Though we turn our backs to the Lord, Jesus calls us to put all our trust in Him. - Wednesday in the 12th Week in Ordinary Time, June 22nd, 2022 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

12th Week in Ordinary Time 

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

 Gospel & Homily - MP3 version  

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© 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

We are called to synodality - openness with God, with others, and ourselves. - Wednesday in the 11th Week in Ordinary Time, June 15th, 2022 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

11th Week in Ordinary Time 

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

 Gospel & Homily - MP3 version  

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This televised Daily Live TV Mass needs more support, more sponsors.

 

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© 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

At every moment, especially when facing adversity, Jesus calls us to trust in Him - Wednesday in the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time & Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 19th, 2022 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

  Gospel & Homily - MP3 version             Homily PDF version 

HOMILY

We saw yesterday how God instructed the Prophet Samuel to anoint the young shepherd, David. When he poured the holy oil on David’s head, “the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.” We can see how the Spirit of the Lord makes the weak strong. King Saul doubts that the boy could possibly take on the giant soldier Goliath, but the Spirit of the Lord strengthens David’s natural abilities and dispels whatever fear he may have.

This is how God works in us. The Lord is pleased with who we are, and He blesses what He has already given to us. God enhances who we are, and with our attitude of trust, He makes a partnership with us to perfect our human weakness with his mighty power as God.

In a similar way, the Holy Spirit came to the aid of Jesus in his human weakness. Rather than be put off by the skepticism and opposition of his enemies among the religious leaders, Jesus set out to find the simple faith in those who were in need of his help. The man with the withered hand did not ask anything of Jesus, but Jesus saw the man’s infirmity, and He was apparently aware of the man’s humble prayers and supplications before God. 

God did not magically take away the defiance of the giant Philistine soldier. God’s way is rather to offer a grace to his people, his soldiers. Whoever wanted it could receive a grace to be made strong, wise, and courageous by the Lord to go out against the challenge with help from the Lord. In all of Israel there was only the shepherd boy David willing to accept this grace.

Jesus was constantly in communion with his Father; so, He was always willing to face his challenges with the strength and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Now, today and every day, Jesus calls us to walk in his steps. At every moment we face a challenge, trouble, task or duty, even in the face of fear and self-doubt, the Holy Spirit unites Christians who believe in God to put our trust in the Lord Jesus; by asking Him to use our weakness to bring about the Father’s will. Peace and joy are given by the Holy Spirit when we put our trust in the Lord in everything.

“Father in Heaven, like your Beloved Son Jesus, help us put our trust in You.”  “O my Jesus, I trust in You. Immaculate 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.”

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Sign of the + Cross       

Good Morning. (Today there is no sponsor for this Holy Mass.)

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…. Brothers and Sisters, today the Lord cautions us not to be afraid of those who are against us but to trust in Him. We ask for the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the World, and of her Spouse Saint Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church.

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 

Our God uses this Live Daily Mass to gather together all who turn to 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

 

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© 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

We too are called to constant communion in the Most Holy Trinity - Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Wednesday in the 2nd Week of Advent, December 8th, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

  Gospel & Homily - Creed & Preparation of the Gifts and our personal Offering - Silence after Communion and exhortation to prayer and communion in God - Support for this Live Daily Mass - MP3 version             Homily PDF version 

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 Good Morning. (Today there is no sponsor for this Holy Mass - I offer it for Maureen Marolly.)

Sign of the + Cross       Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V. Mary.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…. Brothers and Sisters, today with the universal Church we honor the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the World, and also her Spouse Saint Joseph, whom Pope Pius IX declared Patron of the Universal Church in 1870.

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

HOMILY

Once again, Brothers and Sisters, Happy Feast Day!

Brothers and Sisters, Eve did not bring an apple to Adam, even though medieval churches were decorated with frescoes portraying Adam and Eve eating a similar fruit. The devil tempted them to stop trusting in God and instead to taste evil as well as good and get experience. As a result, Adam was ashamed of his nakedness, which had not been a problem before. Perhaps the evil knowledge they were tempted to experience was something sexual, we don’t know.

When we consider the mess that humanity has been in since then, sexuality may very well have been the original arena of human sinfulness. The Gospel celebrates human sexuality in the virginal conception Mary had by the Holy Spirit and the natural conception Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah had in their old age. For both couples, it was all about the transmission of life and the love of husband and wife. We have received that Joseph respected Mary’s virginity; though they loved one another as brother and sister, their love was deep and life giving. Jesus would grow up knowing that his parents loved one another with a perfectly devoted love.

