∫ (Piano music) ∫

The following presentation is made possible

By the generosity of the viewers

Of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago.

Good morning and welcome

To Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

Today, we celebrate the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

My name is Dan Riley.

I am joined by Mom McNamara and Maudette Carr,

And our celebrant is Father Carl Morello.

∫ “take up your cross,” the savior said, ∫

∫ “if you would my disciple be; ∫

∫ take up your cross with willing heart, ∫

∫ and humbly follow after me.” ∫

∫ take up your cross, let not its weight ∫

∫ fill your weak spirit with alarm; ∫

∫ his strength shall bear your spirit up, ∫

∫ and brace your heart, and nerve your arm. ∫

We come together in the name of the Father

And of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

May the grace, the peace, the love of God

Be with each of you.

-and with your spirit.

Trusting always God’s mercy and love for us,

We call to mind our sins.

Lord Jesus, we trust you came to call sinners to your mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

-lord, have mercy.

Christ Jesus, we trust your love

To heal the wounds of our sin.

Christ, have mercy.

-Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, out of love, you gather us around this table

Where you strengthen us in faith and hope.

Lord, have mercy.

-lord, have mercy.

May almighty God who loves us have mercy on us,

Forgive us any of our sins,

And one day bring us to what the eucharist points toward

The banquet of everlasting life.

-amen.

∫ (piano 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. ∫

∫ (piano music) ∫

Let us pray.

Look upon us, o God, creator and ruler of all things,

And that we may feel the working of your mercy.

Grant that we may serve you with all our heart

Through our lord Jesus Christ, your son,

Who lives and reigns with you

In the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.

-amen.

A reading from the book of wisdom.

Who can know God’s counsel

Or who can conceive what the lord intends?

For the deliberations of mortals are timid

And unsure are our plans.

For the corruptible body burdens the soul

And the earthen shelter weighs down the mind

That has many concerns.

And scarce do we guess the things on earth.

And what is within our grasp we find with difficulty.

But when things are in heaven, who can search them out?

Or whoever knew your counsel,

Except you had given wisdom

And sent your Holy Spirit from on high,

And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.

The word of the lord.

-thanks be to God.

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ in every age, o lord, ∫

∫ you have been our refuge. ∫

∫ in every age, o lord, ∫

∫ you have been our refuge. ∫

∫ you turn man back to dust, ∫

∫ and say, “return, o children of men.” ∫

∫ to your eyes a thousand years

∫ are like yesterday, come and gone, ∫

∫ or like a watch in the night. ∫

∫ in every age, o lord, ∫

∫ you have been our refuge. ∫

A reading from the letter of saint Paul to Philemon.

I, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner

For Christ Jesus, urge you on behalf of my child, Onesimus,

Whose father I have become in my imprisonment.

I am sending him, that is, in my own heart, back to you.

I should have liked to retain him for myself

So that he might serve me on your behalf

In my imprisonment for the gospel,

But i did not want to do anything without your consent

So that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.

Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,

That you might have him back forever,

No longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a brother,

Beloved especially to me, but even more so to you,

As a man and in the lord.

So if you regard me as a partner,

Welcome him as you would me.

The word of the lord.

-thanks be to God.

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ∫

∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ∫

∫ let your face shine upon your servant, ∫

∫ and teach me your laws. ∫

∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫

Brothers and sisters in faith, the lord be with you.

-and with your spirit.

Ours is a reading from the holy gospel now

According to Luke.

-glory to you, o lord.

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus

And he turned and addressed them.

If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,

Wife and children, brothers and sisters,

And even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me

Cannot be my disciple.

Which of you wishing to construct a tower

Does not first sit down and calculate the cost

To see if there is enough for its completion?

Otherwise, after laying the foundation

And finding himself unable to finish the work,

The onlookers should laugh at him and say,

“this one began to build

But did not have the resources to finish.”

Or, what king marching into battle

Would not first sit down and decide

Whether with 10,000 troops,

He can successfully oppose another king

Advancing upon him with 20,000 troops.

But if not, while he is still far away,

He will send the delegation to ask for peace terms

In this same way,

Any one of you who does not renounce all his possessions

Cannot be my disciple.

The gospel of the lord.

-praise to you, lord Jesus Christ.

 

–HOMILY–

Awhile back I was reading an interesting article

That leads me to ask the question,

I wonder are we any smarter at times than monkeys?

Well, what do I mean by that?

Well, I was reading this article that i picked up

And it was an interesting story

About this tribe in Africa.

And they had this ingenious way of trapping wild monkeys

That were then shipped off to the zoo.

The thought of it is not pleasant

But it’s an interesting story that makes a point.

The stories told how they would hollow out

The large pumpkin or gourd and they’d cut a hole in it

And it would be just big enough for the monkey

To get their hands in, slip it through there.

And then they would fill the pumpkin with peanuts

And pumpkin seed and other kinds of things

And they’d hang the gourd back on the tree.

And when all is quiet, the curious monkeys

Then would come to investigate and they’d smell the bait.

And then that’s when they would reach their hand

Into the hole and grab a fistful of peanuts.

But the hole was not big enough for them

To pull out their closed fist.

And refusing to open their fist

And release this wonderful prize that they had,

They were stuck.

And that’s when the tribe could pick up these

Trapped monkeys and sadly they would be shipped off

To live in a zoo forever.

All because they didn’t know enough to let go.

