We are preoccupied with ourselves, but Jesus calls us to be considerate of others, listen to them, love them, and serve them. 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time - MQP Church in JLW Parish - October 17th, 2021

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“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” “Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you.”

We hear Jesus. What Jesus declares remains true today. “Among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.” We see how those who exploit the resources of the Earth destroy the landscape, deprive all the creatures of their natural habitat, and pollute the soils, the waters, and the air. In their frantic pursuit of ever greater profits, the wealthy and their companies don’t care about the survival or the well-being of humanity, and they engage in their destructive practices with impunity. They live for today without caring practically about the consequences for tomorrow. For our part, we are so obsessed with our comfort that we justify murder by participating in the extermination of unborn children, mostly because we men do not support our women.

In the face of the destruction of Creation and the death of innumerable people, God our Creator does not impose Himself as almighty King or God to put an end to every evil. No, but rather, the Son of God continues to come among us humbly and as the One who comes to serve. He went so far as to give his life as a ransom for our sins. Jesus accepted to endure the pain of all the evil consequences of all our sins and the sins of all of humanity. He did this to obey the will of his Father; because God wants to show all of humanity for all time how He has chosen to act in order to correct the errors of humanity and the defects of Creation.

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” “Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you.”

Jesus loves his apostles and teases the brothers James and John by calling them “sons of thunder”. Like all of us, they are preoccupied with their situation in life here and in eternal life, and they want to assure for themselves a “good position” for their future. Jesus teaches them a lesson, and He teaches us the same lesson, that God – almighty that He is – chooses to walk humbly among us. He has no need to impose his power; instead, God enters into solidarity with us in our weakness and in our sin. Why does He act this way? It is because He loves us and comes to show us the way; in order to save us. What exactly is salvation?

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” “Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you.”

What is salvation, exactly? Jesus defined salvation as eternal life, and more specifically, He declared: “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” In other words, God offers us to participate in his own divine life, the divine life within the Most Holy Trinity. It is a life of authentic and practical love.

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” “Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you.”

How can we adopt within ourselves the attitude of a servant? How can we recognize eternal life as communion with God? The Good God gives us lots of time to convert ourselves and to improve our behaviours. When we are responsible for others, rather than demand to be always right, we might show them patience and understanding, and offer them mercy and kindness in the face of all the challenges of life.

In our family relations, instead of always grabbing the first places, we might put ourselves at the service of the other members of our families; instead of wanting to be loved, we might put all our efforts in recognizing, affirming, loving, and serving others like they were Jesus Himself.

In our intimate relationships, let us not seek our own pleasure and comfort; let us rather try to please others and to offer them comfort and encouragement. With others and with strangers, rather than try to show ourselves as superior, let us simply be present to them, accompanying them with attentive listening in all sympathy and with encouragement.

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” “Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you.”

For our own needs, let us take in hand our responsibilities, and for the rest, let us put all our trust in God by practicing to wait patiently for the unfolding of divine providence. Let us keep our spirits free to notice the needs of others and then to put ourselves at their service.

Every day, life offers us endless opportunities to practice putting our whole trust in God; for God alone is deserving to fully enjoy having all of our trust. From moment to moment, let us pray intensively to the Good God for ourselves but also for all the others in the world.

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” “Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you.”

Thankfully for us the Good God never tires of forgiving us, He who is 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 trust in God.

 

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

 

© 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

God wants to fill us with his Holy Spirit to make us prophets. God permits the troubles of life to purify and strengthen us and teach us to trust in Him. 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time - MQP Church in JLW Parish - September 26th, 2021

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“Would that all the Lord’s people were Prophets; that the Lord would put his spirit on them.”

Our Creator God is great and glorious! He exists from all eternity, and He lives in a Trinity of Divine Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In his declaration Moses justly expressed God’s own desire; for the Good God desires that every human being be filled with the Holy Spirit to prophesy, in other words, that his whole people would tell the truth everywhere and at all times. 

God our Father wants to make of us his children in the very image and likeness of Jesus. So, if there is a blockage, it is not on God’s part, but rather on our part. As life happens, we are at times sick or wounded, lame or weak, and at other times we are straying or lost, fearful or doubtful. Every day we have a great need of the Master, the Good Shepherd.

“Would that all the Lord’s people were Prophets; that the Lord would put his spirit on them.”

