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b'(1Kgs.19:4-8;\\xa0\\xa0 Ps.34:2-9;\\xa0\\xa0 Eph.4:30-5:2;\\xa0\\xa0 Jn.6:41-51) \\u201cStrengthened by that food he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb.\\u201d As the forty days and forty nights Noah found himself protected from the rains by the Lord; as the forty years the Israelites were guided through the desert; as the forty days Jesus found strength in the Word of God while fasting in the wilderness\\u2026 as Elijah is fed for his journey, so we for the fullness of our days feed upon \\u201cthe bread of life\\u201d as we travel to the heavenly kingdom of our Lord.\\xa0 Here is our ark; here is our manna \\u2013 here is all the strength and protection we need.\\xa0 He is our food. \\u201cHis praise shall be ever in my mouth,\\u201d for His food is ever on our altar, and this Sacrament fills us with nothing but joy.\\xa0 If we had not this food, indeed \\u201cbitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling\\u201d would come from our mouths so poisoned by the fruit of the world.\\xa0 But as it is \\u201cChrist loved us and handed Himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma,\\u201d and thus we \\u201ctaste and see how good the Lord is\\u201d and cannot but \\u201cglorify the Lord\\u201d and \\u201cextol His name.\\u201d That \\u201cthe angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them\\u201d is illustrated clearly in the trials of Elijah.\\xa0 Overwhelmed by \\u201call [his] fears,\\u201d the \\u201cafflicted\\u201d prophet \\u201cprayed for death, saying, \\u2018This is enough, O Lord!\\xa0 Take my life.\\u2019\\u201d\\xa0 But \\u201cfrom all his distress [God] saved him,\\u201d for an \\u201cangel of the Lord\\u2026 touched him, and ordered, \\u2018Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!\\u2019\\u201d\\xa0 And Elijah \\u201cgot up, ate, and drank\\u201d the food and water the Lord provided, and made it safely to the mountain where the Lord God would speak to him. \\u201cThis is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.\\u201d\\xa0 All strength and blessing come from the Lord through His only Son.\\xa0 And being drawn to Him and so discovering the Father of all, what can our faces be but \\u201cradiant with joy,\\u201d the joy of His eternal, loving presence?\\xa0 Let us come this day to the holy mountain of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Body of Christ" from The Whole Whale, eighth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, you give us the flesh of your Son that we might live, and you send your angels to guard us. YHWH, your Son has given His flesh as a sacrificial offering that we might eat of this Bread and be strengthened for our journey to eternal life on your holy mountain.\\xa0 Help us to walk with you, to walk with Him as your beloved children, your angel at our side, your Holy Spirit within us to bless us and keep us faithful to you until the Day of redemption is fulfilled.\\xa0 O let us be taught by you!\\xa0 Let us come to your Son and be fed with His Body and Blood, with the Word He is, offered for our salvation. Why should we murmur among ourselves, dearest LORD?\\xa0 Why should we doubt and fear your presence among us and your care for us?\\xa0 Why do we court death in our despair?\\xa0 You are near!\\xa0 You hear the afflicted man when he calls out \\u2013 you have delivered us from death by sending us your Son.\\xa0 Let us glory in the gift you give us.\\xa0 Let us taste your goodness this day.'