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….
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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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