∫ [Piano music] ∫
The following presentation is made possible
By the generosity of the viewers
Of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago.
Good morning and welcome
To Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
Today is the Commemoration for the Faithful Departed,
All Souls Day.
My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Darryl Schimeck,
And our Celebrant is Father James Wallace.
∫ My Song is Love Unknown, ∫
∫ My Savior’s Love to Me, ∫
∫ Love to the Loveless shown that they might lovely be. ∫
∫ Oh, who am I, that for my sake ∫
∫ My Lord should take real flesh and die? ∫
In the Name of the Father
And of the Son
And of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Lord be with you.
-And with your Spirit.
Welcome, brothers and sisters, for Mass.
Good morning.
Thank you for joining us on the Feast of All Souls Day,
Where we pray in a special way
For all of our Faithful Departed,
Those who’ve gone before us marked
With the Sign of Faith.
We pray that they may be enjoying
The Eternal Splendor of God’s Kingdom.
So we prepare ourselves to celebrate this Mass
By opening our hearts up to receive God’s Love and Mercy
And calling to mind our sins.
Lord Jesus, you are Mighty God and Prince of Peace.
Lord, have mercy.
-Lord, have mercy.
Christ Jesus, you are Son of God and Son of Mary.
Christ, have mercy.
-Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you are Word made Flesh
And Splendor of the Father.
Lord, have mercy.
-Lord, have mercy.
May Almighty God have mercy on us,
Forgive us our sins,
And bring us to Everlasting Life.
-Amen.
-And with your Spirit.
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.
-Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,
And His Disciples and a large crowd accompanied Him.
As He drew near to the gate of the city,
A man who had died was being carried out,
The only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
A large crowd from the city was with her.
When the Lord saw her, He was moved with pity for her
And said to her, “Do not weep.”
He stepped forward and touched the coffin.
At this the bearers halted
And He said, “Young man, I tell you, arise.”
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
And Jesus gave him to his mother.
Fear seized them all and they glorified God, exclaiming,
“A Great Prophet has arisen in our midst,
And God has visited His people.”
This report about Him spread through the whole of Judea
And in all the surrounding region.
The Gospel of the Lord.
-Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
I know all of us have someone in our life
Who has passed on to the next world,
So it’s a special day for each and every one of us.
Your parents, your grandparents,
Maybe your children, siblings, whoever it might be—your friends.
So I just want you to know,
I guess I’m going to try to speak
From my heart to your heart,
Because I can’t see you all watching this,
But I know again you’re grieving this day,
That you’re not alone in your grief.
That God is very much with you
And He is very much pleased with the souls
Of your loved ones who’ve passed on.
So just know that.
Death is hard.
It’s hard to make sense of.
It’s painful.
There’s nothing we can say to kind of wipe it away
Or make it any easier,
But only to know that God does hear the cry of the poor.
And like we saw in our Gospel here,
He had pity on this widow who had lost her only son
And He healed her and raised him from the dead.
He touched the boy’s coffin,
Which would have made Jesus unclean,
But He didn’t care because this was the right thing to do.
So you see, I’m holding a prop here.
Yes, I did bring a prop for the Homily.
A dear friend of mine gave me this
Maybe about a year and a half ago, two years ago,
But this plant, and this is a real plant,
It’s not a fake plant.
It started off as just a tiny little stick.
And this friend of mine, he gave it to me.
Now this little stick, this little twig,
He basically said this was from a plant that a friend of his had had,
And his friend who had that original plant
Has since died and is with Our Lord in Heaven.
So it was kind of like a continuation of his friend,
But he was entrusting me with this sapling.
Now, my friend, I think, didn’t have too much faith in me,
And I’m proud to say here it is.
Look how much it’s grown.
I didn’t kill it.
I won’t say who this friend is.
I’ll just give his initials, S.D.
Well, that might be too obvious.
Scott D.
No, that’s too obvious.
S. Donahue.
Anyway, so this doubting Thomas didn’t think I could
Care for this plant, but here we are.
No, he did.
He entrusts me.
It was a very precious gift,
But as I take care of this plant,
Obviously, full disclosure here,
I really don’t take care of it.
I give it to the ladies in the Church to take care of it.
That’s why it’s not dead.
But when I look at this plant
In our Church at St. Paul of the Cross,
It’s in a special place in our Sacristy.
Not only do I feel connected to my friend,
Father Donahue, who gave me this,
But I feel connected to his friend who is in the afterlife,
And his friend, I won’t say who,
But I didn’t know personally,
But you see how the life goes on.
And then, you know, Father Donahue,
Even though he’s going to live to 150 years old,
But, you know, he’ll pass on one day,
And I’ll still have this plant.
Who knows? Maybe I’ll give it
To some young priest,
And then he’ll continue on.
And you see how we go on.
This plant will grow here on this Earth,
But in a way we’re connected now to Heaven.
And there are many other, not just plants,
But other things that we have.
So your loved one is with you in your soul forever.
And the ultimate plant or the ultimate sapling is your Faith.
Every time you receive the Eucharist,
Every time you connect to God in your Spiritual life,
Every time you do a good deed in the Name of Jesus Christ,
It’s like you’re holding the plant of eternity, if you will.
You’re connected.
And that connection fills us with Love,
Fills us with meaning,
Fills us with Hope,
That, as we’re going to hear in the Prayer coming up,
That life is not ended,
But only changed with Death.
And like we heard in the First Reading,
Our loved ones at the time of their Visitation
Will shine like sparks in the stubble.
Our loved ones are shining right now.
In fact, they’re the real stars up in the sky,
All of us together.
And so we praise God for giving us life.
And may all the Souls of the Faithful Departed
Through the Mercy of God rest in Peace.
Amen.
And so, friends, now we profess our Faith together:
I believe in one God,
The Father Almighty,
Maker of Heaven and Earth,
Of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
The Only Begotten Son of God,
Born of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light,
True God from True God,
Begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.

