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.
----------------------------------------------------------------
5th Sunday of Easter
VOCATION: Jesus calls us - He calls you to follow Him, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and become a missionary disciple....
Homily MP3 version - PDF version
What are the offerings that we bring to God? What is the meaning of "HOSANNAH!" We acclaim God for his greatness and praise Him, while at the same time calling upon Him to rescue us in our distress.... "HOSANNAH!" MP3 version
“Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you. Alleluia!”
ALL: “Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you. Alleluia!”
Among the early Assembly of disciples of Jesus, “the Greeks complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food.” Life sucks sometimes, and we have good reason to complain. How is your life these days, and for your family? You may very well have reason to complain. The solution devised by the apostles was to have the people select from among themselves men whom they would appoint deacons for the service of food. It was a labour of charity, hospitality, and fraternal service. To this day, our deacons continue this service, which takes many forms in accord with changing needs.
In those early days, there were no church buildings, and the disciples met in homes big enough to accommodate all those who wanted to come to the assemblies. We have church buildings now, but the Church is not the buildings; it is the people who assemble in the name of the Lord. Many of you have been called and have responded to the call to serve. In these ways, you become an instrument in the hands of the Lord for Him to manifest his power to save.
“Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you. Alleluia!”
ALL: “Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you. Alleluia!”
The same Saint Peter, who served as leader of the Twelve Apostles who ordained the first 7 deacons, now calls all of us to serve “like living stones; let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” We are free to choose to become a living stone in the hands of the Lord Jesus. How? Jesus is the corner stone. The architects took great care to carve the corner stone and took all their measurements for the walls from that stone, extending the lines from the very angles of that corner stone. Jesus is our Corner Stone. We look at Him and take our direction, our angles, from Him. We contemplate Jesus: his words, his attitudes, his daily prayer to the Father, his silent time in the peace of his heart, and we follow in his steps and imitate Him.
“Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you. Alleluia!”
ALL: “Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you. Alleluia!”
Jesus’ entire life
was a spiritual sacrifice to his Father, not just his passion and death. At
every moment, Jesus paid attention to his Father and the communion he enjoyed
with Him in his mind, heart, body, and soul. We can also do this. We can learn
to pay attention to God the Father always present to us and who loves us.
Beginning at our Baptism, we began to be filled with the Holy Spirit, the
Divine Breath of the Love between the Father and the Son. Jesus told us that
the Holy Spirit would remind us of all that He said and did, and help us to
understand what is the will of the Father and help us to do it. We can make
every situation, every word we say, and every task we perform, a spiritual
sacrifice agreeable to God the Father.
“Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you. Alleluia!”
ALL: “Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you. Alleluia!”
Our Lord Jesus, our Teacher and Saviour, says also to us, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him…. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” Yes, we are still human, still sinners, still weak, but we are living stones in a living Temple, and God, the Most Holy Trinity, dwells within each of us.
“Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you. Alleluia!”
ALL: “Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you. Alleluia!”
Today, Jesus says to us who are in our world “his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” We are not to allow ourselves to be discouraged by our weakness or faults. Do not let the enemy, the devil – God’s adversary – who is called Satan, the accuser; do not let him discourage you with dark thoughts. When dark thoughts rise within you to discourage you, turn your eyes, ears, and spirit to Jesus; contemplate Jesus, and see in Jesus the Father’s love for all of us, and for you. Say: “O my Jesus, I trust in You!”
“Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you. Alleluia!”
ALL: “Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you. Alleluia!”
“Lord Jesus, we are sinners, we are poor, and we are weak. You, our Good Shepherd, in your great and divine mercy, forgive our sins, repair our defects, heal our wounds, strengthen our weaknesses, and fill us with your Holy Spirit. Send us out and accompany us as we go to the people of our time; help us to share with them the Good News that You rose from the dead; You are the Son of God; You love them and You offer them a new life which will lead them and us into eternal life. Come, Lord Jesus. O my Jesus, I trust in You.”
“Let
your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you. Alleluia!”
ALL: “Let
your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you. 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
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
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
