∫ [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 Sixth Sunday of Easter.

My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Adrenne Walsh
And our celebrant is Father Greg Sakowitz.

∫ then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee. ∫
∫ how great thou art, how great thou art. ∫
∫ then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee. ∫
∫ how great thou art, how great thou art. ∫

Good morning and welcome
As we continue our Easter Season.

Also a very special Happy Mother’s Day
And to all women who love in a motherly way.

We gather in the name of the Father
And of the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.

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

Our God is loving, compassionate and always forgiving.
We are sinners who take a moment of silence
And ask forgiveness and the Lord’s mercy.

Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life.
Lord have mercy.
-Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus, you forgive us our sins.
Christ have mercy.
-Christ have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you nourish us with the gifts of the Holy Eucharist.
Lord have mercy.
-Lord have mercy.

May Almighty God have mercy on us.
Forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life.
-Amen.

As God’s forgiven family we sing praise to our God:

∫ [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. ∫

And together let us pray for the grace
To follow Christ more closely.

Loving God, we celebrate with heartfelt devotion
These days of joy which we keep in honor of the Risen Lord.
And may we relive in remembrance
We may always hold to in what we do through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

Philip went down to the city of Samaria
And proclaimed the Christ to them.

With one accord the crowds paid attention
To what was said by Philip when they heard it
And saw the signs he was doing.

For unclean spirits crying out in a loud voice
Came out by many possessed people
And many paralyzed or crippled people were cured.

There was great joy in that city.

Now when the Apostles in Jerusalem
Heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God,
They sent Peter and John who went down
And prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

For it had not yet fallen upon any of them.
They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

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

∫ [music] ∫

∫ let all the earth cry out, cry out to God with joy. ∫
∫ let all the earth cry out, cry out to God with joy. ∫
∫ cry out with joy to God all the earth. ∫

∫ o sing to the glory of his name. ∫
∫ o render him glorious praise. ∫
∫ say to God how awesome your deeds. ∫
∫ let all the earth cry out, cry out to God with joy. ∫

A reading from the First Letter of Saint Peter.

Beloved, sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.
Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone
Who asks you for your reason for your hope,
But do it with gentleness and reverence,
Keeping your conscious clear
So that when you are maligned, those who defame
Your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame.

For it is better to suffer for doing good
If it be the will of God than for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered for sins once,
The righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
That he may lead you to God.

Put to death in the flesh,
He was brought to life in the Spirit.

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

∫ [music] ∫

∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord, ∫
∫ and my Father will love him and we will come to him ∫
∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫

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

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.
-Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“If you love me you will keep my commandments

And I will ask the Father,
And he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
The Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot accept,
Because it neither sees nor knows him.

But you know him, because he remains with you,
And will be in you.

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

In a little while the world will no longer see me
But you will see me because I live and you will live in me.

On that day you will realize that I am in my Father
And you are in me and I live in you.

Whoever has my commandments and observes them
Is the one who loves me.

And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
And I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

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

The Air Force cadet scheduled to make his first parachute jump
Listened intently as the instructor
Told him how to jump from the plane.

“Pull the chute, count and pull the parachute cord.”

If the chute failed to open,
The cadet was to pull the cord of the emergency chute.

When he landed safely he was to pack the parachute
And hike to the southeast corner of the landing area,
Where a van would pick him up.

The rookie cadet was ready after all these instructions.
He jumped out of the plane and pulled the cord.

Nothing happened,
So he pulled the emergency cord.

Again nothing happened.

As the cadet continued rapidly to fall to the earth
He said to himself,

“I should not have trusted that instructor.

“I’ll bet the van won’t be on the corner either.”
[laughter]

The Air Force cadet missed the whole picture,
He didn’t see the bigger picture
And the real consequences.

We can sometimes be like that rookie cadet,
And miss the whole point
And the real consequences of our lives.

We can sometimes miss the Lord present and working in our lives
Because we are focused somewhere else.

Thereby missing the bigger picture and sometimes
We get so focused on ourselves we miss what is all around us.

Let me share a true story.

About 30 years ago or 35 years ago,
Three seminarians, at then called Niles College Seminary
Of Loyola University completed a 5,000 piece puzzle.

This puzzle was a monster 5,000 pieces.
It completely covered one large huge table.

You’ll be asking yourself:
Did these seminarians ever study?

Yes they did.
They’re actually all three honor students.

These three seminarians were very proud
Of their accomplishment and displayed their masterpiece
For everyone in the seminary to see,
Students and faculty alike.

I was with a group of seminarians
Admiring this 5,000 completed puzzle
When one of the students said,

“If you look there’s one little piece missing.”

It was true, toward the upper right hand corner
Of the completed puzzle, one small piece was missing.

Their 5,000 piece puzzle was really 4,999 pieces.
They had lost one piece.

That seminarian’s comment made me think:
Our life is very much like a puzzle.

We see all the good pieces of our lives
We focus on that one piece that is missing.

Too many people focus and miss the whole picture of life
Because they focus on one piece that is missing.
Which causes them to miss all the good pieces of their lives.