Much human drama and suffering is the direct result of trying to separate sexual intimacy from this perfectly faithful and chaste love of husband and wife and from that couple’s capacity to lovingly generate and transmit life, thereby truly living and loving in God’s image.

Whether or not married couples like Mary and Joseph, like Elizabeth and Zechariah, are able to have their own children, or whether they have recourse to adopting children or caring for foster children, or whether they are fruitful and generate life by caring for children in their extended family or for poor children in need or other people in distress; there are so many ways in which we human beings can generate life and pour ourselves out selflessly in love of others.

Today, one of the truths we celebrate is that Mary, like the son she was about to have, Jesus, was always in communion with the Most Holy Trinity, always aware of God's love and Presence, pondering the mysteries of God's love for us in the world. We are capable of the same communion; that is what prayer is - to open our mind, heart, and soul to God at all times. During this Mass let us ask Our Blessed Mother, Immaculate Heart of Mary, to pray for us; that we may do just that.

Please pray with me now…

Prayer to St. Joseph from the Madonna House Apostolate for this Year of St. Joseph

“Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man. Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen.”

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Father in Heaven, your plan for our life on Earth then eternal life after death is the best possible plan. May the example and intercession of Mary Immaculate and Joseph help us to know and do your holy will in our lives as they did and help us follow in the steps of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”  “O my Jesus, I trust in You. Immaculate Mother Mary, pray for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us.

We give praise to You, O God, the Father, and + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Our Profession of Faith - The Apostles' Creed 

The Preparation of the Gifts and Our Offering

In lieu of the Prayers of the Faithful, which we would have on a Sunday, I invite you now to reflect during the Offertory Hymn, and as the bread and wine are prepared, to reflect on what intentions you bring to the Lord this morning for yourself, for your family, for the Church, and for the world. A big one is asking God to grant us vocations to the priesthood and to give the men He is calling the courage and the generosity to respond to the call; but also, we place on the Altar our efforts we have made since the last time we were in Church, our efforts to live as God's children, our desire, or perhaps the lack of our desire, to be in communion with God at all times. 

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Reflection after Holy Communion

This moment of silence after Communion, just as after the Homily, is part of the Liturgy because the Lord wants us to learn that the Most Holy Trinity does most of the work in our life and deep within us. We can at times be so anxious about how to pray, how long to pray, and what to pray, but really all we need to do is just to be there, with an open mind, heart, and soul, and allow God to do what God wants to do deep within us. As a woman is content to sit in the hairdresser's chair and allow her to do good things to her, and as a man doesn't mind sitting in the barber's chair and allow the barber to do those things; so we are to approach God with an even better attitude of allowing the Lord to do all He wants to do within us; as Mary did, and as Joseph did. 

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 Prayer after Communion                                    Announcement 

Let us offer a Hail Mary for the good of the Church, for the good of souls, and for the remedy of all those who may have been harmed in any way in their experience of the Church. "Hail Mary...."

Our Lady of Ville-Marie, pray for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us. 

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. 

 Solemn 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

God graces us to cultivate the quality of the soil in our spirit; to help us select the attitudes with which we take in and respond to the events and storms of our lives. - Wednesday in the 16th Week in Ordinary Time, July 21st, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

  Gospel & Homily MP3 version                     Homily PDF version 

Sign of the + Cross       St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Doctor of the Church

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

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…. Brothers and Sisters, what a wonderful thing it is to be together here and via S+L Media to celebrate the Holy Eucharist in this wonderful cathedral. We stand expectantly before God, asking his healing grace for the world afflicted by Covid-19.

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 beg you to please support 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

 

HOMILY

In more rural or remote places in Canada and in other countries, people live their lives in greater harmony with their environment. It would not be unusual to hear middle aged and the elderly say: “It’s a good life… a little hunting, a little fishing, and time for family and friends.”

Even in the country, at times people find their lives difficult. That is often the case in cities, where the pace of life, work, school, and home tends to be much faster. Today, the Lord gives us a very loving opportunity to stop for a moment, take a step back, and have a good look at how we are living our lives.

For the Israelites, according to what the Word of the Lord reports in the Book of Exodus, they seemed to be permanently miserable and complaining against God and the leaders God sent them. In Egypt they were fed up with their slavery and drudgery under harsh conditions at the brutal hands of Pharaoh’s officers. As God inflicted plagues on Egypt because of Pharaoh’s obstinate refusal to let God’s people go, the Hebrews complained against Moses that their lives were being made even harsher by Pharaoh and his officers.

