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 Advent.

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

∫ [Music Playing] ∫
∫ 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. ∫

My friends, we pray together in the Name of the Father,
And of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.

The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
And the communion of the Spirit be with you.
-And with your Spirit.

We gather together for the Second Sunday
Of our Advent season.
It is so good to be together as we journey these
Four weeks toward Christmas.

As we come together this Advent season,
Let us be very mindful of how we participate in God’s
Saving journey, so that we might be with Him in paradise one day.

Lord Jesus, Emmanuel, You bring us healing.
Lord, have mercy.
-Lord, have mercy.

Christ Jesus, Emmanuel, You offer us pardon and peace,
Hope and forgiveness.
Christ, have mercy.
-Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, Emmanuel, You welcome us into
The Kingdom of paradise to be with You forever.
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 gather our prayers.
Let us pray.

Almighty and merciful God, may no earthly undertaking
Hinder those who set out in haste to meet Your Son.
But may our learning of heavenly wisdom
Gain us admittance to His company,
Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever.
-Amen.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

“On that day a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
And from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
A Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
A Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord.

In His delight shall be the fear of the Lord.
Not by appearance shall He judge,
Nor by hearsay shall He decide,
But He shall judge the poor with justice,
And decide aright for the land’s afflicted.

He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around His waist,
And faithfulness a belt upon His hips.

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
And the leopard shall lie down with the kid.
The calf and the young lion shall browse together
With a little child to guide them.

The cow and the bear shall be neighbors;
Together their young shall rest.
The lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play in the cobra’s den,
And the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.

There shall be no harm or ruin on all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord
As water covers the sea.

On that day the root of Jesse,
Set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
For His dwelling shall be glorious.”

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

∫ [Music Playing] ∫
∫ Justice shall flourish in His time, ∫
∫ And fullness of peace forever. ∫
∫ Justice shall flourish in His time, ∫
∫ And fullness of peace forever. ∫
∫ O God, give Your judgment to the King; ∫
∫ To a king’s son Your justice… ∫
∫ That He may judge Your people in justice ∫
∫ And Your poor in right judgment. ∫
∫ Justice shall flourish in His time, ∫
∫ And fullness of peace forever. ∫

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

Brothers and sisters, whatever was written previously
Was written for our instruction,
That by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures,
We might have hope.

May the God of endurance and encouragement
Grant you to think in harmony with one another,
In keeping with Christ Jesus,
That with one accord you may, with one voice,
Glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Welcome one another then, as Christ welcomed you
For the glory of God.

For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised
To show God’s truthfulness,
To confirm the promises to the patriarchs,
But so that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.

As it is written:
“Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles
And sing praises to Your Name.”

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

∫ [Music Playing] ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Prepare the way of the Lord, ∫
∫ Make straight His paths, ∫
∫ All flesh shall see the salvation of God. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫

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

John the Baptist appeared preaching in the desert of Judea
And saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

It was of him that the Prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
“A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.”

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair
And had a leather belt around his waist.
His food was locusts and wild honey.

At that time, Jerusalem, all Judea,
And the whole region around the Jordan
Were going out to him and were being baptized by him
In the Jordan River, and they acknowledged their sins.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
Coming to his baptism, he said to them:
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.

Do not presume to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

Even now the axe lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
Will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

I am baptizing you with water for repentance,
But the One who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry His sandals.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in His hand.
He will clear His threshing floor
And gather His wheat into the barn,
But the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

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

I will get to the Gospel in just a second,
But I’d like to begin by going back to the first reading
From the Prophet Isaiah that Joyce read
So beautifully for us today.

She proclaimed it spectacularly,
And there are some images that she highlighted
In her proclamation that I want to remind us of.

This is what the Prophet Isaiah said:

That in the One who is to come—
In the One whom we should prepare for—
Through Him the wolf will be the guest of the lamb.

Imagine the wolf and the lamb being together.

The leopard shall lie down with the kid.
What?

The calf and the young lion
Shall browse together with a little child.
Again—the calf and the young lion.
Seriously?

