The following presentation is made possible by the generosity of the viewers of Sunday [music] 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 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time. My name is Dan Riley. I’m joined by Tom McNamara and Molly Riley, and our Celebrant is Father James Wallace.

Joyful, joyful, [singing] we adore You, God of glory, Lord of love. [singing] Hearts [music] unfold like flowers before You, opening [singing] to the [music] sun above. Melt the [singing] cloud of sin and sadness, drive the [music] dark of doubt away. Giver [singing] of immortal gladness, [music] fill us with the light [singing] of day.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. Good morning, brothers and sisters. Welcome to Mass at Mercy Home. It’s great that you can be with us so we can pray together. We invite God’s grace upon us, and we prepare ourselves to celebrate these Sacred Mysteries by calling to mind our sins. You were sent to heal the contrite of heart. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. You came to call sinners. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people [singing] of good will.

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

Let us pray. Almighty ever-living God, grant that we may always conform our will to Yours and serve Your majesty and sincerity of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen. A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. Thus says the Lord to His anointed Cyrus, whose right hand I grasp, subduing nations before him and making kings run in his service, opening doors before him and leaving the gates unbarred. For the sake of Jacob, My servant, of Israel, My chosen one, I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew Me not. I am the Lord and there is no other. There is no God besides Me. It is I who arm you, though you know Me not, so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun, people may know that there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, there is no other. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Give the Lord glory, glory and honor.

Give the Lord glory, [singing and music] glory and honor.

Oh, sing a new song to the Lord. [singing]

Sing to the Lord all the earth. Tell among [singing] the nations His glory and His wonders among all the nations.

Give the Lord [singing and music] glory, glory [singing] and honor.

A reading from the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love, and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen. For our Gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction. The Word of the Lord. Thanks, thanks be to God.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

[singing] Hallelujah. [music] Hallelujah. [singing] Hallelujah.

[singing] Shine like lights in the [music] world as you hold on to [singing] the Word of life. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. [singing] Hallelujah.

[singing] The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. Glory to You, O Lord. The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. They sent their disciples to Him with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are a truthful man and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And You are not concerned with anyone’s opinion, for You do not regard a person’s status. Tell us then, what is Your opinion? Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” Knowing their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the coin that pays the census tax.” Then they handed Him the Roman coin. He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” They replied, “Caesar’s.” At that, He said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. We’ve heard that before, and we accept it, I think most of us, but there are definitely some of us who might struggle with that, the fact that we owe something to God. Render to God what belongs to God. We don’t like the sense that God puts an imposition on us and we have to curtail our freedom to give something to God. This is a notion that has really come about in the last 200 years. Let me give you just kind of a quick intellectual history tour here. There was a movement in philosophy basically called rationalism, which said that the only thing that’s real is basically what you in your mind can conceive and what is good for you and what leads to your fulfillment. That’s the only thing that’s real. What you conceive in your mind, what you think, and basically what leads to your fulfillment. So, anything that’s outside of you is either not real, and especially if it doesn’t lead to your fulfillment, then it’s certainly not real. Now, that might not make sense, but the way it kind of attacks religion is, as Christians, as people who are religious, we accept things outside of ourselves, not just what we conceive in our mind. This is the whole notion of Revelation. That there’s like a Trinity that we couldn’t have conceived of, or that Jesus is present in the Eucharist; we couldn’t have made that up. So, the Catholic Church has what are called Dogmas, and we believe that Dogmas, whether it’s the Incarnation of the Son of God, or the Immaculate Conception of Mary, or the bread and wine being the Body and Blood of Jesus, or the nature of the Church, these things exist in reality. They’re true, they’re outside of us, and it’s for us to assent to them, to ascribe to them, if that makes sense. Okay? Versus, again, just whatever we want and whatever is good for us, and if it’s not good for us, then we just kind of throw that Dogma away. Now, what’s tricky about rationalism and how it undermines, I would say, Dogmatic religion, which is very much what Catholicism is based on, is that it waters down the Faith. So, then all of a sudden Faith is just about basically feeling good and feeling God. Which is good. We want to feel good, and we want to feel God; we want to experience God; we want to experience, like, the sublime and the transcendent. But after a while that kind of gets old, and it waters down the Faith, and eventually we just sort of walk away from it. Like, you can only eat so many good steaks for dinner and feel good. You can only watch so many, I don’t know, Cubs games, or see so many good movies, or listen to so much music. After a while it just sort of gets old. If there’s nothing more than just the feeling, the aesthetic aspect of it, then it goes away. All right? So with our Catholic Faith, yes, there are Dogmas, and sometimes they’re very difficult for us to ascribe to, especially when it comes to, like, moral Dogmas and whatnot. But ultimately it keeps us in line. And as we go in line, we keep journeying towards God, we come to an appreciation of these truths, and our hearts are opened up or broken open to them, and we live in a greater way. Okay? So anyways, back to the Gospel real quick. Render to God what belongs to God. This is Jesus basically saying, “Look, I want you to be happy and fulfilled in life, but also recognize that there’s something greater outside of yourself. It’s not just you feeling good or you thinking whatever you want to think, but there’s something that the Church has to offer.” And if we can humble ourselves and see that and assent to it, then we really will live a fulfilled life in God. Amen.

And so, friends, now we join our voices and we profess our Faith together in God. I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, He came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. So we pray now for all the needs of the Church and the world. Our response to each prayer will be, “Lord, hear our prayer.” For our Holy Father and Church leaders, may they be blessed with courage to lead with the Lord’s wisdom. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer. For those who fear for the health of a loved one, may they find solace and hope through Christ’s love. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer. For Mercy Home’s youth, may they take advantage of every opportunity offered to them in Mercy Home’s care. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer. For those who have been victims of crime, may they find renewal of faith in others through Christ’s example of forgiveness. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer. Loving and merciful Father, draw near to us, open our hearts to receive Your love, and answer these prayers through Christ our Lord. Amen. Amen.

Pray, brothers and sisters, that my Sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father. May the Lord accept the Sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of His name, for our good and the good of all His Holy Church. Grant us, Lord, we pray, sincere respect for Your gifts, that through the purifying action of Your grace, we may be cleansed by the very Mysteries we serve. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 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 out of compassion for the waywardness that is ours, He humbled Himself and was born of the Virgin. By the Passion of the Cross, He freed us from unending death, and by rising from the dead, He gave us life eternal. And so, with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominions, and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven, we sing the hymn of Your glory, as without end we acclaim.

Holy, [singing] Holy, Holy

Lord God of hosts. [singing] Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.

Hosanna [singing] in the highest. Blessed [singing] is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna [singing] in the highest.

You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness. Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down Your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. At the time He was betrayed and entered willingly into His Passion, He took bread and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is My Body, which will be given up for you.”

In a similar way, when supper was ended, He took the Chalice, and once more giving thanks, He gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the Chalice of My Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of Me.”

The Mystery of Faith. When we eat [singing] this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim Your death, [singing] O Lord, until You come again.

Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of His Death and Resurrection, we offer You, Lord, the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation, giving thanks that You have held us worthy to be in Your presence and minister to You. Humbly we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit. Remember, Lord, Your Church, spread throughout the world, and bring her to the fullness of charity, together with Leo, our Pope, and Blase, our Bishop, and all the Clergy. Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection, and all who have died in Your mercy; welcome them into the light of Your face. Have mercy on us all, we pray, that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with Blessed Joseph, her Spouse, with the Blessed Apostles, and all the Saints who have pleased You throughout the ages, we may merit to be co-heirs to eternal life, and may praise and glorify You through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Through Him, and with Him, and in Him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours, forever and ever.

Amen. Amen. [singing] Amen.

Let us all join our voices together and pray the words that Jesus taught us. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil; graciously grant peace in our days, that by the help of Your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours, now and forever. Lord Jesus Christ, who said to Your Apostles, “Peace I leave you, My peace I give you,” look not on our sins, but on the Faith of Your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with Your will, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen. The Peace of the Lord be with you always. And with your spirit. Let us offer each other the Sign of Peace.

Peace be with you, brothers and sisters. Thank you again for joining us and worshipping together. We appreciate your love and your support for Mercy Home. Please know of our prayers for you on behalf of Father Scott Donahue and the entire staff, all the residents here. God bless you, and have a peaceful day.

Lamb

of God,

You take away [singing] the sins of the world, [music] have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, [singing] You take [music] away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. [singing]

Lamb of God, You take away the sins [singing] of the world, [music] 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.