And sometimes we might ask ourselves,

Are we any smarter?

Because often we refuse to let go of the things

That are making our lives so much less

Than what we want them to be,

Much less than what God wants them to be.

And we cling to those things that enable us

To have the trappings of a lifestyle,

But at the cost of a life in which joy and love

And fulfillment should be at the center.

That’s what God wants us to have at the center.

And so today we’re reminded the gifts of God

Can only be grasped with an open hand of humility

And prayer because the closed hands of materialism

And self-centeredness, those are the things

That condemn us to a life of emptiness.

As the tower builder and the king preparing for war discover,

Our days are precious, too precious to waste time

Obsessing about meaningless and trivial things

At the expense of our relationships with God,

With family and friends.

So then why does Jesus say, whoever comes to me

And doesn’t hate father or mother, wife and children,

Brother and sister, even life itself,

Cannot be my disciple?

It sounds so strange.

Well, Jesus uses these words simply to drive home

What we often easily forget.

His point, discipleship involves complete

And total commitment to his way of life and love.

He’s challenging us to make God in Christ

The ultimate priority and be willing to sacrifice

Everything for him.

And how we live and what we do, in the decisions we make,

The question Jesus confronts us with today is this.

Do we seek out and embrace the greater,

Infinitely more important and lasting things of God?

Do more than exist, live.

Do more than touch, feel.

Do more than hear, listen.

Do more than be kind, love.

Do more than listen, try to understand.

Do more than talk about Jesus, give witness.

Do more than speak about Jesus, act.

Are we embracing infinitely the more important

And lasting things of God?

That should be our focus every day.

–HOMILY–

 

 

And now with the things of God in focus,

We profess our faith in the apostles’ creed as we say:

I believe in God, the father almighty,

Creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

And born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

Was crucified, died and was buried.

He descended to the dead and on the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven and is seated

At the right hand of the Father.

He will come again 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.

And with open minds and hearts, trusting God’s love,

We bring our prayers to the lord.

Our response to each prayer will be,

“lord, hear our prayer.”

For the holy father and all religious leaders,

May their words and actions inspire peace and justice

Throughout the world, we pray to the lord.

-lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are feeling lost and alone,

May they find comfort and hope in the love of the lord.

We pray to the lord.

-lord, hear our prayer.

For those who support

The work of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,

May they be blessed with the lord’s mercy in their lives.

We pray to the lord.

-lord, hear our prayer.

For those who pray with us on Sunday mornings,

May this mass nourish their souls.

We pray to the lord.

-lord, hear our prayer.

In faith, hope and love, we bring our many needs

And prayers before God who strengthens us

As we pray through Christ our lord.

-amen.

∫ (piano music) ∫

Blessed are you, lord, God of all creation.

Through your goodness we have bread to offer,

Which earth has given, human hands have made.

May it become for us the bread of life.

Blessed be God forever.

∫ (piano music) ∫

Through the mingling of water and wine,

We share the divinity of Christ,

Who humbled himself to share our humanity.

Blessed are you, lord, God of all creation.

Through your goodness we have wine to offer,

Fruit of the vine, work of human hands.

May it become our spiritual drink.

Blessed be God forever.

Lord, wash away my iniquities, cleanse me of all sin.

∫ (piano music continues) ∫

Pray with me now in faith that these gifts of bread and wine

Offered be acceptable to our almighty, loving God.

-may the lord accept the sacrifice at our hands

For the praise and glory of God’s name,

For our good and the good of all God’s holy church.

Look with favor on our supplications, o lord,

And in your kindness accept these gifts,

Your servants’ offerings,

That what each has offered to the honor of your name

May serve the salvation of all through Christ our lord.

-amen.

Friends, the lord be with you.

-and with your spirit.

Lift up your hearts.

-we lift them up to the lord.

And 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, everywhere to give you thanks, lord,

Almighty, eternal God,

For you laid the foundation of the world

And have arranged the changing of times and seasons.

You formed humankind in your own image

And set humanity over the whole world

In its wonder to rule in your name

Over all you have made and forever praise you

In your mighty works through Christ our lord.

Now with all the angels and saints,

We praise you as in joyful celebration 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.

He gave it to the disciples saying,

“take this, all of you, eat of it.

“this is my body which will be given up for you.”

In a similar way, when the supper ended,

He took the chalice and once more giving thanks,

Gave it to the disciples saying,

“take this, all of you, drink from it.

“for this is the chalice of my blood,

“the blood of the new and eternal covenant.

“it will be poured out for you and for many

“for the forgiveness of sin.

“do this in memory of me.”

The mystery of our faith.

∫ when we eat this bread and drink this cup; ∫

∫ we proclaim your death, o lord. ∫

∫ until you come again. ∫

Now, as we celebrate the memorial

Of his death and resurrection,

We offer you, lord,

The bread of life, the chalice of salvation,

Giving thanks, that you have held us worthy

To be in your presence and minister to you.

Humbly we pray that partaking of the body and blood of Christ,

We may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.

Remember, lord, your church spread throughout the world.

Bring her to the fullness of charity

Together with Leo, our pope, Blase… our archbishop,

And all who minister in your church everywhere.

We pray for all our brothers and sisters,

Those who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection

And all who have died in your mercy,

Welcome them into the light of your face.

