Sunday Daily TV Mass Sunday September 20, 2026

0:03 From the St. Ignatius Chapel at the Manresa Jesuit Spiritual Renewal Center in Pickering, Ontario. The National Catholic Broadcasting Council presents the Sunday TV Mass.

0:26 Welcome to the celebration of the Sunday TV Mass on the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. I am Father Peter J. Troy. The televising of this Mass is made possible by the contributions from two donors. The first is in loving memory of Stella Dantis of Owen Sound, Ontario, and Celine Sakura of New Minas, Nova Scotia.

0:50 Stella and Celine were sisters and faithfully followed the Daily TV Mass, and their family wished to show their gratitude and honor them by offering this Mass for peace around the world. The second is Mimi Okoye from Fredericton, New Brunswick, in Thanksgiving and for the repose of her soul of her precious mommy, Chief Doctor, Mrs.

1:13 Patricia Yu Okoye, and her daddy, Dr. Steve N. C. Okoye, and her baby sister, Queen Okoye. For all the deceased members of the S.I. Okoye and D.S. Agim families, for the souls in purgatory and the faithful departed. Our thanks to our donors for the gift of this Mass. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

1:38 Amen.

1:39 The Lord be with you.

1:40 And with your life.

1:41 Brothers and sisters, let us call to mind our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred 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, in what I failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.

2:04 Therefore I ask, Blessed Mary of her 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.

2:19 Amen.

2:20 Lord have mercy.

2:21 Lord have mercy.

2:22 Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.

2:26 Lord have mercy.

2:27 Glory to God in the highest. And on earth, peace to people of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory. Lord God, Heavenly King, O God, Almighty Father, Lord Jesus Christ, only begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

2:55 You take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. You are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. Let us pray. O God who founded all the commands of your sacred law upon love of you and of our neighbor.

3:24 Grant that by keeping your precepts we may merit to attain eternal life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.

3:36unknown Amen.

3:37 A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked person forsake their ways, and the unrighteous person their thoughts. Let that person return to the Lord that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

4:02 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours, than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. The word of the Lord.

4:38 Call on him. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised. His greatness is unsearchable. The Lord is near to all who call on him. The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.

5:53 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

6:24 Brothers and sisters, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.

7:00 Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, the word of the Lord.

7:38 Open our hearts of the Lord to listen to the words of your son.

8:09 A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. And he said to them, You also go into the vineyard, and I'll pay you whatever is right. So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, Why are you standing here idle all day?

8:54 They said to him, Because no one has hired us. He said to them, You also go into the vineyard. When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first. When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage.

9:15 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.

9:35 But replied to one of them, Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?

9:55 So the last will be first, and the first will be last. The gospel of the Lord. I'm sure most of you are familiar with this song. The song takes inspiration from Isaiah chapter 49, and the lyrics go like this: I will never forget you, my people. I have carved you on the palm of my hand. I will never forget you, I will not leave you orphaned, I'll never forget my own.

10:29 Does a mother forget her baby? Or woman, the child within her womb. Yet even if these forget, yes, even if these forget, I will never forget my own. When a child is born, everyone wants to see the baby. As a matter of fact, everyone wants to hold and to kiss the baby. Sometimes you might even be tempted to squeeze those cute baby cheeks.

10:52 Even baby animals are very cute and they're loved and cared for by their mothers. When it comes to sheep, a healthy sheep can give birth to up to six lambs. But every now and then the shepherd will find one of the newly born lambs being rejected by its own mother. There are many reasons for this. But the most common reason is if a lamb is very weak or ill, the mother will reject that baby.

11:17 Every time the lamb desperately tries to seek his mother's attention, she will butt its head or kick it away. Once she has made up her mind, she will not change her mind. When the mother rejects the lamb, then the entire flock will reject it too. There's a name for this kind of lamb that is rejected by its own mother.

11:37 They're called bummer lambs. Sudden, saddened by the rejection, the bummer lamb will keep its head down and eventually die of broken spirit. When this happens, the shepherd intervenes and brings the bummer lamb home and cares for it. He would wrap the lamb with a blanket and hand feed with the bottle.

11:57 He will care for it until the bummer lamb is strong enough to rejoin the flock. By the time the lamb is rehabilitated, there's a special bond that was created between the shepherd and the bummer lamb. So when the shepherd goes out to the field and calls for his sheep, the first ones to run towards the shepherd are the former bummer lambs.

12:18 They're so happy to see the shepherd that they express their excitement and joy by wagging their tails like puppies and nudging the shepherd. The bummer lambs know something that other sheep don't. They know the love of the shepherd. Because they experienced rejection, they became the chosen ones who got to experience the love of the shepherd firsthand by being picked up and having been held close to the heart of the shepherd.