When finally, Pharaoh let them go, they were at first delighted, but they soon woke up to the harsh reality of life on the road and in the wilderness; so, once again they complained long and loud to God and against Moses and Aaron.

In Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seed, Jesus uses what was a very familiar image for the people to help them understand how important it is to pay attention to the quality of the soil so that it can be well prepared to receive the seed. How we feel about the circumstances of our lives and how we choose to react and to relate to God, our spouse, our family, and others has a lot to do with the quality of our soil, of our soul, mind, heart, and body.

We cultivate our life by our labor, especially at the service of others, and manual work is very healthy. We care for the body by nourishing it properly and preparing it well for sleep. We relax the body by refreshing it in a bath or shower and with relaxing music. We revive our body as well as our soul by taking contemplative walks even barefoot in the beauty of nature, and feel that we are also God’s creatures. Natural beauty lifts our spirits and expands our horizons.

We allow our Creator God to refresh our soul by turning to the Father with expectation, by becoming receptive to the inspiration, promptings, and guidance of the Holy Spirit, who draws our attention to Jesus, the Beloved of our souls. Prayer is not a duty or task, but an act of love.

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.

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© 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

We can be arrogant and contemptuous towards God when we don't understand. God asks us to trust in his plans for us. - Wednesday in the 14th Week in Ordinary Time, July 7th, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

 Gospel & Homily MP3 version                     Homily PDF version 

☝ This Wednesday's homily is here now 👆

Sign of the + Cross                

Like the disciples walking on the road to Emmaus on the first Easter Sunday, we often also don't understand what God is doing. At such times we can question God, even show Him contempt.

(Good Morning. There is no sponsor today for this Mass. We know that televised Masses are expensive, but it is for a good cause. So, we invite all good Catholic families to discuss it and consider sponsoring a televised Mass. Simply contact Salt + Light Media. Thank you.)

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 with you in this wonderful cathedral. We give thanks to God for the world’s progress in our collective battle against Covid-19.

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

HOMILY

Jesus instructed his 12 apostles to “go nowhere among the Gentiles” or Samaritans, but only “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Now, we might wonder why Jesus imposed this limitation, or why He excluded people who weren’t Jews. This is a good example of the many ways in which we question God and complain to the Lord when we don’t understand what God is doing in our lives, in our families, in the Church, or in the world.

The simple reason for Jesus’ instructions was that God is faithful to his people and He keeps his promises. For millennia God had promised his people that He would send a Saviour and Jesus was the Father’s fulfillment of his promises. You see, even God has a list of priorities. With God, all good things will come to pass, but each good thing comes in its proper time. We don’t like that. In our human weakness, we want everything NOW. “God give me patience, and I want You to give it to me NOW!”

It doesn’t take too much intelligence to see how defective and deficient we are in our ways of relating to Almighty God. We can be quite impatient, arrogant, proud, and contemptuous towards God, our Creator, the One from whom we receive life and all good things here on Earth but also in eternity. The Lord shows us today one way in which his plans bring about the best outcome; even though from our human point of view we see only trouble and disaster. It’s the story of how Joseph, son of Jacob, was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers.

God gave Jacob the name Israel because he was strong with the Lord and also with people. At the time of this drama, he had eleven sons and the youngest, Joseph, was his favorite. His ten brothers became jealous; so, one day they decided to kill him. Reuben persuaded his brothers not to harm him. They put Joseph in a well and later, when a caravan came by, Judah got the bright idea to sell Joseph into slavery. They lied and told their father that Joseph was killed by a wild beast. They regretted their foul deed when they saw their father’s profound grief.

Joseph became a prisoner in Egypt, but God enabled him to interpret dreams. He was the only one able to interpret Pharaoh’s dream; so, he appointed Joseph manager of Egypt. Joseph advised Pharaoh to store grain in the years of plenty. When years of famine came, Egypt sold grain to the people of the Mediterranean world suffering from famine. Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy grain and in time the brothers were reconciled and their clan moved to Egypt.

We often don’t understand what God is doing, but we don’t need to understand. God only asks us to put our trust in Him and to live in patient anticipation of the unfolding of his plans.

O my Jesus, I trust in You. Oratory statue: “Go to Joseph.” Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Glory be to God, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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© 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

Better to trust in Jesus than in our own opinions or feelings - Wednesday in the 4th Week of Easter, April 28th, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

     Gospel & Homily MP3 version                     Homily PDF version        

Sign of the + Cross - Christ is risen! Alleluia! (traditional response is) He is truly risen! Alleluia!            Hello. I’m Fr. Gilles Surprenant, priest of Montreal and Madonna House Associate. In this 4^th week of Easter, the Lord cautions us to be wary of clinging to our opinions. Our thoughts and opinions are powerless but Jesus’ words are the will of the Father and they will endure forever. During this Live Daily Mass, the Lord calls us to receive his words and to keep them; so that we may live. (Intention) Thank you.

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

HOMILY

During his short life on Earth and his even shorter public mission, Jesus was acutely aware that people did not believe in Him. Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk, gave hearing and speech to the deaf and mute, cast out demons, healed lepers, and even raised a girl, a young man, and his friend Lazarus from death. Still, people did not believe in Him. Why is that? What was wrong with those people? What is wrong with all of us?

They say that at Mary’s Shrine in Lourdes in France there are incredible healings. People afflicted by lupus have, instead of a face, a gaping cavity with no more nose or lips or cheeks. When they are healed, suddenly their face grows back. Some without limbs suddenly find limbs where there were no limbs before. Apparently, many eye witnesses, who see these astounding miracles with their own eyes, simply cannot believe their eyes. Later, they tell themselves and others too that what they saw is simply impossible; so, they must have imagined it.

So, you see, it is never enough to see with our own eyes and to hear with our own ears or to touch with our own hands. In the presence of the mystery of God and of his wonderful works, it is only faith that can enable us to embrace the truth as real, and to believe in Jesus as the Son of God. In every generation, God the Father is offering everyone a personal relationship with Him in his Son Jesus. We are offered the grace, the divine power to trust and to believe, no matter how we may feel. All we have to do is to embrace God in his mystery and accept Him as real, as true, and as loving.

Today we remember and give thanks and praise to God for Saint Peter Chanel, a Marist missionary in the Pacific Islands near Fiji, who was so successful in bringing people to faith in God that a frightened chief had him assassinated in 1841. He was 38 and is now a martyr.

We also remember Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort who was a priest for only 16 years when he died at the age of 43 in 1716 in France. During his work in hospitals and giving missions, he was so successful in bringing people to faith in God that jealous people resented him and forced him to leave. The Pope made him a “missionary apostolic”; so, no one could block his mission any more. In a very short time, he founded the Brothers of Saint Gabriel, the Daughters of Wisdom, and the Montfort Missionaries, who all put their faith in Jesus as God’s Divine Wisdom. Jesus is more trustworthy than our human wisdom, which is foolishness. 

When we put all our trust and faith in God through Jesus, we give God permission to do all that He wants to do. We just decide not to be shaken by fears, not to prefer our own thoughts, feelings, plans, and opinions, but instead, we look to Jesus, cling to his words as true, and put our trust and faith in Him. We do this in every practical situation of our lives. We still live our life actively; while we leave all the results up to God and accept whatever comes as his will.

Added thoughts:     No matter our thoughts or how we may feel, or even though we may feel nothing at all... God's relationship with us and our relationship with God - Father, Jesus his Son, and the Holy Spirit - remains mysterious, because God is mysterious, and in many ways; so are we mysterious even to ourselves. Our relationship with God the Most Holy Trinity is unlike our relationships with fellow human beings alive and walking around like us on this Earth. We don't usually get immediate replies from God as we generally do from people around us. 

However, our "relating" to God takes place in the context of faith; as we "look to" God, "turn to" Him, "wait on" Him, and "live in vibrant and hopeful expectation" that, in his good time and in his own way, God "sees me", "hears me", "knows me", "loves me", "cares for me", "instills his divine life of the Trinity in me", "forms and shapes me into his own likeness", and "draws me ever more deeply" into the life and love of the Most Holy Trinity, which is Heaven and eternal life. 

O God, help us to really trust in You: the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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 

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Living in the Light of God, untroubled by the darkness - Wednesday in the 2nd Week of Easter, April 14th, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

    Gospel & Homily MP3 version                                 Homily PDF version        

Sign of the + Cross - Christ is risen! Alleluia! (traditional response is) He is truly risen! Alleluia!            Hello. I’m Fr. Gilles Surprenant, priest of Montreal and Madonna House Associate. In this 2^nd week of Easter, the Lord invites us to consider how much more respectful He is of us than the big shots of this world. Once we decide to trust in the Lord; we can walk fully in the light. During this Live Daily Mass, the Lord once again affirms his love, strengthens our faith, and revives our hope. (Intention) Thank you.

