∫ (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 Epiphany of the Lord.

My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Joyce McQuiggin,
And our Celebrant is Father Greg Sakowicz.

∫ The First Noel the angels did say ∫
∫ Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay; ∫
∫ In fields where they lay keeping their sheep, ∫
∫ On a cold winter’s night that was so deep. ∫
∫ Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell! ∫
∫ Born is the King of Israel. ∫

Good morning and welcome
To celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany.

We gather our prayer and begin as we do all things.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
—Amen.

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

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, have mercy.
—Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.
—Christ, have mercy.

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.

∫ (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. ∫

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

Loving God, who on this day revealed your Only Begotten Son
To the nations by the guidance of a star,
Grant your mercy that we who know you already by faith

Be brought to behold the beauty of Your sublime glory.
Always through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah.

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem.
Your light has come.
The glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
And thick clouds cover the peoples;
But upon you the Lord shines,
And over you appears His glory.
Nations shall walk by your light
And kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
They all gather and come to you.
Your sons come from afar
And your daughters in the arms of their nurses.
Then you shall be radiant at what you see;
Your heart shall throb and overflow,
For the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you;
The wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
Dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
All from Sheba shall come
Bearing gold and frankincense
And proclaiming the praises of the Lord.

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

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ Lord, every nation on earth will adore You. ∫
∫ Lord, every nation on earth will adore You. ∫
∫ O God, give Your judgment to the king, ∫
∫ To a king’s son Your justice, ∫
∫ That he may judge Your people in justice, ∫
∫ And Your poor in right judgment. ∫
∫ Lord, every nation on earth will adore You. ∫

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

Brothers and sisters, you have heard of the stewardship
Of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit,
Namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.
It was not made known to people in other generations
As it has now been revealed to His holy Apostles
And Prophets by the Spirit:
That the Gentiles are co-heirs,
Members of the same Body, and co-partners
In the promise of Christ Jesus through the Gospel.

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

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫
∫ We saw His star at its rising ∫
∫ And have come to do Him homage. ∫
∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫

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

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.
– Glory to You, O Lord.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
In the days of King Herod, behold,
Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn King of the Jews?”

“We saw His star at its rising,
and have come to do Him homage.”

When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled, and all of Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd My people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for this Child.
When you have found Him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do Him homage.”

After their audience with the king, they set out, and behold,
the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the Child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house they saw the Child
with Mary His Mother.
They prostrated themselves and did Him homage.
Then they opened their treasures

Then they opened their treasure
And offered them gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
They had been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
But departed for their country by another way.

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

This burglar walks into a house at midnight—completely dark.
He has his flashlight looking around the house on the inside.
All of a sudden he hears, “Jesus is watching you.”
The flashlight—nothing.
He keeps the flashlight going again.
All of a sudden he hears in the distance,
“Jesus is watching you.”
He doesn’t see a thing.
He has the flashlight going again.

All of a sudden he hears again, “Jesus is watching you.”
He hits on a parrot.
“Ah, it’s just you, a dumb, stupid parrot.”
He says, “What’s your name?”
The parrot says, “I’m Polly the parrot.
“The pit bull is Jesus.”
[Laughter]

The story of the Magi, their journey and search,
Is really our journey and search.
It occurred to me the Feast of the Epiphany
Speaks of three movements: the direction of our lives,
The busyness of our lives, the convictions of our lives.

What about the direction of our lives?
As most of you know, Epiphany means appearance,
Manifestation, or revelation.
It means a showing, a direction for the search.

And very interestingly enough, the Scriptures imply
It’s a search everyone must make.
Luke, in his Gospel, has the poor searching
In the form of shepherds.
Matthew, in his Gospel, has the learned
And the rich search in the form of Magi.

The message is that there is room for everybody
In the search for life’s meaning and purpose,
From no degrees to PhDs, from shepherds to executives.

And so to the Magi, there are three searchers
Who did not find the answer to life in their horoscopes,
Who took a long and difficult journey to another country
In search of the Christ.

But first, for all believers, there must be the search.
Pascal once wrote,
“there are only three kinds of people in the world,
Those who have sought God and found Him,
Those who are seeking Him but have not yet found Him,
And those who neither seek God nor find Him.
The direction of our lives includes
Searching and questioning.”

I’d like to share with you a question of a four-year-old
Who wrote me this letter some years ago,
A classic letter from a little, little girl:

Dear Father Greg, happy new year.
This is my first letter ever.
I wonder, are you Jesus’ dad?
Love, Katie.

No, Katie, I’m not Jesus’ dad.
I’m old, but not that old.
John the Baptist points to Jesus.
The Magi point to the Christ Child.
Jesus points to God.
In and with my life, who am I pointing to?

Because this gets so in the way of making a living,
We forget about making a life.
The direction of our lives gives way
To the conviction of our lives.
Our beliefs lead to choices.
Our choices determine our convictions.

The face of the Epiphany means finding Christ
Is not a one-time thing.
Rather, finding the Lord is a lifelong quest
For search, meaning, and the goals of life.

As we start a new year together,
Christ reveals Himself in many different ways.
The challenge for all of us as part of the direction,
The busyness, and conviction of our lives,
Is to let the Lord find us and lead us.

And please know this:
In life, people don’t care how much you know.
They want to know how much you care.

Together as God’s family, our Profession of 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 of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light,
True God from True God, begotten, not made,
Consubstantial with the Father.
Through Him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation, He came down from Heaven.
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
Incarnate of the Virgin Mary, He became Man.

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

He ascended into Heaven
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in Glory to judge the living and the dead,
And His Kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
Who has spoken through the Prophets.

I believe in one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
And 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 the Holy Father and all clergy,
May they be a beacon of hope and inspire people
To know the Birth of the Lord as our Savior
And worship Him as did the Magi.

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

On this Feast of Little Christmas,
May the Light of Christ’s Birth brought into the world
Remain in our hearts always.

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

For the children of Mercy Home,
May they find strength in the Lord’s presence
As they continue rebuilding their lives.
We pray to the Lord.
–Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are mourning the loss of a loved one,
May Christ’s birth fill their hearts
With light, comfort, and peace,
Knowing their loved one is now at home with our Lord.
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 in our hearts,
Always made known through Christ our Lord.
–Amen.

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ (Piano 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.

Look with favor, Lord, we pray,
On these gifts of Your Church,
Which are now offered,
Not gold or frankincense or myrrh,
But He who by them is proclaimed,
Sacrificed and received, Jesus Christ,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
–Amen.

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

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

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
–It is right and just.
It is truly right and just,
Our duty and our salvation,
Always and everywhere to give You thanks,
Lord, Holy Father, almighty and eternal God.

For today, You reveal the mystery
Of our salvation in Christ as light for all the nations.
When He appeared in our mortal nature,
He made us new by the glory of His immortal nature.

So all the choirs of Angels in Heaven
Proclaim Your glory as we then together sing:

∫ (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 font 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,
And gave it 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,
He 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.

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ When We Eat This Bread and Drink This Cup, ∫
∫ We Proclaim Your Death, O Lord, Until You Come Again. ∫

Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of His Life,
Death, and Resurrection, we offer You, Lord,
The Bread of Life and the Chalice of Salvation,
Giving thanks that You have held us worthy
To be in Your presence and minister to You.

Humbly we pray that the partaking
Of the Body and Blood of Christ
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,
With 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.
Welcome them into the light of Your face.

Have mercy on us all, we pray,
With the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God,
With Blessed Joseph, her spouse, the Blessed Apostles,
And all the Saints who have pleased You throughout the ages,
That we may 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.

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ Amen, Amen, Amen. ∫

With confidence, faith, and joy

On this Feast, the Epiphany, in the Family of God,
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 into 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 always be 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 graciously grant her peace and unity
In accordance with Your Will,
Who live and reign forever and ever.
—Amen.

