in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit and then peacefully with you and with your spirit welcome welcome everybody to morning mass here at st patrick's especially those who unite with us in at home on radio and television we welcome as well cardinal marks he's one of my brother cardinals and he's archbishop of munich in germany so your imminence welcome you're at home here at st patrick's that we might offer this holy sacrifice of the mass the more we're the only we call to mind our sins and ask for the mercy of jesus almighty god have mercy on us forgive us our sins and bring us to life everlasting a and eternal share in the resurrection of your only begotten son who lives in reigns with you in the unity of the holy spirit one god forever and ever a a reading from the acts of the apostles there broke out a severe persecution of the church in jerusalem and all were scattered throughout the countryside of judea and some area except the apostles devout men buried stephen and made a loud lament over him saul meanwhile was trying to destroy the church entering house if their house and drinking men and women he hand them over for imprisonment now those who have been scattered went to about preaching the word are thus philip went down to the city of simyra and proclaimed the christ to them with one accord the crowds paid attention to what was said by philip when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing for unclean spirits crying out in a loud voice came out of possessed people and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured there was great joy in that city the word of the lord thanks be to god let all the the lord be with you and with your spirit a reading from the holy gospel according to john lord to lord jesus said to the crowds i am the bread of life whoever comes to me will never u thirst but i told you that although you have seen me you do not believe everything that the father gives me will come to me and i will not reject anyone who comes to me because i came down from the father not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me and this is the will of the one who sent me that i should not lose anything of what he gave me but that i should raise it on the last day for this is the will of my father that everyone who sees the son in believes in him may have eternal life and i shall raise him on the last day the gospel of lord raised to you large iesus christ my brothers and sisters we hear in god's holy word this morning from the acts of the apostles that only weeks into the life of the church persecution persecution of the church breaks out we should not be surprised because jesus warned us that as they persecuted him they will persecute the church so it's not surprising that persecution goes on in the church today is it and even though we're not surprised boy we can never be passive our duty today is to speak up constantly in defense of those who are being persecuted for their faith throughout the world this sunday i'm going to have a mass out on staten island for the sri lanka community that has been so devastated by attacks still it's not safe for them to return to their church for sunday masses so threatening and so ominous is persecution and one senior richie and i just got back from lured so and when reference was made in a large gathering that there were pilgrims in luers from iraq everybody stood up and gave them an ovation as a sign of solidarity for that church that is suffering persecution so much saint paul tells us whenever one member of the body of christ suffers we all suffer so that means we are very very concerned and vigilant about persecution of the church throughout the world today lester 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 lesson to god forever pray my friends that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to god might he father and the lord accept the sacrifice that your hands the praise and glory of his name for our good and the good of all this holy church grant we pray o lord that we may always find delight in these past school mysteries so that the renewal constantly at work within us may be the cause of our an ending joy through christ our l amen the lord be with you and with your spirit lift up your hearts to lift them up to the lord let us give thanks to the lord our god it is right and just it is truly right just our duty in our salvation at all times to acclaim you a lot but in this time above all the louds you yet more gloriously when christ our passover has been sacrificed he never ceases to offer himself for us but defends us and never leaves our cause before you he is the sacrificial victim who dies no more the lamb one slain who lives forever therefore overcome with past for joy every land every people jesus christ at the time he was betrayed and entered willingly into his passion he took bread and giving signs sprocket and gave it to his disciples saying take this all of you and eat of it with this is my body which will be given up for  minister to you humbly we pray that pertain king of the body and blood of christ we may be gathered in the one by the holy spirit remember know your church spread throughout the stress as we await the blessing the whole and the coming of our savior jesus christ for the kingdom the power and the glory are yours now and forever lord jesus christ who said to your apostles peace i leave you my p c i give you a look not on our sins but on the face of your church and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will to live in reign forever and with you and with your spirit through the enter session of marion to whom this month of may is dedicated may almighty god bless you the father the son and the holy spirit go in peace come back