True God from True God,
Begotten, not made,
Consubstantial with the Father,
Through Him all things were made.
For us men and for our Salvation
He came down from Heaven,
And by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary
And became man.
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
He suffered Death and was buried,
And rose again on the third day
In accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into Heaven
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in Glory
To judge the living and the dead,
And His Kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The Lord, the Giver of Life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son
Is adored and glorified,
Who has spoken through the Prophets.
I believe in one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins,
And I look forward to the Resurrection of the Dead
And the Life of the world to come.
Amen.

Trusting that God is always with us,
We now make our petitions.
Our response to each prayer will be,
“Lord, hear our prayer.”

For the Holy Father and all Church leaders,
May they be guided by God’s Wisdom and Compassion.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who have battled chronic illness
Throughout their lives,
May they not lose hope
And have the strength to continue with Faith.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For the young people of Mercy Home,
May they continue to heal and rebuild their lives.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

And especially on this All Souls Day,
Let us pray for our friends and relatives who have died.
May God lead them to the joy of Heaven
And bless their loved ones with His comfort and peace.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

Almighty and gracious God, we thank You for Life.
We thank You for giving us Eternal Life.
Please answer these prayers.
We make them through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ [Piano music continues] ∫

Pray, brothers and sisters,
That my sacrifice and yours 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.

Look favorably on our offerings, O Lord,
So that Your departed servants
May be taken up into Glory with Your Son,
In whose great mystery of Love we are all united,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
-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 and our Salvation,
Always and everywhere to give You thanks,
Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God,
Through Christ our Lord.
In Him the hope of Blessed Resurrection has dawned,
That those saddened by the certainty of dying
Might be consoled by the promise of immortality to come.
Indeed, for Your Faithful Lord, Life is changed, not ended.
And when this earthly dwelling turns to dust,
An Eternal dwelling is made ready for them in Heaven.

And so with Angels and Archangels,
With Thrones and Dominions,
And with all the Hosts and Powers of Heaven,
We sing the Hymn of Your Glory,
As without end we acclaim:

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts, ∫
∫ Heaven and Earth are full of Your Glory. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the Highest. ∫
∫ Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the Highest. ∫

You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the Fount of all Holiness.
Make Holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray,
By sending down Your Spirit upon them like the dewfall,
So that they may become for us
The Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
At the time He was betrayed
And entered willingly into His Passion,
He took Bread and, giving thanks, broke it,
And gave it to His Disciples, saying,
“Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
For this is My Body, which will be given up for you.”

In a similar way, when supper was ended,
He took the Chalice and, once more giving thanks,
He gave it to His Disciples, saying,
“Take this, all of you, and drink from it,
For this is the Chalice of My Blood,
The Blood of the new and Eternal Covenant,
Which will be poured out for you and for many
For the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of Me.”

The Mystery of Faith.
∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, ∫
∫ We proclaim Your Death, O Lord, ∫
∫ Until You come again. ∫

Therefore, as we celebrate the Memorial
Of His Death and Resurrection,
We offer You, Lord, the Bread of Life
And the Chalice of Salvation,
Giving thanks that You have held us worthy
To be in Your presence and minister to You.
Humbly we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ,
We may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.
Remember, Lord, Your Church, spread throughout the world,
And bring it to the fullness of Charity,
Together with our Pope, our Archbishop,
And all the Clergy.

In the hope of the Resurrection
And all who have died in Your Mercy,
Welcome them into the Light of Your Face.
Have Mercy on us all, we pray,
That with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
Blessed Joseph, her Spouse,
With the Blessed Apostles and all the Saints
Who have pleased You throughout the ages,
We may merit to be coheirs to Eternal Life
And may praise and glorify You through Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through Him and with Him and in Him,
O God, Almighty Father, in the Unity of the Holy Spirit,
All Glory and Honor is Yours forever and ever.
∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Amen, Amen, Amen. ∫

Friends, let’s join our voices together
And pray for the coming of God’s Kingdom.
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 Christ, You said to Your Apostles,
“Peace I leave you, My Peace I give you.”
Look not on our sins, but on the Faith of Your Church,
And graciously grant her Peace and Unity
In accordance with Your Will,
Who live and reign forever and ever.
-Amen.

The Peace of the Lord be with you always.
-And with your Spirit.
Let us offer each other the Sign of Peace.

