∫ [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 Fourth Sunday of Advent.

My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Joyce McGuiggan,
And our celebrant is Father Jason Malave.

∫ O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, ∫
∫ And ransom captive Israel, ∫
∫ That mourns in lonely exile here, ∫
∫ Until the Son of God appear. ∫
∫ Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel, ∫
∫ Shall come to you, O Israel. ∫

We pray in the name of the Father,
And the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
–Amen.

We gather at this Fourth Sunday of Advent on our Advent journey.
We gather together our prayers,
Mindful of our need for peace and reconciliation.

Lord Jesus Emmanuel, you bring us healing.
Lord, have mercy.
–Lord, have mercy.

Christ Jesus Emmanuel, you bring us forgiveness.
Christ, have mercy.
–Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus Emmanuel, you desire that we spend time,
Eternity with you in Paradise.
Lord, have mercy.
–Lord, have mercy.

May Almighty God have mercy on us,
Forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
–Amen.

Let us pray.

Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord,
Your grace into our hearts,
That we, to whom the Incarnation
Of Christ, your Son, was made known
By the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross
Be brought to the glory of His Resurrection,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, one God forever and ever.
–Amen.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

The Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying,
“Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God;
Let it be deep as the netherworld or high as the sky.”

But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask.
I will not tempt the Lord.”

Then Isaiah said, “Listen, O house of David,
Is it not enough for you to weary people?
Must you also weary my God?

Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you this sign:
The Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son
And shall name Him Emmanuel.”

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

∫ [Piano music] ∫

∫ Let the Lord enter; ∫
∫ He is King of glory. ∫
∫ Let the Lord enter; ∫
∫ He is King of glory. ∫
∫ The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, ∫
∫ The world and those who dwell in it. ∫
∫ It is He who set it on the seas; ∫
∫ On the rivers He made it firm. ∫
∫ Let the Lord enter; ∫
∫ He is King of glory. ∫

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans.

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an Apostle
And set apart for the Gospel of God,
Which He promised previously
Through His Prophets in the Holy Scriptures.

The Gospel about His Son,
Descended from David according to the flesh,
But established as Son of God in power,
According to the Spirit of Holiness,
Through the Resurrection from the dead,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Through Him we have received the grace of Apostleship
To bring about the obedience of faith
For the sake of His name among all the Gentiles,
Among whom are you also who are called
To belong to Jesus Christ.

To all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
And the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

∫ [Piano music] ∫

∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫
∫ The Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, ∫
∫ and they shall name Him Emmanuel. ∫
∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫

The Lord be with you.
– And with your spirit.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew.
– Glory to You, O Lord.

May our God be on our minds, on our lips, and in our hearts.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.

Joseph, her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.

Such was his intention when, behold,
the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary, your wife, into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a Son,
and you are to name Him Jesus,
because He will save His people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord
had said through the Prophet:
“Behold, the Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son,
and they shall name Him Emmanuel,”
which means God is with us.

When Joseph awoke, he did as the Angel of the Lord
had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.

The Gospel of the Lord.
– Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

We have this proclamation about how Jesus
came to be conceived in Mary’s womb.
We have this beautiful story about Joseph, Mary, and Jesus,
the Holy Family, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

What surprised me from the earliest age I could remember,
what still surprises me,
was how Joseph was getting ready to divorce Mary.

In fact, this Holy Family that we hold up
and name churches after,
this Holy Family,
almost ended in divorce,
if not for the power of the Holy Spirit.

It was the Holy Spirit
who intervened with Joseph in a dream and said,
“Take Mary, your wife, into your home.
Do not divorce her.”

On this day, on this Fourth Sunday of Advent,
I want to take a moment
to talk about something I don’t speak about very often:
divorce.

Some of our families experience divorce.
We know this to be true.
I know this to be true among my own family and friends.

I want to share three things
that may be helpful
as we experience divorce
among our families, friends,
and even in our own lives.

First of all, I want you to know—
I want everyone who has ever experienced divorce to know—
that you are radically loved.

When two people get a divorce,
neither one of them feels very loved at that time.
For many people,
it is one of the lowest moments of their lives.

But I want you to know:
you are loved.

And I want all of us to hear this,
because we are the ones
who must remind those who are divorced
that they are loved.

Can you help me do that?
Can you help remind those who have experienced divorce
that they are loved?

Amen.

Second, as we gather together today,
remember this:
the Church radically welcomes you.

Yes—the Church radically welcomes you.

To all who are listening,
to all who are part of the Church,
we welcome those who are divorced.

Divorce can be an embarrassing and painful time.
Sometimes people don’t even want to be seen in public.

If you have experienced divorce,
place yourself in the nurturing, loving embrace of your Church.
You are welcomed.
You are loved.

You are welcomed
to be an active member of the Church.
Please know that.

And finally, the last thing I want to encourage you to consider
is taking the journey of discernment with the Church,
allowing the Church to investigate your marriage.

If that includes the annulment process,
I truly encourage you to prayerfully consider it.

Because God has something in store for you.
I don’t know what that is,
and you don’t know what that is,
but God does.

So I encourage you to engage that process,
because you are loved,
you are welcomed,
and you are encouraged
to continue walking
in the Body of the Church.

Amen.
You know, the Holy Family almost wound up in divorce.
If Joseph had not been attentive to the Angel,
They would have gotten divorced.
But the Angel spoke to Joseph, and he remained with Mary.
Our families today—some of them end in divorce.
You are loved, you are welcomed, and you are encouraged
To continue to walk as a faithful member of the Church.
Jesus loves you and watches over you
And brings all of us healing.
May Jesus watch over all of our Holy Families,
Those connected, those disconnected.
May Jesus watch over and heal all of our
Holy Families as we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ Birth.
Amen?
Shall we pray together the Apostles’ Creed,
The earliest Creed.
We pray.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and Earth,
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day, He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into Heaven and is seated
At the right hand of God, the Father Almighty.
From there, He will come to judge the

the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church,
The Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Amen.
We now confidently offer our prayers and petitions
Before our generous God who loves us,
Who welcomes us, who encourages us.
Our response to each prayer will be,
“Lord, hear our prayer.”
For our Church and all her members,
As we prepare our hearts for the coming
Of the Prince of Peace, we pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.
For those who are alone during this holy season,
May they find comfort and friendship
In the compassion of others, we pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.
For the children of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
May the beautiful Christmas season
Fill them with Christ’s light and love.
We pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.
For peace in the world, as we joyfully participate
In the celebration of Christ’s birth,
We pray to the Lord.

–Lord, hear our prayer.

For peace in the world, as we joyfully participate
In the celebration of Christ’s birth, we pray to the Lord.
–Lord, hear our prayer.

Come, passionate and generous God,
Hear the prayers of Your faithful family.
In Your mercy, grant these prayers.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
–Amen.

∫ [Piano music] ∫

Blessed are You, Lord, God of all creation,
For through Your goodness
We have received the bread we offer You:
Fruit of the earth, work of human hands.
It will become for us the Bread of Life.

∫ [Piano music] ∫

Blessed are You, Lord, God of all creation,
For through Your goodness
We have received the wine we offer You:
Fruit of the vine and work of human hands.
It will become our spiritual drink.

[Priest prays quietly]

∫ [Piano music] ∫

Sisters and brothers, pray that my sacrifice,
In fact your sacrifice, may be acceptable to God,
The Almighty Father.

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 the Holy Spirit, O Lord,
May the Holy Spirit sanctify these gifts
Laid upon Your altar,
Just as He filled with His power
The womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord.
–Amen.

The Lord be 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, our salvation, always and everywhere
To give You thanks, Lord, Holy Father,
Almighty and Eternal God, through Jesus Our Lord.

For all the oracles of the Prophets foretold Him.
The Virgin Mother longed for Him with love beyond all telling.
John the Baptist sang of His coming
And proclaimed His presence when He came.
It is by His gift that already we rejoice
At the mystery of His Nativity,
So that He may find us watchful in prayer
And exultant in His praise.

And so, with the Angels and Archangels,
With Thrones and Dominions,
With all the Hosts and Powers of Angels,
We sing the hymn of Your glory as 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 may become for us
The Body and Blood of Your Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the time He was betrayed
And entered willingly into His Passion,
Jesus took bread and, giving thanks,
Broke it, 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 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.”

Friends, 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 Resurrection, we offer You, Lord,
The Bread of Life and the Chalice of Salvation,
Giving thanks that You have 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, Blas…, our Archbishop,
And all the Clergy.

Remember, especially, our sisters and brothers
Who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection,
And all who have died in Your mercy.

Welcome them into the light of Your face.
Finally, have mercy on us all, we pray,
That with the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of God, Our Lady of Mercy,
With the Blessed Apostles and all the Saints
Who have pleased You throughout the ages,
We may merit to be co-heirs to eternal life,
And may praise and glorify You 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. ∫

At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching,
We friends have the courage to pray together:

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.
Graciously grant peace in our days,
That by the help of Your mercy,
We may be always free from sin and safe from all distress,
As we await the blessed hope
And the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours,
Now and forever.

Lord Jesus, who said to Your 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 live and reign forever and ever.

Amen.

Sisters and brothers,
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
—And with your spirit.

Let us offer each other a sign of Christ’s peace.

From everyone here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
Please know of our prayer for you,
For peace for you and your family during this Advent season.

Peace be with you.

∫ [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. ∫

Sisters and brothers, followers of Jesus,
Behold Jesus, behold the Lamb of God,
Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called 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.

May the Body and Blood of Christ
Keep us all safe for eternal life.

∫ [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, “Like a Bird.”

∫ [Piano music] ∫

∫ Like a bird that spreads her wings to gather in her young. ∫
∫ So You open wide Your arms to gather in Your own. ∫
∫ For our free response You wait ∫
∫ Early morning, noon, and late. ∫
∫ Come and wake us, ∫
∫ Come and wake us, ∫
∫ Come and wake us to Your welcome. ∫

∫ Maranatha, Come. ∫
∫ (Piano music) ∫

∫ From the ends of Earth ∫
∫ You call Your sons and daughters home. ∫
∫ Singing, “Gather now from far and near, My people, come.” ∫
∫ For our simple trust You yearn, ∫
∫ Till at last in love we turn. ∫
∫ Come and wake us, ∫
∫ Come and wake us, ∫
∫ Come and wake us to Your welcome. ∫
∫ Maranatha, Come. ∫

Friends, join me in praying our prayer
For the children of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

We pray:

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, prayers, and sacrifices.

Let us pray.

Having received this pledge of eternal redemption,
We pray, Almighty God, that as the feast day
Of our salvation draws ever nearer,
So we may press forward all the more eagerly
To the worthy celebration of the mystery
Of Your Son’s Nativity,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.

— Amen.

Sisters and brothers, followers of Jesus,
Again, the Lord be with you.
— And with your spirit.

Please bow your heads and pray for God’s blessing,
Answering “Amen” to each of these invocations.

May the Almighty and Merciful God,
By whose grace you have placed your faith
In the first coming of His only begotten Son,
And yearn for His coming again,
Sanctify you by the radiance of Christ’s Advent
And enrich you with His blessing.
–Amen.

As you run the race of this present life,
May He make you firm in faith, joyful in hope,
And active in charity.
–Amen.

So that rejoicing now with devotion
At the Redeemer’s coming in the flesh,
You may be endowed with the rich reward of eternal life
When He comes again in majesty.
–Amen.

May Almighty God bless you, friends,
The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
–Amen.

Our prayer has ended. Let us go in peace.
–Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano music] ∫

∫ Angels from the realms of glory, ∫
∫ Wing your flight o’er all the earth; ∫
∫ You who sang creation’s story, ∫
∫ Now proclaim Messiah’s birth. ∫
∫ Come and worship, come and worship, ∫
∫ Worship Christ the newborn King. ∫
∫ Shepherds in the fields abiding, ∫
∫ Watching o’er your flocks by night, ∫
∫ God with us is now residing, ∫
∫ Yonder shines the Infant Light. ∫

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 Incorporated
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 Fourth Sunday of Advent.

My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Joyce McGuiggan,
And our celebrant is Father Jason Malave.

∫ O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, ∫
∫ And ransom captive Israel, ∫
∫ That mourns in lonely exile here, ∫
∫ Until the Son of God appear. ∫
∫ Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel, ∫
∫ Shall come to you, O Israel. ∫

We pray in the name of the Father,
And the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
–Amen.

We gather at this Fourth Sunday of Advent on our Advent journey.
We gather together our prayers,
Mindful of our need for peace and reconciliation.

Lord Jesus Emmanuel, you bring us healing.
Lord, have mercy.
–Lord, have mercy.

Christ Jesus Emmanuel, you bring us forgiveness.
Christ, have mercy.
–Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus Emmanuel, you desire that we spend time,
Eternity with you in Paradise.
Lord, have mercy.
–Lord, have mercy.

May Almighty God have mercy on us,
Forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
–Amen.

Let us pray.

Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord,
Your grace into our hearts,
That we, to whom the Incarnation
Of Christ, your Son, was made known
By the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross
Be brought to the glory of His Resurrection,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, one God forever and ever.
–Amen.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

The Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying,
“Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God;
Let it be deep as the netherworld or high as the sky.”

But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask.
I will not tempt the Lord.”

Then Isaiah said, “Listen, O house of David,
Is it not enough for you to weary people?
Must you also weary my God?

Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you this sign:
The Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son
And shall name Him Emmanuel.”

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

∫ [Piano music] ∫

∫ Let the Lord enter; ∫
∫ He is King of glory. ∫
∫ Let the Lord enter; ∫
∫ He is King of glory. ∫
∫ The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, ∫
∫ The world and those who dwell in it. ∫
∫ It is He who set it on the seas; ∫
∫ On the rivers He made it firm. ∫
∫ Let the Lord enter; ∫
∫ He is King of glory. ∫

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans.

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an Apostle
And set apart for the Gospel of God,
Which He promised previously
Through His Prophets in the Holy Scriptures.

The Gospel about His Son,
Descended from David according to the flesh,
But established as Son of God in power,
According to the Spirit of Holiness,
Through the Resurrection from the dead,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Through Him we have received the grace of Apostleship
To bring about the obedience of faith
For the sake of His name among all the Gentiles,
Among whom are you also who are called
To belong to Jesus Christ.

To all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
And the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

∫ [Piano music] ∫

∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫
∫ The Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, ∫
∫ and they shall name Him Emmanuel. ∫
∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫

The Lord be with you.
– And with your spirit.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew.
– Glory to You, O Lord.