There is a peacefulness.
There is a new world order
That the Prophet Isaiah is inviting us to think about
Through the coming gift of Jesus.

We find that in the Prophet Isaiah.
We will read Isaiah all through the Advent season.

But there is another prophet as well.
And this other prophet we hear about in the Gospel—
And that is John the Baptist,
Who is preparing the road for Jesus.

You know, in our Church,
We have two churches:
St. Matthias Church and Queen of Angels Church.

In Queen of Angels Church,
All of our windows are dedicated to Mary.
And I think it’s the fourth window
As we recount Mary’s life—
And all the windows tell
Of the different moments of Mary’s life.

There is one window that the kids love.
And that’s the window of Mary and Joseph
And Elizabeth and Zachariah meeting together—
The two pregnant women meeting together.

I’ve got a picture of my sister and my cousin,
Both pregnant, posing for a picture.
It reminds me of them.

But there’s this joyful moment
When Mary meets Elizabeth.
And what does John the Baptist do?
He jumps in Elizabeth’s womb.
He’s so excited to be in the presence of the One
That he will prepare the way for.

In this Gospel,
We hear about John the Baptist,
Who is preparing the way for Jesus.

And he goes after the Pharisees and Sadducees.
I mean, he really goes after them.
He calls them a brood of vipers,
And he says that they’re going to be like chaff
That’s burned away.
I mean—that’s serious.

John the Baptist is really going after them
And asking them to offer repentance in their life
And stay focused on the mission of following Jesus.

You know—that’s a good invitation for us today as well.
On the Second Sunday of Advent, as we get close to Christmas,
How are we focused on the mission of Jesus?

You know, a lot of people will call themselves—
We call ourselves—Christians and Catholics,
But do we really commit ourselves to following Jesus,
Or are Easter and Christmas enough for us?

Do we ever challenge ourselves
When those unshared words are forming in our mouth?
Do we ever challenge ourselves when we become somewhat
Judgmental of our sisters and brothers?

Really, as Christian Catholic followers of Jesus our Savior,
We’re called to challenge ourselves
To rise to the occasion—
As John challenged the Sadducees and Pharisees—
So that the new world order can come to pass
As we hear from the Prophet Isaiah,
So that there can be peace and harmony
As we heard in the second reading.

May our generous God give us the courage
In these Advent days to really bring about the order
That God intends for us through His Son Jesus—
An order of peace and humility,
An order of generosity and compassion
With our brothers and sisters.

Let us be bearers with Christ Jesus of that new order.

Friends, let’s pray the Apostles’ Creed:

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 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.

With great hope, in this season of hope,
We offer our prayers and our petitions.
Our response to each prayer will be:
“Lord, hear our prayer.”

For those spreading the Gospel,
May they lead others to follow Christ.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are alone this Advent season,
May they find peace and comfort in the coming of our Lord.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For the children of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
May the anticipation of Christmas
Bring them hope and joy.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those mourning the death of a loved one,
May their hearts be filled with Christ’s peace.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

Compassionate and generous God,
Hear the prayers of Your faithful people.
In mercy and love, grant these our humble prayers.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

∫ [Music Playing] ∫

Blessed are You, Lord, God of all creation,
For through Your goodness we have received
The bread we offer You.
Fruit of the earth and work of human hands,
It will become for us the Bread of Life.
[Priest prays quietly]

∫ [Music Playing] ∫

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.
May it become our spiritual drink.
[Priest prays quietly]

∫ [Music Playing] ∫

Sisters and brothers, friends,
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.

Be pleased, O Lord,
With our humble prayers and offerings.
Since we have no merits to plead our cause,
Come, we pray, to our rescue
With the protection of Your mercy
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 Heaven,
We sing the hymn of Your glory
As without end we acclaim:

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ 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 our Lord, Jesus Christ.

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

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ 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 Jesus,
We may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.

Lord, remember Your Church,
Spread throughout the world.
Bring her to the fullness of charity,
Together with Leo, our Pope,
Blase, 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, 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.