Have mercy on us all, we pray,

That with the blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God,

With Joseph, her spouse,

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 one day there praise and glorify you

Through your son, Jesus Christ.

Through him, with him, and in him, o God, almighty father,

In the unity of the Holy Spirit,

All glory and honor are yours forever and ever.

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ amen, amen, amen. ∫

And now with confidence as one family in faith,

We pray as Jesus taught:

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 us peace this day.

In your mercy, keep us free from sin.

Protect us from anxiety and despair,

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, who said to your apostles,

“peace I leave you, my peace I give you,”

Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your church,

And graciously grant her peace and unity

In accordance with your will,

Who live and reigns forever and ever.

-amen.

The peace of the lord be with you always.

-and with your spirit.

Today, from all of us here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,

To all of you at home,

We extend the love and the peace of Christ.

∫ (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. ∫

We behold in faith, Jesus, the lamb of God,

Who takes away our sin,

Strengthened are we sharing 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 of Christ, may the blood of Christ,

Keep us safe for everlasting life.

-amen.

∫ (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,

“many and great.”

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ many and great are bearers of the word ∫

∫ the Christ speaks ∫

∫ the heart seeks ∫

∫ gathered as one ∫

∫ we listen to the word ∫

∫ and share the meal of new birth ∫

∫ the wheat grows ∫

∫ from springtime to fall ∫

∫ the wine flows ∫

∫ in Christ we recall ∫

∫ the sharing of our lives ∫

∫ with one and all. ∫

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ many and great are seeds upon the field ∫

∫ the hand sows ∫

∫ the seeds grow ∫

∫ take now and eat ∫

∫ the covenant fulfilled ∫

∫ the bread of promise and life ∫

∫ the wheat grows ∫

∫ from springtime to fall ∫

∫ the wine flows ∫

∫ in Christ we recall ∫

∫ the sharing of our lives ∫

∫ with one and all. ∫

Let us pray.

May the working of this heavenly gift, o lord, we pray,

Take possession of our minds and bodies

So that its effects and not our own desires

May always prevail in us through Christ our lord.

-amen.

I invite you now to please join me in 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.

Friends, the lord be with you.

-and with your spirit.

We bow our heads now and ask God’s blessing.

Loving God, help us to open our minds and hearts

To those things that we grasp too tightly.

What do we need to let go of so that we can live more freely

In the spirit of your love, your peace, your care?

We ask you to bless us as we go forward now

To live out faith, hope, and love

In the name of the Father and of the son

And of the Holy Spirit.

-amen.

We go in peace to love and serve God

By our continued care for each other.

-thanks be to God.

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ i know that my redeemer lives, ∫

∫ what joy this blessed assurance gives… ∫

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.

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ (Piano music) ∫

The following presentation is made possible

By the generosity of the viewers

Of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago.

Good morning and welcome

To Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

Today, we celebrate the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

My name is Dan Riley.

I am joined by Mom McNamara and Maudette Carr,

And our celebrant is Father Carl Morello.

∫ “take up your cross,” the savior said, ∫

∫ “if you would my disciple be; ∫

∫ take up your cross with willing heart, ∫

∫ and humbly follow after me.” ∫

∫ take up your cross, let not its weight ∫

∫ fill your weak spirit with alarm; ∫

∫ his strength shall bear your spirit up, ∫

∫ and brace your heart, and nerve your arm. ∫

We come together in the name of the Father

And of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

May the grace, the peace, the love of God

Be with each of you.

-and with your spirit.

Trusting always God’s mercy and love for us,

We call to mind our sins.

Lord Jesus, we trust you came to call sinners to your mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

-lord, have mercy.

Christ Jesus, we trust your love

To heal the wounds of our sin.

Christ, have mercy.

-Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, out of love, you gather us around this table

Where you strengthen us in faith and hope.

Lord, have mercy.

-lord, have mercy.

May almighty God who loves us have mercy on us,

Forgive us any of our sins,

And one day bring us to what the eucharist points toward

The banquet of everlasting life.

-amen.

∫ (piano 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. ∫

∫ (piano music) ∫

Let us pray.

Look upon us, o God, creator and ruler of all things,

And that we may feel the working of your mercy.

Grant that we may serve you with all our heart

Through our lord Jesus Christ, your son,

Who lives and reigns with you

In the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.

-amen.

A reading from the book of wisdom.

Who can know God’s counsel

Or who can conceive what the lord intends?

For the deliberations of mortals are timid

And unsure are our plans.

For the corruptible body burdens the soul

And the earthen shelter weighs down the mind

That has many concerns.

And scarce do we guess the things on earth.

And what is within our grasp we find with difficulty.

But when things are in heaven, who can search them out?

Or whoever knew your counsel,

Except you had given wisdom

And sent your Holy Spirit from on high,

And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.

The word of the lord.

-thanks be to God.

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ in every age, o lord, ∫

∫ you have been our refuge. ∫

∫ in every age, o lord, ∫

∫ you have been our refuge. ∫

∫ you turn man back to dust, ∫

∫ and say, “return, o children of men.” ∫

∫ to your eyes a thousand years

∫ are like yesterday, come and gone, ∫

∫ or like a watch in the night. ∫

∫ in every age, o lord, ∫

∫ you have been our refuge. ∫

A reading from the letter of saint Paul to Philemon.

I, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner

For Christ Jesus, urge you on behalf of my child, Onesimus,

Whose father I have become in my imprisonment.

I am sending him, that is, in my own heart, back to you.

I should have liked to retain him for myself

So that he might serve me on your behalf

In my imprisonment for the gospel,

But i did not want to do anything without your consent

So that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.

Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,

That you might have him back forever,

No longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a brother,

Beloved especially to me, but even more so to you,

As a man and in the lord.

So if you regard me as a partner,

Welcome him as you would me.

The word of the lord.

-thanks be to God.

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ∫

∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ∫

∫ let your face shine upon your servant, ∫

∫ and teach me your laws. ∫

∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫

Brothers and sisters in faith, the lord be with you.

-and with your spirit.

Ours is a reading from the holy gospel now

According to Luke.

-glory to you, o lord.

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus

And he turned and addressed them.

If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,

Wife and children, brothers and sisters,

And even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me

Cannot be my disciple.

Which of you wishing to construct a tower

Does not first sit down and calculate the cost

To see if there is enough for its completion?

Otherwise, after laying the foundation

And finding himself unable to finish the work,

The onlookers should laugh at him and say,

“this one began to build

But did not have the resources to finish.”

Or, what king marching into battle

Would not first sit down and decide

Whether with 10,000 troops,

He can successfully oppose another king

Advancing upon him with 20,000 troops.

But if not, while he is still far away,

He will send the delegation to ask for peace terms

In this same way,

Any one of you who does not renounce all his possessions

Cannot be my disciple.

The gospel of the lord.

-praise to you, lord Jesus Christ.

 

–HOMILY–

Awhile back I was reading an interesting article

That leads me to ask the question,

I wonder are we any smarter at times than monkeys?

Well, what do I mean by that?

Well, I was reading this article that i picked up

And it was an interesting story

About this tribe in Africa.

And they had this ingenious way of trapping wild monkeys

That were then shipped off to the zoo.

The thought of it is not pleasant

But it’s an interesting story that makes a point.

The stories told how they would hollow out

The large pumpkin or gourd and they’d cut a hole in it

And it would be just big enough for the monkey

To get their hands in, slip it through there.

And then they would fill the pumpkin with peanuts

And pumpkin seed and other kinds of things

And they’d hang the gourd back on the tree.

And when all is quiet, the curious monkeys

Then would come to investigate and they’d smell the bait.

And then that’s when they would reach their hand

Into the hole and grab a fistful of peanuts.

But the hole was not big enough for them

To pull out their closed fist.

And refusing to open their fist

And release this wonderful prize that they had,

They were stuck.

And that’s when the tribe could pick up these

Trapped monkeys and sadly they would be shipped off

To live in a zoo forever.

All because they didn’t know enough to let go.

And sometimes we might ask ourselves,

Are we any smarter?

Because often we refuse to let go of the things

That are making our lives so much less

Than what we want them to be,

Much less than what God wants them to be.

And we cling to those things that enable us

To have the trappings of a lifestyle,

But at the cost of a life in which joy and love

And fulfillment should be at the center.

That’s what God wants us to have at the center.

And so today we’re reminded the gifts of God

Can only be grasped with an open hand of humility

And prayer because the closed hands of materialism

And self-centeredness, those are the things

That condemn us to a life of emptiness.

As the tower builder and the king preparing for war discover,

Our days are precious, too precious to waste time

Obsessing about meaningless and trivial things

At the expense of our relationships with God,

With family and friends.

So then why does Jesus say, whoever comes to me

And doesn’t hate father or mother, wife and children,

Brother and sister, even life itself,

Cannot be my disciple?

It sounds so strange.

Well, Jesus uses these words simply to drive home

What we often easily forget.

His point, discipleship involves complete

And total commitment to his way of life and love.

He’s challenging us to make God in Christ

The ultimate priority and be willing to sacrifice

Everything for him.

And how we live and what we do, in the decisions we make,

The question Jesus confronts us with today is this.

Do we seek out and embrace the greater,

Infinitely more important and lasting things of God?

Do more than exist, live.

Do more than touch, feel.

Do more than hear, listen.

Do more than be kind, love.

Do more than listen, try to understand.

Do more than talk about Jesus, give witness.

Do more than speak about Jesus, act.

Are we embracing infinitely the more important

And lasting things of God?

That should be our focus every day.

–HOMILY–

 

 

And now with the things of God in focus,

We profess our faith in the apostles’ creed as we say:

I believe in God, the father almighty,

Creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

And born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

Was crucified, died and was buried.

He descended to the dead and on the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven and is seated

At the right hand of the Father.

He will come again 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.

And with open minds and hearts, trusting God’s love,

We bring our prayers to the lord.

Our response to each prayer will be,

“lord, hear our prayer.”

For the holy father and all religious leaders,

May their words and actions inspire peace and justice

Throughout the world, we pray to the lord.

-lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are feeling lost and alone,

May they find comfort and hope in the love of the lord.

We pray to the lord.

-lord, hear our prayer.

For those who support

The work of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,

May they be blessed with the lord’s mercy in their lives.

We pray to the lord.

-lord, hear our prayer.

For those who pray with us on Sunday mornings,

May this mass nourish their souls.

We pray to the lord.

-lord, hear our prayer.

In faith, hope and love, we bring our many needs

And prayers before God who strengthens us

As we pray through Christ our lord.

-amen.

∫ (piano music) ∫

Blessed are you, lord, God of all creation.

Through your goodness we have bread to offer,

Which earth has given, human hands have made.

May it become for us the bread of life.

Blessed be God forever.

∫ (piano music) ∫

Through the mingling of water and wine,

We share the divinity of Christ,

Who humbled himself to share our humanity.

Blessed are you, lord, God of all creation.

Through your goodness we have wine to offer,

Fruit of the vine, work of human hands.

May it become our spiritual drink.

Blessed be God forever.

Lord, wash away my iniquities, cleanse me of all sin.

∫ (piano music continues) ∫

Pray with me now in faith that these gifts of bread and wine

Offered be acceptable to our almighty, loving God.

-may the lord accept the sacrifice at our hands

For the praise and glory of God’s name,

For our good and the good of all God’s holy church.

Look with favor on our supplications, o lord,

And in your kindness accept these gifts,

Your servants’ offerings,

That what each has offered to the honor of your name

May serve the salvation of all through Christ our lord.

-amen.

Friends, the lord be with you.

-and with your spirit.

Lift up your hearts.

-we lift them up to the lord.

And 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, everywhere to give you thanks, lord,

Almighty, eternal God,

For you laid the foundation of the world

And have arranged the changing of times and seasons.

You formed humankind in your own image

And set humanity over the whole world

In its wonder to rule in your name

Over all you have made and forever praise you

In your mighty works through Christ our lord.

Now with all the angels and saints,

We praise you as in joyful celebration 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.

He gave it to the disciples saying,

“take this, all of you, eat of it.

“this is my body which will be given up for you.”

In a similar way, when the supper ended,

He took the chalice and once more giving thanks,

Gave it to the disciples saying,

“take this, all of you, drink from it.

“for this is the chalice of my blood,

“the blood of the new and eternal covenant.

“it will be poured out for you and for many

“for the forgiveness of sin.

“do this in memory of me.”

The mystery of our faith.

∫ when we eat this bread and drink this cup; ∫

∫ we proclaim your death, o lord. ∫

∫ until you come again. ∫

Now, as we celebrate the memorial

Of his death and resurrection,

We offer you, lord,

The bread of life, the chalice of salvation,

Giving thanks, that you have held us worthy

To be in your presence and minister to you.

Humbly we pray that partaking of the body and blood of Christ,

We may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.

Remember, lord, your church spread throughout the world.

Bring her to the fullness of charity

Together with Leo, our pope, Blase… our archbishop,

And all who minister in your church everywhere.

We pray for all our brothers and sisters,

Those who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection

And all who have died in your mercy,

Welcome them into the light of your face.

Have mercy on us all, we pray,

That with the blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God,

With Joseph, her spouse,

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 one day there praise and glorify you

Through your son, Jesus Christ.

Through him, with him, and in him, o God, almighty father,

In the unity of the Holy Spirit,

All glory and honor are yours forever and ever.

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ amen, amen, amen. ∫

And now with confidence as one family in faith,

We pray as Jesus taught:

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 us peace this day.

In your mercy, keep us free from sin.

Protect us from anxiety and despair,

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, who said to your apostles,

“peace I leave you, my peace I give you,”

Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your church,

And graciously grant her peace and unity

In accordance with your will,

Who live and reigns forever and ever.

-amen.

The peace of the lord be with you always.

-and with your spirit.

Today, from all of us here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,

To all of you at home,

We extend the love and the peace of Christ.

∫ (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. ∫

We behold in faith, Jesus, the lamb of God,

Who takes away our sin,

Strengthened are we sharing 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 of Christ, may the blood of Christ,

Keep us safe for everlasting life.

-amen.

∫ (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,

“many and great.”

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ many and great are bearers of the word ∫

∫ the Christ speaks ∫

∫ the heart seeks ∫

∫ gathered as one ∫

∫ we listen to the word ∫

∫ and share the meal of new birth ∫

∫ the wheat grows ∫

∫ from springtime to fall ∫

∫ the wine flows ∫

∫ in Christ we recall ∫

∫ the sharing of our lives ∫

∫ with one and all. ∫

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ many and great are seeds upon the field ∫

∫ the hand sows ∫

∫ the seeds grow ∫

∫ take now and eat ∫

∫ the covenant fulfilled ∫

∫ the bread of promise and life ∫

∫ the wheat grows ∫

∫ from springtime to fall ∫

∫ the wine flows ∫

∫ in Christ we recall ∫

∫ the sharing of our lives ∫

∫ with one and all. ∫

Let us pray.

May the working of this heavenly gift, o lord, we pray,

Take possession of our minds and bodies

So that its effects and not our own desires

May always prevail in us through Christ our lord.

-amen.

I invite you now to please join me in 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.

Friends, the lord be with you.

-and with your spirit.

We bow our heads now and ask God’s blessing.

Loving God, help us to open our minds and hearts

To those things that we grasp too tightly.

What do we need to let go of so that we can live more freely

In the spirit of your love, your peace, your care?

We ask you to bless us as we go forward now

To live out faith, hope, and love

In the name of the Father and of the son

And of the Holy Spirit.

-amen.

We go in peace to love and serve God

By our continued care for each other.

-thanks be to God.

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ i know that my redeemer lives, ∫

∫ what joy this blessed assurance gives… ∫

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.

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ (Piano music) ∫

The following presentation is made possible

By the generosity of the viewers

Of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago.

Good morning and welcome

To Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

Today, we celebrate the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

My name is Dan Riley.

I am joined by Mom McNamara and Maudette Carr,

And our celebrant is Father Carl Morello.

∫ “take up your cross,” the savior said, ∫

∫ “if you would my disciple be; ∫

∫ take up your cross with willing heart, ∫

∫ and humbly follow after me.” ∫

∫ take up your cross, let not its weight ∫

∫ fill your weak spirit with alarm; ∫

∫ his strength shall bear your spirit up, ∫

∫ and brace your heart, and nerve your arm. ∫

We come together in the name of the Father

And of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

May the grace, the peace, the love of God

Be with each of you.

-and with your spirit.

Trusting always God’s mercy and love for us,

We call to mind our sins.

Lord Jesus, we trust you came to call sinners to your mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

-lord, have mercy.

Christ Jesus, we trust your love

To heal the wounds of our sin.

Christ, have mercy.

-Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, out of love, you gather us around this table

Where you strengthen us in faith and hope.

Lord, have mercy.

-lord, have mercy.

May almighty God who loves us have mercy on us,

Forgive us any of our sins,

And one day bring us to what the eucharist points toward

The banquet of everlasting life.

-amen.

∫ (piano 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. ∫

∫ (piano music) ∫

Let us pray.

Look upon us, o God, creator and ruler of all things,

And that we may feel the working of your mercy.

Grant that we may serve you with all our heart

Through our lord Jesus Christ, your son,

Who lives and reigns with you

In the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.

-amen.

A reading from the book of wisdom.

Who can know God’s counsel

Or who can conceive what the lord intends?

For the deliberations of mortals are timid

And unsure are our plans.

For the corruptible body burdens the soul

And the earthen shelter weighs down the mind

That has many concerns.

And scarce do we guess the things on earth.

And what is within our grasp we find with difficulty.

But when things are in heaven, who can search them out?

Or whoever knew your counsel,

Except you had given wisdom

And sent your Holy Spirit from on high,

And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.

The word of the lord.

-thanks be to God.

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ in every age, o lord, ∫

∫ you have been our refuge. ∫

∫ in every age, o lord, ∫

∫ you have been our refuge. ∫

∫ you turn man back to dust, ∫

∫ and say, “return, o children of men.” ∫

∫ to your eyes a thousand years

∫ are like yesterday, come and gone, ∫

∫ or like a watch in the night. ∫

∫ in every age, o lord, ∫

∫ you have been our refuge. ∫

A reading from the letter of saint Paul to Philemon.

I, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner

For Christ Jesus, urge you on behalf of my child, Onesimus,

Whose father I have become in my imprisonment.

I am sending him, that is, in my own heart, back to you.

I should have liked to retain him for myself

So that he might serve me on your behalf

In my imprisonment for the gospel,

But i did not want to do anything without your consent

So that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.

Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,

That you might have him back forever,

No longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a brother,

Beloved especially to me, but even more so to you,

As a man and in the lord.

So if you regard me as a partner,

Welcome him as you would me.

The word of the lord.

-thanks be to God.

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ∫

∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ∫

∫ let your face shine upon your servant, ∫

∫ and teach me your laws. ∫

∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫

Brothers and sisters in faith, the lord be with you.

-and with your spirit.

Ours is a reading from the holy gospel now

According to Luke.

-glory to you, o lord.

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus

And he turned and addressed them.

If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,

Wife and children, brothers and sisters,

And even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me

Cannot be my disciple.

Which of you wishing to construct a tower

Does not first sit down and calculate the cost

To see if there is enough for its completion?

Otherwise, after laying the foundation

And finding himself unable to finish the work,

The onlookers should laugh at him and say,

“this one began to build

But did not have the resources to finish.”

Or, what king marching into battle

Would not first sit down and decide

Whether with 10,000 troops,

He can successfully oppose another king

Advancing upon him with 20,000 troops.

But if not, while he is still far away,

He will send the delegation to ask for peace terms

In this same way,

Any one of you who does not renounce all his possessions

Cannot be my disciple.

The gospel of the lord.

-praise to you, lord Jesus Christ.

 

–HOMILY–

Awhile back I was reading an interesting article

That leads me to ask the question,

I wonder are we any smarter at times than monkeys?

Well, what do I mean by that?

Well, I was reading this article that i picked up

And it was an interesting story

About this tribe in Africa.

And they had this ingenious way of trapping wild monkeys

That were then shipped off to the zoo.

The thought of it is not pleasant

But it’s an interesting story that makes a point.

The stories told how they would hollow out

The large pumpkin or gourd and they’d cut a hole in it

And it would be just big enough for the monkey

To get their hands in, slip it through there.

And then they would fill the pumpkin with peanuts

And pumpkin seed and other kinds of things

And they’d hang the gourd back on the tree.

And when all is quiet, the curious monkeys

Then would come to investigate and they’d smell the bait.

And then that’s when they would reach their hand

Into the hole and grab a fistful of peanuts.

But the hole was not big enough for them

To pull out their closed fist.

And refusing to open their fist

And release this wonderful prize that they had,

They were stuck.

And that’s when the tribe could pick up these

Trapped monkeys and sadly they would be shipped off

To live in a zoo forever.

All because they didn’t know enough to let go.

And sometimes we might ask ourselves,

Are we any smarter?

Because often we refuse to let go of the things

That are making our lives so much less

Than what we want them to be,

Much less than what God wants them to be.

And we cling to those things that enable us

To have the trappings of a lifestyle,

But at the cost of a life in which joy and love

And fulfillment should be at the center.

That’s what God wants us to have at the center.

And so today we’re reminded the gifts of God

Can only be grasped with an open hand of humility

And prayer because the closed hands of materialism

And self-centeredness, those are the things

That condemn us to a life of emptiness.

As the tower builder and the king preparing for war discover,

Our days are precious, too precious to waste time

Obsessing about meaningless and trivial things

At the expense of our relationships with God,

With family and friends.

So then why does Jesus say, whoever comes to me

And doesn’t hate father or mother, wife and children,

Brother and sister, even life itself,

Cannot be my disciple?

It sounds so strange.

Well, Jesus uses these words simply to drive home

What we often easily forget.

His point, discipleship involves complete

And total commitment to his way of life and love.

He’s challenging us to make God in Christ

The ultimate priority and be willing to sacrifice

Everything for him.

And how we live and what we do, in the decisions we make,

The question Jesus confronts us with today is this.

Do we seek out and embrace the greater,

Infinitely more important and lasting things of God?

Do more than exist, live.

Do more than touch, feel.

Do more than hear, listen.

Do more than be kind, love.

Do more than listen, try to understand.

Do more than talk about Jesus, give witness.

Do more than speak about Jesus, act.

Are we embracing infinitely the more important

And lasting things of God?

That should be our focus every day.

–HOMILY–

 

 

And now with the things of God in focus,

We profess our faith in the apostles’ creed as we say:

I believe in God, the father almighty,

Creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

And born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

Was crucified, died and was buried.

He descended to the dead and on the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven and is seated

At the right hand of the Father.

He will come again 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.

And with open minds and hearts, trusting God’s love,

We bring our prayers to the lord.

Our response to each prayer will be,

“lord, hear our prayer.”

For the holy father and all religious leaders,

May their words and actions inspire peace and justice

Throughout the world, we pray to the lord.

-lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are feeling lost and alone,

May they find comfort and hope in the love of the lord.

We pray to the lord.

-lord, hear our prayer.

For those who support

The work of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,

May they be blessed with the lord’s mercy in their lives.

We pray to the lord.

-lord, hear our prayer.

For those who pray with us on Sunday mornings,

May this mass nourish their souls.

We pray to the lord.

-lord, hear our prayer.

In faith, hope and love, we bring our many needs

And prayers before God who strengthens us

As we pray through Christ our lord.

-amen.

∫ (piano music) ∫

Blessed are you, lord, God of all creation.

Through your goodness we have bread to offer,

Which earth has given, human hands have made.

May it become for us the bread of life.

Blessed be God forever.

∫ (piano music) ∫

Through the mingling of water and wine,

We share the divinity of Christ,

Who humbled himself to share our humanity.

Blessed are you, lord, God of all creation.

Through your goodness we have wine to offer,

Fruit of the vine, work of human hands.

May it become our spiritual drink.

Blessed be God forever.

Lord, wash away my iniquities, cleanse me of all sin.

∫ (piano music continues) ∫

Pray with me now in faith that these gifts of bread and wine

Offered be acceptable to our almighty, loving God.

-may the lord accept the sacrifice at our hands

For the praise and glory of God’s name,

For our good and the good of all God’s holy church.

Look with favor on our supplications, o lord,

And in your kindness accept these gifts,

Your servants’ offerings,

That what each has offered to the honor of your name

May serve the salvation of all through Christ our lord.

-amen.

Friends, the lord be with you.

-and with your spirit.

Lift up your hearts.

-we lift them up to the lord.

And 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, everywhere to give you thanks, lord,

Almighty, eternal God,

For you laid the foundation of the world

And have arranged the changing of times and seasons.

You formed humankind in your own image

And set humanity over the whole world

In its wonder to rule in your name

Over all you have made and forever praise you

In your mighty works through Christ our lord.

Now with all the angels and saints,

We praise you as in joyful celebration 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.

He gave it to the disciples saying,

“take this, all of you, eat of it.

“this is my body which will be given up for you.”

In a similar way, when the supper ended,

He took the chalice and once more giving thanks,

Gave it to the disciples saying,

“take this, all of you, drink from it.

“for this is the chalice of my blood,

“the blood of the new and eternal covenant.

“it will be poured out for you and for many

“for the forgiveness of sin.

“do this in memory of me.”

The mystery of our faith.

∫ when we eat this bread and drink this cup; ∫

∫ we proclaim your death, o lord. ∫

∫ until you come again. ∫

Now, as we celebrate the memorial

Of his death and resurrection,

We offer you, lord,

The bread of life, the chalice of salvation,

Giving thanks, that you have held us worthy

To be in your presence and minister to you.

Humbly we pray that partaking of the body and blood of Christ,

We may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.

Remember, lord, your church spread throughout the world.

Bring her to the fullness of charity

Together with Leo, our pope, Blase… our archbishop,

And all who minister in your church everywhere.

We pray for all our brothers and sisters,

Those who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection

And all who have died in your mercy,

Welcome them into the light of your face.

Have mercy on us all, we pray,

That with the blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God,

With Joseph, her spouse,

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 one day there praise and glorify you

Through your son, Jesus Christ.

Through him, with him, and in him, o God, almighty father,

In the unity of the Holy Spirit,

All glory and honor are yours forever and ever.

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ amen, amen, amen. ∫

And now with confidence as one family in faith,

We pray as Jesus taught:

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 us peace this day.

In your mercy, keep us free from sin.

Protect us from anxiety and despair,

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, who said to your apostles,

“peace I leave you, my peace I give you,”

Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your church,

And graciously grant her peace and unity

In accordance with your will,

Who live and reigns forever and ever.

-amen.

The peace of the lord be with you always.

-and with your spirit.

Today, from all of us here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,

To all of you at home,

We extend the love and the peace of Christ.

∫ (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. ∫

We behold in faith, Jesus, the lamb of God,

Who takes away our sin,

Strengthened are we sharing 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 of Christ, may the blood of Christ,

Keep us safe for everlasting life.

-amen.

∫ (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,

“many and great.”

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ many and great are bearers of the word ∫

∫ the Christ speaks ∫

∫ the heart seeks ∫

∫ gathered as one ∫

∫ we listen to the word ∫

∫ and share the meal of new birth ∫

∫ the wheat grows ∫

∫ from springtime to fall ∫

∫ the wine flows ∫

∫ in Christ we recall ∫

∫ the sharing of our lives ∫

∫ with one and all. ∫

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ many and great are seeds upon the field ∫

∫ the hand sows ∫

∫ the seeds grow ∫

∫ take now and eat ∫

∫ the covenant fulfilled ∫

∫ the bread of promise and life ∫

∫ the wheat grows ∫

∫ from springtime to fall ∫

∫ the wine flows ∫

∫ in Christ we recall ∫

∫ the sharing of our lives ∫

∫ with one and all. ∫

Let us pray.

May the working of this heavenly gift, o lord, we pray,

Take possession of our minds and bodies

So that its effects and not our own desires

May always prevail in us through Christ our lord.

-amen.

I invite you now to please join me in 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.

Friends, the lord be with you.

-and with your spirit.

We bow our heads now and ask God’s blessing.

Loving God, help us to open our minds and hearts

To those things that we grasp too tightly.

What do we need to let go of so that we can live more freely

In the spirit of your love, your peace, your care?

We ask you to bless us as we go forward now

To live out faith, hope, and love

In the name of the Father and of the son

And of the Holy Spirit.

-amen.

We go in peace to love and serve God

By our continued care for each other.

-thanks be to God.

∫ (piano music) ∫

∫ i know that my redeemer lives, ∫

∫ what joy this blessed assurance gives… ∫

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.

∫ (piano music) ∫

Awhile back I was reading an interesting article

That leads me to ask the question,

I wonder are we any smarter at times than monkeys?

Well, what do I mean by that?

Well, I was reading this article that i picked up

And it was an interesting story

About this tribe in Africa.

And they had this ingenious way of trapping wild monkeys

That were then shipped off to the zoo.

The thought of it is not pleasant

But it’s an interesting story that makes a point.

The stories told how they would hollow out

The large pumpkin or gourd and they’d cut a hole in it

And it would be just big enough for the monkey

To get their hands in, slip it through there.

And then they would fill the pumpkin with peanuts

And pumpkin seed and other kinds of things

And they’d hang the gourd back on the tree.

And when all is quiet, the curious monkeys

Then would come to investigate and they’d smell the bait.

And then that’s when they would reach their hand

Into the hole and grab a fistful of peanuts.

But the hole was not big enough for them

To pull out their closed fist.

And refusing to open their fist

And release this wonderful prize that they had,

They were stuck.

And that’s when the tribe could pick up these

Trapped monkeys and sadly they would be shipped off

To live in a zoo forever.

All because they didn’t know enough to let go.

And sometimes we might ask ourselves,

Are we any smarter?

Because often we refuse to let go of the things

That are making our lives so much less

Than what we want them to be,

Much less than what God wants them to be.

And we cling to those things that enable us

To have the trappings of a lifestyle,

But at the cost of a life in which joy and love

And fulfillment should be at the center.

That’s what God wants us to have at the center.

And so today we’re reminded the gifts of God

Can only be grasped with an open hand of humility

And prayer because the closed hands of materialism

And self-centeredness, those are the things

That condemn us to a life of emptiness.

As the tower builder and the king preparing for war discover,

Our days are precious, too precious to waste time

Obsessing about meaningless and trivial things

At the expense of our relationships with God,

With family and friends.

So then why does Jesus say, whoever comes to me

And doesn’t hate father or mother, wife and children,

Brother and sister, even life itself,

Cannot be my disciple?

It sounds so strange.

Well, Jesus uses these words simply to drive home

What we often easily forget.

His point, discipleship involves complete

And total commitment to his way of life and love.

He’s challenging us to make God in Christ

The ultimate priority and be willing to sacrifice

Everything for him.

And how we live and what we do, in the decisions we make,

The question Jesus confronts us with today is this.

Do we seek out and embrace the greater,

Infinitely more important and lasting things of God?

Do more than exist, live.

Do more than touch, feel.

Do more than hear, listen.

Do more than be kind, love.

Do more than listen, try to understand.

Do more than talk about Jesus, give witness.

Do more than speak about Jesus, act.

Are we embracing infinitely the more important

And lasting things of God?

That should be our focus every day.