We are happy to announce that this year we produced a special episode of our favourite series, "Yes, Lord!" for Ash Wednesday. We hope that this program will be useful for teachers and parents alike. Do you know how the idea of "Yes, Lord!" came about? In October 2020, we received this email:

Hi Team,

My name is Jove. I am an 8-year-old studying in Grade 3.

I am writing this email from my Dad's email.

This morning I was searching for a Holy Mass for kids as every other Sunday since the pandemic began, and I couldn't find any Mass exclusively made for kids.

We kids will appreciate it if you can look into this.

Here is some of what I am looking for in a Mass for kids

• Not too long
• Easy to understand and meaningful
• Common songs that we can sing along
• Small topic to learn about
• Subtitles for prayers

Thanks

Jove

Jove's message made us re-think the need for a Liturgy that would be suitable for children. The result is “Yes, Lord!”: a kids’ TV program structured as a Liturgy of the Word, which I hope all of you are already familiar with.  

Why a Liturgy of the Word?

The thought of producing a weekly televised Mass for children was daunting! Other than the fact that Mass is not intended for television, having to produce one means finding priests and musicians, and it means weekly filming with a full crew. Yet our Catholic Tradition has so many options for liturgies and prayer services that are far more suitable for the online or TV media. Most of us don’t usually attend Liturgies of the Word, but, as a deacon, I am very familiar with them. One benefit is that while a Liturgy of the Word looks a lot like a Mass, it's a more flexible format that allows us to make this Liturgy feel like a children’s show.  

A Limited Series

We began in Lent, 2021 with six episodes of “Yes, Lord!” Later that year, we produced four more episodes for Advent and three for the Christmas season. The following year, we added six episodes for the Easter season. While the focus of each episode is “the Word,” each episode also features as much music and songs as possible, a short Penitential Rite, Prayers of the Faithful, the Lord’s Prayer, and a suggested activity for each week.  

Music

One of the blessings that made “Yes, Lord!” possible is the Duketow family, aka Rhythm and Grace. Alex and Miriam Duketow began writing songs together when they first met in high school. In marriage, they continue to do so, now with their nine children, ages 4-19, who contribute to the family music with their instruments and their singing. Alex and his family wrote most of the music that is featured in the program, including the super catchy, “Yes, Lord,” which serves as the theme. Music is such a huge part of our Faith tradition and it is integral to any children’s programming, so we are delighted by the participation of this talented family.  

Praying with the Word

The older I get, the more I realize the importance not just of reading, studying, and praying with Scripture, but of doing it in communion with the Church. When our kids were younger we tried as much as possible to get them children’s lectionaries with reflections to help them prepare for and use during Mass. But this is something we all need to do. Most of us only hear the Sunday readings once, quickly at Mass. It is always a great habit to look at the readings before Mass on Sunday, pray with the readings throughout the week, and if possible, read reflections or lessons based on the readings. This way when we get to Mass, we are better able to enter more deeply into the mystery of the Word. It is our hope that “Yes, Lord!” can help families grow in the Word of God. The show is a Liturgy of the Word, but it is also a form of lectio divina and a Bible study – a great tool for children and adults alike to listen to, learn from, and pray with the Word of God. It is true that the Sacrament of the Eucharist cannot be replaced by a TV program. However, when attending Mass is not possible, participating in a televised Liturgy of the Word can be of great benefit. When we are able to attend Mass, having additional tools to help us understand the Liturgy better and go deeper into the Mystery of the Mass, is invaluable. I hope that you can join us this Lent and Easter season, starting on Ash Wednesday, for this kid-friendly approach to the Sunday Mass readings and homily. Whether you are worshipping at home or just looking for a way to boost your family’s life of faith, you won’t want to miss this series! “Yes, Lord!" Ash Wednesday will air on Wednesday, February 18 at 10:30 am ET / 7:30 am PT, and repeats at 5:30 pm ET / 2;30 pm PT.

You can then watch "Yes, Lord!" every weekend during the Lent and Easter seasons:

Fridays at 9:30 am ET / 6:30 am PT

Saturdays at 6:00 pm ET / 3:00 pm PT

Sundays at 7:00 am and 2:00 pm ET / 4:00 and 11:00 am PT.

The show can also be watched on-demand on the SLPlus app or our website.