Peace, my brothers and sisters,
Thank you again for joining us.
God bless you this day.
And like I said during the Homily,
We are praying for all of your loved ones who have died
In a special way.
We all pray for all your intentions,
Which we have here on behalf of Father Donahue
And everyone here at Mercy Home,
On behalf of Cardinal Cupich.
We thank you, and may God’s Peace and Blessing
Be upon you always.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Lamb of God, ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Have Mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God, ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Have Mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God, ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Grant us Peace. ∫

Behold the Lamb of God.
Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.
Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof,
But only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
For those of you at home,
Please turn to page six in your TV Mass guide
And join in singing our Communion song,
“May the Road Rise to Meet You.”

∫ May the road rise to meet you ∫
∫ May the wind be at your back ∫
∫ May the sun shine warm upon your face ∫
∫ May the rain fall softly on your fields ∫
∫ And until we meet again ∫
∫ May you keep safe in the gentle, loving arms of God ∫
∫ For everything there is a season ∫
∫ A time for meeting, a time to say goodbye ∫
∫ In all things, God is near ∫
∫ Always guiding your way ∫
∫ May the road rise to meet you ∫
∫ May the wind be at your back ∫
∫ May the sun shine warm upon your face ∫
∫ May the rain fall softly on your fields ∫
∫ And until we meet again ∫
∫ May you keep safe in the gentle, loving arms of God ∫
∫ For everything there is a season ∫
∫ A time for laughter, a time for tears and pain ∫
∫ In all things, God is near ∫
∫ Always guiding your way ∫
∫ May the road rise to meet you ∫
∫ May the wind be at your back ∫
∫ May the sun shine warm upon your face ∫
∫ May the rain fall softly on your fields ∫
∫ And until we meet again ∫
∫ May you keep safe in the gentle, loving arms of God. ∫

And so we pray together
The Prayer for the Children of Mercy Home:
Our Lady of Mercy, we pray
That You will guide, protect, and bless
All boys and girls who this day have a home called Mercy.
May they find the Father’s Mercy as we offer them our hearts
In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.
May they see God’s Mercy in action
Through our Love, prayers, and sacrifices.

Let us pray.
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that Your departed servants
For whom we have celebrated this Paschal Sacrament
May pass over to a dwelling place of Light and Peace
Through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

The Lord be with you.
-And with your Spirit.
And may Almighty God bless you,
The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.
Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
-Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Lord of all Hopefulness, Lord of all Joy, ∫
∫ Whose trust ever childlike no cares could destroy… ∫

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.
And may God bless you,
Your family members, and your friends.

