∫ [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 ascension of the Lord. 

My name is Dan Riley. 

I am joined by Tom McNamara and Wesley Kennard, 

And our celebrant is Father Jason Malave. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ Hail the day that sees him rise, hallelujah! ∫ 

∫ To his throne above the skies, hallelujah! ∫ 

∫ Christ the lamp for sinners given, hallelujah! ∫ 

∫ Now ascends the highest heaven, hallelujah! ∫ 

We mark our prayers, people of faith, 

In the name of the father, and the son, 

And the holy spirit. 

-Amen. 

The Lord be with you. 

-And with your spirit. 

We gather together today, having walked these 40 days 

Of our easter season, coming to the great celebration 

Of Jesus’ ascension into heaven. 

As we celebrate his ascension, 

We ask for his continued outpouring of mercy upon us, 

Calling to mind those things for which we are sorry. 

Lord Jesus, you bring healing to those 

Who are suffering and sick. 

Lord have mercy. 

-Lord have mercy. 

You comfort the downtrodden. 

Christ have mercy. 

-Christ have mercy. 

You welcome us into the gates of paradise 

To be with you forever in heaven. 

Lord have mercy. 

-Lord have mercy. 

May almighty God have mercy on us, 

Forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. 

-Amen. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ Glory to God in the highest, ∫ 

∫ And on earth peace to people of good will. ∫ 

∫ Glory to God in the highest, ∫ 

∫ And on earth peace to people of good will. ∫ 

Let us pray. 

Gladden us with holy joys, almighty God, 

And make us rejoice with devout thanksgiving, 

For the ascension of Jesus, your son, is our exaltation. 

And where the head has gone before in glory, 

The body is called to follow in hope. 

We make this prayer through our Lord Jesus, your son, 

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the holy spirit, 

God, forever and ever. 

-Amen. 

A reading from the beginning of the acts of the apostles. 

In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all 

That Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up. 

After giving instructions to the holy spirit, 

To the apostles, whom he had chosen, 

He presented himself alive to them by many proofs 

After he had suffered, appearing to them during 40 days 

And speaking about the kingdom of God. 

While meeting with them, 

He enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, 

“But to wait for the promise of the father, 

About which you have heard me speak.” 

For John the Baptist with water, 

But in a few days you will be baptized with the holy spirit. 

When they had gathered together, they asked him, 

“Lord, are you at this time going to restore 

The kingdom of Israel?” 

He answered them, “it is not for you to know 

The times or seasons that the father has established 

By his own authority. 

But you will receive power when the holy spirit 

Comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, 

Throughout Judea and Samaria, 

And to the ends of the earth.” 

When he had said this, as they were looking on, 

He was lifted up, 

And a cloud took him from their sight. 

While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, 

Suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. 

They said, “men of galilee, 

Why are you standing there looking at the sky? 

This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven 

Will return in the same way 

As you have seen him going into heaven.” 

The word of the Lord. 

-Thanks be to God. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ God mounts his throne to shouts of joy, ∫ 

∫ A blare of trumpets for the Lord. ∫ 

∫ God mounts his throne to shouts of joy, ∫ 

∫ A blare of trumpets for the Lord. ∫ 

∫ All peoples clap your hands, ∫ 

∫ Cry to God with shouts of joy. ∫ 

∫ For the Lord the most high is awesome, ∫ 

∫ The great king over all the earth. ∫ 

∫ God mounts his throne to shouts of joy, ∫ 

∫ A blare of trumpets for the Lord. ∫ 

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians. 

Brothers and sisters, may the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

The father of glory, give you a spirit 

Of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. 

May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, 

That you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, 

What are the riches of glory, 

And his inheritance among the holy ones, 

And what is the surpassing greatness of his power 

For us who believe. 

In accord with the exercise of his great might, 

Which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead, 

And seating him at his right hand 

In the heavens, far above every principality, 

Authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named, 

Not only in this age, 

But also in the one to come. 

And he put all things beneath his feet, 

And gave him as head over all things to the church, 

Which is his body, the fullness of the one 

Who fills all things in every way. 

The word of the Lord. 

-Thanks be to God. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫ 

∫ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫ 

∫ Go and teach all nations, says the Lord; ∫ 

∫ I am with you always until the end of the world. ∫ 

∫ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫ 

Friends the Lord be with you. 

-And with your spirit. 

A reading from the holy gospel according to St. Luke. 

-Glory to you, o Lord. 

May the word of God be always on our minds, 

On our lips, and in our hearts. 

Jesus said to his disciples, “thus it is written 

That the Christ would suffer, 

And rise from the dead on the third day, 

And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins 

Would be preached in his name 

To all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 

You are witnesses of these things. 

Behold, I am sending the promise of my father upon you, 

But stay in the city until you are clothed 

With power from on high.” 

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, 

Raised his hands, and blessed them. 

As he blessed them, he parted from them, 

Was taken up to heaven. 

They did him homage, 

And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 

They were continually in the temple praising God. 

The gospel of the Lord. 

-Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

 

Well, first I’m going to ask for a confession, 

A public confession over the tv airwaves. 

I’m going to ask if you called your parish 

Asking what day is holy Thursday mass. 

Did you call? 

So many people are confused about holy Thursday 

Because we used to always, sorry, ascension Thursday mass. 

So many people are confused about ascension Thursday mass 

Because it was always on Thursday. 

Did I say holy Thursday? 

I meant ascension Thursday, ascension Thursday. 

It was always on Thursdays, but about 10 years ago, 

15 years ago, ascension Thursday was bumped 

Three days to the Sunday, so we all could celebrate 

Ascension Thursday together. 

So here we are celebrating ascension Thursday 

Together, not 40, but 43 days after 

Our easter celebration, 43 days later. 

On this ascension Thursday, we have the great joy 

Of celebrating the gift that Jesus gave all of us, 

His ascension into heaven, 

And then as he promised the sending forth 

Of the holy spirit, which we’ll celebrate next Sunday. 

As we come together, we remember this great gift and power, 

And it’s captured very beautifully in Luke’s gospel. 

Jesus explains to his disciples. 

This is what was prophesized, 

And this is what’s going to happen. 

I will send the holy spirit among you, 

And then they went off to the hill, 

And Jesus ascended into heaven. 

Luke’s gospel gives that to us very beautifully, 

As does Luke’s acts of the apostles 

That was read for us so well today. 

In the acts of the apostles, we have the narrative, 

The story of the unfolding of what happened 

From the perspective of the 12 apostles. 

We have it in the acts of the apostles. 

So both in the perspective of Jesus 

And in the perspective of the apostles, 

We have the recounting of this glorious ascension of Jesus 

Into heaven with the powerful promise 

That Jesus will send the holy spirit out among us 

To encourage us, to fill us up, 

To give us all that we need. 

All seven gifts of the holy spirit will be ours, 

Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, 

Knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. 

We have this great promise 

That Jesus will send the spirit upon us. 

We hear about the acts of the apostles from Luke. 

We hear about Luke’s gospel, 

But I want to talk for one last second about Paul’s letter 

To the Ephesians, the Ephesians. 

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. 

You know, some church ministers go back and forth 

About how we receive the good news of Jesus in our, 

Do we receive it in our head? 

Do we receive it in our heart? 

And in Paul’s letter to Ephesians, 

I’d like to point out that St. Paul refers to both, 

The head that receives the wisdom 

Through the power of the holy spirit 

And the heart that’s opened up in the eyes of our hearts 

See clearly the gift of faith. 

As we gather together today, we know that our head, 

Our head has received the good news 

Of Jesus’s life, his death, his resurrection, 

And his ascension into heaven. 

We receive that with our head 

And we can tell you the story, but also with our heart, 

We know that Christ is very much alive in the world, 

Alive in us, alive in the eucharist, 

And Jesus is healing, Jesus is salvation, 

Jesus is kindness, Jesus is hopefulness, 

It’s all very much alive in our hearts. 

And because Jesus’s love is alive in our hearts, 

We pass that on to others that we encounter every day. 

On this ascension Thursday, on this ascension Sunday, 

We celebrate the great gift that Jesus gave us 

As ascension, but more to the point, 

We celebrate what we know and how we live out 

That great faith in Jesus who’s alive in our hearts 

And therefore alive in the world. 

Jesus promises on the spirit and he does, 

But even before we celebrate Pentecost, 

Let us be very much aware of Jesus alive in our hearts 

For the transformation of the world, 

Building God’s kingdom. 

 

 

Let us pray the apostles creed, friends: 

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’ll 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. 

We offer our prayers and petitions 

Before our generous God. 

Our response to each prayer will be, 

“Lord, hear our prayer.” 

For our church leaders, as they proclaim 

The resurrection and ascension of Christ to those 

Who do not yet believe, we pray to the Lord. 

-Lord, hear our prayer. 

For people living in war-torn nations, 

May peaceful resolutions be found, 

And may God’s love fill the hearts of all people, 

We pray to the Lord. 

-Lord, hear our prayer. 

For Mercy Homes youth, who are graduating this year, 

May they find opportunity and hope in their future. 

We pray to the Lord. 

-Lord, hear our prayer. 

For our deceased loved ones, may our risen Lord 

Welcome them into his eternal kingdom, 

We pray to the Lord. 

-Lord, hear our prayer. 

Compassionate and generous God, 

Hear the prayers of your faithful people. 

In mercy and love, answer these our humble prayers 

We ask this through Christ our Lord. 

-Amen. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation, 

For through your goodness we have received 

The bread we offer you. 

The fruit of the earth, work of human hands, 

It will become for us the bread of life. 

Blessed be God forever. 

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. 

With humble spirit and contrite heart 

May be accepted by you, o Lord. 

May our sacrifice and your sacrifice 

Be pleasing to you, o God. 

And wash away my iniquity, o God, with all my sinfulness. 

∫ [Music continues] ∫ 

So 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. 

We offer sacrifice now in supplication, o Lord, 

To honor the wondrous ascension of your son Jesus. 

Grant we pray that through this most holy exchange 

We too may rise up to the heavenly realms. 

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. 

Friends, 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. 

For the Lord Jesus, the king of glory, 

Conqueror of sin and death, ascended today 

To the highest heavens as the angels gazed in wonder. 

Mediator between God and man, judge of the world 

And Lord of hosts, he ascended, 

Not to distance himself from our lowly state, 

But that we, his members, might be confident 

Of following where he, our head and founder, has gone before. 

Therefore, overcome with easter joy; 

Every land, every people exalts in your praise, 

And even the heavenly powers with the angelic hosts 

Sing together the unending hymn of your glory as they acclaim: 

∫ [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 font 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 Jesus was betrayed 

And entered willingly into his passion, 

He took bread and giving thanks, he broke it. 

He gave it to his disciples, he gave it to those he called, 

Those he loved, those he sent, he gave it them saying, 

“Take this, 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, he gave it to his friends, 

Those he loved, those he called, 

Those he sent into the world, he gave it to them 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.” 

Let us proclaim the mystery of faith. 

∫ [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 Jesus’ 

Death and resurrection, we offer you, Lord, 

The bread of life and the chalice of salvation, 

Giving thanks that you’ve held us worthy 

To be in your presence and minister to you. 

Humbly, we pray, that partaking 

Of the body and blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one 

By the holy spirit. 

Remember, Lord, your church spread throughout the world. 

Bring her to the fullness of charity together 

With Leo, our pope, Blase, our archbishop, and all the clergy. 

Remember, especially our sisters and brothers 

Who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection. 