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ Amen, Amen, Amen. ∫

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

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.
Graciously grant her peace and unity
In accordance with Your will,
Who live and reign forever and ever.

-Amen.

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

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

Now, on behalf of everyone here
At Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
Please know of our prayer for you
For a peace-filled Advent season.
Peace be with you.

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ 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. ∫

Behold the Lamb of God, behold Jesus,
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 everlasting life.

-Amen.

∫ [Music playing] ∫

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.”

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ 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. ∫
∫ [Music playing] ∫

Let us pray.

Replenished by the food of spiritual nourishment,
We humbly beseech You, O Lord,
That through our partaking in this mystery,
You may teach us to judge wisely the things of earth
And hold firm to the things of Heaven.
Through Christ our Lord.

-Amen.

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

May our generous and loving God continue to bless you always,
The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

-Amen.

Friends, our Mass has ended.
Let us go in peace.

-Thanks be to God.

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ Songs of thankfulness and praise… ∫

Hello, my friends, as you know—as I know—
This TV ministry at Mercy Home is so important.
It allows us to gather wherever you may be
To participate in the prayer of the Church.
It allows us to pray for one another—
And how important it is.

It allows you and me to pray for the children here
At Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
We’re nourished by our presence together
And by the celebration of the Eucharist.

I just want to take this opportunity
To thank you so very much
For the ways in which you support this Mass
Here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
Please consider doing that going forward as well.

And may God bless you and your family and your friends
For all you do for the TV Mass at Mercy Home,
And for our children.

∫ [Music playing] ∫

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

∫ [Music playing] ∫

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 Advent.

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

∫ [Music Playing] ∫
∫ 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. ∫

My friends, we pray together in the Name of the Father,
And of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.

The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
And the communion of the Spirit be with you.
-And with your Spirit.

We gather together for the Second Sunday
Of our Advent season.
It is so good to be together as we journey these
Four weeks toward Christmas.

As we come together this Advent season,
Let us be very mindful of how we participate in God’s
Saving journey, so that we might be with Him in paradise one day.

Lord Jesus, Emmanuel, You bring us healing.
Lord, have mercy.
-Lord, have mercy.

Christ Jesus, Emmanuel, You offer us pardon and peace,
Hope and forgiveness.
Christ, have mercy.
-Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, Emmanuel, You welcome us into
The Kingdom of paradise to be with You forever.
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 gather our prayers.
Let us pray.

Almighty and merciful God, may no earthly undertaking
Hinder those who set out in haste to meet Your Son.
But may our learning of heavenly wisdom
Gain us admittance to His company,
Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever.
-Amen.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

“On that day a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
And from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
A Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
A Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord.

In His delight shall be the fear of the Lord.
Not by appearance shall He judge,
Nor by hearsay shall He decide,
But He shall judge the poor with justice,
And decide aright for the land’s afflicted.

He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around His waist,
And faithfulness a belt upon His hips.

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
And the leopard shall lie down with the kid.
The calf and the young lion shall browse together
With a little child to guide them.

The cow and the bear shall be neighbors;
Together their young shall rest.
The lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play in the cobra’s den,
And the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.

There shall be no harm or ruin on all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord
As water covers the sea.

On that day the root of Jesse,
Set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
For His dwelling shall be glorious.”

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

∫ [Music Playing] ∫
∫ Justice shall flourish in His time, ∫
∫ And fullness of peace forever. ∫
∫ Justice shall flourish in His time, ∫
∫ And fullness of peace forever. ∫
∫ O God, give Your judgment to the King; ∫
∫ To a king’s son Your justice… ∫
∫ That He may judge Your people in justice ∫
∫ And Your poor in right judgment. ∫
∫ Justice shall flourish in His time, ∫
∫ And fullness of peace forever. ∫

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

Brothers and sisters, whatever was written previously
Was written for our instruction,
That by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures,
We might have hope.

