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 

God's love shines radiantly upon us in Jesus but worldly lights try to turn us away from God's love - Wed. Jan. 6, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

 Homily MP3 version          Homily PDF version     

Day 13 of Christmas

Greeting                                 Hello. I’m Father Gilles Surprenant. Today is the 13^th day of Christmas until the Baptism of the Lord. We thank God for bringing us together in the radiant Christmas light still shining on the Face of Jesus. Television air time for this Live Daily Mass is so very expensive to produce; so we at Salt + Light & Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in downtown Montreal very much appreciate your support by way of your prayers and donations. Thank you.

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Penitential Rite        The world is already throwing Christmas away with appeals to shop and lure us to spend a lot of money for things we do not really need. The world tries to get us to spend by promising savings. In contrast, the Kingdom of God continues all year long to invite us to cultivate relationships with others and with God our Maker. Brothers and sisters let us acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

 

HOMILY

There is no denying the divine glow coming from the love of God and shining brightly upon our souls during these radiant days of the Christmas Season. The exterior lights shining their Christmas beauty are sadly already being put out by our culture and society that is much more impressed by the light shining exteriorly into our lives from cinema, TV, computer, and smart phone screens. The light shining within us at Christmas and every day of the year is actually God Himself – for Jesus is the Light of the world. Christmas lights, as beautiful as they may be, only have lasting value in drawing our attention to Jesus Himself, personally, and to the Father.

God’s Light is gentle and peaceful; He respects our freedom and makes lots of room for us to freely choose to enter more personally into relationship with Jesus, and through Him with the Father as we allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten us, carry us, console us, and forgive us.

By contrast, the light shining into our lives on all of those HD screens is very invasive. It employs an infinite variety of means to capture our attention, seduce our spirits, and lead us to any number of places to which we would normally never choose to go in our right minds.  

Far more dangerous than the current worldwide Covid-19 Pandemic is the worldwide plague of pornography which is aggressively invading even the eyes, imaginations, hearts, minds, and spirits of children; thereby violating them and robbing them of their innocence. A child exposed or worse, addicted, to pornography is violated and robbed of its innocent ability to see other people as persons; as they now look upon others for their sexual body attributes.

Adults who are exposed or worse, addicted, to pornography, have surrendered their God-given power to live as children of God and to look upon their neighbor as a sister and brother in Jesus. Other people, even in the family, are increasingly seen as possessing sexual attributes. This is far worse than the adverse wind against which the apostles struggled in their boat.

We women and men who allow ourselves to be trapped by the spirit of the world, by the demons who dominate the air waves, have shut down our God-given power to give life and to nurture life. We have shut down our God-given power to stand at the gate and defend all life and protect the innocence and dignity of the children of God entrusted to our care. We are allowing our children, family, and neighbors to be violated and robbed of their innocence and their God-given capacity to love and be loved and to be able to welcome happiness in love.

Our current captivity in the plague of pornography is a willing submission to the tricks and powers of demons who act under the direction of the prince of this world a.k.a. Lucifer, Satan the Accuser, and the Devil, the Adversary of God. The Good News and the beauty and radiance of Christmas is that a Son has been given to us who is called Emmanuel, Wonder Counselor, Son of God, and Prince of Peace. This Child grew up in Galilee and became our Redeemer, the One Savior of the world. He has defeated his adversary by his death on the Cross and offers us to share in his victory; providing we believe in Him and follow in his way.

At every moment and in every place the Holy Spirit is at hand within us to empower us to lift up our eyes and turn to Jesus and worship Him who is the Son of God our Savior, Jesus who says to all that we are personally loved by God: the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

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Announcement:

Salt + Light Media and Mary Queen of the World Cathedral are partnering to produce and air this Live Daily Mass. To fully recover their expenses over $1,000.00 would be needed for each and every Live Daily Mass. You are currently being offered a rebate to air your Mass intentions at the current rate. As we continue to develop this new project which began in October we are happy to receive your contributions and Mass intentions to support this Live Daily Mass. Please continue to send your donations and Mass intentions to Salt + Light Media or to the Cathedral. Thank you. To contact me simply send an email to fathergilles@gmail.com

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's love shines radiantly upon us in the Nativity of his Son Jesus birthed by Mary his Mother - Wed. Dec. 23, 2020 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

 Homily MP3 version          Homily PDF version    

Day 8 of Mary & Joseph’s Pilgrimage from Nazareth to Bethlehem

Hello. I’m Father Gilles Surprenant. It is the day before Christmas Eve. Christmas is so close now. We thank God for bringing us together via Salt + Light for this live Mass in Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in downtown Montreal. Television air time is so very expensive to produce; so we appreciate your support by way of your prayers and donations. Thank you.

