Daily TV Mass Wednesday April 15, 2026

Fr. John Bertao

Transcript

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From the St. Ignatius Chapel at the Manresa Jesuit Spiritual Renewal Center in Pickering, Ontario. The National Catholic Broadcasting Council presents the Daily TV Mass.

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Welcome to the celebration of the Daily TV Mass. I'm Father John Porteo. The television of this Mass is possible by the contribution from the estate of Chantel Caesar. This Mass is offered in memory of Chantel and for the living and deceased family members. May her soul and the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen. We begin our celebration with the sign of our salvation in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The Lord be with you.

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And with your spirit.

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My brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries. You are sent to heal the contrite of heart. Lord have mercy.

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Lord have mercy.

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You came to call sinners. Christ have mercy. You are seated at the right hand of the Father to seat for us. Lord have mercy.

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Lord have mercy.

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

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Amen.

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Let us pray. As we recall year by year the mysteries by which, through the restoration of its original dignity, human nature has received the hope of rising again. We earnestly beseech your mercy, Lord, that what we celebrate in faith, we may possess in unending love. Through our 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 Acts of the Apostles, the High Priest and all who were with him, that is, the sect of the Sadducees, being filled with jealousy, arrested the Apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said, Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life. When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching. When the high priest and those with him arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison. So they returned and reported, We found the prisons securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside. Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about them, wondering what might be going on. Then someone arrived and announced, Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people. Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. The word of the Lord.

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Mnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my feet. The Lord is the cry of the poor. Look to him and be radiant, so your faces shall never be ashamed. This poor soul cried and was hurt by the Lord and was saved from every trabb. The Lord is the cry of the poor Aleluia, Aleluia, Alluya, Aleluya, Aleluya. God so loved the world so much He gave us His only Son that all who believe in Him might have eternal life.

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Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be safe through Him, those who believe in Him are not condemned, but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is coming to the world. And people love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do not do what is those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God. The gospel of the Lord. Last year I was having coffee with a friend who wanted me to meet a colleague who was uh he was having issues with faith, particularly Christianity, and how we Catholics celebrated Holy Week and Easter. His concern was that there are so many bad people in the world, so many wars, these are his words, so many wars, suffering children and seniors who suffer so much abuse. He could not understand how God could possibly allow all of this to happen. At first my thinking was, what's the fastest way that I can get away from this conversation because it's awfully heavy. At times like this, I'm tempted to just get up and to walk away because I'm not very good at explaining so many things that people have, especially when I sense that they're not prepared to listen, they just want to be heard. However, when I thought about this particular situation, I realized that this individual is not attacking me personally or my faith. I sort of calmed down a bit. He is someone who is hurting and is open to sharing that hurt, perhaps to get some relief from his great pain. Remember today's gospel from St. John, and I quote, For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believed in him should not perish, but may have eternal life. And God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. From one of my sources, I read that Do you know the love which surpasses the greatest joy and happiness which one could ever hope and find in this life? Just think, just think. Greater love is manifested in the cost and the sacrifice to the giver, or of the giver, rather. Two lovers hold nothing back but give the best that can be offered to their beloved, including all they possess, even their very lives. Total, true, unconditional love. So God uh He provides His love for each and every one of us by giving us the best that He had to offer. His only begotten Son, who freely offered up His life for our sake, is not atoning as the atoning for our sins and the sins of the world, to give it all up. Those of us who have experienced giving or experienced giving love and receiving love can relate what a joy it is to share, to give and to receive. Today's gospel from St. John tells us of the great unconditional love that God has for each one of us. It is not excluding love such as a few, just for a few, but love for a complete and single nation, love for each nation, love for each one. But you see, it's a redemptive love that embraces the whole world and a personal love for each and every individual that God has created in his own image and likeness as we read in the first chapter of Genesis. God is the eternal father. God is the father of love, who cannot rest until his wandering children have returned home to him. As St. Augustine of Hippo has said, and I'm sure you've heard this quote before. It's a beautiful quote and worth repeating. And I quote God loves each one of us as if we were the only one of us to love. As if you're the only one of the billions of people, as if you were the only one to love. That's how much God loves you. Also, God gives us freedom to choose who and what and who we will love. As our conversation continued, I tried not to interrupt or take it personal. The more I listened, the more I felt sorry for this individual who was really hurting deep down inside. His tone changed from wanting answers to sharing his hurt. Not have a big theological discussion, but to share in a safe environment. I remember the reading an article that I uh paraphrased such as, You're only as sick as your secrets. And that's what he was. He was sick because he had so many secrets, so many hurt inside of him. This is uh a slogan that is repeated in the 12-step recovery communities. Our gospel points to the same human impulse. Shame draws us into silence and secrecy. The fear of being exposed is broken and sinful. It makes us hide from God, from humanity, from others, even from ourselves, that person you see in the mirror. The impulse then is to hide. To hide what is rooted in the desire for safety of our own selves and of course a lot of shame. But ultimately, it harms us internally. In contrast, Jesus invites us to live in the light for our works to be clearly seen what they are. Freedom is found by stepping into the light and acknowledging that we are imperfect and in need of being saved, in need of being set free. Easter dear friends in Christ is a time for us to stop, reflect, and give thanks to Almighty God for his unconditional love for each one of us. And again, as St. Augustine stated, as if we were the only one on earth for God to love. Just think how special you, each one of you, is to God. At the end of the conversation with the hurting individual, all of us let feeling that we had done someone a lot of good and it cost us nothing. You and I will never heal all the hurt that exists in society. However, we can only help one person at a time. If you ever have the opportunity to help someone, just be your good self and shine that light of Jesus with someone who is in the dark. Who knows? You just might be the only light that they will see in their road to salvation. Share his light to someone in need today when you have the opportunity. And so we pray, Lord Jesus Christ, your love is better than life itself. May your love consume and transform my heart with all of its yearnings, aspirations, fears, hurts, and concerns, that I may freely desire you above all else and above all others, generously for your sake and for your glory. Make me love what you love, desire what you desire, and give generously as you have been so generous towards me. Amen. And for your own intentions and for your needs and courage, please join me. Hail Mary, Holy Grace with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed the fruit of thy body. Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for if you as have received the bread we offer you, fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life. To the mystery of this water one wine, we have come to share in the dignity of Christ, who humble themselves to share in our humanity. Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for if you receive the wine we offer you, pray to the vine and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink. Cleanse me from my sins. O God, who by the wonderful exchange affected in this sacrifice, have made us partakers of the one supreme Godhead. Grant we pray that as we have come to know your truth, we may make it ours by the worthy way of life. 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. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right and just it is truly about a just our duty and our salvation at all times to acclaim your Lord, but in this time above all, do love yet more gloriously, when Christ our Passover has been sacrificed. For he is a true Lamb who has taken away the sins of the world. By dying he has destroyed our death, and by rising restored our life. Therefore, will come with basketball joy. Every land, every people exalts in your praise, and leaving the heavenly powers with angelic hosts, seek together the unending hymn of your glory as they acclaim.

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Holy, holy, holy God of your glory.

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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 dew fall, 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 the disciples, saying, Take this, all of you, and eat of it. For this is my body, which will be given up for you. 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 that. The mystery of faith.

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We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your resurrection until you come again.

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Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his death and resurrection, we offer your Lord the word of life and the child of salvation, giving thanks that you felt us worthy to be in your presence and minister to you. How 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 it to the fullness of charity, together with Leo, our Pope, Francis, 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 the blessed Joseph, our spouse, with the blessed apostles, and all the saints who please you throughout the ages, we merit of ecoherest to eternal life. And we 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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At the Savior's command and formed by divine teaching, we're there to say, Our Father, who art in heaven.

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Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we reveal those trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

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Deliver us, Lord, you pray from every evil. Gracious you 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 calming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus Christ, who sent your apostles, peace I leave you, my peace I give you. Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your church. And grace you have peace and unity in accordance with your will who live and reign forever and ever.

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Amen.

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May the peace of the Lord be with you always. And with your spirit. Let's offer each other for those around you a sign of Christ's 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.

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Lord do not worry that you should enter under my room.

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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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Graciously be present to your people, we pray, O Lord, and lead those that you have imbued with heavenly mysteries to pass from former ways to newness of life. Through Christ our Lord.

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Amen.

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The Lord be with you. And your spirit. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Let us go from this Eucharist in the peace and love of Christ.

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