set our hearts on things below but on things above, where God dwells; for "the heavens will be destroyed in flames and the elements will melt away in a blaze." It is "new heavens and a new earth" we must await, where "the justice of God will reside." What is of Caesar will return to the earth, just as God "turn[s] man back to dust, saying, 'Return, O children of men.'" (For where is Caesar today? And where is the coin that was in their hands?) But the Lord is "from everlasting to everlasting"; "a thousand years in [His] sight are as yesterday… or as a watch of the night." For He exists "before the mountains were begotten and the earth and the world were brought forth." These indeed He created; and these are destroyed by His hand. Brothers and sisters, as our years "pass quickly and we drift away," let us listen to Jesus, who indeed "teach[es] God's way of life sincerely." Let us listen to His servant Peter, who tells us, "Be on your guard lest you be led astray by the error of the wicked." The wicked surround us here on this earth, but even here our hearts must be set on God and we must "be found without stain or defilement, and at peace in His sight." Here we must pray that the Lord will "fill us at daybreak with [His] kindness," that when He comes we shall know His glory… but also that even in these decaying earthen vessels we shall find His grace and see His work accomplished. "Glory be to Him now and to the day of eternity!" May He make us His own. ******* O LORD, let your eternal kingdom dawn upon us, even as the kingdom of this world passes away. YHWH, make us your own; let us come into your kingdom. On this barren earth let us not make our home, in princes and kings let us never trust – to you alone may we give our allegiance, waiting ever for your Day. O LORD, our lives are but passing on this plane, but you are everlasting. Though we wither and die, though all we see shall be consumed by fire, with you we shall live, and rejoice eternally. And so, let us not set our hearts on the riches and glory this world holds in its grasping hands; let us give all over to you with praise. The Day draws near, O LORD, we know, when your Son will return and bring with Him new heavens and a new earth. O let us hasten this Day by our prayers, let us prepare for it by our actions… let us never fear His coming because of our attachment to sin but give up all the darkness, the evil surrounding us and inviting us in, and wait in purity with our eyes to the heavens for our salvation to be fulfilled. Come, Lord Jesus, and draw us into the Father's kingdom.

1. kesä 20264 min