∫ [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 First Sunday of Lent.

My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Molly Riley
And our Celebrant is Father James Wallace.

∫ God, in the planning and purpose of life, ∫
∫ hallowed the union of husband and wife: ∫
∫ this we embody where love is displayed. ∫
∫ rings are presented and promises made. ∫

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.

Good morning, Brothers and Sisters.
Welcome for Mass here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

We’re delighted that you could join us to worship God together
And to open our hearts to receive His grace,
His love, and His mercy.

This is our First Sunday of Lent
So we begin this 40-day Lenten journey together.

And so let us prepare ourselves now to celebrate
These Sacred Mysteries by calling to mind our sins.

—I confess to Almighty God and to you, my Brothers and Sisters,
That I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words,
In what I’ve done and in what I’ve failed to do.

Through my fault, through my fault,
Through my most grievous fault.

Therefore I ask Blessed Mary, Ever-Virgin,
All the Angels and Saints, and you, my Brothers and Sisters,
To pray for me to the Lord our God.

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

∫ Lord, have mercy. ∫
∫ —Lord, have mercy. ∫
∫ Christ, have mercy. ∫
∫ —Christ, have mercy. ∫
∫ Lord, have mercy. ∫

∫ —Lord, have mercy. ∫

Let us pray.

Grant, Almighty God, through the yearly observances of Holy Lent,
That we may grow in understanding of the riches
Hidden in Christ and by worthy conduct pursue their effects.

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 Genesis.

The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground
And blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
And so man became a living being.

Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden,
In the east, and placed there the man whom He had formed.

Out of the ground the Lord God made
Various trees grow that were delightful to look at
And good for food, with the Tree of Life
In the middle of the garden
And the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
That the Lord God had made.

The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you
Not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?”

The woman answered the serpent,
“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden.
It is only about the fruit of the tree
In the middle of the garden
That God said, ‘You shall not eat it
Or even touch it, lest you die.’”

But the serpent said to the woman,

“You certainly will not die!
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it
Your eyes will be opened and you will be like God,
Knowing what is good and what is evil.”

The woman saw that the tree was good for food,
Pleasing to the eyes and desirable for gaining wisdom.
So she took some of its fruit and ate it;
And she also gave some to her husband,
Who was with her, and he ate it.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
And they realized that they were naked;
So they sewed fig leaves together
And made loincloths for themselves.

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

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
∫ Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. ∫
∫ Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. ∫
∫ Have mercy on me, O God, ∫
∫ according to Your merciful love; ∫
∫ according to Your great compassion, ∫
∫ blot out my transgressions. ∫
∫ Wash me completely from my iniquity, ∫
∫ and cleanse me from my sin. ∫
∫ Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. ∫

Brothers and Sisters, through one man’s sin
Entered the world, and through sin, death,
And thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned.

For if, by the transgression of the one,
Death came to reign through that one,
How much more will those who receive
The abundance of grace and of the gift of justification
Come to reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, just as through one transgression

Condemnation came upon all; so, through one righteous act,
Acquittal and life came to all.

For just as through the disobedience of the one man
The many were made sinners,
So through the obedience of the One,
The many will be made righteous.

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

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
∫ Glory and praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫
∫ Glory and praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫
∫ One does not live on bread alone ∫
∫ but on every word that comes forth ∫
∫ from the mouth of God. ∫
∫ Glory and praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫

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

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.
—Glory to You, O Lord.

At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert
To be tempted by the devil.

He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights,
And afterwards He was hungry.

The tempter approached and said to Him,
“If You are the Son of God,
Command that these stones become loaves of bread.”

He said in reply, “It is written:
One does not live on bread alone,
But on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”

Then the devil took Him to the Holy City,
And made Him stand on the parapet of the Temple,
And said to Him,

“If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.
For it is written: He will command His Angels
Concerning You, and with their hands
They will support You,
Lest You dash Your foot against a stone.”

Jesus answered him, “Again, it is written:

“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”

Then the devil took Him up to a very high mountain,
And showed Him all the kingdoms of the world
And their magnificence, and he said to Him,

“All these I shall give to You,
If You will prostrate yourself and worship me.”

At this Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan!
It is written: The Lord, your God,
Shall you worship and Him alone shall you serve.”

Then the devil left Him,
And behold, Angels came and ministered to Him.

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

You know, in Matthew’s version of the Temptation in the desert,
Which takes place at the beginning
Of Jesus’ Ministry, as you all know,
Right after He has been baptized by John the Baptist
In the Jordan River.

Matthew emphasizes it is the Spirit that led Jesus
Out into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

So there is almost like God wants this battle
In the desert between Jesus and the enemy—
The devil, Satan, the tempter—to take place.

Why? Because—not because Jesus needs to be tested.
I mean, Jesus is God. We know He is going to pass the test,
And He does, even though it had to be really hard.

Imagine fasting for 40 days
And then these temptations, you know:
To be given the most delicious food you could ever want,
To be given power, honor, glory—

But Jesus resists it.

And the reason God wants this to take place
Is because Jesus, who is also fully Man, is now called to—

In a way, reconfigure, if you will, our DNA.

Our DNA, our inclination as human beings
To give in to temptations.

The reason our DNA, our inclination, needs
To be refigured is because Adam and Eve
Set it on a particular course.

Our First Reading.

