Jesus meets us personally as we open the Bible and ponder the Word of God - Oct 28, 2020 - S+L Mass at MQW Cathedral

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GOOD DAY!

Hello. I’m Father Gilles Surprenant. Welcome to your daily Mass from Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in downtown Montreal which is offered today for Sheila Keating & Sheldon McCormack & Family, Flora Rizzo & Martyn Reed & Family, and for Maureen & Clayton Marolly & family. Daily Mass live on Salt + Light is made possible by contributions to Salt + Light Media. Thank you for your support.             Sign of the +

HOMILY

Brothers and sisters, we are blessed at this Daily Televised Mass with a variety of Lectors, Cantors, and over a dozen Priests. We come together because we love Jesus or may simply be curious about Jesus. What sort of connection do you have with God, and with the living Word He speaks to us at Mass?

Today we give thanks to God for the Apostles Simon and Jude who like all the Apostles gave their lives against persecutions to give witness to Jesus as Son of God and Lord. They did it because they knew Jesus personally. They had heard the Word of God in person and knew He loved them; they wanted to help others to meet Him.

Before the Bible was first printed in Latin in 1453, no one could afford a copy of even one of the many books in the Bible. Today we are the richest people in human history because we can afford to have many different editions of the complete Bible.

Jesus wants to meet every human being and to introduce us to his Father. Jesus is risen and with his Father in eternity, but He continues to be present and speak to us, especially through the Bible. Whenever God speaks in the Bible, it is always the Son of God, the eternal Word of God. As we ponder the Word of God as Mary did; we are meeting Jesus, eternal Son of God, and He reveals his Father to us.

Perhaps you have already begun to read and pray with the Word of God. If not, like many Catholic Christians, you may feel unworthy or unqualified to read the Word of God. My parents gave me a Bible for my 16^th birthday and let me go shop for it myself. Before we could move into our farmhouse we spent the summer in an empty red little one-room school house.

I sat outside and began reading the Bible from the beginning and found some books difficult or strange. There are different kinds of books in the Bible: legal, historical, prophetic, literary, prayers, spiritual, catechetical, and apocalyptic. I got to the end with the Revelation of John

As I read, I felt like I was sitting in the presence of God, as if He was pleased at my taking interest in his living Word. Often I felt the Lord speaking to me personally, penetrating into my mind, heart, soul, and body. It was truly an awesome experience; yet it felt quite normal.

Inside the front cover there were two prayers to the Holy Spirit: one before reading and the other after reading the Word of God. The Holy Spirit faithfully answered those simple prayers.

You could get coaching in your reading, study, and praying with the Word of God. Just approach your parish priest, or a retreat center, or your local Bible store. If you send me an email I will be glad to send you a few tips and a list of good Catholic Bibles with an explanation of why there are Catholic and Protestant Bibles. My address is fathergilles@gmail.com

Jesus is the living Word of God. You can meet Him personally by opening your Bible.

As Fr. Mike Leclerc said in his homily yesterday, we are members of Christ not only for ourselves, but to help others come to know God: the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 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