♪ [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 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
My name is Dan Riley,
I’m joined by Tom McNamara and Morgan Kuhn,
And our celebrant is Father Carl Morello.

♪ In Christ there is no East or West, ♪
♪ in Him no South or North, but one great family ♪
♪ bound by love throughout the whole wide earth. ♪
♪ [Piano music] ♪

In the name of the Father,
And of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.

The grace, the peace,
And the love of our God be with each of you.
-And with your spirit.

Today as we prepare our hearts to share in Eucharist,
Let us remember God’s mercy and call to mind our sins.

Lord Jesus, you came as the Son of God and the Son of Mary.
Lord have mercy.
-Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus, we trust your love to heal the wounds of our sin.
Christ have mercy.
-Christ have mercy.

And Lord Jesus, out of love, you gather us
Around this table where you strengthen us in faith and hope.
Lord have mercy.
-Lord have mercy.

And may Almighty God, who loves us,
Have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins,
And one day bring us to what the Eucharist points toward,
The banquet of everlasting life.
Amen.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪
♪ and on earth peace to people of good will. ♪
♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪
♪ and on earth peace to people of good will. ♪

Let us pray.
O God, protector of those who hope in you,
Without whom nothing has firm foundation,
Nothing is holy, bestow in abundance your mercy upon us
And grant that with you as our ruler and guide,
We may use the good things that pass in such a way
As to hold fast even now to those that ever endure.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever.
– Amen.

A reading from the Book of Wisdom.

There is no God besides you who have the care for all,
And that you need show that you have not unjustly condemned,
For your might is the source of justice.
Your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all,
For you show your might when the perfection
Of your power is disbelieved.
And in those who know you, you rebuke to meriety,
And though you are the master of might,
You judge with clemency.
And with much leniency you govern us for power
Whenever you will attends you.
And you taught your people by these deeds
That those who are just must be kind.
And you give your children good ground for hope
That you would permit repentance for their sins.

The word of the Lord.
-Thanks be to God.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ Lord, you are good and forgiving. ♪
♪ Lord, you are good and forgiving. ♪
♪ O Lord, you are good and forgiving. ♪
♪ full of mercy to all who call to you. ♪
♪ Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer, ♪
♪ and attend to my voice and supplication. ♪
♪ Lord, you are good and forgiving. ♪

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

Brothers and sisters,
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness,
And we do not know how to pray as we ought,
But the Spirit himself intercedes
With the inexpressible groanings,
And for the one who searches hearts
Knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
Because He intercedes for the holy ones
According to God’s will.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, ♪
♪ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, ♪
♪ blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. ♪
♪ you have revealed to little ones ♪
♪ the mysteries of the Kingdom. ♪
♪ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ♪

Brothers and sisters in faith, the Lord be with you.
-And with your spirit.

Ours is a reading from the Holy Gospel now,
According to Matthew.
-Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds saying,
“the Kingdom of Heaven may be likened to a man
Who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep, his enemy came
And sowed weeds all through the wheat and then went off.”
“when the crop grew and bore fruit,
The weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
“master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?”
He answered, “an enemy has done this.”
His slave said to him,
“do you want us to go and pull them up?”
He replied, “no.”
“if you pull up the weeds,
You might also pull up the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until the harvest.
Then at harvest time, I will say to the harvesters,
First collect the weeds and tie them in a bundle for burning,
But gather the wheat into my barn.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Well, Jesus says something surprising
In this familiar parable.
It’s very realistic.
We hear the farmer sows good seed in his field,
But during the night the enemy comes and sows wheat
Among the seeds with the weeds.
Now, when both begin to grow, the servants are disturbed
And they want to act quickly
And pull out the weeds right away.
But what does the master say?
It’s actually something quite surprising,
“let them grow together until the harvest.”

This parable speaks directly, I think, to our world today.
We look around and we see goodness and generosity,
But we also see cruelty, injustice, violence, and fear.
And we ask ourselves: why does God allow this?
Why doesn’t God just remove all the evil?
The servants, in the same way, ask that very question.
And Jesus is in saying that evil doesn’t matter.
He’s teaching us that God’s patience is not weakness,
It’s mercy.
God’s patience is not weakness, it’s mercy.
If the weeds are pulled too early,
The wheat might be damaged.
And we’re reminded that God sees more deeply than we do.
God knows the difference between judgment and growth,
Between correction and destruction.
And so here’s the danger.
When people decide too quickly who is good and who is bad,
Who belongs and who does not,
We run the risk of playing God.
And we are not the harvesters.
God is.

Let me share this little story that helps, in a simple way,
Understand this Gospel.
There was a gardener who once noticed a plant in her garden,
And it looked weak and all tangled.
And she was ready to pull it out until a friend of hers,
Another gardener, told her, “stop. Wait. Give it time.”
And weeks later, that same plant bloomed into
One of the strongest flowers in her garden.
What looked like a weed just needed time.
And so it is with us.
That’s the way it is with people.
Grace takes time.
Conversion takes time.
Healing takes time.
And so the Gospel calls us not to ignore evil,
But to resist it in a different way.
By choosing patience over vengeance,
And hope over despair, and mercy over fear.
And our task isn’t about uprooting the world,
But becoming strong wheat,
Rooted in prayer, compassion, justice, and love.
God will take care of the harvest.
Until then, we’re called to grow as the good wheat, so to speak.
Be faithful, do good, stay rooted in God,
And trust that God will sort all this out in God’s own time.