The enemy, the serpent, tricked Adam and Eve
Into eating the apple, to cling to something
That they felt was going to give them their salvation.

That’s the trick.

Again, Adam and Eve were smart,
But they did not believe that God was enough.

And so this temptation, or this susceptibility,
This vulnerability, is within us now.

To think, you know what? God is not enough.
I need something more.

Whatever your apple is in your life,
We have that inclination.

Satan is there to whisper into our ears,
“Yes, take that apple.
Take that thing that you need.”

Whether it is money or, you know,
Someone constantly giving you praise and attention,
Or whatever it is—pleasure.

All those things that you cling to.

So when Jesus goes into the desert, He basically says:
“You know what? You can resist that now.
I am enough, and you can cling to Me.
You can come to Me, and I will—
I will give you what you need.

In fact, I will fulfill your desires
Beyond your wildest imaginations.”

Okay, so in this Lenten Season, we are entering into the desert,
And we try to sort of deprive ourselves.

We fast, we give alms, we pray more.

To put us in that zone where we are going to hear
The devil whispering to us.

And so that then will lead us to Jesus.
We will go to Him and say, “All right, Lord, give me
The strength to say no to this, to say yes to You.”

Now we just take it one day at a time.

This is such a crucial principle
In the Spiritual Life, because you might expand out and say,
“My gosh, 40 days—I do not know if I can do this.”

And maybe you gave something up for Lent,
And then tomorrow you fail at that.

You are like, “You know what? I will just forget
The whole thing.”

It is like, no—okay.
Maybe you fail today, but that is all right.
Go back at it again tomorrow.

One day at a time, okay?

And trust that even if you do struggle today,
That God is behind that.

You know, it was not easy for Jesus to be in the desert
Facing these temptations. It is okay to struggle.

Okay, so with that—one day at a time—
There is a song I am going to sing to you all,
Just to conclude here.

Hopefully you do not turn off the TV
And this does not plummet our ratings.

But it is a religious song,
But it is also like an old country western song
About taking it one day at a time.

So as we listen to this, we know
That God is with us. We do not have to worry about the past.
Do not worry about the future.

Trust that He is doing something powerful in our souls right now.

The version I am going to sing was sung by
An old country western singer.
His name was Merle Haggard.

∫ I’m only human, I’m just a man. ∫
∫ Help me to believe in what I could be, ∫
∫ and all that I have. ∫
∫ Show me the stairway that I have to climb. ∫
∫ Lord, for my sake teach me to take one day at a time. ∫
∫ Do you remember when You walked among men? ∫
∫ Well, Jesus, You know if You’re looking below, ∫

∫ It’s worse now than then, ∫
∫ pushing and shoving and a crowd in my mind. ∫
∫ Lord, for my sake teach me to take one day at a time. ∫
∫ One day at a time, sweet Jesus. ∫
∫ and that’s all I’m asking from You. ∫
∫ give me the strength to do every day ∫
∫ what I have to do, and yesterday’s gone. ∫
∫ sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine. ∫
∫ so for my sake teach me to take one day at a time. ∫
∫ so for our sake teach us to take one day at a time. ∫

So, friends, we will 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;
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.

And so we pray now for the needs of the Church and the world.

Our response to each prayer will be,
“Lord, hear our prayer.”

For our Holy Father and all clergy, as they call people
To reflect on the Lenten Season as a time of humility,
Generosity, and reconciliation.

We pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who have just moved into nursing homes,
May the Lord’s presence comfort them
In their time of transition.

We pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.

For the boys and girls of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
May they experience the compassion of others
During this Lenten Season.

We pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.

For the poor, persecuted, and sick, may they
Feel God’s presence and love in their lives.

We pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.

Loving and merciful Father,
Guide us on our way and answer now these prayers,
Which we make 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.

Give us the right dispositions, O Lord,
We pray, to make these offerings,
For with them we celebrate the beginning
Of this venerable and Sacred time,
Through Christ our Lord.
—Amen.

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

Lift up your hearts.
—We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.
—It is right and just.

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
Always and everywhere to give You thanks,
Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God,
Through Christ our Lord.

By abstaining 40 long days from earthly food,
He consecrated through His fast
The pattern of our Lenten observance.

And by overturning all the snares of the ancient serpent,
Taught us to cast out the leaven of malice,
So that, celebrating worthily the Paschal Mystery,
We might pass over at last to the Eternal Paschal Feast.

And so, with the company of Angels and Saints,
We sing the hymn of Your praise,
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 her to the fullness of charity,
Together with Leo, our Pope,
And Blasé, our Bishop, and all the clergy.

Remember also our Brothers and Sisters
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,
Blessed 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 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. ∫

Let us all join our voices together now,
And pray the words that Jesus taught us:

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, who said to Your Apostles,
“Peace I leave you, My peace I give you.”

Look not on our sins, but on the faith of Your Church,
And graciously grant her peace and unity
In accordance with Your will,
Who live and reign forever and ever.
—Amen.

The Peace of the Lord be with you always.
—And with your spirit.

Let us offer each other the Sign of Peace.

My Brothers and Sisters, peace be with you.

Again, blessings and prayers on your Lenten journey.

On behalf of Father Donahue and all the staff
And the residents here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
We thank you for your support and your prayers for us.

Please know again, we hold your intentions here in our hearts,
And may the Lord be with you this day
And the rest of these days of Lent.

∫ [Soft 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 Hymn,
“There Is a Balm in Gilead.”

∫ There is a balm in Gilead ∫
∫ to make the wounded whole; ∫
∫ There is a balm in Gilead ∫
∫ to heal the sinsick soul. ∫
∫ Sometimes I feel discouraged ∫

∫ and think my work’s in vain; ∫
∫ but then the Holy Spirit ∫
∫ revives my soul again. ∫
∫ There is a balm in Gilead ∫
∫ to make the wounded whole; ∫
∫ There is a balm in Gilead ∫

∫ to heal the sinsick soul. ∫

And now, my dear Brothers and Sisters,
I invite you to join me in our prayer
For the children of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls:

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.

Renewed now with Heavenly Bread,
By which faith is nourished,
Hope increased, and charity strengthened,

We pray, O Lord, that we may learn to hunger for Christ,
The True and Living Bread,
And strive to live by every word
Which proceeds from Your mouth,
Through Christ our Lord.
—Amen.

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

May Almighty God bless you:
The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
—Amen.

Go in peace.
—Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
∫ Comfort, comfort, O My people, ∫
∫ speak of peace, now says our God. ∫
∫ comfort those who sit in darkness, ∫
∫ mourning under sorrow’s load. ∫
∫ speak unto Jerusalem ∫
∫ of the peace that waits for them. ∫
∫ tell of all the sins I cover, ∫
∫ and that warfare now is over. ∫
∫ [Piano Music] ∫
∫ [Piano Music continues] ∫

Hello, my friends, as you know, as I know—
This TV Ministry at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls is so important.

It allows us to gather wherever you may be
To participate in the prayer of the Church.

It allows us to pray for one another,
And how important it is.
It allows you and me to pray for the children here
At Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

We are nourished by our presence together
And by the celebration of the Eucharist.

I just want to take this opportunity
To thank you so very much
For the ways in which you support this Mass
Here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

Please consider doing that going forward as well.

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

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

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
The following presentation is made possible
By the generosity of the viewers
Of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago.

Good morning and welcome
To Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
Today we celebrate the First Sunday of Lent.

My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Molly Riley
And our Celebrant is Father James Wallace.

∫ God, in the planning and purpose of life, ∫
∫ hallowed the union of husband and wife: ∫
∫ this we embody where love is displayed. ∫
∫ rings are presented and promises made. ∫

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.

Good morning, Brothers and Sisters.
Welcome for Mass here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

We’re delighted that you could join us to worship God together
And to open our hearts to receive His grace,
His love, and His mercy.

This is our First Sunday of Lent
So we begin this 40-day Lenten journey together.

And so let us prepare ourselves now to celebrate
These Sacred Mysteries by calling to mind our sins.

—I confess to Almighty God and to you, my Brothers and Sisters,
That I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words,
In what I’ve done and in what I’ve failed to do.

Through my fault, through my fault,
Through my most grievous fault.

Therefore I ask Blessed Mary, Ever-Virgin,
All the Angels and Saints, and you, my Brothers and Sisters,
To pray for me to the Lord our God.

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

∫ Lord, have mercy. ∫
∫ —Lord, have mercy. ∫
∫ Christ, have mercy. ∫
∫ —Christ, have mercy. ∫
∫ Lord, have mercy. ∫

∫ —Lord, have mercy. ∫

Let us pray.

Grant, Almighty God, through the yearly observances of Holy Lent,
That we may grow in understanding of the riches
Hidden in Christ and by worthy conduct pursue their effects.

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 Genesis.

The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground
And blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
And so man became a living being.

Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden,
In the east, and placed there the man whom He had formed.

Out of the ground the Lord God made
Various trees grow that were delightful to look at
And good for food, with the Tree of Life
In the middle of the garden
And the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
That the Lord God had made.

The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you
Not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?”

The woman answered the serpent,
“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden.
It is only about the fruit of the tree
In the middle of the garden
That God said, ‘You shall not eat it
Or even touch it, lest you die.’”

But the serpent said to the woman,

“You certainly will not die!
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it
Your eyes will be opened and you will be like God,
Knowing what is good and what is evil.”

The woman saw that the tree was good for food,
Pleasing to the eyes and desirable for gaining wisdom.
So she took some of its fruit and ate it;
And she also gave some to her husband,
Who was with her, and he ate it.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
And they realized that they were naked;
So they sewed fig leaves together
And made loincloths for themselves.

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

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
∫ Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. ∫
∫ Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. ∫
∫ Have mercy on me, O God, ∫
∫ according to Your merciful love; ∫
∫ according to Your great compassion, ∫
∫ blot out my transgressions. ∫
∫ Wash me completely from my iniquity, ∫
∫ and cleanse me from my sin. ∫
∫ Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. ∫

Brothers and Sisters, through one man’s sin
Entered the world, and through sin, death,
And thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned.

For if, by the transgression of the one,
Death came to reign through that one,
How much more will those who receive
The abundance of grace and of the gift of justification
Come to reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, just as through one transgression

Condemnation came upon all; so, through one righteous act,
Acquittal and life came to all.

For just as through the disobedience of the one man
The many were made sinners,
So through the obedience of the One,
The many will be made righteous.

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

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
∫ Glory and praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫
∫ Glory and praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫
∫ One does not live on bread alone ∫
∫ but on every word that comes forth ∫
∫ from the mouth of God. ∫
∫ Glory and praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫

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

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.
—Glory to You, O Lord.

At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert
To be tempted by the devil.

He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights,
And afterwards He was hungry.

The tempter approached and said to Him,
“If You are the Son of God,
Command that these stones become loaves of bread.”

He said in reply, “It is written:
One does not live on bread alone,
But on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”

Then the devil took Him to the Holy City,
And made Him stand on the parapet of the Temple,
And said to Him,

“If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.
For it is written: He will command His Angels
Concerning You, and with their hands
They will support You,
Lest You dash Your foot against a stone.”

Jesus answered him, “Again, it is written:

“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”

Then the devil took Him up to a very high mountain,
And showed Him all the kingdoms of the world
And their magnificence, and he said to Him,

“All these I shall give to You,
If You will prostrate yourself and worship me.”

At this Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan!
It is written: The Lord, your God,
Shall you worship and Him alone shall you serve.”

Then the devil left Him,
And behold, Angels came and ministered to Him.

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

You know, in Matthew’s version of the Temptation in the desert,
Which takes place at the beginning
Of Jesus’ Ministry, as you all know,
Right after He has been baptized by John the Baptist
In the Jordan River.

Matthew emphasizes it is the Spirit that led Jesus
Out into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

So there is almost like God wants this battle
In the desert between Jesus and the enemy—
The devil, Satan, the tempter—to take place.

Why? Because—not because Jesus needs to be tested.
I mean, Jesus is God. We know He is going to pass the test,
And He does, even though it had to be really hard.

Imagine fasting for 40 days
And then these temptations, you know:
To be given the most delicious food you could ever want,
To be given power, honor, glory—

But Jesus resists it.

And the reason God wants this to take place
Is because Jesus, who is also fully Man, is now called to—

In a way, reconfigure, if you will, our DNA.

Our DNA, our inclination as human beings
To give in to temptations.

The reason our DNA, our inclination, needs
To be refigured is because Adam and Eve
Set it on a particular course.

Our First Reading.

The enemy, the serpent, tricked Adam and Eve
Into eating the apple, to cling to something
That they felt was going to give them their salvation.

That’s the trick.

Again, Adam and Eve were smart,
But they did not believe that God was enough.

And so this temptation, or this susceptibility,
This vulnerability, is within us now.

To think, you know what? God is not enough.
I need something more.

Whatever your apple is in your life,
We have that inclination.

Satan is there to whisper into our ears,
“Yes, take that apple.
Take that thing that you need.”

Whether it is money or, you know,
Someone constantly giving you praise and attention,
Or whatever it is—pleasure.

All those things that you cling to.

So when Jesus goes into the desert, He basically says:
“You know what? You can resist that now.
I am enough, and you can cling to Me.
You can come to Me, and I will—
I will give you what you need.

In fact, I will fulfill your desires
Beyond your wildest imaginations.”

Okay, so in this Lenten Season, we are entering into the desert,
And we try to sort of deprive ourselves.

We fast, we give alms, we pray more.

To put us in that zone where we are going to hear
The devil whispering to us.

And so that then will lead us to Jesus.
We will go to Him and say, “All right, Lord, give me
The strength to say no to this, to say yes to You.”

Now we just take it one day at a time.

This is such a crucial principle
In the Spiritual Life, because you might expand out and say,
“My gosh, 40 days—I do not know if I can do this.”

And maybe you gave something up for Lent,
And then tomorrow you fail at that.

You are like, “You know what? I will just forget
The whole thing.”

It is like, no—okay.
Maybe you fail today, but that is all right.
Go back at it again tomorrow.

One day at a time, okay?

And trust that even if you do struggle today,
That God is behind that.

You know, it was not easy for Jesus to be in the desert
Facing these temptations. It is okay to struggle.

Okay, so with that—one day at a time—
There is a song I am going to sing to you all,
Just to conclude here.

Hopefully you do not turn off the TV
And this does not plummet our ratings.

But it is a religious song,
But it is also like an old country western song
About taking it one day at a time.

So as we listen to this, we know
That God is with us. We do not have to worry about the past.
Do not worry about the future.

Trust that He is doing something powerful in our souls right now.

The version I am going to sing was sung by
An old country western singer.
His name was Merle Haggard.

∫ I’m only human, I’m just a man. ∫
∫ Help me to believe in what I could be, ∫
∫ and all that I have. ∫
∫ Show me the stairway that I have to climb. ∫
∫ Lord, for my sake teach me to take one day at a time. ∫
∫ Do you remember when You walked among men? ∫
∫ Well, Jesus, You know if You’re looking below, ∫

∫ It’s worse now than then, ∫
∫ pushing and shoving and a crowd in my mind. ∫
∫ Lord, for my sake teach me to take one day at a time. ∫
∫ One day at a time, sweet Jesus. ∫
∫ and that’s all I’m asking from You. ∫
∫ give me the strength to do every day ∫
∫ what I have to do, and yesterday’s gone. ∫
∫ sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine. ∫
∫ so for my sake teach me to take one day at a time. ∫
∫ so for our sake teach us to take one day at a time. ∫

So, friends, we will 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;
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.

And so we pray now for the needs of the Church and the world.

Our response to each prayer will be,
“Lord, hear our prayer.”

For our Holy Father and all clergy, as they call people
To reflect on the Lenten Season as a time of humility,
Generosity, and reconciliation.

We pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who have just moved into nursing homes,
May the Lord’s presence comfort them
In their time of transition.

We pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.

For the boys and girls of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
May they experience the compassion of others
During this Lenten Season.

We pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.

For the poor, persecuted, and sick, may they
Feel God’s presence and love in their lives.

We pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.

Loving and merciful Father,
Guide us on our way and answer now these prayers,
Which we make 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.

Give us the right dispositions, O Lord,
We pray, to make these offerings,
For with them we celebrate the beginning
Of this venerable and Sacred time,
Through Christ our Lord.
—Amen.

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

Lift up your hearts.
—We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.
—It is right and just.

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
Always and everywhere to give You thanks,
Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God,
Through Christ our Lord.

By abstaining 40 long days from earthly food,
He consecrated through His fast
The pattern of our Lenten observance.

And by overturning all the snares of the ancient serpent,
Taught us to cast out the leaven of malice,
So that, celebrating worthily the Paschal Mystery,
We might pass over at last to the Eternal Paschal Feast.

And so, with the company of Angels and Saints,
We sing the hymn of Your praise,
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 her to the fullness of charity,
Together with Leo, our Pope,
And Blasé, our Bishop, and all the clergy.

Remember also our Brothers and Sisters
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,
Blessed 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 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. ∫

Let us all join our voices together now,
And pray the words that Jesus taught us:

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, who said to Your Apostles,
“Peace I leave you, My peace I give you.”

Look not on our sins, but on the faith of Your Church,
And graciously grant her peace and unity
In accordance with Your will,
Who live and reign forever and ever.
—Amen.

The Peace of the Lord be with you always.
—And with your spirit.

Let us offer each other the Sign of Peace.

My Brothers and Sisters, peace be with you.

Again, blessings and prayers on your Lenten journey.

On behalf of Father Donahue and all the staff
And the residents here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
We thank you for your support and your prayers for us.

Please know again, we hold your intentions here in our hearts,
And may the Lord be with you this day
And the rest of these days of Lent.

∫ [Soft 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 Hymn,
“There Is a Balm in Gilead.”

∫ There is a balm in Gilead ∫
∫ to make the wounded whole; ∫
∫ There is a balm in Gilead ∫
∫ to heal the sinsick soul. ∫
∫ Sometimes I feel discouraged ∫

∫ and think my work’s in vain; ∫
∫ but then the Holy Spirit ∫
∫ revives my soul again. ∫
∫ There is a balm in Gilead ∫
∫ to make the wounded whole; ∫
∫ There is a balm in Gilead ∫

∫ to heal the sinsick soul. ∫

And now, my dear Brothers and Sisters,
I invite you to join me in our prayer
For the children of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls:

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.

Renewed now with Heavenly Bread,
By which faith is nourished,
Hope increased, and charity strengthened,

We pray, O Lord, that we may learn to hunger for Christ,
The True and Living Bread,
And strive to live by every word
Which proceeds from Your mouth,
Through Christ our Lord.
—Amen.

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

May Almighty God bless you:
The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
—Amen.

Go in peace.
—Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
∫ Comfort, comfort, O My people, ∫
∫ speak of peace, now says our God. ∫
∫ comfort those who sit in darkness, ∫
∫ mourning under sorrow’s load. ∫
∫ speak unto Jerusalem ∫
∫ of the peace that waits for them. ∫
∫ tell of all the sins I cover, ∫
∫ and that warfare now is over. ∫
∫ [Piano Music] ∫
∫ [Piano Music continues] ∫

Hello, my friends, as you know, as I know—
This TV Ministry at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls is so important.

It allows us to gather wherever you may be
To participate in the prayer of the Church.

It allows us to pray for one another,
And how important it is.
It allows you and me to pray for the children here
At Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

We are nourished by our presence together
And by the celebration of the Eucharist.

I just want to take this opportunity
To thank you so very much
For the ways in which you support this Mass
Here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

Please consider doing that going forward as well.

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

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

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
The following presentation is made possible
By the generosity of the viewers
Of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago.

Good morning and welcome
To Sunday Mass at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
Today we celebrate the First Sunday of Lent.

My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Molly Riley
And our Celebrant is Father James Wallace.

∫ God, in the planning and purpose of life, ∫
∫ hallowed the union of husband and wife: ∫
∫ this we embody where love is displayed. ∫
∫ rings are presented and promises made. ∫

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.

Good morning, Brothers and Sisters.
Welcome for Mass here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

We’re delighted that you could join us to worship God together
And to open our hearts to receive His grace,
His love, and His mercy.

This is our First Sunday of Lent
So we begin this 40-day Lenten journey together.

And so let us prepare ourselves now to celebrate
These Sacred Mysteries by calling to mind our sins.

—I confess to Almighty God and to you, my Brothers and Sisters,
That I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words,
In what I’ve done and in what I’ve failed to do.

Through my fault, through my fault,
Through my most grievous fault.

Therefore I ask Blessed Mary, Ever-Virgin,
All the Angels and Saints, and you, my Brothers and Sisters,
To pray for me to the Lord our God.

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

∫ Lord, have mercy. ∫
∫ —Lord, have mercy. ∫
∫ Christ, have mercy. ∫
∫ —Christ, have mercy. ∫
∫ Lord, have mercy. ∫

∫ —Lord, have mercy. ∫

Let us pray.

Grant, Almighty God, through the yearly observances of Holy Lent,
That we may grow in understanding of the riches
Hidden in Christ and by worthy conduct pursue their effects.

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 Genesis.

The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground
And blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
And so man became a living being.

Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden,
In the east, and placed there the man whom He had formed.

Out of the ground the Lord God made
Various trees grow that were delightful to look at
And good for food, with the Tree of Life
In the middle of the garden
And the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
That the Lord God had made.

The serpent asked the woman, “Did God really tell you
Not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?”

The woman answered the serpent,
“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden.
It is only about the fruit of the tree
In the middle of the garden
That God said, ‘You shall not eat it
Or even touch it, lest you die.’”

But the serpent said to the woman,

“You certainly will not die!
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it
Your eyes will be opened and you will be like God,
Knowing what is good and what is evil.”

The woman saw that the tree was good for food,
Pleasing to the eyes and desirable for gaining wisdom.
So she took some of its fruit and ate it;
And she also gave some to her husband,
Who was with her, and he ate it.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
And they realized that they were naked;
So they sewed fig leaves together
And made loincloths for themselves.

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

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
∫ Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. ∫
∫ Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. ∫
∫ Have mercy on me, O God, ∫
∫ according to Your merciful love; ∫
∫ according to Your great compassion, ∫
∫ blot out my transgressions. ∫
∫ Wash me completely from my iniquity, ∫
∫ and cleanse me from my sin. ∫
∫ Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. ∫

Brothers and Sisters, through one man’s sin
Entered the world, and through sin, death,
And thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned.

For if, by the transgression of the one,
Death came to reign through that one,
How much more will those who receive
The abundance of grace and of the gift of justification
Come to reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, just as through one transgression

Condemnation came upon all; so, through one righteous act,
Acquittal and life came to all.

For just as through the disobedience of the one man
The many were made sinners,
So through the obedience of the One,
The many will be made righteous.

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

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
∫ Glory and praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫
∫ Glory and praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫
∫ One does not live on bread alone ∫
∫ but on every word that comes forth ∫
∫ from the mouth of God. ∫
∫ Glory and praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ. ∫

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

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.
—Glory to You, O Lord.

At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert
To be tempted by the devil.

He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights,
And afterwards He was hungry.

The tempter approached and said to Him,
“If You are the Son of God,
Command that these stones become loaves of bread.”

He said in reply, “It is written:
One does not live on bread alone,
But on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”

Then the devil took Him to the Holy City,
And made Him stand on the parapet of the Temple,
And said to Him,

“If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.
For it is written: He will command His Angels
Concerning You, and with their hands
They will support You,
Lest You dash Your foot against a stone.”

Jesus answered him, “Again, it is written:

“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”

Then the devil took Him up to a very high mountain,
And showed Him all the kingdoms of the world
And their magnificence, and he said to Him,

“All these I shall give to You,
If You will prostrate yourself and worship me.”

At this Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan!
It is written: The Lord, your God,
Shall you worship and Him alone shall you serve.”

Then the devil left Him,
And behold, Angels came and ministered to Him.

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

You know, in Matthew’s version of the Temptation in the desert,
Which takes place at the beginning
Of Jesus’ Ministry, as you all know,
Right after He has been baptized by John the Baptist
In the Jordan River.

Matthew emphasizes it is the Spirit that led Jesus
Out into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

So there is almost like God wants this battle
In the desert between Jesus and the enemy—
The devil, Satan, the tempter—to take place.

Why? Because—not because Jesus needs to be tested.
I mean, Jesus is God. We know He is going to pass the test,
And He does, even though it had to be really hard.

Imagine fasting for 40 days
And then these temptations, you know:
To be given the most delicious food you could ever want,
To be given power, honor, glory—

But Jesus resists it.

And the reason God wants this to take place
Is because Jesus, who is also fully Man, is now called to—

In a way, reconfigure, if you will, our DNA.

Our DNA, our inclination as human beings
To give in to temptations.

The reason our DNA, our inclination, needs
To be refigured is because Adam and Eve
Set it on a particular course.

Our First Reading.

The enemy, the serpent, tricked Adam and Eve
Into eating the apple, to cling to something
That they felt was going to give them their salvation.

That’s the trick.

Again, Adam and Eve were smart,
But they did not believe that God was enough.

And so this temptation, or this susceptibility,
This vulnerability, is within us now.

To think, you know what? God is not enough.
I need something more.

Whatever your apple is in your life,
We have that inclination.

Satan is there to whisper into our ears,
“Yes, take that apple.
Take that thing that you need.”

Whether it is money or, you know,
Someone constantly giving you praise and attention,
Or whatever it is—pleasure.

All those things that you cling to.

So when Jesus goes into the desert, He basically says:
“You know what? You can resist that now.
I am enough, and you can cling to Me.
You can come to Me, and I will—
I will give you what you need.

In fact, I will fulfill your desires
Beyond your wildest imaginations.”

Okay, so in this Lenten Season, we are entering into the desert,
And we try to sort of deprive ourselves.

We fast, we give alms, we pray more.

To put us in that zone where we are going to hear
The devil whispering to us.

And so that then will lead us to Jesus.
We will go to Him and say, “All right, Lord, give me
The strength to say no to this, to say yes to You.”

Now we just take it one day at a time.

This is such a crucial principle
In the Spiritual Life, because you might expand out and say,
“My gosh, 40 days—I do not know if I can do this.”

And maybe you gave something up for Lent,
And then tomorrow you fail at that.

You are like, “You know what? I will just forget
The whole thing.”

It is like, no—okay.
Maybe you fail today, but that is all right.
Go back at it again tomorrow.

One day at a time, okay?

And trust that even if you do struggle today,
That God is behind that.

You know, it was not easy for Jesus to be in the desert
Facing these temptations. It is okay to struggle.

Okay, so with that—one day at a time—
There is a song I am going to sing to you all,
Just to conclude here.

Hopefully you do not turn off the TV
And this does not plummet our ratings.

But it is a religious song,
But it is also like an old country western song
About taking it one day at a time.

So as we listen to this, we know
That God is with us. We do not have to worry about the past.
Do not worry about the future.

Trust that He is doing something powerful in our souls right now.

The version I am going to sing was sung by
An old country western singer.
His name was Merle Haggard.

∫ I’m only human, I’m just a man. ∫
∫ Help me to believe in what I could be, ∫
∫ and all that I have. ∫
∫ Show me the stairway that I have to climb. ∫
∫ Lord, for my sake teach me to take one day at a time. ∫
∫ Do you remember when You walked among men? ∫
∫ Well, Jesus, You know if You’re looking below, ∫

∫ It’s worse now than then, ∫
∫ pushing and shoving and a crowd in my mind. ∫
∫ Lord, for my sake teach me to take one day at a time. ∫
∫ One day at a time, sweet Jesus. ∫
∫ and that’s all I’m asking from You. ∫
∫ give me the strength to do every day ∫
∫ what I have to do, and yesterday’s gone. ∫
∫ sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine. ∫
∫ so for my sake teach me to take one day at a time. ∫
∫ so for our sake teach us to take one day at a time. ∫

So, friends, we will 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;
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.

And so we pray now for the needs of the Church and the world.

Our response to each prayer will be,
“Lord, hear our prayer.”

For our Holy Father and all clergy, as they call people
To reflect on the Lenten Season as a time of humility,
Generosity, and reconciliation.

We pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who have just moved into nursing homes,
May the Lord’s presence comfort them
In their time of transition.

We pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.

For the boys and girls of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
May they experience the compassion of others
During this Lenten Season.

We pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.

For the poor, persecuted, and sick, may they
Feel God’s presence and love in their lives.

We pray to the Lord.
—Lord, hear our prayer.

Loving and merciful Father,
Guide us on our way and answer now these prayers,
Which we make 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.

Give us the right dispositions, O Lord,
We pray, to make these offerings,
For with them we celebrate the beginning
Of this venerable and Sacred time,
Through Christ our Lord.
—Amen.

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

Lift up your hearts.
—We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.
—It is right and just.

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
Always and everywhere to give You thanks,
Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God,
Through Christ our Lord.

By abstaining 40 long days from earthly food,
He consecrated through His fast
The pattern of our Lenten observance.

And by overturning all the snares of the ancient serpent,
Taught us to cast out the leaven of malice,
So that, celebrating worthily the Paschal Mystery,
We might pass over at last to the Eternal Paschal Feast.

And so, with the company of Angels and Saints,
We sing the hymn of Your praise,
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 her to the fullness of charity,
Together with Leo, our Pope,
And Blasé, our Bishop, and all the clergy.

Remember also our Brothers and Sisters
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,
Blessed 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 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. ∫

Let us all join our voices together now,
And pray the words that Jesus taught us:

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, who said to Your Apostles,
“Peace I leave you, My peace I give you.”

Look not on our sins, but on the faith of Your Church,
And graciously grant her peace and unity
In accordance with Your will,
Who live and reign forever and ever.
—Amen.

The Peace of the Lord be with you always.
—And with your spirit.

Let us offer each other the Sign of Peace.

My Brothers and Sisters, peace be with you.

Again, blessings and prayers on your Lenten journey.

On behalf of Father Donahue and all the staff
And the residents here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
We thank you for your support and your prayers for us.

Please know again, we hold your intentions here in our hearts,
And may the Lord be with you this day
And the rest of these days of Lent.

∫ [Soft 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 Hymn,
“There Is a Balm in Gilead.”

∫ There is a balm in Gilead ∫
∫ to make the wounded whole; ∫
∫ There is a balm in Gilead ∫
∫ to heal the sinsick soul. ∫
∫ Sometimes I feel discouraged ∫

∫ and think my work’s in vain; ∫
∫ but then the Holy Spirit ∫
∫ revives my soul again. ∫
∫ There is a balm in Gilead ∫
∫ to make the wounded whole; ∫
∫ There is a balm in Gilead ∫

∫ to heal the sinsick soul. ∫

And now, my dear Brothers and Sisters,
I invite you to join me in our prayer
For the children of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls:

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.

Renewed now with Heavenly Bread,
By which faith is nourished,
Hope increased, and charity strengthened,

We pray, O Lord, that we may learn to hunger for Christ,
The True and Living Bread,
And strive to live by every word
Which proceeds from Your mouth,
Through Christ our Lord.
—Amen.

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

May Almighty God bless you:
The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
—Amen.

Go in peace.
—Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano Music] ∫
∫ Comfort, comfort, O My people, ∫
∫ speak of peace, now says our God. ∫
∫ comfort those who sit in darkness, ∫
∫ mourning under sorrow’s load. ∫
∫ speak unto Jerusalem ∫
∫ of the peace that waits for them. ∫
∫ tell of all the sins I cover, ∫
∫ and that warfare now is over. ∫
∫ [Piano Music] ∫
∫ [Piano Music continues] ∫

Hello, my friends, as you know, as I know—
This TV Ministry at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls is so important.

It allows us to gather wherever you may be
To participate in the prayer of the Church.

It allows us to pray for one another,
And how important it is.
It allows you and me to pray for the children here
At Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

We are nourished by our presence together
And by the celebration of the Eucharist.

I just want to take this opportunity
To thank you so very much
For the ways in which you support this Mass
Here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

Please consider doing that going forward as well.

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

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

∫ [Piano Music] ∫

You know, in Matthew’s version of the Temptation in the desert,
Which takes place at the beginning
Of Jesus’ Ministry, as you all know,
Right after He has been baptized by John the Baptist
In the Jordan River.

Matthew emphasizes it is the Spirit that led Jesus
Out into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

So there is almost like God wants this battle
In the desert between Jesus and the enemy—
The devil, Satan, the tempter—to take place.

Why? Because—not because Jesus needs to be tested.
I mean, Jesus is God. We know He is going to pass the test,
And He does, even though it had to be really hard.

Imagine fasting for 40 days
And then these temptations, you know:
To be given the most delicious food you could ever want,
To be given power, honor, glory—

But Jesus resists it.

And the reason God wants this to take place
Is because Jesus, who is also fully Man, is now called to—

In a way, reconfigure, if you will, our DNA.

Our DNA, our inclination as human beings
To give in to temptations.

The reason our DNA, our inclination, needs
To be refigured is because Adam and Eve
Set it on a particular course.

Our First Reading.

The enemy, the serpent, tricked Adam and Eve
Into eating the apple, to cling to something
That they felt was going to give them their salvation.

That’s the trick.

Again, Adam and Eve were smart,
But they did not believe that God was enough.

And so this temptation, or this susceptibility,
This vulnerability, is within us now.

To think, you know what? God is not enough.
I need something more.

Whatever your apple is in your life,
We have that inclination.

Satan is there to whisper into our ears,
“Yes, take that apple.
Take that thing that you need.”

Whether it is money or, you know,
Someone constantly giving you praise and attention,
Or whatever it is—pleasure.

All those things that you cling to.

So when Jesus goes into the desert, He basically says:
“You know what? You can resist that now.
I am enough, and you can cling to Me.
You can come to Me, and I will—
I will give you what you need.

In fact, I will fulfill your desires
Beyond your wildest imaginations.”

Okay, so in this Lenten Season, we are entering into the desert,
And we try to sort of deprive ourselves.

We fast, we give alms, we pray more.

To put us in that zone where we are going to hear
The devil whispering to us.

And so that then will lead us to Jesus.
We will go to Him and say, “All right, Lord, give me
The strength to say no to this, to say yes to You.”

Now we just take it one day at a time.

This is such a crucial principle
In the Spiritual Life, because you might expand out and say,
“My gosh, 40 days—I do not know if I can do this.”

And maybe you gave something up for Lent,
And then tomorrow you fail at that.

You are like, “You know what? I will just forget
The whole thing.”

It is like, no—okay.
Maybe you fail today, but that is all right.
Go back at it again tomorrow.

One day at a time, okay?

And trust that even if you do struggle today,
That God is behind that.

You know, it was not easy for Jesus to be in the desert
Facing these temptations. It is okay to struggle.

Okay, so with that—one day at a time—
There is a song I am going to sing to you all,
Just to conclude here.

Hopefully you do not turn off the TV
And this does not plummet our ratings.

But it is a religious song,
But it is also like an old country western song
About taking it one day at a time.

So as we listen to this, we know
That God is with us. We do not have to worry about the past.
Do not worry about the future.

Trust that He is doing something powerful in our souls right now.

The version I am going to sing was sung by
An old country western singer.
His name was Merle Haggard.

∫ I’m only human, I’m just a man. ∫
∫ Help me to believe in what I could be, ∫
∫ and all that I have. ∫
∫ Show me the stairway that I have to climb. ∫
∫ Lord, for my sake teach me to take one day at a time. ∫
∫ Do you remember when You walked among men? ∫
∫ Well, Jesus, You know if You’re looking below, ∫

∫ It’s worse now than then, ∫
∫ pushing and shoving and a crowd in my mind. ∫
∫ Lord, for my sake teach me to take one day at a time. ∫
∫ One day at a time, sweet Jesus. ∫
∫ and that’s all I’m asking from You. ∫
∫ give me the strength to do every day ∫
∫ what I have to do, and yesterday’s gone. ∫
∫ sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine. ∫
∫ so for my sake teach me to take one day at a time. ∫
∫ so for our sake teach us to take one day at a time. ∫