Daily TV Mass Thursday August 20, 2026

Fr. Chris Lemieux

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 Chris Lemieux. The televising of this Mass is made possible by the contribution from Alice and Jerry Lang from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This Mass is offered in thanksgiving for their good health and prayers for their children and grandchildren that they may grow in their faith. Our thanks to Alice and Jerry for the gift of the televising of this mass to the faithful of Canada, the USA, and around the world. 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, the love of God, and communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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And with your Spirit.

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Friends, as we begin our celebration of the Holy Eucharist, we call to mind our sins and ask God for his continued mercy and love. You are sent to heal the contrite of heart. Lord have mercy. 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.

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Lord have mercy.

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And 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. O God, who made of the Abbot St. Bernard, a man consumed with zeal for your house, and a light shining and burning in your church. Grant through his intercession that we may be on fire with the same Spirit and walk always as children of light. 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 book of the prophet Ezekiel. Thus says the Lord, I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you I display my holiness before their eyes, I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove from your body the heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes, and be careful to observe my ordinances. Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

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The word of the Lord I see your God.

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Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins. For you have no delight in sacrifice. If I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins, alleluia, allelu, alleluia, aleluia, aleluia. If today you hear God's voice, harden not your hearts.

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A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. Once more Jesus spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, Tell those who have been invited, Look, I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet. But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their cities. Then he said to his slaves, The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet. Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all who they found, both good and bad, so that the wedding hall was filled with guests. When the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and the king said to him, Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe? And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen. The Gospel of the Lord. Most of us are on the same page that weddings are joyful experiences, celebrations filled with joy and love and family and welcome. In our gospel today, Jesus tells a story of a king who prepares a magnificent wedding feast for his son. Everything's ready to go, the tables are set, the delicious food's been prepared, the invitations have gone out. And yet, surprisingly, many refuse to come. Some too busy, others indifferent. And we even hear that others react with hostility. Such a heartbreaking response to such a generous invitation. So the king does something unexpected. He invites others, he sends his servants out to invite anyone and everyone they can find. Good and bad, the gospel tells us. And friends, the beautiful image that we reflect upon here today in the way of this invitation, and the way that this invitation is phrased, is that we are invited into a special place with God. Not because we've deserved it or earned it, but because God wants us with Him. Heaven's that ultimate wedding banquet, and no one earned it. None of us comes to the Lord because we've earned our place. We come because He's invited us. His mercy reaches saints and sinners alike. And God's ultimate desire is that every seat at his banquet be filled. Friends, some of us tune into this TV Mass because we're no longer able to attend Mass because of illnesses or age or other physical limitations. Many of us are missing our parish community terribly. I know that some of my own parishioners are watching Mass from home for these reasons. And we miss you too. Maybe you're wondering if you have a place, if you still have a place. And the answer is that you very much do. The Lord hasn't forgotten any of us, he hasn't forgotten you, and his invitation has never been withdrawn. Every day he continues to prepare a place for us, a place for you, not only at the heavenly banquet one day, but even now. He comes and meets you in prayer, and through his word, through those who care for you and love you, and through this celebration of the Eucharist. Even when we can't physically be present in church, the Lord is spiritually present with us, with you, drawing close to your heart. This is the image of the King of God, whom Jesus reveals to us today. And our first reading we hear from Ezekiel helps us to understand why God's invitation is just so powerful. God promises I will sprinkle clean water upon you, I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you. God doesn't simply ask us to become better people on our own or by our own efforts. He promises us that if we are faithful and sincere, he will renew us, renew our hearts and renew our souls. And friends, this is the Christian life. It's God's work before it's ours. Grace comes first. God changes us from the inside out. That is transformation. And so we reflect upon that at the end of today's gospel with a person who's arriving without a wedding garment. The wedding garment isn't an expensive piece of clothing or expensive clothing or social status or something in our outward appearance. The garment is the life of grace, accepting and wearing to the best of our ability the new heart that God desires to give us. It's allowing ourselves to be clothed with Christ. Friends, God invites every one of us exactly as we are, but he loves us too much to leave us exactly as we are. He invites us into a relationship that will always transform us. Today we also remember Saint Bernard of Clairbault, one of the church's great saints and spiritual teachers. Saint Bernard often spoke of God's love, not as something to be feared, but as something that draws us closer to Him. He once wrote that the measure of God's, of a loving God is to love Him without measure. He didn't say this to make us feel guilty for not measuring up, but because he knew that the more that we discover how deeply God does indeed love us, the more naturally our own hearts love in return. Everything begins with God's love. And so as we gather around this altar today, let us allow Jesus to address us personally, to speak to us personally. The King is still preparing the feast, and the invitation still stands. If you feel forgotten, there's a place for you. If you carry regrets from the past and your life, you're invited. If you think that you don't belong, well you do, and you're invited. Friends, come with a heart that you have today and ask Jesus to make it new. For God delights in welcoming us, his children, and clothing us with his grace, and preparing us for the eternal wedding feast, that is, heaven, where every tear will be wiped away, every wound healed, and every faithful heart will finally rejoice in the presence with Christ and with God forever. May God bless you. And friends, we bring our prayers and our needs to our Heavenly Father, asking that He hear us. For the Church, that she may proclaim the gospel with courage and remain faithful to Christ in every circumstance. We pray to the Lord. For our TV Mass community, that we may take up our crosses each day, follow Christ with joyful hearts, and faithfully witness to his love. We pray to the Lord. For those who are struggling or suffering with illness in our TV Mass community, in our parishes, among our family and our friends, may the Lord make haste to help everyone suffering in any way. We pray to the Lord. Lord hear our prayer. And for the faithful departed, that they may receive the reward promised to all who remain faithful to Christ until the end. We pray to the Lord. Kind and loving God, hear and answer the prayers that we bring before you here today, and those that remain in the silence of our hearts, we make these prayers through Christ our Lord. Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you, the 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 your goodness we receive the wine we offer you, fruit of the vine, and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink.

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Bless me, God, forever. Wash me my iniquity and cleanse me for my head. Thank you.

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Pray, friends, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the Almighty Father. We offer to your Majesty, O Lord, the sacrament of unity and peace as we celebrate the memorial of the Abbot St. Bernard, a man outstanding in word and deed, who strove to bring order and concord to your church through Christ our Lord. The Lord be with you. Lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right and just 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. Bernard you bid your church rejoice, so too you strengthen 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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Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

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You are indeed holy, O Lord, and all you have created rightly gives you praise, for through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by the power and working of the Holy Spirit, you give life to all things and make them holy, and you never cease to gather a people to yourself, so that from the rising of the sun to its setting, a pure sacrifice may be offered to your name. Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore you, by the same Spirit to graciously make holy these gifts we brought to you for consecration, that they may become the body and blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose command we celebrate these mysteries. For on the night he was betrayed, he himself took bread, and giving you thanks, he said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take this, all of you indeed 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 giving you thanks, he said the blessing and gave the chalice 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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The mystery of faith.

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Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the saving passion of your Son, his wondrous resurrection and ascension into heaven, and As we look forward to his second coming, we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice. Look, we pray upon the oblation of your church, and recognizing the sacrificial victim by whose death you willed to reconcile us to yourself. Grant that we who are nourished by the body and blood of your Son and filled with His Holy Spirit may become one body, one Spirit in Christ. May He make of us an eternal offering to you, so that we may obtain an inheritance with your elect, especially with the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with Blessed Joseph, her spouse, with your blessed apostles and glorious martyrs, Saint Bernard and all the saints, on whose constant intercession in your presence we rely for unfailing help. May this sacrifice of our reconciliation we pray, O Lord, advance the peace and salvation of all the world. Be pleased to confirm in faith and charity your pilgrim church on earth, with your servant Leo, our Pope, and Francis, our bishop, the Order of Bishops, the clergy, and the entire people you have gained for your own. Listen graciously to the prayers of this family, whom you summon before you. In your compassion, O merciful Father, gather to yourself all your children scattered throughout the world. To our departed brothers and sisters, and to all who are pleasing to you at their passing from this life, give kind admittance to your kingdom. There we hope to enjoy forever the fullness of your glory through Christ our Lord, through whom you bestow on the world all that is good.

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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 for heaven.

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At the Savior's command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to pray. Our Father, launch in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day 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 evil. Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil. Graciously grant peace in our days, 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. 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. Amen. The peace of the Lord be with you always. We offer each other a sign of peace.

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Have mercy on us.

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Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

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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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And the Lord be with you.

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And with your spirit.

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

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Amen.

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Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by our lives.

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Praise be to God.

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