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

∫ [Piano music] ∫
The following presentation is made possible
By the generosity of the viewers
Of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago.
Good morning and welcome
To Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
Today is the Commemoration for the Faithful Departed,
All Souls Day.
My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Darryl Schimeck,
And our Celebrant is Father James Wallace.
∫ My Song is Love Unknown, ∫
∫ My Savior’s Love to Me, ∫
∫ Love to the Loveless shown that they might lovely be. ∫
∫ Oh, who am I, that for my sake ∫
∫ My Lord should take real flesh and die? ∫
In the Name of the Father
And of the Son
And of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Lord be with you.
-And with your Spirit.
Welcome, brothers and sisters, for Mass.
Good morning.
Thank you for joining us on the Feast of All Souls Day,
Where we pray in a special way
For all of our Faithful Departed,
Those who’ve gone before us marked
With the Sign of Faith.
We pray that they may be enjoying
The Eternal Splendor of God’s Kingdom.
So we prepare ourselves to celebrate this Mass
By opening our hearts up to receive God’s Love and Mercy
And calling to mind our sins.
Lord Jesus, you are Mighty God and Prince of Peace.
Lord, have mercy.
-Lord, have mercy.
Christ Jesus, you are Son of God and Son of Mary.
Christ, have mercy.
-Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you are Word made Flesh
And Splendor of the Father.
Lord, have mercy.
-Lord, have mercy.
May Almighty God have mercy on us,
Forgive us our sins,
And bring us to Everlasting Life.
-Amen.
-And with your Spirit.
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.
-Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,
And His Disciples and a large crowd accompanied Him.
As He drew near to the gate of the city,
A man who had died was being carried out,
The only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
A large crowd from the city was with her.
When the Lord saw her, He was moved with pity for her
And said to her, “Do not weep.”
He stepped forward and touched the coffin.
At this the bearers halted
And He said, “Young man, I tell you, arise.”
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
And Jesus gave him to his mother.
Fear seized them all and they glorified God, exclaiming,
“A Great Prophet has arisen in our midst,
And God has visited His people.”
This report about Him spread through the whole of Judea
And in all the surrounding region.
The Gospel of the Lord.
-Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
I know all of us have someone in our life
Who has passed on to the next world,
So it’s a special day for each and every one of us.
Your parents, your grandparents,
Maybe your children, siblings, whoever it might be—your friends.
So I just want you to know,
I guess I’m going to try to speak
From my heart to your heart,
Because I can’t see you all watching this,
But I know again you’re grieving this day,
That you’re not alone in your grief.
That God is very much with you
And He is very much pleased with the souls
Of your loved ones who’ve passed on.
So just know that.
Death is hard.
It’s hard to make sense of.
It’s painful.
There’s nothing we can say to kind of wipe it away
Or make it any easier,
But only to know that God does hear the cry of the poor.
And like we saw in our Gospel here,
He had pity on this widow who had lost her only son
And He healed her and raised him from the dead.
He touched the boy’s coffin,
Which would have made Jesus unclean,
But He didn’t care because this was the right thing to do.
So you see, I’m holding a prop here.
Yes, I did bring a prop for the Homily.
A dear friend of mine gave me this
Maybe about a year and a half ago, two years ago,
But this plant, and this is a real plant,
It’s not a fake plant.
It started off as just a tiny little stick.
And this friend of mine, he gave it to me.
Now this little stick, this little twig,
He basically said this was from a plant that a friend of his had had,
And his friend who had that original plant
Has since died and is with Our Lord in Heaven.
So it was kind of like a continuation of his friend,
But he was entrusting me with this sapling.
Now, my friend, I think, didn’t have too much faith in me,
And I’m proud to say here it is.
Look how much it’s grown.
I didn’t kill it.
I won’t say who this friend is.
I’ll just give his initials, S.D.
Well, that might be too obvious.
Scott D.
No, that’s too obvious.
S. Donahue.
Anyway, so this doubting Thomas didn’t think I could
Care for this plant, but here we are.
No, he did.
He entrusts me.
It was a very precious gift,
But as I take care of this plant,
Obviously, full disclosure here,
I really don’t take care of it.
I give it to the ladies in the Church to take care of it.
That’s why it’s not dead.
But when I look at this plant
In our Church at St. Paul of the Cross,
It’s in a special place in our Sacristy.
Not only do I feel connected to my friend,
Father Donahue, who gave me this,
But I feel connected to his friend who is in the afterlife,
And his friend, I won’t say who,
But I didn’t know personally,
But you see how the life goes on.
And then, you know, Father Donahue,
Even though he’s going to live to 150 years old,
But, you know, he’ll pass on one day,
And I’ll still have this plant.
Who knows? Maybe I’ll give it
To some young priest,
And then he’ll continue on.
And you see how we go on.
This plant will grow here on this Earth,
But in a way we’re connected now to Heaven.
And there are many other, not just plants,
But other things that we have.
So your loved one is with you in your soul forever.
And the ultimate plant or the ultimate sapling is your Faith.
Every time you receive the Eucharist,
Every time you connect to God in your Spiritual life,
Every time you do a good deed in the Name of Jesus Christ,
It’s like you’re holding the plant of eternity, if you will.
You’re connected.
And that connection fills us with Love,
Fills us with meaning,
Fills us with Hope,
That, as we’re going to hear in the Prayer coming up,
That life is not ended,
But only changed with Death.
And like we heard in the First Reading,
Our loved ones at the time of their Visitation
Will shine like sparks in the stubble.
Our loved ones are shining right now.
In fact, they’re the real stars up in the sky,
All of us together.
And so we praise God for giving us life.
And may all the Souls of the Faithful Departed
Through the Mercy of God rest in Peace.
Amen.
And so, friends, now we profess our Faith together:
I believe in one God,
The Father Almighty,
Maker of Heaven and Earth,
Of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
The Only Begotten Son of God,
Born of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light,
True God from True God,
Begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.

True God from True God,
Begotten, not made,
Consubstantial with the Father,
Through Him all things were made.
For us men and for our Salvation
He came down from Heaven,
And by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary
And became man.
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
He suffered Death and was buried,
And rose again on the third day
In accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into Heaven
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in Glory
To judge the living and the dead,
And His Kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The Lord, the Giver of Life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son
Is adored and glorified,
Who has spoken through the Prophets.
I believe in one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins,
And I look forward to the Resurrection of the Dead
And the Life of the world to come.
Amen.

Trusting that God is always with us,
We now make our petitions.
Our response to each prayer will be,
“Lord, hear our prayer.”

For the Holy Father and all Church leaders,
May they be guided by God’s Wisdom and Compassion.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who have battled chronic illness
Throughout their lives,
May they not lose hope
And have the strength to continue with Faith.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For the young people of Mercy Home,
May they continue to heal and rebuild their lives.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

And especially on this All Souls Day,
Let us pray for our friends and relatives who have died.
May God lead them to the joy of Heaven
And bless their loved ones with His comfort and peace.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

Almighty and gracious God, we thank You for Life.
We thank You for giving us Eternal Life.
Please answer these prayers.
We make them through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ [Piano music continues] ∫

Pray, brothers and sisters,
That my sacrifice and yours 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.

Look favorably on our offerings, O Lord,
So that Your departed servants
May be taken up into Glory with Your Son,
In whose great mystery of Love we are all united,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
-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 and our Salvation,
Always and everywhere to give You thanks,
Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God,
Through Christ our Lord.
In Him the hope of Blessed Resurrection has dawned,
That those saddened by the certainty of dying
Might be consoled by the promise of immortality to come.
Indeed, for Your Faithful Lord, Life is changed, not ended.
And when this earthly dwelling turns to dust,
An Eternal dwelling is made ready for them in Heaven.

And so with Angels and Archangels,
With Thrones and Dominions,
And with all the Hosts and Powers of Heaven,
We sing the Hymn of Your Glory,
As without end we acclaim:

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts, ∫
∫ Heaven and Earth are full of Your Glory. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the Highest. ∫
∫ Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the Highest. ∫

You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the Fount of all Holiness.
Make Holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray,
By sending down Your Spirit upon them like the dewfall,
So that they may become for us
The Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
At the time He was betrayed
And entered willingly into His Passion,
He took Bread and, giving thanks, broke it,
And gave it to His Disciples, saying,
“Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
For this is My Body, which will be given up for you.”

In a similar way, when supper was ended,
He took the Chalice and, once more giving thanks,
He gave it to His Disciples, saying,
“Take this, all of you, and drink from it,
For this is the Chalice of My Blood,
The Blood of the new and Eternal Covenant,
Which will be poured out for you and for many
For the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of Me.”

The Mystery of Faith.
∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, ∫
∫ We proclaim Your Death, O Lord, ∫
∫ Until You come again. ∫

Therefore, as we celebrate the Memorial
Of His Death and Resurrection,
We offer You, Lord, the Bread of Life
And the Chalice of Salvation,
Giving thanks that You have held us worthy
To be in Your presence and minister to You.
Humbly we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ,
We may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.
Remember, Lord, Your Church, spread throughout the world,
And bring it to the fullness of Charity,
Together with our Pope, our Archbishop,
And all the Clergy.

In the hope of the Resurrection
And all who have died in Your Mercy,
Welcome them into the Light of Your Face.
Have Mercy on us all, we pray,
That with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
Blessed Joseph, her Spouse,
With the Blessed Apostles and all the Saints
Who have pleased You throughout the ages,
We may merit to be coheirs to Eternal Life
And may praise and glorify You through Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through Him and with Him and in Him,
O God, Almighty Father, in the Unity of the Holy Spirit,
All Glory and Honor is Yours forever and ever.
∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Amen, Amen, Amen. ∫

Friends, let’s join our voices together
And pray for the coming of God’s Kingdom.
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 Christ, You said to Your Apostles,
“Peace I leave you, My Peace I give you.”
Look not on our sins, but on the Faith of Your Church,
And graciously grant her Peace and Unity
In accordance with Your Will,
Who live and reign forever and ever.
-Amen.

The Peace of the Lord be with you always.
-And with your Spirit.
Let us offer each other the Sign of Peace.

Peace, my brothers and sisters,
Thank you again for joining us.
God bless you this day.
And like I said during the Homily,
We are praying for all of your loved ones who have died
In a special way.
We all pray for all your intentions,
Which we have here on behalf of Father Donahue
And everyone here at Mercy Home,
On behalf of Cardinal Cupich.
We thank you, and may God’s Peace and Blessing
Be upon you always.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Lamb of God, ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Have Mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God, ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Have Mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God, ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Grant us Peace. ∫

Behold the Lamb of God.
Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.
Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof,
But only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
For those of you at home,
Please turn to page six in your TV Mass guide
And join in singing our Communion song,
“May the Road Rise to Meet You.”

∫ May the road rise to meet you ∫
∫ May the wind be at your back ∫
∫ May the sun shine warm upon your face ∫
∫ May the rain fall softly on your fields ∫
∫ And until we meet again ∫
∫ May you keep safe in the gentle, loving arms of God ∫
∫ For everything there is a season ∫
∫ A time for meeting, a time to say goodbye ∫
∫ In all things, God is near ∫
∫ Always guiding your way ∫
∫ May the road rise to meet you ∫
∫ May the wind be at your back ∫
∫ May the sun shine warm upon your face ∫
∫ May the rain fall softly on your fields ∫
∫ And until we meet again ∫
∫ May you keep safe in the gentle, loving arms of God ∫
∫ For everything there is a season ∫
∫ A time for laughter, a time for tears and pain ∫
∫ In all things, God is near ∫
∫ Always guiding your way ∫
∫ May the road rise to meet you ∫
∫ May the wind be at your back ∫
∫ May the sun shine warm upon your face ∫
∫ May the rain fall softly on your fields ∫
∫ And until we meet again ∫
∫ May you keep safe in the gentle, loving arms of God. ∫

And so we pray together
The Prayer for the Children of Mercy Home:
Our Lady of Mercy, we pray
That You will guide, protect, and bless
All boys and girls who this day have a home called Mercy.
May they find the Father’s Mercy as we offer them our hearts
In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.
May they see God’s Mercy in action
Through our Love, prayers, and sacrifices.

Let us pray.
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that Your departed servants
For whom we have celebrated this Paschal Sacrament
May pass over to a dwelling place of Light and Peace
Through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

The Lord be with you.
-And with your Spirit.
And may Almighty God bless you,
The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.
Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
-Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Lord of all Hopefulness, Lord of all Joy, ∫
∫ Whose trust ever childlike no cares could destroy… ∫

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.
And may God bless you,
Your family members, and your friends.

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

∫ [Piano music] ∫
The following presentation is made possible
By the generosity of the viewers
Of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago.
Good morning and welcome
To Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
Today is the Commemoration for the Faithful Departed,
All Souls Day.
My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Darryl Schimeck,
And our Celebrant is Father James Wallace.
∫ My Song is Love Unknown, ∫
∫ My Savior’s Love to Me, ∫
∫ Love to the Loveless shown that they might lovely be. ∫
∫ Oh, who am I, that for my sake ∫
∫ My Lord should take real flesh and die? ∫
In the Name of the Father
And of the Son
And of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Lord be with you.
-And with your Spirit.
Welcome, brothers and sisters, for Mass.
Good morning.
Thank you for joining us on the Feast of All Souls Day,
Where we pray in a special way
For all of our Faithful Departed,
Those who’ve gone before us marked
With the Sign of Faith.
We pray that they may be enjoying
The Eternal Splendor of God’s Kingdom.
So we prepare ourselves to celebrate this Mass
By opening our hearts up to receive God’s Love and Mercy
And calling to mind our sins.
Lord Jesus, you are Mighty God and Prince of Peace.
Lord, have mercy.
-Lord, have mercy.
Christ Jesus, you are Son of God and Son of Mary.
Christ, have mercy.
-Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you are Word made Flesh
And Splendor of the Father.
Lord, have mercy.
-Lord, have mercy.
May Almighty God have mercy on us,
Forgive us our sins,
And bring us to Everlasting Life.
-Amen.
-And with your Spirit.
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.
-Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,
And His Disciples and a large crowd accompanied Him.
As He drew near to the gate of the city,
A man who had died was being carried out,
The only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
A large crowd from the city was with her.
When the Lord saw her, He was moved with pity for her
And said to her, “Do not weep.”
He stepped forward and touched the coffin.
At this the bearers halted
And He said, “Young man, I tell you, arise.”
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
And Jesus gave him to his mother.
Fear seized them all and they glorified God, exclaiming,
“A Great Prophet has arisen in our midst,
And God has visited His people.”
This report about Him spread through the whole of Judea
And in all the surrounding region.
The Gospel of the Lord.
-Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
I know all of us have someone in our life
Who has passed on to the next world,
So it’s a special day for each and every one of us.
Your parents, your grandparents,
Maybe your children, siblings, whoever it might be—your friends.
So I just want you to know,
I guess I’m going to try to speak
From my heart to your heart,
Because I can’t see you all watching this,
But I know again you’re grieving this day,
That you’re not alone in your grief.
That God is very much with you
And He is very much pleased with the souls
Of your loved ones who’ve passed on.
So just know that.
Death is hard.
It’s hard to make sense of.
It’s painful.
There’s nothing we can say to kind of wipe it away
Or make it any easier,
But only to know that God does hear the cry of the poor.
And like we saw in our Gospel here,
He had pity on this widow who had lost her only son
And He healed her and raised him from the dead.
He touched the boy’s coffin,
Which would have made Jesus unclean,
But He didn’t care because this was the right thing to do.
So you see, I’m holding a prop here.
Yes, I did bring a prop for the Homily.
A dear friend of mine gave me this
Maybe about a year and a half ago, two years ago,
But this plant, and this is a real plant,
It’s not a fake plant.
It started off as just a tiny little stick.
And this friend of mine, he gave it to me.
Now this little stick, this little twig,
He basically said this was from a plant that a friend of his had had,
And his friend who had that original plant
Has since died and is with Our Lord in Heaven.
So it was kind of like a continuation of his friend,
But he was entrusting me with this sapling.
Now, my friend, I think, didn’t have too much faith in me,
And I’m proud to say here it is.
Look how much it’s grown.
I didn’t kill it.
I won’t say who this friend is.
I’ll just give his initials, S.D.
Well, that might be too obvious.
Scott D.
No, that’s too obvious.
S. Donahue.
Anyway, so this doubting Thomas didn’t think I could
Care for this plant, but here we are.
No, he did.
He entrusts me.
It was a very precious gift,
But as I take care of this plant,
Obviously, full disclosure here,
I really don’t take care of it.
I give it to the ladies in the Church to take care of it.
That’s why it’s not dead.
But when I look at this plant
In our Church at St. Paul of the Cross,
It’s in a special place in our Sacristy.
Not only do I feel connected to my friend,
Father Donahue, who gave me this,
But I feel connected to his friend who is in the afterlife,
And his friend, I won’t say who,
But I didn’t know personally,
But you see how the life goes on.
And then, you know, Father Donahue,
Even though he’s going to live to 150 years old,
But, you know, he’ll pass on one day,
And I’ll still have this plant.
Who knows? Maybe I’ll give it
To some young priest,
And then he’ll continue on.
And you see how we go on.
This plant will grow here on this Earth,
But in a way we’re connected now to Heaven.
And there are many other, not just plants,
But other things that we have.
So your loved one is with you in your soul forever.
And the ultimate plant or the ultimate sapling is your Faith.
Every time you receive the Eucharist,
Every time you connect to God in your Spiritual life,
Every time you do a good deed in the Name of Jesus Christ,
It’s like you’re holding the plant of eternity, if you will.
You’re connected.
And that connection fills us with Love,
Fills us with meaning,
Fills us with Hope,
That, as we’re going to hear in the Prayer coming up,
That life is not ended,
But only changed with Death.
And like we heard in the First Reading,
Our loved ones at the time of their Visitation
Will shine like sparks in the stubble.
Our loved ones are shining right now.
In fact, they’re the real stars up in the sky,
All of us together.
And so we praise God for giving us life.
And may all the Souls of the Faithful Departed
Through the Mercy of God rest in Peace.
Amen.
And so, friends, now we profess our Faith together:
I believe in one God,
The Father Almighty,
Maker of Heaven and Earth,
Of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
The Only Begotten Son of God,
Born of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light,
True God from True God,
Begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.

True God from True God,
Begotten, not made,
Consubstantial with the Father,
Through Him all things were made.
For us men and for our Salvation
He came down from Heaven,
And by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary
And became man.
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
He suffered Death and was buried,
And rose again on the third day
In accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into Heaven
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in Glory
To judge the living and the dead,
And His Kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The Lord, the Giver of Life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son
Is adored and glorified,
Who has spoken through the Prophets.
I believe in one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins,
And I look forward to the Resurrection of the Dead
And the Life of the world to come.
Amen.

Trusting that God is always with us,
We now make our petitions.
Our response to each prayer will be,
“Lord, hear our prayer.”

For the Holy Father and all Church leaders,
May they be guided by God’s Wisdom and Compassion.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who have battled chronic illness
Throughout their lives,
May they not lose hope
And have the strength to continue with Faith.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For the young people of Mercy Home,
May they continue to heal and rebuild their lives.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

And especially on this All Souls Day,
Let us pray for our friends and relatives who have died.
May God lead them to the joy of Heaven
And bless their loved ones with His comfort and peace.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

Almighty and gracious God, we thank You for Life.
We thank You for giving us Eternal Life.
Please answer these prayers.
We make them through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ [Piano music continues] ∫

Pray, brothers and sisters,
That my sacrifice and yours 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.

Look favorably on our offerings, O Lord,
So that Your departed servants
May be taken up into Glory with Your Son,
In whose great mystery of Love we are all united,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
-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 and our Salvation,
Always and everywhere to give You thanks,
Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God,
Through Christ our Lord.
In Him the hope of Blessed Resurrection has dawned,
That those saddened by the certainty of dying
Might be consoled by the promise of immortality to come.
Indeed, for Your Faithful Lord, Life is changed, not ended.
And when this earthly dwelling turns to dust,
An Eternal dwelling is made ready for them in Heaven.

And so with Angels and Archangels,
With Thrones and Dominions,
And with all the Hosts and Powers of Heaven,
We sing the Hymn of Your Glory,
As without end we acclaim:

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts, ∫
∫ Heaven and Earth are full of Your Glory. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the Highest. ∫
∫ Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the Highest. ∫

You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the Fount of all Holiness.
Make Holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray,
By sending down Your Spirit upon them like the dewfall,
So that they may become for us
The Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
At the time He was betrayed
And entered willingly into His Passion,
He took Bread and, giving thanks, broke it,
And gave it to His Disciples, saying,
“Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
For this is My Body, which will be given up for you.”

In a similar way, when supper was ended,
He took the Chalice and, once more giving thanks,
He gave it to His Disciples, saying,
“Take this, all of you, and drink from it,
For this is the Chalice of My Blood,
The Blood of the new and Eternal Covenant,
Which will be poured out for you and for many
For the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of Me.”

The Mystery of Faith.
∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, ∫
∫ We proclaim Your Death, O Lord, ∫
∫ Until You come again. ∫

Therefore, as we celebrate the Memorial
Of His Death and Resurrection,
We offer You, Lord, the Bread of Life
And the Chalice of Salvation,
Giving thanks that You have held us worthy
To be in Your presence and minister to You.
Humbly we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ,
We may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.
Remember, Lord, Your Church, spread throughout the world,
And bring it to the fullness of Charity,
Together with our Pope, our Archbishop,
And all the Clergy.

In the hope of the Resurrection
And all who have died in Your Mercy,
Welcome them into the Light of Your Face.
Have Mercy on us all, we pray,
That with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
Blessed Joseph, her Spouse,
With the Blessed Apostles and all the Saints
Who have pleased You throughout the ages,
We may merit to be coheirs to Eternal Life
And may praise and glorify You through Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through Him and with Him and in Him,
O God, Almighty Father, in the Unity of the Holy Spirit,
All Glory and Honor is Yours forever and ever.
∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Amen, Amen, Amen. ∫

Friends, let’s join our voices together
And pray for the coming of God’s Kingdom.
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 Christ, You said to Your Apostles,
“Peace I leave you, My Peace I give you.”
Look not on our sins, but on the Faith of Your Church,
And graciously grant her Peace and Unity
In accordance with Your Will,
Who live and reign forever and ever.
-Amen.

The Peace of the Lord be with you always.
-And with your Spirit.
Let us offer each other the Sign of Peace.

Peace, my brothers and sisters,
Thank you again for joining us.
God bless you this day.
And like I said during the Homily,
We are praying for all of your loved ones who have died
In a special way.
We all pray for all your intentions,
Which we have here on behalf of Father Donahue
And everyone here at Mercy Home,
On behalf of Cardinal Cupich.
We thank you, and may God’s Peace and Blessing
Be upon you always.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Lamb of God, ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Have Mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God, ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Have Mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God, ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Grant us Peace. ∫

Behold the Lamb of God.
Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.
Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof,
But only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
For those of you at home,
Please turn to page six in your TV Mass guide
And join in singing our Communion song,
“May the Road Rise to Meet You.”