For those of you at home, please turn to page six in your TV Mass guide and join in singing our Communion song, “Come to Me.”

Come to me. Come [singing] to me. Come when you [music] are weary.

Come to me. [singing] Come to me and I will give you rest.

All who [singing] labor and are burdened,

all who [singing] labor and are burdened, let them come to me. Come to me and I will give [singing] them rest.

Come to me. Come to me. Come when you are [music] weary. [singing] Come to me. Come to me and I will [singing] give [music] you rest.

Take my yoke upon your [music and singing] shoulders.

Take my yoke [singing] upon your [music] shoulders. Come and learn from me. Learn from me, for I [singing] am gentle of heart.

Come to [music] me. Come to [singing] me. Come when you are weary.

Come [singing] to [music] me. Come to me and I will give [singing] you rest.

Together let us pray the 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 have a home called Mercy. May they find the Father’s mercy as we offer them our hearts in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. May they see God’s mercy in action through our love, prayers, and sacrifices. Let us pray. Grant, O Lord, we pray, that, benefiting from participation in heavenly things, we may be helped by what You give in this present age and prepared for the gifts that are eternal. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Amen. Hope you have a wonderful rest of your day. The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

[Closing hymn: “For the Fruits of All Creation” — lyrics omitted]

So, all my friends, as you know, as I know, this TV ministry at Mercy Home [music] is so important. It allows us together, wherever you may be, to participate in the prayer of the Church. It allows us to pray for one another. And how important it is. It allows you and me to pray for the children here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. We’re nourished by our presence together and by the celebration of the Eucharist. I just want to take this opportunity to thank you so very much for the ways in which you support this Mass here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. Please consider doing that going forward as well. And 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 [music] for the broadcast of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home is generously provided by GIA [music] Publications Incorporated and its World Library Publications division.

The following presentation is made possible by the generosity of the viewers of Sunday [music] 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 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time. My name is Dan Riley. I’m joined by Tom McNamara and Molly Riley, and our Celebrant is Father James Wallace.

Joyful, joyful, [singing] we adore You, God of glory, Lord of love. [singing] Hearts [music] unfold like flowers before You, opening [singing] to the [music] sun above. Melt the [singing] cloud of sin and sadness, drive the [music] dark of doubt away. Giver [singing] of immortal gladness, [music] fill us with the light [singing] of day.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. Good morning, brothers and sisters. Welcome to Mass at Mercy Home. It’s great that you can be with us so we can pray together. We invite God’s grace upon us, and we prepare ourselves to celebrate these Sacred Mysteries by calling to mind our sins. You were sent to heal the contrite of heart. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. You came to call sinners. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people [singing] of good will.

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

Let us pray. Almighty ever-living God, grant that we may always conform our will to Yours and serve Your majesty and sincerity of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen. A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. Thus says the Lord to His anointed Cyrus, whose right hand I grasp, subduing nations before him and making kings run in his service, opening doors before him and leaving the gates unbarred. For the sake of Jacob, My servant, of Israel, My chosen one, I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew Me not. I am the Lord and there is no other. There is no God besides Me. It is I who arm you, though you know Me not, so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun, people may know that there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, there is no other. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Give the Lord glory, glory and honor.

Give the Lord glory, [singing and music] glory and honor.

Oh, sing a new song to the Lord. [singing]

Sing to the Lord all the earth. Tell among [singing] the nations His glory and His wonders among all the nations.

Give the Lord [singing and music] glory, glory [singing] and honor.

A reading from the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love, and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen. For our Gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction. The Word of the Lord. Thanks, thanks be to God.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

[singing] Hallelujah. [music] Hallelujah. [singing] Hallelujah.

[singing] Shine like lights in the [music] world as you hold on to [singing] the Word of life. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. [singing] Hallelujah.

[singing] The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. Glory to You, O Lord. The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. They sent their disciples to Him with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are a truthful man and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And You are not concerned with anyone’s opinion, for You do not regard a person’s status. Tell us then, what is Your opinion? Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” Knowing their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the coin that pays the census tax.” Then they handed Him the Roman coin. He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” They replied, “Caesar’s.” At that, He said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. We’ve heard that before, and we accept it, I think most of us, but there are definitely some of us who might struggle with that, the fact that we owe something to God. Render to God what belongs to God. We don’t like the sense that God puts an imposition on us and we have to curtail our freedom to give something to God. This is a notion that has really come about in the last 200 years. Let me give you just kind of a quick intellectual history tour here. There was a movement in philosophy basically called rationalism, which said that the only thing that’s real is basically what you in your mind can conceive and what is good for you and what leads to your fulfillment. That’s the only thing that’s real. What you conceive in your mind, what you think, and basically what leads to your fulfillment. So, anything that’s outside of you is either not real, and especially if it doesn’t lead to your fulfillment, then it’s certainly not real. Now, that might not make sense, but the way it kind of attacks religion is, as Christians, as people who are religious, we accept things outside of ourselves, not just what we conceive in our mind. This is the whole notion of Revelation. That there’s like a Trinity that we couldn’t have conceived of, or that Jesus is present in the Eucharist; we couldn’t have made that up. So, the Catholic Church has what are called Dogmas, and we believe that Dogmas, whether it’s the Incarnation of the Son of God, or the Immaculate Conception of Mary, or the bread and wine being the Body and Blood of Jesus, or the nature of the Church, these things exist in reality. They’re true, they’re outside of us, and it’s for us to assent to them, to ascribe to them, if that makes sense. Okay? Versus, again, just whatever we want and whatever is good for us, and if it’s not good for us, then we just kind of throw that Dogma away. Now, what’s tricky about rationalism and how it undermines, I would say, Dogmatic religion, which is very much what Catholicism is based on, is that it waters down the Faith. So, then all of a sudden Faith is just about basically feeling good and feeling God. Which is good. We want to feel good, and we want to feel God; we want to experience God; we want to experience, like, the sublime and the transcendent. But after a while that kind of gets old, and it waters down the Faith, and eventually we just sort of walk away from it. Like, you can only eat so many good steaks for dinner and feel good. You can only watch so many, I don’t know, Cubs games, or see so many good movies, or listen to so much music. After a while it just sort of gets old. If there’s nothing more than just the feeling, the aesthetic aspect of it, then it goes away. All right? So with our Catholic Faith, yes, there are Dogmas, and sometimes they’re very difficult for us to ascribe to, especially when it comes to, like, moral Dogmas and whatnot. But ultimately it keeps us in line. And as we go in line, we keep journeying towards God, we come to an appreciation of these truths, and our hearts are opened up or broken open to them, and we live in a greater way. Okay? So anyways, back to the Gospel real quick. Render to God what belongs to God. This is Jesus basically saying, “Look, I want you to be happy and fulfilled in life, but also recognize that there’s something greater outside of yourself. It’s not just you feeling good or you thinking whatever you want to think, but there’s something that the Church has to offer.” And if we can humble ourselves and see that and assent to it, then we really will live a fulfilled life in God. Amen.

And so, friends, now we join our voices and we profess our Faith together in God. I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, He came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. So we pray now for all the needs of the Church and the world. Our response to each prayer will be, “Lord, hear our prayer.” For our Holy Father and Church leaders, may they be blessed with courage to lead with the Lord’s wisdom. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer. For those who fear for the health of a loved one, may they find solace and hope through Christ’s love. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer. For Mercy Home’s youth, may they take advantage of every opportunity offered to them in Mercy Home’s care. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer. For those who have been victims of crime, may they find renewal of faith in others through Christ’s example of forgiveness. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer. Loving and merciful Father, draw near to us, open our hearts to receive Your love, and answer these prayers through Christ our Lord. Amen. Amen.

Pray, brothers and sisters, that my Sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father. May the Lord accept the Sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of His name, for our good and the good of all His Holy Church. Grant us, Lord, we pray, sincere respect for Your gifts, that through the purifying action of Your grace, we may be cleansed by the very Mysteries we serve. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 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 out of compassion for the waywardness that is ours, He humbled Himself and was born of the Virgin. By the Passion of the Cross, He freed us from unending death, and by rising from the dead, He gave us life eternal. And so, with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominions, and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven, we sing the hymn of Your glory, as without end we acclaim.

Holy, [singing] Holy, Holy

Lord God of hosts. [singing] Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.

Hosanna [singing] in the highest. Blessed [singing] is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna [singing] in the highest.

You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness. Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down Your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. At the time He was betrayed and entered willingly into His Passion, He took bread and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is My Body, which will be given up for you.”

In a similar way, when supper was ended, He took the Chalice, and once more giving thanks, He gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the Chalice of My Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of Me.”

The Mystery of Faith. When we eat [singing] this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim Your death, [singing] O Lord, until You come again.

Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of His Death and Resurrection, we offer You, Lord, the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation, giving thanks that You have held us worthy to be in Your presence and minister to You. Humbly we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit. Remember, Lord, Your Church, spread throughout the world, and bring her to the fullness of charity, together with Leo, our Pope, and Blase, our Bishop, and all the Clergy. Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection, and all who have died in Your mercy; welcome them into the light of Your face. Have mercy on us all, we pray, that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with Blessed Joseph, her Spouse, with the Blessed Apostles, and all the Saints who have pleased You throughout the ages, we may merit to be co-heirs to eternal life, and may praise and glorify You through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Through Him, and with Him, and in Him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours, forever and ever.

Amen. Amen. [singing] Amen.

Let us all join our voices together and pray the words that Jesus taught us. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil; graciously grant peace in our days, that by the help of Your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours, now and forever. Lord Jesus Christ, who said to Your Apostles, “Peace I leave you, My peace I give you,” look not on our sins, but on the Faith of Your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with Your will, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen. The Peace of the Lord be with you always. And with your spirit. Let us offer each other the Sign of Peace.

Peace be with you, brothers and sisters. Thank you again for joining us and worshipping together. We appreciate your love and your support for Mercy Home. Please know of our prayers for you on behalf of Father Scott Donahue and the entire staff, all the residents here. God bless you, and have a peaceful day.

Lamb

of God,

You take away [singing] the sins of the world, [music] have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, [singing] You take [music] away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. [singing]

Lamb of God, You take away the sins [singing] of the world, [music] 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.

For those of you at home, please turn to page six in your TV Mass guide and join in singing our Communion song, “Come to Me.”

Come to me. Come [singing] to me. Come when you [music] are weary.

Come to me. [singing] Come to me and I will give you rest.

All who [singing] labor and are burdened,

all who [singing] labor and are burdened, let them come to me. Come to me and I will give [singing] them rest.

Come to me. Come to me. Come when you are [music] weary. [singing] Come to me. Come to me and I will [singing] give [music] you rest.

Take my yoke upon your [music and singing] shoulders.

Take my yoke [singing] upon your [music] shoulders. Come and learn from me. Learn from me, for I [singing] am gentle of heart.

Come to [music] me. Come to [singing] me. Come when you are weary.

Come [singing] to [music] me. Come to me and I will give [singing] you rest.

Together let us pray the 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 have a home called Mercy. May they find the Father’s mercy as we offer them our hearts in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. May they see God’s mercy in action through our love, prayers, and sacrifices. Let us pray. Grant, O Lord, we pray, that, benefiting from participation in heavenly things, we may be helped by what You give in this present age and prepared for the gifts that are eternal. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Amen. Hope you have a wonderful rest of your day. The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

[Closing hymn: “For the Fruits of All Creation” — lyrics omitted]

So, all my friends, as you know, as I know, this TV ministry at Mercy Home [music] is so important. It allows us together, wherever you may be, to participate in the prayer of the Church. It allows us to pray for one another. And how important it is. It allows you and me to pray for the children here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. We’re nourished by our presence together and by the celebration of the Eucharist. I just want to take this opportunity to thank you so very much for the ways in which you support this Mass here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. Please consider doing that going forward as well. And 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 [music] for the broadcast of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home is generously provided by GIA [music] Publications Incorporated and its World Library Publications division.

The following presentation is made possible by the generosity of the viewers of Sunday [music] 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 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time. My name is Dan Riley. I’m joined by Tom McNamara and Molly Riley, and our Celebrant is Father James Wallace.

Joyful, joyful, [singing] we adore You, God of glory, Lord of love. [singing] Hearts [music] unfold like flowers before You, opening [singing] to the [music] sun above. Melt the [singing] cloud of sin and sadness, drive the [music] dark of doubt away. Giver [singing] of immortal gladness, [music] fill us with the light [singing] of day.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. Good morning, brothers and sisters. Welcome to Mass at Mercy Home. It’s great that you can be with us so we can pray together. We invite God’s grace upon us, and we prepare ourselves to celebrate these Sacred Mysteries by calling to mind our sins. You were sent to heal the contrite of heart. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. You came to call sinners. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people [singing] of good will.

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

Let us pray. Almighty ever-living God, grant that we may always conform our will to Yours and serve Your majesty and sincerity of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen. A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. Thus says the Lord to His anointed Cyrus, whose right hand I grasp, subduing nations before him and making kings run in his service, opening doors before him and leaving the gates unbarred. For the sake of Jacob, My servant, of Israel, My chosen one, I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew Me not. I am the Lord and there is no other. There is no God besides Me. It is I who arm you, though you know Me not, so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun, people may know that there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, there is no other. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Give the Lord glory, glory and honor.

Give the Lord glory, [singing and music] glory and honor.

Oh, sing a new song to the Lord. [singing]

Sing to the Lord all the earth. Tell among [singing] the nations His glory and His wonders among all the nations.

Give the Lord [singing and music] glory, glory [singing] and honor.

A reading from the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love, and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen. For our Gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction. The Word of the Lord. Thanks, thanks be to God.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

[singing] Hallelujah. [music] Hallelujah. [singing] Hallelujah.

[singing] Shine like lights in the [music] world as you hold on to [singing] the Word of life. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. [singing] Hallelujah.

[singing] The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. Glory to You, O Lord. The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. They sent their disciples to Him with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are a truthful man and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And You are not concerned with anyone’s opinion, for You do not regard a person’s status. Tell us then, what is Your opinion? Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” Knowing their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the coin that pays the census tax.” Then they handed Him the Roman coin. He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” They replied, “Caesar’s.” At that, He said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. We’ve heard that before, and we accept it, I think most of us, but there are definitely some of us who might struggle with that, the fact that we owe something to God. Render to God what belongs to God. We don’t like the sense that God puts an imposition on us and we have to curtail our freedom to give something to God. This is a notion that has really come about in the last 200 years. Let me give you just kind of a quick intellectual history tour here. There was a movement in philosophy basically called rationalism, which said that the only thing that’s real is basically what you in your mind can conceive and what is good for you and what leads to your fulfillment. That’s the only thing that’s real. What you conceive in your mind, what you think, and basically what leads to your fulfillment. So, anything that’s outside of you is either not real, and especially if it doesn’t lead to your fulfillment, then it’s certainly not real. Now, that might not make sense, but the way it kind of attacks religion is, as Christians, as people who are religious, we accept things outside of ourselves, not just what we conceive in our mind. This is the whole notion of Revelation. That there’s like a Trinity that we couldn’t have conceived of, or that Jesus is present in the Eucharist; we couldn’t have made that up. So, the Catholic Church has what are called Dogmas, and we believe that Dogmas, whether it’s the Incarnation of the Son of God, or the Immaculate Conception of Mary, or the bread and wine being the Body and Blood of Jesus, or the nature of the Church, these things exist in reality. They’re true, they’re outside of us, and it’s for us to assent to them, to ascribe to them, if that makes sense. Okay? Versus, again, just whatever we want and whatever is good for us, and if it’s not good for us, then we just kind of throw that Dogma away. Now, what’s tricky about rationalism and how it undermines, I would say, Dogmatic religion, which is very much what Catholicism is based on, is that it waters down the Faith. So, then all of a sudden Faith is just about basically feeling good and feeling God. Which is good. We want to feel good, and we want to feel God; we want to experience God; we want to experience, like, the sublime and the transcendent. But after a while that kind of gets old, and it waters down the Faith, and eventually we just sort of walk away from it. Like, you can only eat so many good steaks for dinner and feel good. You can only watch so many, I don’t know, Cubs games, or see so many good movies, or listen to so much music. After a while it just sort of gets old. If there’s nothing more than just the feeling, the aesthetic aspect of it, then it goes away. All right? So with our Catholic Faith, yes, there are Dogmas, and sometimes they’re very difficult for us to ascribe to, especially when it comes to, like, moral Dogmas and whatnot. But ultimately it keeps us in line. And as we go in line, we keep journeying towards God, we come to an appreciation of these truths, and our hearts are opened up or broken open to them, and we live in a greater way. Okay? So anyways, back to the Gospel real quick. Render to God what belongs to God. This is Jesus basically saying, “Look, I want you to be happy and fulfilled in life, but also recognize that there’s something greater outside of yourself. It’s not just you feeling good or you thinking whatever you want to think, but there’s something that the Church has to offer.” And if we can humble ourselves and see that and assent to it, then we really will live a fulfilled life in God. Amen.

And so, friends, now we join our voices and we profess our Faith together in God. I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, He came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. So we pray now for all the needs of the Church and the world. Our response to each prayer will be, “Lord, hear our prayer.” For our Holy Father and Church leaders, may they be blessed with courage to lead with the Lord’s wisdom. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer. For those who fear for the health of a loved one, may they find solace and hope through Christ’s love. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer. For Mercy Home’s youth, may they take advantage of every opportunity offered to them in Mercy Home’s care. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer. For those who have been victims of crime, may they find renewal of faith in others through Christ’s example of forgiveness. We pray to the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer. Loving and merciful Father, draw near to us, open our hearts to receive Your love, and answer these prayers through Christ our Lord. Amen. Amen.

Pray, brothers and sisters, that my Sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father. May the Lord accept the Sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of His name, for our good and the good of all His Holy Church. Grant us, Lord, we pray, sincere respect for Your gifts, that through the purifying action of Your grace, we may be cleansed by the very Mysteries we serve. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 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 out of compassion for the waywardness that is ours, He humbled Himself and was born of the Virgin. By the Passion of the Cross, He freed us from unending death, and by rising from the dead, He gave us life eternal. And so, with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominions, and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven, we sing the hymn of Your glory, as without end we acclaim.

Holy, [singing] Holy, Holy

Lord God of hosts. [singing] Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.

Hosanna [singing] in the highest. Blessed [singing] is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna [singing] in the highest.

You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness. Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down Your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. At the time He was betrayed and entered willingly into His Passion, He took bread and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is My Body, which will be given up for you.”

In a similar way, when supper was ended, He took the Chalice, and once more giving thanks, He gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the Chalice of My Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of Me.”

The Mystery of Faith. When we eat [singing] this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim Your death, [singing] O Lord, until You come again.

Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of His Death and Resurrection, we offer You, Lord, the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation, giving thanks that You have held us worthy to be in Your presence and minister to You. Humbly we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit. Remember, Lord, Your Church, spread throughout the world, and bring her to the fullness of charity, together with Leo, our Pope, and Blase, our Bishop, and all the Clergy. Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection, and all who have died in Your mercy; welcome them into the light of Your face. Have mercy on us all, we pray, that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with Blessed Joseph, her Spouse, with the Blessed Apostles, and all the Saints who have pleased You throughout the ages, we may merit to be co-heirs to eternal life, and may praise and glorify You through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Through Him, and with Him, and in Him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours, forever and ever.

Amen. Amen. [singing] Amen.

Let us all join our voices together and pray the words that Jesus taught us. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil; graciously grant peace in our days, that by the help of Your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours, now and forever. Lord Jesus Christ, who said to Your Apostles, “Peace I leave you, My peace I give you,” look not on our sins, but on the Faith of Your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with Your will, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen. The Peace of the Lord be with you always. And with your spirit. Let us offer each other the Sign of Peace.

Peace be with you, brothers and sisters. Thank you again for joining us and worshipping together. We appreciate your love and your support for Mercy Home. Please know of our prayers for you on behalf of Father Scott Donahue and the entire staff, all the residents here. God bless you, and have a peaceful day.

Lamb

of God,

You take away [singing] the sins of the world, [music] have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, [singing] You take [music] away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. [singing]

Lamb of God, You take away the sins [singing] of the world, [music] 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.

For those of you at home, please turn to page six in your TV Mass guide and join in singing our Communion song, “Come to Me.”

Come to me. Come [singing] to me. Come when you [music] are weary.

Come to me. [singing] Come to me and I will give you rest.

All who [singing] labor and are burdened,

all who [singing] labor and are burdened, let them come to me. Come to me and I will give [singing] them rest.

Come to me. Come to me. Come when you are [music] weary. [singing] Come to me. Come to me and I will [singing] give [music] you rest.

Take my yoke upon your [music and singing] shoulders.

Take my yoke [singing] upon your [music] shoulders. Come and learn from me. Learn from me, for I [singing] am gentle of heart.

Come to [music] me. Come to [singing] me. Come when you are weary.

Come [singing] to [music] me. Come to me and I will give [singing] you rest.

Together let us pray the 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 have a home called Mercy. May they find the Father’s mercy as we offer them our hearts in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. May they see God’s mercy in action through our love, prayers, and sacrifices. Let us pray. Grant, O Lord, we pray, that, benefiting from participation in heavenly things, we may be helped by what You give in this present age and prepared for the gifts that are eternal. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Amen. Hope you have a wonderful rest of your day. The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

[Closing hymn: “For the Fruits of All Creation” — lyrics omitted]

So, all my friends, as you know, as I know, this TV ministry at Mercy Home [music] is so important. It allows us together, wherever you may be, to participate in the prayer of the Church. It allows us to pray for one another. And how important it is. It allows you and me to pray for the children here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. We’re nourished by our presence together and by the celebration of the Eucharist. I just want to take this opportunity to thank you so very much for the ways in which you support this Mass here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. Please consider doing that going forward as well. And 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 [music] for the broadcast of Sunday Mass at Mercy Home is generously provided by GIA [music] Publications Incorporated and its World Library Publications division.

Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. We’ve heard that before, and we accept it, I think most of us, but there are definitely some of us who might struggle with that, the fact that we owe something to God. Render to God what belongs to God. We don’t like the sense that God puts an imposition on us and we have to curtail our freedom to give something to God. This is a notion that has really come about in the last 200 years. Let me give you just kind of a quick intellectual history tour here. There was a movement in philosophy basically called rationalism, which said that the only thing that’s real is basically what you in your mind can conceive and what is good for you and what leads to your fulfillment. That’s the only thing that’s real. What you conceive in your mind, what you think, and basically what leads to your fulfillment. So, anything that’s outside of you is either not real, and especially if it doesn’t lead to your fulfillment, then it’s certainly not real. Now, that might not make sense, but the way it kind of attacks religion is, as Christians, as people who are religious, we accept things outside of ourselves, not just what we conceive in our mind. This is the whole notion of Revelation. That there’s like a Trinity that we couldn’t have conceived of, or that Jesus is present in the Eucharist; we couldn’t have made that up. So, the Catholic Church has what are called Dogmas, and we believe that Dogmas, whether it’s the Incarnation of the Son of God, or the Immaculate Conception of Mary, or the bread and wine being the Body and Blood of Jesus, or the nature of the Church, these things exist in reality. They’re true, they’re outside of us, and it’s for us to assent to them, to ascribe to them, if that makes sense. Okay? Versus, again, just whatever we want and whatever is good for us, and if it’s not good for us, then we just kind of throw that Dogma away. Now, what’s tricky about rationalism and how it undermines, I would say, Dogmatic religion, which is very much what Catholicism is based on, is that it waters down the Faith. So, then all of a sudden Faith is just about basically feeling good and feeling God. Which is good. We want to feel good, and we want to feel God; we want to experience God; we want to experience, like, the sublime and the transcendent. But after a while that kind of gets old, and it waters down the Faith, and eventually we just sort of walk away from it. Like, you can only eat so many good steaks for dinner and feel good. You can only watch so many, I don’t know, Cubs games, or see so many good movies, or listen to so much music. After a while it just sort of gets old. If there’s nothing more than just the feeling, the aesthetic aspect of it, then it goes away. All right? So with our Catholic Faith, yes, there are Dogmas, and sometimes they’re very difficult for us to ascribe to, especially when it comes to, like, moral Dogmas and whatnot. But ultimately it keeps us in line. And as we go in line, we keep journeying towards God, we come to an appreciation of these truths, and our hearts are opened up or broken open to them, and we live in a greater way. Okay? So anyways, back to the Gospel real quick. Render to God what belongs to God. This is Jesus basically saying, “Look, I want you to be happy and fulfilled in life, but also recognize that there’s something greater outside of yourself. It’s not just you feeling good or you thinking whatever you want to think, but there’s something that the Church has to offer.” And if we can humble ourselves and see that and assent to it, then we really will live a fulfilled life in God. Amen.