∫ [Piano Music] ∫
The following presentation is made possible
By the generosity of the viewers
Of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago.

Good morning and welcome
To Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
Today we celebrate the Second Sunday of Lent.
My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Elizabeth Norton
And our Celebrant is Father Scott Donahue,
President of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

∫ How good, Lord, to be here! ∫
∫ Your glory fills the night; ∫
∫ Your face and garments, like the sun, ∫
∫ Shine with unborrowed light. ∫
∫ How good, Lord, to be here! ∫
∫ Your beauty to behold ∫
∫ Where Moses and Elijah stand, ∫
∫ Your messengers of old. ∫

Together now we journey deeper
Into this holy Season of Lent and we continue this journey
With the sign of our Faith, with the Sign of the Cross.

In the name of the Father
And of the Son
And of the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.

The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
And the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Spirit
Be with each of you.
-And with your spirit.

My friends, as we gather, we are invited just to pause
For a moment to acknowledge our faults and our failings,
To acknowledge once again our dependency upon God
In all things in this life.
God’s love, God’s mercy, God’s forgiveness.

Lord Jesus, during this holy Season of Lent,
We ask that You might deepen our Faith.
Lord, have mercy.
-Lord, have mercy.

We ask that You might strengthen our sense of hope
In one another and in this world.
Christ, have mercy.
-Christ, have mercy.

And we ask that You teach us to love as You love us.
Lord, have mercy.
-Lord, have mercy.

May Almighty God have mercy on us,
Forgive us of our sin, and bring us to life everlasting.
-Amen.

Let us pray.

O God, who have commanded us to listen to your Beloved Son,
Be pleased, we pray, to nourish us inwardly
By your Word, that with spiritual sight made pure
We may rejoice to behold your glory.
Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God forever and ever.
-Amen.

The First Reading is a reading from the Book of Genesis.

The Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from the land
Of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house
To a land that I will show you.
I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you.
I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.”

Abram went as the Lord directed him.

The Word of the Lord.
-Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ Lord, let your mercy be on us, ∫
∫ As we place our trust in you. ∫
∫ Lord, let your mercy be on us, ∫
∫ As we place our trust in you. ∫
∫ The Word of the Lord is faithful, ∫
∫ And all his works are to be trusted. ∫
∫ The Lord loves justice and right, ∫
∫ And his merciful love fills the earth. ∫
∫ Lord, let your mercy be on us, ∫
∫ As we place our trust in you. ∫

The Second Reading is a reading from
The Second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy.

Beloved, bear your share of hardship for the Gospel
With the strength that comes from God.
He saved us and called us to a holy life,
Not according to our works,
But according to his own design.
And the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus
Before time began, but now made manifest
Through the appearance of our Savior, Christ Jesus,
Who destroyed death and brought life
And immortality to light through the Gospel.

The Word of the Lord.
-Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫
∫ Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫
∫ From the shining cloud the Father’s voice is heard: ∫
∫ This is my Beloved Son, hear him. ∫
∫ Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫

The Lord be with each of you.
-And with your spirit.

Ours is a reading taken from the Holy Gospel
According to St. Matthew.

Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother
And led them up high into the mountains by themselves,
And he was Transfigured before them.
His face shone like the sun
And his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
Conversing with him.

Then Peter said to Jesus,
“Lord, it’s so good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here,
One for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, behold,
A bright cloud cast a shadow over them.

And from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my Beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.
Listen to him.”

When the disciples heard this,
They fell prostrate and they were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and he touched them, saying,
“Rise, do not be afraid.”

And when the disciples raised their eyes,
They saw no one else but Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus said to them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone
Until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
-Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

One of my favorite movies, it came out a number of years ago,
Perhaps some of you have seen it.
It was called Dead Poets Society.
And the lead actor in that movie was a man
By the name of Robin Williams.

The film takes place in a kind of very stuffy
English boarding school for young men,
Strict with discipline.
And here is Robin Williams, who comes as the teacher.
And he teaches in a new way and in a new light.
Actually, he teaches very unconventionally.

And at one point, he got frustrated with the students.
They were so disciplined in looking at life
In a particular way and in the discipline of the classroom.
And so, to kind of stun their senses,
He goes and he stands up on a desk.

Now you can imagine what the students
Were thinking when they saw that.
And he begins to teach them from standing on a desk.
And he invites them to look at life
From a different perspective.
To look at life from a different perspective.

As he teaches from standing on top of a desk.
And Robin Williams, as he’s looking around the classroom,
He says, “From this position, I can see things differently.
I can see things that I’ve never seen before in the classroom.”
And that’s the point that he’s trying to make.

In the Gospel today, we’re going to go up into the mountain.
We’re in this Season of Lent,
This time of prayer and fasting and doing acts of kindness.
And Jesus is going with his best of friends up into the mountain.

And what we know from the Scriptures always,
When someone goes up into the mountain,
There’s going to be an encounter with the Divine.

Moses goes up into the mountains to receive the Ten Commandments.
Elijah goes up into the mountains
And hears the whisper of God in the wind.

So here is Jesus with his disciples,
And they’re going up into the mountain.
And the teaching is going to take place.

And while they’re in the mountain,
You heard it as I did in the Gospel today.
Jesus is Transfigured.
He’s seen differently.
He’s seen literally in a new light.

And standing next to him is Elijah and Moses.
Now it’s not by happenstance
That you have Elijah and Moses standing with Jesus.

Elijah was the great Prophet.
Moses was the great Lawgiver.
And what is being said in this moment
Is that Jesus is the Law and the Prophet coming together
In the person of the Christ, in the person of Jesus.

A new teaching, a new understanding will take place.
And they’re on the mountain and they see Jesus
In a new way and in a new light.
A fulfillment of the promise of God,
A fulfillment that the Law and Prophets
Are going to come together.

In and through the teachings of Jesus.
It’s a powerful moment.
And the disciples are aware of that.
They’re so taken by the moment. They’re in a holy place.
They’re with the Lord.
They’re with the great Prophet and Lawgiver.

They don’t want to go anywhere.
And can you blame them?
They want to set up tents
So that they can stay there for a while.

And it doesn’t happen that way.
There’s a revelation that takes place on the mountain.
And then we hear this powerful voice coming from the clouds,
“This is my Beloved Son.
Listen to him.”

So the word “listen” is the word “obitari.”
And obitari means to obey, to listen and to obey
What it is that the Lord is saying and doing
And teaching in that moment.

Of course they want to stay, but you know and I know,
We all know, that’s not how life is lived.
There are these moments of exaltation,
These moments of deep insight and awareness.
And they say they want to stay there.
But that’s not how it happens.

Jesus calls us as Disciples and he says,
“We’re going to go back down the mountain.
And we’re going onto the level playing field of life.
And you and I together are going to proclaim
The Good News of the Gospel.

We’re going to continue to teach
The love of God in this world of ours.
We’re going to teach our family members and our friends
And those who are Disciples, who are Believers,
That this is where life is encountered,
On the playing fields of life.

It’s wonderful to have these moments of ecstasy,

These powerful moments, the transcendent God.
And then you take that, and the whole purpose
Of those expressions of God’s love and Epiphany
Is so that that love might be preached and taught
And spread amongst all the people.

That’s what you’re called to do.
That’s what I’m called to do.
As Disciples of the Risen Lord.
To see who it is that he is—he is the Christ.
And to see who it is that we are in relationship to the Christ,
We are Disciples of the Lord.
And our duty is to go out and preach
The Good News as he has taught.

Let us take this opportunity now as we place before the Lord
Our own hopes, our dreams, our prayers
For one another and for this world of ours.

Our response to each prayer will be, “Lord, hear our prayer.”

For our Holy Father and all members of the Clergy,
May their faith be an inspiration to Catholics
All over the world, especially in times of despair.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are facing crisis or loss,
May they grow in their trust of God
To bring change and new beginnings.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For the young people of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
May they draw closer to the Lord during this Lenten Season.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who so generously share their time,
Talents, and treasures with Mercy Home,
Especially our benefactors, coworkers, and volunteers.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray too, and always, the prayer of the Angels in Heaven,
That there might be peace on earth.

And goodwill toward all.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

Gracious and loving God,
You have called each of us by name.
You’ve called us to be your Disciples in this world of ours.
Give us the strength, the grace, and the wisdom to be just that.
Praying through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
[Priest prays quietly]
∫ [Piano Music continues] ∫
[Priest prays quietly]

Lord Jesus Christ, wash away my iniquity.
Cleanse me of my sinfulness.

Pray, my friends, my sisters and brothers,
That this our sacrifice may be acceptable to God,
The Father Almighty.

-May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands
For the praise and glory of his name,
For our good and the good of all his Holy Church.

May this sacrifice, O Lord, we pray,
Cleanse us of our faults,
And sanctify your faithful in body and in mind
For the celebration of the Paschal festivities,
Through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

The Lord is with you.
-And with your spirit.

Lift up your hearts.
-We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
-It is right and just.

It is truly right and just,
Our duty and our salvation,
Always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God.

Through Christ our Lord.

For after he had told his Disciples of his coming death
On the holy mountain,
He manifested to them his glory,
To show even by the testimony of the Law and of the Prophets
That the Passion leads to the glory of the Resurrection.

And so, with the Powers of Heaven,
We worship you constantly here on earth,
And before your majesty, without end, we acclaim.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ Holy, Holy, Holy; ∫
∫ Lord God of hosts. ∫
∫ Heaven and earth are full of your glory. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the highest. ∫
∫ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the highest. ∫

You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness.
Make holy therefore these gifts, we pray,
By sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall,
So that they become for us the Body and Blood
Of our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the time that he was betrayed
And entered willingly into his Passion,
He took bread and, giving thanks, he broke it,
And gave it to his Disciples, saying:

Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
For this is my Body,
Which will be given up for you.

In a similar way, when the supper was ended,

He took the Chalice and once more, giving thanks,
He gave it to his Disciples, saying:

Take this, all of you, and drink from it,
For this is the Chalice of my Blood,
The Blood of the new and Eternal Covenant,
Which will be poured out for you and for many
For the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of me.

The Mystery of Faith.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, ∫
∫ We proclaim your death, O Lord, ∫
∫ Until you come again. ∫

Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his death
And his Resurrection, we offer to you, Lord,
The Bread of Life and the Chalice of Salvation,
Giving thanks that you’ve held us worthy
To be in your presence and minister to you.

Humbly, we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ,
We may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.

Remember, Lord, your Church spread throughout the world,
Bring her to the fullness of charity.

Together with Leo, our Pope, Blase, our Bishop,
And with all your faith-filled people,

Remember also our sisters and our brothers
Who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection
And all of those who have died in your mercy.
Welcome them into the light of your presence.

Have mercy on us all, we pray,
That with the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God,
With her Blessed Spouse, Joseph,
With the Blessed Apostles and with the Martyrs,
With all the Saints who have pleased you throughout the ages,
That we may merit to be coheirs to Eternal Life,
And may praise and give you glory
Through your Son, Jesus Christ.

Through him, and with him, and in him,
O God, Almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
All glory and honor is yours forever and ever.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
∫ Amen, Amen, Amen. ∫

One of my favorite passages in the Scriptures
Is when his Disciples came up to him,
And they said, “Lord, teach us how to pray.”

And he said, “When you pray, pray like this:”

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy name;
Thy Kingdom come;
Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.

Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
And graciously grant peace in our day,
That by the help of your mercy,
We may be freed from sin and saved from all distress,
As we await the Blessed hope,
The coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

-For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
Now and forever.

Lord Jesus Christ, who said to his Apostles,
“Peace I leave you, my peace I give you.”

Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church,
And graciously grant her peace and unity
In accordance with your will,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
-Amen.

The peace of the Risen Lord be with each of you.
-And with your spirit.

Take this opportunity to share the Lord’s peace.
And for those of you who are at home celebrating
This Eucharist with us here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
We offer you God’s choicest blessings
And pray for the peace of Christ in your own lives.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ Lamb of God; ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Have mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God; ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Have mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God; ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Grant us peace. ∫

My friends, behold Jesus.
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
The Bread of Life that comes down from Heaven.
Blessed are those invited to the Supper of the Lamb.

-Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof,
But only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

For those of you at home,
Please turn to page six in your TV Mass Guide
And join in singing our Communion song,
“The Steadfast Love of the Lord.”

∫ O God of all the broken, ∫
∫ Look and see your children die; ∫
∫ They are grieving, lost, forsaken. ∫
∫ Do you hear them when they cry? ∫
∫ Yet, even now, we remember, ∫
∫ And we hope, still we hope: ∫
∫ For the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, ∫
∫ God’s mercies never come to an end. ∫
∫ They are new every morning, ∫
∫ New every morning. ∫
∫ How great is your faithfulness, ∫
∫ Great is your faithfulness, O God! ∫

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

And my friends, let us pray.

As we receive these glorious Mysteries,
We make thanksgiving to you, O Lord,
For allowing us, while still here on earth,
To be partakers even now of the things of Heaven,
Through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

Before we have the Final Blessing,
I invite you to turn to page six of the TV Mass Guide
And pray with me the prayer that we have here
For the children at Mercy Home.

Our Lady of Mercy, we pray that you will guide,
Protect, and bless all boys and girls
Who this day have a home called Mercy.
May they find the Father’s mercy
As we offer them our hearts
In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.
May they see God’s mercy in action
Through our love
And our prayer
And our sacrifice.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you
Who pray for our young people
Here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
That we continue to support them
With our prayer and with our love.

I want to thank you for your generosity
In supporting this mission
That’s been around for 138 years,
Caring for young people
Who are in need of love, support,
And of a wonderful home.

The Lord is with you.
-And with your spirit.

May Almighty God bless us all;
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.

Our Mass is ended.
Go in peace.
-Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ The glory of these 40 days ∫
∫ We celebrate with songs of praise; ∫
∫ For Christ, through whom all things were made, ∫
∫ Himself has fasted and has prayed. ∫

My friends, I just want to thank you for the ways
In which you support the TV Mass here
At Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
Let us continue to pray for one another.
Please consider making an offering
So that we can keep the TV Mass on the air.
May God bless you, your family members, and your friends.

The music for the broadcast of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home
Is generously provided by GIA Publications, Inc.
And its World Library Publications division.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
The following presentation is made possible
By the generosity of the viewers
Of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago.

Good morning and welcome
To Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
Today we celebrate the Second Sunday of Lent.
My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Elizabeth Norton
And our Celebrant is Father Scott Donahue,
President of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

∫ How good, Lord, to be here! ∫
∫ Your glory fills the night; ∫
∫ Your face and garments, like the sun, ∫
∫ Shine with unborrowed light. ∫
∫ How good, Lord, to be here! ∫
∫ Your beauty to behold ∫
∫ Where Moses and Elijah stand, ∫
∫ Your messengers of old. ∫

Together now we journey deeper
Into this holy Season of Lent and we continue this journey
With the sign of our Faith, with the Sign of the Cross.

In the name of the Father
And of the Son
And of the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.

The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
And the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Spirit
Be with each of you.
-And with your spirit.

My friends, as we gather, we are invited just to pause
For a moment to acknowledge our faults and our failings,
To acknowledge once again our dependency upon God
In all things in this life.
God’s love, God’s mercy, God’s forgiveness.

Lord Jesus, during this holy Season of Lent,
We ask that You might deepen our Faith.
Lord, have mercy.
-Lord, have mercy.

We ask that You might strengthen our sense of hope
In one another and in this world.
Christ, have mercy.
-Christ, have mercy.

And we ask that You teach us to love as You love us.
Lord, have mercy.
-Lord, have mercy.

May Almighty God have mercy on us,
Forgive us of our sin, and bring us to life everlasting.
-Amen.

Let us pray.

O God, who have commanded us to listen to your Beloved Son,
Be pleased, we pray, to nourish us inwardly
By your Word, that with spiritual sight made pure
We may rejoice to behold your glory.
Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God forever and ever.
-Amen.

The First Reading is a reading from the Book of Genesis.

The Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from the land
Of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house
To a land that I will show you.
I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you.
I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.”

Abram went as the Lord directed him.

The Word of the Lord.
-Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ Lord, let your mercy be on us, ∫
∫ As we place our trust in you. ∫
∫ Lord, let your mercy be on us, ∫
∫ As we place our trust in you. ∫
∫ The Word of the Lord is faithful, ∫
∫ And all his works are to be trusted. ∫
∫ The Lord loves justice and right, ∫
∫ And his merciful love fills the earth. ∫
∫ Lord, let your mercy be on us, ∫
∫ As we place our trust in you. ∫

The Second Reading is a reading from
The Second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy.

Beloved, bear your share of hardship for the Gospel
With the strength that comes from God.
He saved us and called us to a holy life,
Not according to our works,
But according to his own design.
And the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus
Before time began, but now made manifest
Through the appearance of our Savior, Christ Jesus,
Who destroyed death and brought life
And immortality to light through the Gospel.

The Word of the Lord.
-Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫
∫ Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫
∫ From the shining cloud the Father’s voice is heard: ∫
∫ This is my Beloved Son, hear him. ∫
∫ Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫

The Lord be with each of you.
-And with your spirit.

Ours is a reading taken from the Holy Gospel
According to St. Matthew.

Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother
And led them up high into the mountains by themselves,
And he was Transfigured before them.
His face shone like the sun
And his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
Conversing with him.

Then Peter said to Jesus,
“Lord, it’s so good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here,
One for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, behold,
A bright cloud cast a shadow over them.

