We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves! - July 16th, 2023 - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - MQP Church in JLW Parish

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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15th Sunday in Ordinary Time  

VOCATION: Jesus calls us - He calls you to follow Him, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and become a missionary disciple....

Prayer for deliverance from all evil and demonic influences, blessing of the water, and sprinkling of the Assembly

  The Prayer MP3 version - PDF version 

  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 

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves!”           Saint Paul to the Romans 8:22

God wants to hear us ask the questions that trouble us. Why, Lord, do You let our forests burn? Why the floods, the tornadoes and destructive storms, the earthquakes, the landslides, the volcano eruptions, the droughts, and the famines? Why the quarrels and the wars? Why all the illnesses, the pain, and the suffering? Why allow the poor to be exploited, or poor nations to be exploited by the wealthy nations?

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves!”           Saint Paul to the Romans 8:22

We know that birth pains are the necessary and inevitable transition through which the pregnant woman must pass in order to be delivered of the infant she carried in her womb for nine months by giving birth, by pushing it into the world. The infant must leave the security of its mother’s womb in order to pass into a world that is much bigger, richer in possibilities, and with infinitely more space to explore and enjoy. In this word of God received by Saint Paul, God our Creator reassures us by declaring that we, that the whole Creation, “groans in labour pains” because we are all compressed in the birthing canal towards the fullness of life.

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves!”           Saint Paul to the Romans 8:22

For the baby, the canal through which it must pass is so narrow that it must endure terrible compressions in order to pass through into the world. This image of the baby squeezed in the birthing canal in its mother’s body is an image that helps us to understand a little better the narrow passageway in which we are actually stuck by our mortal life on this Earth. We are stuck in the passageway between our mortal life in this world, the place of our beginning, and the place of our destiny which is Heaven, the divine domain of the Most Holy Trinity, in the presence of God with all his angels and all the saints from all times and places.

“You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it!”

Our situation is far from hopeless, because God our Creator declares: “Don’t be afraid in spite of all the dangers which you must face.” As well, six centuries before the arrival of Jesus in this world, God declared: “My word, that goes out from my mouth, shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” God fully intends to realize his will for us. He wants us to enjoy eternal life beginning now, because “this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3 The question is, are we nurturing within us this desire to understand the Word of God?

“You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it!”

After telling the parable, Jesus explains it. If we receive the Word of God with no desire to understand it, then “the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart” and we lose all that God wants to give us. If we don’t cling to God with confidence in Him, then there is little soil within us, and the Word of God “has no root”. “When trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.” If we focus our attention and our preoccupation on “the cares of the world and the lure of wealth”, that “chokes the word, and it yields nothing.” All this means that the Word of God cannot bear fruit in us without our free, desired, and determined participation.

“You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it!” 

In order for there to be in us “good soil”, we must first of all make efforts, with the grace of God, to read, study, pray with, and finally understand the Word of God. In addition, we must cling to God with confidence in Him; in order to hold on when “trouble and persecution” come to us. Also, we must not let troubles or persecution frighten us, but on the contrary turn towards the Most Blessed Trinity and put all our confidence in God. It goes without saying that we must accept to endure the inevitable troubles and sufferings of life. It’s no use comparing ourselves to others; for we have no idea of the trials and interior sufferings others are going through. 

“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him, says the Lord!”

It is impossible for us to understand everything of the mysteries of God. It is enough for us to at least nurture the desire to better understand the ways of the Lord. Jesus invites us to contemplate the Word of God, and to carry it within us as we go through our day’s activities. Then, with his Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus does within us what only God can do. For our part, we offer to the Father all that we experience and do, and all that we endure out of love.

“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him, says the Lord!”

“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 unite our offering of ourselves to that of Jesus….

 

https://frgilleshomilies.blogspot.com         https://homeliesabbegilles.blogspot.com

 

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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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© 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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Lord, cut us to the heart. Grace us to repent. Move us to turn away from this corrupt generation; let us follow Jesus our Good Shepherd. Let us trust and follow Him. Alleluia! - April 30th, 2023 - 4th Sunday of Easter - MQP Church in JLW Parish

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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4th Sunday of Easter 

VOCATION: Jesus calls us - He calls you to follow Him, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and become a missionary disciple....

 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 

“Lord, cut us to the heart. Grace us to repent. Move us to turn away from this corrupt generation; let us follow Jesus our Good Shepherd. Let us trust and follow Him. Alleluia!” 

