God patiently waits for us to open our minds, hearts, and spirits to Him and to our neighbour. - Wednesday in the 6th Week of Easter, May 25th, 2022 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

6th Week of Easter

VOCATION: Jesus calls us - He calls you to follow Him, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and become a missionary disciple....

Sign of the + Cross

“Christ is risen, alleluia!” The ancient response is “He is truly risen, alleluia!”

Good morning. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ….

This Mass is offered (by)                                                           (for)

We stand in solidarity with all who suffer for countless reasons all over the world.

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

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  Gospel & Homily - MP3 version             Homily PDF version 

HOMILY

Saint Paul’s short sermon to the Athenians is a wonderfully clear and concise teaching about the history of God’s work of creation and salvation and perhaps the best summary that we can find. God created all that exists in the universe and He gives life and breath to all living things, including us. The world is the place God has given us to live out our lives, and He has given us the freedom with which to search for Him. God offers us his love and friendship.

Human beings in all human cultures and nations are inclined to make images and statues to try to make visible our Creator, but these are mostly fictitious images made according to our own imaginations. God did not leave humanity in ignorance but made men and women prophets to perceive his will and to give their testimony to the rest of society. In the fullness of time, God’s own divine Son took human flesh in the womb of Mary, his Mother, and He made visible in Himself the goodness, love, and mercy of his Eternal Father. Because Jesus was so good, we could not endure Him; so, we killed Him, but the Father raised him up from the dead.

We will all meet our Creator God, our Lord and Saviour, face to face at the end of our lives. In that moment, we will see our whole lives replayed before our eyes, and we will finally know the whole truth about ourselves, about others, and about God. If, during this life on Earth, we have treated God with doubt, suspicion, or contempt; then, that moment of truth will feel like a harsh judgement, but it will be our own fault. On the other hand, if we approach God humbly and with docility and trust; then, that encounter will be a moment of great joy and consolation.

The ways of the Lord are made wonderfully manifest in this episode with Saint Paul. We see how some people scoffed – ridiculing the apostle – while others wanted to hear more. They were docile to the Holy Spirit who began to enlighten their minds, hearts, and spirits.

 “O my Jesus, I trust in You. Immaculate Mother Mary, pray for us. St. Joseph, pray for us. We give praise to You, O God, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

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Prayer after Communion                                    Closing

“Lord, may all that we suffer break open our hard hearts; then, fill us with your Holy Spirit, so that we may learn to obey and love like Jesus your Son, Mary and Joseph, and all the saints.

Mother Mary, pray for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us.   

“Christ is risen, alleluia!” “He is truly risen, alleluia!”           Blessing and Dismissal

 

https://frgilleshomilies.blogspot.com

 

© 2006-2022 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC
© 2006-2022 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC

In Lent God offers to let our hearts be broken; so that his Love may enter into us, and then also go out from us to others. - Ash Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

 Sign of the + Cross                 Ash Wednesday

Day of Prayer & Fasting for Peace in Ukraine

Good Morning. Today's Mass is offered by Mary and Des Cunningham for the deliverance of Ukraine and the conversion of the heart of Vladimir Putin and his associates.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…. As we look out into our world, we see a lot of angry people, much yelling and running around. It’s a wonderful experience to be passionate about loving God and others, but it’s a terrible thing to be a slave of any of the human passions.

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    Gospel & Homily - MP3 version             Homily PDF version 

HOMILY

We are part of this world. We cannot help but be sad these days, as we witness the Bear harassing the Lamb in Eastern Europe, but we know that when Jesus visits; the bear will lie down with the lamb. Jesus loves us and enables us, when there are enemies, for them to become friends.

Brothers and sisters, have you ever suffered from heartbreak? I hope so; our lives are not truly full until we have experienced something like that. Today, as we enter into Lent, the Lord is offering us precisely the grace of a broken heart. We’re not talking about a little selfish heart that is pained because it isn’t getting what it wants. No. We’re talking about a heart courageous enough to love others and to go out and care for others, and in this process of going out is rejected and wounded by the rejection. Jesus wept over ancient Jerusalem because He who is Love in Person offered Himself to his people, but they rejected Him, they rejected God’s Love. The suffering of Jesus is Love unable to give itself to those who are unwilling to receive.

