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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 6, 2022

(1Kgs.17:7-16;   Ps.4:2-5,7-8;   Mt.5:13-16) 

“The jar of flour shall not go empty,

nor the jug of oil run dry,

until the day when the Lord sends rain upon the earth.”

Again today we see in our readings that the Lord provides for His children’s needs, that indeed He is with us until the end of the age – yes, “the Lord does wonders for His faithful one.”

As “the brook where Elijah was hiding ran dry,” the Lord instructed him to go to Zarephath of Sidon, a pagan territory, saying, “I have designated a widow there to provide for you.”  Elijah is obedient and the Lord is faithful to His word, for just “as he arrived at the entrance of the city, a widow was gathering sticks there.”  (Indeed, how wonderful it is to see the word of the Lord fulfilled!)  Elijah does not hide the Lord’s prophecy from his benefactress, and she, too, believes the word the Lord has spoken.  And so she and her son and the prophet were “able to eat for a year” from a jar that was all but empty.

Brothers and sisters, our psalmist David sings in joy to the Lord today, “O Lord, let the light of your countenance shine upon us!”  And how certain it is that He gives light to those who seek Him, those who have faith in Him.  For “when [we] call… [He] relieve[s] [us]… in distress… [and] put[s] gladness into [our] heart[s], more than when grain and wine abound.”  For the light of the Lord is greater than the bread we eat; it is His love alone which provides all and alone brings joy to our souls.

And we are called to share in that light, to be “the light of the world.”  It is into us He places His light and then invites us to “set it on a stand where it gives light to all in the house”: “Your light must shine before men so that they may see goodness in your acts and give praise to your heavenly Father.”  As He is Light, we must be light; as He provides for the needs of all, we must provide for the needs of all.  And we must believe that, as “the jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the Lord had foretold through Elijah,” just so the light He gives our lives shall not dim and the salt which draws it forth shall not lose its savor – we must believe that He indeed will provide for us, even to His second coming.  And it shall be so.  His love shall ever grow and this Bread be shared more and more with those He calls out of the world.  Though famine be upon the land, He feeds us with the finest wheat, and calls us to feed others.

*******

O LORD, let your light shine upon us and through us –

let us have faith in you

and see your work accomplished in our lives.

YHWH, let the light of your countenance shine upon us, and let that same light shine through us to illumine the world, to give light to all who see us.  You alone provide for us; you alone feed us; and you alone make our lives of worth – let it be you we bring to others.

If our salt be not of you, O LORD, what good will it be and what good can it do?  Apart from you and the light of your love, we are useless, fit for the trash.  But if we keep our eyes fixed on you and your holy light, if we call to you in our distress and have faith in the care you take for the souls of those who love you, then we shall be made whole in your sight and ready to serve your will.

What water can we find upon this earth, LORD, for it is dry and lifeless.  Our spirits sag and the darkness threatens to overcome us.  Let us not be of the darkness; let us not give in to its threats.  Let us remember you and in you place our trust, and there shall be food and water in abundance, and we will see your hand at work even in our own lives.  Praise you for your goodness!