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

HOMILY

The Jewish “high priest and all who were with him” were “filled with jealousy” at the way the Apostles were drawing large crowds and because the beggar who had been lame from birth was healed at their words. It was the trouble that Jesus had all over again. These religious leaders in Jerusalem arranged to have Jesus executed, and now they were after his Apostles.

Have you ever been harassed or persecuted by people or organizations that just wouldn’t stop coming after you? Perhaps in your case it was what you called a long string of bad luck. Maybe it was your employer or a nasty client or relative. Whatever it was, the trouble just wouldn’t stop, and you may have become exasperated, if not outright angry or discouraged.

It’s pretty clear that there are many situations in life that escape our control. There isn’t anything we can do to stop the trouble or fix it, and it wears down our spirit. Perhaps what really bothers us is the trouble itself… we keep trying to fix or solve it and we just can’t seem to find the right formula. This is especially true in the case of chronic physical or mental illness.

The trouble or the trouble makers seem to come out of an evil darkness, like the religious leaders in Jerusalem. They couldn’t stand the light radiating from Jesus; so, they did all they could to try to put out that bright light that made their guilty consciences so uncomfortable.

Despite all our trouble and suffering, as long as we are trying to love God and obey Him and to love our neighbor, even forgiving all those who harm or trouble us in any way; then we are actually living in the light, just like the Apostles and all the saints did. However, although we may be living in the light of God’s kingdom, we might still at times be “in the dark”.

If we can’t distinguish between the darkness and the light, between the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of God; then when trouble hits, we are at risk to be thrown off balance and discouraged. Jesus is the light of God, and all who believe in Him and make efforts to love God and their neighbor as themselves, all those who do this are also living in the light of God.

Those who don’t believe that Jesus is the Son of God or who put all their desires and hopes on the things of this world, well, they are living in darkness; whether they know it or not. Those who live in darkness don’t like those who live in the light and may even persecute them. They hate or are afraid of the light when their deeds or desires are evil. Once we realize that this is the situation; then when trouble comes, we are not so surprised. We remember to trust in God.

We may never actually see our guardian angel, but our angels watch and protect our faith in God. Divine peace enters our soul when we thank the Father for his priceless gifts. “Father in Heaven, forgive us our sins. We thank and praise You for Jesus’ life-giving sacrifice and for our guardian angel; for You are God: the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Announcement

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

Saint Joseph, pray for us.                  Blessing and Dismissal

 

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© 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

We find it difficult to trust in God's tender love due to the "dark things" within us - we need to confess - Wednesday, 4th Week of Lent & St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

 Gospel & Homily MP3 version                                 Homily PDF version        

Saint Patrick, Bishop

Sign of the +                   Greeting 

Hello. I’m Fr. Gilles Surprenant, priest of Montreal and Madonna House Associate. In this 4^th week of Lent and we are past the mid-point to Easter. St. Patrick is the apostle who brought Jesus to Ireland. Like St. Joseph whom we honor this year, St. Patrick knew Jesus personally; as did all the saints. During this Live Daily Mass, the Lord once again invites each of us to trust in Him and open ourselves completely to be renewed by Him. (Intention) Thank you.

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

 Announcement 

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Blessing and Dismissal

HAPPY SAINT  PATRICK'S DAY !!!

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HOMILY

The words we just heard from the Lord through the prophet Isaiah are an unforgettable expression of tenderness. There are many such proofs of God’s tender love for us, his children, throughout the Sacred Scriptures. When we consider Jesus, how He lived his life, his mission and then how He surrendered Himself into our hands, the hands of his persecutors; we should not be astonished at God’s declarations of tender love for us.

Perhaps what is truly astonishing is how difficult it is to understand why we find it so hard, so difficult to believe in God’s tender love for us. We have a hard time actually believing that God loves us; that He loves me. Why is that, do you think?

In John’s Gospel we see what great efforts Jesus made to give understanding to the Jewish leaders about who He was and about what He was doing. Could it be that these Jewish leaders were resisting Jesus for the same reasons we do?

Jesus did not fit into the ways they understood their religion and their God. I believe that we have a similar problem. We all have ideas about who God is and about what we expect of Him. It is just as shocking to us as it was to those Jewish leaders that God does not fit into our ideas.

God has his own ideas, because his understanding of Himself and of all that He has created is far higher, broader, and deeper than any understanding we could ever have.

God understands Himself to be a community, a Holy Trinity of divine Persons – the Eternal Father, the only-begotten Son who became human in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life. God the Holy Trinity is the most wonderful love story in the universe, and we have been created to participate in this awesome love story, this divine Family.

What is holding us back from plunging with delight into this wondrous community of love which is in God? I suppose that for each of us there could be many things holding us back. If I have been hurt, I may be unwilling to forgive the one who hurt me; I may even desire revenge.

Lent is a gift from God: a time to stop and let the Holy Spirit illumine my conscience, my mind, my heart, and my soul to see the dark things that keep me from accepting God’s love and from loving everyone – even those I don’t like. It is time to surrender my darkness to the Lord.

It is hard at any time, even more so during this Pandemic, to confess our sins to a priest. We don’t like to admit we messed up; yet this is how Jesus wants us to reconcile with God, because Confession makes it real. “Father in Heaven, help us put away our pride and humbly declare by confessing our sins that You are God: the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

https://frgilleshomilies.blogspot.com

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© 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

With trust in God we can, like Jesus, embrace our suffering and let God expand our ability to love - Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

👇 See below LINKS to past Ash Wednesday Liturgy homilies, blessings of ashes, & exhortations 👇

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Ash Wednesday                           Sign of the +                            Greeting                        

Hello. I’m Father Gilles Surprenant, priest of Montreal and Madonna House Associate. Today is Ash Wednesday and for most of us it is a virtual Liturgy. Living in this Pandemic is one of our Lenten penances and sacrifices. (Intention) Thank you for your support.

GOSPEL, HOMILY, & BLESSING OF ASHES

MP3 version                                                                PDF version

It is wonderful to see how much Jesus cares for us. He accompanies us in life and watches over us like an anxious father, like a nurturing mother. Today, on Ash Wednesday, we enter into the Season of Lent. Jesus cautions us to avoid attitudes of hypocrisy. It would be a tragic loss if we were to glue our attention to what other people think of us or how they feel about us.

Jesus, the Father, and Holy Spirit want to expand our ability to enjoy the wedding banquet of Heaven. Eternal life begins here, where we are today, in whatever circumstances, situations, or conditions we find ourselves. Eternal life is knowing we are loved by Jesus and the Father in the Holy Spirit and loving them back as well as we can in our neighbor.

Sadly, whenever we are preoccupied with ourselves, our pleasures, avoiding suffering, or getting more of everything; then God speaks to us the words of Joel. If we disregard the true meaning and purpose of our lives; we find God’s will difficult to accept. What happens to us in life may then feel like punishment, because parents that truly love their children give them proper discipline until the day they become mature enough to give discipline to themselves. 

Discipline is the steering wheel that looks to our true destiny. As we try to love God back by loving our neighbor; like St. Paul we live as missionary disciples of Jesus and ambassadors of Christ. Jesus lets us love people who don’t know the love of God; then the Holy Spirit uses us to show others that God loves them and, in this way, teaches them to love their neighbor as well.

Why is it so difficult to love others? Why does God allow us to suffer? The paradox is that God created us with an incredible desire and capacity for pleasure. God made creation good for us to enjoy it and know that we are also good; our life is a gift from God. However, pleasure alone is insufficient. If I try to live only in the palace of pleasure and try to avoid suffering; then it is impossible to love others because I only want to love myself.

During Lent God our Father calls us to contemplate his Son, Jesus, and with Mary ponder how Jesus lived his life not for himself, but for others. Jesus enjoyed life as we do, but He didn’t accept suffering grudgingly; He embraced it and chose it as what the Father wanted Him to do. Jesus teaches us that suffering expands our mind and soul; it purifies our body and our heart. Our joy is locked in to our loving, and our loving is expanded by embracing our suffering.

O my Jesus, I trust in You; as You trusted in the Father. Open my eyes and heart to love my neighbor and even enemies by simply accepting to suffer them, endure them, and lovingly put up with them. Let this be my Lenten discipline in You: Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Blessing and Distribution of Ashes  

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MP3 audio files of Fr. Gilles' Homilies from past Ash Wednesday Liturgies

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Ash Wednesday at Saint Luke Parish / Paroisse Saint-Luc 

- 2007 Homily - 2008 Homily - 2009 Homily - Blessing of Ashes - 2010 Homily -

- 2011 Homily - 2012 Homily - 2013 Homily - Blessing of Ashes - 

Ash Wednesday at Saint Gabriel Parish 

- 2017 Homily - Final Exhortation - 2018 Homily - 

Ash Wednesday at Saint Anne Hospital  

- 2019 Homily - Blessing of Ashes - 

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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 

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