You’ve heard the expression “It is better to have loved and lost; than not to have loved at all.” To enable us to love more fully, God is offering to break all the self-absorption and self-preoccupation which are part of the human condition unfortunately, but which form a hard crust over our hearts, preventing us from feeling sympathy with the sufferings of others, causing us to turn away and not look, not see, not hear; preventing us from reaching out with words, gestures, and actions of love, of compassion and caring. Lent is a great gift from God every year to his people and the Christian spiritual practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving have great value and effect, not only in those who practice them, but also for all those around them; to the degree that these practices come from our deepest heart, out of a genuine desire to leave selfishness behind, to love God by going out to love our neighbour and even our enemy; to be willing to be disturbed, to receive others with a hospitable heart.

How many of us truly listen to others? When we are seated at table, if there’s never a moment of silence, however joyful the meal and the company may seem to be, if there’s never a moment of silence, is there really listening or is it just an avalanche and a tumble of words falling over one another? It’s not just hearing them, but letting their words and all that is hidden behind those words to enter into us, to move us, to disturb us profoundly, and to let all those meanings become part of us and have a real effect on how we carry ourselves in the company of those people, how we look at others and how we behave towards others. A heart deeply listening to others will necessarily be broken so that love can come in and go out.

The mystery of our human existence, brothers and sisters, is that our heart, the human heart, has a set of gates, you know, big gates, one set of gates. Now, when we shut the gates against the possibility of being hurt, the gates are closed; no love can come in, no love can go out; no forgiveness can go out, no forgiveness can come in. There’s nothing more tragic than a human heart with the gates closed and shuttered. 

So, Lent is an occasion for us to put our trust elsewhere than in ourselves, to put our trust in God. Have you noticed in the Scriptures today that there’s a lot about God listening to us; there’s a lot about God taking powerful action in the world, but whenever we ask the question “What is God doing? Why isn’t God doing something about it?” It’s often because we’re pushing God out of the way. We’re throwing ourselves into the heart of the action, trying to take over, trying to fix it, trying to resolve it, trying to impose our will on others, and God waits for us to be finished with all of this busyness because God cannot really bring about his reign, cannot really give life, cannot really bring peace until we are willing to stop and become willing to receive what it is that God wants to give. 

“Father, may your Holy Spirit break open our hardened hearts so we can love like Jesus by accepting first to receive his love.”  “O my Jesus, I trust in You. Mother Mary, pray for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us. Lord have mercy on your children in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. We give praise to You, O God, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

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Prayer after Communion                                    Announcement 

Our God uses this Live Daily Mass to welcome all who seek Him, in this Cathedral and via TV or the Internet. Please support us with your prayer, Mass intentions, and donations.

Salt + Light Media and Mary Queen of the World are especially in need of generous sponsors. 

Mother Mary, pray for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us.    Blessing and Dismissal

 

https://frgilleshomilies.blogspot.com

 

© 2006-2022 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC
© 2006-2022 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC

God asks us not to harshly judge those in high places but to mercifully pray for them daily. - Wednesday in the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time, November 10th, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

 Gospel & Homily MP3 version             Homily PDF version

(Unfortunately, there is no sponsor today for this Holy Mass.)

Sign of the + Cross                

Good Morning. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…. Brothers and Sisters, today we remember Pope Saint Leo the Great, who with Mary Queen of the World, and Saint Joseph, calls on us to pray daily for all the people in high places who are responsible for much of humanity.

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 

Please support this Live Daily Mass through your daily prayers, Mass intentions, and donations to the Cathedral and to Salt + Light Media. We are especially in need of generous sponsors. 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.              Blessing and Dismissal

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(Anticipating Remembrance Day - November 11th, 2021)

HOMILY

“Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth.” This is the refrain for today’s Psalm. It is a prayer and a sentiment that I believe many of us may find already echoing in our own heart in the face of the great misery we observe all over this planet today. It is easy to understand how we might come to feel this way about the powerful and the wealthy of this world and all those who govern us at the many levels of government in all the nations of the Earth.

We know, and Pope Francis tirelessly declares it for all of humanity to hear, that money alone rules the Earth, but it should not. Governments and commercial interests of all types are fully committed to seeking endless growth in profits and wealth. Human peace and harmony mean nothing to the arms producers and traders. Land, labor, and lodging for families to live and thrive mean nothing to wealthy and powerful landowners. Human dignity, freedom, and the common good mean nothing to the commercial lobbies that pressure politicians or to the forces of law and order which keep the wealthy and powerful secure and often take their part.

However, Jesus did not criticize the rich and powerful out of hate, but because God loves them, because they are also children of God. It would be a mistake for us to condemn those in high places. It is enough for us to know that they, like us, will be judged by God, and that those in high places will be judged severely because of the common good entrusted to their care.

The nine lepers who did not have grateful hearts may have been cured of their leprosy, but they were not made well. Only the Samaritan leper, who noticed he was healed, was grateful, and came back to prostrate himself before Jesus and thank Him. His faith opened his soul to God in gratitude, and it is this transformation of his spirit that made him well.

If all we do about the world’s troubles is gripe about the rich, the powerful, and all those in government; then we are no better than the 9 lepers who felt no gratitude towards Jesus. God is calling us to have understanding, pity, compassion, and mercy for all those in high places. They need our daily prayer to help them accept the light of wisdom shining on the face of Jesus. We will more easily pray for them if we begin every day by thanking God for our life and his love.

Father in Heaven, thank You for our life. Have mercy on all those in high places, those in government, business, and private enterprise. They are all prisoners of fear, fear of losing ground to competition, fear of failure, fear of not getting re-elected, and countless other fears. Have mercy on them and let your light of wisdom break through the dark and cold places in their souls. “O my Jesus, I trust in You. Mother Mary, pray for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us.

We give praise to You, O God, 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

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, the true King of Peace, offers us lasting peace in the Father's love, in the Holy Spirit - Wed. Jan. 20, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

Annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Sign of the +                      Greeting                                  

Hello. I’m Father Gilles Surprenant, priest of Montreal and Madonna House Associate. We are in the Annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. God loves all humanity and takes passionate interest in how we live our lives in time. Our Father offers us unlimited time in heaven, but our Earth time is limited and every moment is precious. Television air time for this Live Daily Mass is of value in itself, as well as being very expensive to produce; so, we at Salt + Light & Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in downtown Montreal greatly appreciate your support by way of your prayers and donations. (Intention) Thank you.

Penitential Rite         God called Abraham as Patriarch of his chosen people. Melchizedek was King of Salem, later called Jerusalem, God’s chosen city. The inheritance of Abraham and the peace of Jerusalem both have their origin in God. Jesus is God’s peace for humanity. Today God offers us forgiveness and reconciliation to restore his peace in us. Brothers and sisters let us acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.  

  The homily given without the notes - MP3 file       

So, today the Lord is speaking to us about peace. Melchizedek was called the king of peace, and Abraham was a man of peace. The pagan kings of Canaan rose up against one another and made war, and some of them carried off Abraham's nephew Lot into captivity. Abraham found out about it and raised up his own men and went out and defeated those kings and rescued his nephew Lot. 

On his return the mysterious King Melchizedek, of whom nothing was known about his parents or ancestors, came out with bread and wine to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God Most High on behalf of Abraham and declared that God Most High had blessed Abraham.

The peace we long for is often disturbed - certainly during this time of pandemic after ten months or so - it is sometimes difficult to find our peace. We can also lose our peace in the way that the Pharisees did, through hardness of heart. In spite of ourselves at times our heart could be hardened, when we are in the presence perhaps of homeless people, because of their distressing appearance or smell even. Or at times it may be others in whose presence we find ourselves frustrated, and there may be times when others embarrass us in front of others.

So many situations in which we would much prefer to be a better version of ourselves, but unfortunately we find ourselves succumbing to our human weakness. The Lord is distressed whenever we experience this hardness of heart; as He was with the Pharisees. And God isn't angry at us, God is sorry, God regrets our suffering, our captivity, and desires our freedom; so that we may live a life more abundantly as his children, and be able to realize how abundantly we have been blessed by God, and to allow this abundance of his love and his life to flow out to others. 

So this is the reason Jesus gives us the opportunity to be reconciled with Him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, of Penance, of the Holy Confession. It is also why Jesus pours Himself out to us in the Holy Eucharist. Although right now you are unable to physically receive Holy Communion; this is not an obstacle for the Creator of the Universe, for the Eternal Word, the Son of God, Jesus. And so, the only obstacle, if obstacle there be, would be with us: our fear, our inability to trust, our unwillingness to open ourselves. But there is no point in putting up obstacles, because as far as God is concerned, we are completely transparent, and God sees and knows everything that we are. 

And so, as we go to the Altar now, let us do that; let us cooperate with the Holy Spirit and open wide the gates of our spirit; in order to accommodate, to welcome the King of Peace. 

Announcement 

Salt + Light Media and Mary Queen of the World Cathedral together produce and air this Live Daily Mass. It would take over $1,000.00 to cover their costs fully for each Live Daily Mass; so, the startup amount currently set to air your Mass intentions is a discount. As we develop this Live Daily Mass which began in October we are glad to receive your daily prayers to support this worthy project. You may send your donations and Mass intentions for the Cathedral to Salt + Light Media. Thank you. To contact me simply send an email to fathergilles@gmail.com 

Blessing and Dismissal  

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Prepared homily PDF file 

Whenever we listen to the Word of God or read the Word of God in the Bible; the God who spoke thousands of years ago speaks again today, and He speaks to you, He speaks to me, and He speaks to all who are willing to listen to Him. When God speaks a word, that word is always the eternal Word, his only begotten Son, who has been with the Father from all eternity. Every single word spoken by God is full of life just waiting to burst forth within those who believe.

Today, God speaks to us of peace. Abraham’s peace was disturbed by the pagan kings of Canaan, forcing him to defend his people and go out to rescue his nephew Lot. Abraham was on a journey of faith to do the will of God; so, God defended him against his enemies. King Melchizedek of Salem came out with bread and wine to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise to God Most High in Abraham’s name and to say that God Most High blessed Abraham.

Melchizedek is king of peace, and he helped Abraham, the man of peace, to give thanks and praise to God. He did this in a land where all the peoples worshipped pagan gods. Melchizedek stood out, being a priest of God Most High, and at the same time king of peace in a troubled and violent land. He was also a mysterious figure with no apparent genealogy. It was as if God sent him from heaven or as if the Son of God came to Earth 1,800 years before his incarnation in Mary’s womb. The Letter to the Hebrews quotes God’s prophetic word to Jesus: “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” So, Melchizedek was sent by God.

Jesus is the true Melchizedek, the true King of Peace, but He has trouble finding peace in the synagogue. We could be tempted to judge and condemn the Pharisees for their hardness of heart towards the man with the withered hand. It might be helpful for us to stop and consider for a moment the situations in which we have been uncomfortable with someone in trouble. It may have been homeless people who bothered us because of how they looked or smelled, or it may have been someone close to us who is bothering us in some way, or it may be someone who asks us for help at a very inconvenient time, or someone who embarrasses us in front of others.

On our own, it is very difficult if not impossible for us to avoid hardening our hearts against others. Only God can renew our heart from moment to moment in order to keep our heart soft, tender, loving, forgiving, caring and compassionate. This is why Jesus offers us opportunities to go to Confession and be Reconciled to Him and to our Father in heaven. This is also why every day Jesus offers us his own life, his Body and Blood, in order to divinize us with a transfusion of the divine life of love that He has with his Father and the Holy Spirit. 

At every moment and in every place the Holy Spirit is right here within us to prompt us to open our hearts to other Christians all over the world and worship Jesus with united hearts as our Savior; Jesus who says to all who believe in Him that we are unconditionally and personally loved by God: 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