God delights to bless those who open themselves to Him - these women call us to enter into the joy of doing God's will - Wednesday in the 4th Week of Advent, December 22nd, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

 Gospel & Homily - MP3 version             Homily PDF version 

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 HOMILY

        By now, Mary and Joseph are more than half way between Nazareth and Bethlehem; a very difficult journey on foot, with the donkey for Mary, in those days. But we experience with them the joy of anticipation of the birth. 

        This morning our God seems proud of his two daughters Hannah and Myriam of Nazareth whom we know as Mary. Much later when Jesus engaged in his ministry, He also favoured the women who came to Him like the sinful women or the Samaritan woman who accepted to chat with Him at Jacob's well. With men God seems to have had a harder time throughout history; even with his own apostles.

Why do you think that is? When the religious leaders were scandalized at Jesus forgiving the sins of the woman they were accusing, Jesus explained that she had loved much. They may love wrongly, at times, but women are the first to give themselves in selfless love. Hannah and Mary are among countless women who open their mind, heart, and soul – even their bodies – to God and his will, ready to put all their trust in God for their past, their present, and their future.

When Spanish priests started the Cursillo movement, they insisted that men had to follow the retreat first. They knew that women would be far more willing to follow a retreat, to take the time and make the effort to open themselves to God and grow closer to Him. It is true that God our Creator has designed women for love and to love, with their whole being open to and motivated for loving attentiveness to others and wholehearted service to give and nurture life.

 God our Creator has designed us men with strength to lead, courage to fight, ability to organize, and the will to apply ourselves to hard labors; so that we might care for the Earth and the human family. We attend to things; while women attend to people. I am generalizing here, that is true. Men are capable of caring for people too, and women are capable of taking care of business. Still, it's true to say the world is a mess, and both women and men are in need of the Most Holy Trinity in order to get our act together and care better for our world. Please pray with me…

Prayer to St. Joseph from the Madonna House Apostolate for the Year of St. Joseph which just ended.

“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.” 

"Mary, our Mother, you made room for God within yourself, in your life, we ask your intercession, that by God's grace we also may make more room for Jesus in our lives." 

“Father in Heaven, like Mary and Joseph help us make more room for Jesus.”  “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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Good Morning. Today's Holy Mass is being offered by an anonymous donor to the Glory of God and in loving memory of Royden Lamwatt: a faithful Christian, a highly respected educator and a dear friend.

Sign of the + Cross       

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…. Brothers and Sisters, today Almighty God encourages us to trust in Him like the women and men of the Bible. 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 

This Live Daily Mass is a bold and courageous initiative to care for all of you when you are unable to go out to church every day. We are especially grateful for today's sponsor. Please support us with your daily prayers, Mass intentions, and donations. Salt + Light Media is especially in need of generous sponsors. 

Mother Mary, pray for us. 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

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 

Image from Divine Office .org

 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

Why are Christians persecuted? Many people deny God exists - the big shock will be after the moment of death. - Wednesday in the 34th Week in Ordinary Time, November 24th, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

 Gospel & Homily MP3 version             Homily PDF version 

There is no sponsor today for this Holy Mass; so I offer it for priests having difficulties. 

Sign of the + Cross                 Saint Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions

Good Morning. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…. Brothers and Sisters, today we remember 130,000 Vietnamese martyrs who died from the 17^th to the 19^thcenturies. We ask Mary Queen of the World and Saint Joseph to pray with us for all Christians persecuted for their faith in God.

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

HOMILY

Brothers and sisters, the Word of the Lord addressed to us today by the Most Holy Trinity is not about “Jolly, jolly, happy, happy!” Nevertheless, it is good news, because every word that comes from the mouth of God is good news for humanity. The Lord calls on us to consider a very hard question: “Why do people persecute those who are religious, those who believe in the one true God and who worship Him?”

Today we honour some 130,000 Vietnamese men and women, young people and children who were imprisoned, often tortured, and executed simply because they had the boldness to believe in God, to share their faith with others, and to worship the one true God. So, why are some people bothered by manifestations of faith and worship offered to the one true God?

They deny that God exists, or that there is only one true God of all Creation, or they don’t like the God believed in and worshipped by Christians. What will happen to them? We are told in no uncertain terms by Daniel what the outcome will be in every case. The King of Babylon or Chaldea, which is Iraq today, disrespected God publicly when he had his nobles, guests, wives and concubines drink from the sacred vessels his father had taken from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. God never turns down such a direct challenge; nor did He then.

The hand that appeared in thin air to write on the wall was a brutal wake up call for the king who was killed that very night. People think God is cruel and stingy like us, but He is not. God is love. God’s every action is an act of love, tough love at times, but still love. Those who die an unexpected sudden death are given time by God to open their heart to the divine mercy. Those who refuse God’s offer of love prefer to go to hell rather than feel indebted to God.

Death of itself solves nothing. People who choose to end their life prematurely rather than suffer here on Earth pass through the thin veil separating us from eternity, and they discover the shocking truth that they have solved nothing. They no longer have a body to suffer in, but now they cannot avoid suffering worse pains in their soul. Those who accept God’s mercy but need to be purified from sinful habits and material attachments will suffer in Purgatory until they are finally set free and are now ready and willing to enter into God’s radiant presence.

Father in Heaven, your plan for our life on Earth then eternal life after death is the best possible plan. Have mercy on all those bent on looking for a better solution than the plan you offer.  “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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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 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

God is a blazing fire of love seeking to purify our hearts to love more generously, more perfectly. - Wednesday in the 30th Week in Ordinary Time, October 27th, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

 Gospel & Homily MP3 version             Homily PDF version

HOMILY

Every word we hear from the Lord our God is a piece of a living puzzle which we are trying to put together. Most adult puzzles have 500 or 1,000 pieces, but the puzzle of our life contains at least 30,000 pieces – one piece for every day of our lives. Our Creator God is revealing to us many things about life, about God, about others, and about ourselves.

What is God? God is a divine being. We use words to speak of God, to try to understand something of God, but words conceal as much as they reveal. We don’t really know what a divine being is. We know that God existed before the Universe came into being, before God began bringing into existence his Creation. So, God is outside or separate from his Creation, outside the Universe. At the same time, God is present everywhere within his Creation. The Son of God tangibly came into his Creation when He took flesh by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb.

Who is God? God is a mystery of three divine Persons living in perfect communion of love since all eternity. We come to understand something about our Creator whenever we observe and contemplate his creatures: mountains and valleys, rivers and oceans, animals and birds, fish and insects, plants and trees, flowers and fruits. The abundance and complexity, the colours and shapes, the heights and the depths, the beauty and the goodness of Creation reflect the beauty, goodness, and truth of God, but God is beyond them all.

 The Most Holy Trinity is a burning furnace of love, the very essence of love, and a divine fire more intense than the hottest of stars. We cannot yet endure the full intensity of the burning love of God; so, God leads us into love gradually by inviting us to take steps of love: loving our family, friends, neighbors, strangers, and even enemies.

We love others in truth and reality by giving of ourselves, our time, our attentive listening, our compassionate feeling with them in whatever they are going through, our prayer, and our help. Authentic love is willing to endure the suffering caused by illness, wounds, persecution, torture, mockery, injustice, and death. Sharing in the sufferings of others brings them relief and gives life.

The more we pour ourselves out in life-giving love for others, the more the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit are able to pour themselves into us. It is deep within our soul that the three Divine Persons come to dwell with us. Outside of God, all is cold, lifeless, and dark. All who refuse to endure the pains of love dwell in that outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. “All my hope, O Lord, is in your loving kindness. Teach me to love as You love, O Lord! 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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(Today there is no sponsor for this Holy Mass.)

Sign of the + Cross                

Good Morning. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…. Brothers and Sisters, today, as we celebrate the Holy Eucharist in this cathedral dedicated to Mary Queen of the World, the Lord Jesus calls us to trust Him and allow Him to purify our hearts and form our spirits.

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

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

Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels. God continues to send his angels to watch over and guide us and defend us from the demons who seek our destruction. - Wednesday in the 26th Week in Ordinary Time, Sept 29th, 2021 - S + L Mass at MQW Cathedral downtown Montreal

  Gospel & Homily MP3 version                     Homily PDF version

There is no sponsor today for this Holy Mass.

Sign of the + Cross                 Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael

Good Morning. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…. Brothers and Sisters, today we venerate the 3 Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael who were sent by God to help us, as we celebrate the Holy Eucharist in 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)  

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 

The Archangels by Marco d'Oggiono (Public Domain) via Wikipedia Commons 
View at Divine Office: https://divineoffice.org/?date=20210929&unique=1632922982.81

HOMILY

The heart of our human drama is what we suffer because of the impression that we are far away from God. This is actually an illusion caused by the damage done to our mind, heart, and spirit at the dawn of humanity when Satan the Accuser, the Devil and Adversary of God lied to our first human mother Eve and her companion and husband Adam, and they believed the lie.

This tragic and dramatic deception originated in Heaven, in the eternal Presence of the Most Holy Trinity; when Lucifer, the most luminous and beautiful angel, rebelled against God. He refused to be among those who would bow down and worship a human being not yet born. This man was destined by the Father to be the human life to be taken on by the Son of God later in time when the Virgin would conceive by the Holy Spirit. She was to call her son Jesus, a Hebrew name which means “God saves”. Other angels also rebelled and became demons.

The moment we human beings stopped trusting in God, we cut ourselves off, and the first effect was our feeling isolated and far from God. It is an illusion because it is impossible to run or hide from God. God existed before the Universe came into being; so, there is no place that can exist separately from God. However, to respect our freedom, God has made it possible for us, if we choose, to join with the demons and exist separately from God, in complete darkness and cold away from the light and warmth of his love and mercy. This is called hell. 

God does not desire the destruction of any of his creatures, which is why demons continue to exist. They are fallen angels who refuse to cooperate with the Creator God’s plan to give life and salvation to all of his creatures. They refuse to obey or to serve. Nevertheless, in spite of the demons’ rebellion, God’s power is so great that the Most Holy Trinity actually arranges for the trouble making activity of the demons to serve God’s greater purpose anyway. God also continues to send his angels to watch over and guide us. Let us be attentive and follow them.

At every moment that demons tempt or confuse us or lead us astray, the Holy Spirit makes these dark moments into opportunities for us to break the rebellion and, instead of turning away from God, to go in the opposite direction and turn directly towards God. In other words, God is making the demons’ trouble making activity into reminders for us to put all of our trust in God.

That is actually why we can rejoice and be glad in every trial and tribulation, in every temptation and even in sin, because all these experiences remind us how weak we are and in need of God’s mercy, forgiveness, and love. So, go to Confession and meet Jesus face to face.

O my Jesus, I trust in You. Mother Mary, pray for us. Saint Joseph, pray for us.

        Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, Saint Raphael, 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