peace be with you welcome to morning mass here at st patrick's cathedral as we continue our lenten journey towards holy week at easter welcome to those unite with us and worship at home on radio and television that we might offer this soul the sacrifice of the mass the more worthy we call to mind our sins and ask for the mercy of the cross prayer through our lord jesus christ your son who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the holy spirit one god forever and and take possession of the land which the lord the god of your fathers is giving you therefore i teach you the statutes and decrees as the lord my god has commanded me that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy observe them carefully for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations who will hear of all the statutes and say this great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people for what great nation is there that has god so close to it as the lord our god is to us whenever we call upon him or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are just as this whole law which i am setting before you today however take care and the  on your guard not to forget things which your own eyes have seen nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live but teach them to your children and your children's children strengthened the bars of your gates he has blessed your children within you praise the lord jerusalem he sends forth his command to the earth swiftly runs his word spread snow like word frosty strews like ashes praise the larger use of them he has proclaimed his word to take his statutes and his ordinances to israel he has not done us for any other nation his ordinances he has not made known praise the l and lord be with you and with your spirit reading from the holy gospel according to matthew glory to lord the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law until all things have taken place therefore whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven but whoever obeys in teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven the gospel of the lord praise to large jesus christ last weekend i was back home in st louis to visit my mom and as usual we got together as a family and i fear i very much enjoy c and my grand nieces and nephews the oldest is not i they go all the way down to three anyway as i watch them with the light and joy every once in a while of course they do something they shouldn't they might hit one of their cousins or they might grab a toy that they shouldn't and as a watched unfailingly their mom and dad would say you know better than that you know better than that that that's what parents often say or grandparents or all calls and aunts would say when their children do something they should you know better than that how do they know better than that they know better than that because their folks have taught them right so does moses say to the people of israel today you pass these commandments on to your children and grandchildren never forget them you passed them on not long ago i was talking to an accountant to it reviewed the finances of the archdiocese and she said to me do you realize how much money this archdiocese stinson kids schools of religious education athletic program and sick children children who need shelter do you realize how much money you spend on them what do you propose to do about it i salute what i propose is it we would double it or right the the the church is big time and the children families are big time and the children because there are precious treasures there are future and his moses says pass on the commandments pass on the faith to your children and grandchildren so that they will know better than that lester you lord god of all creation for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you food of the earth and we're human hands will become for us the bread of life blessed are you lord god of all creation for for us pray now my brothers and sisters that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to god our almighty father said rise from your hands the praise and glory of his name for all good and the church except oh lord we pray the prayers of your people along with the sacrificial offerings and defend those who celebrate your mystery some every kind of danger through christ our lord and the lord be with you with your spirit lift up your hearts lift them up to let us give thanks to the lord our god is right and just is truly right in just our duty in our salvation always and everywhere to give you thanks lard heavenly father almighty an eternal god for you and you have given your children the sacred time of lent for the renewing and purifying of their hearts to the treat from disordered affection which they may so deal with the things of this passion world as to hold rather to the sayings that eternally endure show with all the angels and saints of heaven we now praise you missiles out and we acclaim at the time he was betrayed and entered willingly into his passion he took bread and giving thanks spoke it and gave it to his disciples saying take this all of you and eat of it this is my body which will be given up for you 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 at mercy on us all we pray that with the blessing virgin mary mother of god will bless  may the heavenly banquet at which we have just been fed sanctify a so large and cleansing us of all sin make a swer the of your promises from on high through christ  lord the lord be with you with your spirit bless it be the name of the lord our help is in the name of the lord may almighty god bless you the father the son and the holy spirit i meant go in peace