Remember 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. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ Amen, amen, amen. ∫ 

At the savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, 

We 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. 

Graciously grant her peace and unity 

In accordance with your will, 

Who lives and reigns forever and ever. 

-Amen. 

Friends, the peace of the Lord be with you always. 

-And with your spirit. 

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

And on behalf of everyone here 

At Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, 

Please know of our prayers, 

Our petitions for you and your family too, 

That you might have peace in your house, in your lives. 

Friends, peace be with you. 

∫ [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. ∫ 

Behold the lamb of God. 

Behold Jesus, who ascended to the heavens to the father, 

Who sends the holy spirit out upon us. 

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] ∫ 

For those of you at home, 

Please turn to page 6 in your tv mass guide and join 

In singing our communion song, “love is his word.” 

∫ Love is his word, love is his way, ∫ 

∫ Feasting with all, fasting alone, ∫ 

∫ Living and dying, rising again. ∫ 

∫ Love only, love is his way. ∫ 

∫ Richer than gold is the love of my Lord, ∫ 

∫ Better than splendor or wealth. ∫ 

∫ Richer than gold is the love of my Lord, ∫ 

∫ Better than splendor or wealth. ∫ 

Let us pray. 

Almighty, ever -living God, who allowed those on earth 

To celebrate divine mysteries, 

Grant, we pray, that Christian hope may draw us onward 

To where our nature is united with you. 

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. 

-Amen. 

Please join me, friends, 

In praying the prayer for our brothers and sisters, 

The boys and girls of Mercy Home. 

We pray together: 

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. 

My sisters and brothers in faith, followers of Jesus, 

The Lord be with you. 

-And with your spirit. 

Please answer amen to each 

Of these ascension invocations. 

May almighty God bless you for on this very day, 

His only begotten son pierced 

The heights of heaven and unlocked for you 

The way to ascend to where he is. 

-Amen. 

May he grant that as Christ 

After his resurrection was seen plainly by his disciples, 

So when he comes as judge, he may show himself 

Merciful to you for all eternity. 

-Amen. 

And may you who believe he is seated 

With the father in his majesty know with joy 

The fulfillment of his promise 

To stay with you until the end of time. 

-Amen. 

And, my mighty God, bless you, 

The father and the son and the holy spirit. 

-Amen. 

Friends, our beautiful ascension mass has ended. 

Let us go in peace. 

-Thanks be to God. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ Go make of all disciples. ∫ 

∫ We hear the call, o Lord, ∫ 

∫ That comes from you, our father, in your eternal word. ∫ 

∫ Inspire our ways of learning ∫ 

∫ Through earnest, fervent prayer… ∫ 

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 G-I-A Publications Incorporated 

And its World Library Publications Division. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ [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 ascension of the Lord. 

My name is Dan Riley. 

I am joined by Tom McNamara and Wesley Kennard, 

And our celebrant is Father Jason Malave. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ Hail the day that sees him rise, hallelujah! ∫ 

∫ To his throne above the skies, hallelujah! ∫ 

∫ Christ the lamp for sinners given, hallelujah! ∫ 

∫ Now ascends the highest heaven, hallelujah! ∫ 

We mark our prayers, people of faith, 

In the name of the father, and the son, 

And the holy spirit. 

-Amen. 

The Lord be with you. 

-And with your spirit. 

We gather together today, having walked these 40 days 

Of our easter season, coming to the great celebration 

Of Jesus’ ascension into heaven. 

As we celebrate his ascension, 

We ask for his continued outpouring of mercy upon us, 

Calling to mind those things for which we are sorry. 

Lord Jesus, you bring healing to those 

Who are suffering and sick. 

Lord have mercy. 

-Lord have mercy. 

You comfort the downtrodden. 

Christ have mercy. 

-Christ have mercy. 

You welcome us into the gates of paradise 

To be with you forever in heaven. 

Lord have mercy. 

-Lord have mercy. 

May almighty God have mercy on us, 

Forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. 

-Amen. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ Glory to God in the highest, ∫ 

∫ And on earth peace to people of good will. ∫ 

∫ Glory to God in the highest, ∫ 

∫ And on earth peace to people of good will. ∫ 

Let us pray. 

Gladden us with holy joys, almighty God, 

And make us rejoice with devout thanksgiving, 

For the ascension of Jesus, your son, is our exaltation. 

And where the head has gone before in glory, 

The body is called to follow in hope. 

We make this prayer through our Lord Jesus, your son, 

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the holy spirit, 

God, forever and ever. 

-Amen. 

A reading from the beginning of the acts of the apostles. 

In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all 

That Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up. 

After giving instructions to the holy spirit, 

To the apostles, whom he had chosen, 

He presented himself alive to them by many proofs 

After he had suffered, appearing to them during 40 days 

And speaking about the kingdom of God. 

While meeting with them, 

He enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, 

“But to wait for the promise of the father, 

About which you have heard me speak.” 

For John the Baptist with water, 

But in a few days you will be baptized with the holy spirit. 

When they had gathered together, they asked him, 

“Lord, are you at this time going to restore 

The kingdom of Israel?” 

He answered them, “it is not for you to know 

The times or seasons that the father has established 

By his own authority. 

But you will receive power when the holy spirit 

Comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, 

Throughout Judea and Samaria, 

And to the ends of the earth.” 

When he had said this, as they were looking on, 

He was lifted up, 

And a cloud took him from their sight. 

While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, 

Suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. 

They said, “men of galilee, 

Why are you standing there looking at the sky? 

This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven 

Will return in the same way 

As you have seen him going into heaven.” 

The word of the Lord. 

-Thanks be to God. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ God mounts his throne to shouts of joy, ∫ 

∫ A blare of trumpets for the Lord. ∫ 

∫ God mounts his throne to shouts of joy, ∫ 

∫ A blare of trumpets for the Lord. ∫ 

∫ All peoples clap your hands, ∫ 

∫ Cry to God with shouts of joy. ∫ 

∫ For the Lord the most high is awesome, ∫ 

∫ The great king over all the earth. ∫ 

∫ God mounts his throne to shouts of joy, ∫ 

∫ A blare of trumpets for the Lord. ∫ 

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians. 

Brothers and sisters, may the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

The father of glory, give you a spirit 

Of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. 

May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, 

That you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, 

What are the riches of glory, 

And his inheritance among the holy ones, 

And what is the surpassing greatness of his power 

For us who believe. 

In accord with the exercise of his great might, 

Which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead, 

And seating him at his right hand 

In the heavens, far above every principality, 

Authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named, 

Not only in this age, 

But also in the one to come. 

And he put all things beneath his feet, 

And gave him as head over all things to the church, 

Which is his body, the fullness of the one 

Who fills all things in every way. 

The word of the Lord. 

-Thanks be to God. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫ 

∫ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫ 

∫ Go and teach all nations, says the Lord; ∫ 

∫ I am with you always until the end of the world. ∫ 

∫ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫ 

Friends the Lord be with you. 

-And with your spirit. 

A reading from the holy gospel according to St. Luke. 

-Glory to you, o Lord. 

May the word of God be always on our minds, 

On our lips, and in our hearts. 

Jesus said to his disciples, “thus it is written 

That the Christ would suffer, 

And rise from the dead on the third day, 

And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins 

Would be preached in his name 

To all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 

You are witnesses of these things. 

Behold, I am sending the promise of my father upon you, 

But stay in the city until you are clothed 

With power from on high.” 

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, 

Raised his hands, and blessed them. 

As he blessed them, he parted from them, 

Was taken up to heaven. 

They did him homage, 

And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 

They were continually in the temple praising God. 

The gospel of the Lord. 

-Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

 

Well, first I’m going to ask for a confession, 

A public confession over the tv airwaves. 

I’m going to ask if you called your parish 

Asking what day is holy Thursday mass. 

Did you call? 

So many people are confused about holy Thursday 

Because we used to always, sorry, ascension Thursday mass. 

So many people are confused about ascension Thursday mass 

Because it was always on Thursday. 

Did I say holy Thursday? 

I meant ascension Thursday, ascension Thursday. 

It was always on Thursdays, but about 10 years ago, 

15 years ago, ascension Thursday was bumped 

Three days to the Sunday, so we all could celebrate 

Ascension Thursday together. 

So here we are celebrating ascension Thursday 

Together, not 40, but 43 days after 

Our easter celebration, 43 days later. 

On this ascension Thursday, we have the great joy 

Of celebrating the gift that Jesus gave all of us, 

His ascension into heaven, 

And then as he promised the sending forth 

Of the holy spirit, which we’ll celebrate next Sunday. 

As we come together, we remember this great gift and power, 

And it’s captured very beautifully in Luke’s gospel. 

Jesus explains to his disciples. 

This is what was prophesized, 

And this is what’s going to happen. 

I will send the holy spirit among you, 

And then they went off to the hill, 

And Jesus ascended into heaven. 

Luke’s gospel gives that to us very beautifully, 

As does Luke’s acts of the apostles 

That was read for us so well today. 

In the acts of the apostles, we have the narrative, 

The story of the unfolding of what happened 

From the perspective of the 12 apostles. 

We have it in the acts of the apostles. 

So both in the perspective of Jesus 

And in the perspective of the apostles, 

We have the recounting of this glorious ascension of Jesus 

Into heaven with the powerful promise 

That Jesus will send the holy spirit out among us 

To encourage us, to fill us up, 

To give us all that we need. 

All seven gifts of the holy spirit will be ours, 

Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, 

Knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. 

We have this great promise 

That Jesus will send the spirit upon us. 

We hear about the acts of the apostles from Luke. 

We hear about Luke’s gospel, 

But I want to talk for one last second about Paul’s letter 

To the Ephesians, the Ephesians. 

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. 

You know, some church ministers go back and forth 

About how we receive the good news of Jesus in our, 

Do we receive it in our head? 

Do we receive it in our heart? 

And in Paul’s letter to Ephesians, 

I’d like to point out that St. Paul refers to both, 

The head that receives the wisdom 

Through the power of the holy spirit 

And the heart that’s opened up in the eyes of our hearts 

See clearly the gift of faith. 

As we gather together today, we know that our head, 

Our head has received the good news 

Of Jesus’s life, his death, his resurrection, 

And his ascension into heaven. 

We receive that with our head 

And we can tell you the story, but also with our heart, 

We know that Christ is very much alive in the world, 

Alive in us, alive in the eucharist, 

And Jesus is healing, Jesus is salvation, 

Jesus is kindness, Jesus is hopefulness, 

It’s all very much alive in our hearts. 

And because Jesus’s love is alive in our hearts, 

We pass that on to others that we encounter every day. 

On this ascension Thursday, on this ascension Sunday, 

We celebrate the great gift that Jesus gave us 

As ascension, but more to the point, 

We celebrate what we know and how we live out 

That great faith in Jesus who’s alive in our hearts 

And therefore alive in the world. 

Jesus promises on the spirit and he does, 

But even before we celebrate Pentecost, 

Let us be very much aware of Jesus alive in our hearts 

For the transformation of the world, 

Building God’s kingdom. 

 

 

Let us pray the apostles creed, friends: 

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’ll 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. 

We offer our prayers and petitions 

Before our generous God. 

Our response to each prayer will be, 

“Lord, hear our prayer.” 

For our church leaders, as they proclaim 

The resurrection and ascension of Christ to those 

Who do not yet believe, we pray to the Lord. 

-Lord, hear our prayer. 

