The Lord Jesus Risen from the dead is worthy of all our trust. - Wednesday in the 2nd Week of Easter, April 27th, 2022 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

2nd 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                                April 27^th, 2^nd Week of Easter 2022

“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 for Jeannine Wong and other deceased family members. 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 3)

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     Gospel & Homily - MP3 version             Homily PDF version 

    HOMILY

This church is so vast that the voices of the assembly are lost in the space and we hardly hear you. I have the advantage of the microphone. 

The ancient Easter greeting that we used at the beginning of Mass shows astonishment at Jesus’ resurrection, which indicates the authenticity of the sentiments and of the greeting. “Christ is risen, alleluia! He is truly risen, alleluia!” It’s amazing, unbelievable, but it’s true. The women were at the tomb Easter morning and they saw him! The Apostles too! We weren’t there, but we believe! Some refuse to believe.

We all just heard Jesus say that He came so that the world might be saved by believing in Him, but that those who don’t believe condemn themselves, and the reason is that they prefer the darkness of their evil deeds and don’t like the light because it exposes them. Well, who does Jesus think He is, anyway? Actually, He doesn’t think, He knows He is the Son of God.

The real question is “Who do we think we are?” Now, in all I’m about to say, I include myself; so, please, don't take it personally, or don’t get all upset; actually, we should take these words personally. So, please consider carefully my remarks, because time is short. We have no time to waste. Today may be our last day on Earth, or yours; so, we must be ready. Our insecurities and fears cause us to judge everyone and harden our hearts. That’s not good.

We’re an arrogant bunch, when you really look at it, we human beings. God the Most Holy Trinity lives in perfect harmony of love from all eternity. We live only a few years, and without even trying our mind won’t stop making judgements all day long on everyone and everything we see, hear, think, and feel, even God. We even judge God; especially when He does what we don't want or don't like, or doesn't do what we want. 

St. Teresa of Avila said that when we don’t like God’s gifts, we’re likely to throw them back in his face; ready cash is all we want, she said. Well, we’ve all been infected by a virus far worse than SARS-CoV-2 which causes Covid-19. The sin of our origins, the original sin, causes our insecurity and fear, driving every evil, like what’s happening in Ukraine, and 24 other places in the world, and in all other conflicts in human history. 

If we're ever going to become the missionary disciples Jesus desires, to help Him bring God's mercy to others in the world; if we're ever going to become as Jesus desires us to be, we need to trust Him completely. Jesus calls us to trust Him, to allow our hearts to be broken by the suffering of others, as well as our own, and do all we can to alleviate the plight of others. The Father calls us to contemplate Jesus in his agony and allow Him, the sight of Him, to break our hard hearts so we can be grateful for all that He does for us.

 “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 might love in word and deed like Jesus your Son, Mary our Mother, 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

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

Dedication of the Cathedral - Jesus asks us not to judge but affirm the good in others. - Wednesday in the 28th Week in Ordinary Time, October 13th, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

Gospel & Homily MP3 version             Homily PDF version

Good Morning. There is no sponsor today for this Holy Mass; so I offer it for your intentions and for Maureen Marolly, her husband Clayton, and their family; as well as for all those who rely on my prayers.

Sign of the + Cross                

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…. Brothers and Sisters, today, as we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, we give thanks to God for the dedication of this cathedral dedicated to Mary Queen of the World.  

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

LIVE HOMILY

        I have prepared a homily but I believe the Lord would like me to share something a little different. The Lord today is quite forceful in his word to us, and it's about judging. Like it or not, even myself I realize that, without intending to do so, we can easily judge others by the way we look at them, by our tone of voice, and sometimes by what we actually say and do.

        The problem is that we are incompetent to judge. We do not have the competence to judge anyone. That is because we cannot see clearly through the filter of our own personality, our own preferences, inclinations, our opinions, and our faults and sins. Only God is competent to judge anyone. Only God can judge truly, justly, fully, and mercifully. So, what are we to do?

        Two things quite simply. First, we must never be tired of noticing our own faults and coming to the Lord humbly to admit our faults, confess them, confess our sins, ask the Lord for his forgiveness, every day, until the end of our days on this Earth. That's the first thing.

        The second things is to not tire looking for the good in other people. Sometimes it takes an effort to find the good in others, and then not only to find it or notice it but then to affirm them, to build them up. We have no idea how a simple kind word can lift someone up out of a terrible darkness. We are responsible to do this for one another.

        So, firstly, never to tire confessing our own sins, seeking the Lord's forgiveness, and secondly, to look for good in one another and to build one another up. These two practices will safeguard us from judging others and allow us to continue to walk in the mercy of the Lord. In the name of the Father, and of + the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

PREPARED HOMILY

Brothers and sisters, do you realize that we have two sets of eyes? Our physical eyes look out into the world and see many things, while also missing many things. Our interior eyes, the eyes of our mind, heart, and spirit, look inside us and there they see many things, while also missing many things. As our interior eyes look inward into ourselves, it is according to what they see, that our mind, heart, and spirit interpret what our physical eyes see of the world.

Today, both Saint Paul in writing to the Romans and Jesus in addressing the pharisees and lawyers, also address us. The Lord calls on us to stop and we aware of what our interior eyes see of all that we are inside, and all that we carry within ourselves.

It is so important for us to be aware of what we are and what we carry within ourselves, because if we do not see inside ourselves, or if seeing, we refuse to admit what it is that we see in ourselves; then we are blind and the most unfortunate among men. Those who do not see themselves on the inside are blind that can only see outside of themselves; as a result, they tend to judge others by focusing only on their faults and overlooking any good that is in others.

The Son of God came down to Earth from Heaven to give sight to the blind and to forgive sinners. Jesus offers to restore our humanity, but we must first admit that we need Him. 

It is hard for me to admit this to you, both to you who know me and to you who don’t, but I must confess that in the Autumn of my life I am beginning to realize, by the grace of God, that I too am like the Pharisees and the lawyers Jesus convicted of blindness and hardness of heart.

In my own family as well as with others, I have been inclined to think better of those who go to church and show signs of following Jesus with a faith that is more obviously Christian and Catholic. In my mind and in my speech, I have openly declared that God loves everyone without prejudice or condition, whether or not people have faith or go to church. In my heart, though, I’ve been secretly on the lookout for people to go to church and manifest a Catholic Christian faith. While I’m busy doing that, I’m not giving thanks to God for the good in people.

The bottom line is that we will all be judged not on religious practice, but whether or not we showed compassion and gave assistance to people in their need. The quality of our life relates directly to the quality of our practical compassion. So, at my next Confession in front of the priest, I will confess this to Jesus, face to face. Some of you may want to do the same.

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.

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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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