May the God of endurance and encouragement
Grant you to think in harmony with one another,
In keeping with Christ Jesus,
That with one accord you may, with one voice,
Glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Welcome one another then, as Christ welcomed you
For the glory of God.

For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised
To show God’s truthfulness,
To confirm the promises to the patriarchs,
But so that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.

As it is written:
“Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles
And sing praises to Your Name.”

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

∫ [Music Playing] ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Prepare the way of the Lord, ∫
∫ Make straight His paths, ∫
∫ All flesh shall see the salvation of God. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫

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

John the Baptist appeared preaching in the desert of Judea
And saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

It was of him that the Prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
“A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.”

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair
And had a leather belt around his waist.
His food was locusts and wild honey.

At that time, Jerusalem, all Judea,
And the whole region around the Jordan
Were going out to him and were being baptized by him
In the Jordan River, and they acknowledged their sins.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
Coming to his baptism, he said to them:
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.

Do not presume to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

Even now the axe lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
Will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

I am baptizing you with water for repentance,
But the One who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry His sandals.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in His hand.
He will clear His threshing floor
And gather His wheat into the barn,
But the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

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

I will get to the Gospel in just a second,
But I’d like to begin by going back to the first reading
From the Prophet Isaiah that Joyce read
So beautifully for us today.

She proclaimed it spectacularly,
And there are some images that she highlighted
In her proclamation that I want to remind us of.

This is what the Prophet Isaiah said:

That in the One who is to come—
In the One whom we should prepare for—
Through Him the wolf will be the guest of the lamb.

Imagine the wolf and the lamb being together.

The leopard shall lie down with the kid.
What?

The calf and the young lion
Shall browse together with a little child.
Again—the calf and the young lion.
Seriously?

There is a peacefulness.
There is a new world order
That the Prophet Isaiah is inviting us to think about
Through the coming gift of Jesus.

We find that in the Prophet Isaiah.
We will read Isaiah all through the Advent season.

But there is another prophet as well.
And this other prophet we hear about in the Gospel—
And that is John the Baptist,
Who is preparing the road for Jesus.

You know, in our Church,
We have two churches:
St. Matthias Church and Queen of Angels Church.

In Queen of Angels Church,
All of our windows are dedicated to Mary.
And I think it’s the fourth window
As we recount Mary’s life—
And all the windows tell
Of the different moments of Mary’s life.

There is one window that the kids love.
And that’s the window of Mary and Joseph
And Elizabeth and Zachariah meeting together—
The two pregnant women meeting together.

I’ve got a picture of my sister and my cousin,
Both pregnant, posing for a picture.
It reminds me of them.

But there’s this joyful moment
When Mary meets Elizabeth.
And what does John the Baptist do?
He jumps in Elizabeth’s womb.
He’s so excited to be in the presence of the One
That he will prepare the way for.

In this Gospel,
We hear about John the Baptist,
Who is preparing the way for Jesus.

And he goes after the Pharisees and Sadducees.
I mean, he really goes after them.
He calls them a brood of vipers,
And he says that they’re going to be like chaff
That’s burned away.
I mean—that’s serious.

John the Baptist is really going after them
And asking them to offer repentance in their life
And stay focused on the mission of following Jesus.

You know—that’s a good invitation for us today as well.
On the Second Sunday of Advent, as we get close to Christmas,
How are we focused on the mission of Jesus?

You know, a lot of people will call themselves—
We call ourselves—Christians and Catholics,
But do we really commit ourselves to following Jesus,
Or are Easter and Christmas enough for us?

Do we ever challenge ourselves
When those unshared words are forming in our mouth?
Do we ever challenge ourselves when we become somewhat
Judgmental of our sisters and brothers?

Really, as Christian Catholic followers of Jesus our Savior,
We’re called to challenge ourselves
To rise to the occasion—
As John challenged the Sadducees and Pharisees—
So that the new world order can come to pass
As we hear from the Prophet Isaiah,
So that there can be peace and harmony
As we heard in the second reading.

