Daily TV Mass Thursday July 23, 2026

Fr. Henk van Meijel, S.J.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:03

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 Hank van Meyle. The televising of this Mass is made possible by the contribution from three donors. The first are Len Gillis and Claudette Smith Gillis from Toronto, Ontario, for prayers and their intentions. The second is an anonymous donor from Madison Hat, Alberta, for the repose of souls of her husband, parents, siblings and in-laws, also for the conversion of her children and stepchildren and their families to the Catholic faith. The third is the Silva family from Markham, Ontario, for the repose of the soul of Loretta, who would have turned 70 years old on July 28th, and for the deceased members of the Silva and Pinto families. Our thanks to our donors for the gift of this Mass. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen. The peace of the Lord be with you.

SPEAKER_03 1:33

And with your spirit.

SPEAKER_06 1:34

And as we have placed ourselves before the Lord on this memorial of Saint Bridget of Sweden, who lived 700 years ago and who knew that she was weak, just like we are, and who knew that we need God's guidance at every breath we take. 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 guided Saint Bridget of Sweden along difficult paths of life, and wonderfully taught her the wisdom of the cross as he contemplated the passion of your Son. Grant us, we pray, that, walking worldly in all vocation, we may seek you in all things. 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.

unknown 2:49

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

A reading from the book of the Prophet Jeremiah. How you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holy to the Lord, the first fruits of his harvest, all who ate of it were held guilty. Disaster came upon them, says the Lord. I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruits and its good things. But when you entered, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, Where is the Lord? Those who handled the law did not know me. The rulers tranguised against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this. Be shocked, be utterly desolate, says the Lord. For my people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water. The word of the Lord.

SPEAKER_06 7:21

The disciples came and asked Jesus, Why do you speak to the people in parables? He answered, To you it is has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The reason I speak to them in parables is that seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand. With them indeed is fulfilled the prophet of Isaiah that says, You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people's hearts have grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them. But blessed are the eyes, for they see, and the ears for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people long to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it. The Gospel of the Lord. Today's readings also move us right into the mystery of our existence here on earth, and we will, and as Jesus says, uh, and he quotes Isaiah, you will indeed listen but never understand, and you will indeed look but never perceive. And there's something really strange in us. The more we know as human beings, the more blind we can become to, the more we think that we have the answers. And while a matter of matter of fact, the more we know, the more we should realize how little we know. Each one of us has only a little understanding what's going on. And and so, but it's so easy to get the ego going and think that we're bigger than others. And we're not. We're only broken little pieces in the universe, specks of dust. And today's saint, St. Bridget of Sweden, very much knew that. She also grew up in court, she was from royalty and used to big egos and people doing whatever they wanted for entertainment's sake. But she knew that there was much more to it. But she was a person of her age, and she could not she had to follow what was laid out for her. So she was married at age 13 and she had 13 children. But after her husband died, she could pursue what God was calling her to. And she actually initially went to a Cistercian monastery in Sweden where she really could spend time with God. And actually, as from a young age, she had already visions and she was a penitent to do penance for others and to do penance with Jesus, Jesus on the cross. And so she in her own childhood she already knew what the big people with egos did not know. God is mystery, and we never will understand God. And Jesus in a gospel reading he speaks about the parables, and this is right after the parable of the sower, where the seed falls on rocky ground on the path among thistles and good soul. And because the parable explains something which we can hardly explain in words, and the mystery of God. But it is really for us to humble ourselves, to know that we're nothing. And especially the closer we come to death, the closer, especially when we are basically in a hospital in palliative care, then we will know that we're nothing, that God will take us home, that our egos and all our knowledge means absolutely nothing. And we can have, it doesn't matter if we have a trillion dollars worth a trillion dollars like Elon Musk, it doesn't matter anymore either. We in the scheme of things are nothing. And we will go home naked, so to speak. Go home as we came. And this is something St. Bridget of Sweden very much understood. And really, it's something in our humanity in the first reading of Jeremiah. Jeremiah is basically saying the same thing. They thought they had all the answers, they want a comfortable life, and in their comfort they they become blind and they don't see anymore. They don't see anymore the mystery of God, they don't see anymore those who are suffering around them. And they're just blind to what is happening. And it's good stuff for us to pray with. And actually in Osalum, the response was, you are the source of life. You are the source of life. We have to know that God is the source of everything, and and at the end of our life we go back to that source of life. And we just have to accept. And uh and it's as simple as that. There's an old joke. If you want to have someone lose their faith, send them to study theology. Let them do a PhD in theology, because theology is trying to explain God in our contemporary world or in history. But the more we sometimes know, and I've met people like that, but they lost their faith. And it is so important to know our faith. We have, if you have a subscription to the living of Christ, there often at the end of the day, there is a little saying by a saint. And today, in this there's a little saying, and it's by St. Bernard of Claveux, one of the great mystics, about a hundred years before St. Briggs of Sweden, and it says, I believe, though I do not comprehend, I hold by my by faith what I cannot grasp with mind. And this is pure faith. We have to believe, we have to accept, and it's a and we can look for answers, but it we can look for answers as much as we want, but it does not mean we get answers. Answers will come if God desires us to give answers. And those answers might come in little glimpses, but the full understanding we will get in the beatific vision when we go to God, when we breathe our last breath, and God says, come home, come home, and you will receive all the we will receive all the answers. But in the meantime, we we walk by faith and and not by sight, as the old saying is. And so we just continue to walk by faith and trust, and trust that God will bring good out of each one of our lives as we humble ourselves and we realize that we are nothing in the scheme of things. 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. As a community prayer, let us give thanks for grandparents and elders like St. Joachim and Anne, who nurture faith and family across generations with quiet strength. We pray to the Lord. With Pope Leo, we pray this month for respect and protection of human life in all its stages, recognizing it as a gift from God. We pray to the Lord. We pray for conversions of all who do not believe and walk in darkness, that by the grace of God they will see the light of Christ in their lives. For this we pray to the Lord. Lord you are head. 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 humble themselves 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 be God forever. That humble spirit and contrite heart, may we be accepted by you, O Lord, and may your sacrifice in your sight 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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May the Lord have a sacrifice at your hands for the praise and word of his name, farther than the hosts of your church.

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We bring you these sacrificial gifts, O Lord, to commemorate blessed St. Bridges of Sweden, humbly entreating that they may bestow on us both pardon and salvation through Christ, O Lord.

unknown 18:48

Amen.

SPEAKER_06 18:51

The Lord be with you. Lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is truly right and just a duty and our salvation, always and everywhere, to give you thanks, Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God, through Christ our Lord. For in the marvellous confession of your saints you make your church fruitful with strength ever new, and offer us sure signs of your love, and that your saving mysteries may be fulfilled. The great example lends us courage, the fervent prayers sustain us in all we do. And so, Lord, with all the angels and saints, we too give you thanks as an exaltation we acclaim.

SPEAKER_04 19:44

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest Hosanna in the highest blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest Hosanna in the highest.

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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 doof, 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.

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We proclaim your death, O Lord, 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 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 the 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, O glory and honor is yours for ever and ever.

unknown 23:40

Amen.

SPEAKER_06 23:42

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 trespassed against us. 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. The kingdom of God forever. Lord Jesus Christ, who said to the 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 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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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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The Lord be with you. And may Almighty God bless you, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Amen. Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.

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