For people living in war-torn nations, 

May peaceful resolutions be found, 

And may God’s love fill the hearts of all people, 

We pray to the Lord. 

-Lord, hear our prayer. 

For Mercy Homes youth, who are graduating this year, 

May they find opportunity and hope in their future. 

We pray to the Lord. 

-Lord, hear our prayer. 

For our deceased loved ones, may our risen Lord 

Welcome them into his eternal kingdom, 

We pray to the Lord. 

-Lord, hear our prayer. 

Compassionate and generous God, 

Hear the prayers of your faithful people. 

In mercy and love, answer these our humble prayers 

We ask this through Christ our Lord. 

-Amen. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation, 

For through your goodness we have received 

The bread we offer you. 

The fruit of the earth, work of human hands, 

It will become for us the bread of life. 

Blessed be God forever. 

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. 

With humble spirit and contrite heart 

May be accepted by you, o Lord. 

May our sacrifice and your sacrifice 

Be pleasing to you, o God. 

And wash away my iniquity, o God, with all my sinfulness. 

∫ [Music continues] ∫ 

So 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. 

We offer sacrifice now in supplication, o Lord, 

To honor the wondrous ascension of your son Jesus. 

Grant we pray that through this most holy exchange 

We too may rise up to the heavenly realms. 

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. 

Friends, 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. 

For the Lord Jesus, the king of glory, 

Conqueror of sin and death, ascended today 

To the highest heavens as the angels gazed in wonder. 

Mediator between God and man, judge of the world 

And Lord of hosts, he ascended, 

Not to distance himself from our lowly state, 

But that we, his members, might be confident 

Of following where he, our head and founder, has gone before. 

Therefore, overcome with easter joy; 

Every land, every people exalts in your praise, 

And even the heavenly powers with the angelic hosts 

Sing together the unending hymn of your glory as they acclaim: 

∫ [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 font 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 Jesus was betrayed 

And entered willingly into his passion, 

He took bread and giving thanks, he broke it. 

He gave it to his disciples, he gave it to those he called, 

Those he loved, those he sent, he gave it them saying, 

“Take this, 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, he gave it to his friends, 

Those he loved, those he called, 

Those he sent into the world, he gave it to them 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.” 

Let us proclaim the mystery of faith. 

∫ [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 Jesus’ 

Death and resurrection, we offer you, Lord, 

The bread of life and the chalice of salvation, 

Giving thanks that you’ve held us worthy 

To be in your presence and minister to you. 

Humbly, we pray, that partaking 

Of the body and blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one 

By the holy spirit. 

Remember, Lord, your church spread throughout the world. 

Bring her to the fullness of charity together 

With Leo, our pope, Blase, our archbishop, and all the clergy. 

Remember, especially our sisters and brothers 

Who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection. 

Remember 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. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ Amen, amen, amen. ∫ 

At the savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, 

We 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. 

Graciously grant her peace and unity 

In accordance with your will, 

Who lives and reigns forever and ever. 

-Amen. 

Friends, the peace of the Lord be with you always. 

-And with your spirit. 

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

And on behalf of everyone here 

At Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, 

Please know of our prayers, 

Our petitions for you and your family too, 

That you might have peace in your house, in your lives. 

Friends, peace be with you. 

∫ [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. ∫ 

Behold the lamb of God. 

Behold Jesus, who ascended to the heavens to the father, 

Who sends the holy spirit out upon us. 

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] ∫ 

For those of you at home, 

Please turn to page 6 in your tv mass guide and join 

In singing our communion song, “love is his word.” 

∫ Love is his word, love is his way, ∫ 

∫ Feasting with all, fasting alone, ∫ 

∫ Living and dying, rising again. ∫ 

∫ Love only, love is his way. ∫ 

∫ Richer than gold is the love of my Lord, ∫ 

∫ Better than splendor or wealth. ∫ 

∫ Richer than gold is the love of my Lord, ∫ 

∫ Better than splendor or wealth. ∫ 

Let us pray. 

Almighty, ever -living God, who allowed those on earth 

To celebrate divine mysteries, 

Grant, we pray, that Christian hope may draw us onward 

To where our nature is united with you. 

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. 

-Amen. 

Please join me, friends, 

In praying the prayer for our brothers and sisters, 

The boys and girls of Mercy Home. 

We pray together: 

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. 

My sisters and brothers in faith, followers of Jesus, 

The Lord be with you. 

-And with your spirit. 

Please answer amen to each 

Of these ascension invocations. 

May almighty God bless you for on this very day, 

His only begotten son pierced 

The heights of heaven and unlocked for you 

The way to ascend to where he is. 

-Amen. 

May he grant that as Christ 

After his resurrection was seen plainly by his disciples, 

So when he comes as judge, he may show himself 

Merciful to you for all eternity. 

-Amen. 

And may you who believe he is seated 

With the father in his majesty know with joy 

The fulfillment of his promise 

To stay with you until the end of time. 

-Amen. 

And, my mighty God, bless you, 

The father and the son and the holy spirit. 

-Amen. 

Friends, our beautiful ascension mass has ended. 

Let us go in peace. 

-Thanks be to God. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ Go make of all disciples. ∫ 

∫ We hear the call, o Lord, ∫ 

∫ That comes from you, our father, in your eternal word. ∫ 

∫ Inspire our ways of learning ∫ 

∫ Through earnest, fervent prayer… ∫ 

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 G-I-A Publications Incorporated 

And its World Library Publications Division. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ [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 ascension of the Lord. 

My name is Dan Riley. 

I am joined by Tom McNamara and Wesley Kennard, 

And our celebrant is Father Jason Malave. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ Hail the day that sees him rise, hallelujah! ∫ 

∫ To his throne above the skies, hallelujah! ∫ 

∫ Christ the lamp for sinners given, hallelujah! ∫ 

∫ Now ascends the highest heaven, hallelujah! ∫ 

We mark our prayers, people of faith, 

In the name of the father, and the son, 

And the holy spirit. 

-Amen. 

The Lord be with you. 

-And with your spirit. 

We gather together today, having walked these 40 days 

Of our easter season, coming to the great celebration 

Of Jesus’ ascension into heaven. 

As we celebrate his ascension, 

We ask for his continued outpouring of mercy upon us, 

Calling to mind those things for which we are sorry. 

Lord Jesus, you bring healing to those 

Who are suffering and sick. 

Lord have mercy. 

-Lord have mercy. 

You comfort the downtrodden. 

Christ have mercy. 

-Christ have mercy. 

You welcome us into the gates of paradise 

To be with you forever in heaven. 

Lord have mercy. 

-Lord have mercy. 

May almighty God have mercy on us, 

Forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. 

-Amen. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ Glory to God in the highest, ∫ 

∫ And on earth peace to people of good will. ∫ 

∫ Glory to God in the highest, ∫ 

∫ And on earth peace to people of good will. ∫ 

Let us pray. 

Gladden us with holy joys, almighty God, 

And make us rejoice with devout thanksgiving, 

For the ascension of Jesus, your son, is our exaltation. 

And where the head has gone before in glory, 

The body is called to follow in hope. 

We make this prayer through our Lord Jesus, your son, 

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the holy spirit, 

God, forever and ever. 

-Amen. 

A reading from the beginning of the acts of the apostles. 

In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all 

That Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up. 

After giving instructions to the holy spirit, 

To the apostles, whom he had chosen, 

He presented himself alive to them by many proofs 

After he had suffered, appearing to them during 40 days 

And speaking about the kingdom of God. 

While meeting with them, 

He enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, 

“But to wait for the promise of the father, 

About which you have heard me speak.” 

For John the Baptist with water, 

But in a few days you will be baptized with the holy spirit. 

When they had gathered together, they asked him, 

“Lord, are you at this time going to restore 

The kingdom of Israel?” 

He answered them, “it is not for you to know 

The times or seasons that the father has established 

By his own authority. 

But you will receive power when the holy spirit 

Comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, 

Throughout Judea and Samaria, 

And to the ends of the earth.” 

When he had said this, as they were looking on, 

He was lifted up, 

And a cloud took him from their sight. 

While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, 

Suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. 

They said, “men of galilee, 

Why are you standing there looking at the sky? 

This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven 

Will return in the same way 

As you have seen him going into heaven.” 

The word of the Lord. 

-Thanks be to God. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ God mounts his throne to shouts of joy, ∫ 

∫ A blare of trumpets for the Lord. ∫ 

∫ God mounts his throne to shouts of joy, ∫ 

∫ A blare of trumpets for the Lord. ∫ 

∫ All peoples clap your hands, ∫ 

∫ Cry to God with shouts of joy. ∫ 

∫ For the Lord the most high is awesome, ∫ 

∫ The great king over all the earth. ∫ 

∫ God mounts his throne to shouts of joy, ∫ 

∫ A blare of trumpets for the Lord. ∫ 

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians. 

Brothers and sisters, may the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

The father of glory, give you a spirit 

Of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. 

May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, 

That you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, 

What are the riches of glory, 

And his inheritance among the holy ones, 

And what is the surpassing greatness of his power 

For us who believe. 

In accord with the exercise of his great might, 

Which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead, 

And seating him at his right hand 

In the heavens, far above every principality, 

Authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named, 

Not only in this age, 

But also in the one to come. 

And he put all things beneath his feet, 

And gave him as head over all things to the church, 

Which is his body, the fullness of the one 

Who fills all things in every way. 

The word of the Lord. 

-Thanks be to God. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫ 

∫ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫ 

∫ Go and teach all nations, says the Lord; ∫ 

∫ I am with you always until the end of the world. ∫ 

∫ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫ 

Friends the Lord be with you. 

-And with your spirit. 

A reading from the holy gospel according to St. Luke. 

-Glory to you, o Lord. 

May the word of God be always on our minds, 

On our lips, and in our hearts. 

Jesus said to his disciples, “thus it is written 

That the Christ would suffer, 

And rise from the dead on the third day, 

And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins 

Would be preached in his name 

To all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 

You are witnesses of these things. 

Behold, I am sending the promise of my father upon you, 

But stay in the city until you are clothed 

With power from on high.” 

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, 

Raised his hands, and blessed them. 

As he blessed them, he parted from them, 

Was taken up to heaven. 

They did him homage, 

And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 

They were continually in the temple praising God. 

The gospel of the Lord. 

-Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

 

Well, first I’m going to ask for a confession, 

A public confession over the tv airwaves. 

I’m going to ask if you called your parish 

Asking what day is holy Thursday mass. 

Did you call? 

So many people are confused about holy Thursday 

Because we used to always, sorry, ascension Thursday mass. 

So many people are confused about ascension Thursday mass 

Because it was always on Thursday. 

Did I say holy Thursday? 

I meant ascension Thursday, ascension Thursday. 

It was always on Thursdays, but about 10 years ago, 

15 years ago, ascension Thursday was bumped 

Three days to the Sunday, so we all could celebrate 

Ascension Thursday together. 

So here we are celebrating ascension Thursday 

Together, not 40, but 43 days after 

Our easter celebration, 43 days later. 

On this ascension Thursday, we have the great joy 

Of celebrating the gift that Jesus gave all of us, 

His ascension into heaven, 

And then as he promised the sending forth 

Of the holy spirit, which we’ll celebrate next Sunday. 

As we come together, we remember this great gift and power, 

And it’s captured very beautifully in Luke’s gospel. 

Jesus explains to his disciples. 

This is what was prophesized, 

And this is what’s going to happen. 

I will send the holy spirit among you, 

And then they went off to the hill, 

And Jesus ascended into heaven. 

Luke’s gospel gives that to us very beautifully, 

As does Luke’s acts of the apostles 

That was read for us so well today. 

In the acts of the apostles, we have the narrative, 

The story of the unfolding of what happened 

From the perspective of the 12 apostles. 

We have it in the acts of the apostles. 

So both in the perspective of Jesus 

And in the perspective of the apostles, 

We have the recounting of this glorious ascension of Jesus 

Into heaven with the powerful promise 

That Jesus will send the holy spirit out among us 

To encourage us, to fill us up, 

To give us all that we need. 

All seven gifts of the holy spirit will be ours, 

Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, 

Knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. 

We have this great promise 

That Jesus will send the spirit upon us. 

We hear about the acts of the apostles from Luke. 

We hear about Luke’s gospel, 

But I want to talk for one last second about Paul’s letter 

To the Ephesians, the Ephesians. 

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. 

You know, some church ministers go back and forth 

About how we receive the good news of Jesus in our, 

Do we receive it in our head? 

Do we receive it in our heart? 

And in Paul’s letter to Ephesians, 

I’d like to point out that St. Paul refers to both, 

The head that receives the wisdom 

Through the power of the holy spirit 

And the heart that’s opened up in the eyes of our hearts 

See clearly the gift of faith. 

As we gather together today, we know that our head, 

Our head has received the good news 

Of Jesus’s life, his death, his resurrection, 

And his ascension into heaven. 

We receive that with our head 

And we can tell you the story, but also with our heart, 

We know that Christ is very much alive in the world, 

Alive in us, alive in the eucharist, 

And Jesus is healing, Jesus is salvation, 

Jesus is kindness, Jesus is hopefulness, 

It’s all very much alive in our hearts. 

And because Jesus’s love is alive in our hearts, 

We pass that on to others that we encounter every day. 

On this ascension Thursday, on this ascension Sunday, 

We celebrate the great gift that Jesus gave us 

As ascension, but more to the point, 

We celebrate what we know and how we live out 

That great faith in Jesus who’s alive in our hearts 

And therefore alive in the world. 

Jesus promises on the spirit and he does, 

But even before we celebrate Pentecost, 

Let us be very much aware of Jesus alive in our hearts 

For the transformation of the world, 

Building God’s kingdom. 

 

 

Let us pray the apostles creed, friends: 

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’ll 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. 

We offer our prayers and petitions 

Before our generous God. 

Our response to each prayer will be, 

“Lord, hear our prayer.” 

For our church leaders, as they proclaim 

The resurrection and ascension of Christ to those 

Who do not yet believe, we pray to the Lord. 

-Lord, hear our prayer. 

For people living in war-torn nations, 

May peaceful resolutions be found, 

And may God’s love fill the hearts of all people, 

We pray to the Lord. 

-Lord, hear our prayer. 

For Mercy Homes youth, who are graduating this year, 

May they find opportunity and hope in their future. 

We pray to the Lord. 

-Lord, hear our prayer. 

For our deceased loved ones, may our risen Lord 

Welcome them into his eternal kingdom, 

We pray to the Lord. 

-Lord, hear our prayer. 

Compassionate and generous God, 

Hear the prayers of your faithful people. 

In mercy and love, answer these our humble prayers 

We ask this through Christ our Lord. 

-Amen. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation, 

For through your goodness we have received 

The bread we offer you. 

The fruit of the earth, work of human hands, 

It will become for us the bread of life. 

Blessed be God forever. 

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. 

With humble spirit and contrite heart 

May be accepted by you, o Lord. 

May our sacrifice and your sacrifice 

Be pleasing to you, o God. 

And wash away my iniquity, o God, with all my sinfulness. 

∫ [Music continues] ∫ 

So 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. 

We offer sacrifice now in supplication, o Lord, 

To honor the wondrous ascension of your son Jesus. 

Grant we pray that through this most holy exchange 

We too may rise up to the heavenly realms. 

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. 

Friends, 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. 

For the Lord Jesus, the king of glory, 

Conqueror of sin and death, ascended today 

To the highest heavens as the angels gazed in wonder. 

Mediator between God and man, judge of the world 

And Lord of hosts, he ascended, 

Not to distance himself from our lowly state, 

But that we, his members, might be confident 

Of following where he, our head and founder, has gone before. 

Therefore, overcome with easter joy; 

Every land, every people exalts in your praise, 

And even the heavenly powers with the angelic hosts 

Sing together the unending hymn of your glory as they acclaim: 

∫ [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 font 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 Jesus was betrayed 

And entered willingly into his passion, 

He took bread and giving thanks, he broke it. 

He gave it to his disciples, he gave it to those he called, 

Those he loved, those he sent, he gave it them saying, 

“Take this, 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, he gave it to his friends, 

Those he loved, those he called, 

Those he sent into the world, he gave it to them 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.” 

Let us proclaim the mystery of faith. 

∫ [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 Jesus’ 

Death and resurrection, we offer you, Lord, 

The bread of life and the chalice of salvation, 

Giving thanks that you’ve held us worthy 

To be in your presence and minister to you. 

Humbly, we pray, that partaking 

Of the body and blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one 

By the holy spirit. 

Remember, Lord, your church spread throughout the world. 

Bring her to the fullness of charity together 

With Leo, our pope, Blase, our archbishop, and all the clergy. 

Remember, especially our sisters and brothers 

Who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection. 

Remember 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. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ Amen, amen, amen. ∫ 

At the savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, 

We 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. 

Graciously grant her peace and unity 

In accordance with your will, 

Who lives and reigns forever and ever. 

-Amen. 

Friends, the peace of the Lord be with you always. 

-And with your spirit. 

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

And on behalf of everyone here 

At Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, 

Please know of our prayers, 

Our petitions for you and your family too, 

That you might have peace in your house, in your lives. 