May our generous God give us the courage
In these Advent days to really bring about the order
That God intends for us through His Son Jesus—
An order of peace and humility,
An order of generosity and compassion
With our brothers and sisters.

Let us be bearers with Christ Jesus of that new order.

Friends, let’s pray the Apostles’ Creed:

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 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.

With great hope, in this season of hope,
We offer our prayers and our petitions.
Our response to each prayer will be:
“Lord, hear our prayer.”

For those spreading the Gospel,
May they lead others to follow Christ.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are alone this Advent season,
May they find peace and comfort in the coming of our Lord.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For the children of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
May the anticipation of Christmas
Bring them hope and joy.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those mourning the death of a loved one,
May their hearts be filled with Christ’s peace.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

Compassionate and generous God,
Hear the prayers of Your faithful people.
In mercy and love, grant these our humble prayers.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

∫ [Music Playing] ∫

Blessed are You, Lord, God of all creation,
For through Your goodness we have received
The bread we offer You.
Fruit of the earth and work of human hands,
It will become for us the Bread of Life.
[Priest prays quietly]

∫ [Music Playing] ∫

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.
May it become our spiritual drink.
[Priest prays quietly]

∫ [Music Playing] ∫

Sisters and brothers, friends,
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.

Be pleased, O Lord,
With our humble prayers and offerings.
Since we have no merits to plead our cause,
Come, we pray, to our rescue
With the protection of Your mercy
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 Heaven,
We sing the hymn of Your glory
As without end we acclaim:

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ 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 our Lord, Jesus Christ.

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

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ 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 Jesus,
We may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.

Lord, remember Your Church,
Spread throughout the world.
Bring her to the fullness of charity,
Together with Leo, our Pope,
Blase, 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, 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.

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ Amen, Amen, Amen. ∫

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

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.
Graciously grant her peace and unity
In accordance with Your will,
Who live and reign forever and ever.

-Amen.

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

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

Now, on behalf of everyone here
At Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
Please know of our prayer for you
For a peace-filled Advent season.
Peace be with you.

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ 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. ∫

Behold the Lamb of God, behold Jesus,
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 everlasting life.

-Amen.

∫ [Music playing] ∫

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.”

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ 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. ∫
∫ [Music playing] ∫

Let us pray.

Replenished by the food of spiritual nourishment,
We humbly beseech You, O Lord,
That through our partaking in this mystery,
You may teach us to judge wisely the things of earth
And hold firm to the things of Heaven.
Through Christ our Lord.

-Amen.

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

May our generous and loving God continue to bless you always,
The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

-Amen.

Friends, our Mass has ended.
Let us go in peace.

-Thanks be to God.

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ Songs of thankfulness and praise… ∫

Hello, my friends, as you know—as I know—
This TV ministry at Mercy Home is so important.
It allows us to gather wherever you may be
To participate in the prayer of the Church.
It allows us to pray for one another—
And how important it is.

It allows you and me to pray for the children here
At Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
We’re nourished by our presence together
And by the celebration of the Eucharist.

I just want to take this opportunity
To thank you so very much
For the ways in which you support this Mass
Here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
Please consider doing that going forward as well.

And may God bless you and your family and your friends
For all you do for the TV Mass at Mercy Home,
And for our children.

∫ [Music playing] ∫

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

∫ [Music playing] ∫

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 Advent.

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

∫ [Music Playing] ∫
∫ 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. ∫

My friends, we pray together in the Name of the Father,
And of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.

The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
And the communion of the Spirit be with you.
-And with your Spirit.

We gather together for the Second Sunday
Of our Advent season.
It is so good to be together as we journey these
Four weeks toward Christmas.

As we come together this Advent season,
Let us be very mindful of how we participate in God’s
Saving journey, so that we might be with Him in paradise one day.

Lord Jesus, Emmanuel, You bring us healing.
Lord, have mercy.
-Lord, have mercy.

Christ Jesus, Emmanuel, You offer us pardon and peace,
Hope and forgiveness.
Christ, have mercy.
-Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, Emmanuel, You welcome us into
The Kingdom of paradise to be with You forever.
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 gather our prayers.
Let us pray.