Joshua did not want others to prophesy like Moses, so that only Moses would be special and filled with the Spirit of God. Here the Lord warns us not to make differences among us and to avoid all competition before God. We are all his children, and our Father gives in accord with his own will; for He knows us and He knows what we most need in order to live as his children in this world after the example of Jesus.

“Would that all the Lord’s people were Prophets; that the Lord would put his spirit on them.”

St. James warns the rich and those who takes excessive delight “in luxury and pleasures”; for this life passes too quickly and we risk losing eternal life. When we set too much the desires of our heart on the pleasures of this world or on unhealthy pleasures; then we are sick. God alone can heal us in allowing us to discover that He is good and loves us. “Taste and see that the Lord is good!”

Sin wounds us. In doing evil or avoiding to do good, our choices wound us. Jesus treats our wounds by warning us not to sin anymore and by mercifully offering us his forgiveness. If we think we are without sin, it is because we are blind. If we declare ourselves to be without sin, we make God out to be a liar.

“Would that all the Lord’s people were Prophets; that the Lord would put his spirit on them.”

Our bad habits make us lame, but Jesus repairs what is broken and restores our mobility by warning us to prepare ourselves to resist temptations. Our fears and our false hopes weaken us, but Jesus teaches us to want to do good.

When we become fearful in the face of life’s challenges, Jesus encourages us by granting us to taste his divine mercy. Jesus is our Good Shepherd and his Sacred Heart is good and tender. He understands us and sympathizes with us in our distress.

Like sheep we stray by looking too greedily at the things of this world and by becoming jealous of others. When we turn away from God, we become lost. Jesus never abandons us, but through our family, our friends, and our pastors He helps us find our way and brings us back into the love of God.

“Would that all the Lord’s people were Prophets; that the Lord would put his spirit on them.”

When we suffer doubts, Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and build us up. With his many spiritual gifts, the Holy Spirit brings the power of God to heal the sick, restore the wounded, strengthen the weak, repair the lame, give courage to the fearful, find the lost, bring back the stray, and reassure the doubtful.

On this World Refugee Day, this Word of God is news that is particularly good. When the world in which we live becomes entirely hostile, there remains only God who is there to encourage us and give us the strength to go through it all.

“Would that all the Lord’s people were Prophets; that the Lord would put his spirit on them.”

If God permits everything that happens to us, it is to purify the intentions of our heart, to enlighten our spirit, to form our character and bless us, and to prepare us for eternal life in an intimate relation of friendship with the Most Holy Trinity.

From moment to moment, life offers us endless opportunities to practice putting our whole trust in God; for God alone is fully deserving of all our trust.

Our Eternal Father uses all our troubles as opportunities for us to practice putting our trust in Him through Jesus, trusting in God: the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Would that all the Lord’s people were Prophets; that the Lord would put his spirit on them.”

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

 

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

 

© 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

God has no favorites, but loves everyone perfectly and invites us to trust in Him - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - MQP Church in JLW Parish - September 5th, 2021

   Homily MP3 version 

In the face of trouble, Jesus calls us to pray, trust in Him, and wait in joyful anticipation - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time - MQP Church in JLW Parish - July 25th, 2021

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“With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bear with one another in love, 

making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Mrs. Marguerite d’Youville, venerated now as Saint Marguerite d’Youville, founded the Sisters of Charity also known as the “Grey Nuns”. She had a particular devotion to the Eternal Father and his magnanimous Divine Providence. She saw that the Eternal Father of Jesus is the Divine Source of all good things and of life itself, and she understood that God the Father does not seek glory but prefers to “hide behind” his Divine Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Marguerite started out as an ordinary woman who, when moved by the misery of others, rolled up her sleeves to do something to alleviate their misery. Other women looking for their own purpose in life were attracted to her and fairly quickly a circle of joyful women gathered around her. In fact, they were so joyful that some malicious tongues called them “the tipsy sisters”, which in French is a play on the word grey; hence “the grey nuns”. Rather than be offended, Marguerite was delighted and adopted the nickname for her new congregation.

Every day of our lives, we find ourselves facing an important choice, a crucial fork in the road of our lives. Will I let the troubles of life beat me up and discourage me, or will I choose to lift up my eyes to the Lord, cry out to Him, and live in patient and joyful anticipation that He will answer my prayers and manifest his power and unfold his inexhaustible blessings?