It is with that trust, that we now say together
Our Apostles’ Creed.

What we believe:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day, He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty.
From there, He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy catholic Church,
The communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Amen.

And now as a people of faith, hope, and love,
Trusting in God’s presence among us,
We bring our many needs and cares.
Our response to each prayer will be, “Lord, hear our prayer.”

For our Holy Father and Church leaders,
Bless them as they preach God’s Gospel message.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For the leaders of all nations,
May they work together towards a more peaceful and united world.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For Mercy Home’s children,
May Christ’s Spirit of light and hope
Fill their hearts as they continue to heal.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are sick and terminally ill,
May they feel the Lord walking with them
On their difficult journey.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

Loving God, we trust that you hear our prayers,
Those spoken out loud and all held in our hearts,
As we lift them up and pray through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

♪ [Piano music] ♪

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation,
For through your goodness we have bread to offer,
Which earth has given human hands have made,
May it become for us the Bread of Life.
Blessed be God forever.

♪ [Piano music continues] ♪

Through the mingling of water and wine,
We come now to share the divinity of Christ,
Who humbled Himself to share in our humanity.
Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation,
For through your goodness we have wine to offer.
Fruit of the vine, work of human hands,
May it become our spiritual drink.
Blessed be God forever.

And Lord, wash away my iniquities.
Cleanse me of all sin.

♪ [Piano music] ♪

We pray now in faith that the gifts of bread and wine offered,
Be acceptable to our Almighty and loving God.
-May the Lord accept the sacrifice at our hands,
For the praise and glory of God’s name,
For our good and the good of all God’s holy Church.

Accept, O Lord, we pray,
The offerings which we bring
From the abundance of your gifts,
That through the powerful working of your grace,
These most sacred mysteries
May sanctify our present way of life
And lead us to eternal gladness 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,
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 gave us life eternal.
And now with all the Angels and Archangels,
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 dewfall,
So that they may become for us the Body and Blood
Of our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the time He was betrayed
And entered willingly into His passion,
He took bread and giving thanks, broke it.
He gave it to the disciples saying,
“take this, all of you eat of it.
This is my Body given up for you.”
In a similar way, when the supper ended,
He took the chalice and once more giving thanks,
Gave it to the disciples saying,
“take this, all of you and drink from it,
For this is the chalice of my Blood,
The Blood of the new and eternal covenant.
It will be poured out for you and for many,
For the forgiveness of sin.
Do this in memory of me.”

The mystery of our faith.

♪ [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 now the memorial of His death
And resurrection, we offer you, Lord,
The Bread of Life, the chalice of salvation,
Giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence
And minister to you.
Humbly we pray that partaking
Of the Body and Blood of Christ,
We may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.
Remember, Lord, your Church spread throughout the world
And bring her to the fullness of charity
Together with Leo, our Pope,
And Blase, our Archbishop
And those who minister in your Church everywhere.
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,
With Joseph, her spouse, with the blessed Apostles
And all the saints who have pleased you throughout the ages,
We may merit to be coheirs to eternal life,
And one day there praise and glorify you
Through your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through Him, with Him, and in Him, O God, Almighty Father,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours,
For ever and ever.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ Amen, Amen, Amen. ♪

With confidence we pray:
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, from every evil.
Graciously grant peace this day.
In your mercy keep us free from sin.
Protect us from anxiety and despair
As we await the blessed hope
And the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
Now and forever.

Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your friends:
“I leave you peace, 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 lives and reigns forever and ever.
– Amen.

The peace of the Lord be with you always.
-And with your spirit.
Let us share with each other some gesture of Christ’s peace.

And friends at home,
From all of us here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
We want to wish you the blessing of God’s
Strength and peace this day.
Peace be with you.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ Lamb of God; ♪
♪ you take away the sins of the world, ♪
♪ have mercy on us. ♪
♪ Lamb of God; ♪
♪ you take away the sins of the world, ♪
♪ have mercy on us. ♪
♪ Lamb of God; ♪
♪ you take away the sins of the world, ♪
♪ grant us peace. ♪

We behold in faith, Jesus, the Lamb of God
Who takes away our sin and the sin of the world.
Strengthen our we sharing now in the supper of the Lamb.
-Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof,
But only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
May the Body of Christ, may the Blood of Christ
Keep us safe for everlasting life.
Amen.

♪ [Piano music] ♪

For those of you at home,
Please turn to page six in your TV Mass guide
And join in singing our Communion song,
‘Not for Tongues of Heaven’s Angels.’