Friends, peace be with you. 

∫ [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. ∫ 

Behold the lamb of God. 

Behold Jesus, who ascended to the heavens to the father, 

Who sends the holy spirit out upon us. 

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] ∫ 

For those of you at home, 

Please turn to page 6 in your tv mass guide and join 

In singing our communion song, “love is his word.” 

∫ Love is his word, love is his way, ∫ 

∫ Feasting with all, fasting alone, ∫ 

∫ Living and dying, rising again. ∫ 

∫ Love only, love is his way. ∫ 

∫ Richer than gold is the love of my Lord, ∫ 

∫ Better than splendor or wealth. ∫ 

∫ Richer than gold is the love of my Lord, ∫ 

∫ Better than splendor or wealth. ∫ 

Let us pray. 

Almighty, ever -living God, who allowed those on earth 

To celebrate divine mysteries, 

Grant, we pray, that Christian hope may draw us onward 

To where our nature is united with you. 

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. 

-Amen. 

Please join me, friends, 

In praying the prayer for our brothers and sisters, 

The boys and girls of Mercy Home. 

We pray together: 

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. 

My sisters and brothers in faith, followers of Jesus, 

The Lord be with you. 

-And with your spirit. 

Please answer amen to each 

Of these ascension invocations. 

May almighty God bless you for on this very day, 

His only begotten son pierced 

The heights of heaven and unlocked for you 

The way to ascend to where he is. 

-Amen. 

May he grant that as Christ 

After his resurrection was seen plainly by his disciples, 

So when he comes as judge, he may show himself 

Merciful to you for all eternity. 

-Amen. 

And may you who believe he is seated 

With the father in his majesty know with joy 

The fulfillment of his promise 

To stay with you until the end of time. 

-Amen. 

And, my mighty God, bless you, 

The father and the son and the holy spirit. 

-Amen. 

Friends, our beautiful ascension mass has ended. 

Let us go in peace. 

-Thanks be to God. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

∫ Go make of all disciples. ∫ 

∫ We hear the call, o Lord, ∫ 

∫ That comes from you, our father, in your eternal word. ∫ 

∫ Inspire our ways of learning ∫ 

∫ Through earnest, fervent prayer… ∫ 

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 G-I-A Publications Incorporated 

And its World Library Publications Division. 

∫ [Music] ∫ 

Well, first I’m going to ask for a confession, 

A public confession over the tv airwaves. 

I’m going to ask if you called your parish 

Asking what day is holy Thursday mass. 

Did you call? 

So many people are confused about holy Thursday 

Because we used to always, sorry, ascension Thursday mass. 

So many people are confused about ascension Thursday mass 

Because it was always on Thursday. 

Did I say holy Thursday? 

I meant ascension Thursday, ascension Thursday. 

It was always on Thursdays, but about 10 years ago, 

15 years ago, ascension Thursday was bumped 

Three days to the Sunday, so we all could celebrate 

Ascension Thursday together. 

So here we are celebrating ascension Thursday 

Together, not 40, but 43 days after 

Our easter celebration, 43 days later. 

On this ascension Thursday, we have the great joy 

Of celebrating the gift that Jesus gave all of us, 

His ascension into heaven, 

And then as he promised the sending forth 

Of the holy spirit, which we’ll celebrate next Sunday. 

As we come together, we remember this great gift and power, 

And it’s captured very beautifully in Luke’s gospel. 

Jesus explains to his disciples. 

This is what was prophesized, 

And this is what’s going to happen. 

I will send the holy spirit among you, 

And then they went off to the hill, 

And Jesus ascended into heaven. 

Luke’s gospel gives that to us very beautifully, 

As does Luke’s acts of the apostles 

That was read for us so well today. 

In the acts of the apostles, we have the narrative, 

The story of the unfolding of what happened 

From the perspective of the 12 apostles. 

We have it in the acts of the apostles. 

So both in the perspective of Jesus 

And in the perspective of the apostles, 

We have the recounting of this glorious ascension of Jesus 

Into heaven with the powerful promise 

That Jesus will send the holy spirit out among us 

To encourage us, to fill us up, 

To give us all that we need. 

All seven gifts of the holy spirit will be ours, 

Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, 

Knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. 

We have this great promise 

That Jesus will send the spirit upon us. 

We hear about the acts of the apostles from Luke. 

We hear about Luke’s gospel, 

But I want to talk for one last second about Paul’s letter 

To the Ephesians, the Ephesians. 

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. 

You know, some church ministers go back and forth 

About how we receive the good news of Jesus in our, 

Do we receive it in our head? 

Do we receive it in our heart? 

And in Paul’s letter to Ephesians, 

I’d like to point out that St. Paul refers to both, 

The head that receives the wisdom 

Through the power of the holy spirit 

And the heart that’s opened up in the eyes of our hearts 

See clearly the gift of faith. 

As we gather together today, we know that our head, 

Our head has received the good news 

Of Jesus’s life, his death, his resurrection, 

And his ascension into heaven. 

We receive that with our head 

And we can tell you the story, but also with our heart, 

We know that Christ is very much alive in the world, 

Alive in us, alive in the eucharist, 

And Jesus is healing, Jesus is salvation, 

Jesus is kindness, Jesus is hopefulness, 

It’s all very much alive in our hearts. 

And because Jesus’s love is alive in our hearts, 

We pass that on to others that we encounter every day. 

On this ascension Thursday, on this ascension Sunday, 

We celebrate the great gift that Jesus gave us 

As ascension, but more to the point, 

We celebrate what we know and how we live out 

That great faith in Jesus who’s alive in our hearts 

And therefore alive in the world. 

Jesus promises on the spirit and he does, 

But even before we celebrate Pentecost, 

Let us be very much aware of Jesus alive in our hearts 

For the transformation of the world, 

Building God’s kingdom.