“With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bear with one another in love, 
making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

We heard how almost three thousand years ago the prophet Elisha, moved by the hunger of the people of God, put aside any consideration of his own needs and instructed his servant to give to the people the food that had just been donated to Elisha by a man. Elisha’s servant, however, could only see that the food donation was insufficient for the number of people. He could only see his human point of view; whereas Elisha exhorted his servant to join him and to lift up his eyes to the Lord and know that with God all things are possible.

Years earlier, Elisha’s master the prophet Elijah had done the same when he was fleeing for his life and was sent by the Lord to stay with a poor widow. There was a drought and she had only enough flour and olive oil left to bake enough bread for a single meal for herself and her son. Elijah asked her for some bread and told her not to worry; as long as she gave him her hospitality, the jar of flour and the jug of oil would not run out. That is exactly what happened.

“With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bear with one another in love, 
making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

In Medjugorje, a village in Bosnia-Herzegovina of the former Yugoslavia, during the war in the early 1990’s which broke up the former communist country, food miraculously multiplied when it was given away to the droves of refugees who flocked to the village because there were signs that, by the will of God, it was being protected by Mary, Our Lady of Peace.

So, how do we react in the face of all kinds of trouble that life brings to us day by day? At first, it is only human to be impressed by the trouble, to feel overwhelmed and fearful, and even to feel frustrated or angry. This is what happens to us in the first moments when trouble strikes. As long as we are alive, we will have all kinds of emotions throughout our days and nights.

“With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bear with one another in love, 

making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

After the initial shock of being stopped in our tracks by a particular trouble, it is also very human and quite normal for there to be a lull when the emotions diminish briefly. That is when we can take a step back and examine the situation from a distance; to see the “big picture”. It is during this lull in the storm of emotions that we receive a grace from God to look up to the Eternal Father, tell Him our need, and choose to put all our trust in his Divine Providence.  

According to John in his Gospel, this is what happened when Jesus, like Elisha, was moved by the hunger of the huge crowd of people following and listening to Him. The apostles, like Elisha’s servant, could only see from their human point of view. Jesus then opened their eyes to see how different reality is in the Kingdom of God. They were still on Earth but they saw that what seems impossible to us is possible for God. Our part is to pray and ask, and then to trust and patiently wait in anticipation of the ways in which God will manifest his will.

Our Eternal Father uses all our troubles as opportunities for us to practice putting our trust in Him through Jesus, trusting in God: the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bear with one another in love, 
making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

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

 

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

 

© 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

God continues to replace the shepherds who do not take care of his sheep - 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time - MQP Church in JLW Parish - July 18th, 2021

 Homily MP3 version      Homily PDF version 

“My shepherd is the Lord; nothing indeed shall I want.”

From God’s point of view, we are all his sheep, and He sends shepherds into the world to take care of us. Among these shepherds there are first of all pastors – bishops, priests, and deacons – but there are also doctors, nurses, and all the personnel of the health and social services system. There are also judges, lawyers, notaries, counsellors, and therapists. We can also count those who govern us and all those who serve the population in the public service, including teachers. There are also plenty of entrepreneurs who offer all kinds of services aimed at health and well being.

According to God’s judgement, many of these shepherds are not taking care of those who are entrusted to them with competence, nor with honesty, nor with openness; some even clergy, have abused the innocents. The result: sheep are scattered by poor care; many of them even perish. For his part, God never stops caring for his sheep, and sends other shepherds who will care for his sheep according to the desire of our Creator’s heart.

“My shepherd is the Lord; nothing indeed shall I want.”

We could examine several domains of life where shepherds are not protecting the sheep. We will limit ourselves to examining their management of only three life domains: material goods, human sexuality, and human fertility.

Too many people who have access to material goods and to the resources of the Earth, to wealth, and to power let themselves be swept away by selfish attitudes and passions and then accumulate far more than they need. The first consequence is that plenty of people are deprived of access to even the basic essentials of life for themselves and their families. As well, too many businesses are so obsessed with maximizing their profits that they eliminate jobs and show no concern for ordinary people who need to work in order to provide for their families, to keep a roof over their heads, to clothe themselves, and to maintain good health.

“My shepherd is the Lord; nothing indeed shall I want.”

At every level of society, we see that many people, services, and offices reject the plan of our Creator God for our happiness. They recommend and encourage everyone to ignore God’s plan and instead to engage in all sorts of sexual practices which have nothing to do with a man and a woman together welcoming children and building their family. The indisputable results of all these diverse sexual practices are everywhere evident: infectious diseases, the loss of dignity and joy of living, vanishing concern for others, all kinds of psychological troubles – including depression – and suicide.

“My shepherd is the Lord; nothing indeed shall I want.”

When our Creator created us, He created us man and woman, and He endowed us with our fertility. When we embrace our fertility, it translates into generativity, our capacity to give life. Giving life to others opens us to the wellbeing of others and takes the center of attention off of ourselves. The first result of living for others is interior peace and joy.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of agents, shepherds at all levels of society, who see our fertility not as the blessing intended by God, but on the contrary as a curse, an illness. So, they invented medications to stifle our fertility and extinguish it. The most dramatic and troubling result of this “culture of sterility” is abortion which, in turn, has made us a “culture of death”.

In Québec there are some 23,000 abortions a year or 64 a day. In Canada, it’s 85,000 a year or 233 a day. In the U.S.A. it’s 862,000 a year or 2,400 a day. Worldwide, there are 73 million abortions a year or 200,000 a day. That’s more than Covid-19. The majority of people who offer abortion as a service don’t inform women – who are rarely accompanied by the man – about the disastrous risks from these procedures. Go see for yourselves on YouTube the documentary “Hush” which displays the data accumulated from years of scientific research.

Every woman – especially if she hasn’t had any children yet – who has one or more abortions greatly increases her risk of breast cancer, and of all kinds of psychiatric troubles: depression, sexual dysfunction, inability to carry a pregnancy to term, trouble sleeping, trauma, eating disorders, addictions, and suicide. Society creates a polemic around women’s right to choose, but they use this polemic to camouflage and hide all this crucial information that would allow women to really make a well-informed choice.

When I was a child growing up I remember hearing my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, my parents talk about how they were distressed by priests often preaching "hell and damnation" you know, "You're going to hell!", you know, pointing fingers and pounding the pulpit, you know, it was pretty dramatic, and they were probably a little bit traumatized by that. It could be one reason why many of that older generation no longer go to church. Anyway, when I became a priest 38 years ago, I was so impressed by all of those stories, that I was very reluctant to talk about these things. But I recently watched this documentary... I felt outraged... a lot of people involved in the abortion industry conceal from women the risks! Whenever we go to see a doctor, you know, planning a surgery of some kind, they always tell us the risks, but for this, no. And when women ask: "Are there any risks?", they lie, they say "No, there's no danger, no risk." It's intolerable. I could not keep from saying something about this. So, I'm sorry if anyone finds this upsetting, but the reality often is upsetting.

(Elsewhere I have already reflected on and written that if there are any women at all having an abortion, all too often it is a failure of our manhood, we men; for God designed us human beings male and female for us to make such important decisions together. God never intended for women to have to make such life and death decisions all by themselves, without any loving support. You can see for yourself what I have written here: 

https://fathergilles.blogspot.com/2020/06/abortion-is-failure-of-manhood-more.html

Thankfully for all of us our God is a loving Father, merciful and never gets tired of forgiving; for those who refuse to face the facts, the reality, the truth, eventually they will come face to face with God and they will find Him severe, but loving. For those of us who accept to admit our poverty, we find God tender and compassionate, for He is the Good Shepherd, God: the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“My shepherd is the Lord; nothing indeed shall I want.”

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

 

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

  

© 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

         

God is gentle and merciful and He trusts us so that we might trust in Him - Saturday in 15th Week in Ordinary Time - July 17th, 2021 - MQP Church in JLW Parish

 Gospel & Homily MP3 version 

A few related reflections....

Passing on God's Tenderness and Mercy -  Catherine Doherty, Madonna House Ap

Struggling for Joy - by Catherine Doherty, Madonna House Apostolate 

A Pathway to Peace - by Paulette Curran, Madonna House Apostolate 

Do You Want Fire? - by Fr. David May, Madonna House Apostolate 

Who Is Christ in My Life? - by Catherine Doherty, Madonna House Apostolate

+ + + + + + + + + + + +  

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 Lord invites us to reflect on all the times He has personally touched our lives - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time - LSM sponsored by CAM - July 11th, 2021 - OLF Parish

  Homily MP3 version        

Prayer Exercise #2 – Letting God Show You His Presence and Care throughout Your Whole Life

A good, holy, elderly priest – Fr. Walter Lallemand, a war veteran who as a recovering alcoholic was a man familiar with suffering – in February 1977 gave us young adults a prayer exercise to see our life like that of the people of Israel in the Bible. Like theirs, each journey is a sacred history of God’s grace. This is an invitation to reflect in God’s presence with your memory. Ask God to help you remember – whether you realized it at the time or not – when God was there for you and with you. Sharper memories may present themselves first – times when you were loved and cared for – or moments of pain, illness, discomfort, or sadness. God can impress his Love on us powerfully in times of trial. As this relies on our ability to remember, it is an exercise that you can return to and add onto several times over the years. Each experience we remember becomes a treasure enriching and enlightening our life and relationship with God and others. Each box helps organize thoughts / memories and reflect on them. You can use more paper. May the Holy Trinity reveal to you and bless your sacred history.

God’s Sacred History with Me

(You can print this out as a spiritual exercise and fill in the blanks... use a separate sheet....)

COME HOLY SPIRIT, ENLIGHTEN MY SPIRIT. HELP ME REMEMBER THE GRACES I HAVE RECEIVED. THANK YOU, FATHER, FOR YOUR LOVE, IN JESUS YOUR SON OUR LORD.

AGE / OR YEAR / DATE

WHAT HAPPENED

CORE OF THE MEMORY

HOW I FELT

ROLE ANOTHER PERSON PLAYED

HOW I WAS AFFECTED

HOW GOD WAS / IS WITH ME

HOW I FEEL NOW

WHAT'S NEXT?

Saint Joseph, pray for us. 

 

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

There is no greater joy than to suffer humiliation for the sake of Christ, by speaking of God's love to others - 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time - MQP Church in JLW Parish - July 4th, 2021

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“I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardship, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” “To You, I lift up my eyes, O Lord!”

Brothers and sisters, you are baptized and confirmed. Do you know you are also prophets? The prophet is not a person who foretells the future, no; the true prophet is a person whom God sends to tell the truth: the truth about God, the truth about us, human beings, the truth about the world, and the truth about life here on Earth which then continues into eternity.

Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Jonah, and all the prophets of the Old Covenant had a lot of trouble in trying to declare the Word of God to the people. St. John the Baptist was the last of these great prophets, and according to Jesus, John was the greatest among all the prophets who preceded him. John the Baptist was the greatest because he was closest to Jesus, sent by God to prepare the way for Jesus, Saviour of the world.

We are all prophets in the image of John the Baptist, because like him we are called and sent by God the Father to prepare the way for Jesus in the hearts of the people of our time. It isn’t the eloquence of our words that matters, but the reality of our life of faith. Our Good God doesn’t need our strength or our success; for his divine power, his divine mercy, and his love are more than enough to give life to every person who opens their thought, their heart, and their soul to the advances of our loving Creator God.

“I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardship, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” “To You, I lift up my eyes, O Lord!”

The perfect joy and the great freedom of the Good News is precisely that our Good God is sufficient in Himself to save the whole world. The Holy Trinity – Father, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit – the Holy Trinity suffices in itself to save us. God desires to forgive our faults, to give vigor to our weaknesses, and to make us capable of loving even our enemies; for it is with the participation of us all, his children, that God wants to save the whole world.

Salvation comes from the sacrifice which Jesus made of his whole life from his infancy to the end on the Cross. In complete confidence, Jesus offered his life to the will of his Father. He calls us now to follow Him and to make of our own life the same sacrifice with the same confidence in God the Father by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes God delivers us from distress, but whether we are delivered or not, God needs our confidence in offering Him every day our illnesses, our faults, our sufferings, and even our sins. God uses the offering of our poverty to manifest to all his power and his mercy to save.

“I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardship, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” “To You, I lift up my eyes, O Lord!”

It is difficult to speak of God to others, to share with them why we trust in God, why we love God. The Holy Spirit gives us the strength and the love of Jesus draws us on to do it. It is also for love of our neighbour that we can dare to open our mouth and let the Holy Spirit give us the words. In that moment, maybe people will be glad to hear us talk about God, but maybe not. They may even get angry. That’s the unavoidable risk we take.

Like Jesus, we cannot avoid suffering rejection and maybe even persecution at the hands of those who are closest to us: our own family, our friends, our neighbors, and our colleagues at work or at school. It is a wonderful thing for Christians to suffer opposition, persecution, and humiliation for the glory of God and out of love for our neighbor. Jesus said it Himself: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13

“I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardship, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” “To You, I lift up my eyes, O Lord!”

“God, our Father, fill us anew with your Holy Spirit; that we may trust in You wholeheartedly and from day to day freely choose to live as your children, and to testify before others to your love and your mercy; so that the world may turn to Jesus, our Saviour.”

Brothers and sisters, let us ask every day the help of Mary, Mother of Jesus, Saint Joseph, and all the saints of God – the Father, + the Son, the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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

 

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

 

© 2006-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC

Indigenous people, our neighbors, God... We must take interest in others to develop a relationship with them and love them - 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time - MQP Church in JLW Parish - June 27th, 2021

       Homily MP3 version                                 Homily PDF version      

First, it was the bones of some 215 indigenous children that were uncovered in a common grave at a former residential school for indigenous children. Now others have discovered what may be the bones of another 751 people, probably mostly children but also including adults.

In the face of uncovered tragedy and the suspicion of foul play, investigations will look into the living conditions of the indigenous children who lived, ran away, or died in those residential schools. We need to recall how our ancestors lived in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. I grew up in the 1950’s hearing stories about my grandparents lining up in the 1930’s for “Direct Relief” – in French “Le Secours Direct” – which allowed them to buy basic food staples.

“Jesus said… ‘Do not fear, only believe.’”

During the entire period preceding WWII, there were few if any government assistance programs, and the average family did not eat very well. As children, my parents only received oranges at Christmas. So, it isn’t surprising that the religious who operated the residential schools were unable to give the children what we would consider today a balanced diet.

In the face of this tragedy, it is easy to forget that religious missionaries lived among native and indigenous peoples, learned their languages and cultures, and produced grammars and dictionaries, translating parts of the Bible into those languages and printing them. Before the missionaries, native and indigenous peoples had no written documents. Their cultures were entirely oral traditions. We as a colonizing society need to be patient with the investigations that will follow, and to enter into the dialogue that native and indigenous peoples are already opening up to all of us. They desire truthful and trusting dialogue with us as equals. Shall we?

“Jesus said… ‘Do not fear, only believe.’”

We cannot see others as equals as long as we harbor prejudices and biases that make them less than us. Once I decide to treat others as equals, then I begin to look at them and listen to them differently. I am now free to take interest in them, to try to walk in their shoes for a while, and once I do that, I discover new friends who are interesting and who have a lot to teach us.

Surprisingly, it is much the same with God. As long as we harbor grudges or doubts about God; then it is not possible for us to understand God, much less to love Him. Four generations before Jesus was born, the author of the Book of Wisdom made a strong case for God as loving Creator who designed us to live an abundant life on Earth and to go on living in eternity. When we believe that God is good, then our mind, heart, spirit, and soul open up to God and the Holy Spirit can then empower us to enter into the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. As our interior life enters into communion with God, we become able to see life, the world, and others as God sees, and we are empowered by God to accept to be loved and to love God and others freely.

That is why the Son of God came to Earth to be conceived in Mary’s womb and be born into this world as Jesus. When He was around 30, Jesus began his public ministry, and as we saw in today’s Gospel, Jesus went about meeting people and giving them an opportunity to get to know God as kind and loving. Those who believed in Jesus were blessed in countless ways, and their lives were changed and made completely new.

“Jesus said… ‘Do not fear, only believe.’”

As it is today, some people laughed at Jesus and refused to believe. They preferred to think He was crazy. The Apostles and bearers of the Good News in every time and place have also gotten mixed reactions. Those who believe meet the living God who makes their lives new, but those who disbelieve or mock stay as they are, locked up in their closed minds and hearts.

Native and indigenous peoples in every generation since colonization began have had to endure both kinds of people. They were generally blessed by the kind and selfless missionaries, but they were made to suffer at the hands of entrepreneurs who came along and exploited them. Sadly, not all religious or clergy are saints; some of them are selfish or even mentally unstable, which makes them dangerous. That is why we must be wary, use our brains, and take care.

“Jesus said… ‘Do not fear, only believe.’”

In his letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul calls on the generosity of the early Christians in Greece and Asia Minor, parts of Iraq and Turkey today. In 48 A.D. there was a famine in Judea and Jerusalem, and the Christians in the churches founded by Saint Paul gave generously to rescue their fellow Christians at risk of starving. We continue this charity today as we respond to appeals from Catholic and other Christian organizations that aid people suffering because of famine, war, natural disasters, and other tragedies driving them to become refugees.

“Jesus said… ‘Do not fear, only believe.’”

“Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper! You have turned my mourning into dancing. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.”

Glory be to the Father, and to + the Son, and to the Holy Spirit... Amen.

Let us take a few moments to allow God to renew and deepen our trust in Him.

 

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

 

© 2006-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC

The indigenous children who were buried in secret reveal great contempt for human life; while Jesus shed his blood to make visible God's love - Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ - LSM sponsored by CAM - May 23rd, 2021 - OLF Parish

      Homily MP3 version                                 Homily PDF version      

You satisfy the hungry heart with gift of finest wheat;
come give to us, O saving Lord, the Bread of Life to eat!

The media are saturated with news about the bones of some 215 indigenous children uncovered in a common grave at a former residential school for indigenous children. This media attention stands in sharp contrast with the secrecy in which these children disappeared. Taken from their families, each of these children’s lives obviously had no value in the eyes of their school. This is doubly tragic. 

Our society expects to find more hidden graves elsewhere. This shocking discovery exposes the contempt that indigenous peoples have generally suffered at the hands of our whole society since the time of our first colonists from Europe five centuries ago. All the treaties and agreements made between our governors since the beginning of our colonies with indigenous peoples have generally been violated or ignored. This is an extraordinary injustice.

On his part, our God keeps his covenants. The blood of sacrificial animals was sprinkled on the people to signify the seriousness of the covenant offered by God. If one or other party broke his part of the covenant, then his blood was to be shed. Whenever the people of Israel were unfaithful to the covenant, their blood was indeed shed by the sword of their enemies.

Seeing our incapacity to be faithful, God let the blood of his own Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, be shed on the soldiers’ courtyard, on the way of the cross, and finally on the cross on Calvary. Jesus shed his blood to the very last drop. Jesus’ passion and death made visible the love of God for us, for each and every one of us. The Most Holy Trinity hopes that seeing Jesus on the cross our hard heart will break; then God’s love can penetrate into our heart to heal us and fill us with divine life.

By our Baptism the divine life of the Trinity seeks to replace the evil and selfishness which tends to destroy humanity. By our Confirmation the Holy Spirit strengthens us to dare believe in the love of God and trust in Him. By the Penance and Reconciliation of Confession Jesus erases our sins and renews in us this new life in God. As a mother feeds her baby at her breast, in each Holy Communion Jesus gives us a transfusion of the divine life He has by the love of the Father in the Holy Spirit.

You satisfy the hungry heart with gift of finest wheat;
come give to us, O saving Lord, the Bread of Life to eat!

It is high time for us to no longer treat God with contempt, this God who in Jesus shows Himself to be so sincere, so vulnerable, so merciful, so completely given and so generous. It is up to us to decide every day to make a return of love to God the Holy Trinity in prayer and devotion; while at the same time making courageous and generous efforts day by day to love our neighbor as ourselves, especially those who are most difficult to love.

If we want to be forgiven and to live in peace, we must forgive all those who offend us. God never tires of forgiving us; in our turn, let us not tire of forgiving others their sins and offenses against us.

God, this Most Holy Trinity who created us, who saves us in Jesus, and who sanctifies us in the Holy Spirit, this God who is the source of the fire which makes the stars burn, this God makes himself so discrete towards us, in all tenderness and mercy…. God quietly respects our freedom, all the while hoping that from one moment to the next, from day to day, we will freely choose to live, to behave, and to love as children of God….

You satisfy the hungry heart with gift of finest wheat;
come give to us, O saving Lord, the Bread of Life to eat!

Dear brothers, dear sisters, let us contemplate for a few minutes in silence this Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the Tabernacle and who in a few minutes will once again be present on the Altar in his Body and Blood risen from the dead and alive under the appearance of bread and wine.

Now for 4 minutes in silence we will contemplate and adore the Most Holy Trinity.

You satisfy the hungry heart with gift of finest wheat;
come give to us, O saving Lord, the Bread of Life to eat!

 

  

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

 

 

© 2006-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC