Daily TV Mass Friday March 20, 2026

Fr. Henk van Meijel, S.J.

Transcript

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From the historic Loreto Abbey Chapel. With the kind cooperation of the Toronto Catholic District School Board, the National Catholic Broadcasting Council presented. The Daily TV Mass.

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Welcome to the celebration of the Daily TV Mass. I'm Father Hank van Meyel. The televising of this mass is made possible by the contribution from the estate of Mechekslaw Kretzlau. This Mass is offered in memory of Mechekslaw and his parents, Joanna and Michael Kretzlau. May the souls and the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen. The peace of the Lord be with you.

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And with your spirit.

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And as we have placed ourselves before the Lord on this Friday, again recalling our own weakness, our own need for God's guidance. You were sent to heal the contrite of heart. Lord, have mercy. You came to call sinners. Christ have mercy. You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us. Lord have mercy. May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. And let us pray. O God, who have prepared fitting helps for us in our weakness, grant we pray that we may receive the healing effects with joy and reflect them in a holy way of life. True, O Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.

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Amen.

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A reading from the Book of Wisdom. The ungodly reasoned unsoundly, saying to themselves, Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions. He reproaches us for sins against the law and accuses us of sins against our training. He professes to have knowledge of God and calls himself a child of the Lord. He became to us a reproof of our thoughts. The very sight of him is a burden to us, because his manner of life is unlike that of others, and his ways are strange. We are considered by him as something base, and he avoids our ways as unclean. He calls the last end of the righteous happy, and boasts that God is his father. Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of his life. For if the righteous man is God's child, he will help him, and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries. Let us test him with insult and torture, so that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance. Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for, according to what he says, he will be protected. Thus they reasoned, but they were led astray, for their wickedness blinded them, and they did not know the secret purposes of God, nor hoped for the wages of holiness, nor discerned the prize for blameless souls. The word of the Lord.

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Now the Jewish festival of Boots was near, but after his brother, brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly, but as it were in secret. Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, Is not this the man who the authorities are trying to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him. Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah? Yet we know where this man is from, but when the Messiah comes, no one no one will know where he's from. Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, you know me, and you know where I'm from where I'm from. I have not come on my own, but the one who sent me is true, and you do not know me know him. I know him because I am from him and he sent me. Then they tried to arrest Jesus, but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come. The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord. Today does we really have the tension uh between the tension between the forces of good, the heavenly forces, and the forces of evil, the forces of the world. And we see this also right in the gospel reading, how uh how Jesus goes up to Jerusalem and they're trying to figure out who he is, but they should know who he is because of his teaching and of all the miracles he has done. But yet there's this opposition and led by the worldly forces, and in this case the the leaders of the temple, and they have to unite. This guy has to go away, has to get out of here, we don't want him, because he might take our power away, and worse yet, the Romans might intervene. And so there's that tension, there's that tension of who Jesus is. And Jesus at one point, uh as we read, cannot take it, and he cries out, and he does in confluded language he says, but I am the Son of God. But of course, it doesn't fall on deaf ears. I always like the first reading, uh, the book of wisdom, and and as it says, it's about wisdom, it's about also common sense, and how the the uh those who do not believe try to figure out what it is with those who believe. How come they have peace of mind and they of course and and want to test them? And it's really an interesting reading to sit with and to look in their own lives. And it's something it's hard to explain why God gives us that peace. As a believer, God gives me peace, and uh it's it's very hard to talk about. But in my own life, I can come up with an example. I uh in my darkest days, about 25 years ago, I came to the point that I, of course, I tried to have a big business, and I had to try to have all kinds of things, stature in the world, which means absolutely nothing because two months after we're dead, no one knows us anyway. But pursuing those forces, what society tells us what should bring happiness. And I worked very hard at it. But when everything came to a halt, when my life fell apart, a few years after, I remember sitting at uh at the table having dinner, and I said to myself, wow, that's interesting. I I don't care about my business, I don't care about my bank account, I don't care about the investments, I don't care about my truck, car, I don't care about uh really about sports or holidays, I don't really care about much. I should be depressed since I don't care about anything. And I thought, oh that's strange, but I'm not depressed. I'm actually quite happy. And this was my the time that my eyes open up how God gives us peace of heart. Peace of heart, as there's a certain peace, and in our lives, we always have to try to pursue that peace. When there's disturbances, always try to go back to that peace. And that's that heavenly peace only God can give. The world cannot give that. As we are pursuing of things in the world, as we get excited about what's happening in a shopping mall and we don't get the right thing, and we have to return things, and this doesn't work out, and that doesn't work out, it can be really consuming us. And how many times I'm with people who say, even though they might they are quite well off, say, we I don't have enough money, I don't know how to do it. That is the world, that is the world. But if we can tap into the Holy Spirit, God will give us that peace. And even in my life today, my life actually is much more difficult today in my ministry because I am also doing a lot of administration and have to deal with contractors, and most contractors trying to get as much money out of you as possible, and so on. But there's how can I maintain that peace? And always going back to that peace. And even today, I don't care. You can give me a million dollars, I won't get excited about it. It doesn't do nothing for me. You can take me to a restaurant, and I think it's a waste of money to drop, I don't know, 50 bucks for a meal. And this is God. God gives us that peace of heart, and all the only thing I want is that peace in my heart and always pursue it. And that does and that peace you cannot buy, even with$10 million or whatever. And we see as we live in this messy, messy world of today, it is messy, and a lot of people are scared. And does not mean that we should not be concerned, because in today's world there is the rhetoric among world leaders is not very life-giving, and uh it sounds like we might go to wars again and so on. But even in that there is that peace, and we have to pursue that peace, that peace of Christ, and God only can give that. And as uh the psalm says today, or refrain which was sung, the Lord is near to the brokenhearted, the Lord is near to the brokenhearted. When our lives, when our heart is broken and there's nothing else left, we have to go to God. God only can give us healing. And it's it's very simple, it's not easy to do, and we have to rely on God, and especially when our lives have fallen apart, there's only one thing we can we have to go to God. And and it's always the discernment. Where am I going? And this Lenten season, of course, is that season to look at our lives. Am I going more towards the world or am I more going towards God? Am I pursuing that peace in my heart, or am I still worrying about every little thing in my life, every little thing that happens during my day when someone says, has an unkind word or something goes wrong, and and the why does this happen to me mentality? But to find that peace in God, and then we know then we discover the kingdom here on earth. The kingdom of God is very much alive on earth. Amen. So let us bring our prayers before the Lord. We pray for all those in our daily TV Mass Prayer Intention Book. We pray to the Lord.

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Lord hear our prayer.

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This month's community prayer is for fathers and grandfathers and protectors that they may lead with wisdom and humility inspired by the quiet faith of Saint Joseph. We pray to the Lord.

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Lord, hear our prayer.

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With Pope Leo, we pray this month that nations move towards effective disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament, and that world leaders choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy instead of violence. We pray to the Lord.

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Lord, hear our prayer.

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And we pray for all who are struggling with the emotional after-effects of broken relationships, that they will feel the consoling love of God. We pray to the Lord. And for these prayers and the prayers in the silence of our own hearts, we lift them up to you, Lord. Amen. Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we've received the bread we offer you, the fruit of the earth and work of human hands. It will become for us the bread of life. Blessed be God forever. By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity. Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness will receive the wine we offer you, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become our spiritual drink.

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Blessed be our prayer.

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Humble spirit and contrite heart, may we be accepted by you, O Lord, and may your sacrifice in your side. This day be pleasing to you, Lord God. Wash me, O Lord, for my iniquities. Cleanse me of my sins. Thank you. Pray, my sisters and brothers, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the Almighty Father.

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The praise and glory of his name for our good and all his holy church.

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May the sacrifice, Almighty God, cleanse us by its mighty power and lead us to approach its source with ever greater purity through Christ our Lord. The Lord be with you.

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And with your Spirit.

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Lift up your hearts.

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Lift them up to the Lord.

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Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. 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 you have given your children a sacred time for the renewing and purifying of their hearts, that freed from disordered affections, they may so deal with the things of this passing world as to hold rather to the things that eternally endure. And so, with all the angels and saints, we praise you as without end we acclaim.

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Holy, holy, holy Lord God of host of an unto your glory, our signa in the hast. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hyna in the You are indeed holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness.

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Make holy, therefore, these gifts we pray, by sending down your spirit upon them like the dofo, 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 you 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. Of his death and resurrection, we offer you, Lord, the bread of life and the challenge 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 or Pope, Francis or Bishop, the Order Bishops, the clergy, and the entire people you have called your own. Remember also our sisters and brothers 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, your 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 for ever and ever.

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Amen.

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And at the Savior's command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say, O Father, who are in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day your daily bread and forgive us of 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 Saviour, Jesus Christ. 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 our peace and unity in accordance with your will, who live and reign forever and ever. The peace of the Lord be with you always. And let us offer each other a sign of peace. 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.

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My Jesus, I believe that you are present in this holy sacrament of the altar. I love you above all things, and I passionately desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come spiritually into my soul, so that I may unite myself wholly to you now and forever. Amen.

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Grant we pray, O Lord, that as we pass from old to new, so with former ways left behind, we may be renewed in holiness of mind through Christ, O Lord. The Lord be with you. Please bow your heads for final blessing. Look upon your servants, O Lord, and in your goodness protect with heavenly assistance those who trust in your mercy through Christ, O Lord. And may Almighty God bless you. Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Amen. Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.

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Thanks, be the God.

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Our thanks to our donors for the gift of this month.

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We're saying this one is