Sign of the +                      Greeting                                  Penitential Rite

Listen attentively to the sounds of silence…. Can you hear the little bells on the donkey’s harness? It is day 8 of the 9-day pilgrimage of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Mary was very heavy with the Child Jesus still in her womb. How difficult and uncomfortable it must have been for her to ride on the donkey; yet she did not complain. Sadly, we may at times be inclined to complain, making life more difficult for those around us, and we may forget to be grateful and may neglect showing others our appreciation. Let us ask the Lord to forgive us….

 

HOMILY

There is a divine glow coming from the love of God and shining brightly upon our souls as we approach the radiant days of the Christmas Season. Of course we see more and more lights shining their Christmas beauty – whether you prefer waiting for Christmas Eve to turn on your exterior lights or began lighting up the front of your home as early as the beginning of Advent.

More dramatic is the radiant light shining on us from the loving face of Jesus, warming the cold and damp of our minds and hearts. As children see their parents expending great effort to prepare for Christmas, they might be inclined to take greater care to please their parents and to avoid having conflicts with their siblings; they may even volunteer to help more spontaneously.

Employers may be more inclined to show patience and gratitude to their employees; while workers may be inclined to work harder and give their employers a better effort and result for their labors. Siblings may have already begun to show each other deeper understanding and compassion through better words and more gestures of kindness, gratitude, and generosity. We may even begin to notice the poor and homeless, who suffer so much from feeling invisible, and we may stop to chat with them and ask them how they are managing and offer them a gift.

All year long, but especially during these holy days of Advent followed by the radiant days of Christmas, the Holy Spirit is constantly at work: attracting our minds, hearts, and spirits to adopt better attitudes of understanding, patience, kindness, and compassion. As the script writer of the classic movie “Miracle on 34^th Street” had the character Kris Kringle put it: “This time of year inspires people to lay aside the more hateful and selfish tendencies that usually tend to dominate our lives, in favor of mutual understanding, kindness, and generosity….”

It is necessary and good for us to cooperate with this work of the Holy Spirit within us, because God – the Most Holy Trinity – is a blazing furnace of divine love. If we accept to be purified now, during our life on Earth, of every hateful and selfish tendency, and replace these with thoughts, words, and gestures of kindness, forgiveness, compassion, and generosity; then when we come face to face with God the meeting will be joyous and not painful.

On the other hand, if we insist on complaining, pouting, being miserable, making trouble for others, and thinking only of ourselves; then when we come face to face before God – who is an intense furnace of divine love – God’s blazing fire of love will be shockingly painful indeed.

We can see the clear difference between our ways and God’s ways in what happened around the birth and circumcision of John the Baptist. The whole family was taken up with the family traditions which would require the child to be given his father’s name. Elizabeth very courageously stood her ground when she insisted, with her husband Zechariah, on doing what God had asked them to do through the Angel Gabriel; that is, to name the child John.

These are privileged days of grace for us. As we continue our own journey of faith in God – personally and as a family – we have these wonderful witnesses present to us to encourage us: Elizabeth and Zechariah, Mary and Joseph, the Archangel Gabriel, and the two infants: John who would become the Baptist, and Jesus, who would become our Saviour.