May our God be on our minds, on our lips, and in our hearts.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.

Joseph, her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.

Such was his intention when, behold,
the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary, your wife, into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a Son,
and you are to name Him Jesus,
because He will save His people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord
had said through the Prophet:
“Behold, the Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son,
and they shall name Him Emmanuel,”
which means God is with us.

When Joseph awoke, he did as the Angel of the Lord
had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.

The Gospel of the Lord.
– Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

We have this proclamation about how Jesus
came to be conceived in Mary’s womb.
We have this beautiful story about Joseph, Mary, and Jesus,
the Holy Family, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

What surprised me from the earliest age I could remember,
what still surprises me,
was how Joseph was getting ready to divorce Mary.

In fact, this Holy Family that we hold up
and name churches after,
this Holy Family,
almost ended in divorce,
if not for the power of the Holy Spirit.

It was the Holy Spirit
who intervened with Joseph in a dream and said,
“Take Mary, your wife, into your home.
Do not divorce her.”

On this day, on this Fourth Sunday of Advent,
I want to take a moment
to talk about something I don’t speak about very often:
divorce.

Some of our families experience divorce.
We know this to be true.
I know this to be true among my own family and friends.

I want to share three things
that may be helpful
as we experience divorce
among our families, friends,
and even in our own lives.

First of all, I want you to know—
I want everyone who has ever experienced divorce to know—
that you are radically loved.

When two people get a divorce,
neither one of them feels very loved at that time.
For many people,
it is one of the lowest moments of their lives.

But I want you to know:
you are loved.

And I want all of us to hear this,
because we are the ones
who must remind those who are divorced
that they are loved.

Can you help me do that?
Can you help remind those who have experienced divorce
that they are loved?

Amen.

Second, as we gather together today,
remember this:
the Church radically welcomes you.

Yes—the Church radically welcomes you.

To all who are listening,
to all who are part of the Church,
we welcome those who are divorced.

Divorce can be an embarrassing and painful time.
Sometimes people don’t even want to be seen in public.

If you have experienced divorce,
place yourself in the nurturing, loving embrace of your Church.
You are welcomed.
You are loved.

You are welcomed
to be an active member of the Church.
Please know that.

And finally, the last thing I want to encourage you to consider
is taking the journey of discernment with the Church,
allowing the Church to investigate your marriage.

If that includes the annulment process,
I truly encourage you to prayerfully consider it.

Because God has something in store for you.
I don’t know what that is,
and you don’t know what that is,
but God does.

So I encourage you to engage that process,
because you are loved,
you are welcomed,
and you are encouraged
to continue walking
in the Body of the Church.

Amen.
You know, the Holy Family almost wound up in divorce.
If Joseph had not been attentive to the Angel,
They would have gotten divorced.
But the Angel spoke to Joseph, and he remained with Mary.
Our families today—some of them end in divorce.
You are loved, you are welcomed, and you are encouraged
To continue to walk as a faithful member of the Church.
Jesus loves you and watches over you
And brings all of us healing.
May Jesus watch over all of our Holy Families,
Those connected, those disconnected.
May Jesus watch over and heal all of our
Holy Families as we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ Birth.
Amen?
Shall we pray together the Apostles’ Creed,
The earliest Creed.
We pray.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and Earth,
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day, He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into Heaven and is seated
At the right hand of God, the Father Almighty.
From there, He will come to judge the

the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church,
The Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Amen.
We now confidently offer our prayers and petitions
Before our generous God who loves us,
Who welcomes us, who encourages us.
Our response to each prayer will be,
“Lord, hear our prayer.”
For our Church and all her members,
As we prepare our hearts for the coming
Of the Prince of Peace, we pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.
For those who are alone during this holy season,
May they find comfort and friendship
In the compassion of others, we pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.
For the children of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
May the beautiful Christmas season
Fill them with Christ’s light and love.
We pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.
For peace in the world, as we joyfully participate
In the celebration of Christ’s birth,
We pray to the Lord.

–Lord, hear our prayer.

For peace in the world, as we joyfully participate
In the celebration of Christ’s birth, we pray to the Lord.
–Lord, hear our prayer.

Come, passionate and generous God,
Hear the prayers of Your faithful family.
In Your mercy, grant these prayers.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
–Amen.

∫ [Piano music] ∫

Blessed are You, Lord, God of all creation,
For through Your goodness
We have received the bread we offer You:
Fruit of the earth, work of human hands.
It will become for us the Bread of Life.

∫ [Piano music] ∫

Blessed are You, Lord, God of all creation,
For through Your goodness
We have received the wine we offer You:
Fruit of the vine and work of human hands.
It will become our spiritual drink.

[Priest prays quietly]

∫ [Piano music] ∫

Sisters and brothers, pray that my sacrifice,
In fact your sacrifice, may be acceptable to God,
The Almighty Father.

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 the Holy Spirit, O Lord,
May the Holy Spirit sanctify these gifts
Laid upon Your altar,
Just as He filled with His power
The womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord.
–Amen.

The Lord be 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, our salvation, always and everywhere
To give You thanks, Lord, Holy Father,
Almighty and Eternal God, through Jesus Our Lord.

For all the oracles of the Prophets foretold Him.
The Virgin Mother longed for Him with love beyond all telling.
John the Baptist sang of His coming
And proclaimed His presence when He came.
It is by His gift that already we rejoice
At the mystery of His Nativity,
So that He may find us watchful in prayer
And exultant in His praise.

And so, with the Angels and Archangels,
With Thrones and Dominions,
With all the Hosts and Powers of Angels,
We sing the hymn of Your glory as 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 may become for us
The Body and Blood of Your Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the time He was betrayed
And entered willingly into His Passion,
Jesus took bread and, giving thanks,
Broke it, 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 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.”

Friends, 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 Resurrection, we offer You, Lord,
The Bread of Life and the Chalice of Salvation,
Giving thanks that You have 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, Blas…, our Archbishop,
And all the Clergy.

Remember, especially, our sisters and brothers
Who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection,
And all who have died in Your mercy.

Welcome them into the light of Your face.
Finally, have mercy on us all, we pray,
That with the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of God, Our Lady of Mercy,
With the Blessed Apostles and all the Saints
Who have pleased You throughout the ages,
We may merit to be co-heirs to eternal life,
And may praise and glorify You 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. ∫

At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching,
We friends have the courage to pray together:

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.
Graciously grant peace in our days,
That by the help of Your mercy,
We may be always free from sin and safe from all distress,
As we await the blessed hope
And the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours,
Now and forever.

Lord Jesus, who said to Your 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 live and reign forever and ever.

Amen.

Sisters and brothers,
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
—And with your spirit.

Let us offer each other a sign of Christ’s peace.

From everyone here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
Please know of our prayer for you,
For peace for you and your family during this Advent season.

Peace be with you.

∫ [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. ∫

Sisters and brothers, followers of Jesus,
Behold Jesus, behold the Lamb of God,
Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called 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.

May the Body and Blood of Christ
Keep us all safe for eternal life.

∫ [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, “Like a Bird.”

∫ [Piano music] ∫

∫ Like a bird that spreads her wings to gather in her young. ∫
∫ So You open wide Your arms to gather in Your own. ∫
∫ For our free response You wait ∫
∫ Early morning, noon, and late. ∫
∫ Come and wake us, ∫
∫ Come and wake us, ∫
∫ Come and wake us to Your welcome. ∫

∫ Maranatha, Come. ∫
∫ (Piano music) ∫

∫ From the ends of Earth ∫
∫ You call Your sons and daughters home. ∫
∫ Singing, “Gather now from far and near, My people, come.” ∫
∫ For our simple trust You yearn, ∫
∫ Till at last in love we turn. ∫
∫ Come and wake us, ∫
∫ Come and wake us, ∫
∫ Come and wake us to Your welcome. ∫
∫ Maranatha, Come. ∫

Friends, join me in praying our prayer
For the children of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

We pray:

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, prayers, and sacrifices.

Let us pray.

Having received this pledge of eternal redemption,
We pray, Almighty God, that as the feast day
Of our salvation draws ever nearer,
So we may press forward all the more eagerly
To the worthy celebration of the mystery
Of Your Son’s Nativity,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.

— Amen.

Sisters and brothers, followers of Jesus,
Again, the Lord be with you.
— And with your spirit.

Please bow your heads and pray for God’s blessing,
Answering “Amen” to each of these invocations.

May the Almighty and Merciful God,
By whose grace you have placed your faith
In the first coming of His only begotten Son,
And yearn for His coming again,
Sanctify you by the radiance of Christ’s Advent
And enrich you with His blessing.
–Amen.

As you run the race of this present life,
May He make you firm in faith, joyful in hope,
And active in charity.
–Amen.

So that rejoicing now with devotion
At the Redeemer’s coming in the flesh,
You may be endowed with the rich reward of eternal life
When He comes again in majesty.
–Amen.

May Almighty God bless you, friends,
The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
–Amen.

Our prayer has ended. Let us go in peace.
–Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano music] ∫

∫ Angels from the realms of glory, ∫
∫ Wing your flight o’er all the earth; ∫
∫ You who sang creation’s story, ∫
∫ Now proclaim Messiah’s birth. ∫
∫ Come and worship, come and worship, ∫
∫ Worship Christ the newborn King. ∫
∫ Shepherds in the fields abiding, ∫
∫ Watching o’er your flocks by night, ∫
∫ God with us is now residing, ∫
∫ Yonder shines the Infant Light. ∫

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 Incorporated
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 Fourth Sunday of Advent.

My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Joyce McGuiggan,
And our celebrant is Father Jason Malave.

∫ O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, ∫
∫ And ransom captive Israel, ∫
∫ That mourns in lonely exile here, ∫
∫ Until the Son of God appear. ∫
∫ Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel, ∫
∫ Shall come to you, O Israel. ∫

We pray in the name of the Father,
And the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
–Amen.

We gather at this Fourth Sunday of Advent on our Advent journey.
We gather together our prayers,
Mindful of our need for peace and reconciliation.

Lord Jesus Emmanuel, you bring us healing.
Lord, have mercy.
–Lord, have mercy.

Christ Jesus Emmanuel, you bring us forgiveness.
Christ, have mercy.
–Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus Emmanuel, you desire that we spend time,
Eternity with you in Paradise.
Lord, have mercy.
–Lord, have mercy.

May Almighty God have mercy on us,
Forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
–Amen.

Let us pray.

Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord,
Your grace into our hearts,
That we, to whom the Incarnation
Of Christ, your Son, was made known
By the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross
Be brought to the glory of His Resurrection,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, one God forever and ever.
–Amen.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

The Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying,
“Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God;
Let it be deep as the netherworld or high as the sky.”

But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask.
I will not tempt the Lord.”

Then Isaiah said, “Listen, O house of David,
Is it not enough for you to weary people?
Must you also weary my God?

Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you this sign:
The Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son
And shall name Him Emmanuel.”

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

∫ [Piano music] ∫

∫ Let the Lord enter; ∫
∫ He is King of glory. ∫
∫ Let the Lord enter; ∫
∫ He is King of glory. ∫
∫ The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, ∫
∫ The world and those who dwell in it. ∫
∫ It is He who set it on the seas; ∫
∫ On the rivers He made it firm. ∫
∫ Let the Lord enter; ∫
∫ He is King of glory. ∫

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans.

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an Apostle
And set apart for the Gospel of God,
Which He promised previously
Through His Prophets in the Holy Scriptures.

The Gospel about His Son,
Descended from David according to the flesh,
But established as Son of God in power,
According to the Spirit of Holiness,
Through the Resurrection from the dead,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Through Him we have received the grace of Apostleship
To bring about the obedience of faith
For the sake of His name among all the Gentiles,
Among whom are you also who are called
To belong to Jesus Christ.

To all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
And the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

∫ [Piano music] ∫

∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫
∫ The Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, ∫
∫ and they shall name Him Emmanuel. ∫
∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫

The Lord be with you.
– And with your spirit.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew.
– Glory to You, O Lord.

May our God be on our minds, on our lips, and in our hearts.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.

Joseph, her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.

Such was his intention when, behold,
the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary, your wife, into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a Son,
and you are to name Him Jesus,
because He will save His people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord
had said through the Prophet:
“Behold, the Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son,
and they shall name Him Emmanuel,”
which means God is with us.

When Joseph awoke, he did as the Angel of the Lord
had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.

The Gospel of the Lord.
– Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

We have this proclamation about how Jesus
came to be conceived in Mary’s womb.
We have this beautiful story about Joseph, Mary, and Jesus,
the Holy Family, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

What surprised me from the earliest age I could remember,
what still surprises me,
was how Joseph was getting ready to divorce Mary.

In fact, this Holy Family that we hold up
and name churches after,
this Holy Family,
almost ended in divorce,
if not for the power of the Holy Spirit.

It was the Holy Spirit
who intervened with Joseph in a dream and said,
“Take Mary, your wife, into your home.
Do not divorce her.”

On this day, on this Fourth Sunday of Advent,
I want to take a moment
to talk about something I don’t speak about very often:
divorce.

Some of our families experience divorce.
We know this to be true.
I know this to be true among my own family and friends.

I want to share three things
that may be helpful
as we experience divorce
among our families, friends,
and even in our own lives.

First of all, I want you to know—
I want everyone who has ever experienced divorce to know—
that you are radically loved.

When two people get a divorce,
neither one of them feels very loved at that time.
For many people,
it is one of the lowest moments of their lives.

But I want you to know:
you are loved.

And I want all of us to hear this,
because we are the ones
who must remind those who are divorced
that they are loved.

Can you help me do that?
Can you help remind those who have experienced divorce
that they are loved?

Amen.

Second, as we gather together today,
remember this:
the Church radically welcomes you.

Yes—the Church radically welcomes you.

To all who are listening,
to all who are part of the Church,
we welcome those who are divorced.

Divorce can be an embarrassing and painful time.
Sometimes people don’t even want to be seen in public.

If you have experienced divorce,
place yourself in the nurturing, loving embrace of your Church.
You are welcomed.
You are loved.

You are welcomed
to be an active member of the Church.
Please know that.

And finally, the last thing I want to encourage you to consider
is taking the journey of discernment with the Church,
allowing the Church to investigate your marriage.

If that includes the annulment process,
I truly encourage you to prayerfully consider it.

Because God has something in store for you.
I don’t know what that is,
and you don’t know what that is,
but God does.

So I encourage you to engage that process,
because you are loved,
you are welcomed,
and you are encouraged
to continue walking
in the Body of the Church.

Amen.
You know, the Holy Family almost wound up in divorce.
If Joseph had not been attentive to the Angel,
They would have gotten divorced.
But the Angel spoke to Joseph, and he remained with Mary.
Our families today—some of them end in divorce.
You are loved, you are welcomed, and you are encouraged
To continue to walk as a faithful member of the Church.
Jesus loves you and watches over you
And brings all of us healing.
May Jesus watch over all of our Holy Families,
Those connected, those disconnected.
May Jesus watch over and heal all of our
Holy Families as we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ Birth.
Amen?
Shall we pray together the Apostles’ Creed,
The earliest Creed.
We pray.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and Earth,
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day, He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into Heaven and is seated
At the right hand of God, the Father Almighty.
From there, He will come to judge the

the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church,
The Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Amen.
We now confidently offer our prayers and petitions
Before our generous God who loves us,
Who welcomes us, who encourages us.
Our response to each prayer will be,
“Lord, hear our prayer.”
For our Church and all her members,
As we prepare our hearts for the coming
Of the Prince of Peace, we pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.
For those who are alone during this holy season,
May they find comfort and friendship
In the compassion of others, we pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.
For the children of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
May the beautiful Christmas season
Fill them with Christ’s light and love.
We pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.
For peace in the world, as we joyfully participate
In the celebration of Christ’s birth,
We pray to the Lord.

–Lord, hear our prayer.

For peace in the world, as we joyfully participate
In the celebration of Christ’s birth, we pray to the Lord.
–Lord, hear our prayer.

Come, passionate and generous God,
Hear the prayers of Your faithful family.
In Your mercy, grant these prayers.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
–Amen.

∫ [Piano music] ∫

Blessed are You, Lord, God of all creation,
For through Your goodness
We have received the bread we offer You:
Fruit of the earth, work of human hands.
It will become for us the Bread of Life.

∫ [Piano music] ∫

Blessed are You, Lord, God of all creation,
For through Your goodness
We have received the wine we offer You:
Fruit of the vine and work of human hands.
It will become our spiritual drink.

[Priest prays quietly]

∫ [Piano music] ∫

Sisters and brothers, pray that my sacrifice,
In fact your sacrifice, may be acceptable to God,
The Almighty Father.

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 the Holy Spirit, O Lord,
May the Holy Spirit sanctify these gifts
Laid upon Your altar,
Just as He filled with His power
The womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord.
–Amen.

The Lord be 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, our salvation, always and everywhere
To give You thanks, Lord, Holy Father,
Almighty and Eternal God, through Jesus Our Lord.

For all the oracles of the Prophets foretold Him.
The Virgin Mother longed for Him with love beyond all telling.
John the Baptist sang of His coming
And proclaimed His presence when He came.
It is by His gift that already we rejoice
At the mystery of His Nativity,
So that He may find us watchful in prayer
And exultant in His praise.

And so, with the Angels and Archangels,
With Thrones and Dominions,
With all the Hosts and Powers of Angels,
We sing the hymn of Your glory as 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 may become for us
The Body and Blood of Your Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the time He was betrayed
And entered willingly into His Passion,
Jesus took bread and, giving thanks,
Broke it, 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 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.”

Friends, 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 Resurrection, we offer You, Lord,
The Bread of Life and the Chalice of Salvation,
Giving thanks that You have 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, Blas…, our Archbishop,
And all the Clergy.

Remember, especially, our sisters and brothers
Who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection,
And all who have died in Your mercy.

Welcome them into the light of Your face.
Finally, have mercy on us all, we pray,
That with the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of God, Our Lady of Mercy,
With the Blessed Apostles and all the Saints
Who have pleased You throughout the ages,
We may merit to be co-heirs to eternal life,
And may praise and glorify You 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. ∫

At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching,
We friends have the courage to pray together:

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.
Graciously grant peace in our days,
That by the help of Your mercy,
We may be always free from sin and safe from all distress,
As we await the blessed hope
And the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours,
Now and forever.

Lord Jesus, who said to Your 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 live and reign forever and ever.

Amen.

Sisters and brothers,
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
—And with your spirit.

Let us offer each other a sign of Christ’s peace.

From everyone here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
Please know of our prayer for you,
For peace for you and your family during this Advent season.

Peace be with you.

∫ [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. ∫

Sisters and brothers, followers of Jesus,
Behold Jesus, behold the Lamb of God,
Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called 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.

May the Body and Blood of Christ
Keep us all safe for eternal life.

∫ [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, “Like a Bird.”

∫ [Piano music] ∫

∫ Like a bird that spreads her wings to gather in her young. ∫
∫ So You open wide Your arms to gather in Your own. ∫
∫ For our free response You wait ∫
∫ Early morning, noon, and late. ∫
∫ Come and wake us, ∫
∫ Come and wake us, ∫
∫ Come and wake us to Your welcome. ∫

∫ Maranatha, Come. ∫
∫ (Piano music) ∫

∫ From the ends of Earth ∫
∫ You call Your sons and daughters home. ∫
∫ Singing, “Gather now from far and near, My people, come.” ∫
∫ For our simple trust You yearn, ∫
∫ Till at last in love we turn. ∫
∫ Come and wake us, ∫
∫ Come and wake us, ∫
∫ Come and wake us to Your welcome. ∫
∫ Maranatha, Come. ∫

Friends, join me in praying our prayer
For the children of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

We pray:

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, prayers, and sacrifices.

Let us pray.

Having received this pledge of eternal redemption,
We pray, Almighty God, that as the feast day
Of our salvation draws ever nearer,
So we may press forward all the more eagerly
To the worthy celebration of the mystery
Of Your Son’s Nativity,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.

— Amen.

Sisters and brothers, followers of Jesus,
Again, the Lord be with you.
— And with your spirit.

Please bow your heads and pray for God’s blessing,
Answering “Amen” to each of these invocations.

May the Almighty and Merciful God,
By whose grace you have placed your faith
In the first coming of His only begotten Son,
And yearn for His coming again,
Sanctify you by the radiance of Christ’s Advent
And enrich you with His blessing.
–Amen.

As you run the race of this present life,
May He make you firm in faith, joyful in hope,
And active in charity.
–Amen.

So that rejoicing now with devotion
At the Redeemer’s coming in the flesh,
You may be endowed with the rich reward of eternal life
When He comes again in majesty.
–Amen.

May Almighty God bless you, friends,
The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
–Amen.

Our prayer has ended. Let us go in peace.
–Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano music] ∫

∫ Angels from the realms of glory, ∫
∫ Wing your flight o’er all the earth; ∫
∫ You who sang creation’s story, ∫
∫ Now proclaim Messiah’s birth. ∫
∫ Come and worship, come and worship, ∫
∫ Worship Christ the newborn King. ∫
∫ Shepherds in the fields abiding, ∫
∫ Watching o’er your flocks by night, ∫
∫ God with us is now residing, ∫
∫ Yonder shines the Infant Light. ∫

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 Incorporated
And its World Library Publications division.

∫ [Piano music] ∫

We have this proclamation about how Jesus
came to be conceived in Mary’s womb.
We have this beautiful story about Joseph, Mary, and Jesus,
the Holy Family, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

What surprised me from the earliest age I could remember,
what still surprises me,
was how Joseph was getting ready to divorce Mary.

In fact, this Holy Family that we hold up
and name churches after,
this Holy Family,
almost ended in divorce,
if not for the power of the Holy Spirit.

It was the Holy Spirit
who intervened with Joseph in a dream and said,
“Take Mary, your wife, into your home.
Do not divorce her.”

On this day, on this Fourth Sunday of Advent,
I want to take a moment
to talk about something I don’t speak about very often:
divorce.

Some of our families experience divorce.
We know this to be true.
I know this to be true among my own family and friends.

I want to share three things
that may be helpful
as we experience divorce
among our families, friends,
and even in our own lives.

First of all, I want you to know—
I want everyone who has ever experienced divorce to know—
that you are radically loved.

When two people get a divorce,
neither one of them feels very loved at that time.
For many people,
it is one of the lowest moments of their lives.

But I want you to know:
you are loved.

And I want all of us to hear this,
because we are the ones
who must remind those who are divorced
that they are loved.

Can you help me do that?
Can you help remind those who have experienced divorce
that they are loved?

Amen.

Second, as we gather together today,
remember this:
the Church radically welcomes you.

Yes—the Church radically welcomes you.

To all who are listening,
to all who are part of the Church,
we welcome those who are divorced.

Divorce can be an embarrassing and painful time.
Sometimes people don’t even want to be seen in public.

If you have experienced divorce,
place yourself in the nurturing, loving embrace of your Church.
You are welcomed.
You are loved.

You are welcomed
to be an active member of the Church.
Please know that.

And finally, the last thing I want to encourage you to consider
is taking the journey of discernment with the Church,
allowing the Church to investigate your marriage.

If that includes the annulment process,
I truly encourage you to prayerfully consider it.

Because God has something in store for you.
I don’t know what that is,
and you don’t know what that is,
but God does.

So I encourage you to engage that process,
because you are loved,
you are welcomed,
and you are encouraged
to continue walking
in the Body of the Church.

Amen?
You know, the Holy Family almost wound up in divorce.
If Joseph had not been attentive to the Angel,
They would have gotten divorced.
But the Angel spoke to Joseph, and he remained with Mary.
Our families today—some of them end in divorce.
You are loved, you are welcomed, and you are encouraged
To continue to walk as a faithful member of the Church.
Jesus loves you and watches over you
And brings all of us healing.
May Jesus watch over all of our Holy Families,
Those connected, those disconnected.
May Jesus watch over and heal all of our
Holy Families as we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ Birth.
Amen.