∫ [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 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.
My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Elizabeth Norton,
and our celebrant is Father Scott Donahue,
President of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

∫ Will you let me be Your servant? ∫
∫ Let me be as Christ to you. ∫
∫ Pray that I may have the grace ∫
∫ to let you be my servant too. ∫

We gather together as believers
around the table of the Lord to celebrate the Eucharist,
to give thanks to God as together we praise God.

In the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
– Amen.

The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with each of you.
– And with your spirit.

My friends, as we begin, we pause for a moment
and we acknowledge we are in need of God’s mercy
and God’s loving forgiveness.

Lord Jesus, as we gather, we ask
that You might deepen our sense of hope.
Lord, have mercy.
– Lord, have mercy.

We ask that You teach us to love as You love.
Christ, have mercy.
– Christ, have mercy.

We ask that You encourage us in ways of faith
in how we live our daily lives.
Lord, have mercy.
– Lord, have mercy.

May Almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to life everlasting.
– 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] ∫

My friends, let us pray.

Grant us, Lord, our God,
that we may honor You with all our mind
and love everyone in the truth of heart.
Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
– Amen.

The First Reading is a reading from
the Book of the Prophet Zephaniah.

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth
who have observed His law.
Seek justice,
seek humility;
perhaps you may be sheltered
on the day of the Lord’s anger.

But I will leave as a remnant in your midst
a people humble and lowly,
who shall take refuge
in the name of the Lord:
the remnant of Israel.

They shall do no wrong and speak no lies,
nor shall there be found in their mouths a deceitful tongue;
they shall pasture and couch their flocks
with none to disturb them.

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

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Blessed are the poor in spirit; ∫
∫ the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs! ∫

∫ Blessed are the poor in spirit; ∫
∫ for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs! ∫
∫ It is the Lord who preserves fidelity forever, ∫
∫ who does justice to those who are oppressed. ∫
∫ It is He who gives bread to the hungry, ∫
∫ the Lord who sets prisoners free. ∫
∫ Blessed are the poor in spirit; ∫
∫ for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs! ∫

The Second Reading is a reading from
the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.

Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.
Not many of you were wise by human standards,
not many were powerful,
not many were of noble birth.

Rather, God chose the foolish of this world
to shame the wise,
and God chose the weak of the world
to shame the strong.

And God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
those who count for nothing,
to reduce to nothing those who are something,
so that no human being might boast before God.

It is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who became for us wisdom from God,
as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
so that, as it is written,
“Whoever boasts shall boast in the Lord.”

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

∫ [Piano music] ∫

∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Rejoice and be glad; ∫
∫ your reward will be great in Heaven. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
The Lord be with each of you.
– And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel
according to Saint Matthew.
– Glory to You, O Lord.
When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up the mountain,
and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted
for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

And blessed are you when they insult you,
when they persecute you,
and utter every kind of evil
against you falsely because of Me.

Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in Heaven.”

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

So there are so many wonderful teachings in the Scriptures,
and so many things that Jesus said to His disciples,
His followers, His Apostles, and then He says to all of us.

And one of the great teachings of Jesus we just heard
is found in the teaching of the Beatitudes.

Every rabbi had what they called their own yoke,
and the yoke of the rabbi was their own teaching.

And Jesus’ yoke, part of His yoke,
part of His important teaching,
is found in this passage in Matthew’s Gospel.

And we know it is important for a number of reasons.
He goes up into the hills, or up into the mountains.
So whenever Jesus goes up,
it means it is going to be a revelation of God.

And then He sits down, and every good rabbi, when they taught,
they taught from the seated position.
And then He looks at the crowd and He speaks with compassion,
and He gives us these beautiful Beatitudes.

So I looked up the Beatitudes in preparation for this homily
from another perspective on each of them.
And I want to share those with you
and see if they help fill out what it is that Jesus
was communicating to those who were listening to Him
at that point in time, and to all of us,
as we listen to His Word now.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

The poor are those who have encountered
unfortunate circumstances
from an economic point of view,
or also persons who are spiritually
and emotionally oppressed.
They are disillusioned
and in their need of God’s help.

And aren’t we all?

“Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.”

