Daily TV Mass Thursday April 23, 2026

Fr. Tomasz Skibinski - celebrant
Deacon Matteo Bertozzi - homilist

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 am Father Tomasz Skibinsky, and our homilist today is transitional deacon Matteo Bertozzi. The televising of this Mass is made possible by the contribution from the generosity of the SERA Foundation of Canada. Sarah International is a lay Catholic organization of men and women of all ages and from all walks of life dedicated to promoting and fostering vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and diaconate. Sarah International is formally recognized by the Holy See as the Global Lay Apostolate for Vocations in the Catholic Church. An important part of the Sarah Club mission is to pray for vocations. We invite all of you in the Daily TV Mass community to attend one of the local Sarah clubs in your area and become part of this apostolate for vocations. Today we focus on the transitional diaconate, the final preparation for priestly ordination. Transitional deacons grow in service, preaching, and sacramental ministry as they journey toward becoming shepherds after Christ's own heart. This vocation demands deep discernment, rigorous formation, and generous surrender of God's will, to God's will. It is upheld by the prayers of the church and the support of groups like the Sarah Club. Let us pray for these deacons' information for all men discerning the priesthood and for the grace of perseverance and joy as they respond to God's call. Let us now turn to Blessed Mary with our prayer for vocations.

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Blessed Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of Vocations. Blessed Mary to you, Mother of the Church and Mother of Vocations. Guide us in a world filled with uncertainty and confusion. Embracing our vocations to pilgrims of service. Embracing our vocations as journeys of love generously to God. Trust that we may respond generously to God's invitation, trusting in his providence and sharing his light with all.

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And in your spirit. Let us enter into this celebration today on the memorial of Saint Adalbert, Bishop and Martyr. So through his intercession, we offer to the Lord the intentions of our hearts. And at the beginning, as always, we ask the Lord for pardon and mercy for our sins, so that we may worthily celebrate these holy mysteries. I confess to Almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I ask Blessed Mary, the Virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God. May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy. Let us pray. O God who bestowed the crown of martyrdom on the Bishop Saint Adalbert as he burnt with zeal for souls. Grant we pray by his prayers that the obedience of the flock may never fail the shepherds, nor the care of the shepherds be ever lacking to the flock. 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. Amen.

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A reading from the Acts of the Apostles. An angel of the Lord said to Philip, Get up and go toward the south, to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading, the prophet Isaiah. Then the spirit said to Philip, Go over to this chariot and join it. So Philip ran up to it and heard the official reading, the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, Do you understand what you are reading? The official replied, How can I unless someone guides me? And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb, silent before its shearer. So he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation, justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth. The eunuch asks Philip, About whom may I ask you? Does the prophet say this? About himself or about someone else? Then Philip began to speak. And starting with this scripture, you proclaim to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, Look, here is water. What is to prevent me from being baptized? And Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he replied, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch saw him no more and went on his way, rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Assodus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. The word of the Lord.

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Let the sound of his praise be heard who has kept us among the living and has not let our feet sleep all we cry out to God with joy. Come at you all God and I will tell you what he has done for me. I cried to him and he was extort with my tongue Lord of the Cry to God with joy Alluya I am the living bread from heaven says whoever is this bread will live for.

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Those who had been fed by the five loaves followed Jesus to the other side of the lake and asked him for a sign that they should believe in him. Jesus said to them, No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me. And I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, and they shall all be taught by God. Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the one who is from God. He has seen the Father. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the mana in the wilderness and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. The gospel of the Lord. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father. You see, these words they might sound at a first reading as a sort of rebuke. You know, the gospel tells us that Jesus has performed the miracle of the multiplication of the laws, and then the people have followed him, and the first thing they do is to ask him for a sign so that they may believe in him. And it sounds very plausible that Jesus is finally bored with these people who are not believing in anything, and so he just says, Oh, you know what, like no one can come to me unless drawn by the Father. It might sound that way, but we know that Jesus Christ doesn't just lash out at people. And so what do these words mean? Why does he say, No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father? You see, these words, they are not a rebuke from God. They're actually words of liberation. Jesus is saying something very important for all of us that in order to know God, in order to go towards God, it's not a matter of effort. It's not about getting everything right so that I may earn the right to know God. No. It says it's a process of attraction. It's God that takes the initiative. You see, the good news of Christianity is not so much that we can know God, but it's primarily that God knows us. And not only He knows us, but He desires us to be with Him. And so He constantly calls us. You see, Easter is the memorial of the fact that when we were all lost, God made a whole plan to come and get us. It's God that comes to us. It's God that attracts us. You know, to say unless drawn by the Father, it underlines that it's not simply a matter of intellectual knowledge. You see, what God wants from us not so is not so much that we know him in our brains, but that we love him. And so he calls us. And you see, in the process of discernment of my vocation, this has been a constant theme. When I first called the I f uh when I first heard the call to the priesthood, I really thought that I was doing something for God. You know, I experienced God was good with me, and I felt a call, and even if I wasn't too sure, I said, well, okay, I guess I'll do it for God. But the more I went into discernment, the more I realized that it was always God that was calling me because he knew that the priesthood was the best life for me. And so it's God that comes. And in my process of discernment, it was not only about me, it was fundamental for me the prayers of other people. My family, my friends, people who pray for vocation. There have been fundamental to feel the support of them really made me understand that God was taking care of me. And so now we'll pass through the table of the Eucharist, in which is once again God that comes. Literally, he comes down on the altar and calls us. And he says, Are you hungry? Are you looking for meaning? Are you looking for happiness in your life? I will give it to you. On this special day, we focus on transitional deacons, those preparing for priestly ordination. We pray for them and for all discerning the call to priesthood that they may embrace this journey with trust and generosity. For all those named in our daily TV Mass Prayer Intentions book, especially those submitted for prayers for vocations, may God strengthen them in discernment and fill them with courage. We pray to the Lord. For those in the transitional diaconate and are called to the priesthood, that they may grow in holiness and respond fully to God's invitation to ordained ministry, we pray to the Lord. For the month of April, our community prays that all who are burdened by grief or discouragement may be uplifted by the light of the risen Christ and renewed in hope. We pray to the Lord. For Sarah Club members across Canada and internationally, that their dedicated ministry to promote and support vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life may bear abundant fruit, inspiring many to respond generously to God's call. We pray to the Lord. For young people, as they struggle to find their faith in a secular world, may they encounter Christ anew and discover his loving call in their lives. We pray to the Lord. Blessed Mary, intercede for our transitional deacons and future priests. Hear our prayers and carry them to your Son, so that they may become faithful shepherds in his church. Amen.

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Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we 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. Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through goodness we have received the wine we offer you, fruit of the vine and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink. With humble spirit and contrite heart, may we be accepted by you, O Lord, and may our sacrifice in your sight this day be pleasing to you, Lord God. Lord, wash over my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the Almighty Father. Receive, we pray, O Lord, the sacrifice of conciliation and praise which we offer to your majesty in commemoration of the Blessed Martyr Adalbert, that it may lead us to obtain pardon and confirm us in perpetual thanksgiving through Christ our Lord.

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Amen.

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The Lord be with you. Lift up your hearts. 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 the blood of your blessed martyr Adalbert, poured out like Christ's to glorify your name, shows forth your marvelous works, by which in our weakness you perfect your power, and on the feeble bestow strength to bear you witness through Christ our Lord. And so, with the powers of heaven we worship you constantly on earth, and before your majesty without end we acclaim.

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Holy, holy, holy God of your glory of last year who causes.

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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 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

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Forgiveness of sins in memory of me The mystery of faith We proclaim your death for 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 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 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 Blessed Joseph, her spouse, with the blessed Apostles, Saint Juniper Sarah, Saint Adalbert, 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.

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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.

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Give us this day our daily prayer, 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.

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For the kingdom, the power and the world.

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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.

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Amen.

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

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Let us offer each other the sign of peace.

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Love of God you take away the sins of the world. Have mercy on us. Love God you take away the sins of the world speech.

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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.

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Please join me now in this act of spiritual communion. 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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Let us pray. We have received your heavenly gifts, rejoicing at this feast day, O Lord. Grant, we pray that we who in this divine banquet proclaim the death of your Son may merit to be partakers with the holy martyrs in his resurrection and his glory, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. The Lord be with you.

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And with your spirit.

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May Almighty God bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

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Let us go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life. Our thanks to our donors for the gift of this month.