It is an act of love at this time of year to remember before God all those who are unwanted, unremembered, and unloved; as well as those who are unable to make room for them; because all of us are personally loved by God: the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Announcement: 

Salt + Light Media and Mary Queen of the World Cathedral are happy to receive your contributions and Mass intentions in support of this Live Daily Mass. Please continue to send your donations and Mass intentions to Salt + Light Media or to the Cathedral. Thank you for your support. To contact me just send an email to fathergilles@gmail.com

 

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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God loves us tenderly - See Jesus the Good Shepherd & Our Lady of Guadlupe's dialogue with St. Juan Diego - Wed. Dec. 9, 2020 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

 Homily MP3 file with announcement         Homily PDF file with announcement   

Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (Our Lady of Guadalupe 1531)

Hello. I’m Father Gilles Surprenant. In this second week of Advent we gather to worship the Lord our God in Mary Queen of the World Cathedral and are pleased to join you in your home, you who are participating via Salt + Light TV or the Internet.

We are only in the 3^rd month of this Daily LIVE English Mass on Salt + Light Media. By now you are coming to know some 15 priests worshipping with you in real time. We are blessed to ponder the Word of God together and to worship in his presence.  

As you may or may not know, television time is expensive to produce – both for Salt + Light and for the Cathedral – so we appreciate your support by way of prayers and donations. The startup costs have been steep; so we would be very grateful to donors able and willing to be particularly generous in helping us balance our budget by the end of the year. Thank you.               Sign of the +

HOMILY

The Lord our God is addressing to us a particularly tender Word today. Through the prophet Isaiah the Lord gently reproached his people in exile for feeling abandoned by their God. “Have you not known? Have you not heard?” The Lord said to them as He says to us, “Don’t you realize that I love you and don’t get tired, and that my eyes penetrate into the most hidden depths of your spirit; so that I may shine my light into every dark shadow?” God is a divine Spirit and the Holy Trinity remains hidden from our eyes to protect our free will.

God is hidden from our eyes but not from our inmost spirit; so the Psalmist was pumping himself up to give thanks and praise to the Lord. The Psalms are the inspired Word of God because they are God’s answer to the shadows that plague our minds, hearts, spirits, and even our bodies. Christians recite the Psalms, ponder them, and murmur them prayerfully to freely invite the Holy Trinity to dispel our shadows with their divine light and radiant love.

You see, we are not ready yet to see the radiant splendor of God – if we could see God now as He is, we would be seduced, but seduction is a form of manipulation and control. God loves and refuses to manipulate us. A relationship that is not freely chosen but imposed is incapable of love. God wants us to have the satisfaction and delight of truly and freely loving Him.

The Father sent Jesus to us as the Good Shepherd to speak tenderly to our distressed spirits, discouraged hearts, and tired bodies: “Come to me you who are weary & carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

On this day, December 9^th, 1531 in Mexico City, Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to a 57-year-old indigenous man baptized a Catholic Christian by the Franciscan missionaries. The Lord sent his Blessed Mother to bring the Divine Mercy to a people who had suffered much by the human sacrifices demanded by the pagan goddess. Listen to a glimpse of their dialogue.

 “Know my son, Juan Diego, my much beloved, that I am the ever Virgin Mary, Mother of the True God who is the Author of life, the Creator of all things, the Lord of heaven and earth, present everywhere. And it is my wish that here, there be raised to me a temple in which, as a loving mother to thee and those like thee, I shall show my tender clemency and the compassion I feel for the natives and for those who love and seek me, for all who implore my protection, who call on me in their labors and afflictions: and in which I shall hear their weeping and their supplications that I may give them consolation and relief.”

Our Lady sent Juan Diego to the Bishop with her request, but the bishop refused to believe.
Juan was overcome with shame and then his uncle became deathly ill; so he went out to get the priest but tried to avoid meeting Our Lady and took another road. She found him out anyway and asked him where he was going. Utterly confused, and at a loss for an explanation, he spontaneously resorted to pleasantries, “My daughter, my dear little one; God keep you, Lady! Did you sleep well? And how is your health?”

He talked to Mary as he would have to his own daughter, and most assuredly it wrung from her childlike heart a humoring smile. Perhaps it called to her mind tender questions she heard on earth from her own dear father, St. Joachim. Then, quickly regaining his presence of mind, Juan spoke more soberly about his uncle’s sickness and his intention of going to get a priest.

He looked up to see the lovely Woman smiling most affectionately upon him. With supreme gentleness and compassion she replied – and these words should reverberate from the walls of every church, home, and school in Christendom:

“Listen, and let it penetrate your heart, my dear little son; do not be troubled or weighted down with grief. Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need? Do not let this illness of your uncle worry you, because he is not going to die of his sickness. At this very moment he is cured.”

Never before had Our Lady so openly revealed the tenderness of her Immaculate Heart. This revelation marked the beginning of the Age of Mary. What saint or mystic was ever so privileged as this humble Mexican Indian to hear, “Am I not here who am your Mother?”

In the end Our Lady’s mission was successful. The beautiful multicolored roses she picked miraculously in the dead of winter and arranged in Juan Diego’s tilma became a photo of her imprinted on the mantle which is preserved to this day in the Cathedral in Mexico City.

Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego and his people - through her timeless and beautiful "Polaroid" image imprinted mysteriously and miraculously on Juan Diego's tilma - and the native Aztec "Indian" people immediately recognized Our Lady as one of their own, yet not of this Earth but from the heavens. She rescued them from the harsh slavery to their pagan goddess, a giant feathery serpent; whose priests carried out countless human sacrifices. 

To this day the Mexican people owe their freedom and Christian faith to the greatest evangelist of all time, Our Lady of Guadalupe; for within a decade of her apparitions to St. Juan Diego more than nine million Aztecs were came eagerly to Christ and were baptized. In light of these wonderous apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe and with gratitude for the tender motherhood which Mary shows us today; let us remember now before God those hundreds of thousands who today will die unwanted and unremembered; as well as for those who were unable to make room for them; for they – like each of us – are loved by God: the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Announcement: Mary Queen of the World Cathedral (Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde) and Salt + Light Media are happy to receive your contributions and intentions in support of this Live Daily Mass. Please continue to send your donations and Mass intentions to Mary Queen of the World Cathedral and Salt + Light Media c/o Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, 1071 Rue de la Cathédrale, Montreal QC H3B 2V4. Thank you for your support. To contact me just send an email to fathergilles@gmail.com      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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St. Catherine of Alexandria - Wed. Nov. 25th, 2020 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

 PDF version of homily   YouTube link for this Mass & homily    MP3 version of homily

CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA, VIRGIN & MARTYR (+310 A.D.)

Hello. I’m Father Gilles Surprenant. This is the last week in Ordinary Time and Sunday we begin our Advent preparation for Christmas. Only seven weeks ago we began this English Daily Mass televised LIVE by Salt + Light Media. Live Masses are difficult to shape into 29 minutes. This live Mass brings Mary Queen of the World Cathedral and over a dozen priests into your home in real time. It is our privilege to serve you before God. Television time is expensive to produce; so we appreciate your support by way of your prayers and donations. Thank you.

             Sign of the +

HOMILY

Here we are still in November and we continue to remember the dead and pray for them. Many are not remembered that were not wanted: the homeless, the abandoned, the refugees, those who are trafficked and sexually exploited, those who die alone in back alleys, and the ongoing slaughter of the innocents killed from the womb every day. Whether they are aware of it or not, all those who survive the unwanted dead also suffer because of their loss.

When in 1982 my baby nephew was killed in a car crash that almost killed my sister and mother, it seemed unfair that the baby would never get to grow up. It was so unfair for millions to die in the Holocaust of WWII that many people weren’t sure they still wanted to believe in God. Yesterday we remembered 130,000 Christians martyred in Vietnam over two centuries. Christians have been butchered since the time of Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, beginning with the 12 apostles and thousands of Christians for the next 300 years. It’s all so unfair.

Our God has never done or said anything to give the impression that life should be fair. He chose to create angels and human beings with the priceless gift of free will, which meant from the start that it would be possible for some angels and some human beings to abuse this gift.

We can certainly not accuse Jesus of leading us astray. As we heard in the brief quote today from Jesus’ warnings to his disciples; Jesus knew with certainty that some of us would be put to death just as He himself was about to be put to death. God the Father was not afraid of giving us the gift of free will and Jesus his Son was not afraid to endure the misuse of our free will when our ancestors turned against Him and put him to death; as He knew they would.

In the vision that God gave to the beloved disciple, the apostle and evangelist John, he saw that God will demonstrate at the end of time that He actually is fair and just as well as merciful. John needed a vision in order to see that what happens in this life is directly connected to what will happen next in eternity, once we pass through the thin veil of death into God’s presence.

Every good done in this world will be rewarded in eternity, and every evil done in this life will suffer the consequences, and in some cases, forever. God is willing to forgive if only we will repent of our evil and ask forgiveness from those we have harmed and from God. In the case of abortion, those little infants now comforted in God’s radiant love and life-giving presence can also forgive if those who let them die will ask to be forgiven. God will also forgive.

It is estimated that worldwide in 50 years over 2 billion infants have been terminated and extricated from their mothers’ wombs. That is 30 times the number of deaths caused by WWII. A month from now we will honor the handful of Holy Innocents who were killed by King Herod who felt threatened by the birth of Jesus. As over 150,000 little innocents cry out to heaven each day at the moment of their violent death; those who abandon them also cry out in silence.

Let us remember now before God those hundreds of thousands who today will die unwanted and unremembered; as well as for those who were unable to make room for them; for they – like each of us – are loved by God: the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Announcement: Salt + Light Media is happy to receive your contributions and intentions in support of this Live Daily Mass. Please continue to send your donations and Mass intentions to Salt + Light Media. Thank you for your support. To contact me just send an email to fathergilles@gmail.com

https://frgilleshomilies.blogspot.com

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St. Catherine of Alexandria, Egyptian martyr

St. Catherine of Alexandria, (died c. early 4th century, Alexandria, Egypt; feast day November 25), one of the most popular early Christian martyrs and one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (a group of Roman Catholic saints venerated for their power of intercession). She is the patron of philosophers and scholars and is believed to help protect against sudden death.

St. Catherine of Alexandria is not mentioned before the 9th century, and her historicity is doubtful. According to legend, she was an extremely learned young girl of noble birth, possibly a princess. She protested the persecution of Christians under the Roman emperor Maxentius—whose wife and several soldiers she converted while imprisoned—and defeated the most eminent scholars summoned by Maxentius to oppose her. During her subsequent torture, she professed that she had consecrated her virginity to Jesus Christ, her spouse, and was sentenced to death. The spiked wheel by which she was to be killed broke when she touched it (whence the term Catherine wheel); she was then beheaded.

After her death, angels allegedly took her body to Mount Sinai, where, according to legend, it was discovered about 800 CE. In the Middle Ages, when the story of her mystical marriage to Christ was widely circulated, she was one of the most popular saints and one of the most important virgin  martyrs.  St. Joan of Arc claimed that Catherine’s was among the heavenly voices that spoke to her.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Catherine-of-Alexandria

Saint Catherine of Alexandria’s Story

According to the Legend of St. Catherine, this young woman converted to Christianity after receiving a vision. At the age of 18, she debated 50 pagan philosophers. Amazed at her wisdom and debating skills, they became Christians—as did about 200 soldiers and members of the emperor’s family. All of them were martyred.

Sentenced to be executed on a spiked wheel, Catherine touched the wheel and it shattered. She was beheaded. Centuries later, angels are said to have carried the body of Saint Catherine to a monastery at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Devotion to her spread as a result of the Crusades. She was invoked as the patroness of students, teachers, librarians and lawyers. Catherine is one of the 14 Holy Helpers, venerated especially in Germany and Hungary.

Reflection – The pursuit of God’s wisdom may not lead to riches or earthly honors. In Catherine’s case, this pursuit contributed to her martyrdom. She was not, however, foolish in preferring to die for Jesus rather than live only by denying him. All the rewards that her tormentors offered her would rust, lose their beauty, or in some other way become a poor exchange for Catherine’s honesty and integrity in following Jesus Christ. Saint Catherine of Alexandria is the Patron Saint of: Lawyers, Librarians, Philosophers, Students, Teachers.

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-catherine-of-alexandria

St. Catherine of Alexandria

Saint Catherine of Alexandria is a canonized saint in the Catholic Church who, per Christian tradition, was martyred around 305 in Alexandria, Egypt. Of course, the Church of the first Millennium was undivided. She is also recognized as the Great Martyr and Saint by the Orthodox Church. There are no surviving primary sources attesting to her existence, but the fact that her memory, and the stories about her, have been kept alive - and handed down in the tradition - certainly confirm her existence, and her life of heroic virtue and holiness.

The young saint was born around 287 in Alexandria, Egypt. At that time, Alexandria was one of the finest cities in the world, and a center of learning and culture as well as faith. Christian tradition states she was of noble birth, possibly a princess. As a member of the nobility, she was also educated and was an avid scholar. Around the age of fourteen, she experienced a moving vision of Mary and the infant Jesus, and she decided to become a Christian. Although she was a teenager, she was very intelligent and gifted. When the emperor Maxentius began persecuting Christians, Catherine visited him to denounce his cruelty.

Rather than order her execution, Maxentius summoned fifty orators and philosophers to debate her. However, Catherine was moved by the power of the Holy Spirit and spoke eloquently in defense of her faith. Her words were so moving that several of the pagans converted to Christianity and were immediately executed. Unable to defeat her rhetorically or to intimidate her into giving up her belief, the emperor ordered her to be tortured and imprisoned.

Catherine was arrested and scourged. Despite the torture, she did not abandon her faith. Word of her arrest and the power of her faith quickly spread and over 200 people visited her. According to some legends, the emperor's own wife, Valeria Maximilla was converted by Catherine. The emperor eventually executed his own wife over her conversion. However, this is not mentioned in the historical record and may be a legend. It is believed that Maximilla was alive and with her husband at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312, seven years after the death of Catherina.

Following her imprisonment, Maxentius made a final attempt to persuade the beautiful Catherine to abandon her faith by proposing marriage to her. This would have made her a powerful empress. Catherine refused, saying she was married to Jesus Christ and that her virginity was dedicated to him. The emperor angrily ordered her to be executed on a breaking wheel. The breaking wheel is an ancient form of torture where a person's limbs are threaded among the spokes and their bones are shattered by an executioner with a heavy rod. It is a brutal punishment that results in a slow and painful death, normally reserved for the worst criminals.

When Catherine was presented before the wheel, she touched it and a miracle occurred that caused the wheel to shatter. Unable to torture her to death, the emperor simply ordered her beheaded. One account claimed that angels took her body to Mt. Sinai. In the sixth century, the Emperor Justinian ordered a monastery established in her name. The monastery, Saint Catherine's, remains to this day and is one of the oldest in the world.

Around the year 800, a legend spread that her body has been found with her hair still growing and a constant stream of oil coming from her body. Nothing exists to this day of her remains, and her very existence has been called into question. Despite these questions, and the possibility that her story may be confused with that of one or more other saints, she is still venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church as a Martyr. Many Roman Catholics also venerate her to this day as one of the great virgin saints of the early Church.

During the medieval period, St. Catherine was one of the most famous saints of the Church. She has was a popular subject in renaissance art and many paintings from the period are dedicated to her.

Catherine is still a very popular Catholic name. The spiked wheel is a popular symbol often associated with St. Catherine. Her feast day is Nov. 25, and she is the patron of a great many professions and causes. Her patronage includes students, unmarried girls, apologists and many more as well as many places around the world.

Go to this website, click on this button to Continue reading about St. Catherine of Alexandria

https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=341

 © 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

Remembrance Day - "Lest We Forget" - Nov. 11, 2020 - S+L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

Gospel & Homily MP3file           Homily PDF file     

REMEMBRANCE DAY - MEMORIAL OF SAINT MARTIN OF TOURS

Hello. I’m Father Gilles Surprenant. We gather together on the Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours to offer this Daily Mass from Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in downtown Montreal. On this Remembrance Day, we offer Holy Mass for Monica Keating requested by her sister Sheila, for Donna Côté and the Rizzo & Reed Families requested by Flora & Martyn. Donations have been made by a friend.

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HOMILY

What for most of the British Empire in 1919 began as Armistice Day to celebrate military victory after WWI changed in 1931. At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month on Remembrance Day we remember those who have fallen in military conflicts.

Remembrance Day is also a call to remember the horror of war and to embrace peace. The human heart longs for peace and would rather not have to go to war. In the controversy over war and peace, we Christians are guided by Jesus’ answer to a question about paying taxes to the Emperor: Jesus said:  “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” Jesus’ words help us understand that it is honorable to perform our duty to our country in time of war as well as in time of peace.

In 1915 Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae wrote a short poem I had to learn by heart in grade school. The sudden death of a young comrade on the battlefield inspired him to write the poem. Hardy poppy seeds had lain dormant in the soil. When disturbed by bombs and grave digging they sprouted and bloomed into their bright blood-red flowers.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
    That mark our place; and in the sky
    The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
    Loved and were loved, and now we lie
        In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: 
To you from failing hands we throw
    The torch; be yours to hold it high. 
    If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
        In Flanders fields.

Born in Guelph ON, John McCrae served as a physician in Toronto and Montreal. He was 45 when he died of pneumonia and meningitis in France where for 3 years he treated wounded soldiers from nearby battlefields. His poem is a call to arms in solidarity with the fallen.

So, whom am I remembering today? Whom are you remembering today?

Every November we remember our deceased loved ones. Today we also remember victims of aggression and inhumanity throughout the world. For those who die, we believe that in his mercy God provides a time of purification for them if they are not ready to endure the intense happiness of God’s love in his company in Heaven. While we are still here on Earth, the courage of the soldier encourages us to face the shadows and dark secrets that may weigh down our souls.

Like St. Martin of Tours, the soldier leaves family, home, & country to go into the unknown to resist the powers of evil and fight the atrocities of violence and war. In the Beatitudes Jesus calls us to leave bad habits and unhealthy preoccupation with ourselves to go without fear into the days and nights of our lives and give loving attention to others who suffer, are helpless, or forgotten. Whenever we give our loving attention to others we are blessed indeed.

A Prayer for Remembrance Day

God of love and justice, lest we forget them; 

today we remember all men and women who died in defense of our country and its freedom.

Help us to honour their sacrifice

through our prayers and actions for peace in our world.

By your Holy Spirit, let our neighbours not be invisible to us.

Let your Spirit help us to let go of misunderstandings, 

hatred and prejudice;

so that we may grow together as one family. 

Guide our steps towards neighbour and enemy alike in the way of peace.

As we pray thus, in our walk with Jesus Christ, 

          the Prince of Peace;

May we experience your deep blessing and healing – 

O God, the Father, + the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. 

https://frgilleshomilies.blogspot.com  

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November 11 

Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop 

Memorial 

(Taken from Divine Office . org) https://divineoffice.org/?date=20201111&unique=1605097157.16

“Our thoughts turn especially to Martin of Tours († 397), the soldier who became a monk and a bishop: he is almost like an icon, illustrating the irreplaceable value of the individual testimony to charity. At the gates of Amiens, Martin gave half of his cloak to a poor man: Jesus himself, that night, appeared to him in a dream wearing that cloak, confirming the permanent validity of the Gospel saying: ‘I was naked and you clothed me… as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me’ (Mt 25:36, 40).” [1]

St. Martin of Tours was born in the 4th century. His father forced him to become a soldier like himself and forbade him to practice Christianity. While Martin served in the Roman army, he showed charity to a beggar, cutting his cloak in half and offering it to the man. This event, and the ensuing vision of Jesus, caused Martin to seek baptism. He lived for a time as a hermit, then gravitated to Poitiers, where he knew St. Hilary and founded a monastery at Ligugé, which still exists. Around 372, he was elected Bishop of Tours, despite his objections. As bishop, he lived in the community he founded. Also, he spent much of his time evangelizing to the rural poor. He died in 397. His life, written by Sulpicius Severus, became a model for saints’ lives.[2][3]

Written by Sarah Ciotti
Reviewed by Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, STD

[1] Benedict XVI, “Deus Caritas Est,” 40.
[2] Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, The Martyrology of the Monastery of the Ascension, 2008.
[3] F.L. Cross and E.A. Livingstone, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (London: Oxford University Press, 1974), 879.

© 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