The loss of anything that a person counts valuable
will produce mourning. You know that.
Whether it is one’s financial support,
or a loved one,
or status in society,
or even one’s spiritual standing before God,
we mourn, and we will be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.”

Jesus says that a gentle person,
who can patiently endure the difficulties
and the challenges of life that we all have,
will bring about God’s mercy
and will bring about God’s purpose in others.

“Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.”

Righteousness includes several facets.
It includes justice for those who have been downtrodden,
for those who have experienced injustice.
For those who deeply long for God’s multifaceted righteousness,
He says they will be filled.

“Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.”

Showing mercy toward others
does not earn a person entrance into the Kingdom.
Rather, it is at the heart of the attitude that opens
a person to receive the offering of mercy
that Jesus has proclaimed
in the Kingdom of God through this Gospel.

“Blessed are the poor and the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.”

In the sixth Beatitude, Jesus goes to the core of human life.
He goes to the heart.
Purity, or cleanliness, was an important
religious theme in Jesus’ day.
But Jesus declares here that a pure heart
is what produces external purity.

“Blessed are the peacemakers,
because they will be called the sons
and the daughters of God.”

With the inauguration of the Kingdom of God,
the Kingdom of Heaven begins
when Jesus comes upon this earth.
Jesus Himself is the supreme peacemaker,
making peace between God and us
and among all humankind.

And lastly, the eighth Beatitude:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

In the eighth Beatitude, Jesus is offering comfort
for those who have suffered undeserved persecution.
God knows we see so much of that in our world today.

Looking down the long quarter of time
until the Kingdom is established here on earth once and for all,
Jesus offers hope for those who are persecuted unjustly,
as we pray for those people today.

The teaching of Jesus, the yoke of Jesus—
so much of the heart of Jesus’ teaching—
is found in those eight beautiful Beatitudes.

Let us take this opportunity, as we offer our prayers
and our hopes, our desires, for one another and for the world.

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

For the Catholic Church,
that its history, tradition, and leadership
may inspire those who are wavering in faith.

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

For those who are searching for the Lord’s guidance,
may their hearts and eyes be open
to the blessings hidden within their struggles.
We pray to the Lord.
– Lord, hear our prayer.

For the youth of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
may they feel hopeful about their future
as they continue their education this semester.
We pray to the Lord.
– Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray, too, always the prayer of the angels in Heaven,
that there might be peace on earth
and good will toward all.
We pray to the Lord.
– Lord, hear our prayer.

Good, gracious, loving God,
we trust and we know that You hear all of our prayers.
Answer them according to Your will.

These prayers, and all prayers,
we ask through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

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

Pray, my friends, my sisters, my brothers,
that this, our sacrifice, may be acceptable
to God the Father Almighty.
– 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.

Lord, we bring to Your altar
these offerings of our service.
Be pleased to receive them, we pray,
and transform them
into the Sacrament of our redemption.

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.

For out of compassion for the waywardness that is ours,
He humbled Himself and was born of the Virgin Mary.
By the Passion of the Cross
He freed us from unending death,
and by rising from the dead
He has given us life eternal.

And so, with the Angels and Archangels,
with Thrones and Dominions,
and with all the Hosts and Powers of Heaven,
we sing the hymn of Your glory,
as without end we acclaim:

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Hosts, ∫
∫ Heaven and earth are full of Your glory. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the highest. ∫
∫ Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the highest. ∫

You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness.
Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray,
by sending down Your Spirit upon them like the dewfall,

So that they may become for us
the Body and Blood
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
At the time He was betrayed
and willingly entered 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 the 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 His Resurrection,
we offer to 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, Blas…, our Bishop,
and with all Your faith-filled people.

Remember also our sisters and our brothers
who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection,
and all of those who have died in Your mercy.
Welcome them into the light of Your presence.

Have mercy on us all, we pray,
that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God,
with her blessed spouse, Joseph,
with the Blessed Apostles and with the Martyrs,
with all the Saints who have pleased You throughout the ages,
we may merit to be coheirs to eternal life,
and may praise and glorify You
through Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Through Him, and with Him, and in Him,
O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor is Yours
forever and ever.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Amen, amen, amen. ∫

You’ve heard me say,
one of my favorite passages in the Scriptures
is when His friends came up to Him,
His disciples, His Apostles,
and they said, “Lord, just teach us how to pray.”

And He said, “When you pray, pray like this:”

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,
and graciously grant peace in our day,
that, by the help of Your mercy,
we may be freed from sin and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of Your Kingdom,
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 to 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 Risen Lord be with each of you.
– And with your spirit.

Offer one another a sign of the Lord’s peace.

And for those of you who are celebrating
this Eucharist with us at home,
we at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls
pray that you receive God’s choicest blessings in life
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. ∫

My friends, behold Jesus,
behold the Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world,
the Bread of Life
that comes down from Heaven.

Blessed are those invited
to the Supper of the Lamb.

– Lord, I am not worthy
that You should enter under my roof,
but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.

∫ [Piano music] ∫

For those of you at home,
please turn to page six in your TV Mass Guide
and join in singing our Communion song,
“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 sin-sick 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 sin-sick soul ∫

I invite you now to turn to page six of our TV Mass Guide
and please pray with me the prayer that we have
for the children here at 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, prayer, and sacrifices.

And we continue our prayer.

Nourished by these redeeming gifts, we pray, O Lord,
that through this help to eternal salvation,
true faith may ever increase
through Christ our Lord.

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

May the many blessings of Almighty God,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
come upon all of you,
your family members and your friends,
and remain with you forever.

– Amen.

Go in peace.
– Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ I have fixed my eyes on Your hills, ∫
∫ Jerusalem, my destiny; ∫
∫ though I cannot see the end for me, ∫
∫ I cannot turn away. ∫
∫ We have set our hearts for the way, ∫
∫ this journey is our destiny; ∫
∫ let no one walk alone, ∫
∫ the journey makes us one. ∫

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 GIA Publications, Inc.,
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 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.
My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Elizabeth Norton,
and our celebrant is Father Scott Donahue,
President of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

∫ Will you let me be Your servant? ∫
∫ Let me be as Christ to you. ∫
∫ Pray that I may have the grace ∫
∫ to let you be my servant too. ∫

We gather together as believers
around the table of the Lord to celebrate the Eucharist,
to give thanks to God as together we praise God.

In the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
– Amen.

The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with each of you.
– And with your spirit.

My friends, as we begin, we pause for a moment
and we acknowledge we are in need of God’s mercy
and God’s loving forgiveness.

Lord Jesus, as we gather, we ask
that You might deepen our sense of hope.
Lord, have mercy.
– Lord, have mercy.

We ask that You teach us to love as You love.
Christ, have mercy.
– Christ, have mercy.

We ask that You encourage us in ways of faith
in how we live our daily lives.
Lord, have mercy.
– Lord, have mercy.

May Almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to life everlasting.
– 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] ∫

My friends, let us pray.

Grant us, Lord, our God,
that we may honor You with all our mind
and love everyone in the truth of heart.
Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
– Amen.

The First Reading is a reading from
the Book of the Prophet Zephaniah.

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth
who have observed His law.
Seek justice,
seek humility;
perhaps you may be sheltered
on the day of the Lord’s anger.

But I will leave as a remnant in your midst
a people humble and lowly,
who shall take refuge
in the name of the Lord:
the remnant of Israel.

They shall do no wrong and speak no lies,
nor shall there be found in their mouths a deceitful tongue;
they shall pasture and couch their flocks
with none to disturb them.

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

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Blessed are the poor in spirit; ∫
∫ the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs! ∫

∫ Blessed are the poor in spirit; ∫
∫ for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs! ∫
∫ It is the Lord who preserves fidelity forever, ∫
∫ who does justice to those who are oppressed. ∫
∫ It is He who gives bread to the hungry, ∫
∫ the Lord who sets prisoners free. ∫
∫ Blessed are the poor in spirit; ∫
∫ for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs! ∫

The Second Reading is a reading from
the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.

Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.
Not many of you were wise by human standards,
not many were powerful,
not many were of noble birth.

Rather, God chose the foolish of this world
to shame the wise,
and God chose the weak of the world
to shame the strong.

And God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
those who count for nothing,
to reduce to nothing those who are something,
so that no human being might boast before God.

It is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who became for us wisdom from God,
as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
so that, as it is written,
“Whoever boasts shall boast in the Lord.”

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

∫ [Piano music] ∫

∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Rejoice and be glad; ∫
∫ your reward will be great in Heaven. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
The Lord be with each of you.
– And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel
according to Saint Matthew.
– Glory to You, O Lord.
When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up the mountain,
and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted
for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

And blessed are you when they insult you,
when they persecute you,
and utter every kind of evil
against you falsely because of Me.

Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in Heaven.”

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

So there are so many wonderful teachings in the Scriptures,
and so many things that Jesus said to His disciples,
His followers, His Apostles, and then He says to all of us.

And one of the great teachings of Jesus we just heard
is found in the teaching of the Beatitudes.

Every rabbi had what they called their own yoke,
and the yoke of the rabbi was their own teaching.

And Jesus’ yoke, part of His yoke,
part of His important teaching,
is found in this passage in Matthew’s Gospel.

And we know it is important for a number of reasons.
He goes up into the hills, or up into the mountains.
So whenever Jesus goes up,
it means it is going to be a revelation of God.

And then He sits down, and every good rabbi, when they taught,
they taught from the seated position.
And then He looks at the crowd and He speaks with compassion,
and He gives us these beautiful Beatitudes.

So I looked up the Beatitudes in preparation for this homily
from another perspective on each of them.
And I want to share those with you
and see if they help fill out what it is that Jesus
was communicating to those who were listening to Him
at that point in time, and to all of us,
as we listen to His Word now.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

The poor are those who have encountered
unfortunate circumstances
from an economic point of view,
or also persons who are spiritually
and emotionally oppressed.
They are disillusioned
and in their need of God’s help.

And aren’t we all?

“Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.”

The loss of anything that a person counts valuable
will produce mourning. You know that.
Whether it is one’s financial support,
or a loved one,
or status in society,
or even one’s spiritual standing before God,
we mourn, and we will be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.”

Jesus says that a gentle person,
who can patiently endure the difficulties
and the challenges of life that we all have,
will bring about God’s mercy
and will bring about God’s purpose in others.

“Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.”

Righteousness includes several facets.
It includes justice for those who have been downtrodden,
for those who have experienced injustice.
For those who deeply long for God’s multifaceted righteousness,
He says they will be filled.

“Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.”

Showing mercy toward others
does not earn a person entrance into the Kingdom.
Rather, it is at the heart of the attitude that opens
a person to receive the offering of mercy
that Jesus has proclaimed
in the Kingdom of God through this Gospel.

“Blessed are the poor and the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.”

In the sixth Beatitude, Jesus goes to the core of human life.
He goes to the heart.
Purity, or cleanliness, was an important
religious theme in Jesus’ day.
But Jesus declares here that a pure heart
is what produces external purity.

“Blessed are the peacemakers,
because they will be called the sons
and the daughters of God.”

With the inauguration of the Kingdom of God,
the Kingdom of Heaven begins
when Jesus comes upon this earth.
Jesus Himself is the supreme peacemaker,
making peace between God and us
and among all humankind.

And lastly, the eighth Beatitude:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

In the eighth Beatitude, Jesus is offering comfort
for those who have suffered undeserved persecution.
God knows we see so much of that in our world today.

Looking down the long quarter of time
until the Kingdom is established here on earth once and for all,
Jesus offers hope for those who are persecuted unjustly,
as we pray for those people today.

The teaching of Jesus, the yoke of Jesus—
so much of the heart of Jesus’ teaching—
is found in those eight beautiful Beatitudes.

Let us take this opportunity, as we offer our prayers
and our hopes, our desires, for one another and for the world.

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

For the Catholic Church,
that its history, tradition, and leadership
may inspire those who are wavering in faith.

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

For those who are searching for the Lord’s guidance,
may their hearts and eyes be open
to the blessings hidden within their struggles.
We pray to the Lord.
– Lord, hear our prayer.

For the youth of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
may they feel hopeful about their future
as they continue their education this semester.
We pray to the Lord.
– Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray, too, always the prayer of the angels in Heaven,
that there might be peace on earth
and good will toward all.
We pray to the Lord.
– Lord, hear our prayer.

Good, gracious, loving God,
we trust and we know that You hear all of our prayers.
Answer them according to Your will.

