Lord, give your servant an understanding mind to discern between good and evil! - July 30th, 2023 - 17th 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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17th 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....

  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, give your servant an understanding mind to discern between good and evil!”

God loves to listen to all of our prayers. However, it is not good for us to only pray for our own good. This is why the young King Solomon’s prayer was so pleasing to the Lord: “Give your servant an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this, your great people?”

“Lord, give your servant an understanding mind to discern between good and evil!” 

God does not need us to inform Him of our needs; for He already knows them, even before we do. Nor does our prayer have as its objective to convince God to give us his blessings; for He already desires to give us all good things. The purpose of our prayer is to bring our heart, our thought, our body, and our soul into sync with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with his thought, his Body, and his Soul; which perfectly reflect the will and the love of God our Father. Our prayer, as we persevere in prayer, our patient waiting on the Lord and our hopeful anticipation of his reply; all of these make us exercise the holy desires which the Holy Spirit places in us.  The passage of time increases the intensity of our holy desires. This gives us time to empty our hands in order to be ready to receive more, and our patient waiting allows the empty space within us to grow sufficiently large to have room to take in the gifts God wants to give us.

“Lord, how I love your law!”

Life, with its pleasures and pains, with all of its changes and the passage of time, and with our losses and grieving, our gains, our blessings, our thanksgiving, and our praises to the Lord, all of these enable us to grow in our love for God and for our neighbour. If we are to be ready for heaven in God’s eternity, we need while there is time to attach ourselves more and more to God and his holy will; while detaching ourselves from the concerns and goods of this world. Rare is the person that is a saint right from their infancy. Our life passes through stages, and at each stage, God is there to immerse us in his grace, and in the life and love of the Most Holy Trinity; in the unity of their will and in their communion of love.

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God!”

The parables which Jesus tells invite us to examine the intentions of our heart. “The one who found a treasure in a field” and “the merchant who found a pearl of great value”, both realized the value of their discovery and decided “to sell all that they had” in order to acquire that treasure or that pearl. Have we discovered yet the great value of the kingdom of heaven? To live in the kingdom of heaven actually means to live in a real and personal relationship with God the Father, through Jesus his Son, in the power of love of the Holy Spirit. Living in an intimate relationship of love with God doesn’t happen by itself, but it requires our decision and our participation from day to day. Praying is opening ourself up to God dwelling within us.

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God!”

The parable of the “net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind” warns us that at the end of our life, and “at the end of the age, the Angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire”. Let’s not wait. It is up to us right now to separate ourselves from the evil in order to be ready for the Lord. It is not up to us to judge those who appear to us to be evil; on the contrary, we must pray for them. However, we must take care not to let ourselves be influenced or confused by their words, their attitudes, their gestures, their practices, or their behaviours.

“In the furnace of fire, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Have you understood?”

Today, there is great confusion over the gender ideology: am I a man or a woman? Does this depend on how I feel inside, or am I man or woman according to the design of God our Creator? In the 1960’s it was all about the so-called sexual revolution. The father of sexual permissiveness and experimentation was a certain Alfred Kinsey. His research included the sexual abuse of infants and the sexual practices of sexual criminals who were in prison. He was fraudulent in publishing his findings in 1948 and 1953 as the behaviours of ordinary citizens. His successor, John Money, invented gender theory. He experimented on two young twin boys who later committed suicide. I invite you to watch the YouTube video “What is a woman?”

“Lord, give your servant an understanding mind to discern between good and evil!”

We need to wake up and get informed. The one who doesn’t have both feet on the ground, and a spirit deeply rooted in God and his Word, can easily be confused by the voracious wolves who are now experimenting on our children in schools and universities. We must pray for the evil, but we must be vigilant to not let ourselves be confused by them. “Lord, give discernment to us and our children; form us and help us form our children. By your Word, make us into missionary disciples equipped with “what is new and what is old.” 

“Lord, give your servant an understanding mind to discern between good and evil!” 

“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.

----------------------------------------------------------------

© 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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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! - May 28th, 2023 - Pentecost Sunday "A" - LSM - Late Sunday Mass in St. Willbrord Church

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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Pentecost Sunday 

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. “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind.” Have you ever wanted to experience a dazzling manifestation of the power of God? Before Jesus’ ascension, and having seen Jesus after his resurrection, even some of the Apostles had doubts. 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!” 

In his Gospel, John says that, the “evening on the day Jesus rose from the dead… Jesus breathed on them”. The dazzling manifestation of the Holy Spirit only happened 50 days later. This means that God takes the time we need in order to bring about in our spirit that openness to the work of the Holy Spirit within us. 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?

“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!” 

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? 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 that 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…. What a wonder! This heavenly joy gives us a glimpse of God the Father and his Son Jesus united in their divine love which is the Holy Spirit. God pours into us his Holy Spirit like a river. All we have to do is become aware of it and thank Him. Confession helps us 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

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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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The fire burning within us is the Holy Spirit purifying our hearts. - October 16th, 2022 - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time - MQP Church in JLW Parish

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time 

VOCATION: Jesus calls us - He calls us to follow Him, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and to 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 

“To You I call; for You will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words. Guard me as the apple of your eye; in the shadow of your wings protect me!”

My sisters! My brothers! What a shock to hear the Word of God tell of this battle between the Amalekites and the people of Israel. In fact, it was a little like the invasion in our own day of Ukraine by Russia. A peaceful people and their innocent families are invaded by an aggressor nation. Israel had barely gotten out of Egypt when the Amalekites ambushed them from behind.

How horrible! Generally, God does not participate in our quarrels or battles, but God acts when people or nations oppose his plan to save humanity. God chose his people Israel so that one day his only-begotten Son might come and take flesh and dwell among us. Amalek was fighting against God. Our Saviour needed to find a home among all of humanity. God chose Israel because of the young maiden Myriam – Mary of Nazareth – whom God chose to bear his Son. Every Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus who could find no room in the houses of men, but who had to be content with a manger in a stable in the hollow of a poor cave.

“To You I call; for You will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words. Guard me as the apple of your eye; in the shadow of your wings protect me!”

This story of Moses who had trouble keeping his arms raised so that Israel might overcome their attackers shows God teaching his people a lesson. All too often we try to handle our own affairs without having recourse to God. We forget that to have life in its fullness we need to live our life in partnership with God. God created us to live in communion with the Most Holy Trinity. So, when we try to walk alone, we deprive ourselves of God’s love and his power.

“To You I call; for You will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words. Guard me as the apple of your eye; in the shadow of your wings protect me!”

God invites us today to consider our relationship with the Most Holy Trinity. From one Sunday to the next, at home or outside, what is my attitude towards God? Do the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit find a warm welcome in me or rather a contemptuous or disrespectful attitude? Worse still, do I spend all my time ignoring God as if I were telling Him to mind his own business? Do I love my neighbour, or am I at times contemptuous of others?

At the moment of our last breath on this Earth, our soul will leave our body behind, and we will find ourselves face-to-face with God, with Jesus Christ. If at that final moment we realize we are full of regrets, it will be too late to change. Today is “the day of salvation”. Now is the time to get closer to God.

“To You I call; for You will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words. Guard me as the apple of your eye; in the shadow of your wings protect me!”

As soon as we raise our eyes to Heaven, as soon as we open our hands to God, we are already at prayer. If there is an empty space inside us, and it hurts, it is simply because this empty space was made by God so He could come dwell within us; but He does not come when He is not welcome. God does not want to make us slaves but friends. God already loves us; so, it’s up to us every moment of every day to accept his friendship.

Jesus tells a parable about a nasty judge to teach us to persevere in prayer. Unlike the unjust judge, God is just and good. However, his ways are higher than our ways, and his will is bigger than our will. He always answers our prayers, but He answers in his time and in his way for our greater good. God always acts for our best, but not necessarily as we want Him to do.

“To You I call; for You will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words. Guard me as the apple of your eye; in the shadow of your wings protect me!”

If there is a fire burning within us, it is a sign of the Presence and action of God within us. The Holy Spirit burns our bad intentions to purify our heart and make room for the love of the Father and the Presence of Jesus. There is another fire, more pleasant, which is a fire of divine desire – a holy desire – which attracts us to God and also towards our neighbour. It is the fire of divine love which seeks to fill us with love and then bring us to love our neighbour and even our enemies; exactly as Jesus loves us.

In a few moments, it will be time to place at the altar our offering to God. It is ourselves that we offer: all that we carry within us, our hopes and our fears, our desires and our regrets, and even our sins and our repentance. Let us open wide our spirit to God; so that He may do in us all that He desires to do: to forgive, to heal, and to give life.

“To You I call; for You will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words. Guard me as the apple of your eye; in the shadow of your wings protect me!”

“Mary Queen of Peace, pray for us. St. Joseph, pray for us. St. Brother André, pray for us. St. Kateri, pray for us. All you holy women and men, pray for us. 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 continues to fill us with the Light of God.

 

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

 

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

William John Setlakwe & Thomas Raymond Setlakwe - Twins Baptism - Solemnity of the Holy Trinity - Sunday, June 12th, 2022 - Église St. Viateur, Outremont, Montréal

The Rite of Baptism for Twins William John Setlakwe & Thomas Raymond Setlakwe - God the Father, Jesus his Son, and the Holy Spirit offer intimate friendship to each and every human being on Earth. - Le Bon Dieu offre de l'amitié dans son amour intime à toute personne humaine - il suffit d'accepter et d'ouvrir son coeur, sa pensée, son esprit à notre Dieu Créateur.... 

Rite du Baptême    

VOCATION: Jesus calls us - He calls you to follow Him, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and become a missionary disciple.... 
Jésus nous appelle - Il nous appelle à Le suivre, à nous laisser remplir du Saint Esprit, et à devenir ses disciples missionnaires....

MP3 Files - Opening Dialogue aux Portes - - The Texts / Les Textes 

The Gospel / l'Évangile - - - L'Homélie / Homily - - - PDF Version 

The Baptisms / les Baptêmes 

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 Homily Notes pour l'Homélie

« Au Nom du Père, et du + Fils, et du Saint-Esprit. Amen ! »               “God so loved the world, he gave us his only Son, that all who believe in him might have eternal life.”

Three years ago, who would have believed we would all have to endure a worldwide pandemic? None of us had any control over that… we could do nothing to stop it… we could only endure it and so our best to remain safe. (en français)

A year ago, who could have imagined that the world would be help hostage by a Russian invasion of Ukraine? It could not be helped or stopped… and to this day we remain helpless and can only stand by and watch, and do what we can to support Ukraine and to help refugees as they come among us in Canada and Québec. (en français)

We do our best to make a home for ourselves and our families, but we also spend a lot of time at work, at school, in our extended families, and in our neighbourhoods. The workplace is constantly putting pressure on us to enter into servitude. We are offered promotions, shares in the company, bonuses, and further advancement, but all too often, the bottom line is that we are being seduced to give our consent to the new slavery… not a slavery with chains on our ankles, but a slavery of 10-to-12-hour days, 6-to-7-day weeks, and moving ever closer to 24 / 7.

(en français) 

“God so loved the world, he gave us his only Son, 
that all who believe in him might have eternal life.”

It is a running battle for both women and men to seek and maintain a vital balance of life, to make and defend time for our life as a married couple, as parents, as members of an extended family, and even simply as human beings. We have to make deliberate efforts to take time just to breathe, to stop and enjoy the scenery, and to remember who we are and why we are alive.

(en français) 

It is very stressful and perhaps even impossible to win this battle to live a fully human and satisfying human existence by our own efforts alone. That’s why God designed us to find our life companion and become husbands and wives, for the most part. Some of us can find support for living as celibates, but we all need the support of family and friends.

(en français) 

“God so loved the world, he gave us his only Son,
that all who believe in him might have eternal life.”

We also need to have a personal connection and relationship with the living God, our Creator. Although our God chooses to remain mysterious, we can come to know and to love God. God plays “hide and seek” with human beings… the Holy Trinity does the hiding, and it is up to us to do the seeking.

As in much of human life, we need mentors, we need the example and help of others in order to find our way. Let me tell you a little about how I was helped to come to know God.

What about you? What might be your earliest memory of God? Of praying to God? Of opening your mind, heart, imagination, and soul to God?

I invite you to pray with me…. “Holy Spirit of God. Jesus promised to send You to guide us, to enlighten our minds, and to grant us to remember all that You have said and given to us. Come Holy Spirit of God to awaken in us, to awaken in me, my memories of all that God the Father has given me, of all that Jesus has said, and of all that Jesus has done in me and for me. O Most Holy Spirit, I trust in You!”

(en français) 

Maman when I was 4 ½ - my fear of the dark... one memory now = every night for 6 months....

(en français) 

Papa when I was 6 - he was staring at the sanctuary... I was puzzled... in my wondering, I knew that Papa could "see" God... and I knew that God existed, God is real....

When I was 8, my Confirmation, my first Confession, and my First Holy Communion... the ways God gently touched my spirit and left traces of his Presence in me....

God our Creator knows us and loves us personally, and He wants to reveal Himself to us. It is often in silence that God comes to gently touch us deep within our spirit. Let us enter into the silence within us as often as we can. Entering into our own experience of silence often, we can then initiate our children to experience and enter into the silence within themselves. Let us show them not to be afraid of the silence first through our example before we talk to them about it. This is how the Most Holy Trinity make themselves known to us personally, very gently, and in complete respect for our freedom and autonomy. It’s all about love and generosity.

(en français) 

“O my Jesus, I trust in You!” God, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

In silence now, the Holy Spirit pours the Divine Mercy deeply into our spirit..

 

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

 

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

How can we receive the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives? - June 5th, 2022 - Pentecost - LSM in OLF Parish Church

Pentecost   

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

NOVENA: It is never too late for us to join in prayer with Mary and the 120 disciples as they prayed and waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Defender, the Paraclete.... 

 Homily MP3 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 

Homily Outline 

Almost 2,000 years after Pentecost, how is it that the world has not yet been completely transformed? Jesus did not come to reform the Roman Empire, nor the Jewish Temple, nor even the Council of the Sanhedrin.... He came to meet people, one person at a time... including you and me.... 

So, how do we welcome within us the power of the Holy Spirit?

Lesson #1. Part A - Our prayers, our requests, must be specific and concrete.

        Jesus always asked people who were suffering, even when their trouble seemed obvious: "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus is still asking us the same question.

Part B - Jesus commands us to act, not to remain passive.

        Once a person had concretely expressed their request, Jesus did something, and then He told them to act, to also do something, to go from being passive to being active: "Get up, pick up your mat, and go home." "Go and show yourself to the priests and offer the prescribed sacrifice." "Go and sin no more." Etc.

        Jesus expects us to do the same as soon as we have expressed to Him our prayer. So, we must "do something" in connection to our request: visit a parent, call someone we've been neglecting, help a neighbour, rescue a person in distress... in other words, put aside concern about ourselves and make room for others through gestures and concrete actions.

Lesson #2. Part A - Don't focus on the traffic coming in the opposite direction - don't obsess over our sins, our failures, or the great darkness oppressing us.

        While driving at night it is very dangerous to focus our eyes on the lights of cars coming in the opposite direction... we would be at great risk to have a head-on collision and everyone dies. By analogy, neither must we focus the eyes of our spirit on all that is our sins, our failures, our fears, or all that is the "great darkness" in our life. The devil ever seeks to paralyze us by getting us to be obsessed with the darkness....

Part B - On the contrary, Jesus commands us: "Look at Me!"

        As He met people who were struggling with their misery, Jesus said to them: "Look at Me!" In other words, to free us from the darkness, to be able to forgive us our sins, to at times heal us from our illnesses or, if not, to give us the strength to endure them... for all that Jesus wants to do for us, He must first get our attention.

        Then, He needs us to have complete trust and confidence in Him and in the love of God our Father, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Faith is not a feeling or sentiment, but simply a decision. I decide to put my trust and confidence in Jesus, and then, I leave my confidence in Him and expect to receive his reply, whatever that will be. From that point on, my prayer remains: "Show me, Lord Jesus, what You want, what You are saying to me, what You are doing." 

Lesson #3. Part A - Praise the Lord and give Him thanks!

        We Catholic Christians of Québec and Canada, are an "aweful bunch" or "in an aweful mess", in the sense that we live and behave as though we are ashamed of our faith, and ashamed of God. We never speak of God, or of Jesus, or of our faith out loud. Especially not in our family, or at school or college or university, or at work, or with friends... or anywhere.

        When you get down to it, we've closed the gates of our heart, of our mind, of our spirit, and of our life to God. Why then should we be surprised that God seems silent or absent. We have banished Him from our existence. Some have said that God is a gentleman, and He respects our decisions, even to the point of leaving us alone. Do we really want that?

Part B - Jesus calls and attracts us... and then He sends us.... 

        God is ever attracting us to Himself. The Father sent us his Son in Jesus to get our attention. Jesus invites us to listen to Him and to follow Him. 

        The Holy Spirit inspires us, attracts us to go to Sunday Mass... The Spirit assembles us to form together the People of God. There, God speaks to us in a heart-to-heart with his living Word... Jesus nourishes us with his mysterious "divine meal" - giving Himself to us in his Body and Blood. Then, strengthened by this mysterious Presence of God within us, Jesus sends us out into the world as his missionary disciples: "Go in my peace! Proclaim the Good News! Go make disciples by sharing with them all that I have given you. I am with you until the end!"

 “O my Jesus, I trust in You. Immaculate Mother Mary, pray for us. St. Joseph, pray for us. We give praise to You, O God, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

In silence now, the Holy Spirit continues to pour the Divine Mercy deeply into our spirit..