∫ May the road rise to meet you ∫
∫ May the wind be at your back ∫
∫ May the sun shine warm upon your face ∫
∫ May the rain fall softly on your fields ∫
∫ And until we meet again ∫
∫ May you keep safe in the gentle, loving arms of God ∫
∫ For everything there is a season ∫
∫ A time for meeting, a time to say goodbye ∫
∫ In all things, God is near ∫
∫ Always guiding your way ∫
∫ May the road rise to meet you ∫
∫ May the wind be at your back ∫
∫ May the sun shine warm upon your face ∫
∫ May the rain fall softly on your fields ∫
∫ And until we meet again ∫
∫ May you keep safe in the gentle, loving arms of God ∫
∫ For everything there is a season ∫
∫ A time for laughter, a time for tears and pain ∫
∫ In all things, God is near ∫
∫ Always guiding your way ∫
∫ May the road rise to meet you ∫
∫ May the wind be at your back ∫
∫ May the sun shine warm upon your face ∫
∫ May the rain fall softly on your fields ∫
∫ And until we meet again ∫
∫ May you keep safe in the gentle, loving arms of God. ∫

And so we pray together
The Prayer for the Children of Mercy Home:
Our Lady of Mercy, we pray
That You will guide, protect, and bless
All boys and girls who this day have a home called Mercy.
May they find the Father’s Mercy as we offer them our hearts
In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.
May they see God’s Mercy in action
Through our Love, prayers, and sacrifices.

Let us pray.
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that Your departed servants
For whom we have celebrated this Paschal Sacrament
May pass over to a dwelling place of Light and Peace
Through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

The Lord be with you.
-And with your Spirit.
And may Almighty God bless you,
The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.
Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
-Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Lord of all Hopefulness, Lord of all Joy, ∫
∫ Whose trust ever childlike no cares could destroy… ∫

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.
And may God bless you,
Your family members, and your friends.

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

I know all of us have someone in our life
Who has passed on to the next world,
So it’s a special day for each and every one of us.
Your parents, your grandparents,
Maybe your children, siblings, whoever it might be—your friends.
So I just want you to know,
I guess I’m going to try to speak
From my heart to your heart,
Because I can’t see you all watching this,
But I know again you’re grieving this day,
That you’re not alone in your grief.
That God is very much with you
And He is very much pleased with the souls
Of your loved ones who’ve passed on.
So just know that.
Death is hard.
It’s hard to make sense of.
It’s painful.
There’s nothing we can say to kind of wipe it away
Or make it any easier,
But only to know that God does hear the cry of the poor.
And like we saw in our Gospel here,
He had pity on this widow who had lost her only son
And He healed her and raised him from the dead.
He touched the boy’s coffin,
Which would have made Jesus unclean,
But He didn’t care because this was the right thing to do.
So you see, I’m holding a prop here.
Yes, I did bring a prop for the Homily.
A dear friend of mine gave me this
Maybe about a year and a half ago, two years ago,
But this plant, and this is a real plant,
It’s not a fake plant.
It started off as just a tiny little stick.
And this friend of mine, he gave it to me.
Now this little stick, this little twig,
He basically said this was from a plant that a friend of his had had,
And his friend who had that original plant
Has since died and is with Our Lord in Heaven.
So it was kind of like a continuation of his friend,
But he was entrusting me with this sapling.
Now, my friend, I think, didn’t have too much faith in me,
And I’m proud to say here it is.
Look how much it’s grown.
I didn’t kill it.
I won’t say who this friend is.
I’ll just give his initials, S.D.
Well, that might be too obvious.
Scott D.
No, that’s too obvious.
S. Donahue.
Anyway, so this doubting Thomas didn’t think I could
Care for this plant, but here we are.
No, he did.
He entrusts me.
It was a very precious gift,
But as I take care of this plant,
Obviously, full disclosure here,
I really don’t take care of it.
I give it to the ladies in the Church to take care of it.
That’s why it’s not dead.
But when I look at this plant
In our Church at St. Paul of the Cross,
It’s in a special place in our Sacristy.
Not only do I feel connected to my friend,
Father Donahue, who gave me this,
But I feel connected to his friend who is in the afterlife,
And his friend, I won’t say who,
But I didn’t know personally,
But you see how the life goes on.
And then, you know, Father Donahue,
Even though he’s going to live to 150 years old,
But, you know, he’ll pass on one day,
And I’ll still have this plant.
Who knows? Maybe I’ll give it
To some young priest,
And then he’ll continue on.
And you see how we go on.
This plant will grow here on this Earth,
But in a way we’re connected now to Heaven.
And there are many other, not just plants,
But other things that we have.
So your loved one is with you in your soul forever.
And the ultimate plant or the ultimate sapling is your Faith.
Every time you receive the Eucharist,
Every time you connect to God in your Spiritual life,
Every time you do a good deed in the Name of Jesus Christ,
It’s like you’re holding the plant of eternity, if you will.
You’re connected.
And that connection fills us with Love,
Fills us with meaning,
Fills us with Hope,
That, as we’re going to hear in the Prayer coming up,
That life is not ended,
But only changed with Death.
And like we heard in the First Reading,
Our loved ones at the time of their Visitation
Will shine like sparks in the stubble.
Our loved ones are shining right now.
In fact, they’re the real stars up in the sky,
All of us together.
And so we praise God for giving us life.
And may all the Souls of the Faithful Departed
Through the Mercy of God rest in Peace.
Amen.