Think about this, in life no one’s puzzle is complete.
We all have a few pieces that are missing
And need healing or feeding, need rearranging and changing.

We call this sin in our lives no one is perfect.

And think about this, every time you point a finger
At somebody and say, “You did this. You did that.”
Three of your own fingers are pointing right back at you.

Don’t judge, we are all sinners,
Loved and forgiven by God.

But the key is we don’t walk through life alone.

Through this Easter Season we celebrate the life,
The death, and Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Lord is with us.
We can choose to abandon God but God will never abandon us.

If you listen in today’s Gospel:

‘I will not leave you orphaned I’ll come back to you
The person who loves me, will be loved by my Father.’

Remember this thought: the hand will not reach out
Where the heart does not long for.

Together as God’s family, we profess our faith:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty
Maker of Heaven and earth.

Of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ
The Only Begotten Son of God.

Born the Father before all ages
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
Begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father;
Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from Heaven,
And by the Holy Spirit was incarnate
Of the Virgin Mary and became man.

For our sake was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
He suffered death and was buried and rose again on the third day
In accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into Heaven
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead
And his Kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
Who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one holy Catholic and apostolic Church.

I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
And I look forward to the Resurrection of the dead
And the life of the world to come.
-Amen.

With confidence, faith and joy,
We bring the Lord our needs, our prayers, our very lives.

Our response to each prayer will be:
‘Lord, hear our prayer.’

For our Holy Father and all members of our clergy
May their actions and words embody the mysteries
Of new life which we celebrate, this Easter Season.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are alone, may they find comfort and solace
In Christ’s healing love.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For the youth in Mercy Home’s care,
May our Risen Lord fill their hearts with courage and hope.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

And in gratitude for our mothers, grandmothers,
Godmothers and mother figures
Who filled our lives with their love,
May they receive the Lord’s divine blessings.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

Loving God, we ask you to hear our prayers
Those voiced and all our needs and prayers
Known to you found deep within our hearts.
Always through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

∫ [music] ∫
∫ [music continues] ∫

And pray, my sisters and brothers,
That our sacrifice be acceptable to God,
The Father, the 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.
-Amen.

May our prayers rise up to you, O Lord,
Together, the sacrificial offerings,
So purified by your graciousness,
Be conformed to the mysteries of your mighty love,
Always 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,
At all times to acclaim you, O Lord,
To laud you more gloriously,
When Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.

For he is a true Lamb
Who’s taken away the sins of the world.

By dying, he destroyed our death.
By rising, he restored our life.

Therefore, overcome with Paschal joy,
Together we sing your hymn of praise:

∫ [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.
That they may become for us the Body and Blood of your Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the time he was betrayed and entered into his Passion.
Jesus took bread and giving thanks broke it.

He gave to the disciples saying,

“Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
For this is my Body, which will be given up for you.”

When supper was 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,
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.

∫ [music] ∫

∫ when we eat this bread and drink this cup, ∫
∫ we proclaim your death, O Lord, ∫
∫ until you come again. ∫

Therefore, to celebrate the memorial of his life,
Death, and Resurrection,
We offer you, Lord, the bread of life
And the chalice of salvation,
Giving thanks that you 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 be gathered into one by the power of 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, the bishops, clergy,
Religious brothers and sisters,
And all who serve in your faith communities.

Remember, also, our brothers and sisters
Who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection,

And all who have died in your mercy.

And in a very special way,
All the deceased mothers, grandmothers,
And all women who have loved us in a motherly way.

Welcome them into the light of your face.

Have mercy on us all, we pray.
With the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
With Blessed Joseph her spouse,
The Blessed Apostles, and all the Saints
Who have pleased you throughout the ages,
May we merit to be co-heirs to eternal life,
And may praise and glorify you
Through your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Through him, 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.

∫ [music] ∫

∫ amen, amen, amen. ∫

With confidence, faith, and joy,
Together as God’s family with one voice, 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 in temptation,
But deliver us from evil.

Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
Grant peace in our days,
That by the help of your mercy,
We may be always free from sin, and safe from all distress,
As we await the Blessed hope,
And the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
Now and forever.

And Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your Apostles,
“Peace I leave you, my peace I give you.”

Look not upon our sins, but on the faith of your Church,
And grant us peace and unity, in accordance to your will,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
-Amen.

May the peace of the Lord be with you.
-And with your spirit.

Let us share the Lord’s peace and joy with those around us.

To those who are praying at home,
Nursing facility, hospital;
From all of us here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
To each and every one of you.

God’s blessings, peace, and the Lord’s joy.

∫ [music] ∫

∫ lamb of God, ∫
∫ you take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ have mercy on us. ∫

∫ lamb of God, ∫
∫ you take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ have mercy on us. ∫

∫ lamb of God, ∫
∫ you take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ grant us peace. ∫

Behold the Lamb of God,
Behold him who takes away the sins of the world,
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

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

∫ [music] ∫

For those of you at home,
Please turn to page six in your TV Mass Guide

And join in singing our Communion Hymn,
“One Bread, One Body.”

