Daily TV Mass Thursday May 21, 2026

Fr. Prakash A. Lohale, OP

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 Prakash Anthony Lohale and today our homelist is Deacon Kevin Dodlin. The televising of this Mass is made possible by the contributions from three donors. The first is an anonymous donor from Sudbury, Ontario, in loving memory of her husband Vincent, for the souls in purgatory and for peace in the world. The second is Mary Yu from Arlington, Virginia, in memory of her beloved husband, Dr. Charles Yu, and her beloved daughter Janice Brown, also for the living and deceased members of the Yu family, and in thanksgiving for blessings received. The third is in honor of Mary Catherine McDermott of Rockford, Michigan, a faithful viewer of the Daily TV Mass, and for her deep devotion to the Catholic faith. Our thanks to our donors for the gift of this Mass. Today we also celebrate the feast of St. Christopher McGannales, priest and martyr. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

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Amen.

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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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And with your Spirit.

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To prepare ourselves for this worthy sacrament, let us call to mind our sins and ask the Lord to forgive us. You were sent to heal the contrite, Lord have mercy. You came to call sinners, Christ have mercy. You plead for us at the right hand of the Father, Lord have mercy. May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Let us pray. Almighty and eternal God, who made the priest Saint Christopher Magnalis and his companions faithful to Christ, the King, even to the point of martyrdom, grant us through their intercession that preserving in confession of true faith, we may always hold fast to the commandments of your love. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

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Amen.

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A reading from the Acts of the Apostles. A number of days after Paul had arrived in Jerusalem, some Jews from Asia stirred up the crowd against Paul as he was leaving the temple. While they were trying to kill Paul, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Immediately he took some soldiers and arrested Paul. Since the tribune wanted to find out what Paul was being accused of by the Jews, he released him the next day and ordered the chief priests and the entire council to meet. The tribune brought Paul down and had him stand before them. When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he called out in the council, Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead. When he said this, a dissension began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. The Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge all three. Then a great clamor arose, and certain scribes of the Pharisees' group stood up and contended, We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or of angel or an angel has spoken to him? When the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him by force, and bring him into the barracks. That night the Lord stood near him and said, Keep up your courage, for just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome. The word of the Lord.

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You are my home. Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, you are my Lord, I have no good apart from you. The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup. You hold my life. Keep me safe, O God. You are my hope. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel. In the night also my heart instructs me. I keep the Lord always before me. I keep the Lord always before me. Keep me safe. You are my oath Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices My body also rescue For you do not give me up to she or let your fateful one see the pit. Keep me safe, oh God, you are my own, Alluya, Hallelujah, Aleluya. May all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you. Let the world believe that you sent me, says the Lord.

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The Lord be with you.

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And with your spirit.

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A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John. When the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me, and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that all those also whom you have given me may be with me where I am, to see my glory which you have given me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. The Gospel of the Lord. Today's readings speak to their faith and struggles. Especially in today's climate, maybe these saints will help us with our own struggles, divisions, and hopes. He is surrounded by tension, misunderstanding, even hostility. Despite all of this, what does he do? He doesn't go and run and hide, he doesn't panic, but Paul speaks the truth he has received. And in the midst of all that chaos, the Lord comes to him and says, Take courage. This is everything. Take courage. Not because things are going well, not because the crowd has suddenly become friendly, but because God is present in the middle of the storm. Now think about St. Christopher Megalanus and his fellow martyrs. They lived in a time when the practice of their faith was dangerous, when simply being a priest or even publicly living one's Catholicity could cost you your life. Yet they continued. They celebrated the sacraments, they served their people, they proclaimed Christ in the midst of their chaos. Why? Because they too had heard those same words in their hearts take courage. Courage in the Christian sense is not bragging. It's not loud or aggressive, it is just quiet loyalty. It is choosing Christ again and again, even when it costs us something. Which brings us to the gospel. Jesus is praying not just for the apostles, but for all of us. I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word. That's you, me, that's all of us. That's everybody. And so what does he pray for? What is Jesus praying for? Unity. That they may all be one. Sure, that sounds like a nice idea. That is until we try to live it. Unity is hard. It actually asks something of us. It asks us to love when it's inconvenient, to forgive when it's undeserved, and to stay when it would be so much easier to just walk or run away. The martyrs we remember today lived that unity in a radical way. They didn't just belong to the church, but they gave their very lives for her. Their unity with Christ was so deep that not even death could break it. And here's the connection. The courage Paul receives, the unity Jesus prays for, and the witness of the martyrs all flow from the same source. A living relationship with God. Our psalm today says, Keep me safe, O God, you are my hope. This is not just poetry to make us feel good. This is the heart of a disciple who knows where to stand when everything else is shaking. What does this mean for us here and now? Especially in today's world with all of its uncertainties and everything that's going on around us. Most of us are not being asked to die for the faith in a literal sense. However, we are being asked to live it fully, consistently, and sometimes perhaps even maybe against the norm. We are asked to take courage when speaking the truth may be uncomfortable. We are asked to remain in unity when the vision would be so much easier. We are asked to trust that God is with us, even when the situation around us feels uncertain or even hostile. And maybe most importantly, we're reminded that we don't have to do this alone. Jesus is praying for us right now, at this very moment, that we may be one, that we may remain in his love, that we may share in his glory. That's the promise. That's the mission. So today, as we remember Saint Christopher Magellanus and his companions, let's not just admire their courage, but let's ask for it. Let's ask for the grace to stand firm in our faith, to live in unity with one another, and to trust deeply and daily that the Lord is with us. Therefore, when we find ourselves in those moments of tension, of fear, or uncertainty, may we hear that those same words spoken to St. Paul and spoken to the martyrs. Take courage. Amen. Excuse me. Let us offer our prayers, especially those ones we hold deep in our heart today, we bring and we send them up to God. For the church, that she may remain steadfast in proclaiming the gospel, even in the face of persecution, inspired by the witness of St. Christopher Megalanus and his companions. We pray to the Lord. For those who suffer persecution for their faith around the world, that they may be strengthened by God's grace and supported by the prayers of the faithful. We pray to the Lord. For leaders of nations that they may uphold religious freedom and protect the dignity and rights of all people. We pray to the Lord. For our local community, that we may have courage to live our faith openly and to support one another in times of trial. We pray to the Lord. For missionaries and evangelists, that their work may bear fruit and bring many to know Christ. We pray to the Lord.

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Lord Your Prayer.

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For the sick, the suffering, and those in need, that through the intercession of these holy martyrs they may find comfort in healing. We pray to the Lord.

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Lord Y our prayer.

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For the faithful departed, especially those who have died for their faith, that they may share in the eternal glory of the saints. We pray to the Lord.

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Lord Y our prayer.

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For all those in our daily TV Mass Prayer Intentions book. We pray to the Lord. Lord our prayer. Throughout this month of May, our community prays to follow the example of Mary by offering joy, compassion, and mercy, especially to mothers, grandmothers, and all who lovingly serve those in need. We pray to the Lord. Lord your prayer. Dear God, we ask you to take our prayers, especially all of our intentions, and we ask you to answer them through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation. For your goodness, we have received the bread we offer you, fruit of the earth and work of human hands. You will become for us the bread of life. Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the wine we offer you. Fruit of the wine and work of human hands. It will become our spiritual drink. In honor of the precious death of your just once, O Lord, we come to offer that sacrifice from which all martyrdom draws its origin 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 thanks. Lord Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God, for the blood of your blessed martyr, Christopher, poured out like Christ 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 lord God of host of your glory in the yest blessed he who comes in the name of the Lord O sanna 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 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, 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 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 Fran to 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 our spouse, with the blessed apostles, with Saint Christopher and companions, and all the saints who have pleased you throughout the ages, we may merit to be coerced to eternal life, and may praise and glorify you through your Son Jesus Christ. Through him and with him and 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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Amen.

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Gathered together as members of one family, let us now recall the words Jesus Himself 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 today 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 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 a 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 one another a sign of peace.

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Them of God, you take away the sins of the world.

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Happy are all of us who are called to this banquet.

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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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Let us pray. As we celebrate by this divine banquet the heavenly victory of the blessed martyrs Christopher Maganalis and companions, we beseech you, Lord, to bestow victory on those who eat here below of the bread of life, and to allow them to eat as victors from the tree of life in paradise through Christ our Lord.

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Amen.

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The Lord be with you and with your spirit. And may Almighty God bless each one of us, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.

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