Daily TV Mass Tuesday April 28, 2026

Fr. Henk van Meijel, S.J.

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 on Father Hank Van Mel. The televising of this Mass is made possible by the contribution from an anonymous donor from Moslee, Ontario. This Mass is offered in loving memory of her husband and son, in thanksgiving for all blessings received, and for her granddaughters and family, that they may remain strong in faith as well as for peace throughout the world. Our thanks to our donor for making it possible for tens of thousands of the faithful across Canada and those around the world to share in this celebration. 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, just like St. Louise de Montfort did several centuries ago, knowing that he was weak, knowing that all wisdom and goodness comes from God. 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.

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Amen.

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And let us pray. O God, who willed to direct the steps of the priest Saint Louis along the way of salvation and of the love of Christ in company of the Blessed Virgin, grant us by his example, that meditating on the mysteries of your love, we may strive tirelessly for the building up of your church. 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. Amen.

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A reading from the Acts of the Apostles. Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, and they spoke the word to no one except Jews. But among them were some men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was for an entire year. They met with the church and taught a great many people. And it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. The word of the Lord.

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Singers and dancers like say All my springs are in you. All you nations praise the law, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, my sheep listen to me, Satan. I know them and they fall Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia.

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A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John. At that time the festival of the dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. So Jews gathered around him and said to him, How long will you keep up in us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly. Jesus answered, I've told you, and you do not believe. The work that I do in my Father's name testify to me, but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I gave them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hands. The Father and I are one. The Gospel of the Lord. The Jewish leadership still wants to test him. And the answer is so simple. Just look at my works, look at what was was said. But instead of giving a straight answer, yes or no, Jesus explains who he is actually. And it is very interesting how no matter people make up their minds often, even in political situations, the minds are already made up before the discussion starts. And to change someone's mind, it is it is like you need a St. Paul moment as or Saul who was on the road to Damascus. People have to get hit over the head before they can see. Minds are made up. And I see this in my own family. How one of my family members who says he's a humanist, it's human power, there's no God who exists. And yet, if if there's real problems or there's problems in her life, and I say, Can I pray for you? she'll be the first one to say yes, please say some prayers for me. So it is interesting how but her minds are made up, but still, even after everything is okay with this person, she still goes back to her old ways of thinking. And it is also with the Jewish leadership in today's reading. It wouldn't matter what Jesus said, they have made up their mind and he gotta go. And and but there's one thing, truth always will win. And it can be a long time before truth comes out, but it always will win. And we see that right through history. That's why we're still celebrating the Eucharist today. That's why we still proclaim Christ today, because it is the truth. And in the first reading of Acts, we have how the and we can see how the early community spread very quickly, and violence cannot stop a believer either. And so in the first reading of Acts, we have right after Stephen was murdered, we have that early community, they were dispersed. Violence was used to oppress them, but they just spread out. And so in today's reading, we are in Antioch, and Antioch had quite a large Jewish community, just like Alexandria, there was a quite large Dysporia. Not as big as in Alexandria, but Antioch was quite big. And so some of those early Christians they flee to Antioch and they continue to proclaim the good news. And they were understood very much that they were members of the way. They did not call themselves Christians, they called themselves part of the way. And a new way of living with God. But Antioch was kind of at the crossroads of all kinds of trade routes. The Silic Route was kind of, they were kind of at the end of the Silic Road. And then you have different Silic routes, sorry, different routes coming out of India and so on with spices and so on. And so there was a trade route going on. And I can imagine, I'm not a historian, but I can imagine when early Christians said we are the way, they would have said, but we are the way, not you, because we have come from a long way. And so you must the way you proclaim Jesus Christ crucified, so you must be Christians then. And so they're called Christians from that point forward, and we are Christians. But it is good stuff to pray with it. How early Christianity, yes, we had St. Paul, we have the travels of St. Paul and other disciples, apostles going in different directions. But it's Christianity really spread along the trading routes. And it's by word of mouth. Things did happen and and and miracles happened, and of course the word spread. And so it spread far and wide, right from Antioch into India, and probably even as far as China through different traders as they changed goods. And likewise, so we got goods from the east, and likewise uh western goods were going to the east, from west to east: wine, gold, horses, and whatever. And so there was a lively trading route going way back, very ancient. And so the word spread continued to spread. And so, even uh, and as we go on in the centuries, of course, the word continues to spread, the good news of Jesus Christ. We just have the church is so rich with martyrs, and so many people who have given their life, who are examples of this good news, the examples they give, and it brings always new comforts. And today we have an optional is St. Louis de Montfort. He was not a martyr, but also one who embraced the good news very early on in his life. He was born actually in a rather poor family, and he really saw that his vocation was to preach to the poor, to those who had nothing. And he inspired obviously many, many people. He very much venerated the mother of God, Mary, and angels. He always would sign off any letter with a blessing for the guardian angel of the person he addressed his letter to. And he is the founder, he was only 43 years old when he died, but he's the founder of three different religious orders: the daughters of wisdom, and who were taking care of the sick. We have the brothers of St. Gabriel, who was a teaching order, again for those who had not much for the poor, and the Company of Mary, a missionary order, who sent priests out all over the world. And so, again, very much inspired by God. And so this is 1600 years after Christ. What an example for us. And he also in that time, just like in the time of Jesus, there were many controversies, and early Christians dealt with many controversies, and he was in the middle of Jansenism. Jansenism, which kind of taught that only by the grace of God we can save. What we do doesn't really matter that much in salvation. It's a very complex teaching, and we could go on for that a long time, but it's kind of opposite of the Pelagianism. Pelagius who in the fifth century kind of was saying, We, I can get myself into heaven, I don't really need the grace of God. But he was right in the middle of it, and he had right things to say and converted many. And of course it goes on. And even today we have so many who have braced our faith. And you, of course, as a viewer have embraced the faith. And I encourage you to continue to spread it no matter what happens. Amen. So let us bring our prayers before the Lord. We pray for all those in a daily TV Mass Prayer Intention Book. We pray to the Lord.

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Lord hear our prayer.

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For the month of April, our community prayer 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.

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Lord hear our prayer.

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With Pope Leo, we pray this month for priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation that they may find the accompaniment they need and that communities may support them with understanding and prayer. We pray to the Lord. We pray for the intentions of all our TV mass benefactors and for all those who work anonymously behind the scenes who make this Mass a reality. For them 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 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. 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 we have received the wine we offer you, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become our spiritual drink. Blessed. 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 the glory of his name.

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Receive, O Lord, we pray, the offerings placed on your altar in commemoration of Blessed Louis de Montfort, so that as you brought him glory, you may through these sacred mysteries grant to us your pardon. Through Christ, O Lord. The Lord be with you.

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And with your Holy Spirit.

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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, through Christ our Lord. For as on the festival of St. Louis de Montfort, you bid your church rejoice, so too you strengthened her by the example of his holy life, teach her by his words of preaching, and keep her safe in answer to his prayers. And so, with the company of angels and saints, we sing the hymn of your praise as without end we acclaim.

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Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of hearts heaven and earth are fall of your glory. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord the You are indeed holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness.

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Make holy therefore these gifts you 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 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. 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 are celebrating 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 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, our 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. Amen. 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 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 Saviour, Jesus Christ.

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The kingdom of power and glory are yours now and forever.

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Lord Jesus Christ, we 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 for ever and ever. Amen. The peace of the Lord be with you always. And let us offer each other a sign of peace. Behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

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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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The Lord be with you.

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And with your spirit.

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Amen. Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life. Thanks be to God.

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Our thanks to our donor for the gift of this mass.

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We have some.