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The BreadCast


Daily Exposition of the Readings for Catholic Mass...

as well as Prayers to the Saints on the General Roman Calendar (for the U.S.).  

From the books Our Daily Bread and Prayers to the Saints by James H. Kurt - both with imprimatur.

Jun 8, 2022

(1Kgs.18:41-46;   Ps.65:2,10-13;   Mt.5:20-26) 

“You have visited the land and watered it;

greatly have you enriched it.” 

“There is the sound of a heavy rain.”  The Lord is speaking.  The Lord is teaching.  Jesus is revealing the strait path of holiness that leads to the Father, and His words and His Person come like a fruitful rain upon a drought-stricken land.

O Lord, “thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods, softening it with showers, blessing its yield.”  By your speaking, by your teaching… by your bleeding on the cross for us “you have crowned the year with your bounty, and your paths overflow with a rich harvest.”  But will we receive these rains?  Will we accept His chastisements which lead to life, which are the only way to the kingdom of God?

Here are the Lord’s words, the commands of His mouth: “Everyone who grows angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; any man who uses abusive language toward his brother shall be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and if he holds him in contempt he risks the fires of Gehenna.”  To what extent has He increased the prescriptions of the law!  For He calls us to a holiness that surpasses the holiness of the law.  He calls us to the kingdom of God, and great rains are needed to foster its life.  And so He demands that we “be reconciled with [our] brother”; and so He warns us to “settle with [our] opponent.”  For we are on our way to His holy court, and not even the smallest sin will stand there.

The eyes of Elijah see but “a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.”  It is but the shadows the prophets knew as “the sky grew dark with clouds and wind.”  But it was enough to recognize the coming presence of the Lord that would relieve the drought upon the land, upon the nation of Israel.  We, brothers and sisters, are those upon whom “a heavy rain fell,” for now Christ has come; now He calls to us in Person from the cross and from His throne in heaven.  If you wish to come to where He is, you must go where He has been: the cross is the heavy rain which brings the sweet smelling flower of heaven.

“God’s watercourses are filled” and “rejoicing clothes the hills.”  Listen to His words now.  Be obedient to His command.  It is the driving rain which breaks up the ground and prepares the soul for holiness.

*******

O LORD, send your rain upon us to soften our hearts;

let us be perfect as you

by your chastising Word of love.

YHWH, release us from judgment, we pray.  Send upon us your driving rain, to cleanse our souls of all harsh words and anger.  How shall we stand before your throne if here we cannot forgive, for how shall we ourselves be forgiven our grave sins if our hearts are hardened?  O send your rain, LORD!  Send your rain, and let our hearts be open to receive it well.

Your Word is as a chastising rain to our souls, O LORD; it is the strong words from your  mouth that serve to cleanse us from our sin and soften the ground of our hearts to receive your grace and blessings.  If we have not your mercy within us, we are dead, for then there is no remedy for our sin.  Speak to us; instruct us in your ways, and let us be obedient to your command, to your chastisement that brings new life from this poor land.

O LORD, subject us not to the trial; lead us not before your tribunal.  For we have nothing to pay our debt and so cannot stand before you.  Only your mercy will save us on that day.  Let us have your mercy within us now, and share it with others.