Almighty and merciful God, may no earthly undertaking
Hinder those who set out in haste to meet Your Son.
But may our learning of heavenly wisdom
Gain us admittance to His company,
Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever.
-Amen.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

“On that day a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
And from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
A Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
A Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord.

In His delight shall be the fear of the Lord.
Not by appearance shall He judge,
Nor by hearsay shall He decide,
But He shall judge the poor with justice,
And decide aright for the land’s afflicted.

He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around His waist,
And faithfulness a belt upon His hips.

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
And the leopard shall lie down with the kid.
The calf and the young lion shall browse together
With a little child to guide them.

The cow and the bear shall be neighbors;
Together their young shall rest.
The lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play in the cobra’s den,
And the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.

There shall be no harm or ruin on all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord
As water covers the sea.

On that day the root of Jesse,
Set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
For His dwelling shall be glorious.”

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

∫ [Music Playing] ∫
∫ Justice shall flourish in His time, ∫
∫ And fullness of peace forever. ∫
∫ Justice shall flourish in His time, ∫
∫ And fullness of peace forever. ∫
∫ O God, give Your judgment to the King; ∫
∫ To a king’s son Your justice… ∫
∫ That He may judge Your people in justice ∫
∫ And Your poor in right judgment. ∫
∫ Justice shall flourish in His time, ∫
∫ And fullness of peace forever. ∫

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

Brothers and sisters, whatever was written previously
Was written for our instruction,
That by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures,
We might have hope.

May the God of endurance and encouragement
Grant you to think in harmony with one another,
In keeping with Christ Jesus,
That with one accord you may, with one voice,
Glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Welcome one another then, as Christ welcomed you
For the glory of God.

For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised
To show God’s truthfulness,
To confirm the promises to the patriarchs,
But so that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.

As it is written:
“Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles
And sing praises to Your Name.”

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

∫ [Music Playing] ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Prepare the way of the Lord, ∫
∫ Make straight His paths, ∫
∫ All flesh shall see the salvation of God. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫

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

John the Baptist appeared preaching in the desert of Judea
And saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

It was of him that the Prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
“A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.”

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair
And had a leather belt around his waist.
His food was locusts and wild honey.

At that time, Jerusalem, all Judea,
And the whole region around the Jordan
Were going out to him and were being baptized by him
In the Jordan River, and they acknowledged their sins.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
Coming to his baptism, he said to them:
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.

Do not presume to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

Even now the axe lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
Will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

I am baptizing you with water for repentance,
But the One who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry His sandals.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in His hand.
He will clear His threshing floor
And gather His wheat into the barn,
But the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

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

I will get to the Gospel in just a second,
But I’d like to begin by going back to the first reading
From the Prophet Isaiah that Joyce read
So beautifully for us today.

She proclaimed it spectacularly,
And there are some images that she highlighted
In her proclamation that I want to remind us of.

This is what the Prophet Isaiah said:

That in the One who is to come—
In the One whom we should prepare for—
Through Him the wolf will be the guest of the lamb.

Imagine the wolf and the lamb being together.

The leopard shall lie down with the kid.
What?

The calf and the young lion
Shall browse together with a little child.
Again—the calf and the young lion.
Seriously?

There is a peacefulness.
There is a new world order
That the Prophet Isaiah is inviting us to think about
Through the coming gift of Jesus.

We find that in the Prophet Isaiah.
We will read Isaiah all through the Advent season.

But there is another prophet as well.
And this other prophet we hear about in the Gospel—
And that is John the Baptist,
Who is preparing the road for Jesus.

You know, in our Church,
We have two churches:
St. Matthias Church and Queen of Angels Church.

In Queen of Angels Church,
All of our windows are dedicated to Mary.
And I think it’s the fourth window
As we recount Mary’s life—
And all the windows tell
Of the different moments of Mary’s life.

There is one window that the kids love.
And that’s the window of Mary and Joseph
And Elizabeth and Zachariah meeting together—
The two pregnant women meeting together.