The challenges humanity currently faces are considerable: wars and conflicts, hunger and famine, the gap between rich and poor, our troubled and threatened environment, political and economic discords, divisions among Christian churches, pressures from work on married couples, parents, and families, various forms of abuse, and personally, uncertainties, sufferings, frustrations, fears, and confusions. As Jesus did in his day, now Pope Francis does not necessarily propose specific solutions, but like the Lord Jesus, Francis invites all of humanity to collaborate for the common good, and in forgiveness and fraternity.

“Lord, cut us to the heart. Grace us to repent. Move us to turn away from this corrupt generation; let us follow Jesus our Good Shepherd. Let us trust and follow Him. Alleluia!”

At the level of the human person and of each individual, we all face challenges from the demands of life, of health, and of aging, from poverty and waste, between pleasure and pain, from the balance between my good and the good of others, between truth and justice, but most of all, the challenge of maturation, moral development, and conscience. In all this mess, the ways of the Lord are not our ways. Jesus did not try to reform the Roman Empire, nor the Temple, nor the Council of the Sanhedrin. No, Jesus came to bring the Good News to people, to individuals of all ages. Jesus still seeks to touch our hearts. If we recognize his voice and follow Him, we will be saved. Eternal life begins the moment we welcome within us God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ whom He has sent. 

“Lord, cut us to the heart. Grace us to repent. Move us to turn away from this corrupt generation; let us follow Jesus our Good Shepherd. Let us trust and follow Him. Alleluia!” 

In his passion, Jesus gives us the perfect example of the child of God who, in every trial of life, completely trusts in God the Father. Each sorrow, each temptation, each trial permitted by God our Father, by our faith, purifies the intentions of our heart, strengthens us, and makes us realize that, in life, all is gift. Yes, we make efforts, we take decisions, we realize tasks, but all that is good comes to us from the hand of God and comes to us gratuitously. The Father loves us, and He deserves our trust. This is how hope arises within us, and the Holy Spirit enables us to breathe, in the peace which He gives. 

“Lord, cut us to the heart. Grace us to repent. Move us to turn away from this corrupt generation; let us follow Jesus our Good Shepherd. Let us trust and follow Him. Alleluia!”

When I accept to endure my own reactions in frustration and anger, there is an offering agreeable to God! When I forgive others their defects and their faults, and when I pray for my enemies, there is an offering agreeable to God!

“Lord, cut us to the heart. Grace us to repent. Move us to turn away from this corrupt generation; let us follow Jesus our Good Shepherd. Let us trust and follow Him. Alleluia!” 

When I open my eyes, my ears, my thoughts, and my heart to the difficulties of others, there is an offering agreeable to God! When I do something to care for our common home – the natural environment – there is an offering agreeable to God! When I take care of the little ones, the elderly, widows and orphans, there is an offering agreeable to God! When I take care of the sick or the lonely, there is an offering agreeable to God! When I visit prisoners, or when I come to the aid of refugees, of itinerants, of strangers, or of people who are ignored or counted as nothing, there is an offering agreeable to God!

Still today, Jesus says to us: “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Then, nourished and strengthened by Him, in the second movement, Jesus sends us all out: “Go and proclaim the good news, and make disciples. You have received freely; now, give freely.”

“Lord, cut us to the heart. Grace us to repent. Move us to turn away from this corrupt generation; let us follow Jesus our Good Shepherd. Let us trust and follow Him. Alleluia!”

“Lord Jesus, we are sinners, we are poor, and we are weak. You, our Good Shepherd, in your great and divine mercy, forgive our sins, repair our defects, heal our wounds, strengthen our weaknesses, and fill us with your Holy Spirit. Send us out and accompany us as we go to the people of our time; help us to share with them the Good News that You rose from the dead; You are the Son of God; You love them and You offer them a new life which will lead them and us into eternal life. Come, Lord Jesus. O my Jesus, I trust in You.”  

“Lord, cut us to the heart. Grace us to repent. Move us to turn away from this corrupt generation; let us follow Jesus our Good Shepherd. Let us trust and follow Him. 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

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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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Jesus comes to touch and renew our heart - let us walk with Him in his passion - April 2nd, 2023 - Palm and Passion Sunday - MQP Church in JLW Parish

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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Palm and Passion Sunday 

VOCATION: Jesus calls us - He calls you to follow Him, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and become a missionary disciple....

 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 

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 

Yesterday, I was giving a 3-hour seminar workshop “Introduction to Prayer”. A young woman who with her fiancé was at the marriage preparation course, asked me this question. “My grandmother says that there is so much evil in the world that Jesus will have to come soon in his glory; that will be the end of the world. What do you think about that?”

Here is what I replied. The apotles and the first generation of the disciples of Jesus were expecting Jesus to come back soon, in 10 or at the most 20 years. They discovered that Jesus was delaying his return in glory. In each generation until today, there have been signs that the end of the world could be approaching. However, I must admit that right now there is all over the world an over abundance of evil, but there is also much good. 

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 

Our environment is rapidly coming to the precipice and more and more scientists are sounding the alarm that our planet Earth is already at the point of no return: so many species are disappearing or in danger of going extinct. Genesis tells us that God our Creator entrusted his creation to the human race; so that we might cultivate his garden. Instead of cultivating it, we are exploiting it to destruction. God places all the goods of the Earth at the disposal of all, but there are too many of us who accumulate far more than we need, while blocking access to these goods for the rest of the population; creating millions of poor who are dying of hunger. 

We are literally closer to the end of the world day by day and hour after hour. Either Jesus will return in his glory, or I myself will die tonight. One way or another, it will be the end for me. That is the truth for all of us. Our life is running fast to the end. That is why God our Father sent his Son to our Earth, and He continues to send Him. Jesus wants to touch our heart; so, we might let his Father love us by opening our heart to Him. That is why Jesus makes us belong to the Assembly of God’s children who help us encounter Jesus and let Him encounter us. 

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 

Jesus invites us to walk with Him in his passion, and especially, during this Holy Week. We can take the role of each character in the passion, standing in their shoes, and then we will see Jesus show us the face and heart of God who loves all of his children without exception. If we want to receive the love of God which carries us into eternal life, we must let our heart open its gates wide and accept the risk of suffering like Jesus the rejection, condemnation, torture, and death. When we close the gates of our heart in order to try to avoid being hurt, the closing of our heart prevents us at the same time from loving and being loved.  

“The Lord God helps me; therefore, I have not been disgraced; therefore, I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame!” 

I am one of the apostles who fall asleep in the garden… I am Judas who betrays Jesus… the one who cut the ear off the high priest’s slave… I am among the disciples who flee… the high priest who judges Jesus… I am among those who strike Jesus… Peter who denies even knowing Jesus… Pilate who interrogates Jesus… I am among the soldiers who torture Jesus… among those who mock Jesus… I am Simon who helps Jesus… among the women who weep for Jesus… one of the thieves beside Jesus… I am among the men and women disciples who care for Jesus’ body… Jesus loves them all… Jesus loves us all…. 

Jesus’ passion continues to unfold in all of our own passions in life and in all the passions of our neighbours and of the whole human race…. 

“The Lord God helps me; therefore, I have not been disgraced; therefore, I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame!” 

Jesus offers his life to his Father on the altar of the cross. It is our turn now to lay down our life with Jesus on the altar as a single offering to God our Father. We offer ourselves with Jesus: all that we carry within us and which, in silence, we lay down, including our own will; opening wide our spirit to God. 

“The Lord God helps me; therefore, I have not been disgraced; therefore, I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame!” 

“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

 

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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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Christ is risen, alleluia! Jesus invites us to walk in his steps. Christ est ressuscité, alléluia! Jésus nous invite à marcher dans ses pas. - Easter Sunday - April 17, 2022 - Sainte-Suzanne Parish

Easter Sunday

   Le Dimanche de Pâques

    Gospel & Homily / Évangile & Homélie MP3     PDF Version 

« Christ est ressuscité ! Alléluia ! » « Il est vraiment ressuscité ! Alléluia ! »

“Christ is risen! Alleluia!” “He is truly risen! Alleluia!”

Mais, si la mort est vraiment vaincue, et si le péché est vraiment pardonné; alors, POURQUOI… la guerre… le divorce… l’avortement… la pornographie… l’exploitation… la pauvreté… l’égoïsme… etc. etc. etc.?

« Christ est ressuscité ! Alléluia ! » « Il est vraiment ressuscité ! Alléluia ! »

But, if death is truly conquered, and if sin is truly forgiven; WHY… war… divorce… abortion… pornography… exploitation… poverty… selfishness… etc. etc. etc.?

“Christ is risen! Alleluia!” “He is truly risen! Alleluia!” 

La victoire a été gagnée en Jésus, dans son humanité…. Sa prière dans la détresse a été entendue par le Père. La réponse du Père a fait que Jésus fut épargné les ravages de sa crainte, Il a été libéré de sa crainte… mais Il n’a pas été épargné sa souffrance et sa mort… Jésus a accepté la volonté de son Père qu’Il passe au travers de sa passion et de sa mort POUR NOUS. Le Père nous a donné son Fils Jésus – en spectacle pour toute l’humanité de tous les temps jusqu’à la fin du monde – pour nous montrer le chemin, l’unique chemin que nous devons tous parcourir. Nous ne pourrons jamais nous en sortir que par ce seul chemin qui nous mène à travers la passion et la mort pour en arriver finalement à la résurrection.

Entre temps, nous passons par plusieurs états d’esprit et d’âme dans la vie : la rébellion et la colère… l’ignorance et l’indifférence… la crainte et la terreur… l’ouverture et la curiosité… la croyance et la pratique – nous voilà ce matin rassemblés ici, nos croyons et nous pratiquons – et l’Esprit Saint nous mène jusqu’à l’obéissance à la volonté du Père, comme Jésus, jusqu’à la foi et la confiance au Père, comme Jésus, jusque dans la charité, comme Jésus l’a démontrée … et plus encore, l’Esprit Saint veut nous amener jusqu’à l’espérance en Dieu, comme Jésus, la dévotion au Père, comme Jésus, et le zèle à faire la volonté du Père, comme Jésus. 

« Christ est ressuscité ! Alléluia ! » « Il est vraiment ressuscité ! Alléluia ! »

The victory has been won in Jesus, in his humanity…. His prayer in distress was heard by the Father. The Father’s answer saved Jesus from the ravages of his fear, freed Him from his fear, but He was not spared from his suffering and death… Jesus accepted the will of his Father that He pass through his passion and death FOR US. The Father has given his Son Jesus – and put Him on display for all of humanity and for all time until the end of the world – to show us the way, the only way we are to walk. We can never get out of it except by this one way, this one road which leads through the passion and death in order to reach the resurrection.

Meanwhile, we pass through many states of spirit and of soul through life: rebellion and anger… ignorance and indifference… fear and terror… openness and curiosity… belief and practice – here we are this morning assembled here, we believe and we are practicing – and the Holy Spirit leads us to obedience to the Father’s will, like Jesus, to faith and confidence in the Father, like Jesus, and to charity, as Jesus showed people… and further still, the Holy Spirit wants to lead us into hope in God, like Jesus, devotion to the Father, like Jesus, and to zeal in doing the Father’s will, like Jesus.

“Christ is risen! Alleluia!” “He is truly risen! Alleluia!”

L’œuvre de Dieu est en nous, au-dedans de nous une personne à la fois. Voilà pourquoi le l’humanité ne semble pas progresser, malgré les avances scientifiques et technologiques dans notre monde. Tout le panorama de l’histoire au complet de l’humanité se reproduit dans chaque vie humaine, chaque personne humaine. Jésus a besoin de notre consentement, de notre « Oui! » comme Marie à la parole de l’Archange Gabriel, notre confiance en Dieu le Père comme Lui. Voilà la patience de Dieu avec chaque personne humaine, en raison de son grand respect pour la liberté qu’Il nous a donnée. Le Bon Dieu nous accorde le temps de vouloir avec Lui une relation d’amour et de gratitude.

« Christ est ressuscité ! Alléluia ! » « Il est vraiment ressuscité ! Alléluia ! »

The work of God is within us, inside of us, one person at a time. That is why humanity does not seem to progress, despite the world’s advances in science and technology. The whole panorama of human history unfolds in the lives of every human being, in each human person. Jesus needs our consent, our “Yes!” like Mary in response to the Archangel Gabriel’s word. Jesus needs our trust in the Father, like Him. This is God’s patience with each and every human being, and it is because of his great respect for the liberty He has given to us. God grants us the time to want to have with Him a relationship of love and gratitude.

“Christ is risen! Alleluia!” “He is truly risen! Alleluia!”

 

 

https://frgilleshomilies.blogspot.com         https://homeliesabbegilles.blogspot.com

 

© 2006-2022 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC      © 2006-2022 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC