Christmas Day / - Jour de Noël 25 décembre / December 25th, 2020 - Sainte-Suzanne

Gospel & Homily / Évangile et Homélie - version MP3        - version PDF   

It has been a full nine months since the beginning of the worldwide Covid-19 Pandemic in Québec and Canada last March. That is the duration of a human pregnancy, and it has not been a joyful one, but a difficult, painful, and sad time of dreaded expectancy. Under these circumstances, how can we go around wishing one another “Merry Christmas?”

 La Pandémie mondiale Covid-19 nous a frappés ici au Québec et au Canada il y a neuf mois, le temps d’une grossesse. Ce temps d’attente n’a pas été joyeux mais difficile, douloureux, et trop souvent triste. Comment allons-nous faire pour nous souhaiter : « Joyeux Noël? »

La joie de Noël que Dieu le Père nous offre en donnant à toute l’humanité son Fils n’est pas la jovialité du « party ». C’est plutôt la joie de se savoir aimé, et que cet amour est permanent. Dieu n’arrête jamais de nous aimer. The joy which God the Father offers all of humanity at Christmas is not the merriment of “party time”; rather, it is the joy that erupts from knowing that we are loved, and that this love is permanent. God never stops loving us.

We who are disciples of Jesus and known as Christians and Catholics are not naïve. We know well enough that life is an uninterrupted procession of troubles ending in physical death. Human beings have always known this. Today, and for the next 16 days until the Baptism of the Lord, God envelops us in the warm blanket of peace and love, joy and hope at the sight of the Infant Jesus in Mary’s or Joseph’s arms or in the manger. The beauty and peace of the Infant Jesus is a balm applying God’s healing and merciful love on the wounds of our heart and soul.

Cependant, nous Chrétiens et Catholiques, nous ne sommes pas naïfs. Nous savons comme toute l’humanité que la vie est une procession ininterrompue de troubles nous menant jusqu’à la mort. En ce Noël, et pour les prochains 16 jours jusqu’au Baptême de Jésus, le Bon Dieu nous enveloppe dans une couverture douce et chaude de sa paix, de son amour, de la joie et de l’espérance à la vue de l’Enfant Jésus dans les bras de Marie ou de Joseph ou dans la crèche. La beauté et la paix de l’Enfant Jésus est un baume appliquant l’amour miséricordieux et guérisseur de Dieu sur les plaies de notre cœur, de notre âme, et de notre esprit.

This Pandemic has confirmed what humanity has always known, namely, that God does not come to rescue us from trouble as if by magic. On the contrary, God leaves wide open the full range of our freedom of thought, word, emotion, attitude, gesture, and action. We all suffer the consequences of our errors and sins; as well as of the errors and sins others. We know that we will die; yet in the face of all this darkness, Jesus has come to offer us the hope of sharing with Him in the resurrection and joining Him with the Father and the Holy Spirit in Heaven.  

Après neuf mois de Pandémie mondiale il est tout à fait évident que le Bon Dieu ne vient pas nous secourir comme par magie; au contraire, Dieu nous laisse grand ouvert le champ de notre liberté de pensée, de parole, d’émotion, d’attitude, de geste, et d’action. Nous souffrons tous et toutes les conséquences de nos gaffes et de nos péchés, et de ceux des autres. Nous savons que nous mourrons; mais face à tous ces ténèbres, Jésus est venu nous offrir l’espérance de partager avec Lui la résurrection et le Ciel en communion avec le Père et le Saint Esprit.

The Infant Jesus is small, humanly weak, and innocent, but we already know that as Son of God He will be great, a master of divine wisdom, and a true champion. He will courageously face our faults and all our troubles. He will not make what hurts or frightens us disappear as by enchantment. No, He will show us that we have nothing to fear regarding our eternal destiny, and because He is always with us in the Holy Spirit, we can face the present with complete confidence in God and endure everything without complaining. Jesus is our joy.

L’enfant Jésus est tout petit, humain, faible et innocent, mais nous savons déjà que, Fils de Dieu, Il sera grand, un maître de sagesse, et un vrai champion. Il fera face courageusement à nos défauts et à tous nos troubles. Il ne fera pas disparaître comme par enchantement ce qui nous fait peur ou mal. Non, Il nous montrera que nous n’avons rien à craindre concernant notre destinée éternelle. Il est toujours avec nous dans le Saint Esprit. Nous pouvons affronter le présent avec toute confiance en Dieu et tout endurer sans nous plaindre. Jésus est notre joie.  

Alors laissons-nous emporter dans la joie de contempler l’innocente beauté de l’Enfant Jésus et laissons notre cœur se dilater par amour pour Lui et pour Notre Père du Ciel; car l’Esprit Saint vient à tout moment nous remplir de la vitalité et de l’amour de Dieu. Faisons plaisir au Bon Dieu à tout moment et en toute circonstance; car Emanuel vient trouver sa demeure au-dedans de nous. Il vient nous rendre capables d’aimer tout le monde, même ceux qui veulent se faire nos ennemies. Jésus vient faire toute chose neuve; alors en Jésus nous pouvons dire à tout le monde sincèrement et avec abandon : Joyeux Noël!

So let the innocent beauty of the Child Jesus sweep us away, and let our hearts swell with love for Him and for our Father in Heaven; for the Holy Spirit comes at every moment to fill us with the vitality and love of God. Let us seek to please the Good God at every moment and in every situation; for Emanuel comes to dwell within us. He comes to enable us to love everyone, even those who would make themselves our enemies. Jesus comes to make all things new; so we can truly say to everyone with great abandon: Merry Christmas!

Let us now wish one another “Merry Christmas!” in the love of God: the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Tournons-nous les uns vers les autres maintenant pour nous souhaiter un « Joyeux Noël! » dans l’amour de Dieu : le Père, le + Fils, et le Saint Esprit. Amen. « Joyeux Noël! » “Merry Christmas!” 

https://frgilleshomilies.blogspot.com

 https://homeliesabbegilles.blogspot.com

© 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

The LSM sponsored by CAM continues... God invites us to unburden our hearts to receive his JOY... Jesus' Nativity is near... "Rejoice!" - Sunday Dec. 13th, 2020 - LSM - OLF Parish

 HOMILY MP3 file          HOMILY PDF file   

Good evening dear brothers and sisters! Welcome to our 3^rd Sunday of Advent! For the first time in seven years and 2 months we are no longer gathered together around Bishop Thomas Dowd, who is now bishop elect of Sault-Ste-Marie Diocese. He served us and offered us his friendship since his ordination to the priesthood December 7^th, 2001 and his consecration as Auxiliary Bishop of Montreal September 1oth, 2011. This Thursday, December 17^th, he will be installed as 7^th Bishop of Sault-Ste-Marie Diocese, Ontario. This week he is moving into his residence and office in Sudbury and will also be working in North Bay and Sault-Ste-Marie. You will be able to take part by Internet in his installation in North Bay via Salt+Light or SSM.

The 1^st Candle in our Advent Wreath gave witness to the great reason for our hope: that in Jesus our heavenly Father is eager to grant us forgiveness for our sins and restore our dignity and abundance of life as his children. The 2^nd Candle in our Advent Wreath gave witness to the faith of all those who went before us on this journey towards God on Earth and that we too are called to deliberately choose to live our life with complete faith and trust in God through Jesus.

Today, the 3^rd Candle in our Advent Wreath gives witness to the nearness of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. The other 3 candles are a beautiful, deep purple, signifying our need to repent of our sins, to accept God’s grace to change our attitudes and behaviours and convert our lives to become more like Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Today the 3^rd candle is pink, expressing beautifully the JOY which is ours as we come closer and closer to December 24^th and 25^th; when we will celebrate the Nativity, the Birth of Jesus, the Saviour of the world, Jesus, the Light of the world.