I’ve got a picture of my sister and my cousin,
Both pregnant, posing for a picture.
It reminds me of them.

But there’s this joyful moment
When Mary meets Elizabeth.
And what does John the Baptist do?
He jumps in Elizabeth’s womb.
He’s so excited to be in the presence of the One
That he will prepare the way for.

In this Gospel,
We hear about John the Baptist,
Who is preparing the way for Jesus.

And he goes after the Pharisees and Sadducees.
I mean, he really goes after them.
He calls them a brood of vipers,
And he says that they’re going to be like chaff
That’s burned away.
I mean—that’s serious.

John the Baptist is really going after them
And asking them to offer repentance in their life
And stay focused on the mission of following Jesus.

You know—that’s a good invitation for us today as well.
On the Second Sunday of Advent, as we get close to Christmas,
How are we focused on the mission of Jesus?

You know, a lot of people will call themselves—
We call ourselves—Christians and Catholics,
But do we really commit ourselves to following Jesus,
Or are Easter and Christmas enough for us?

Do we ever challenge ourselves
When those unshared words are forming in our mouth?
Do we ever challenge ourselves when we become somewhat
Judgmental of our sisters and brothers?

Really, as Christian Catholic followers of Jesus our Savior,
We’re called to challenge ourselves
To rise to the occasion—
As John challenged the Sadducees and Pharisees—
So that the new world order can come to pass
As we hear from the Prophet Isaiah,
So that there can be peace and harmony
As we heard in the second reading.

May our generous God give us the courage
In these Advent days to really bring about the order
That God intends for us through His Son Jesus—
An order of peace and humility,
An order of generosity and compassion
With our brothers and sisters.

Let us be bearers with Christ Jesus of that new order.

Friends, let’s pray the Apostles’ Creed:

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 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.

With great hope, in this season of hope,
We offer our prayers and our petitions.
Our response to each prayer will be:
“Lord, hear our prayer.”

For those spreading the Gospel,
May they lead others to follow Christ.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are alone this Advent season,
May they find peace and comfort in the coming of our Lord.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For the children of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
May the anticipation of Christmas
Bring them hope and joy.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those mourning the death of a loved one,
May their hearts be filled with Christ’s peace.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

Compassionate and generous God,
Hear the prayers of Your faithful people.
In mercy and love, grant these our humble prayers.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

∫ [Music Playing] ∫

Blessed are You, Lord, God of all creation,
For through Your goodness we have received
The bread we offer You.
Fruit of the earth and work of human hands,
It will become for us the Bread of Life.
[Priest prays quietly]

∫ [Music Playing] ∫

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.
May it become our spiritual drink.
[Priest prays quietly]

∫ [Music Playing] ∫

Sisters and brothers, friends,
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.

Be pleased, O Lord,
With our humble prayers and offerings.
Since we have no merits to plead our cause,
Come, we pray, to our rescue
With the protection of Your mercy
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 Heaven,
We sing the hymn of Your glory
As without end we acclaim:

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ 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 our Lord, Jesus Christ.

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

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ 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 Jesus,
We may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.

Lord, remember Your Church,
Spread throughout the world.
Bring her to the fullness of charity,
Together with Leo, our Pope,
Blase, 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, 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.

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ Amen, Amen, Amen. ∫

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

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.
Graciously grant her peace and unity
In accordance with Your will,
Who live and reign forever and ever.

-Amen.

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

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

Now, on behalf of everyone here
At Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
Please know of our prayer for you
For a peace-filled Advent season.
Peace be with you.

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ 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. ∫

Behold the Lamb of God, behold Jesus,
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 everlasting life.

-Amen.

∫ [Music playing] ∫

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.”

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ 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. ∫
∫ [Music playing] ∫

Let us pray.

Replenished by the food of spiritual nourishment,
We humbly beseech You, O Lord,
That through our partaking in this mystery,
You may teach us to judge wisely the things of earth
And hold firm to the things of Heaven.
Through Christ our Lord.