And from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my Beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.
Listen to him.”

When the disciples heard this,
They fell prostrate and they were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and he touched them, saying,
“Rise, do not be afraid.”

And when the disciples raised their eyes,
They saw no one else but Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus said to them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone
Until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
-Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

One of my favorite movies, it came out a number of years ago,
Perhaps some of you have seen it.
It was called Dead Poets Society.
And the lead actor in that movie was a man
By the name of Robin Williams.

The film takes place in a kind of very stuffy
English boarding school for young men,
Strict with discipline.
And here is Robin Williams, who comes as the teacher.
And he teaches in a new way and in a new light.
Actually, he teaches very unconventionally.

And at one point, he got frustrated with the students.
They were so disciplined in looking at life
In a particular way and in the discipline of the classroom.
And so, to kind of stun their senses,
He goes and he stands up on a desk.

Now you can imagine what the students
Were thinking when they saw that.
And he begins to teach them from standing on a desk.
And he invites them to look at life
From a different perspective.
To look at life from a different perspective.

As he teaches from standing on top of a desk.
And Robin Williams, as he’s looking around the classroom,
He says, “From this position, I can see things differently.
I can see things that I’ve never seen before in the classroom.”
And that’s the point that he’s trying to make.

In the Gospel today, we’re going to go up into the mountain.
We’re in this Season of Lent,
This time of prayer and fasting and doing acts of kindness.
And Jesus is going with his best of friends up into the mountain.

And what we know from the Scriptures always,
When someone goes up into the mountain,
There’s going to be an encounter with the Divine.

Moses goes up into the mountains to receive the Ten Commandments.
Elijah goes up into the mountains
And hears the whisper of God in the wind.

So here is Jesus with his disciples,
And they’re going up into the mountain.
And the teaching is going to take place.

And while they’re in the mountain,
You heard it as I did in the Gospel today.
Jesus is Transfigured.
He’s seen differently.
He’s seen literally in a new light.

And standing next to him is Elijah and Moses.
Now it’s not by happenstance
That you have Elijah and Moses standing with Jesus.

Elijah was the great Prophet.
Moses was the great Lawgiver.
And what is being said in this moment
Is that Jesus is the Law and the Prophet coming together
In the person of the Christ, in the person of Jesus.

A new teaching, a new understanding will take place.
And they’re on the mountain and they see Jesus
In a new way and in a new light.
A fulfillment of the promise of God,
A fulfillment that the Law and Prophets
Are going to come together.

In and through the teachings of Jesus.
It’s a powerful moment.
And the disciples are aware of that.
They’re so taken by the moment. They’re in a holy place.
They’re with the Lord.
They’re with the great Prophet and Lawgiver.

They don’t want to go anywhere.
And can you blame them?
They want to set up tents
So that they can stay there for a while.

And it doesn’t happen that way.
There’s a revelation that takes place on the mountain.
And then we hear this powerful voice coming from the clouds,
“This is my Beloved Son.
Listen to him.”

So the word “listen” is the word “obitari.”
And obitari means to obey, to listen and to obey
What it is that the Lord is saying and doing
And teaching in that moment.

Of course they want to stay, but you know and I know,
We all know, that’s not how life is lived.
There are these moments of exaltation,
These moments of deep insight and awareness.
And they say they want to stay there.
But that’s not how it happens.

Jesus calls us as Disciples and he says,
“We’re going to go back down the mountain.
And we’re going onto the level playing field of life.
And you and I together are going to proclaim
The Good News of the Gospel.

We’re going to continue to teach
The love of God in this world of ours.
We’re going to teach our family members and our friends
And those who are Disciples, who are Believers,
That this is where life is encountered,
On the playing fields of life.

It’s wonderful to have these moments of ecstasy,

These powerful moments, the transcendent God.
And then you take that, and the whole purpose
Of those expressions of God’s love and Epiphany
Is so that that love might be preached and taught
And spread amongst all the people.

That’s what you’re called to do.
That’s what I’m called to do.
As Disciples of the Risen Lord.
To see who it is that he is—he is the Christ.
And to see who it is that we are in relationship to the Christ,
We are Disciples of the Lord.
And our duty is to go out and preach
The Good News as he has taught.

Let us take this opportunity now as we place before the Lord
Our own hopes, our dreams, our prayers
For one another and for this world of ours.

Our response to each prayer will be, “Lord, hear our prayer.”

For our Holy Father and all members of the Clergy,
May their faith be an inspiration to Catholics
All over the world, especially in times of despair.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are facing crisis or loss,
May they grow in their trust of God
To bring change and new beginnings.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For the young people of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
May they draw closer to the Lord during this Lenten Season.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who so generously share their time,
Talents, and treasures with Mercy Home,
Especially our benefactors, coworkers, and volunteers.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray too, and always, the prayer of the Angels in Heaven,
That there might be peace on earth.

And goodwill toward all.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

Gracious and loving God,
You have called each of us by name.
You’ve called us to be your Disciples in this world of ours.
Give us the strength, the grace, and the wisdom to be just that.
Praying through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
[Priest prays quietly]
∫ [Piano Music continues] ∫
[Priest prays quietly]

Lord Jesus Christ, wash away my iniquity.
Cleanse me of my sinfulness.

Pray, my friends, my sisters and brothers,
That this our sacrifice may be acceptable to God,
The Father Almighty.

-May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands
For the praise and glory of his name,
For our good and the good of all his Holy Church.

May this sacrifice, O Lord, we pray,
Cleanse us of our faults,
And sanctify your faithful in body and in mind
For the celebration of the Paschal festivities,
Through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

The Lord is with you.
-And with your spirit.

Lift up your hearts.
-We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
-It is right and just.

It is truly right and just,
Our duty and our salvation,
Always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God.

Through Christ our Lord.

For after he had told his Disciples of his coming death
On the holy mountain,
He manifested to them his glory,
To show even by the testimony of the Law and of the Prophets
That the Passion leads to the glory of the Resurrection.

And so, with the Powers of Heaven,
We worship you constantly here on earth,
And before your majesty, without end, we acclaim.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ Holy, Holy, Holy; ∫
∫ Lord God of hosts. ∫
∫ Heaven and earth are full of your glory. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the highest. ∫
∫ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the highest. ∫

You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness.
Make holy therefore these gifts, we pray,
By sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall,
So that they become for us the Body and Blood
Of our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the time that he was betrayed
And entered willingly into his Passion,
He took bread and, giving thanks, he broke it,
And gave it to his Disciples, saying:

Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
For this is my Body,
Which will be given up for you.

In a similar way, when the supper was ended,

He took the Chalice and once more, giving thanks,
He gave it to his Disciples, saying:

Take this, all of you, and drink from it,
For this is the Chalice of my Blood,
The Blood of the new and Eternal Covenant,
Which will be poured out for you and for many
For the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of me.

The Mystery of Faith.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, ∫
∫ We proclaim your death, O Lord, ∫
∫ Until you come again. ∫

Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his death
And his Resurrection, we offer to you, Lord,
The Bread of Life and the Chalice of Salvation,
Giving thanks that you’ve held us worthy
To be in your presence and minister to you.

Humbly, we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ,
We may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.

Remember, Lord, your Church spread throughout the world,
Bring her to the fullness of charity.

Together with Leo, our Pope, Blase, our Bishop,
And with all your faith-filled people,

Remember also our sisters and our brothers
Who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection
And all of those who have died in your mercy.
Welcome them into the light of your presence.

Have mercy on us all, we pray,
That with the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God,
With her Blessed Spouse, Joseph,
With the Blessed Apostles and with the Martyrs,
With all the Saints who have pleased you throughout the ages,
That we may merit to be coheirs to Eternal Life,
And may praise and give you glory
Through your Son, Jesus Christ.

Through him, and with him, and in him,
O God, Almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
All glory and honor is yours forever and ever.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
∫ Amen, Amen, Amen. ∫

One of my favorite passages in the Scriptures
Is when his Disciples came up to him,
And they said, “Lord, teach us how to pray.”

And he said, “When you pray, pray like this:”

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy name;
Thy Kingdom come;
Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.

Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
And graciously grant peace in our day,
That by the help of your mercy,
We may be freed from sin and saved from all distress,
As we await the Blessed hope,
The coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

-For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
Now and forever.

Lord Jesus Christ, who said to his Apostles,
“Peace I leave you, my peace I give you.”

Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church,
And graciously grant her peace and unity
In accordance with your will,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
-Amen.

The peace of the Risen Lord be with each of you.
-And with your spirit.

Take this opportunity to share the Lord’s peace.
And for those of you who are at home celebrating
This Eucharist with us here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
We offer you God’s choicest blessings
And pray for the peace of Christ in your own lives.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ Lamb of God; ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Have mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God; ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Have mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God; ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Grant us peace. ∫

My friends, behold Jesus.
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
The Bread of Life that comes down from Heaven.
Blessed are those invited to the Supper of the Lamb.

-Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof,
But only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

For those of you at home,
Please turn to page six in your TV Mass Guide
And join in singing our Communion song,
“The Steadfast Love of the Lord.”

∫ O God of all the broken, ∫
∫ Look and see your children die; ∫
∫ They are grieving, lost, forsaken. ∫
∫ Do you hear them when they cry? ∫
∫ Yet, even now, we remember, ∫
∫ And we hope, still we hope: ∫
∫ For the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, ∫
∫ God’s mercies never come to an end. ∫
∫ They are new every morning, ∫
∫ New every morning. ∫
∫ How great is your faithfulness, ∫
∫ Great is your faithfulness, O God! ∫

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

And my friends, let us pray.

As we receive these glorious Mysteries,
We make thanksgiving to you, O Lord,
For allowing us, while still here on earth,
To be partakers even now of the things of Heaven,
Through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

Before we have the Final Blessing,
I invite you to turn to page six of the TV Mass Guide
And pray with me the prayer that we have here
For the children at Mercy Home.

Our Lady of Mercy, we pray that you will guide,
Protect, and bless all boys and girls
Who this day have a home called Mercy.
May they find the Father’s mercy
As we offer them our hearts
In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.
May they see God’s mercy in action
Through our love
And our prayer
And our sacrifice.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you
Who pray for our young people
Here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
That we continue to support them
With our prayer and with our love.

I want to thank you for your generosity
In supporting this mission
That’s been around for 138 years,
Caring for young people
Who are in need of love, support,
And of a wonderful home.

The Lord is with you.
-And with your spirit.

May Almighty God bless us all;
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.

Our Mass is ended.
Go in peace.
-Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ The glory of these 40 days ∫
∫ We celebrate with songs of praise; ∫
∫ For Christ, through whom all things were made, ∫
∫ Himself has fasted and has prayed. ∫

My friends, I just want to thank you for the ways
In which you support the TV Mass here
At Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
Let us continue to pray for one another.
Please consider making an offering
So that we can keep the TV Mass on the air.
May God bless you, your family members, and your friends.

The music for the broadcast of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home
Is generously provided by GIA Publications, Inc.
And its World Library Publications division.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
The following presentation is made possible
By the generosity of the viewers
Of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago.

Good morning and welcome
To Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
Today we celebrate the Second Sunday of Lent.
My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Elizabeth Norton
And our Celebrant is Father Scott Donahue,
President of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

∫ How good, Lord, to be here! ∫
∫ Your glory fills the night; ∫
∫ Your face and garments, like the sun, ∫
∫ Shine with unborrowed light. ∫
∫ How good, Lord, to be here! ∫
∫ Your beauty to behold ∫
∫ Where Moses and Elijah stand, ∫
∫ Your messengers of old. ∫

Together now we journey deeper
Into this holy Season of Lent and we continue this journey
With the sign of our Faith, with the Sign of the Cross.

In the name of the Father
And of the Son
And of the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.

The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
And the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Spirit
Be with each of you.
-And with your spirit.

My friends, as we gather, we are invited just to pause
For a moment to acknowledge our faults and our failings,
To acknowledge once again our dependency upon God
In all things in this life.
God’s love, God’s mercy, God’s forgiveness.

Lord Jesus, during this holy Season of Lent,
We ask that You might deepen our Faith.
Lord, have mercy.
-Lord, have mercy.

We ask that You might strengthen our sense of hope
In one another and in this world.
Christ, have mercy.
-Christ, have mercy.

And we ask that You teach us to love as You love us.
Lord, have mercy.
-Lord, have mercy.

May Almighty God have mercy on us,
Forgive us of our sin, and bring us to life everlasting.
-Amen.

Let us pray.

O God, who have commanded us to listen to your Beloved Son,
Be pleased, we pray, to nourish us inwardly
By your Word, that with spiritual sight made pure
We may rejoice to behold your glory.
Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God forever and ever.
-Amen.

The First Reading is a reading from the Book of Genesis.

The Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from the land
Of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house
To a land that I will show you.
I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you.
I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.”

Abram went as the Lord directed him.

The Word of the Lord.
-Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ Lord, let your mercy be on us, ∫
∫ As we place our trust in you. ∫
∫ Lord, let your mercy be on us, ∫
∫ As we place our trust in you. ∫
∫ The Word of the Lord is faithful, ∫
∫ And all his works are to be trusted. ∫
∫ The Lord loves justice and right, ∫
∫ And his merciful love fills the earth. ∫
∫ Lord, let your mercy be on us, ∫
∫ As we place our trust in you. ∫

The Second Reading is a reading from
The Second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy.

Beloved, bear your share of hardship for the Gospel
With the strength that comes from God.
He saved us and called us to a holy life,
Not according to our works,
But according to his own design.
And the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus
Before time began, but now made manifest
Through the appearance of our Savior, Christ Jesus,
Who destroyed death and brought life
And immortality to light through the Gospel.

The Word of the Lord.
-Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫
∫ Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫
∫ From the shining cloud the Father’s voice is heard: ∫
∫ This is my Beloved Son, hear him. ∫
∫ Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫

The Lord be with each of you.
-And with your spirit.

Ours is a reading taken from the Holy Gospel
According to St. Matthew.

Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother
And led them up high into the mountains by themselves,
And he was Transfigured before them.
His face shone like the sun
And his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
Conversing with him.

Then Peter said to Jesus,
“Lord, it’s so good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here,
One for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, behold,
A bright cloud cast a shadow over them.

And from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my Beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.
Listen to him.”

When the disciples heard this,
They fell prostrate and they were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and he touched them, saying,
“Rise, do not be afraid.”

And when the disciples raised their eyes,
They saw no one else but Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus said to them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone
Until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
-Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

One of my favorite movies, it came out a number of years ago,
Perhaps some of you have seen it.
It was called Dead Poets Society.
And the lead actor in that movie was a man
By the name of Robin Williams.

The film takes place in a kind of very stuffy
English boarding school for young men,
Strict with discipline.
And here is Robin Williams, who comes as the teacher.
And he teaches in a new way and in a new light.
Actually, he teaches very unconventionally.

And at one point, he got frustrated with the students.
They were so disciplined in looking at life
In a particular way and in the discipline of the classroom.
And so, to kind of stun their senses,
He goes and he stands up on a desk.

Now you can imagine what the students
Were thinking when they saw that.
And he begins to teach them from standing on a desk.
And he invites them to look at life
From a different perspective.
To look at life from a different perspective.

As he teaches from standing on top of a desk.
And Robin Williams, as he’s looking around the classroom,
He says, “From this position, I can see things differently.
I can see things that I’ve never seen before in the classroom.”
And that’s the point that he’s trying to make.

In the Gospel today, we’re going to go up into the mountain.
We’re in this Season of Lent,
This time of prayer and fasting and doing acts of kindness.
And Jesus is going with his best of friends up into the mountain.

And what we know from the Scriptures always,
When someone goes up into the mountain,
There’s going to be an encounter with the Divine.

Moses goes up into the mountains to receive the Ten Commandments.
Elijah goes up into the mountains
And hears the whisper of God in the wind.

So here is Jesus with his disciples,
And they’re going up into the mountain.
And the teaching is going to take place.

And while they’re in the mountain,
You heard it as I did in the Gospel today.
Jesus is Transfigured.
He’s seen differently.
He’s seen literally in a new light.

And standing next to him is Elijah and Moses.
Now it’s not by happenstance
That you have Elijah and Moses standing with Jesus.

Elijah was the great Prophet.
Moses was the great Lawgiver.
And what is being said in this moment
Is that Jesus is the Law and the Prophet coming together
In the person of the Christ, in the person of Jesus.

A new teaching, a new understanding will take place.
And they’re on the mountain and they see Jesus
In a new way and in a new light.
A fulfillment of the promise of God,
A fulfillment that the Law and Prophets
Are going to come together.

In and through the teachings of Jesus.
It’s a powerful moment.
And the disciples are aware of that.
They’re so taken by the moment. They’re in a holy place.
They’re with the Lord.
They’re with the great Prophet and Lawgiver.

They don’t want to go anywhere.
And can you blame them?
They want to set up tents
So that they can stay there for a while.

And it doesn’t happen that way.
There’s a revelation that takes place on the mountain.
And then we hear this powerful voice coming from the clouds,
“This is my Beloved Son.
Listen to him.”

So the word “listen” is the word “obitari.”
And obitari means to obey, to listen and to obey
What it is that the Lord is saying and doing
And teaching in that moment.

Of course they want to stay, but you know and I know,
We all know, that’s not how life is lived.
There are these moments of exaltation,
These moments of deep insight and awareness.
And they say they want to stay there.
But that’s not how it happens.

Jesus calls us as Disciples and he says,
“We’re going to go back down the mountain.
And we’re going onto the level playing field of life.
And you and I together are going to proclaim
The Good News of the Gospel.

We’re going to continue to teach
The love of God in this world of ours.
We’re going to teach our family members and our friends
And those who are Disciples, who are Believers,
That this is where life is encountered,
On the playing fields of life.

It’s wonderful to have these moments of ecstasy,

These powerful moments, the transcendent God.
And then you take that, and the whole purpose
Of those expressions of God’s love and Epiphany
Is so that that love might be preached and taught
And spread amongst all the people.

That’s what you’re called to do.
That’s what I’m called to do.
As Disciples of the Risen Lord.
To see who it is that he is—he is the Christ.
And to see who it is that we are in relationship to the Christ,
We are Disciples of the Lord.
And our duty is to go out and preach
The Good News as he has taught.

Let us take this opportunity now as we place before the Lord
Our own hopes, our dreams, our prayers
For one another and for this world of ours.

Our response to each prayer will be, “Lord, hear our prayer.”

For our Holy Father and all members of the Clergy,
May their faith be an inspiration to Catholics
All over the world, especially in times of despair.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are facing crisis or loss,
May they grow in their trust of God
To bring change and new beginnings.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For the young people of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
May they draw closer to the Lord during this Lenten Season.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who so generously share their time,
Talents, and treasures with Mercy Home,
Especially our benefactors, coworkers, and volunteers.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray too, and always, the prayer of the Angels in Heaven,
That there might be peace on earth.

And goodwill toward all.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

Gracious and loving God,
You have called each of us by name.
You’ve called us to be your Disciples in this world of ours.
Give us the strength, the grace, and the wisdom to be just that.
Praying through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
[Priest prays quietly]
∫ [Piano Music continues] ∫
[Priest prays quietly]

Lord Jesus Christ, wash away my iniquity.
Cleanse me of my sinfulness.

Pray, my friends, my sisters and brothers,
That this our sacrifice may be acceptable to God,
The Father Almighty.

-May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands
For the praise and glory of his name,
For our good and the good of all his Holy Church.

May this sacrifice, O Lord, we pray,
Cleanse us of our faults,
And sanctify your faithful in body and in mind
For the celebration of the Paschal festivities,
Through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

The Lord is with you.
-And with your spirit.

Lift up your hearts.
-We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
-It is right and just.

It is truly right and just,
Our duty and our salvation,
Always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God.

Through Christ our Lord.

For after he had told his Disciples of his coming death
On the holy mountain,
He manifested to them his glory,
To show even by the testimony of the Law and of the Prophets
That the Passion leads to the glory of the Resurrection.

And so, with the Powers of Heaven,
We worship you constantly here on earth,
And before your majesty, without end, we acclaim.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ Holy, Holy, Holy; ∫
∫ Lord God of hosts. ∫
∫ Heaven and earth are full of your glory. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the highest. ∫
∫ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the highest. ∫

You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness.
Make holy therefore these gifts, we pray,
By sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall,
So that they become for us the Body and Blood
Of our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the time that he was betrayed
And entered willingly into his Passion,
He took bread and, giving thanks, he broke it,
And gave it to his Disciples, saying:

Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
For this is my Body,
Which will be given up for you.

In a similar way, when the supper was ended,

He took the Chalice and once more, giving thanks,
He gave it to his Disciples, saying:

Take this, all of you, and drink from it,
For this is the Chalice of my Blood,
The Blood of the new and Eternal Covenant,
Which will be poured out for you and for many
For the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of me.

The Mystery of Faith.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, ∫
∫ We proclaim your death, O Lord, ∫
∫ Until you come again. ∫

Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his death
And his Resurrection, we offer to you, Lord,
The Bread of Life and the Chalice of Salvation,
Giving thanks that you’ve held us worthy
To be in your presence and minister to you.

Humbly, we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ,
We may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.

Remember, Lord, your Church spread throughout the world,
Bring her to the fullness of charity.

Together with Leo, our Pope, Blase, our Bishop,
And with all your faith-filled people,

Remember also our sisters and our brothers
Who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection
And all of those who have died in your mercy.
Welcome them into the light of your presence.

Have mercy on us all, we pray,
That with the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God,
With her Blessed Spouse, Joseph,
With the Blessed Apostles and with the Martyrs,
With all the Saints who have pleased you throughout the ages,
That we may merit to be coheirs to Eternal Life,
And may praise and give you glory
Through your Son, Jesus Christ.

Through him, and with him, and in him,
O God, Almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
All glory and honor is yours forever and ever.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
∫ Amen, Amen, Amen. ∫

One of my favorite passages in the Scriptures
Is when his Disciples came up to him,
And they said, “Lord, teach us how to pray.”

And he said, “When you pray, pray like this:”

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy name;
Thy Kingdom come;
Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.

Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
And graciously grant peace in our day,
That by the help of your mercy,
We may be freed from sin and saved from all distress,
As we await the Blessed hope,
The coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

-For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
Now and forever.

Lord Jesus Christ, who said to his Apostles,
“Peace I leave you, my peace I give you.”

Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church,
And graciously grant her peace and unity
In accordance with your will,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
-Amen.

The peace of the Risen Lord be with each of you.
-And with your spirit.

Take this opportunity to share the Lord’s peace.
And for those of you who are at home celebrating
This Eucharist with us here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
We offer you God’s choicest blessings
And pray for the peace of Christ in your own lives.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ Lamb of God; ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Have mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God; ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Have mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God; ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Grant us peace. ∫

My friends, behold Jesus.
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
The Bread of Life that comes down from Heaven.
Blessed are those invited to the Supper of the Lamb.

-Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof,
But only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

For those of you at home,
Please turn to page six in your TV Mass Guide
And join in singing our Communion song,
“The Steadfast Love of the Lord.”

∫ O God of all the broken, ∫
∫ Look and see your children die; ∫
∫ They are grieving, lost, forsaken. ∫
∫ Do you hear them when they cry? ∫
∫ Yet, even now, we remember, ∫
∫ And we hope, still we hope: ∫
∫ For the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, ∫
∫ God’s mercies never come to an end. ∫
∫ They are new every morning, ∫
∫ New every morning. ∫
∫ How great is your faithfulness, ∫
∫ Great is your faithfulness, O God! ∫

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

And my friends, let us pray.

As we receive these glorious Mysteries,
We make thanksgiving to you, O Lord,
For allowing us, while still here on earth,
To be partakers even now of the things of Heaven,
Through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

Before we have the Final Blessing,
I invite you to turn to page six of the TV Mass Guide
And pray with me the prayer that we have here
For the children at Mercy Home.

Our Lady of Mercy, we pray that you will guide,
Protect, and bless all boys and girls
Who this day have a home called Mercy.
May they find the Father’s mercy
As we offer them our hearts
In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.
May they see God’s mercy in action
Through our love
And our prayer
And our sacrifice.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you
Who pray for our young people
Here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
That we continue to support them
With our prayer and with our love.

I want to thank you for your generosity
In supporting this mission
That’s been around for 138 years,
Caring for young people
Who are in need of love, support,
And of a wonderful home.

The Lord is with you.
-And with your spirit.

May Almighty God bless us all;
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.

Our Mass is ended.
Go in peace.
-Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ The glory of these 40 days ∫
∫ We celebrate with songs of praise; ∫
∫ For Christ, through whom all things were made, ∫
∫ Himself has fasted and has prayed. ∫

My friends, I just want to thank you for the ways
In which you support the TV Mass here
At Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
Let us continue to pray for one another.
Please consider making an offering
So that we can keep the TV Mass on the air.
May God bless you, your family members, and your friends.

The music for the broadcast of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home
Is generously provided by GIA Publications, Inc.
And its World Library Publications division.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

One of my favorite movies, it came out a number of years ago,
Perhaps some of you have seen it.
It was called Dead Poets Society.
And the lead actor in that movie was a man
By the name of Robin Williams.

The film takes place in a kind of very stuffy
English boarding school for young men,
Strict with discipline.
And here is Robin Williams, who comes as the teacher.
And he teaches in a new way and in a new light.
Actually, he teaches very unconventionally.

And at one point, he got frustrated with the students.
They were so disciplined in looking at life
In a particular way and in the discipline of the classroom.
And so, to kind of stun their senses,
He goes and he stands up on a desk.

Now you can imagine what the students
Were thinking when they saw that.
And he begins to teach them from standing on a desk.
And he invites them to look at life
From a different perspective.
To look at life from a different perspective.

As he teaches from standing on top of a desk.
And Robin Williams, as he’s looking around the classroom,
He says, “From this position, I can see things differently.
I can see things that I’ve never seen before in the classroom.”
And that’s the point that he’s trying to make.

In the Gospel today, we’re going to go up into the mountain.
We’re in this Season of Lent,
This time of prayer and fasting and doing acts of kindness.
And Jesus is going with his best of friends up into the mountain.

And what we know from the Scriptures always,
When someone goes up into the mountain,
There’s going to be an encounter with the Divine.

Moses goes up into the mountains to receive the Ten Commandments.
Elijah goes up into the mountains
And hears the whisper of God in the wind.

So here is Jesus with his disciples,
And they’re going up into the mountain.
And the teaching is going to take place.

And while they’re in the mountain,
You heard it as I did in the Gospel today.
Jesus is Transfigured.
He’s seen differently.
He’s seen literally in a new light.

And standing next to him is Elijah and Moses.
Now it’s not by happenstance
That you have Elijah and Moses standing with Jesus.

Elijah was the great Prophet.
Moses was the great Lawgiver.
And what is being said in this moment
Is that Jesus is the Law and the Prophet coming together
In the person of the Christ, in the person of Jesus.

A new teaching, a new understanding will take place.
And they’re on the mountain and they see Jesus
In a new way and in a new light.
A fulfillment of the promise of God,
A fulfillment that the Law and Prophets
Are going to come together.

In and through the teachings of Jesus.
It’s a powerful moment.
And the disciples are aware of that.
They’re so taken by the moment. They’re in a holy place.
They’re with the Lord.
They’re with the great Prophet and Lawgiver.

They don’t want to go anywhere.
And can you blame them?
They want to set up tents
So that they can stay there for a while.

And it doesn’t happen that way.
There’s a revelation that takes place on the mountain.
And then we hear this powerful voice coming from the clouds,
“This is my Beloved Son.
Listen to him.”

So the word “listen” is the word “obitari.”
And obitari means to obey, to listen and to obey
What it is that the Lord is saying and doing
And teaching in that moment.

Of course they want to stay, but you know and I know,
We all know, that’s not how life is lived.
There are these moments of exaltation,
These moments of deep insight and awareness.
And they say they want to stay there.
But that’s not how it happens.

Jesus calls us as Disciples and he says,
“We’re going to go back down the mountain.
And we’re going onto the level playing field of life.
And you and I together are going to proclaim
The Good News of the Gospel.

We’re going to continue to teach
The love of God in this world of ours.
We’re going to teach our family members and our friends
And those who are Disciples, who are Believers,
That this is where life is encountered,
On the playing fields of life.

It’s wonderful to have these moments of ecstasy,

These powerful moments, the transcendent God.
And then you take that, and the whole purpose
Of those expressions of God’s love and Epiphany
Is so that that love might be preached and taught
And spread amongst all the people.

That’s what you’re called to do.
That’s what I’m called to do.
As Disciples of the Risen Lord.
To see who it is that he is—he is the Christ.
And to see who it is that we are in relationship to the Christ,
We are Disciples of the Lord.
And our duty is to go out and preach
The Good News as he has taught.