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

Let us offer each other a sign of peace.

For those who are praying at home,
Perhaps in a hospital or facility,
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.

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ Lamb of God; ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ have mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God; ∫

∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Have mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God; ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Grant us peace. ∫

Behold the Lamb of God.
Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.

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

∫ (Soft piano music) ∫

For those of you at home,
Please turn to page six in your TV Mass Guide
And join in singing our Communion hymn,
“There Is a Longing.”

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ There is a longing in our hearts, O Lord, ∫
∫ For You to reveal Yourself to us. ∫
∫ There is a longing in our hearts ∫
∫ For love we only find in You, our God. ∫
∫ For justice, for freedom, for mercy; hear our prayer. ∫
∫ In sorrow, in grief; ∫
∫ Be near, hear our prayer, O Lord. ∫
∫ There is a longing in our hearts, O Lord, ∫
∫ For You to reveal Yourself to us. ∫
∫ There is a longing in our hearts ∫
∫ For love we only find in You, our God. ∫

And together, our prayer of the children of Mercy Home:

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

And together, let us pray.
Go before us with heavenly light, O Lord,
Always and everywhere, that we may perceive with clear sight
And revere with true affection
The mystery in which You have willed us to participate.
Always through Christ our Lord.
–Amen.

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

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.
We go in peace.
–Thanks be to God.

And to you and all your loved ones,
A very blessed and happy continued Christmas season,
And blessings, health, and joy in the brand new year, 2026.

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ We Three Kings of Orient Are… ∫

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 that 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) ∫

∫ (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 Epiphany of the Lord.

My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Joyce McQuiggin,
And our Celebrant is Father Greg Sakowicz.

∫ The First Noel the angels did say ∫
∫ Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay; ∫
∫ In fields where they lay keeping their sheep, ∫
∫ On a cold winter’s night that was so deep. ∫
∫ Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell! ∫
∫ Born is the King of Israel. ∫

Good morning and welcome
To celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany.

We gather our prayer and begin as we do all things.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
—Amen.

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

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, have mercy.
—Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.
—Christ, have mercy.

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.

∫ (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. ∫

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

Loving God, who on this day revealed your Only Begotten Son
To the nations by the guidance of a star,
Grant your mercy that we who know you already by faith

Be brought to behold the beauty of Your sublime glory.
Always through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah.

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem.
Your light has come.
The glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
And thick clouds cover the peoples;
But upon you the Lord shines,
And over you appears His glory.
Nations shall walk by your light
And kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
They all gather and come to you.
Your sons come from afar
And your daughters in the arms of their nurses.
Then you shall be radiant at what you see;
Your heart shall throb and overflow,
For the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you;
The wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
Dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
All from Sheba shall come
Bearing gold and frankincense
And proclaiming the praises of the Lord.

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

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ Lord, every nation on earth will adore You. ∫
∫ Lord, every nation on earth will adore You. ∫
∫ O God, give Your judgment to the king, ∫
∫ To a king’s son Your justice, ∫
∫ That he may judge Your people in justice, ∫
∫ And Your poor in right judgment. ∫
∫ Lord, every nation on earth will adore You. ∫

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

Brothers and sisters, you have heard of the stewardship
Of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit,
Namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.
It was not made known to people in other generations
As it has now been revealed to His holy Apostles
And Prophets by the Spirit:
That the Gentiles are co-heirs,
Members of the same Body, and co-partners
In the promise of Christ Jesus through the Gospel.

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

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫
∫ We saw His star at its rising ∫
∫ And have come to do Him homage. ∫
∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫

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

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.
– Glory to You, O Lord.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
In the days of King Herod, behold,
Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn King of the Jews?”

“We saw His star at its rising,
and have come to do Him homage.”

When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled, and all of Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd My people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for this Child.
When you have found Him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do Him homage.”

After their audience with the king, they set out, and behold,
the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the Child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house they saw the Child
with Mary His Mother.
They prostrated themselves and did Him homage.
Then they opened their treasures

Then they opened their treasure
And offered them gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
They had been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
But departed for their country by another way.

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

This burglar walks into a house at midnight—completely dark.
He has his flashlight looking around the house on the inside.
All of a sudden he hears, “Jesus is watching you.”
The flashlight—nothing.
He keeps the flashlight going again.
All of a sudden he hears in the distance,
“Jesus is watching you.”
He doesn’t see a thing.
He has the flashlight going again.

All of a sudden he hears again, “Jesus is watching you.”
He hits on a parrot.
“Ah, it’s just you, a dumb, stupid parrot.”
He says, “What’s your name?”
The parrot says, “I’m Polly the parrot.
“The pit bull is Jesus.”
[Laughter]

The story of the Magi, their journey and search,
Is really our journey and search.
It occurred to me the Feast of the Epiphany
Speaks of three movements: the direction of our lives,
The busyness of our lives, the convictions of our lives.

What about the direction of our lives?
As most of you know, Epiphany means appearance,
Manifestation, or revelation.
It means a showing, a direction for the search.

And very interestingly enough, the Scriptures imply
It’s a search everyone must make.
Luke, in his Gospel, has the poor searching
In the form of shepherds.
Matthew, in his Gospel, has the learned
And the rich search in the form of Magi.

The message is that there is room for everybody
In the search for life’s meaning and purpose,
From no degrees to PhDs, from shepherds to executives.

And so to the Magi, there are three searchers
Who did not find the answer to life in their horoscopes,
Who took a long and difficult journey to another country
In search of the Christ.

But first, for all believers, there must be the search.
Pascal once wrote,
“there are only three kinds of people in the world,
Those who have sought God and found Him,
Those who are seeking Him but have not yet found Him,
And those who neither seek God nor find Him.
The direction of our lives includes
Searching and questioning.”

I’d like to share with you a question of a four-year-old
Who wrote me this letter some years ago,
A classic letter from a little, little girl:

Dear Father Greg, happy new year.
This is my first letter ever.
I wonder, are you Jesus’ dad?
Love, Katie.

No, Katie, I’m not Jesus’ dad.
I’m old, but not that old.
John the Baptist points to Jesus.
The Magi point to the Christ Child.
Jesus points to God.
In and with my life, who am I pointing to?

Because this gets so in the way of making a living,
We forget about making a life.
The direction of our lives gives way
To the conviction of our lives.
Our beliefs lead to choices.
Our choices determine our convictions.

The face of the Epiphany means finding Christ
Is not a one-time thing.
Rather, finding the Lord is a lifelong quest
For search, meaning, and the goals of life.

As we start a new year together,
Christ reveals Himself in many different ways.
The challenge for all of us as part of the direction,
The busyness, and conviction of our lives,
Is to let the Lord find us and lead us.

And please know this:
In life, people don’t care how much you know.
They want to know how much you care.

Together as God’s family, our Profession of 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 of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light,
True God from True God, begotten, not made,
Consubstantial with the Father.
Through Him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation, He came down from Heaven.
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
Incarnate of the Virgin Mary, He became Man.

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

He ascended into Heaven
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in Glory to judge the living and the dead,
And His Kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
Who has spoken through the Prophets.

I believe in one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
And 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 the Holy Father and all clergy,
May they be a beacon of hope and inspire people
To know the Birth of the Lord as our Savior
And worship Him as did the Magi.

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

On this Feast of Little Christmas,
May the Light of Christ’s Birth brought into the world
Remain in our hearts always.

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

For the children of Mercy Home,
May they find strength in the Lord’s presence
As they continue rebuilding their lives.
We pray to the Lord.
–Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are mourning the loss of a loved one,
May Christ’s birth fill their hearts
With light, comfort, and peace,
Knowing their loved one is now at home with our Lord.
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 in our hearts,
Always made known through Christ our Lord.
–Amen.

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ (Piano 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.

Look with favor, Lord, we pray,
On these gifts of Your Church,
Which are now offered,
Not gold or frankincense or myrrh,
But He who by them is proclaimed,
Sacrificed and received, Jesus Christ,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
–Amen.

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

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

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
–It is right and just.
It is truly right and just,
Our duty and our salvation,
Always and everywhere to give You thanks,
Lord, Holy Father, almighty and eternal God.

For today, You reveal the mystery
Of our salvation in Christ as light for all the nations.
When He appeared in our mortal nature,
He made us new by the glory of His immortal nature.

So all the choirs of Angels in Heaven
Proclaim Your glory as we then together sing:

∫ (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 font 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,
And gave it 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,
He 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.

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ When We Eat This Bread and Drink This Cup, ∫
∫ We Proclaim Your Death, O Lord, Until You Come Again. ∫

Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of His Life,
Death, and Resurrection, we offer You, Lord,
The Bread of Life and the Chalice of Salvation,
Giving thanks that You have held us worthy
To be in Your presence and minister to You.

Humbly we pray that the partaking
Of the Body and Blood of Christ
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,
With 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.
Welcome them into the light of Your face.

Have mercy on us all, we pray,
With the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God,
With Blessed Joseph, her spouse, the Blessed Apostles,
And all the Saints who have pleased You throughout the ages,
That we may 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.

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ Amen, Amen, Amen. ∫

With confidence, faith, and joy

On this Feast, the Epiphany, in the Family of God,
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 into 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 always be 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 graciously grant her peace and unity
In accordance with Your Will,
Who live and reign forever and ever.
—Amen.

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

Let us offer each other a sign of peace.

For those who are praying at home,
Perhaps in a hospital or facility,
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.

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ Lamb of God; ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ have mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God; ∫

∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Have mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God; ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Grant us peace. ∫

Behold the Lamb of God.
Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.

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

∫ (Soft piano music) ∫

For those of you at home,
Please turn to page six in your TV Mass Guide
And join in singing our Communion hymn,
“There Is a Longing.”

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ There is a longing in our hearts, O Lord, ∫
∫ For You to reveal Yourself to us. ∫
∫ There is a longing in our hearts ∫
∫ For love we only find in You, our God. ∫
∫ For justice, for freedom, for mercy; hear our prayer. ∫
∫ In sorrow, in grief; ∫
∫ Be near, hear our prayer, O Lord. ∫
∫ There is a longing in our hearts, O Lord, ∫
∫ For You to reveal Yourself to us. ∫
∫ There is a longing in our hearts ∫
∫ For love we only find in You, our God. ∫

And together, our prayer of the children of Mercy Home:

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

And together, let us pray.
Go before us with heavenly light, O Lord,
Always and everywhere, that we may perceive with clear sight
And revere with true affection
The mystery in which You have willed us to participate.
Always through Christ our Lord.
–Amen.

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

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.
We go in peace.
–Thanks be to God.

And to you and all your loved ones,
A very blessed and happy continued Christmas season,
And blessings, health, and joy in the brand new year, 2026.

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ We Three Kings of Orient Are… ∫

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 that 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) ∫

∫ (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 Epiphany of the Lord.

My name is Dan Riley.
I am joined by Tom McNamara and Joyce McQuiggin,
And our Celebrant is Father Greg Sakowicz.

∫ The First Noel the angels did say ∫
∫ Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay; ∫
∫ In fields where they lay keeping their sheep, ∫
∫ On a cold winter’s night that was so deep. ∫
∫ Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell! ∫
∫ Born is the King of Israel. ∫

Good morning and welcome
To celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany.

We gather our prayer and begin as we do all things.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
—Amen.

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

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, have mercy.
—Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.
—Christ, have mercy.

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.

∫ (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. ∫

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

Loving God, who on this day revealed your Only Begotten Son
To the nations by the guidance of a star,
Grant your mercy that we who know you already by faith

Be brought to behold the beauty of Your sublime glory.
Always through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.

A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah.

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem.
Your light has come.
The glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
And thick clouds cover the peoples;
But upon you the Lord shines,
And over you appears His glory.
Nations shall walk by your light
And kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
They all gather and come to you.
Your sons come from afar
And your daughters in the arms of their nurses.
Then you shall be radiant at what you see;
Your heart shall throb and overflow,
For the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you;
The wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
Dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
All from Sheba shall come
Bearing gold and frankincense
And proclaiming the praises of the Lord.

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

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ Lord, every nation on earth will adore You. ∫
∫ Lord, every nation on earth will adore You. ∫
∫ O God, give Your judgment to the king, ∫
∫ To a king’s son Your justice, ∫
∫ That he may judge Your people in justice, ∫
∫ And Your poor in right judgment. ∫
∫ Lord, every nation on earth will adore You. ∫

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

Brothers and sisters, you have heard of the stewardship
Of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit,
Namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.
It was not made known to people in other generations
As it has now been revealed to His holy Apostles
And Prophets by the Spirit:
That the Gentiles are co-heirs,
Members of the same Body, and co-partners
In the promise of Christ Jesus through the Gospel.

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

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫
∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫
∫ We saw His star at its rising ∫
∫ And have come to do Him homage. ∫
∫ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. ∫

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

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.
– Glory to You, O Lord.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
In the days of King Herod, behold,
Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn King of the Jews?”

“We saw His star at its rising,
and have come to do Him homage.”

When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled, and all of Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd My people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for this Child.
When you have found Him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do Him homage.”

After their audience with the king, they set out, and behold,
the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the Child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house they saw the Child
with Mary His Mother.
They prostrated themselves and did Him homage.
Then they opened their treasures

Then they opened their treasure
And offered them gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
They had been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
But departed for their country by another way.

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

This burglar walks into a house at midnight—completely dark.
He has his flashlight looking around the house on the inside.
All of a sudden he hears, “Jesus is watching you.”
The flashlight—nothing.
He keeps the flashlight going again.
All of a sudden he hears in the distance,
“Jesus is watching you.”
He doesn’t see a thing.
He has the flashlight going again.

All of a sudden he hears again, “Jesus is watching you.”
He hits on a parrot.
“Ah, it’s just you, a dumb, stupid parrot.”
He says, “What’s your name?”
The parrot says, “I’m Polly the parrot.
“The pit bull is Jesus.”
[Laughter]

The story of the Magi, their journey and search,
Is really our journey and search.
It occurred to me the Feast of the Epiphany
Speaks of three movements: the direction of our lives,
The busyness of our lives, the convictions of our lives.

What about the direction of our lives?
As most of you know, Epiphany means appearance,
Manifestation, or revelation.
It means a showing, a direction for the search.

And very interestingly enough, the Scriptures imply
It’s a search everyone must make.
Luke, in his Gospel, has the poor searching
In the form of shepherds.
Matthew, in his Gospel, has the learned
And the rich search in the form of Magi.

The message is that there is room for everybody
In the search for life’s meaning and purpose,
From no degrees to PhDs, from shepherds to executives.

And so to the Magi, there are three searchers
Who did not find the answer to life in their horoscopes,
Who took a long and difficult journey to another country
In search of the Christ.

But first, for all believers, there must be the search.
Pascal once wrote,
“there are only three kinds of people in the world,
Those who have sought God and found Him,
Those who are seeking Him but have not yet found Him,
And those who neither seek God nor find Him.
The direction of our lives includes
Searching and questioning.”

I’d like to share with you a question of a four-year-old
Who wrote me this letter some years ago,
A classic letter from a little, little girl:

Dear Father Greg, happy new year.
This is my first letter ever.
I wonder, are you Jesus’ dad?
Love, Katie.

No, Katie, I’m not Jesus’ dad.
I’m old, but not that old.
John the Baptist points to Jesus.
The Magi point to the Christ Child.
Jesus points to God.
In and with my life, who am I pointing to?

Because this gets so in the way of making a living,
We forget about making a life.
The direction of our lives gives way
To the conviction of our lives.
Our beliefs lead to choices.
Our choices determine our convictions.

The face of the Epiphany means finding Christ
Is not a one-time thing.
Rather, finding the Lord is a lifelong quest
For search, meaning, and the goals of life.

As we start a new year together,
Christ reveals Himself in many different ways.
The challenge for all of us as part of the direction,
The busyness, and conviction of our lives,
Is to let the Lord find us and lead us.

And please know this:
In life, people don’t care how much you know.
They want to know how much you care.

Together as God’s family, our Profession of 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 of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light,
True God from True God, begotten, not made,
Consubstantial with the Father.
Through Him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation, He came down from Heaven.
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
Incarnate of the Virgin Mary, He became Man.

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

He ascended into Heaven
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in Glory to judge the living and the dead,
And His Kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
Who has spoken through the Prophets.

I believe in one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
And 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 the Holy Father and all clergy,
May they be a beacon of hope and inspire people
To know the Birth of the Lord as our Savior
And worship Him as did the Magi.

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

On this Feast of Little Christmas,
May the Light of Christ’s Birth brought into the world
Remain in our hearts always.

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

For the children of Mercy Home,
May they find strength in the Lord’s presence
As they continue rebuilding their lives.
We pray to the Lord.
–Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are mourning the loss of a loved one,
May Christ’s birth fill their hearts
With light, comfort, and peace,
Knowing their loved one is now at home with our Lord.
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 in our hearts,
Always made known through Christ our Lord.
–Amen.

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ (Piano 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.

Look with favor, Lord, we pray,
On these gifts of Your Church,
Which are now offered,
Not gold or frankincense or myrrh,
But He who by them is proclaimed,
Sacrificed and received, Jesus Christ,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
–Amen.

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

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

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
–It is right and just.
It is truly right and just,
Our duty and our salvation,
Always and everywhere to give You thanks,
Lord, Holy Father, almighty and eternal God.

For today, You reveal the mystery
Of our salvation in Christ as light for all the nations.
When He appeared in our mortal nature,
He made us new by the glory of His immortal nature.

So all the choirs of Angels in Heaven
Proclaim Your glory as we then together sing:

∫ (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 font 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,
And gave it 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,
He 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.

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ When We Eat This Bread and Drink This Cup, ∫
∫ We Proclaim Your Death, O Lord, Until You Come Again. ∫

Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of His Life,
Death, and Resurrection, we offer You, Lord,
The Bread of Life and the Chalice of Salvation,
Giving thanks that You have held us worthy
To be in Your presence and minister to You.

Humbly we pray that the partaking
Of the Body and Blood of Christ
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,
With 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.
Welcome them into the light of Your face.

Have mercy on us all, we pray,
With the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God,
With Blessed Joseph, her spouse, the Blessed Apostles,
And all the Saints who have pleased You throughout the ages,
That we may 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.

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ Amen, Amen, Amen. ∫

With confidence, faith, and joy

On this Feast, the Epiphany, in the Family of God,
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 into 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 always be 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 graciously grant her peace and unity
In accordance with Your Will,
Who live and reign forever and ever.
—Amen.

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

Let us offer each other a sign of peace.

For those who are praying at home,
Perhaps in a hospital or facility,
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.

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ Lamb of God; ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ have mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God; ∫

∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Have mercy on us. ∫
∫ Lamb of God; ∫
∫ You take away the sins of the world, ∫
∫ Grant us peace. ∫

Behold the Lamb of God.
Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.

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

∫ (Soft piano music) ∫

For those of you at home,
Please turn to page six in your TV Mass Guide
And join in singing our Communion hymn,
“There Is a Longing.”

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ There is a longing in our hearts, O Lord, ∫
∫ For You to reveal Yourself to us. ∫
∫ There is a longing in our hearts ∫
∫ For love we only find in You, our God. ∫
∫ For justice, for freedom, for mercy; hear our prayer. ∫
∫ In sorrow, in grief; ∫
∫ Be near, hear our prayer, O Lord. ∫
∫ There is a longing in our hearts, O Lord, ∫
∫ For You to reveal Yourself to us. ∫
∫ There is a longing in our hearts ∫
∫ For love we only find in You, our God. ∫

And together, our prayer of the children of Mercy Home:

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

And together, let us pray.
Go before us with heavenly light, O Lord,
Always and everywhere, that we may perceive with clear sight
And revere with true affection
The mystery in which You have willed us to participate.
Always through Christ our Lord.
–Amen.

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

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.
We go in peace.
–Thanks be to God.

And to you and all your loved ones,
A very blessed and happy continued Christmas season,
And blessings, health, and joy in the brand new year, 2026.

∫ (Piano music) ∫
∫ We Three Kings of Orient Are… ∫

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 that 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) ∫

This burglar walks into a house at midnight—completely dark.
He has his flashlight looking around the house on the inside.
All of a sudden he hears, “Jesus is watching you.”
The flashlight—nothing.
He keeps the flashlight going again.
All of a sudden he hears in the distance,
“Jesus is watching you.”
He doesn’t see a thing.
He has the flashlight going again.

All of a sudden he hears again, “Jesus is watching you.”
He hits on a parrot.
“Ah, it’s just you, a dumb, stupid parrot.”
He says, “What’s your name?”
The parrot says, “I’m Polly the parrot.
“The pit bull is Jesus.”
[Laughter]

The story of the Magi, their journey and search,
Is really our journey and search.
It occurred to me the Feast of the Epiphany
Speaks of three movements: the direction of our lives,
The busyness of our lives, the convictions of our lives.

What about the direction of our lives?
As most of you know, Epiphany means appearance,
Manifestation, or revelation.
It means a showing, a direction for the search.

And very interestingly enough, the Scriptures imply
It’s a search everyone must make.
Luke, in his Gospel, has the poor searching
In the form of shepherds.
Matthew, in his Gospel, has the learned
And the rich search in the form of Magi.

The message is that there is room for everybody
In the search for life’s meaning and purpose,
From no degrees to PhDs, from shepherds to executives.

And so to the Magi, there are three searchers
Who did not find the answer to life in their horoscopes,
Who took a long and difficult journey to another country
In search of the Christ.

But first, for all believers, there must be the search.
Pascal once wrote,
“there are only three kinds of people in the world,
Those who have sought God and found Him,
Those who are seeking Him but have not yet found Him,
And those who neither seek God nor find Him.
The direction of our lives includes
Searching and questioning.”

I’d like to share with you a question of a four-year-old
Who wrote me this letter some years ago,
A classic letter from a little, little girl:

Dear Father Greg, happy new year.
This is my first letter ever.
I wonder, are you Jesus’ dad?
Love, Katie.

No, Katie, I’m not Jesus’ dad.
I’m old, but not that old.
John the Baptist points to Jesus.
The Magi point to the Christ Child.
Jesus points to God.
In and with my life, who am I pointing to?

Because this gets so in the way of making a living,
We forget about making a life.
The direction of our lives gives way
To the conviction of our lives.
Our beliefs lead to choices.
Our choices determine our convictions.

The face of the Epiphany means finding Christ
Is not a one-time thing.
Rather, finding the Lord is a lifelong quest
For search, meaning, and the goals of life.

As we start a new year together,
Christ reveals Himself in many different ways.
The challenge for all of us as part of the direction,
The busyness, and conviction of our lives,
Is to let the Lord find us and lead us.

And please know this:
In life, people don’t care how much you know.
They want to know how much you care.