♪ Not for tongues of heaven’s Angels, ♪
♪ not for wisdom to discern, ♪
♪ not for faith at master’s mountains, ♪
♪ for this better gift we earn: ♪
♪ may love be ours, Lord; ♪
♪ may love be ours. ♪
♪ may love be ours, O Lord. ♪
♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ love is humble, love is gentle, ♪
♪ love is tender, true and kind, ♪
♪ love is gracious, ever patient, ♪
♪ generous of heart and mind: ♪
♪ may love be ours, Lord; ♪
♪ may love be ours. ♪
♪ may love be ours, O Lord. ♪
♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ in this day the world is fading, ♪
♪ faith and hope will play their part, ♪
♪ but when Christ is seen in glory, ♪
♪ love shall reign in every heart: ♪
♪ may love be ours, Lord; ♪
♪ may love be ours. ♪
♪ may love be ours, O Lord. ♪

And we pray:
We have consumed, O Lord,
This divine sacrament, the perpetual memorial
Of the passion of your Son.
Grant, we pray, that this gift,
Which He Himself gave us with love beyond all telling,
May profit us for salvation through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

At this time I invite you to join me
In saying the beautiful prayer for the children of Mercy Home.

Together:
Our Lady of Mercy,
We pray that you will guide, protect,
And bless all boys and girls
Who this day have a home called Mercy.
May they find the Father’s mercy
As we offer them our hearts
In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.
May they see God’s mercy in action
Through our love, prayers, and sacrifices.

Thank you all for joining us for this beautiful Mass
From Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
I want us to think about, as we go into the week ahead:
Where are we being asked to live and to grow strong
As the wheat among the weeds today?
We are that strong wheat, the presence of Christ,
And trust in our own way
How God, who is the Master Harvester,
Will take care of all the harvesting in the end
In God’s own time and in God’s own way.
May we find strength and peace and trust in that,
As we go into the week ahead.

The Lord be with you.
-And with your spirit.
We bow our heads and ask God’s blessing.
Creator God, we give you thanks for being with us this day.
Give us the strength always to be a light of your presence,
Your compassion, your care, and peace to one another.
So like the good wheat, we may grow along with the weeds
Until the time that you bring us all together.
In the name of the Father,
And of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

We go in peace now to love and serve God
By our continued care for one another.
Thanks be to God.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ the Kingdom of God is justice and joy; ♪
♪ for Jesus restores what sin would destroy. ♪
♪ God’s power and glory in Jesus we know; ♪
♪ and here and hereafter the Kingdom shall grow. ♪
♪ the Kingdom of God is mercy and grace; ♪
♪ the captives are freed, the sinners find place, ♪
♪ the outcast are welcomed, God’s banquet to share; ♪
♪ and hope is awakened… ♪

Hello my friends, as you know, as I know,
This TV ministry at Mercy Home 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’re 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
And for our children.

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

♪ [Piano music] ♪

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 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
My name is Dan Riley,
I’m joined by Tom McNamara and Morgan Kuhn,
And our celebrant is Father Carl Morello.

♪ In Christ there is no East or West, ♪
♪ in Him no South or North, but one great family ♪
♪ bound by love throughout the whole wide earth. ♪
♪ [Piano music] ♪

In the name of the Father,
And of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.

The grace, the peace,
And the love of our God be with each of you.
-And with your spirit.

Today as we prepare our hearts to share in Eucharist,
Let us remember God’s mercy and call to mind our sins.

Lord Jesus, you came as the Son of God and the Son of Mary.
Lord have mercy.
-Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus, we trust your love to heal the wounds of our sin.
Christ have mercy.
-Christ have mercy.

And Lord Jesus, out of love, you gather us
Around this table where you strengthen us in faith and hope.
Lord have mercy.
-Lord have mercy.

And may Almighty God, who loves us,
Have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins,
And one day bring us to what the Eucharist points toward,
The banquet of everlasting life.
Amen.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪
♪ and on earth peace to people of good will. ♪
♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪
♪ and on earth peace to people of good will. ♪

Let us pray.
O God, protector of those who hope in you,
Without whom nothing has firm foundation,
Nothing is holy, bestow in abundance your mercy upon us
And grant that with you as our ruler and guide,
We may use the good things that pass in such a way
As to hold fast even now to those that ever endure.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever.
– Amen.

A reading from the Book of Wisdom.

There is no God besides you who have the care for all,
And that you need show that you have not unjustly condemned,
For your might is the source of justice.
Your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all,
For you show your might when the perfection
Of your power is disbelieved.
And in those who know you, you rebuke to meriety,
And though you are the master of might,
You judge with clemency.
And with much leniency you govern us for power
Whenever you will attends you.
And you taught your people by these deeds
That those who are just must be kind.
And you give your children good ground for hope
That you would permit repentance for their sins.

The word of the Lord.
-Thanks be to God.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ Lord, you are good and forgiving. ♪
♪ Lord, you are good and forgiving. ♪
♪ O Lord, you are good and forgiving. ♪
♪ full of mercy to all who call to you. ♪
♪ Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer, ♪
♪ and attend to my voice and supplication. ♪
♪ Lord, you are good and forgiving. ♪

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

Brothers and sisters,
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness,
And we do not know how to pray as we ought,
But the Spirit himself intercedes
With the inexpressible groanings,
And for the one who searches hearts
Knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
Because He intercedes for the holy ones
According to God’s will.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, ♪
♪ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, ♪
♪ blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. ♪
♪ you have revealed to little ones ♪
♪ the mysteries of the Kingdom. ♪
♪ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ♪

Brothers and sisters in faith, the Lord be with you.
-And with your spirit.

Ours is a reading from the Holy Gospel now,
According to Matthew.
-Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds saying,
“the Kingdom of Heaven may be likened to a man
Who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep, his enemy came
And sowed weeds all through the wheat and then went off.”
“when the crop grew and bore fruit,
The weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
“master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?”
He answered, “an enemy has done this.”
His slave said to him,
“do you want us to go and pull them up?”
He replied, “no.”
“if you pull up the weeds,
You might also pull up the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until the harvest.
Then at harvest time, I will say to the harvesters,
First collect the weeds and tie them in a bundle for burning,
But gather the wheat into my barn.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Well, Jesus says something surprising
In this familiar parable.
It’s very realistic.
We hear the farmer sows good seed in his field,
But during the night the enemy comes and sows wheat
Among the seeds with the weeds.
Now, when both begin to grow, the servants are disturbed
And they want to act quickly
And pull out the weeds right away.
But what does the master say?
It’s actually something quite surprising,
“let them grow together until the harvest.”

This parable speaks directly, I think, to our world today.
We look around and we see goodness and generosity,
But we also see cruelty, injustice, violence, and fear.
And we ask ourselves: why does God allow this?
Why doesn’t God just remove all the evil?
The servants, in the same way, ask that very question.
And Jesus is in saying that evil doesn’t matter.
He’s teaching us that God’s patience is not weakness,
It’s mercy.
God’s patience is not weakness, it’s mercy.
If the weeds are pulled too early,
The wheat might be damaged.
And we’re reminded that God sees more deeply than we do.
God knows the difference between judgment and growth,
Between correction and destruction.
And so here’s the danger.
When people decide too quickly who is good and who is bad,
Who belongs and who does not,
We run the risk of playing God.
And we are not the harvesters.
God is.

Let me share this little story that helps, in a simple way,
Understand this Gospel.
There was a gardener who once noticed a plant in her garden,
And it looked weak and all tangled.
And she was ready to pull it out until a friend of hers,
Another gardener, told her, “stop. Wait. Give it time.”
And weeks later, that same plant bloomed into
One of the strongest flowers in her garden.
What looked like a weed just needed time.
And so it is with us.
That’s the way it is with people.
Grace takes time.
Conversion takes time.
Healing takes time.
And so the Gospel calls us not to ignore evil,
But to resist it in a different way.
By choosing patience over vengeance,
And hope over despair, and mercy over fear.
And our task isn’t about uprooting the world,
But becoming strong wheat,
Rooted in prayer, compassion, justice, and love.
God will take care of the harvest.
Until then, we’re called to grow as the good wheat, so to speak.
Be faithful, do good, stay rooted in God,
And trust that God will sort all this out in God’s own time.

It is with that trust, that we now say together
Our Apostles’ Creed.

What we believe:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day, He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty.
From there, He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy catholic Church,
The communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Amen.

And now as a people of faith, hope, and love,
Trusting in God’s presence among us,
We bring our many needs and cares.
Our response to each prayer will be, “Lord, hear our prayer.”

For our Holy Father and Church leaders,
Bless them as they preach God’s Gospel message.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For the leaders of all nations,
May they work together towards a more peaceful and united world.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For Mercy Home’s children,
May Christ’s Spirit of light and hope
Fill their hearts as they continue to heal.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are sick and terminally ill,
May they feel the Lord walking with them
On their difficult journey.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

Loving God, we trust that you hear our prayers,
Those spoken out loud and all held in our hearts,
As we lift them up and pray through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

♪ [Piano music] ♪

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation,
For through your goodness we have bread to offer,
Which earth has given human hands have made,
May it become for us the Bread of Life.
Blessed be God forever.

♪ [Piano music continues] ♪

Through the mingling of water and wine,
We come now to share the divinity of Christ,
Who humbled Himself to share in our humanity.
Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation,
For through your goodness we have wine to offer.
Fruit of the vine, work of human hands,
May it become our spiritual drink.
Blessed be God forever.

And Lord, wash away my iniquities.
Cleanse me of all sin.

♪ [Piano music] ♪

We pray now in faith that the gifts of bread and wine offered,
Be acceptable to our Almighty and loving God.
-May the Lord accept the sacrifice at our hands,
For the praise and glory of God’s name,
For our good and the good of all God’s holy Church.

Accept, O Lord, we pray,
The offerings which we bring
From the abundance of your gifts,
That through the powerful working of your grace,
These most sacred mysteries
May sanctify our present way of life
And lead us to eternal gladness 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,
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 gave us life eternal.
And now with all the Angels and Archangels,
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 dewfall,
So that they may become for us the Body and Blood
Of our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the time He was betrayed
And entered willingly into His passion,
He took bread and giving thanks, broke it.
He gave it to the disciples saying,
“take this, all of you eat of it.
This is my Body given up for you.”
In a similar way, when the supper ended,
He took the chalice and once more giving thanks,
Gave it to the disciples saying,
“take this, all of you and drink from it,
For this is the chalice of my Blood,
The Blood of the new and eternal covenant.
It will be poured out for you and for many,
For the forgiveness of sin.
Do this in memory of me.”

The mystery of our faith.

♪ [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 now the memorial of His death
And resurrection, we offer you, Lord,
The Bread of Life, the chalice of salvation,
Giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence
And minister to you.
Humbly we pray that partaking
Of the Body and Blood of Christ,
We may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.
Remember, Lord, your Church spread throughout the world
And bring her to the fullness of charity
Together with Leo, our Pope,
And Blase, our Archbishop
And those who minister in your Church everywhere.
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,
With Joseph, her spouse, with the blessed Apostles
And all the saints who have pleased you throughout the ages,
We may merit to be coheirs to eternal life,
And one day there praise and glorify you
Through your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through Him, with Him, and in Him, O God, Almighty Father,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours,
For ever and ever.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ Amen, Amen, Amen. ♪

With confidence we pray:
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, from every evil.
Graciously grant peace this day.
In your mercy keep us free from sin.
Protect us from anxiety and despair
As we await the blessed hope
And the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
Now and forever.

Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your friends:
“I leave you peace, 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 lives and reigns forever and ever.
– Amen.

The peace of the Lord be with you always.
-And with your spirit.
Let us share with each other some gesture of Christ’s peace.

And friends at home,
From all of us here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
We want to wish you the blessing of God’s
Strength and peace this day.
Peace be with you.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ Lamb of God; ♪
♪ you take away the sins of the world, ♪
♪ have mercy on us. ♪
♪ Lamb of God; ♪
♪ you take away the sins of the world, ♪
♪ have mercy on us. ♪
♪ Lamb of God; ♪
♪ you take away the sins of the world, ♪
♪ grant us peace. ♪

We behold in faith, Jesus, the Lamb of God
Who takes away our sin and the sin of the world.
Strengthen our we sharing now in the supper of the Lamb.
-Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof,
But only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
May the Body of Christ, may the Blood of Christ
Keep us safe for everlasting life.
Amen.

♪ [Piano music] ♪

For those of you at home,
Please turn to page six in your TV Mass guide
And join in singing our Communion song,
‘Not for Tongues of Heaven’s Angels.’

♪ Not for tongues of heaven’s Angels, ♪
♪ not for wisdom to discern, ♪
♪ not for faith at master’s mountains, ♪
♪ for this better gift we earn: ♪
♪ may love be ours, Lord; ♪
♪ may love be ours. ♪
♪ may love be ours, O Lord. ♪
♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ love is humble, love is gentle, ♪
♪ love is tender, true and kind, ♪
♪ love is gracious, ever patient, ♪
♪ generous of heart and mind: ♪
♪ may love be ours, Lord; ♪
♪ may love be ours. ♪
♪ may love be ours, O Lord. ♪
♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ in this day the world is fading, ♪
♪ faith and hope will play their part, ♪
♪ but when Christ is seen in glory, ♪
♪ love shall reign in every heart: ♪
♪ may love be ours, Lord; ♪
♪ may love be ours. ♪
♪ may love be ours, O Lord. ♪

And we pray:
We have consumed, O Lord,
This divine sacrament, the perpetual memorial
Of the passion of your Son.
Grant, we pray, that this gift,
Which He Himself gave us with love beyond all telling,
May profit us for salvation through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

At this time I invite you to join me
In saying the beautiful prayer for the children of Mercy Home.

Together:
Our Lady of Mercy,
We pray that you will guide, protect,
And bless all boys and girls
Who this day have a home called Mercy.
May they find the Father’s mercy
As we offer them our hearts
In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.
May they see God’s mercy in action
Through our love, prayers, and sacrifices.

Thank you all for joining us for this beautiful Mass
From Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
I want us to think about, as we go into the week ahead:
Where are we being asked to live and to grow strong
As the wheat among the weeds today?
We are that strong wheat, the presence of Christ,
And trust in our own way
How God, who is the Master Harvester,
Will take care of all the harvesting in the end
In God’s own time and in God’s own way.
May we find strength and peace and trust in that,
As we go into the week ahead.

The Lord be with you.
-And with your spirit.
We bow our heads and ask God’s blessing.
Creator God, we give you thanks for being with us this day.
Give us the strength always to be a light of your presence,
Your compassion, your care, and peace to one another.
So like the good wheat, we may grow along with the weeds
Until the time that you bring us all together.
In the name of the Father,
And of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

We go in peace now to love and serve God
By our continued care for one another.
Thanks be to God.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ the Kingdom of God is justice and joy; ♪
♪ for Jesus restores what sin would destroy. ♪
♪ God’s power and glory in Jesus we know; ♪
♪ and here and hereafter the Kingdom shall grow. ♪
♪ the Kingdom of God is mercy and grace; ♪
♪ the captives are freed, the sinners find place, ♪
♪ the outcast are welcomed, God’s banquet to share; ♪
♪ and hope is awakened… ♪

Hello my friends, as you know, as I know,
This TV ministry at Mercy Home 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’re 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
And for our children.

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

♪ [Piano music] ♪

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 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
My name is Dan Riley,
I’m joined by Tom McNamara and Morgan Kuhn,
And our celebrant is Father Carl Morello.

♪ In Christ there is no East or West, ♪
♪ in Him no South or North, but one great family ♪
♪ bound by love throughout the whole wide earth. ♪
♪ [Piano music] ♪

In the name of the Father,
And of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.

The grace, the peace,
And the love of our God be with each of you.
-And with your spirit.

Today as we prepare our hearts to share in Eucharist,
Let us remember God’s mercy and call to mind our sins.

Lord Jesus, you came as the Son of God and the Son of Mary.
Lord have mercy.
-Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus, we trust your love to heal the wounds of our sin.
Christ have mercy.
-Christ have mercy.

And Lord Jesus, out of love, you gather us
Around this table where you strengthen us in faith and hope.
Lord have mercy.
-Lord have mercy.

And may Almighty God, who loves us,
Have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins,
And one day bring us to what the Eucharist points toward,
The banquet of everlasting life.
Amen.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪
♪ and on earth peace to people of good will. ♪
♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪
♪ and on earth peace to people of good will. ♪

Let us pray.
O God, protector of those who hope in you,
Without whom nothing has firm foundation,
Nothing is holy, bestow in abundance your mercy upon us
And grant that with you as our ruler and guide,
We may use the good things that pass in such a way
As to hold fast even now to those that ever endure.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever.
– Amen.

A reading from the Book of Wisdom.

There is no God besides you who have the care for all,
And that you need show that you have not unjustly condemned,
For your might is the source of justice.
Your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all,
For you show your might when the perfection
Of your power is disbelieved.
And in those who know you, you rebuke to meriety,
And though you are the master of might,
You judge with clemency.
And with much leniency you govern us for power
Whenever you will attends you.
And you taught your people by these deeds
That those who are just must be kind.
And you give your children good ground for hope
That you would permit repentance for their sins.

The word of the Lord.
-Thanks be to God.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ Lord, you are good and forgiving. ♪
♪ Lord, you are good and forgiving. ♪
♪ O Lord, you are good and forgiving. ♪
♪ full of mercy to all who call to you. ♪
♪ Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer, ♪
♪ and attend to my voice and supplication. ♪
♪ Lord, you are good and forgiving. ♪

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

Brothers and sisters,
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness,
And we do not know how to pray as we ought,
But the Spirit himself intercedes
With the inexpressible groanings,
And for the one who searches hearts
Knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
Because He intercedes for the holy ones
According to God’s will.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, ♪
♪ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, ♪
♪ blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. ♪
♪ you have revealed to little ones ♪
♪ the mysteries of the Kingdom. ♪
♪ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ♪

Brothers and sisters in faith, the Lord be with you.
-And with your spirit.

Ours is a reading from the Holy Gospel now,
According to Matthew.
-Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds saying,
“the Kingdom of Heaven may be likened to a man
Who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep, his enemy came
And sowed weeds all through the wheat and then went off.”
“when the crop grew and bore fruit,
The weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
“master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?”
He answered, “an enemy has done this.”
His slave said to him,
“do you want us to go and pull them up?”
He replied, “no.”
“if you pull up the weeds,
You might also pull up the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until the harvest.
Then at harvest time, I will say to the harvesters,
First collect the weeds and tie them in a bundle for burning,
But gather the wheat into my barn.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Well, Jesus says something surprising
In this familiar parable.
It’s very realistic.
We hear the farmer sows good seed in his field,
But during the night the enemy comes and sows wheat
Among the seeds with the weeds.
Now, when both begin to grow, the servants are disturbed
And they want to act quickly
And pull out the weeds right away.
But what does the master say?
It’s actually something quite surprising,
“let them grow together until the harvest.”

This parable speaks directly, I think, to our world today.
We look around and we see goodness and generosity,
But we also see cruelty, injustice, violence, and fear.
And we ask ourselves: why does God allow this?
Why doesn’t God just remove all the evil?
The servants, in the same way, ask that very question.
And Jesus is in saying that evil doesn’t matter.
He’s teaching us that God’s patience is not weakness,
It’s mercy.
God’s patience is not weakness, it’s mercy.
If the weeds are pulled too early,
The wheat might be damaged.
And we’re reminded that God sees more deeply than we do.
God knows the difference between judgment and growth,
Between correction and destruction.
And so here’s the danger.
When people decide too quickly who is good and who is bad,
Who belongs and who does not,
We run the risk of playing God.
And we are not the harvesters.
God is.

Let me share this little story that helps, in a simple way,
Understand this Gospel.
There was a gardener who once noticed a plant in her garden,
And it looked weak and all tangled.
And she was ready to pull it out until a friend of hers,
Another gardener, told her, “stop. Wait. Give it time.”
And weeks later, that same plant bloomed into
One of the strongest flowers in her garden.
What looked like a weed just needed time.
And so it is with us.
That’s the way it is with people.
Grace takes time.
Conversion takes time.
Healing takes time.
And so the Gospel calls us not to ignore evil,
But to resist it in a different way.
By choosing patience over vengeance,
And hope over despair, and mercy over fear.
And our task isn’t about uprooting the world,
But becoming strong wheat,
Rooted in prayer, compassion, justice, and love.
God will take care of the harvest.
Until then, we’re called to grow as the good wheat, so to speak.
Be faithful, do good, stay rooted in God,
And trust that God will sort all this out in God’s own time.

It is with that trust, that we now say together
Our Apostles’ Creed.

What we believe:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day, He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty.
From there, He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy catholic Church,
The communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Amen.

And now as a people of faith, hope, and love,
Trusting in God’s presence among us,
We bring our many needs and cares.
Our response to each prayer will be, “Lord, hear our prayer.”

For our Holy Father and Church leaders,
Bless them as they preach God’s Gospel message.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For the leaders of all nations,
May they work together towards a more peaceful and united world.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For Mercy Home’s children,
May Christ’s Spirit of light and hope
Fill their hearts as they continue to heal.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are sick and terminally ill,
May they feel the Lord walking with them
On their difficult journey.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

Loving God, we trust that you hear our prayers,
Those spoken out loud and all held in our hearts,
As we lift them up and pray through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

♪ [Piano music] ♪

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation,
For through your goodness we have bread to offer,
Which earth has given human hands have made,
May it become for us the Bread of Life.
Blessed be God forever.

♪ [Piano music continues] ♪

Through the mingling of water and wine,
We come now to share the divinity of Christ,
Who humbled Himself to share in our humanity.
Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation,
For through your goodness we have wine to offer.
Fruit of the vine, work of human hands,
May it become our spiritual drink.
Blessed be God forever.

And Lord, wash away my iniquities.
Cleanse me of all sin.

♪ [Piano music] ♪

We pray now in faith that the gifts of bread and wine offered,
Be acceptable to our Almighty and loving God.
-May the Lord accept the sacrifice at our hands,
For the praise and glory of God’s name,
For our good and the good of all God’s holy Church.

Accept, O Lord, we pray,
The offerings which we bring
From the abundance of your gifts,
That through the powerful working of your grace,
These most sacred mysteries
May sanctify our present way of life
And lead us to eternal gladness 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,
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 gave us life eternal.
And now with all the Angels and Archangels,
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 dewfall,
So that they may become for us the Body and Blood
Of our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the time He was betrayed
And entered willingly into His passion,
He took bread and giving thanks, broke it.
He gave it to the disciples saying,
“take this, all of you eat of it.
This is my Body given up for you.”
In a similar way, when the supper ended,
He took the chalice and once more giving thanks,
Gave it to the disciples saying,
“take this, all of you and drink from it,
For this is the chalice of my Blood,
The Blood of the new and eternal covenant.
It will be poured out for you and for many,
For the forgiveness of sin.
Do this in memory of me.”

The mystery of our faith.

♪ [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 now the memorial of His death
And resurrection, we offer you, Lord,
The Bread of Life, the chalice of salvation,
Giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence
And minister to you.
Humbly we pray that partaking
Of the Body and Blood of Christ,
We may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.
Remember, Lord, your Church spread throughout the world
And bring her to the fullness of charity
Together with Leo, our Pope,
And Blase, our Archbishop
And those who minister in your Church everywhere.
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,
With Joseph, her spouse, with the blessed Apostles
And all the saints who have pleased you throughout the ages,
We may merit to be coheirs to eternal life,
And one day there praise and glorify you
Through your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through Him, with Him, and in Him, O God, Almighty Father,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours,
For ever and ever.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ Amen, Amen, Amen. ♪

With confidence we pray:
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, from every evil.
Graciously grant peace this day.
In your mercy keep us free from sin.
Protect us from anxiety and despair
As we await the blessed hope
And the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
Now and forever.

Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your friends:
“I leave you peace, 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 lives and reigns forever and ever.
– Amen.

The peace of the Lord be with you always.
-And with your spirit.
Let us share with each other some gesture of Christ’s peace.

And friends at home,
From all of us here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
We want to wish you the blessing of God’s
Strength and peace this day.
Peace be with you.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ Lamb of God; ♪
♪ you take away the sins of the world, ♪
♪ have mercy on us. ♪
♪ Lamb of God; ♪
♪ you take away the sins of the world, ♪
♪ have mercy on us. ♪
♪ Lamb of God; ♪
♪ you take away the sins of the world, ♪
♪ grant us peace. ♪

We behold in faith, Jesus, the Lamb of God
Who takes away our sin and the sin of the world.
Strengthen our we sharing now in the supper of the Lamb.
-Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof,
But only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
May the Body of Christ, may the Blood of Christ
Keep us safe for everlasting life.
Amen.

♪ [Piano music] ♪

For those of you at home,
Please turn to page six in your TV Mass guide
And join in singing our Communion song,
‘Not for Tongues of Heaven’s Angels.’

♪ Not for tongues of heaven’s Angels, ♪
♪ not for wisdom to discern, ♪
♪ not for faith at master’s mountains, ♪
♪ for this better gift we earn: ♪
♪ may love be ours, Lord; ♪
♪ may love be ours. ♪
♪ may love be ours, O Lord. ♪
♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ love is humble, love is gentle, ♪
♪ love is tender, true and kind, ♪
♪ love is gracious, ever patient, ♪
♪ generous of heart and mind: ♪
♪ may love be ours, Lord; ♪
♪ may love be ours. ♪
♪ may love be ours, O Lord. ♪
♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ in this day the world is fading, ♪
♪ faith and hope will play their part, ♪
♪ but when Christ is seen in glory, ♪
♪ love shall reign in every heart: ♪
♪ may love be ours, Lord; ♪
♪ may love be ours. ♪
♪ may love be ours, O Lord. ♪

And we pray:
We have consumed, O Lord,
This divine sacrament, the perpetual memorial
Of the passion of your Son.
Grant, we pray, that this gift,
Which He Himself gave us with love beyond all telling,
May profit us for salvation through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

At this time I invite you to join me
In saying the beautiful prayer for the children of Mercy Home.

Together:
Our Lady of Mercy,
We pray that you will guide, protect,
And bless all boys and girls
Who this day have a home called Mercy.
May they find the Father’s mercy
As we offer them our hearts
In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.
May they see God’s mercy in action
Through our love, prayers, and sacrifices.

Thank you all for joining us for this beautiful Mass
From Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
I want us to think about, as we go into the week ahead:
Where are we being asked to live and to grow strong
As the wheat among the weeds today?
We are that strong wheat, the presence of Christ,
And trust in our own way
How God, who is the Master Harvester,
Will take care of all the harvesting in the end
In God’s own time and in God’s own way.
May we find strength and peace and trust in that,
As we go into the week ahead.

The Lord be with you.
-And with your spirit.
We bow our heads and ask God’s blessing.
Creator God, we give you thanks for being with us this day.
Give us the strength always to be a light of your presence,
Your compassion, your care, and peace to one another.
So like the good wheat, we may grow along with the weeds
Until the time that you bring us all together.
In the name of the Father,
And of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

We go in peace now to love and serve God
By our continued care for one another.
Thanks be to God.

♪ [Piano music] ♪
♪ the Kingdom of God is justice and joy; ♪
♪ for Jesus restores what sin would destroy. ♪
♪ God’s power and glory in Jesus we know; ♪
♪ and here and hereafter the Kingdom shall grow. ♪
♪ the Kingdom of God is mercy and grace; ♪
♪ the captives are freed, the sinners find place, ♪
♪ the outcast are welcomed, God’s banquet to share; ♪
♪ and hope is awakened… ♪

Hello my friends, as you know, as I know,
This TV ministry at Mercy Home 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’re 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
And for our children.

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

Well, Jesus says something surprising
In this familiar parable.
It’s very realistic.
We hear the farmer sows good seed in his field,
But during the night the enemy comes and sows wheat
Among the seeds with the weeds.
Now, when both begin to grow, the servants are disturbed
And they want to act quickly
And pull out the weeds right away.
But what does the master say?
It’s actually something quite surprising,
“let them grow together until the harvest.”

This parable speaks directly, I think, to our world today.
We look around and we see goodness and generosity,
But we also see cruelty, injustice, violence, and fear.
And we ask ourselves: why does God allow this?
Why doesn’t God just remove all the evil?
The servants, in the same way, ask that very question.
And Jesus is in saying that evil doesn’t matter.
He’s teaching us that God’s patience is not weakness,
It’s mercy.
God’s patience is not weakness, it’s mercy.
If the weeds are pulled too early,
The wheat might be damaged.
And we’re reminded that God sees more deeply than we do.
God knows the difference between judgment and growth,
Between correction and destruction.
And so here’s the danger.
When people decide too quickly who is good and who is bad,
Who belongs and who does not,
We run the risk of playing God.
And we are not the harvesters.
God is.

Let me share this little story that helps, in a simple way,
Understand this Gospel.
There was a gardener who once noticed a plant in her garden,
And it looked weak and all tangled.
And she was ready to pull it out until a friend of hers,
Another gardener, told her, “stop. Wait. Give it time.”
And weeks later, that same plant bloomed into
One of the strongest flowers in her garden.
What looked like a weed just needed time.
And so it is with us.
That’s the way it is with people.
Grace takes time.
Conversion takes time.
Healing takes time.
And so the Gospel calls us not to ignore evil,
But to resist it in a different way.
By choosing patience over vengeance,
And hope over despair, and mercy over fear.
And our task isn’t about uprooting the world,
But becoming strong wheat,
Rooted in prayer, compassion, justice, and love.
God will take care of the harvest.
Until then, we’re called to grow as the good wheat, so to speak.
Be faithful, do good, stay rooted in God,
And trust that God will sort all this out in God’s own time.