-Amen.

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

May our generous and loving God continue to bless you always,
The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

-Amen.

Friends, our Mass has ended.
Let us go in peace.

-Thanks be to God.

∫ [Music playing] ∫
∫ Songs of thankfulness and praise… ∫

Hello, my friends, as you know—as I know—
This TV ministry at Mercy Home is so important.
It allows us to gather wherever you may be
To participate in the prayer of the Church.
It allows us to pray for one another—
And how important it is.

It allows you and me to pray for the children here
At Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
We’re nourished by our presence together
And by the celebration of the Eucharist.

I just want to take this opportunity
To thank you so very much
For the ways in which you support this Mass
Here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
Please consider doing that going forward as well.

And may God bless you and your family and your friends
For all you do for the TV Mass at Mercy Home,
And for our children.

∫ [Music playing] ∫

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

∫ [Music playing] ∫

I will get to the Gospel in just a second,
But I’d like to begin by going back to the first reading
From the Prophet Isaiah that Joyce read
So beautifully for us today.

She proclaimed it spectacularly,
And there are some images that she highlighted
In her proclamation that I want to remind us of.

This is what the Prophet Isaiah said:

That in the One who is to come—
In the One whom we should prepare for—
Through Him the wolf will be the guest of the lamb.

Imagine the wolf and the lamb being together.

The leopard shall lie down with the kid.
What?

The calf and the young lion
Shall browse together with a little child.
Again—the calf and the young lion.
Seriously?

There is a peacefulness.
There is a new world order
That the Prophet Isaiah is inviting us to think about
Through the coming gift of Jesus.

We find that in the Prophet Isaiah.
We will read Isaiah all through the Advent season.

But there is another prophet as well.
And this other prophet we hear about in the Gospel—
And that is John the Baptist,
Who is preparing the road for Jesus.

You know, in our Church,
We have two churches:
St. Matthias Church and Queen of Angels Church.

In Queen of Angels Church,
All of our windows are dedicated to Mary.
And I think it’s the fourth window
As we recount Mary’s life—
And all the windows tell
Of the different moments of Mary’s life.

There is one window that the kids love.
And that’s the window of Mary and Joseph
And Elizabeth and Zachariah meeting together—
The two pregnant women meeting together.

I’ve got a picture of my sister and my cousin,
Both pregnant, posing for a picture.
It reminds me of them.

But there’s this joyful moment
When Mary meets Elizabeth.
And what does John the Baptist do?
He jumps in Elizabeth’s womb.
He’s so excited to be in the presence of the One
That he will prepare the way for.

In this Gospel,
We hear about John the Baptist,
Who is preparing the way for Jesus.

And he goes after the Pharisees and Sadducees.
I mean, he really goes after them.
He calls them a brood of vipers,
And he says that they’re going to be like chaff
That’s burned away.
I mean—that’s serious.

John the Baptist is really going after them
And asking them to offer repentance in their life
And stay focused on the mission of following Jesus.

You know—that’s a good invitation for us today as well.
On the Second Sunday of Advent, as we get close to Christmas,
How are we focused on the mission of Jesus?

You know, a lot of people will call themselves—
We call ourselves—Christians and Catholics,
But do we really commit ourselves to following Jesus,
Or are Easter and Christmas enough for us?

Do we ever challenge ourselves
When those unshared words are forming in our mouth?
Do we ever challenge ourselves when we become somewhat
Judgmental of our sisters and brothers?

Really, as Christian Catholic followers of Jesus our Savior,
We’re called to challenge ourselves
To rise to the occasion—
As John challenged the Sadducees and Pharisees—
So that the new world order can come to pass
As we hear from the Prophet Isaiah,
So that there can be peace and harmony
As we heard in the second reading.

May our generous God give us the courage
In these Advent days to really bring about the order
That God intends for us through His Son Jesus—
An order of peace and humility,
An order of generosity and compassion
With our brothers and sisters.

Let us be bearers with Christ Jesus of that new order.