In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity, as reported in Jeremiah 31:31-34, every human being can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so please feel free to share with others these homilies and your own personal faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.
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Ascension of the Lord
VOCATION: Jesus calls us - He calls you to follow Him, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and become a missionary disciple....
Gospel & Homily MP3 version - PDF version
What are the offerings that we bring to God? What is the meaning of "HOSANNAH!" We acclaim God for his greatness and praise Him, while at the same time calling upon Him to rescue us in our distress.... "HOSANNAH!" MP3 version
“You will receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you;
and you will be my witnesses to the end of the Earth. Alleluia!”
The apostles became witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. “After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.” The day Jesus was to return to his Father, once more Jesus appeared to them, yet despite this indisputable and marvelous evidence, in spite of seeing Jesus with their own eyes, “some doubted”. What about us, what about our doubts? In the face of all the terrible things happening in the world, and in the face of our own trials, what about our own doubts regarding God? What are we to do with our doubts?
Dear brothers and sisters, it is important for us not to live our lives as though we were just sleepwalking, like people who never reflect on their experiences of God. Jesus never stopped provoking his apostles and disciples to reflect on the things of God, on his words, on the power of God at work in Him. Every day we must also reflect on the presence of God in the Church but also in us. Let us not lose sight of all the ways in which the Love of God touches our lives and the people we love.
“You
will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you will be my witnesses to the end of the Earth. Alleluia!”
Examine your memory; search your memories. What are the moments when you were touched by the love of God. While walking in nature? While saying your prayers? Reading Sacred Scripture? Reflecting in silence in a church? While participating during Holy Mass? When you were receiving Jesus in Holy Communion?
By his resurrection, Jesus gave them a great joy. It wasn’t happiness, because they still feared the authorities, but it was a heavenly joy. In your life, what has been your greatest joy? I’m not talking about happiness, but about joy in God. What has been your greatest joy? If it was truly joy and not simply a pleasure, then it was the love of God flowing through you, the living water of which Jesus spoke to his disciples.
“You
will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you will be my witnesses to the end of the Earth. Alleluia!”
The love of God is
constantly being given by the Father and Jesus his Son, because the love of God
is the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit gives himself to us in a flood like the
sun never stops shining even during the night. Our part is simply to remain
open and receptive to this flow of divine life which is the love of God, the
Holy Spirit. We are also to let fall every obstacle, every obstruction to this
river of divine love which is in God and which seeks to fill us to purify us,
to heal us, to strengthen us, and to send us out into the world.
“You
will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you will be my witnesses to the end of the Earth. Alleluia!”
Have you found it yet, the greatest joy that you ever had? If you have trouble remembering your greatest joy, don’t be discouraged. Relax and put your trust in the Holy Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you. You have all the time you need to recall your memories and to become aware and bring them back to mind. (A pause)
“May He open to his light the eyes of your heart, so you may know the hope to which he has called you and the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe. Alleluia!”
Imagine your greatest joy multiplied to the infinite…. WOW! Outstanding! Grandiose! Wonderful! Well, that is God. God puts into you his joy, his love. That is the Holy Spirit. God is Love, and he pours into you his Holy Spirit like a river. All we have to do is become aware of it and thank Him. Confession helps us to let go of all that obstructs the flow of God’s Spirit in us or prevents his love from flowing out from us to others. God’s love unites us to all of humanity; even to enemies. The Holy Spirit helps us take to heart the whole world, even enemies.
“May He open to his light the eyes of your heart, so you may know the hope to which he has called you and the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe. Alleluia!”
I have placed on my website a spiritual exercise to
help you go back over the moments when you were touched by the love of God. The
people of God reflected on their sacred history with God; that’s the Bible. You
also have a sacred history with God. On the Internet, look for my name – Gilles
Surprenant with the word blog – you’ll see a link Father Gilles Surprenant.
Click on the link and you’ll come to my home page. There, look for the link Fr.
Gilles’ English Homilies and there you’ll find today’s homily with a link to:
SPIRITUAL EXERCISE – “GOD’S SACRED HISTORY WITH ME”
“May He
open to his light the eyes of your heart, so you may know the hope to which he
has called you and the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe.
Alleluia!”
“Mary Mother of God, St. Joseph, walk with us in the steps of Jesus. O my Jesus, I trust in You! Thank You; You who are God, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
In silence now, the Holy Spirit helps us to lay down our offering together with that of Jesus….
https://frgilleshomilies.blogspot.com https://homeliesabbegilles.blogspot.com
In the "New Covenant" made by our Creator God with humanity, as reported in Jeremiah 31:31-34, every human being can know God from within - because the Holy Spirit is revealing our Creator to all who are willing to know the Lord and trust in Him. We can still help each other along the way; so please feel free to share with others these homilies and your own personal faith in God through Jesus Christ. G.S.
© 2006-2023 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC
© 2006-2023 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC
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