∫ [music] ∫

∫ one bread, one body, ∫
∫ one Lord of all. ∫
∫ one cup of blessing which we bless, ∫
∫ and we, though many, ∫
∫ throughout the earth, ∫
∫ we are one body in this one Lord. ∫

∫ gentile or Jew, ∫
∫ servant or free, ∫
∫ woman or man, no more. ∫

∫ one bread, one body, ∫
∫ one Lord of all. ∫
∫ one cup of blessing which we bless, ∫
∫ and we, though many, ∫
∫ throughout the earth. ∫
∫ we are one body in this one Lord. ∫

∫ many the gifts, ∫
∫ many the works, ∫
∫ one in the Lord for all. ∫

∫ one bread, one body, ∫
∫ one Lord of all. ∫
∫ one cup of blessing which we bless, ∫
∫ and we, though many, ∫
∫ throughout the earth. ∫
∫ we are one body in this one Lord. ∫

And together our prayer for the children of Mercy Home:

Our Lady of Mercy, we pray that you will guide,
Protect and bless all boys and girls,
Who this day at the 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 we see God’s mercy in action,
Through our love, prayers, and sacrifices.

And together let us pray.

Loving God, restore us to eternal life,
The Resurrection of Christ,
Increase in us we pray,
The fruits of this Paschal Sacrament,
And pour into our hearts the strength of this Holy Food,
Always through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

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

Let us bow our heads and pray for God’s many blessings.

The Lord bless you and keep you.
-Amen.

May his face shine upon you,
Be with you in peace, joy, and hope always.
-Amen.

May the face of Christ live with you, and be with you
With his Resurrection in the Easter days,
All the days of your life.
-Amen.

And may the blessing of Almighty God;
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Descend upon all of us forever and ever.
-Amen.

Our celebration has ended.
Our Easter Season continues.
We go in peace.
-Thanks be to God.

Again to our mothers, grandmothers,
To all who love in a motherly way,
A very blessed and happy Mother’s Day to you,
Now and forever.

-Amen.

∫ [music] ∫

∫ crown him the Lord of life ∫
∫ who triumphed o’er the grave ∫
∫ and rose victorious in the strife ∫
∫ for those he came to save ∫
∫ his glories now we sing ∫
∫ who died and rose on high ∫
∫ who died eternal life to bring ∫
∫ and lives… ∫

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 Incorporated
And its World Library Publications division.

∫ [music] ∫

∫ [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 Sixth Sunday of Easter.

My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Adrenne Walsh
And our celebrant is Father Greg Sakowitz.

∫ then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee. ∫
∫ how great thou art, how great thou art. ∫
∫ then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee. ∫
∫ how great thou art, how great thou art. ∫

Good morning and welcome
As we continue our Easter Season.

Also a very special Happy Mother’s Day
And to all women who love in a motherly way.

We gather in the name of the Father
And of the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.

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

Our God is loving, compassionate and always forgiving.
We are sinners who take a moment of silence
And ask forgiveness and the Lord’s mercy.

Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life.
Lord have mercy.
-Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus, you forgive us our sins.
Christ have mercy.
-Christ have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you nourish us with the gifts of the Holy Eucharist.
Lord have mercy.
-Lord have mercy.

May Almighty God have mercy on us.
Forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life.
-Amen.

As God’s forgiven family we sing praise to our God:

∫ [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. ∫

And together let us pray for the grace
To follow Christ more closely.

Loving God, we celebrate with heartfelt devotion
These days of joy which we keep in honor of the Risen Lord.
And may we relive in remembrance
We may always hold to in what we do through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

Philip went down to the city of Samaria
And proclaimed the Christ to them.

With one accord the crowds paid attention
To what was said by Philip when they heard it
And saw the signs he was doing.

For unclean spirits crying out in a loud voice
Came out by many possessed people
And many paralyzed or crippled people were cured.

There was great joy in that city.

Now when the Apostles in Jerusalem
Heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God,
They sent Peter and John who went down
And prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

For it had not yet fallen upon any of them.
They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

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

∫ [music] ∫

∫ let all the earth cry out, cry out to God with joy. ∫
∫ let all the earth cry out, cry out to God with joy. ∫
∫ cry out with joy to God all the earth. ∫

∫ o sing to the glory of his name. ∫
∫ o render him glorious praise. ∫
∫ say to God how awesome your deeds. ∫
∫ let all the earth cry out, cry out to God with joy. ∫

A reading from the First Letter of Saint Peter.

Beloved, sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.
Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone
Who asks you for your reason for your hope,
But do it with gentleness and reverence,
Keeping your conscious clear
So that when you are maligned, those who defame
Your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame.

For it is better to suffer for doing good
If it be the will of God than for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered for sins once,
The righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
That he may lead you to God.

Put to death in the flesh,
He was brought to life in the Spirit.

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

∫ [music] ∫

∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord, ∫
∫ and my Father will love him and we will come to him ∫
∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫

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

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.
-Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“If you love me you will keep my commandments

And I will ask the Father,
And he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
The Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot accept,
Because it neither sees nor knows him.

But you know him, because he remains with you,
And will be in you.

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

In a little while the world will no longer see me
But you will see me because I live and you will live in me.

On that day you will realize that I am in my Father
And you are in me and I live in you.

Whoever has my commandments and observes them
Is the one who loves me.

And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
And I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

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

The Air Force cadet scheduled to make his first parachute jump
Listened intently as the instructor
Told him how to jump from the plane.

“Pull the chute, count and pull the parachute cord.”

If the chute failed to open,
The cadet was to pull the cord of the emergency chute.

When he landed safely he was to pack the parachute
And hike to the southeast corner of the landing area,
Where a van would pick him up.

The rookie cadet was ready after all these instructions.
He jumped out of the plane and pulled the cord.

Nothing happened,
So he pulled the emergency cord.

Again nothing happened.

As the cadet continued rapidly to fall to the earth
He said to himself,

“I should not have trusted that instructor.

“I’ll bet the van won’t be on the corner either.”
[laughter]

The Air Force cadet missed the whole picture,
He didn’t see the bigger picture
And the real consequences.

We can sometimes be like that rookie cadet,
And miss the whole point
And the real consequences of our lives.

We can sometimes miss the Lord present and working in our lives
Because we are focused somewhere else.

Thereby missing the bigger picture and sometimes
We get so focused on ourselves we miss what is all around us.

Let me share a true story.

About 30 years ago or 35 years ago,
Three seminarians, at then called Niles College Seminary
Of Loyola University completed a 5,000 piece puzzle.

This puzzle was a monster 5,000 pieces.
It completely covered one large huge table.

You’ll be asking yourself:
Did these seminarians ever study?

Yes they did.
They’re actually all three honor students.

These three seminarians were very proud
Of their accomplishment and displayed their masterpiece
For everyone in the seminary to see,
Students and faculty alike.

I was with a group of seminarians
Admiring this 5,000 completed puzzle
When one of the students said,

“If you look there’s one little piece missing.”

It was true, toward the upper right hand corner
Of the completed puzzle, one small piece was missing.

Their 5,000 piece puzzle was really 4,999 pieces.
They had lost one piece.

That seminarian’s comment made me think:
Our life is very much like a puzzle.

We see all the good pieces of our lives
We focus on that one piece that is missing.

Too many people focus and miss the whole picture of life
Because they focus on one piece that is missing.
Which causes them to miss all the good pieces of their lives.

Think about this, in life no one’s puzzle is complete.
We all have a few pieces that are missing
And need healing or feeding, need rearranging and changing.

We call this sin in our lives no one is perfect.

And think about this, every time you point a finger
At somebody and say, “You did this. You did that.”
Three of your own fingers are pointing right back at you.

Don’t judge, we are all sinners,
Loved and forgiven by God.

But the key is we don’t walk through life alone.

Through this Easter Season we celebrate the life,
The death, and Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Lord is with us.
We can choose to abandon God but God will never abandon us.

If you listen in today’s Gospel:

‘I will not leave you orphaned I’ll come back to you
The person who loves me, will be loved by my Father.’

Remember this thought: the hand will not reach out
Where the heart does not long for.

Together as God’s family, we profess our faith:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty
Maker of Heaven and earth.

Of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ
The Only Begotten Son of God.

Born the Father before all ages
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
Begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father;
Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from Heaven,
And by the Holy Spirit was incarnate
Of the Virgin Mary and became man.

For our sake was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
He suffered death and was buried and rose again on the third day
In accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into Heaven
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead
And his Kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
Who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one holy Catholic and apostolic Church.

I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
And I look forward to the Resurrection of the dead
And the life of the world to come.
-Amen.

With confidence, faith and joy,
We bring the Lord our needs, our prayers, our very lives.

Our response to each prayer will be:
‘Lord, hear our prayer.’

For our Holy Father and all members of our clergy
May their actions and words embody the mysteries
Of new life which we celebrate, this Easter Season.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are alone, may they find comfort and solace
In Christ’s healing love.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For the youth in Mercy Home’s care,
May our Risen Lord fill their hearts with courage and hope.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

And in gratitude for our mothers, grandmothers,
Godmothers and mother figures
Who filled our lives with their love,
May they receive the Lord’s divine blessings.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

Loving God, we ask you to hear our prayers
Those voiced and all our needs and prayers
Known to you found deep within our hearts.
Always through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

∫ [music] ∫
∫ [music continues] ∫

And pray, my sisters and brothers,
That our sacrifice be acceptable to God,
The Father, the 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.
-Amen.

May our prayers rise up to you, O Lord,
Together, the sacrificial offerings,
So purified by your graciousness,
Be conformed to the mysteries of your mighty love,
Always 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,
At all times to acclaim you, O Lord,
To laud you more gloriously,
When Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.

For he is a true Lamb
Who’s taken away the sins of the world.

By dying, he destroyed our death.
By rising, he restored our life.

Therefore, overcome with Paschal joy,
Together we sing your hymn of praise:

∫ [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.
That they may become for us the Body and Blood of your Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the time he was betrayed and entered into his Passion.
Jesus took bread and giving thanks broke it.

He gave to the disciples saying,

“Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
For this is my Body, which will be given up for you.”

When supper was 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,
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.

∫ [music] ∫

∫ when we eat this bread and drink this cup, ∫
∫ we proclaim your death, O Lord, ∫
∫ until you come again. ∫

Therefore, to celebrate the memorial of his life,
Death, and Resurrection,
We offer you, Lord, the bread of life
And the chalice of salvation,
Giving thanks that you 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 be gathered into one by the power of 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, the bishops, clergy,
Religious brothers and sisters,
And all who serve in your faith communities.

Remember, also, our brothers and sisters
Who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection,

And all who have died in your mercy.

And in a very special way,
All the deceased mothers, grandmothers,
And all women who have loved us in a motherly way.

Welcome them into the light of your face.

Have mercy on us all, we pray.
With the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
With Blessed Joseph her spouse,
The Blessed Apostles, and all the Saints
Who have pleased you throughout the ages,
May we merit to be co-heirs to eternal life,
And may praise and glorify you
Through your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Through him, 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.

∫ [music] ∫

∫ amen, amen, amen. ∫

With confidence, faith, and joy,
Together as God’s family with one voice, 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 in temptation,
But deliver us from evil.

Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
Grant peace in our days,
That by the help of your mercy,
We may be always free from sin, and safe from all distress,
As we await the Blessed hope,
And the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
Now and forever.

And Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your Apostles,
“Peace I leave you, my peace I give you.”

Look not upon our sins, but on the faith of your Church,
And grant us peace and unity, in accordance to your will,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
-Amen.

May the peace of the Lord be with you.
-And with your spirit.

Let us share the Lord’s peace and joy with those around us.

To those who are praying at home,
Nursing facility, hospital;
From all of us here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
To each and every one of you.

God’s blessings, peace, and the Lord’s joy.

∫ [music] ∫

∫ lamb of God, ∫
∫ you take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ have mercy on us. ∫

∫ lamb of God, ∫
∫ you take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ have mercy on us. ∫

∫ lamb of God, ∫
∫ you take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ grant us peace. ∫

Behold the Lamb of God,
Behold him who takes away the sins of the world,
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

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

∫ [music] ∫

For those of you at home,
Please turn to page six in your TV Mass Guide

And join in singing our Communion Hymn,
“One Bread, One Body.”

∫ [music] ∫

∫ one bread, one body, ∫
∫ one Lord of all. ∫
∫ one cup of blessing which we bless, ∫
∫ and we, though many, ∫
∫ throughout the earth, ∫
∫ we are one body in this one Lord. ∫

∫ gentile or Jew, ∫
∫ servant or free, ∫
∫ woman or man, no more. ∫

∫ one bread, one body, ∫
∫ one Lord of all. ∫
∫ one cup of blessing which we bless, ∫
∫ and we, though many, ∫
∫ throughout the earth. ∫
∫ we are one body in this one Lord. ∫

∫ many the gifts, ∫
∫ many the works, ∫
∫ one in the Lord for all. ∫

∫ one bread, one body, ∫
∫ one Lord of all. ∫
∫ one cup of blessing which we bless, ∫
∫ and we, though many, ∫
∫ throughout the earth. ∫
∫ we are one body in this one Lord. ∫

And together our prayer for the children of Mercy Home:

Our Lady of Mercy, we pray that you will guide,
Protect and bless all boys and girls,
Who this day at the 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 we see God’s mercy in action,
Through our love, prayers, and sacrifices.

And together let us pray.

Loving God, restore us to eternal life,
The Resurrection of Christ,
Increase in us we pray,
The fruits of this Paschal Sacrament,
And pour into our hearts the strength of this Holy Food,
Always through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

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

Let us bow our heads and pray for God’s many blessings.

The Lord bless you and keep you.
-Amen.

May his face shine upon you,
Be with you in peace, joy, and hope always.
-Amen.

May the face of Christ live with you, and be with you
With his Resurrection in the Easter days,
All the days of your life.
-Amen.

And may the blessing of Almighty God;
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Descend upon all of us forever and ever.
-Amen.

Our celebration has ended.
Our Easter Season continues.
We go in peace.
-Thanks be to God.

Again to our mothers, grandmothers,
To all who love in a motherly way,
A very blessed and happy Mother’s Day to you,
Now and forever.

-Amen.

∫ [music] ∫

∫ crown him the Lord of life ∫
∫ who triumphed o’er the grave ∫
∫ and rose victorious in the strife ∫
∫ for those he came to save ∫
∫ his glories now we sing ∫
∫ who died and rose on high ∫
∫ who died eternal life to bring ∫
∫ and lives… ∫

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 Incorporated
And its World Library Publications division.

∫ [music] ∫

∫ [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 Sixth Sunday of Easter.

My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Adrenne Walsh
And our celebrant is Father Greg Sakowitz.

∫ then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee. ∫
∫ how great thou art, how great thou art. ∫
∫ then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee. ∫
∫ how great thou art, how great thou art. ∫

Good morning and welcome
As we continue our Easter Season.

