Like John the Baptist, God is with us to prepare the way for Jesus to touch other people's lives through us. - Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, June 24th, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

 Gospel & Homily MP3 version                     Homily PDF version        

Sign of the + Cross            The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

(no sponsor today Good Morning. Today this Holy Mass is being offered for:       by: )

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…. Brothers and Sisters, it’s always a privilege and a pleasure for us to celebrate the Holy Eucharist in this wonderful church, and especially today, when we celebrate the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist; who is truly an image for all of us of our own vocation to prepare the way for the Lord.

Penitential Rite         Brothers and sisters let us acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.  (Formula 1)

 

HOMILY

 

Brothers and sisters, this solemn feast is important for those of us who live in Québec. It is a patronal feast, and for a long time the people of Québec saw John the Baptist as an icon or image or symbol of our own vocation. This continues to be true for all Christians. In a sense we are all blessed by God – God is with us from the moment of our conception – all through our growing up years God is attending to us, caring for us, loving us, and yet leaving us free.

This is part of the great gift God has given to us, not only that we are a unique individual, blessed with life, but in addition; that we have free will. This means that we often feel transparent, naked, alone, abandoned…. It is not a curse; it is the great dignity of the gift given to us of our individual life. Not only is John the Baptist a recollection or remembrance of who we are called to be, to walk this Earth preparing the way of the Lord, to touch other lives, but in addition, Jesus Himself is an icon of the great gift given to us.

Through our Baptism we are all sons and daughters of God. That means that God Himself in his great power is ever ready to work through us, within us and through us, to bless other people; even to make miracles. If only we take the focus of our attention off of ourselves, and cease being obsessed with ourselves and overly self-conscious, and walk as Mary, Joseph, and all the saints did: our eyes totally focused towards the Lord and giving Him all our trust and faith.

O my Jesus, I trust in You.

 Saint John the Baptist, pray for us.

 In the Name of the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.  

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Prayer after Communion                                    Announcement

 

I originally wanted to be ordained on this day, but of course it’s too busy a day for the Archbishop; so, I was ordained a week later 38 years ago (on July 2^nd).

 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.              Blessing and Dismissal

 

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 fulfills the covenant God made with Abram by accepting to die for our infidelities. - Wednesday in the 12th Week of Ordinary Time, June 23rd, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

     Homily MP3 version                     Homily PDF version        

Sign of the + Cross                        

        Good Morning. Today this Holy Mass is being offered for:                   by:               

Thank you for your support. We are reminded today that rather than punish us for our sin and infidelities, Jesus has volunteered to stand in our place and endure the punishment we deserve. During this Live Daily Mass, we offer to God our personal intentions, those of his Church, and the intentions of all of humanity. We especially pray for all native and indigenous peoples.

Penitential Rite         Brothers and sisters let us acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.  (Formula 1)

 Prayer after Communion                                    Announcement 

We thank you for supporting this Live Daily Mass through your daily prayers, Mass intentions, and donations to the Cathedral and to Salt + Light Media. 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.              Blessing and Dismissal

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HOMILY

Our God is strange… a better word is mysterious. Our Creator God is very mysterious. His ways are not our ways. We can come to know his ways, but it is likely that we will never quite fully understand the ways of the Lord. Still, we can know his ways enough to do his will. It was the very same situation with the patriarch Abram whom the Lord called to leave his home at Ur of the Chaldees in what is today Iraq in order to lead him to the land He promised him.

Talk about strange! What do you make of the strange ritual God told Abram to do by killing and cutting in two a heifer, a goat, and a ram, along with a turtle dove and young pigeon? Well, I wouldn’t know either if I had not learned about it in the Seminary.

You see, at that time and in those lands and cultures, their societies were divided into two parts, much like it is today, only then it was much clearer. The world was ruled by those who were rich and powerful, and the rest of the population was governed by these rulers. Now, when someone wanted a special favor or position or loan from a ruler, the ruler would require them to go through this ritual, but not the way God did it with Abram.

In such a ritual, the ruler makes a contract by making the person walk in between the pieces and say “In return for the favor I seek from you, I will give you obedience, loyalty, and the tax. If I fail to keep my part of the agreement, you will do to me as you did to these animals.” This is how infidelity on the part of the poor was punishable by death; by being cut in two.

So, you see how different are the Lord and his ways from the ways of this world? God made covenant with Abram by taking Abram’s place in the ritual promise punishable by death; God in the fire took Abram’s place and passed between the two parts of the animals cut in two. In the covenant God made with Abram, the Lord made the deadly promise, not Abram: “If either of us breaks our covenant, I your God will suffer death and be cut off and separated from life.”

The end result of all our infidelities and disobedience to God, from the time of Abram until the time of Moses, the judges, the prophets, and the kings of Israel, down through the centuries until the coming into the world of the Son of God and beyond Him to our day and beyond us to the end of time; the end result of all of humanity’s sinful contempt for God is that Jesus, the Son of God, the son of Mary, accepted to suffer the punishment of death and was cut off from life. Lord Jesus, teach us to be grateful for your sacrifice to pay for our collective and personal sins.

Lord Jesus, grant us eternal life by giving us the grace to know and love You and the Father in Heaven, and fill us with your Holy Spirit who gives us to understand your ways, Jesus, only-begotten Son of the Father, our Lord on Earth and in Heaven; may You welcome us into your eternal home with the Father and the Holy Spirit and all the saints at the end of our lives.  

In the Name of the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.  

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

As disciples of Jesus we are to do everything for love of God and our neighbor, not for personal gain. - Wednesday in the 11th Week of Ordinary Time, June 16th, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

    Gospel & Homily MP3 version                     Homily PDF version        

Sign of the + Cross                        

    Good Morning. There is no sponsor for this Mass today. 

Thank you for your support. The Lord reminds us that He loves a cheerful giver. The more we are generous to the poor, those in need, and for his works of mercy, the more the Lord will provide so we can continue being generous. During this Live Daily Mass, we offer to the Father our personal intentions and those of his Church.

Penitential Rite         Brothers and sisters let us acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.  (Formula 1) 

HOMILY

There are some who misunderstand the Word of the Lord to say that if we follow the rules and commandments; God will bless us with prosperity and success. If uncertain of what the Word of God means, we need only look to the example of Jesus to see the will of God in action.

Jesus did not have any money at all. He entrusted the common purse for Himself and his disciples to Judas. Unfortunately, Judas was weak and helped himself to some of that money. With regard to that common purse, Jesus gave the priority to helping the poor and others in need. As for Himself and his Apostles, they were really like mendicants, which means that they begged or relied on the generosity of the people they served to share with them food and lodging. They often slept under the stars and got water from public wells and streams.

We are not all called to live as beggars, like many religious women and men who belong to communities that rely on the generosity of the people they serve. However, what is abundantly clear is that our Creator God has filled Planet Earth – on land, sea, and in the air – with great abundance of life, food, and resources. There is no doubt that our Creator God intends for all these resources to be there for everyone to enjoy equally. Sadly, because of the original sin, fear and insecurity, and greed, far too many human beings set out to acquire far more than they need to live simply, in security, peace, health, and comfort.

Jesus makes it abundantly clear that whatever we do – whenever we give alms to assist the poor, whenever we pray, and whenever we fast; we should do it for God’s eyes alone. When we do good things our of authentic, heartfelt love for God and for our neighbors, and even for our enemies and those who are especially difficult to love; then we can be certain that our works of love and mercy will benefit both those who receive our care and also ourselves. Our spirit, our whole person becomes more like God when we live as children of God.

Whenever we take care to keep our almsgiving, prayer, and fasting secret; then we avoid the praise, admiration, and congratulations of others, and our true reward is the gratitude of those who are helped and the love and approval of Almighty God, the Most Holy Trinity.

(Spontaneous departure from my prepared text)

You notice this morning that I have a kind of  weakness in my voice; well, we all have strengths and weaknesses, and it causes me to think that there may be men out there the Lord is calling to the priesthood but who are resisting, and whenever we resist, it is because we focus too much on ourselves and we don't accept the grace of the fear of the Lord; which means to put our trust and confidence in God alone. 

(Added comment: "Looking back on my whole life of 72 years, and in particular on the almost 38 years of life and service to the Lord and his people as one of Jesus' many priests; my overwhelming thought and feeling is: 

"What a wonderful life and path! It is truly awesome to be entrusted by the Holy Spirit with glimpses into the minds, hearts, souls, and lives of other human beings whenever they open themselves to Jesus in the confidential moment and encounter with the Lord Jesus in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, in Confession. 

"How awesome and beyond understanding to know that Jesus Himself entrusts me with his own authority to say again his own words at the Last Supper; that He may once again be truly present in his risen flesh in the Bread and Wine of the Holy Eucharist and give Himself once again for food to eternal life to all who come to Him today. 

"As a mother gives of herself as food to her infant at her breast; so too does Jesus give a transfusion of his divine life to all who receive Him in Holy Communion. The wonders of such an intimate sharing in the life, mystery, and priesthood of the Lord Jesus is beyond words to tell. How could any man whom the Lord is calling not want to put his trust in the Lord Jesus, in the Most Holy Trinity, and respond to the call deep in his heart and soul as the prophet Isaiah: "Here I am, Lord!"

"Be not afraid, O little man, and take the spotlight of attention and worry off of  your poor self, and rather turn the spotlight of your attention onto the Lord Jesus, who remains for eternity to be seen in his pitiful passion, haning on the Cross; yet glorious at this very moment at the right hand of his Father in Heaven. He alone in the universe has the power of God to give life where He will in union with his Father and the Holy Spirit. Since He has power to create the universe and keep it in existence, and demonstrated his power by calming the storm on the sea and in so many other wonderful works; so too can He make of you one of his poor, humble, and blessed priests. 

"O my Jesus, I trust in You." )

Father in Heaven, fill us with your Holy Spirit and make us more and more like Jesus, your only-begotten Son, our Lord here on Earth; so that You may be pleased to welcome us into your eternal home at the end of our lives.  

In the Name of the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

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Prayer after Communion                                    Announcement 

We thank you for supporting this Live Daily Mass through your daily prayers, Mass intentions, and donations to the Cathedral and to Salt + Light Media.

Saint Joseph, pray for us.              Blessing and Dismissal

 

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