These prayers, and all prayers,
we ask through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

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

Pray, my friends, my sisters, my brothers,
that this, our sacrifice, may be acceptable
to God the Father Almighty.
– 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.

Lord, we bring to Your altar
these offerings of our service.
Be pleased to receive them, we pray,
and transform them
into the Sacrament of our redemption.

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.

For out of compassion for the waywardness that is ours,
He humbled Himself and was born of the Virgin Mary.
By the Passion of the Cross
He freed us from unending death,
and by rising from the dead
He has given us life eternal.

And so, with the Angels and Archangels,
with Thrones and Dominions,
and with all the Hosts and Powers of Heaven,
we sing the hymn of Your glory,
as without end we acclaim:

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Hosts, ∫
∫ Heaven and earth are full of Your glory. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the highest. ∫
∫ Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the highest. ∫

You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness.
Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray,
by sending down Your Spirit upon them like the dewfall,

So that they may become for us
the Body and Blood
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
At the time He was betrayed
and willingly entered 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 the 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 His Resurrection,
we offer to 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, Blas…, our Bishop,
and with all Your faith-filled people.

Remember also our sisters and our brothers
who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection,
and all of those who have died in Your mercy.
Welcome them into the light of Your presence.

Have mercy on us all, we pray,
that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God,
with her blessed spouse, Joseph,
with the Blessed Apostles and with the Martyrs,
with all the Saints who have pleased You throughout the ages,
we may merit to be coheirs to eternal life,
and may praise and glorify You
through Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Through Him, and with Him, and in Him,
O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor is Yours
forever and ever.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Amen, amen, amen. ∫

You’ve heard me say,
one of my favorite passages in the Scriptures
is when His friends came up to Him,
His disciples, His Apostles,
and they said, “Lord, just teach us how to pray.”

And He said, “When you pray, pray like this:”

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,
and graciously grant peace in our day,
that, by the help of Your mercy,
we may be freed from sin and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of Your Kingdom,
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 to 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 Risen Lord be with each of you.
– And with your spirit.

Offer one another a sign of the Lord’s peace.

And for those of you who are celebrating
this Eucharist with us at home,
we at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls
pray that you receive God’s choicest blessings in life
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. ∫

My friends, behold Jesus,
behold the Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world,
the Bread of Life
that comes down from Heaven.

Blessed are those invited
to the Supper of the Lamb.

– Lord, I am not worthy
that You should enter under my roof,
but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.

∫ [Piano music] ∫

For those of you at home,
please turn to page six in your TV Mass Guide
and join in singing our Communion song,
“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 sin-sick 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 sin-sick soul ∫

I invite you now to turn to page six of our TV Mass Guide
and please pray with me the prayer that we have
for the children here at 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, prayer, and sacrifices.

And we continue our prayer.

Nourished by these redeeming gifts, we pray, O Lord,
that through this help to eternal salvation,
true faith may ever increase
through Christ our Lord.

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

May the many blessings of Almighty God,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
come upon all of you,
your family members and your friends,
and remain with you forever.

– Amen.

Go in peace.
– Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ I have fixed my eyes on Your hills, ∫
∫ Jerusalem, my destiny; ∫
∫ though I cannot see the end for me, ∫
∫ I cannot turn away. ∫
∫ We have set our hearts for the way, ∫
∫ this journey is our destiny; ∫
∫ let no one walk alone, ∫
∫ the journey makes us one. ∫

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 GIA Publications, Inc.,
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 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.
My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Elizabeth Norton,
and our celebrant is Father Scott Donahue,
President of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

∫ Will you let me be Your servant? ∫
∫ Let me be as Christ to you. ∫
∫ Pray that I may have the grace ∫
∫ to let you be my servant too. ∫

We gather together as believers
around the table of the Lord to celebrate the Eucharist,
to give thanks to God as together we praise God.

In the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
– Amen.

The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with each of you.
– And with your spirit.

My friends, as we begin, we pause for a moment
and we acknowledge we are in need of God’s mercy
and God’s loving forgiveness.

Lord Jesus, as we gather, we ask
that You might deepen our sense of hope.
Lord, have mercy.
– Lord, have mercy.

We ask that You teach us to love as You love.
Christ, have mercy.
– Christ, have mercy.

We ask that You encourage us in ways of faith
in how we live our daily lives.
Lord, have mercy.
– Lord, have mercy.

May Almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to life everlasting.
– 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] ∫

My friends, let us pray.

Grant us, Lord, our God,
that we may honor You with all our mind
and love everyone in the truth of heart.
Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
– Amen.

The First Reading is a reading from
the Book of the Prophet Zephaniah.

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth
who have observed His law.
Seek justice,
seek humility;
perhaps you may be sheltered
on the day of the Lord’s anger.

But I will leave as a remnant in your midst
a people humble and lowly,
who shall take refuge
in the name of the Lord:
the remnant of Israel.

They shall do no wrong and speak no lies,
nor shall there be found in their mouths a deceitful tongue;
they shall pasture and couch their flocks
with none to disturb them.

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

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Blessed are the poor in spirit; ∫
∫ the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs! ∫

∫ Blessed are the poor in spirit; ∫
∫ for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs! ∫
∫ It is the Lord who preserves fidelity forever, ∫
∫ who does justice to those who are oppressed. ∫
∫ It is He who gives bread to the hungry, ∫
∫ the Lord who sets prisoners free. ∫
∫ Blessed are the poor in spirit; ∫
∫ for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs! ∫

The Second Reading is a reading from
the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.

Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.
Not many of you were wise by human standards,
not many were powerful,
not many were of noble birth.

Rather, God chose the foolish of this world
to shame the wise,
and God chose the weak of the world
to shame the strong.

And God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
those who count for nothing,
to reduce to nothing those who are something,
so that no human being might boast before God.

It is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who became for us wisdom from God,
as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
so that, as it is written,
“Whoever boasts shall boast in the Lord.”

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

∫ [Piano music] ∫

∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ Rejoice and be glad; ∫
∫ your reward will be great in Heaven. ∫
∫ Alleluia, alleluia. ∫
The Lord be with each of you.
– And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel
according to Saint Matthew.
– Glory to You, O Lord.
When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up the mountain,
and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted
for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

And blessed are you when they insult you,
when they persecute you,
and utter every kind of evil
against you falsely because of Me.

Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in Heaven.”

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

So there are so many wonderful teachings in the Scriptures,
and so many things that Jesus said to His disciples,
His followers, His Apostles, and then He says to all of us.

And one of the great teachings of Jesus we just heard
is found in the teaching of the Beatitudes.

Every rabbi had what they called their own yoke,
and the yoke of the rabbi was their own teaching.

And Jesus’ yoke, part of His yoke,
part of His important teaching,
is found in this passage in Matthew’s Gospel.

And we know it is important for a number of reasons.
He goes up into the hills, or up into the mountains.
So whenever Jesus goes up,
it means it is going to be a revelation of God.

And then He sits down, and every good rabbi, when they taught,
they taught from the seated position.
And then He looks at the crowd and He speaks with compassion,
and He gives us these beautiful Beatitudes.

So I looked up the Beatitudes in preparation for this homily
from another perspective on each of them.
And I want to share those with you
and see if they help fill out what it is that Jesus
was communicating to those who were listening to Him
at that point in time, and to all of us,
as we listen to His Word now.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

The poor are those who have encountered
unfortunate circumstances
from an economic point of view,
or also persons who are spiritually
and emotionally oppressed.
They are disillusioned
and in their need of God’s help.

And aren’t we all?

“Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.”

The loss of anything that a person counts valuable
will produce mourning. You know that.
Whether it is one’s financial support,
or a loved one,
or status in society,
or even one’s spiritual standing before God,
we mourn, and we will be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.”

Jesus says that a gentle person,
who can patiently endure the difficulties
and the challenges of life that we all have,
will bring about God’s mercy
and will bring about God’s purpose in others.

“Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.”

Righteousness includes several facets.
It includes justice for those who have been downtrodden,
for those who have experienced injustice.
For those who deeply long for God’s multifaceted righteousness,
He says they will be filled.

“Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.”

Showing mercy toward others
does not earn a person entrance into the Kingdom.
Rather, it is at the heart of the attitude that opens
a person to receive the offering of mercy
that Jesus has proclaimed
in the Kingdom of God through this Gospel.

“Blessed are the poor and the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.”

In the sixth Beatitude, Jesus goes to the core of human life.
He goes to the heart.
Purity, or cleanliness, was an important
religious theme in Jesus’ day.
But Jesus declares here that a pure heart
is what produces external purity.

“Blessed are the peacemakers,
because they will be called the sons
and the daughters of God.”

With the inauguration of the Kingdom of God,
the Kingdom of Heaven begins
when Jesus comes upon this earth.
Jesus Himself is the supreme peacemaker,
making peace between God and us
and among all humankind.

And lastly, the eighth Beatitude:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

In the eighth Beatitude, Jesus is offering comfort
for those who have suffered undeserved persecution.
God knows we see so much of that in our world today.

Looking down the long quarter of time
until the Kingdom is established here on earth once and for all,
Jesus offers hope for those who are persecuted unjustly,
as we pray for those people today.

The teaching of Jesus, the yoke of Jesus—
so much of the heart of Jesus’ teaching—
is found in those eight beautiful Beatitudes.

Let us take this opportunity, as we offer our prayers
and our hopes, our desires, for one another and for the world.

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

For the Catholic Church,
that its history, tradition, and leadership
may inspire those who are wavering in faith.

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

For those who are searching for the Lord’s guidance,
may their hearts and eyes be open
to the blessings hidden within their struggles.
We pray to the Lord.
– Lord, hear our prayer.

For the youth of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
may they feel hopeful about their future
as they continue their education this semester.
We pray to the Lord.
– Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray, too, always the prayer of the angels in Heaven,
that there might be peace on earth
and good will toward all.
We pray to the Lord.
– Lord, hear our prayer.

Good, gracious, loving God,
we trust and we know that You hear all of our prayers.
Answer them according to Your will.

These prayers, and all prayers,
we ask through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

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

Pray, my friends, my sisters, my brothers,
that this, our sacrifice, may be acceptable
to God the Father Almighty.
– 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.

Lord, we bring to Your altar
these offerings of our service.
Be pleased to receive them, we pray,
and transform them
into the Sacrament of our redemption.

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.

For out of compassion for the waywardness that is ours,
He humbled Himself and was born of the Virgin Mary.
By the Passion of the Cross
He freed us from unending death,
and by rising from the dead
He has given us life eternal.

And so, with the Angels and Archangels,
with Thrones and Dominions,
and with all the Hosts and Powers of Heaven,
we sing the hymn of Your glory,
as without end we acclaim:

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Hosts, ∫
∫ Heaven and earth are full of Your glory. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the highest. ∫
∫ Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. ∫
∫ Hosanna in the highest. ∫

You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness.
Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray,
by sending down Your Spirit upon them like the dewfall,

So that they may become for us
the Body and Blood
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
At the time He was betrayed
and willingly entered 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 the 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 His Resurrection,
we offer to 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, Blas…, our Bishop,
and with all Your faith-filled people.

Remember also our sisters and our brothers
who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection,
and all of those who have died in Your mercy.
Welcome them into the light of Your presence.

Have mercy on us all, we pray,
that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God,
with her blessed spouse, Joseph,
with the Blessed Apostles and with the Martyrs,
with all the Saints who have pleased You throughout the ages,
we may merit to be coheirs to eternal life,
and may praise and glorify You
through Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Through Him, and with Him, and in Him,
O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor is Yours
forever and ever.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ Amen, amen, amen. ∫

You’ve heard me say,
one of my favorite passages in the Scriptures
is when His friends came up to Him,
His disciples, His Apostles,
and they said, “Lord, just teach us how to pray.”

And He said, “When you pray, pray like this:”

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,
and graciously grant peace in our day,
that, by the help of Your mercy,
we may be freed from sin and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of Your Kingdom,
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 to 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 Risen Lord be with each of you.
– And with your spirit.

Offer one another a sign of the Lord’s peace.

And for those of you who are celebrating
this Eucharist with us at home,
we at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls
pray that you receive God’s choicest blessings in life
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. ∫

My friends, behold Jesus,
behold the Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world,
the Bread of Life
that comes down from Heaven.

Blessed are those invited
to the Supper of the Lamb.

– Lord, I am not worthy
that You should enter under my roof,
but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.

∫ [Piano music] ∫

For those of you at home,
please turn to page six in your TV Mass Guide
and join in singing our Communion song,
“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 sin-sick 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 sin-sick soul ∫

I invite you now to turn to page six of our TV Mass Guide
and please pray with me the prayer that we have
for the children here at 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, prayer, and sacrifices.

And we continue our prayer.

Nourished by these redeeming gifts, we pray, O Lord,
that through this help to eternal salvation,
true faith may ever increase
through Christ our Lord.

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

May the many blessings of Almighty God,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
come upon all of you,
your family members and your friends,
and remain with you forever.

– Amen.

Go in peace.
– Thanks be to God.

∫ [Piano music] ∫
∫ I have fixed my eyes on Your hills, ∫
∫ Jerusalem, my destiny; ∫
∫ though I cannot see the end for me, ∫
∫ I cannot turn away. ∫
∫ We have set our hearts for the way, ∫
∫ this journey is our destiny; ∫
∫ let no one walk alone, ∫
∫ the journey makes us one. ∫

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 GIA Publications, Inc.,
and its World Library Publications division.

∫ [Piano music] ∫

So there are so many wonderful teachings in the Scriptures,
and so many things that Jesus said to His disciples,
His followers, His Apostles, and then He says to all of us.

And one of the great teachings of Jesus we just heard
is found in the teaching of the Beatitudes.

Every rabbi had what they called their own yoke,
and the yoke of the rabbi was their own teaching.

And Jesus’ yoke, part of His yoke,
part of His important teaching,
is found in this passage in Matthew’s Gospel.

And we know it is important for a number of reasons.
He goes up into the hills, or up into the mountains.
So whenever Jesus goes up,
it means it is going to be a revelation of God.

And then He sits down, and every good rabbi, when they taught,
they taught from the seated position.
And then He looks at the crowd and He speaks with compassion,
and He gives us these beautiful Beatitudes.

So I looked up the Beatitudes in preparation for this homily
from another perspective on each of them.
And I want to share those with you
and see if they help fill out what it is that Jesus
was communicating to those who were listening to Him
at that point in time, and to all of us,
as we listen to His Word now.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

The poor are those who have encountered
unfortunate circumstances
from an economic point of view,
or also persons who are spiritually
and emotionally oppressed.
They are disillusioned
and in their need of God’s help.

And aren’t we all?

“Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.”

The loss of anything that a person counts valuable
will produce mourning. You know that.
Whether it is one’s financial support,
or a loved one,
or status in society,
or even one’s spiritual standing before God,
we mourn, and we will be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.”

Jesus says that a gentle person,
who can patiently endure the difficulties
and the challenges of life that we all have,
will bring about God’s mercy
and will bring about God’s purpose in others.

“Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.”

Righteousness includes several facets.
It includes justice for those who have been downtrodden,
for those who have experienced injustice.
For those who deeply long for God’s multifaceted righteousness,
He says they will be filled.

“Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.”

Showing mercy toward others
does not earn a person entrance into the Kingdom.
Rather, it is at the heart of the attitude that opens
a person to receive the offering of mercy
that Jesus has proclaimed
in the Kingdom of God through this Gospel.

“Blessed are the poor and the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.”

In the sixth Beatitude, Jesus goes to the core of human life.
He goes to the heart.
Purity, or cleanliness, was an important
religious theme in Jesus’ day.
But Jesus declares here that a pure heart
is what produces external purity.

“Blessed are the peacemakers,
because they will be called the sons
and the daughters of God.”

With the inauguration of the Kingdom of God,
the Kingdom of Heaven begins
when Jesus comes upon this earth.
Jesus Himself is the supreme peacemaker,
making peace between God and us
and among all humankind.

And lastly, the eighth Beatitude:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

In the eighth Beatitude, Jesus is offering comfort
for those who have suffered undeserved persecution.
God knows we see so much of that in our world today.

Looking down the long quarter of time
until the Kingdom is established here on earth once and for all,
Jesus offers hope for those who are persecuted unjustly,
as we pray for those people today.

The teaching of Jesus, the yoke of Jesus—
so much of the heart of Jesus’ teaching—
is found in those eight beautiful Beatitudes.