12:46 That being said, even though we might have experienced all the support we need, growing up can still feel scary. Especially for young people today. After graduating from university means they have to start looking for a job. And today's job market is tough and it's getting more competitive by the day.

13:06 We all know that the hiring practices are not based on compassionate grounds, like whoever has the best sob story. Instead, most qualified and competent ones get the job. So when we re read from today's gospel, the owner of the vineyard hiring laborers at different hours of the day, the paying the same wage regardless of how many hours they worked seems unfair and unjust.

13:32 I'm sure this parable offends their sensibility and sense of justice. But that's exactly the point that Jesus was trying to make. The kingdom of God is not based on justice and merit, but based entirely on God's mercy. During the time of Jesus, people relied entirely on the wages collected for that day for their livelihood.

13:54 An average person would not have had much savings. So not earning income just one day can translate to a family suffering from hunger. The compassionate owner of the vineyard understood this. That's why he paid everyone, not according to what they deserved, but what they needed. So the difference is, while the ones who were hired at the beginning of the day understood justice, a fair wage paid in exchange for his labor.

14:22 But the ones who work just one hour, like the bummer lambs, would understand God's mercy. Imagine living a life not knowing love or being supported during life's challenging moments. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, we encountered the iconic line, to be or not to be. When he said it, Hamlet found himself being crushed by immense weight of earthly trials and persistent injustices.

14:49 So Hamlet questioned whether it was worth continuing with life. Ultimately, his only reason for continuing was a fear that the unknown beyond this life might be even worse than his current troubles. Compare this deep misery with the spiritual longing of Saint Paul, who viewed his life through the lens of divine affection.

15:11 He boldly declared, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Much like a bummer lamb who has known the sting of rejection, Paul recognized how broken his path had been before his conversion. He identified himself as the greatest of sinners and the least among the apostles. Even when his own people rejected his message, he did not succumb to a broken spirit.

15:37 God's love has transformed him. His life was no longer about himself. He lived for Christ. And his deepest longing was to be with God in heaven. We may feel unworthy at times, but our Heavenly Father never ceases to pour his infinite love upon us. While we might find ourselves caught up in the pursuit of worldly comforts or a rigid sense of fairness, yet God is relentlessly pursuing us.

16:06 God doesn't calculate with a cold mind, but showers us with his endless love. Are we we are always at the center of God's heart? Can't we make God the center of our hearts? I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

16:42 He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

17:06 Amen. For all those in our daily TV Mass Prayer Intentions book, we pray to the Lord.

17:12unknown Lord, hear our prayer.

17:13 As we pray for those in our community, we remember families facing suffering, loss, or loneliness, asking that Mary, our mother of sorrow, accompany them with Christ's compassion and hope. We pray to the Lord.

17:28unknown Lord, hear our prayer.

17:30 Heavenly Father, we presented to you all our needs. We ask you to grant them in the name of Jesus, our Lord.

17:37unknown Amen.

19:09 Look with favor on our supplications, O Lord, and in your kindness accept these your servants' offerings, that what each has offered to the honor of your name may serve the salvation of all through Christ our Lord.

19:22 Amen. The Lord be with you.

19:26 And with our spirit.

19:29 Lift up your hearts.

19:32unknown We live up to the law.

19:37 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 who Christ our Lord. For by his birth, he brought renewal to humanity's fallen state. And by his suffering, cancelled out our sins.

20:09 By his rising from the dead, he has opened the way to eternal life. And by ascending to you, oh Father, he has unlocked the gates of heaven. And so with the company of angels and saints, we sing the hymn of your praise. As with our hand we acclaim.

20:32 Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of hosts, heaven and Father of your glory. Hosanna in the high host. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

21:23 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 the supper was ended, he took the chalice, and once more giving thanks, he gave it to his disciples, saying, Take this, all of you.

22:00 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.

22:30 Save us, Savior of the world, for by your cross and resurrection, you have set us free.

22:46 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 the partaking of the body and blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.

23:05 Remember, Lord, your church spread throughout the world, and bring her to the fullness of charity, together with Leo 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.

23:25 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 and all the saints who have pleased you throughout the ages, may Merity be co-heirs to eternal life, and may praise and glorify you through your Son, Jesus Christ.

23:43 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.

23:58 Amen.

24:14 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 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.

24:50 Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your apostles, peace I leave you, my peace I give you. Look not in 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. Peace of the Lord be with you always. Let us offer each other the sign of peace.

25:50 Grant us peace.

26:04 Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

26:38 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.

27:30 Graciously raise up, O Lord, those you renew with the sacrament, that we may come to possess your redemption, both in mystery and in the manner of our life, through Christ our Lord. Amen. The Lord be with you. And mighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Go in the peace of Christ.

27:51 Thanks, be the Lord.

27:54 Our thanks to our donors for the gift of this Mass.