Also a very special Happy Mother’s Day
And to all women who love in a motherly way.

We gather in the name of the Father
And of the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.

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

Our God is loving, compassionate and always forgiving.
We are sinners who take a moment of silence
And ask forgiveness and the Lord’s mercy.

Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life.
Lord have mercy.
-Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus, you forgive us our sins.
Christ have mercy.
-Christ have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you nourish us with the gifts of the Holy Eucharist.
Lord have mercy.
-Lord have mercy.

May Almighty God have mercy on us.
Forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life.
-Amen.

As God’s forgiven family we sing praise to our God:

∫ [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. ∫

And together let us pray for the grace
To follow Christ more closely.

Loving God, we celebrate with heartfelt devotion
These days of joy which we keep in honor of the Risen Lord.
And may we relive in remembrance
We may always hold to in what we do through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

Philip went down to the city of Samaria
And proclaimed the Christ to them.

With one accord the crowds paid attention
To what was said by Philip when they heard it
And saw the signs he was doing.

For unclean spirits crying out in a loud voice
Came out by many possessed people
And many paralyzed or crippled people were cured.

There was great joy in that city.

Now when the Apostles in Jerusalem
Heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God,
They sent Peter and John who went down
And prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

For it had not yet fallen upon any of them.
They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

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

∫ [music] ∫

∫ let all the earth cry out, cry out to God with joy. ∫
∫ let all the earth cry out, cry out to God with joy. ∫
∫ cry out with joy to God all the earth. ∫

∫ o sing to the glory of his name. ∫
∫ o render him glorious praise. ∫
∫ say to God how awesome your deeds. ∫
∫ let all the earth cry out, cry out to God with joy. ∫

A reading from the First Letter of Saint Peter.

Beloved, sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.
Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone
Who asks you for your reason for your hope,
But do it with gentleness and reverence,
Keeping your conscious clear
So that when you are maligned, those who defame
Your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame.

For it is better to suffer for doing good
If it be the will of God than for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered for sins once,
The righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
That he may lead you to God.

Put to death in the flesh,
He was brought to life in the Spirit.

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

∫ [music] ∫

∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord, ∫
∫ and my Father will love him and we will come to him ∫
∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫
∫ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ∫

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

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.
-Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“If you love me you will keep my commandments

And I will ask the Father,
And he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
The Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot accept,
Because it neither sees nor knows him.

But you know him, because he remains with you,
And will be in you.

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

In a little while the world will no longer see me
But you will see me because I live and you will live in me.

On that day you will realize that I am in my Father
And you are in me and I live in you.

Whoever has my commandments and observes them
Is the one who loves me.

And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
And I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

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

The Air Force cadet scheduled to make his first parachute jump
Listened intently as the instructor
Told him how to jump from the plane.

“Pull the chute, count and pull the parachute cord.”

If the chute failed to open,
The cadet was to pull the cord of the emergency chute.

When he landed safely he was to pack the parachute
And hike to the southeast corner of the landing area,
Where a van would pick him up.

The rookie cadet was ready after all these instructions.
He jumped out of the plane and pulled the cord.

Nothing happened,
So he pulled the emergency cord.

Again nothing happened.

As the cadet continued rapidly to fall to the earth
He said to himself,

“I should not have trusted that instructor.

“I’ll bet the van won’t be on the corner either.”
[laughter]

The Air Force cadet missed the whole picture,
He didn’t see the bigger picture
And the real consequences.

We can sometimes be like that rookie cadet,
And miss the whole point
And the real consequences of our lives.

We can sometimes miss the Lord present and working in our lives
Because we are focused somewhere else.

Thereby missing the bigger picture and sometimes
We get so focused on ourselves we miss what is all around us.

Let me share a true story.

About 30 years ago or 35 years ago,
Three seminarians, at then called Niles College Seminary
Of Loyola University completed a 5,000 piece puzzle.

This puzzle was a monster 5,000 pieces.
It completely covered one large huge table.

You’ll be asking yourself:
Did these seminarians ever study?

Yes they did.
They’re actually all three honor students.

These three seminarians were very proud
Of their accomplishment and displayed their masterpiece
For everyone in the seminary to see,
Students and faculty alike.

I was with a group of seminarians
Admiring this 5,000 completed puzzle
When one of the students said,

“If you look there’s one little piece missing.”

It was true, toward the upper right hand corner
Of the completed puzzle, one small piece was missing.

Their 5,000 piece puzzle was really 4,999 pieces.
They had lost one piece.

That seminarian’s comment made me think:
Our life is very much like a puzzle.

We see all the good pieces of our lives
We focus on that one piece that is missing.

Too many people focus and miss the whole picture of life
Because they focus on one piece that is missing.
Which causes them to miss all the good pieces of their lives.

Think about this, in life no one’s puzzle is complete.
We all have a few pieces that are missing
And need healing or feeding, need rearranging and changing.

We call this sin in our lives no one is perfect.

And think about this, every time you point a finger
At somebody and say, “You did this. You did that.”
Three of your own fingers are pointing right back at you.

Don’t judge, we are all sinners,
Loved and forgiven by God.

But the key is we don’t walk through life alone.

Through this Easter Season we celebrate the life,
The death, and Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Lord is with us.
We can choose to abandon God but God will never abandon us.

If you listen in today’s Gospel:

‘I will not leave you orphaned I’ll come back to you
The person who loves me, will be loved by my Father.’

Remember this thought: the hand will not reach out
Where the heart does not long for.

Together as God’s family, we profess our faith:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty
Maker of Heaven and earth.

Of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ
The Only Begotten Son of God.

Born the Father before all ages
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
Begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father;
Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from Heaven,
And by the Holy Spirit was incarnate
Of the Virgin Mary and became man.

For our sake was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
He suffered death and was buried and rose again on the third day
In accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into Heaven
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead
And his Kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
Who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one holy Catholic and apostolic Church.

I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
And I look forward to the Resurrection of the dead
And the life of the world to come.
-Amen.

With confidence, faith and joy,
We bring the Lord our needs, our prayers, our very lives.

Our response to each prayer will be:
‘Lord, hear our prayer.’

For our Holy Father and all members of our clergy
May their actions and words embody the mysteries
Of new life which we celebrate, this Easter Season.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are alone, may they find comfort and solace
In Christ’s healing love.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

For the youth in Mercy Home’s care,
May our Risen Lord fill their hearts with courage and hope.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

And in gratitude for our mothers, grandmothers,
Godmothers and mother figures
Who filled our lives with their love,
May they receive the Lord’s divine blessings.
We pray to the Lord.
-Lord, hear our prayer.

Loving God, we ask you to hear our prayers
Those voiced and all our needs and prayers
Known to you found deep within our hearts.
Always through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

∫ [music] ∫
∫ [music continues] ∫

And pray, my sisters and brothers,
That our sacrifice be acceptable to God,
The Father, the 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.
-Amen.

May our prayers rise up to you, O Lord,
Together, the sacrificial offerings,
So purified by your graciousness,
Be conformed to the mysteries of your mighty love,
Always 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,
At all times to acclaim you, O Lord,
To laud you more gloriously,
When Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.

For he is a true Lamb
Who’s taken away the sins of the world.

By dying, he destroyed our death.
By rising, he restored our life.

Therefore, overcome with Paschal joy,
Together we sing your hymn of praise:

∫ [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.
That they may become for us the Body and Blood of your Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the time he was betrayed and entered into his Passion.
Jesus took bread and giving thanks broke it.

He gave to the disciples saying,

“Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
For this is my Body, which will be given up for you.”

When supper was 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,
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.

∫ [music] ∫

∫ when we eat this bread and drink this cup, ∫
∫ we proclaim your death, O Lord, ∫
∫ until you come again. ∫

Therefore, to celebrate the memorial of his life,
Death, and Resurrection,
We offer you, Lord, the bread of life
And the chalice of salvation,
Giving thanks that you 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 be gathered into one by the power of 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, the bishops, clergy,
Religious brothers and sisters,
And all who serve in your faith communities.

Remember, also, our brothers and sisters
Who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection,

And all who have died in your mercy.

And in a very special way,
All the deceased mothers, grandmothers,
And all women who have loved us in a motherly way.

Welcome them into the light of your face.

Have mercy on us all, we pray.
With the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
With Blessed Joseph her spouse,
The Blessed Apostles, and all the Saints
Who have pleased you throughout the ages,
May we merit to be co-heirs to eternal life,
And may praise and glorify you
Through your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Through him, 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.

∫ [music] ∫

∫ amen, amen, amen. ∫

With confidence, faith, and joy,
Together as God’s family with one voice, 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 in temptation,
But deliver us from evil.

Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
Grant peace in our days,
That by the help of your mercy,
We may be always free from sin, and safe from all distress,
As we await the Blessed hope,
And the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
Now and forever.

And Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your Apostles,
“Peace I leave you, my peace I give you.”

Look not upon our sins, but on the faith of your Church,
And grant us peace and unity, in accordance to your will,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
-Amen.

May the peace of the Lord be with you.
-And with your spirit.

Let us share the Lord’s peace and joy with those around us.

To those who are praying at home,
Nursing facility, hospital;
From all of us here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls,
To each and every one of you.

God’s blessings, peace, and the Lord’s joy.

∫ [music] ∫

∫ lamb of God, ∫
∫ you take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ have mercy on us. ∫

∫ lamb of God, ∫
∫ you take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ have mercy on us. ∫

∫ lamb of God, ∫
∫ you take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ grant us peace. ∫

Behold the Lamb of God,
Behold him who takes away the sins of the world,
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

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

∫ [music] ∫

For those of you at home,
Please turn to page six in your TV Mass Guide

And join in singing our Communion Hymn,
“One Bread, One Body.”

∫ [music] ∫

∫ one bread, one body, ∫
∫ one Lord of all. ∫
∫ one cup of blessing which we bless, ∫
∫ and we, though many, ∫
∫ throughout the earth, ∫
∫ we are one body in this one Lord. ∫

∫ gentile or Jew, ∫
∫ servant or free, ∫
∫ woman or man, no more. ∫

∫ one bread, one body, ∫
∫ one Lord of all. ∫
∫ one cup of blessing which we bless, ∫
∫ and we, though many, ∫
∫ throughout the earth. ∫
∫ we are one body in this one Lord. ∫

∫ many the gifts, ∫
∫ many the works, ∫
∫ one in the Lord for all. ∫

∫ one bread, one body, ∫
∫ one Lord of all. ∫
∫ one cup of blessing which we bless, ∫
∫ and we, though many, ∫
∫ throughout the earth. ∫
∫ we are one body in this one Lord. ∫

And together our prayer for the children of Mercy Home:

Our Lady of Mercy, we pray that you will guide,
Protect and bless all boys and girls,
Who this day at the 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 we see God’s mercy in action,
Through our love, prayers, and sacrifices.

And together let us pray.

Loving God, restore us to eternal life,
The Resurrection of Christ,
Increase in us we pray,
The fruits of this Paschal Sacrament,
And pour into our hearts the strength of this Holy Food,
Always through Christ our Lord.
-Amen.

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

Let us bow our heads and pray for God’s many blessings.

The Lord bless you and keep you.
-Amen.

May his face shine upon you,
Be with you in peace, joy, and hope always.
-Amen.

May the face of Christ live with you, and be with you
With his Resurrection in the Easter days,
All the days of your life.
-Amen.

And may the blessing of Almighty God;
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Descend upon all of us forever and ever.
-Amen.

Our celebration has ended.
Our Easter Season continues.
We go in peace.
-Thanks be to God.

Again to our mothers, grandmothers,
To all who love in a motherly way,
A very blessed and happy Mother’s Day to you,
Now and forever.

-Amen.

∫ [music] ∫

∫ crown him the Lord of life ∫
∫ who triumphed o’er the grave ∫
∫ and rose victorious in the strife ∫
∫ for those he came to save ∫
∫ his glories now we sing ∫
∫ who died and rose on high ∫
∫ who died eternal life to bring ∫
∫ and lives… ∫

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 Incorporated
And its World Library Publications division.

∫ [music] ∫

The Air Force cadet scheduled to make his first parachute jump
Listened intently as the instructor
Told him how to jump from the plane.

“Pull the chute, count and pull the parachute cord.”

If the chute failed to open,
The cadet was to pull the cord of the emergency chute.

When he landed safely he was to pack the parachute
And hike to the southeast corner of the landing area,
Where a van would pick him up.

The rookie cadet was ready after all these instructions.
He jumped out of the plane and pulled the cord.

Nothing happened,
So he pulled the emergency cord.

Again nothing happened.

As the cadet continued rapidly to fall to the earth
He said to himself,

“I should not have trusted that instructor.

“I’ll bet the van won’t be on the corner either.”
[laughter]

The Air Force cadet missed the whole picture,
He didn’t see the bigger picture
And the real consequences.

We can sometimes be like that rookie cadet,
And miss the whole point
And the real consequences of our lives.

We can sometimes miss the Lord present and working in our lives
Because we are focused somewhere else.

Thereby missing the bigger picture and sometimes
We get so focused on ourselves we miss what is all around us.

Let me share a true story.

About 30 years ago or 35 years ago,
Three seminarians, at then called Niles College Seminary
Of Loyola University completed a 5,000 piece puzzle.

This puzzle was a monster 5,000 pieces.
It completely covered one large huge table.

You’ll be asking yourself:
Did these seminarians ever study?

Yes they did.
They’re actually all three honor students.

These three seminarians were very proud
Of their accomplishment and displayed their masterpiece
For everyone in the seminary to see,
Students and faculty alike.

I was with a group of seminarians
Admiring this 5,000 completed puzzle
When one of the students said,

“If you look there’s one little piece missing.”

It was true, toward the upper right hand corner
Of the completed puzzle, one small piece was missing.

Their 5,000 piece puzzle was really 4,999 pieces.
They had lost one piece.

That seminarian’s comment made me think:
Our life is very much like a puzzle.

We see all the good pieces of our lives
We focus on that one piece that is missing.

Too many people focus and miss the whole picture of life
Because they focus on one piece that is missing.
Which causes them to miss all the good pieces of their lives.

Think about this, in life no one’s puzzle is complete.
We all have a few pieces that are missing
And need healing or feeding, need rearranging and changing.

We call this sin in our lives no one is perfect.

And think about this, every time you point a finger
At somebody and say, “You did this. You did that.”
Three of your own fingers are pointing right back at you.

Don’t judge, we are all sinners,
Loved and forgiven by God.

But the key is we don’t walk through life alone.

Through this Easter Season we celebrate the life,
The death, and Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Lord is with us.
We can choose to abandon God but God will never abandon us.

If you listen in today’s Gospel:

‘I will not leave you orphaned I’ll come back to you
The person who loves me, will be loved by my Father.’

Remember this thought: the hand will not reach out
Where the heart does not long for.