The joy which our God offers us today is not like the joy which people can experience every day in the course of our earthly life. Earthly joy naturally erupts within us when we receive and open a beautifully wrapped present, or have a birthday party, or receive a promotion at work, or get a raise in salary, or when we get married, or witness the birth of a baby. These moments all have their own value, and it is God’s intention that we have moments of joy in our lives.

No, the joy which God offers us today, and every day as his children living in this world, is a supernatural joy; it is a participation in the joy which is in the Most Holy Trinity, and it is a joy which has eternal value because God the Most Holy Trinity is eternal.

This divine JOY erupts within us when we freely choose to use the supernatural gift of faith infused within us by the Holy Spirit and recognize that all that we are and all that we have is coming to us from God, from within the Most Holy Trinity, and is an expression of God’s love.

Today this divine JOY erupts within us by the grace of the Holy Spirit as we approach our celebration of the Nativity of Jesus, the Saviour of the world, Jesus, the Light of the world. As we turn our eyes, minds, hearts, and souls to Jesus, like a bright ray of sunlight the love of God shines upon us and gives supernatural warmth to our spirits; no matter our situation in life.

It is the Holy Spirit who filled Mary with this divine JOY, prompting her to erupt in praise to God in what we now call her Magnificat: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.” When we permit God to shine his radiant divine light within us, we too erupt with divine JOY. This divine JOY is one of the wondrous characteristics of the eternal beatitude of the saints in Heaven, in the divine Presence of the Most Holy Trinity. We can be aware of this divine JOY when we encounter Jesus in the sacraments, and especially in Holy Communion, when Jesus gives us a transfusion of the divine life He has with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Our body needs to replenish its strength be eating one or more meals each day; so too our spirit needs to be constantly replenished by God.

As our local star the Sun constantly shines forth its light and heat; so too does God the Most Holy Trinity constantly shine forth divine light and the fire of divine love. However, just as our rotating Earth plunges us into darkness and cold every night; so too can we plunge ourselves into the cold and dark of distance from God by our choice of thoughts, attitudes, words, actions, and behaviours. It is true that some thoughts, emotions, and gestures erupt from within us as if without our consent; so God does not blame us for those human faults. However, God as our loving Father, does discipline us and lovingly expects us to make efforts to “clean up our act” in order to give more room to the expansion of love, to make efforts to spread attitudes of kindness and compassion, and to spread the works of mercy.

That is why this Late Sunday Mass is the foundational activity of Catholic Action Montreal; as intended by Bishop Tom Dowd, and as maintained and developed by the leadership of CAM and all those who bring their cooperation to this great communal work of love and mercy. John the Baptist baptized with water to give the people an opportunity to decide to turn away from all that is evil and become free to live their lives in the company and spirit of the living God.

Jesus continues to offer God’s mercy to all who desire his forgiveness, to unburden our heart to love God and others as we love ourselves, in purity of heart. In addition, Jesus refills us with the Holy Spirit, without whose power we are often powerless to change. If you haven’t been to confession in a long time, now would be a good time to do it while there is still time.

So let us continue to pray for one another that we might accept the encouragement and grace of the Holy Spirit to open wide our heart, our mind, our spirit and even our body to the presence and the love of God: the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us take a few moments in silence to reflect on this Good News spoken to us by the Lord. 

https://frgilleshomilies.blogspot.com 

© 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 our Father gives us permission to complain while Jesus says to us... "Stay awake!" - Sunday Nov. 29th, 2020 - MQP - JLW Parish

  Homily MP3 file                     Homily PDF file   

Good day dear brothers and sisters! You have noticed the change in liturgical color today. We are already beginning a new liturgical year with the first Sunday of Advent, a time God gives us to help us prepare to receive in a new and fresh way the Father’s gift of his Son to the world for the life of the world. The eternal Son of God was first given to humanity when Mary conceived the divine Son in her womb at the Annunciation by the Archangel Gabriel, which we celebrate on March 25^th. Nine months later, on December 25^th, we celebrate the Nativity, the Birth of Jesus, the Saviour of the world, Jesus, the Light of the world.

What’s not so unusual about the Word the Lord addresses to us today is that in the words of the prophet Isaiah, God gives us permission to complain. That’s right. God inspired Isaiah to complain to God on behalf of the people, because they were quite fed up of suffering and of waiting for God to manifest his power and act to save them.

Do you have any reason to complain these days? Some people say to me: “I don’t know, Father, our life is pretty good in spite of the troubles of these times. I have a good life, a wonderful spouse, good children, work isn’t so good but we get by. Our health is okay so far.”

On the other hand, other people say to me: “Father, I’m fed up with all this Covid trouble. We argue more at home sometimes, the children are climbing the walls, work is bad, there is some sickness in the family… when will it all end? We’re really quite fed up.”

You know, it occurred to me that in the past at times I would wonder what it must have been like for people when they had to go through WWI from 1914 to 1918. At the time, they called it the Great War because it was the most extensive war in the world in living memory and could very well have been the worst war in human history by involving the greatest number of people.

While they were in it, and as the casualties mounted, it must have felt as though it would never end. The days and weeks must have seemed so long and hard to endure. Then, if that wasn’t bad enough, just as the war ended, the Spanish Flu began to spread all over the world and it lasted for two years. During WWI 20 million died, but the Spanish Flu killed 50 million over two years when the world population was around 1.8 billion.

WWII killed between 70 and 85 million people when the world population was around 2.3 billion. As people lived through the Spanish Flu and suffered the sickness and death of people all around them and in their own families, the trouble and pain must have felt endless, as if it would never end. They must certainly have complained and cried out to God. It was the same during WWII with the exception that for those left behind here there was an incredible new prosperity with the development of war time industrial expansion for the production of arms and equipment and supplies for the war effort. Many women got jobs for the first time ever.

So, what is life like for you and your loved ones these days? Do you have any reason to complain or are you feeling fed up with the situation we are living in during our time? Well, if you are fed up and feeling like complaining, don’t be shy to complain to God. After all, He is our Father in heaven, our Creator who made us, and He knows how we’re made and what it is like for us to endure all these things.

One good reason to complain is why the Lord allowed our Church in Montreal to have so much trouble understanding that Brian Boucher was a troubled man and dangerous priest who did so much harm to people. Why did it take so long to stop him? Why was he ordained in the first place? You can read all about that in Judge Capriolo’s report on the Diocese’s website.

It is perfectly natural for us to have trouble understanding the ways of the Lord and to put our questions to Him. Lord, why are there a few bad priests? Lord, when will this Covid-19 pandemic come to an end? We have been praying for an effective remedy to cure the sick; as well as for an effective vaccine to prevent anyone else from being infected or developing symptoms and getting sick or dying. How long must we continue to wait and worry?

Brothers and sisters, as we prepare the bread and wine on the Altar, it is important for us to also put on the Altar our needs, our complaints, our fears, our troubles, our worries, all our concerns for ourselves and the people we love, and to bring to the Father – together with Jesus – all that we carry in our minds, hearts, souls, and bodies…. Jesus invites us to make a total offering of ourselves to the Father together with Him as He allows us to participate in the total gift He made of Himself to the Father at the Last Supper and on the Cross….

Please also remember that as we prepare to welcome the joy and gift of Jesus and celebrate Him at Christmas, a very effective way to make room for God in our lives is to examine our conscience and then make a good confession before the priest, because when we go to see the priest, it is Jesus who is there listening to us. Jesus sends his priests to us.

If you haven’t been to confession in a long time, maybe now would be a good time to do it while we are still alive on this Earth. Jesus waits in the person of the priest to give us his mercy.

So let us continue to pray for one another that we might accept the encouragement and grace of the Holy Spirit to open wide our heart, our mind, our spirit and even our body to the presence and the love of God: the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us take a few moments in silence to reflect on this Good News spoken to us by the Lord. 

https://frgilleshomilies.blogspot.com

© 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

Jesus is calling us... you... and me... "Be ready!" - Sunday Nov. 8th, 2020 - MQP - JLW Parish

 Homily MP3 file                     Homily PDF file    

Good day dear brothers and sisters! There is no doubt at all that today the Lord Jesus, the Eternal Word of the Father and his beloved Son, is giving us a wake-up call. His word to us today is not only about the end of the world – the end of human history – but it is also about the end of our individual and personal lives. We are all going to die, and there’s nothing we can do to stop that from happening.

The good news is that what Jesus is telling us is not morbid or depressing; rather it is very good news. What is so good about dying or the end of the world you ask? The good news is that God our Father loves us so much that He is constantly offering us the gift of his only Son, Jesus, the One who has overcome death. It is this Jesus, Risen from the dead, who now invites us to do what it is that we can do to be ready for these two final days, whichever will come first.

The day of my own death may come first; on the other hand, the final day of human history may come first, while we are all still alive on Planet Earth. Either way, we need to be ready.

We can’t possibly understand what we need to do in order to be ready for the moment of our own death or for the moment of the end of human history; unless we begin to understand who God is. We need to personally come to know God, our Father, and his Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit because at the moment of our death – when our soul will leave our body behind in death – our soul will be brought into the radiant presence of the Most Holy Trinity.

If the end of human history comes first, as Saint Paul described it to the Thessalonians, we will be brought body and soul into the radiant presence of the Most Holy Trinity.

Either way, when we come face to face with our God, the Creator of the Universe, his face – which is the human face of Jesus Risen from the dead – is radiant with the life giving power of divine love. The light radiating from God will appear to us, for the first time, to be so radiant that our own self – body, mind, heart, and soul – will become transparent for all to see.

On that day there will no longer be any secrets, not even from our own self. If today I am hiding the truth about me from my own self; on that day all my secrets will be revealed and be visible in the light of day and in the light of God’s love.

If we don’t want to spend eternity in embarrassment, regret, and despair; then we need to face the truth about ourselves together with the truth about everyone else and also about God.

The truth about God is that the Father loves us so much that He sent his only begotten Son into our world to become human, a man, with the cooperation of Mary – Myriam of Nazareth – his Mother. Joseph of Nazareth took Myriam to be his wife and loved Jesus as his own son.

We human beings have a lot of strange ideas about God. Because of the original sin, our damaged human condition, we find it difficult to trust in God. It is so hard for us to be good and kind, to put the interests of others first, ahead of our own interests. It seems impossible for us to get rid of bad habits and to really love others, even strangers and enemies.

That is why God’s plan to save us let Jesus be falsely accused, condemned, tortured, and put to death on a cross, the cruelest death imaginable. This was the only way the Son of God could demonstrate the authenticity of God’s love for us, for every human being, even for those who were his accusers and executioners. Jesus’ last acts in this life were to ask the Father to forgive his accusers and executioners – He even gave them an excuse – “for they know not what they do.” Then he entrusted his Mother Mary to his beloved disciple and apostle John, and He also entrusted John – and all of us – to Mary and her love for us.

Mary has been very busy over the last two centuries – appearing to Saint Bernadette in Lourdes, France in 1858, to Saints Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta at Fatima in 1917, and in many other places – and in every apparition our Blessed Mother Mary pleads with us to stop sinning, to repent and stop offending the love God has for us. This was also the message that Jesus proclaimed: “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news.”

This is not rocket science… it is not mysterious or impossible to understand. All we have to do is stop, be quiet, and listen to the interior voice of our own conscience. The Holy Spirit is within us to shine the light of God in our mind, heart, and soul to help us see the truth about ourselves and the way we are living, thinking, speaking, behaving, and acting.

We are called to love everyone – beginning with our own family – with genuine love that puts the needs and the good of the other first, ahead of my own needs and good. We can only do that by first putting our trust in God, that God is taking care of us, and that we have nothing to fear; no matter how bad the news may be in the world around us. Come and see two posters that show us by art how Jesus and Mary suffer with us in all our trials, difficulties, and sins.

If you haven’t been to confession in a long time, maybe now would be a good time to do it while we are still alive on this Earth. Jesus waits in the person of the priest to give us his mercy.

So let us continue to pray for one another that we might accept the encouragement and grace of the Holy Spirit to open wide our heart, our mind, our spirit and even our body to the presence and the love of God: the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us take a few moments in silence to reflect on this Good News spoken to us by the Lord.

https://frgilleshomilies.blogspot.com

© 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

How does loving God and neighbor as ourself relate to our troubled world? 30th Sunday - MQP - JLW Parish

 MP3 file of the homily   

 Matthew 22:34-40            

The greatest commandment

"When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 'Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?' He said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

© 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

Thanksgiving in Canada: cultivate an attitude of gratitude - Oct 12th, 2020 at Mary Queen of the World Montreal QC

 Homily MP3 file                                      A Poustinik's Prayer of Dedication PDF file  

THANKSGIVING IN CANADA - 2020 

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for the gifts of life, family, friends, and most of all, your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ - son of Mary who with her husband Joseph mentor us in our family life - Glory be to You O God in your Holy Spirit for ever and ever! Amen!

A Poustinik’s Prayer of Dedication

For the renewal of my journey into and from the Poustinia – October 11-12^th, 2020 – Thanksgiving

Dedication of my service to the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Most Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary, by the Father’s holy Will, you are united by the Holy Spirit in perfect love and you look upon us with mercy and caring.  You inspire in our hearts – through the same openness to the Holy Spirit – the same confidence you have in the Father’s love and the same eagerness to obey Him. 

Lord Jesus, with the prayer and love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to help us, I consecrate my heart, my life, my family, my fraternal community, the great Family of the Madonna House Apostolate – every parish community, leadership team, pastoral council, and fabrique – every diocese, every baptized brother and sister, and my ministry to You.

We know the beautiful example of your home in Nazareth – kept with love and devotion by Mary and Joseph – was meant to be a model for each of us and for our families.  We hope to have, with your help, the unity and strong, enduring love you gave to one another.  Mentor us in the ways we need to walk in order to live as loving children of the Father – men, women, youth, and children – especially those suffering from confusion in their sense of who they are as human beings. Fill our homes with joy, and may we always be close to your sacraments.

Bless those who are present, as well as those who are absent, both the living and the dead; may your peace always dwell among us.  Bring to your gatherings of faith everywhere all those You are drawing to yourself, and those who have drifted away, or are lost, and especially – in person or virtually – all those who are ill, homebound, disabled, or suffer in any way.

Grant your reconciliation to all those who have taken offence on account of us, and grant us the grace of being ambassadors of your reconciliation and peace. Keep us in communion with your United Hearts; may your guiding light and protection be with us always.

United Hearts of Jesus and Mary, I trust in you – hear our prayers.

Saint Joseph, Guardian of the Holy Family and Protector of Christ’s Mystical Body the Church, walk with us through daily life in God’s Love, and lead us unceasingly to the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary. 

Holy Angels – especially our Guardian Angels – we bless and thank you for your faithful and precious assistance. Keep us close to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, and far from evil ways.

Heavenly Father, I trust in You.  I offer You the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary, the Triumphant Bleeding Wounds of Jesus, and the Tears of our Loving Heavenly Mother Mary.  Lord, your Will be done.  Amen.

© 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

At Baptism Jesus gives us a new life in God in divine Light. Oct 10th, 2020. Baptism of Coralie Benedetta Maria Fourmigué

 

Homily MP3 file   

BAPTISM CELEBRATED TODAY AT SAINT IGNATIUS PARISH IN NDG, MONTREAL QC CANADA

 Prayer of Dedication to Mary, Mother of God

          “Mary, Mother of Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit; look favorably on Coralie Benedetta Maria Fourmigué and her parents Alain Fourmigué & Chiara Giacosa and her godparents Gabriele Giacosa & Katia Khoukaz.  In Jesus’ Name I now entrust them all to your care, as Jesus entrusted his beloved John to your care from the cross.  Help each person grow in love for God, inspire each couple to pray together and grow in their willingness to put their trust in the Father; as you yourself did.  Every day, bring us to Jesus.  He alone is Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Dear Friends, your children will find great peace, love, and consolation in coming to know Mary as their Mother in Jesus.  They are too little to pray now, so let us pray for them the words of greeting first said by the Angel Gabriel and by Mary’s cousin Elizabeth.

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.  Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.  Amen!”

Let us call on St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, Protector of Jesus, and Patron of the Church in Canada and of the universal Church. 

PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH FOR OUR LIFE & VOCATION

To you, O Blessed Joseph, we go in our difficulties, and while asking for the help of your most holy Spouse, our Blessed Lady, we confidently invoke your patronage also. With the same love which united you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and by the fatherly affection which you showed to the Child Jesus, we humbly ask you to remember that you are united to us by the glorious new life which Jesus shares with us through His Death and Resurrection and to help us in our need by your powerful intercession.

O most provident guardian of the Holy Family, protect us, the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ; help us keep ourselves from falling into error and ways which are contrary to love for Jesus; united to us as you are in the communion of saints, assist us, O most powerful protector, in our struggle with the powers of darkness, and as once you rescued the Child Jesus from an attack against His life, so now defend the Mystical Body of Christ from those who try to divide and destroy Christ in His Holy People.

Shield each one of us with your unceasing patronage, that by imitating your example, and supported by your aid, we may be enabled to live a good life, die a holy death, and come to everlasting happiness in the presence of God. Amen.

“Saint Joseph, PRAY FOR US.”

 

From a leaflet dedicated to Saint Joseph from Saint Joseph’s Oratory, 3800 Queen Mary Road, Montreal QC H3V 1H6               514-733-8211

 

Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Your altar. We are Yours, and Yours we wish to be; but, to be more surely united with You, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself / herself today to Your most Sacred Heart.

Many indeed have never known You; many too, despising Your precepts, have rejected You. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Your Sacred Heart. Be You King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken You, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned You; grant that they may quickly return to Your Father's house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.

Be You King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbour of truth and unity of faith, so that there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.

Be You King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry, of violence in the name of Islam, or of fanatical distortions of religion, and refuse not to draw them into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Your eyes of mercy towards the children of the race, from long ago Your chosen people: of old some of them called down upon themselves the Blood of the Savior; may it now descend upon all their descendants a laver of redemption and of life.

Grant, O Lord, to Your Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: "Praise be to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to it be glory and honour for ever." Amen.

The Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic prayer composed by Pope Leo XIII. It was included in the 1899 encyclical Annum sacrum issued by Leo XIII as he consecrated the entire world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The consecration was influenced by two letters written to the pope by Sister Mary of the Divine Heart Droste zu Vischering who stated that in visions of Jesus Christ she had been told to request the consecration. ^[1][2][3]

1.  Bainvel, Jean. "Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 6 Mar. 2015

2.  Laurent Volken, 1963, Visions, Revelations and the Church P.J. Kenedy Publishers

3.  Niels Christian Hvidt, 2007, Christian Prophecy: The Post-Biblical Tradition, OUP Press ISBN 0-19-531447-6 page 242

 

YOU WILL FIND ADDITIONAL PRAYERS BELOW

Go in peace to continue this celebration in the joy of your family.

Fr. Gilles A. Surprenant, poustinik

 

MAGNIFICAT

                       Teams of Our Lady

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exalts in God my Savior; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.

Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, for the almighty has done great things for me.

Holy is His name, and His mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear Him.

He has shown the power of His arm.

He has routed the proud of heart.

He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The hungry He has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.

He has come to the help of Israel, His servant, mindful of His mercy – according to the promise He made to our ancestors – of His mercy to Abraham and to his descendants forever.

 

Our Lady, Queen of Teams, pray for us.

POPE FRANCIS

Prayer to the Immaculate*

Virgin most holy and immaculate, 
to you, the honour of our people, 
and the loving protector of our city,
do we turn with loving trust.

You are all-beautiful, O Mary!
In you there is no sin.

Awaken in all of us a renewed desire for holiness:
May the splendour of truth shine forth in our words, 
the song of charity resound in our works, 
purity and chastity abide in our hearts and bodies,
and the full beauty of the Gospel be evident in our lives.

You are all-beautiful, O Mary!
In you the Word of God became flesh.

Help us always to heed the Lord’s voice:
May we never be indifferent to the cry of the poor,
or untouched by the sufferings of the sick and those in need;
may we be sensitive to the loneliness of the elderly and the vulnerability of children, 
and always love and cherish the life of every human being.

You are all-beautiful, O Mary!
In you is the fullness of joy born of life with God.

Help us never to forget the meaning of our earthly journey:
May the kindly light of faith illumine our days,
the comforting power of hope direct our steps,
the contagious warmth of love stir our hearts;
and may our gaze be fixed on God, in whom true joy is found.

You are all-beautiful, O Mary!
Hear our prayer, graciously hear our plea:
May the beauty of God’s merciful love in Jesus abide in our hearts,
and may this divine beauty save us, our city and the entire world.

Amen.

*Act of veneration to the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Spanish Steps on the occasion of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (8 December 2013)

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PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH TO OBTAIN A SPECIAL FAVOUR

O Blessed Saint Joseph, tender-hearted father, faithful guardian of Jesus, chaste spouse of the Mother of God, I pray to you to join with me in praising God the Father through His divine Son who died on the cross and rose again to give us sinners new life. Through the holy Name of Jesus, pray with us that we may obtain from the eternal Father the favour we ask for…

We have been unfaithful to the unfailing love of God the Father; beg of Jesus mercy for us his brothers. Amid the splendours of God’s loving presence, do not forget the sorrows of those who suffer, those who pray, those who weep. By your prayers and those of your most holy Spouse, our Blessed Lady, may the love of Jesus answer our call of confident hope. Amen.

“Saint Joseph, PRAY FOR US.”

From a leaflet dedicated to Saint Joseph from Saint Joseph’s Oratory, 3800 Queen Mary Road, Montreal QC H3V 1H6               514-733-8211

 

Prayer for the Beatification of the Servant of God Henri Caffarel

Teams of Our Lady

God, our Father,                     
You planted deep in the heart of your servant, Henri Caffarel, a fountain of love which bound him totally to your Son and inspired him with a wonderful capacity to speak of Him.

A prophet for our time,
he revealed the dignity and beauty of the vocation of every person in the words Jesus addresses to each of us: “Come follow me”.

He made couples enthusiastic about the greatness of the sacrament of marriage,
the sign of Christ’s fruitful love for the Church and of His union with her.

He showed that priests and couples
are called to live a vocation of love.

He was a guide to widows: love is stronger than death.
Prompted by the Holy Spirit,
he accompanied many Christians on the path of prayer.
Seized by a devouring fire, he was a dwelling place for you, Lord.

God, our Father,
through the intercession of Our Lady,
we ask you to hasten the day
when the Church will proclaim the holiness of his life,
so that people everywhere will discover the joy of following your Son
in accordance with their particular vocations in the Holy Spirit.

God our Father, we invoke the intercession of Father Caffarel for………

(indicate the particular favor being sought) 

Prayer approved by Monsignor Andre Vingt-Trois – Archbishop of Paris.
“Nihil obstat”: 4^th January 2006 – “Imprimatur”: 5^th January 2006

In the case of a particular favor obtained through the intercession of Father Caffarel, contact:

The Postulator,, Association of “The Friends of Father Caffarel” 49 rue de la Glaciere – F 75013 Paris, France.

 

For more information about TEAMS OF OUR LADY:

END - Secteur Montréal secteur.montreal@equipes-notre-dame.ca

fathergilles@gmail.com

https://teamsofourlady.ca/

© 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