 

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

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

When we pray we need to patiently wait on the Lord. He is a great King and communicates as He decides is best. - 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time - LSM sponsored by CAM - October 31st, 2021 - OLF Parish

  Gospel & Homily MP3  -  version française 

During the homily, I referred to the crisis experienced by the prophet Elijah as related in the First Book of Kings, chapter 19; when Elijah went seeking the Lord for rescue.

Elijah Flees from Jezebel

19 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there.

4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” 8 He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. 9 At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there.

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”

Elijah Meets God at Horeb

11 He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” 15 Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17 Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

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© 2006-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2006-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

God allows us to endure waiting for his answers to our prayers so we can amplify our desire and so He can purify the intentions of our heart. 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - MQP Church in JLW Parish - October 24th, 2021

 Homily MP3 version             Homily PDF version

“What do you want me to do for you?”

When you pray to God, what thoughts are you thinking in your mind? What emotions are you feeling in your heart? What is happening in your body? What are the movements in your soul? In your mind, are you thinking that you need to inform God about what you need, about what it is that you are asking of God?

A thought like this is misguided, because God is our Creator, and the Most Holy Trinity knows everything about you… what is happening to you, what you think you need, and what you want God to do for you, but more than this, God knows what you really need the most, and it may not be what it is that you are asking of Him. You may not even be aware or understand.

Perhaps you may be thinking a different thought, that God is not interested or that for some reason you need to convince God about what you think you need. It is not true that God is not interested. It is not true that God needs us to persuade Him to give us good things. However, it is true that often God waits for us to ask for good things. There are many reasons for this.

“What do you want me to do for you?”

In his “Letter to Proba”, Saint Augustine taught that God wants us to exercise our desire. It is hunger that brings us to look for food and to prepare it. It is thirst that brings us to get and to take a drink of water. Bartimaeus called out to Jesus even after “many sternly ordered him to be quiet” and then he cried out even more loudly. The blind man was very motivated to ask for what he wanted from Jesus. He was exercising his desire to see again.

When we pray and ask God for something, we may not be ready to receive it. Our hands may be too full of many things, or we may be too attached to other things, making it difficult or even impossible for us to be able to receive what it is that we are asking of God. It may be that our heart is too narrow and our desire too small to be able to make room for what it is that we ask of God. We may not be willing to forgive someone, or our heart may be full of anger or a desire for vengeance, or our heart may be tied up with many bonds of jealousy. There are so many weeds that can prevent us from being able to receive good things from God.

“What do you want me to do for you?”

We are human and our heart is damaged by evil desires or bad things we have said or done. Our heart can be choked and overgrown by the weeds of sinful desires. For these reasons the intentions of our heart need to be purified. Jesus has given us ways and means to let Him purify our heart. We can go to the priest and confess our sins with the firm intention of turning away from these evils from now on. When Jesus lets us wait, He lets us exercise our desire; so that a desire for the best thing may push out bad desires or desires for good things that are too small.

“What do you want me to do for you?”

So, you see how many thoughts can distract our mind from the one thing that is necessary, and many emotions might be boiling in our heart and preventing us from trusting in Jesus, but we see how kind and tender Jesus is with the blind man. In the same way, Jesus looks at us with great love and compassion – He feels with us what we are suffering – and He waits patiently for us to exercise our desire by asking again and again for what is good, what is most necessary.

“What do you want me to do for you?”

When you are praying to God, what is going on in your body? Are you doing the dishes? Are you driving your car or in public transit? Are you busy at your work place or your work station? It is very good to send to God short prayers all day long during our many activities. It is also necessary at least once or a few times each day to put aside all other activity, to relax our body and be still inside and outside, and to give our full and complete attention to God. It is a relationship with a living being that unites us with God, and we need to practice reverence and respect for God. This is what the Bible calls the “fear of the Lord”. When we love someone and we want to show them our love, we give them our complete and undivided attention.

“The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”

As we pray to God, the Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are listening to us with great love, and They ask us to put all our trust in Them. One excellent way to put our trust in God is to be willing to endure the waiting. God knows what we really need, but often we don’t know what we really need. As we accept to endure the suffering of waiting for what we seek and for what God knows that we really need, in the very fire which burns within us while we suffer the waiting; God is purifying the intentions of our heart and cultivating within us the very best treasure. The very best treasure is our relationship of communion with the Most Holy Trinity.

“The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”

This is the very best treasure: the grace and the gift of communion with God: the Father, and + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us take a few moments to let the Holy Spirit renew and deepen our love and trust in God.

 

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© 2006-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC           © 2006-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC