English Translation of Homily

Listen with Faith

27^th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Wait with Faith : Mustard Seeds
Father Tobias Bekong

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Today we are invited to reflect on the theme of patience in our relationship with God, inspired by the readings of this 27^th Sunday in ordinary time.

In this world where everything is done rapidly, where we expect instant results, it is easy to lose sight of the importance of waiting.

Habakkuk, in the first reading, expresses a frustration which we all understand: “For how long, Lord, must I call for help before You hear?” He feels abandoned, helpless.

But the response of God is clear: even if justice comes slowly, it will come, and we must wait. This requires faith, a faith, even as small as a grain of mustard, can accomplish great things.

In the Gospel, the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith. They think the size of their faith is the key to obtaining rapid answers to their prayers.

But Jesus teaches that even a minuscule amount of faith can move mountains, or as in this case, pull out mulberry trees!

This reminds us that it is not the size of our faith which counts, but the quality of our relation to God. Hence what does it mean to pray with faith? It signifies, above all, to realise that He has His own timing. We pray, we hope, but we must also learn to listen.

Each prayer we offer is like a small mustard seed, sown in the soil of our faith. And when we pray together, we multiply these grains, thus creating a beautiful harvest of peace, of justice and love.

Dear friends, in moments of waiting, do not lose hope. God hears us. Each grain of faith which we plant is precious in the eyes of God. He calls us to pray, to hope and to remain faithful, even when the answers are slow in coming. So, pray together, wait with patience and let God germinate the grains of faith in our lives. We pray God to give us the strength to wait with grace, knowing that He will answer our prayer in His time. Amen.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

21 September 2025
Father Léo Durocher
25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Do we serve ourselves or do we serve others?

Brothers and sister in faith.

The words of Amos in the first reading, that we have just heard, come close to several realities which we still see today. The prophet denounces the injustices of those who exploit the most vulnerable. The cheats he describes resemble those we still see today! We will diminish the quantities, raise the prices and falsify the scales.

When we shop for food, we can see to what point the prices have risen. And we can see that the size of the packages has diminished. We receive less for our money. And this phenomenon, this way of doing things is found in the services that are offered. And sometimes these excesses are denounced and proven by commissions and inquiries.

In the time of Amos, those who exploited the poor went even further. As we read in the first reading, they wanted “to buy the weak for a piece of silver, the unfortunate for a pair of sandals.” They had the intention “even to sell the sweepings with the wheat!” Again, it is easy to make a link with what is happening today in our world. We can think of the migrants and of the refugees and of all of those men and women who flee misery and violence in their countries, and in their entourage. They want to be welcomed to ensure a better future for themselves and their children.

How many locals, for example, and we have seen this recently in Stanstead, exploit the people who have left their country at great expense, by charging them exorbitant prices? How many people, even here in Canada, are involved in human trafficking? Since forever, the powerful exploit the weak.

Through the voice of His prophet, God opposes with force this practice. “ The Lord ensures this through the pride of Jacob. No, never, will I forget one of the evil doings.” God does not simply not forget, He acts. As we read in the psalm “The Lord raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.

Thus, if God does not forget the poor, if He acts in favour of the exploited, how can we understand the parable in this Sunday’s Gospel? Jesus puts before us the scene of a manager who steals from his master. The latter, hearing of this, calls the manager, and demands an explanation of his management and fires him.

However, the manager thinks of a way to assure himself a future. Thus, by falsifying the bills of the master’s debtors and reducing the debts, he hopes to find a good welcome from them. Through fraud, he assures himself a future. In an amazing and surprising way, the master is pleased with his dishonest servant because he has acted with skill. And we can reasonably ask ourselves what is Jesus saying to us with this parable?

In fact, Jesus is not calling us today to dishonesty, nor to use others to enrich ourselves. Jesus is not calling us to be fraudulent nor to be liars with fraudulent stories in order to profit at the expense of others and institutions. Transparency, coherence, truth, humility remain the very important values in our life as children of God.

What Jesus invites us to live is ability. We can find all sorts of solutions to our material problems. We can imagine new ways to be happier on this earth. Jesus asks both men and women to be thoughtful servants as children of God. He is the One we are called to serve. Christ reminds us that we cannot serve both God and money at the same time. He adds: “One who is worthy of confidence in the least of things, is worthy of confidence in great things.” It is thus a matter of acting with what we have, of who we are, with what we posses in order to make others happier. It is also a matter of letting the Spirit of God act in us, in order to help us find new ways to increase the Kingdom of God, to go further in our search for God, , in this desire which we have to be true disciples of the Lord and messengers of the Good News. Jesus asks us today to not serve the god-money in our daily lives, but to truly use it in the service of God and our neighbour.

Jesus remains our model. Saint Paul recalls this in the second reading. There is only one God and also there is only one mediator between God and man: one man, Jesus the Christ who gave Himself in ransom for everyone. At certain times He waits for testimony. Like Him, let us give of what we are and of what we possess to serve God, He who raises the weak from the dust and who opens the eternal home. With this we participate with Him for the coming of a reign of justice on our Earth.

Thus, we will become, a little more, artisans of peace in this world so filled with international murderous conflicts and even local conflicts like that between doctors and the government! Guided by the Holy Spirit we try to build the Kingdom of God inaugurated by Jesus in His death and His resurrection.

Finally, we can ask the question, what does the Lord expect of us? Here is how Isaiah responds to the question. “Should we not share our bread with one who is hungry, welcome to your home those without shelter, cover him who is without clothing. Thus, your light will light like the auroras and your strength will return quickly. You will walk towards justice and the glory of the Lord will answer; if you call, the Lord will answer, ‘I am here’.” Isaiah 58, 7-9.

We pray that this celebration will be truly an act of grace for the gift that God the Father gave to His Son, Jesus, who as the gospel acclamation says. “Though Jesus Christ was rich, yet he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich”. Amen, Alleluia.

Translation : Hugh Gwyn

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
14 September 2025
Father Tobias Bekong

Today we are celebrating the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which marks the triumph of Jesus on the Cross.

The day recalls the discovery of relics of the true Cross by Saint Helen, the mother of Constantine, in 320. Subsequently, the Emperor constructed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Calvary, which was consecrated on 14 September 335.

In the time of Jesus, no one thought to associate the words “triumph” and “cross”. However, this feast proclaims the triumph of life over death, of love over hate and mercy over sin. It celebrates the good news, that God has transformed the tragedy of Calvary into a triumph for all of us. Through the Cross, love and mercy embrace us all.

In the first reading (Numbers 21:4-9) God heals the Israelites, who complain of the serpents in the desert. The second reading (Philippians 2:6-11) reminds us that Jesus “is humility, becoming obedient even unto death, death on a cross”.

In the gospel, in His response to Nicodemus, Jesus cites the example of the bronze serpent raised by Moses in order to save the Israelites being killed by serpents. In the same way, Jesus announces that He will save the World by His death on the cross.

We must honour and venerate the cross, and carry it on us as a reminder of the love of God and of the price that Jesus paid for our salvation. The cross of Christ is a powerful symbol of love. It shows us the face of the love of God. There is no greater love than that of a person who is prepared to die for another.

The cross also symbolises pardon for our sins. Jesus on the cross pardoned the good thief. He took on Himself all our sins and conquered sin, death and the power of the Devil forever. Furthermore, the cross represents self-abandonment for others. It often signifies suffering. The true cross which we carry can come from nature, sicknesses, or result from our own negligence.

We must bless ourselves with the sign of the cross in order to remind ourselves that we belong to Jesus Christ, and in order to honour the Holy Trinity. The crucifix reminds us that we are pardoned sinners and that we must pardon others and seek pardon when we hurt others.

We carry our crosses with love, like a wife who nurses her paralyzed husband, or her sick child. We pray for those who carry heavy crosses, like the sick in their terminal phase, or in emergency care. Lest us draw our strength in Jesus, who carried His cross and sustains us with ours. Amen.

Translation : Hugh Gwyn

22^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time
31 August , 2025
Father Léo Durocher

Humility and altruism (let’s pray!)

Brothers and sisters in the faith.

The first words of the first reading say: ”My son, accomplish everything in humility.” Several categories of people show us that they have chosen this road of humility. In municipalities here in Quebec, there will be elections in the autumn. Already several incumbents have announced that they will not seek re-election. Many testimonies tell that they did not seek re-election for the glory, the honours and the fame, the first places, but in order to serve the population humbly. The same desire to serve humbly is seen in public health, education, social services, pastoral services, sports, and other fields. Another example are parents! How many parents also choose the path of service and of humility in order to fulfil their mission to help their children to come to the life of an adult and even further? We often hear it said: There is no magic recipe to become a mother or a father, nor perfect parents.

Humility is always necessary to allow relationships to go that much further. Misunderstandings, poor decisions, mistakes, disagreements, we will always have. But the willingness to serve and to love is always there. The well known song reminds us of this: “Like the One who lays the table, Like the One who puts on the apron. He rises each day and serves with love, like Him.” And each of us can decide humbly to serve others and with this fulfil the great commandment to love: “Love God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself.”

For several weeks, the reading of the Word of God suggests paths to live our lives as children of God, to allow us to join fully, we hope, one day the great feast being celebrated in the house of the Father. Today, we are invited to give humility the first place, although so often we are disappointed at not being recognized, appreciated and loved despite the fact that we love profoundly.

We must live in humility in order to realise most profoundly, that we are human beings, limited, weak, imperfect, that we do not have the monopoly of the truth, that we have not yet come to sanctity. As the Gospel says, we are often the poor, the hopeless, failing in faithfulness, and in love. And at times we are the cripples, the hesitant stumblers on our way to the House of the Father. We are hesitant to take the right road in daily life. And often we are the blind hesitant to raise our eyes to the realities above, preferring to look only at our little selves and our profound deceptions. To live in humility, to recognize what we are: the imperfect called to perfection, mortals called to eternal life.

Jesus invites us today to be humble and to care about the welfare of others, that is to say those in our lives, persons who live near us, with us and those who live who live in great suffering, including violence, war, famine, conflicts of all sorts, solitudes of all sorts. ….

And Jesus Himself gives us the example of a life animated by humility and the needs of others. He, the Son of God, born in a stable, disparaged by all, seeking the whole of humanity. He, Jesus the servant, who welcomes and who humbly accomplishes the will of the Father. He, the Pastor, goes to the smallest, the poorest, to the sick, to His lost sheep, the rejected, the condemned for all sorts of reasons.

He, the Word of God, who follows our humble ways, comes to stimulate our faith, our hope, our confidence in God the Father who loves us with an infinite love. He, the King of the universe, stripped of everything, crowned with a crown of thorns, nails in his hands and feet and a cross for a throne. What humility in the heart of Jesus, what concern for each of us in order to give us our dearest desire which is to live eternally happy!

What humility there was in the life of Jesus, He who wanted to be present and living in our lives despite our weaknesses, our imperfections, our desires for glory, for domination! What humility in the life of the Lord, He who chose to be the mediator of a New Alliance, as we read in the second reading. Mediator between His Father and all the children of the Father, created in His image and likeness. Through His mediation, through the offering of His life, Jesus opened the way for us, which allows us to come to God, and to receive, we hope, eternal reward.

To be sure, our roads are not always safe. Often there are traps, obstacles, cracks and holes as on a certain Autoroute, and places where we are obliged to stop and not proceed. There are also routes in us being repaired, to give us hope of greater proximity to Jesus and with our neighbour.

It is for us to recognise that Jesus comes to each of us each day inviting us, inviting humanity, as He did for others. It is for us to decide each day to go towards Jesus in order to realise that we are children of the earth; for us to act as children of heaven, to come, saved, to the Heavenly Jerusalem. We are not God. We are children of God, that God who gave us everything, life, growth and being, as it says in one of the prefaces. It is for us today to bless the Lord because we have received from Him His mercy and His Pardon. It is for us to recognize that His presence and His love are found in each person whom we meet and who walk with us toward the House of the Lord. It is for us to humbly recognise that the way of giving, of service and of love that we try to take each day, will allow us to find grace before the Lord, as it says in the first reading.

That Jesus, kind and humble of heart, sustains us to be His humble witnesses and messengers! That Jesus, kind and humble of heart, helps us to be more fully, in this time and in this Holy Year, travelers of hope animated by the desire that our hearts become more and more like His own. Amen.

Translation : Hugh Gwyn

21^st Sunday of Ordinary Time
24 August 2025
Father Léo Durocher

The door is open to everyone (Let’s hope)!

Brothers and sisters in the faith.

In last week’s Gospel, Jesus shared His profound desires, inviting us to make them our own. He spoke to us of intense fire, of this great dream for each of us, which He carried in His Heart. He confessed His deep desire to receive an agonising baptism which would happen through His death and resurrection, which, however, would save humanity which had fallen into sin and death. And finally, He discerned already the division which resulted from His presence and His message.

Today, Jesus invites us to reflect on our eventual entry into the House of the Father. The same question that was asked of Jesus could be asked of us. “Lord, are there so few people who are saved?” What will happen to us when we close our eyes on the realities of this world? Is it true that there is life after death? Is it true that we will be judged worthy or not to enter into the House of the Lord? Can I believe all that Jesus said on the subject of pardon, of salvation, of mercy, of the great desire of the Father to welcome us some day into His house?

We certainly have the desire to be welcomed. We try to do our best to do the will of God, in order to practise His great commandment to love. However, there are times in our society, our surroundings and even among our families which can cause us to doubt the faith which we have in the words of Christ.

How many people today do not believe or no longer believe? How many people closed the door of their hearts on the life which follows death? How many have their eyes fixed only on the realities of this world? How many doubt even the existence of God, of His goodness, of His justice, of His love? Violence and wars between countries – as if the two Great Wars did not give us good lessons such as we read in the second reading; desolation, poverty, misery, famines such as we see in the Gaza Strip and elsewhere in the World – “I was hungry and thirsty and you did not give Me anything to eat or drink”; isolation, solitude, hopelessness in our societies: you have eyes and you do not see, ears and you do not hear, a heart and you do not love or only slightly. We could multiply the circumstances which would only show that the questions asked of Jesus are sill with us.

The first reading from the Book of Isaiah recalls, in its way, the great dream of God which is to assemble all Humans with His love. “I come to gather all nations, of every language. They will come and see my glory: I will give them a sign which we can identify in Jesus Himself.” We will come from everywhere to the House of the Lord. Many will welcome this great dream which God holds in His heart and they will be reflections of this. The whole world is saved, thus there is no reason for commandments, nor work to do each day. Hell will not exist; the whole world will go to Heaven. There is no reason to worry. Let us take advantage of this view now.

But what is Jesus saying to us today? “Make the effort to enter by the narrow door, because I say to you, many will seek to enter and will not succeed.” We all know the importance and usefulness of the doors in our houses, of cars, of buses, which get us to work etc. So many doors to open and close, little doors or big ones, doors to our classes, doors which open to different universes, etc. Jesus offers us entry by the narrow door, which means that our entry into the house of the Father is not automatic. Jesus did not leave us with a great commandment for pleasure but rather an invitation to put into practice his commandment to love.

To love is not only a dream, a desire, a song, it is above all a road to follow, a truth to welcome, a life to live every day by making correct and peaceful gestures and by welcoming all those who surround us by doing all we can to contribute to their well being. In order to go through the narrow door, it will be necessary for us to have in hand the right ticket, with our words, and especially our acts of love, of charity, of generosity, of service, and of participation. And Jesus goes even further in reminding us if we have eaten and drunk in His presence, that even if we have received His teachings, our going through the narrow door is not assured.

What the Lord wants with all His heart is to welcome us and to offer us eternal happiness, but He also demands of us to go to Him in hope of the coming of His kingdom. It is for us to be His witnesses and messengers while paying attention to all the signs which are given to allow us to conform to the will of God so as to live our daily life better, a life that is full of events both happy and difficult. The Lord invites all of us to pay attention to everything that happens to us.

The second reading provides a lesson on how to live as a better individual and as a better disciple of the Lord. Every event that we live carries a message, a lesson of life, but we rarely ask: What is that the Lord wants to say to me today, as I live and want to live? Opening our heart, the Lord will always give a response.

During this celebration, the Lord comes to remind us that everything is possible for Him because He is the door by which we enter the house of His Father. He reminds us also that He came to save all humanity and that He is always disposed to welcome all of us so that we can enter into the House of the Father.

Thus, He reminds us that with these signs and lessons which He gives us, He depends on each one of us to be His witnesses, His messengers, His disciples who do not fear to undertake renewed efforts, as Saint Paul says, in order to do what God expects of us.

Jesus said to us: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 Amen.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

20^th Sunday of Ordinary Time
17 August 2025
Father Léo Durocher

Things are going to be shaken up!

Brothers and sisters in the Faith.

The Gospel, which we have just heard, touches on the reality which we are living. In the first instance we are speaking of “fire”. Right now, several Canadian provinces, from west to east, are caught with destructive fires, and several countries in the world are suffering from heat waves far beyond normal producing fires. And this is what Jesus said: “I have come to bring fire on the Earth and, as I have said, it is already burning.” What is Jesus saying to us?

We well know, a fire can destroy nearly everything in its path along with human beings. Jesus came on Earth to reveal to us, to tell us, the will of God which can be summarized in the great Commandments, which we were reminded of not long ago. You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and all your strength, and all your intelligence, and your neighbour as yourself.

But we know that the human being has a tendency to want everything explained, to find the ways to live the “commandments”, to ask why, and to go into all the fine details so as to live in the love of God and of our neighbour. At the time of Jesus, a good Jew had to live some 613 points of the law.

While dreaming about the observance of the Law, we are putting aside and even forgetting the essential, the most important, which is to love. We must light a fire so as to destroy all that is secondary, less important, in order to allow the ashes of this fire to come alive again, to allow the true life of God, which is found in each of our hearts, to purify us, to grow and to bring all its fruits that are but love.

In the heart of Jesus there is such a desire to see human beings welcome His words and live those words, such that He is sad and hurt to notice the slowness of humans to see the realities from above and to put themselves in motion on the roads which lead to God and goodness. The heart of Jesus is filled, inflamed by the fire of love: a love for His Father and love for us. And Jesus knows what path we should take to be truly happy.

It is up to us to let the fire of the love of God destroy and remove all that distances us from God and from others. We must let the Holy Spirit illuminate, support, nourish this desire to be the artisans of our rebirth each day, of the rebirth of our interior life, to live our faith better in confidence and hope.

Jesus is saying to us today: “I must receive a baptism today and what an agony it is until it is accomplished.” As we know, Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist at the very beginning of His public life. He received from God His Father the confirmation that He was His son, truly loved, in whom He put all His love.

Today, Jesus speaks of another baptism, which for Him is a source of agony, of fear, of sadness and, we can say, of stress, because it would not be easy to live with. The baptismal waters which were poured on our foreheads erased our original sin and allowed us to welcome a new life, the life of God, eternal life. The Baptism to which Jesus alludes to in the Gospel, is in reference to His death and His resurrection. Anxiety and fear, we should remember: “Not my will but yours.” “Why have you abandoned me?” “I put my spirit into your hands.” “Everything is accomplished.” But He also knew that with the gift of His life on the cross, He destroys death and sin which had entered into the world and which continues to mark us.

The Letter to the Hebrews invites us to see Jesus on the cross, to be filled with a sensibility in the face of all that Jesus suffered, to find in Him strength, courage, determination in order to welcome and live in serenity and peace all that might appear heavy and a source of suffering, pain that tears us apart. We are invited to make the effort to let die in us all that distances us from God and our neighbour, with all the help from above. The Second Reading is explicit: “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood In the fight against sin.”

It is not easy to die against sin. But with our eyes fixed on Jesus, who is the beginning and the end of faith, we can run with endurance, the tests which come to us.

And so, Jesus says to us: “Do you think I have come to bring peace on Earth? No, but rather division.” Jesus does not want violence, war, divisiveness, conflicts of all sorts. The Feast of Christmas recalls this: “Peace to men of good will.” “Blessed are the artisans of peace.” “Peace be with you.” On several occasions, Jesus said to us that He has come to give us a message, to reveal to us, the great dream of God to see all the children of the Father living in love and peace.

However, His message is not always well received nor understood by humans, who we are, and not even by His own disciples. We can see that His words are full of goodness and authenticity, of truth, of mercy which could sow division depending on the interpretation of each of us. Human beings do not always adapt to the dream of love and peace which God proposes for us. As we well know, we are divisive beings, there is in us a wish for peace and harmony, but we frequently think of acts of violence and war, and of vengeance. We want to live in serenity and love, but so often we fall back on our desires for power, domination and selfishness.

We hope for eternal happiness and life without end but often we choose that which is evil and could lead to death. We are divided in our core. How many families experience and live divisions, separations of all sorts as well as those provoked by our attachment to Christ. So was Jeremiah in the First Reading, who experienced and endured all sorts of suffering because he was the Prophet of the Lord and denounced the inadequate actions of his fellows and of the leaders.

Many families and divided communities can also fall into divisions. And what can we say of our world? The presidents of the United States and Russia did not succeed in an agreement on a ceasefire and on peace agreements. The division persists. The war continues. The conflicts are present on Earth, even here in Canada! One can think of the Air Canada strike, though of a lesser significance, that cannot be resolved by the Canadian Government with a back-to-work order.

It is for us to be artisans of peace and unity. It is for us to welcome and respect each person whom we encounter and more particularly those who are different from us and who do not necessarily share the same faith. The Lord does not ask us to go to war, but quite the opposite. Rather, He asks us to not be afraid to speak and show our attachment to Christ in our everyday gestures. Jesus invites us to make evident and concrete our mission to be His witnesses and His messengers, while living in the confidence in Him and in the hope of eternal life.

Let us ask the Lord to come to our assistance, as it says in the Psalm, because He is our Liberator and our Saviour. Amen.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

19^th Sunday of Ordinary Time
10 August 2025
Father Léo Durocher

Stay dressed for Hope!

Brothers and sisters in the Faith.

Last week the first reading said to us: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity”. “Search for the realities from above, it is there that is the Christ.” And Jesus says in today’s Gospel that we are invited by Him, to gather our riches not for ourselves, but to be rich in the sight of God. But how? By putting into practice the great commandment of the love of God and that of the love for the other, and at first those who are near us.

Today the words of the Gospel which we have heard reinforce our reflection on what is truly essential, fundamental, important in our life today, in our voyage in life here below. There are two paths to follow each day: to have Faith, to take care of our faith which helps us to advance in our life and to remain awake, vigilant in everything that we have to live, and to be in waiting for Him who will come one day to invite us to spend our Easter Day, to live this day of waiting not in fear of being found lacking, but rather to live this waiting in joy, in the hope of being able to recognise, to be able to see with our eyes He who comes. He who has come to save us.

It is thanks to grace, as we read in the Second Reading. And we could put these words, which have animated the life of all those men and women who have preceded us. Thanks to faith, Abraham and Sarah welcomed the promise of the Lord of a son who would assure a descendance so long desired by them who believed profoundly that God is faithful in all His promises. They did not doubt God and His promises.

Thanks to faith, we have taken the road today to come and listen to the Lord who comes to renew His promises to each one of us. Thanks to the faith, we are assured of the presence of the love of God. We are certain of the Word of Jesus: I am with you all the days till the end of the World. Thanks to faith, there is a road before us, a way, a promise which tells us how to be, what to do so as to arrive at the house of the Father. Jesus invites us to be rich in the sight of God and to everyone that our faith will lead us to every day. Thanks to faith, we can understand that God comes to our rescue at every instant, if we wish so, to help us to live fully, to love totally, to share unconditionally, to serve humbly and to go forward freely at any moment, accomplishing the will of God in our voyage here below.

Thanks to faith, the People of Israel, as we saw in the first reading, could fulfil the promise of God to free His people from the servitude of slavery imposed on them by the Egyptians. It is thanks to the faith that the Hebrews had in their hearts, that they ate their meal in haste, that they recognised that their salvation was offered them and that this would come to be by crossing the sea and by walking to the promised land, even if this if this was not at all easy going. They lived these days of liberation in joy and thanksgiving.

All of this was possible thanks to faith. Thanks to grace we can also recognise the presence of the Lord in what we experience. We know our daily life is not always easy. Pain and suffering are often with us, fears about our futures and the future of our violent world prevent us from advancing. Our lack of confidence and transparency in our relations with others and many other things lead us to doubt the love that we thought eternal; the loss of jobs, employment, the lack of material and psychological resources may make us doubt the promises of happiness which the Lord talks about.

Remain vigilant, remain awake because a lack of faith in God the Father, a lack of love of Jesus our brother, a lack of hope in the Holy Spirit can prevent us from going forward and from working to be rich in the sight of God.

The Gospel reminds us of the words of Jesus which invite us to be vigilant, and to be always ready to meet Him and to open the door of our heart to Him, Jesus who is there, Jesus who is here now, Him, Jesus who comes to nourish us with the bread transformed into His body. Jesus Himself who has changed into His role of a servant in order to undertake the will of His Father, who wanted to save us at all cost from sin and from death.

And Jesus invites us to keep our eyes open, to not succumb to all the temptations which are presented to us and which can distance us from what is essential, fundamental in our voyage here below. We must be vigilant, pay attention to what we are living, not in fear of missing our “rendezvous” with God or to be recognised as guilty of indifference. To be attentive to the return of the Lord, to live in joy and hope of the meeting with Him, who has revealed all His love. We must be vigilant always, with an awareness active and joyous like children who count the days before Christmas, like the people who await and hope for the recovery of their health. See this waiting in joy and hope, like a couple who count the days before their celebration, like the future spouse at the church or elsewhere who awaits the arrival of his loved one and is overcome by the one who comes to this encounter.

It is this sort of encounter of vigilance that Jesus suggests to us in the Gospel. To serve God and others, not from fear itself, nor from fear of not receiving our final reward, but rather to serve God and others by remaining in hope as we read in today’s readings.

Furthermore, Jesus invites us, even if it is not always easy, to dress for service and to carry out our mission to be His witnesses and messengers, in joy and in hope. Today, as Saint Paul suggests, let us recognize that it is thanks to the faith that we can work to be rich in the eyes of God.

And we must constantly remember the word of the Lord: “Keep watch, remain ready: it is at the hour least expected that the Son of Man will come.” Amen.

Translation: Hugh Gwyn

18^th Sunday of Ordinary Time
3 August 2025
Father Léo Durocher

Let us Profit from Life!

Brothers and sisters in the Faith,

Since the end of June and more particularly during the last two weeks, thousands and thousands of people of all ages welcomed summer holidays to take advantage of being able to live in another way. One that is more relaxed, without a fixed schedule, freer, going on trips, visiting family and friends, participating in festivals, etc… It is good to take time to regain our energies, to “recharge our batteries”. The Lord Himself, during the creation, made the seventh day, a day of rest for all the work that He had done. We all know, even if we’re retired, our schedules are full with appointments and meetings of all sorts and with family affairs, and so on. And it is with this that the author of the First Reading began his reflection saying – Vanity of vanities, all is vanity! Not only is it vanity in the sense of pride, or superiority but especially in the sense of futility, emptiness, deception.

The readings for this Sunday invite us to stop and reflect on what is important, fundamental, essential for us here and now. We rush, we rush about without stopping, we’re reacting to all sorts of things, we’re stressed, we take medications in order to take it easier, we’re afraid of not succeeding in dealing with everything that is on our “plate”, we work for hours and hours to the end of our physical and mental strength, and for what? In order to give ourselves the impression that we have succeeded in our personal, family and professional life, in order to acquire all sorts of things for our comfort, in order also to be able to take several days off as holidays and also to possibly have a nice retirement.

However, at the end or our time here below, what will remain of all of our doings during those several tens of years? And in the Gospel, Jesus brings us to reflect on the profound sense of our life here below. There is a song which says that life is so fragile. We do not know when nor how we will close our eyes on the realities of this world because of our age, our health, of an accident: no one knows for sure.

Sooner or later we will have to live our departure from here below and as Jesus says in the Gospel: “What you have accumulated here below, who will have it?” In the past I have witnessed violent disputes about inheritances around the coffins of deceased persons! It is not easy to see and hear. The same thing occurs during the reading of a will where divisions and jealousies can develop. Jesus says this in the Gospel: Guard yourself well against all avidity, because the life of someone, even one well off, does not depend on what he possesses. This reminds us to be rich in the sight of God and the popular saying puts it differently: One’s safe does not follow the hearse! even if hearses are much less popular than in the past.

What is Jesus saying to us when He says: “Be rich in the sight of God?” It is not that the Lord would be opposed to, that is be against, riches, against success, against all material success in this world that He puts at our disposition. Rather, Jesus invites us to avoid making this an absolute, to not live our lives as though only material wealth was the most important, the most essential. Jesus invites us not to not think of ourselves, of our success, our wish for power, for domination, but rather to develop day after day our desire to see the persons who surround us, to see each person to have a certain happiness, a certain well being. Riches in the sight of God means putting into practice the great commandment which we were reminded of several weeks ago: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your intelligence and love your neighbour as yourself.”

These are not just fine words which come from the heart of Jesus, but truly a commandment to practise each day because there are many, very many people here and in the world who live with unfulfilled needs. There is thirst and hunger in Gaza, no peace in Sudan, no security in Ukraine, in Libya, in Haiti. There is the need for presence, for nearness, for comforting for so many older persons left alone…… Rich in the sight of God : we recall the words of Jesus: “Each time have done something for one of these small persons who are my brothers, you have done it to Me.” Rich in the sight of God : we must turn our eyes towards God and others as Saint Paul invites us in the Second Reading: “Search for the realities above: it is there we will find Christ sitting at the right hand of God. Think of the realities above, not of those of the Earth.” We are the children of God since the day of our baptism, we are the disciples of the risen Christ called to witness to Him and as Saint Paul wrote: “Search for the realities from above so as to allow Jesus to act according to who we are!”

Throughout this celebration we must not hesitate to ask ourselves what is most important, the most essential in our lives? Is it the realities of the here and now or the realities of above? Is it the 40-60-80 years of life on Earth or is it an eternity truly happy which presents itself or which opens to us? That Jesus wishes to give Himself to us in the word and in the bread, which will become His body, to help us take the way of sharing and of love, this way of life, which will carry us, if we are faithful, to the house of the Father where we will live for ever in eternal beatitude.

We must remember every day that our life on the Earth will have an ending because it is so fragile, but also and especially because our life with Christ Jesus will be without end. As it says in the Acclamation in the Gospel: “Happy are those humble of heart, because the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs”. AMEN.

Translation: Hugh Gwyn

16^th Sunday of Ordinary Time
20 July 2025
Father Léo Durocher

The Importance of Hospitality

Brothers and sisters in the Faith.

Since the end of classes at the end of June and especially since last Friday with the construction holidays, work time is on pause. Freedom, rest, trips, visits with friends, parents, and neighbours; meals at home, work to do at home, many live this reality in the coming weeks. And there are festivals of all sorts.

During this vacation time, welcomed by many, the readings of the Word of God are appropriate because they speak of the hospitality when we visit friends or parents or receive visitors who knock on our door.

The first reading presents us with three visitors who come to Abraham. The three visitors are often associated with the three persons of the Trinity: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Abraham, who was always vigilant, and was not only preoccupied with himself, ran to meet these three persons, anxious to receive them properly, doing everything possible so that the three of them could refresh themselves, rest and eat to help regain their strength.

During this summer time when there is more travel, trips, reunions of all kinds, we are invited to be attentive to all the persons whom we might meet. We are invited to see further than just appearances, to see with the eyes of the heart. The Word of God invites us to do our best to favour, to live a certain community of spirit and of the heart with those who come and who, like the three visitors of the first reading, might be sent by the Lord to speak to us, to give us a sign and to recall that He is there fully alive at the heart of our lives.

Let us remember “Each time you have helped someone, it is I that you have helped. Each time you have offered a simple glass of water to one of these little ones, it is to me that you have given it.” Thus, whenever someone comes to us, we can if we want to recognise the Lord, who has come to visit, who comes to offer His words, who comes to us to nourish our life of faith, stimulate our hope and help us to undertake our mission to become truly disciples of the Lord.

The three visitors in the first reading came in the name of the Lord, to bring good news to Abraham and Sara who will soon welcome a long desired son. Surely, this good news created hope, happiness and love in their hearts. Even if there are encounters which are sometimes difficult, even undesirable, and Jesus had several with the Scribes and the Pharisees, the Lord invites us to be welcoming, caring and hospitable.

In the Gospel, Jesus visits Mary and Martha, just as friends come to visit us. Martha is preoccupied, worried with serving. She surely wants everything to be perfect in order to please the Lord, while Mary is at the Lord’s feet, receiving joyfully the words from the Master. It is not that Jesus wants to put His two precious friends, Mary and Martha, in opposition, nor does Jesus want to put in opposition the contemplation which Mary has in Jesus in comparison with the action, the mission of Martha which is to prepare a good meal and to organise the service along with it. Jesus invites us in this text of the Gospel, to understand these two “scenes” are important, Like Mary, we have come today to listen to the word of the Lord, this Lord who comes to our meeting, who comes to visit us, this Lord who comes to offer the words of eternal life, this merciful Lord who recalls for us, just last week, the great commandment of the love which is called every day to be translated into words and actions. It is each day that we are also called like Martha to serve the Lord and to be at the service of our brothers and sisters. Is it not Jesus Himself who calls us? “I have not come to be served but to serve, and to give my life in ransom for the multitude.”

It is thus every day and especially in this time of holidays that we are invited to practice our welcoming, our hospitality, our goodness, our friendliness with all the persons whom we meet. In doing this, we have in mind that it is possibly the Lord who makes Himself present and living and who appears to us. And let us remember also that every day we are invited to be ready to be at the service of the most poor, the smallest, the sick, the suffering, the isolated, the itinerants, at the service of immigrants and refuges, as is so important these days.

Another way to live our mission as witnesses of the Risen Christ and messengers of the Good News is to be offering hospitality to others. This is the message of Saint Paul in the second reading. Listen to the words of Jesus to make them more concrete and visible in our daily life. As Saint Paul says himself: his mission and our mission consists in bringing to ourselves and to those whom we meet, His good news, the news that Christ is among us, He who makes us followers of hope.

We pray that this celebration will sustain un us in our mission to be witnesses of Christ who comes to us today, to offer us His word and nourish our faith, our hope and our charity. And that this celebration helps us all this week to be like Abraham, like Martha, like Saint Paul, to be of service of God and others and more particularly to be of service to our visitors and of service to all the people in our entourage.

As the theme for this Sunday puts it, we must be aware that in the foundation of our hospitality, it is the Lord who comes to visit us. Amen

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

15^th Sunday of Ordinary Time
13 July 2025
Father Réjean Champagne

You will love

The biblical texts for this Sunday speak to us of the great commandments of the love of God and of our neighbour. In the first reading, Moses recalls for the people of Israel that this Law is not beyond our strength nor beyond our reach. It is inscribed in the hearts of man even those who do not know it. Before becoming visible, God was a voice capable of reaching us so close to our hearts.

Here then is the great commandment of the love of God and neighbour. The Scribes and the Pharisees discussed it endlessly. For them, the neighbour was someone who was close. The injured man beside the road was an outcast. The two religious leaders passed him without looking. They did not want to become impure with the blood of the man: such an impurity would prevent them from celebrating the liturgy in the Temple. However, today Jesus shockingly overturns this mentality. We cannot truly honour the Lord if we abandon the excluded in their sad situations. The love of God must include the love of the other.

In this Gospel, the “believers” are not shown in a good light. The only one who Jesus gives us as a good example is the Samaritan: he is an excluded person. He is part of a group who have a somewhat pagan religion. But the law of love of which the Gospel speaks is also written in his heart. He stops; this makes him close to this man. The neighbour is he who reveals goodness toward the wounded. Addressing the religious leaders, Jesus makes clear that fine words are not sufficient. What comes first is the reaction to do everything to help the injured person and to revive and recall his dignity.

However, when reading this Gospel, we must take one more step. Jesus is not there to give us a lesson to assist people in danger. Fathers of the Church saw in this injured traveler a man abandoned, a man of sin. The brigands are hostile forces who lead us away from God and lead us to misfortune. But there, a Samaritan “arrives on the scene”! Jesus descended from Heaven: He took pity on us. The Samaritan’s wine and the oil represent the sacraments instituted by Christ.

Thus, to love our neighbour is to love Christ, who makes Himself close to us. It is also to love the Church, because “Christ is the Church, it is all one.” Christ is my neighbour; He took care of me, He put me on His wagon and brought me to the Church. Thus, I owe Him all my thanks. Following Him, I must be close to all those hurt in life to serve them. It is through our love that we are recognised as disciples of Christ.

To love like Christ, we must turn to Him. Saint Paul (second reading) says that he is the image of the invisible God. To understand his letter, we must remember that Paul is addressing Christians who come from a pagan world; they believe that they are subject to mysterious forces! This is often the case in our time: the more that the faith diminishes the more that superstitions take their place. It suffices to see all that is written about death, destiny horoscopes and all sorts of good (or bad) predictions. But as Saint Paul says, no “power” can overcome the sovereignty of Christ. It remains for us to be the Good Samaritans to look for and help those who are lost.

Our responsibility is to achieve this creative work of God. There are always numerous reasons for not doing it: I haven’t got time…. I don’t know those people. …. You have to be wary of the unknown….!” As a result, we risk missing the most important meeting of our life. Through the poor, it is Christ who is there. Remember also the Gospel of the last judgment (Mt 25): “I was hungry… . I was sick… . I was a stranger… . And you (or you did not) welcome me.” In telling us the parable of the Good Samaritan, Christ wanted to urge us to fulfill our lives with the love which is in Him and so make us the neighbour of those whom He introduces into our lives.

There are many who have followed Christ on the road. Saint Vincent de Paul followed this all his life; it was the same with Mother Teresa, Sister Emmanuelle and many others. All of these people send us this message: “ What do you do for the poorest?” There is no lack of organisation for the fight against misery. Christians are very present: each of us can find a place to help.

Today we pray to you, Lord: Help us to become like the Samaritan who was filled with pity and helped the wounded. Help us to resemble Jesus, your Son, who made Himself to be with each of us.

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Homily – 14^th Sunday of Ordinary Time
6 July, 2025

Father Léo Durocher

Brothers and Sisters in the faith.

Last Sunday, the Church celebrated the feast of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul. These were two very different men because of their origins and their mentalities. But they were two men who met the Risen One Who confided to them much the same mission, which was to be His witnesses and the messengers of the Good News of Salvation. Saint Peter carried out his mission primarily among the converted Jews of the First Alliance. Saint Paul worked among the pagan nations.

Both of them, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, died as martyrs for being faithful to Him who had chosen them to be His apostles and to show Christ by their faith and their love. We remember the question that Jesus put to Peter! ‘Do you love me?’ And the question of the Resurrected to Paul: ‘Why do you persecute me?’ Saint Peter professed his faith to the Lord by saying ‘You are the Son of the living God.’ Saint Paul at the end of his life here below, said ‘The Lord helped me, He filled me with strength, He saved me and allowed me to enter into His Celestial Kingdom.’

Last Sunday we remembered Peter and Paul, apostles and pillars of the Church of yesterday, the Church of today, of the Church of tomorrow. Surely, they will come in aid to Pope Leo XIV in his work, in his mission. And in today’s Gospel, this same Lord from all the disciples, designated 72 of them and sent them 2 by 2 to prepare the way that He Himself would take. Thus, the seventy-two left and they accomplished the mission they had received. That mission was no different from that received by Peter and Paul. That same mission is conferred on us today. We are the disciples that Jesus has chosen. Since the day of our baptism, we are inscribed in the heart of our Father in heaven. Since the day of our First Communion, we are ‘one’ with Jesus, we are present and living in the heart of Jesus. Since the day of our Confirmation we are animated and strengthened by the Holy Spirit in order to undertake the same mission as that of the seventy-two disciples who represented the seventy-two nations known on Earth at that time.

To witness to Jesus Christ and to be His messengers has never been easy. Some days might be a bit easier, other days more difficult, causing more suffering. Just think of Jesus who was not always very welcomed and received. He lets this be understood in the Gospel. The disciples would live the same experience.

The mission which each one of us has been given cannot live, cannot succeed in silence, in inaction, in idleness. Our mission consists in saying/declaring to those around us our faith in Him, who has given us Life, that which we are. He gave us this Earth, this nature where we live and the persons who are with us. God, our faith, our confidence expressed in our words, the words that come from the heart, that which is the Christ for us, and what He does for us in the reality of each day. To say our faith, to express our attachment to the Lord, to recognize with aid of the Holy Spirit the numerous signs which are there before our eyes and which say that the Lord is living, acting in our present reality!

And it is the same Lord who is undertaking the mission with us. We must remember: Jesus is with us every day until the end of time! He knows that in this world, which is our home, the mission is not easy, even more so now that the religious and missionary vocations are decreasing. This is why He asks us in the Gospel to pray to the master of the harvest to send workers for His harvest. In political words, we are all the ministers that Jesus has chosen to do our small part in the advancement of His Kingdom. We need not fear a ‘Ministerial reorganisation’ such as M. Legault has announced for next autumn. We will still be there and be the chosen of God, in order to continue our participation and our service to Christ for the Reign of God to come into our world.

In this mission, the Lord commits Himself to be there, to sustain us, as we heard in the first reading: ‘Be full of joy, you will be nourished, refreshed with His consolations, you will taste, in abundance, the delicacies of His glory.’ It is not easy to declare our faith, loudly and clearly, our hope and our love of God and our neighbour. But we are not alone. God is with us. If we are faithful to Him, the Lord will always remain faithful. ‘Like a mother who consoles her children, I will console you’, as we are reminded in the first reading. The Lord will make known His presence to His servants. To be sure that at times in our lives, we leave the silence and prayer which prevents us from expressing our faith and showing our love. At times it may happen that we look only at the material realities, thus forgetting the realities of the Kingdom and ignoring the calls of the Lord. But we must recall the words of Saint Paul in the Second Reading: That which is important in our voyage here below is to be a new creation. Our eternal future is not in this world, our eternal future is to be found in Heaven. The cross which we have may be very heavy to support at times. It might be harmful for us, trying us as it did the body of Jesus. However, if we allow Christ to guide us, fortify us, nourish us as now, we will be in the home of the Father.

Desiring to be part of the mass which we are offered by the Lord, we are invited to put all our attention, all our energy to witnessing the faith, all our words which speak of Jesus, all our acts which reveal Jesus to those around us. The Lord reminds us: He sends us like sheep among the wolves and we know that to render witness to the truth of the Gospel is not something self-evident in this world. Often, we can have someone turn a back on us, laugh at us and religion, ignore us, pretend to be listening and even just shut the door!

Jesus invites us to stay on the road and to go elsewhere if they do not wish to receive us or to listen to us. It is for each one of us to realise that by our small means, by our witness of faith, the reign of God comes closer. And we always remember that if we do our best each day to work at the mission that has been conferred on us by the Lord, our names will be inscribed in the heavens, as it says in the Gospel.

Today and during all this week, let us also remind ourselves of the words and of the benediction that Saint Paul addressed to us: ‘That the peace of Christ reign in our hearts: that the Word of Christ live in us and in all its richness.’ Alleluia, Amen.

Translation: Hugh Gwyn

Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul
June 29, 2025
Father Tobias Bkong

Theme: “Unity in Diversity: the example of Peter and Paul ”

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today we recall the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, two emblematic figures of our Church. The story recalls that even these two, who seemed so different, could be unified in a common objective.

At first, Peter and Paul were not friends. Peter, the preacher and Paul the persecutor, had both undergone personal trials and struggles. However, their meetings with Jesus transformed them. Paul changed persecutor to apostle, the result of a divine experience on the Road to Damascus.

These two men, so different, in the end gave their lives to Christ. Their martyrdoms at Rome teach us the true grandeur of love comes from love of God and others.

Their example incites us to recognize our differences all the while uniting ourselves in our common mission: to announce the Gospel. In our Church today, we are often confronted with diverging opinions. Some prefer a traditional Church, others prefer a more modern way.

However, like Peter and Paul, we are called to rise above these divergences. It is essential that we work together in our witness to the love of Christ.

We must remind ourselves that unity does not mean uniformity. Our differences might well enrich our community. In unifying our forces, we can overcome the challenges and build a better world.

Let us pray that like Peter and Paul, we will flourish in the love of Jesus and work together for His glory.

We pray that our diversity becomes a force for our Church, and that we remain united always in our mission of love and service. AMEN.

Translation: Hugh Gwyn

Sunday of the Holy Sacrament
22^nd June 2025
Father Justin Ndoole

The mystery of the faith is large – This is how the liturgy puts it in order to show the place of the Eucharist in our Faith.

In fact, Jesus is the accomplishment of the High Priest and of King Melchizedek, who has no beginning and no end. He becomes the emanation of peace and justice so that Melchizedek describes himself as the King of “Salem”. Thus the naming of “Shalom” in Hebrew and of “Salaam” in Arabic is in order to indicate the Peace which the Eucharistic Supper brings.

During the Supper, Jesus manifests His real presence, as recorded in the Gospel of Saint John, “He loved His people in the world and He loved them utterly.” From which the manifestation of the Infinite love of the Father through the sacrifice on the cross: “Body offered and blood poured out for you.”

The Eucharistic is linked to the peace we are offered at the end of mass when we are told: “Go in peace.” It is this which links the Eucharist to the mission to go and share this with the whole of humanity. The Eucharist and reconciliation go together. This brings us to the fundamental YES of Adoration and Contemplation of the Eucharist in all our churches.

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

The Ascension of the Lord
8^th June 2025
Father Tobias Bekong
“The Spirit of Surprises”

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today, we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, a feast which reminds us that God often acts in our lives in ways that we do not expect.

In the first reading, we see the disciples gathered, fearful and uncertain. Suddenly a powerful wind was heard and tongues of fire appeared. This shows us that God can transform our moments of anxiety into moments of revelation and of joy. We live in a world where we search for what is predictable. Each day, we have our plans, but how often are those plans upset?Transportation disruptions, floods, the unanticipated things of life remind us that we cannot control everything. But in these moments of disarray, the Holy Spirit calls us to see beyond the ordinary.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus enters the locked room where the Disciples are gathered. He does not knock at the door: He simply appears. His presence transforms the fear into peace. This reminds us that even in our times of our greatest fear, Jesus is there, ready to bring us peace and strength. We have recently seen how, during the Conclave, the Holy Spirit guided the Cardinals to choose a new Pope, Cardinal Robert Prevost. Few people knew him, but it is there that the beauty of the work of God resides. He often chooses those whom we have not anticipated, presenting leaders and witnesses to the faith in unexpected places.

The second reading reminds us that the Spirit of God abides in us. With this presence, we are called to confront the challenge of life with courage. The interruptions and surprises can become the occasions of discovery of the love of God.

During this Pentecost, let us open our hearts to the Spirit. His gentle breath inspires us to speak the language of love, to bring comfort and healing around us. Let us be ready to welcome the surprises from God, because it is often in the unexpected that we find His grace. Amen.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

The Ascension of the Lord
1^st June 2025
Father Léo Durocher

Remain in the City – The Ascension of the Lord

Brothers and sisters in Faith. If we are attentive to understand our everyday reality through the eyes of faith, the Lord gives us beautiful and clear signs of His love and of His presence and His love. Yesterday afternoon I animated a celebration of life, a celebration of homage for my sister Diane. During Holy Week, (3^rd to 9^th of April) my sister suffered a great deal caused by a tumor in the brain, which grew and came out of her left eye.

After three operations to reduce the size of the tumour, there was nothing more that could be done. Despite this, she offered her heavy cross to the Lord and on Good Friday she abandoned herself to the will of God. On the 20^th of April, Easter Day, my sister died and with Jesus Risen, she came to the House of the Father, there where there is eternal light and life in fullness. With another coincidence, the celebration of her life, could not occur until yesterday, the 31^st of May, the Feast of the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth! Thus, closing the month of Mary, the most beautiful month.

Yesterday afternoon, we gave my sister into the safe keeping of our Lord who would bring her to the Lord’s House. These events are difficult to share with you: Holy Friday, Holy Week, Easter, the Resurrection of the Lord and today the Ascension of the Lord. I am convinced that the Lord accompanied my sister during her last moments and lead her to live this passage from the present reality to the world of God. Having lived this Pascal time, we thanked the Lord for having put a limit to her great suffering, we opened our hands and our hearts that she could continue her way with Jesus and take her place in the home of God.

Today we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. Having celebrated the Resurrection of the Lord, after having said our acclamations to our Father in heaven, our praises, our alleluias for the most beautiful and the greatest news which is the Resurrection of Christ, here is Christ Himself preparing His disciples for His departure. His departure, which will allow the Father to give us the gift of the Holy Spirit, He who will help us to remember all that Jesus did and said to His disciples during the three years He spent with them. Today, the First Reading and the Gospel remind us of the event of the departure of Jesus, to rejoin His Father and our Father.

This departure of the Risen Christ to Heaven must certainly have left His disciples with sadness and pain to see Him depart, with doubts and insecurity about the future, and fear faced with the authorities of the time. We might well feel these same sentiments when a dear person leaves us. Nothing is the same after such a happening. Our times of friendship, our times of love are so often interrupted by the death of a loved one. The relations which we have with our deceased men and women often remain very different. Often the distance is felt strongly. It was surely like this with the disciples of Jesus when the cloud came and they could no longer see Jesus, as we heard in the First Reading. Or again when Jesus was carried away to Heaven as we heard in the Gospel. A difficult departure might have been difficult for the Apostles, but a departure which follows the word of the Lord becomes a source of faith, of confidence, of hope and of joy. This is because Jesus himself gives the Apostles the task to continue the mission, to render living His words of life and truth. He even assures them that a force will come from above to illuminate their hearts.

The Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, leaves us with a beautiful and great message: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and to the extremities of the world”. Christ confers on us, gives us the same mission and He also assures us of the coming of that strength, which is the Holy Spirit, who resides in each one of us. Why? Not to have us just looking up at the sky, not to be in tears at His departure, not to be constantly complaining of our state of health, of the state of the world, so worrisome, so troubled, not for us to go and hide and live in fear of great calamities.

Why does the Spirit come to us? It is in order that we become the witnesses of Christ risen, so that we can recall the words of Jesus, be attentive to the words and the gestures which come from others and who speak to us, and which show us Jesus; to welcome and bring and identify the numerous signs that the Lord gives us and which tell us that He is present and living at the center of our lives.

Why does the Spirit come to us? The Spirit comes in order that we can become witnesses of the risen Christ. To tell us who Jesus is, and to live this each day. To be the witnesses to the risen Christ, not only by our words, but also by our concrete gestures, and our everyday gestures. We recall the words of Jesus: It is not those who say “Lord, Lord”, who will enter the House of the Lord, rather it is those who welcome and who listen to the words and who put them into action with courage, frankness and transparency.

How many of the Lord’s words in the Gospel invite us to action, with courage, frankness and transparency? How many of the concrete gestures by Jesus in the Gospel incite us to act like Him. Welcome of others, respect, compassion, goodness, generosity, sharing, charity, love. To act like Jesus, that is to be His witness.

Today again, we are united together with Jesus who reminds us of our mission and who gives us the strength necessary to be with Him, the missionaries of the gospel and the pilgrims of hope. Jesus, as we know, stops each day to pray to the Father, to feed this relation of love and intimacy, which He had with Him and to undertake His will. We also, if we are to be truly the witnesses of the Risen, we have the responsibility to nourish, to strengthen our faith, our hope, and our love of God and for our neighbor. Prayers and actions come together to nourish others with the help of the Holy Spirit, to raise our eyes toward heaven but also to raise our eyes toward our brothers and sisters who cry out their need for presence, for assistance, for comforting, for charity. To be one of these witnesses, there is what Jesus asks of us in this celebration.

Also take the time now to give thanks, to bless God as the second reading invites us to go to Jesus, who accomplished His mission to save us and who is now in the True Sanctuary, as the Letter to the Hebrews tells. Let us continue without doubt to affirm our faith, our hope in Him who will always be faithful, the Christ resurrected, the Christ living forever. We constantly remind ourselves of the engagements of Jesus: “I am with you all the days until the end of the World.“ Amen. Alleluia.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Homily for the 6^th Sunday of Easter
Father Réjean Champagne
25^th May 2025

The biblical texts this Sunday prepare us for the great feast of Pentecost. They announce to us what is to come from the Holy Spirit for the apostles and for those who listen to their words. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles tells us of the good news which is spreading more and more and many pagans have converted to Jesus Christ. But a problem has arisen: people coming from Judea want to impose their practices received from the Law of Moses. But contrary to those who think negatively, the opening to the world is not to abandon the faith. The Church must be open to the newly converted. What is important is not to be faithful to traditions but rather to be faithful to Jesus Christ and to His word!

We must say it and repeat it: The Mission of the Church is not to preserve traditions, but to work with Jesus Christ who wants to save the World. We are all called to participate in this mission. It has been said that if a parish does not evangelize, it is a dead parish. We are all invited to return to the heart of the faith and to be witnesses in the world of today. It is the Holy Spirit who pushes us there. His presence in our lives and in our world comes and disturbs. It is not enough to respect one law and the forbidden things. What is proposed to us is to plunge into this ocean of love which is in God. If we do this, nothing can be as it was.

The text from the Apocalypse (2^nd Reading) also speaks of openness. In its way, it reminds us of the faith of Easter. The resurrection of Jesus opens a new and different world to us: we know that, in the biblical tradition, the City of Jerusalem is where God chose to live among us. Then, the risen Christ came to make us a people open to the four corners of the horizon: we must never forget this universal perspective.

The Gospel today comes to remind of just this, that what is most important is not to follow the rules or the traditions but to attach ourselves to Christ. He is “the way, the truth and the Life.” His words are those of “Eternal Life”. He wants us to enter into His intimacy with the Father and the Holy Spirit: If someone loves Me, he will keep my Word, my Father will love him, we will come to him, with him we will make our home.” This is what happens each time that we receive communion: God comes to inhabit us, we become the Temple of God.

This presence is much more effective than when He walked on the Earth in Palestine. It is not just Jesus, but also the Father and the Holy Spirit who come to reside in us. And if God comes to us, it is in the name of the love He has for us. This love goes beyond whatever we might imagine. We do not forget that Jesus said this on the evening before His Passion. He prepared Himself to deliver His body. And to spill His blood for us and the multitude.

These words of Christ are like a testament: they speak of His last wishes: keep His words and be faithful to them, even in the most difficult moments. Our love can only be a response to Him who does not cease to take the first step towards us. The only desire of Christ is to love each one of us as though it were His only concern. And He relies on us, that we be active witnesses in our words and especially in all our life.

We are baptized and confirmed Christians, we are sent into the world to transmit this flame. In this world, there are many marvelous things, gestures of extraordinary generosity. There is also much suffering: Peace is more and more threatened; numerous Christians are persecuted because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Nearly everywhere, we see the increase in violence, racism and exclusion. But we must not despair: this sick world is loved by Christ. He gave His life for everyone. With Him, we learn to see others as He saw them and to love them as He loved them. He sends us to be signs of His love by our words and our acts and our whole life.

In this month of May, we continue to turn to Mary, our Heavenly Mother. As at the wedding at Cana, she continues to say to us: “Do everything that He will say to you.” She was with the Apostles who prepared themselves to receive the Holy Spirit before their mission: she is also with us to invite us to welcome the gift of God. His presence comes to revive our faith, our deep link with Christ and our desire to follow Him on the road to the House of the Father.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Homily for the 5^th Sunday of Easter
Father Réjean Champagne
18^th May 2025

In the Gospel, Jesus says to us: ‘By this, everyone will recognize that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ We can do great things, even at the service of others, but if we are without love, we are nothing. We will only be recognized as disciples of Christ by the way in which we love among ourselves. Pope Francis has said that ‘Love is the identity card of the Christian… It is the unique document in order to be recognized as a disciple of Jesus. If this document expires and is not continually renewed, we are no longer friends of the Master.’

To understand better what Jesus wants of us, it is towards Him that we must turn. He has ‘loved us as we have never loved’. He went as far as to give His life on the cross. Today, He asks us to love others, ‘as’ He has loved us. He invites us to join in the way to love His brothers and sisters. This is only possible if we search how to become part of His school. To learn how to love is the task for every day.

Pope Francis has insisted often on this commandment. He reminds us that ‘only love will save us.’ We regularly heard his calls for the weakest. The whole Gospel is a message for the World. It is also a call to go against the current society which judges and condemns. We insult others before listening to them. Today’s Gospel is there to send us to the words and the example of Christ: ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ The words of Christ must be our sole reference, because they are words ‘of eternal life’. It is for us, a call to act like Him by our coming close to the poor, the excluded and to all those who are ignored by the world.

We recall that at the time when Jesus said these words, He had just washed the feet of His disciples. He, ‘Master and Lord’, put Himself at their service. It is an example that He gave them. It is not a matter to be repeated, but rather to quiet the tears and cries of all those who suffer. Again, it is by our gestures of love, of sharing and of solidarity with others that we will be recognized as disciples of Christ. We are sent into the World to announce the goodness of the Lord, His tenderness, and His mercy. This must be evident in our lives.

We see this missionary ardour in the First Reading (Acts of the Apostles). There we encounter Paul and Barnabas who announced this good news over and over. This was only possible because they were fully taken up with the Love that is God. They were drawn to remain with those who had converted to Christ. It was now time to organize their community life. Thanks to their witnessing, the good news of the Gospel spread further and further. But the most important, was the action of God in these communities. The mission was above all His work. And everything was done ‘with them’.

The Second Reading, from the Apocalypse, shows us the results of the resurrection of Jesus. It speaks of the ‘Holy City, the new Jerusalem, ready like a bride waiting for her husband.’ Contrary to what we usually hear, that the Apocalypse is a Book of Catastrophes, it is rather a Book of Good News. It shows to the persecuted Christians, the love of Christ, conqueror of evil and of death. Christ risen wants to associate all of us with His victory. Today’s text ends with this affirmation: ‘See, I am making all things new.’ These new things to which He is referring is the World filled with joy and love. There will be neither further suffering nor tensions. Rancour and hate will no longer have any place. There will remain only love, which comes from God, and who transforms everything.

This is the good news which we hear this Sunday. It is an immense scene of love which only requires that the whole community and indeed the whole world become part of it. We cannot witness to this unless we draw from the source of this love. To love is to extend God, it is to live in His way without excluding anyone. That which gives value to life is love that more and more resembles that of Jesus for each of us.

Each Sunday, Christ gathers us together to nourish us with His word and His Eucharist. He comes to give strength and courage to love like Him and with Him. It is this that gives value to a life. That all those who see our Christian communities can say: ‘See how they love one another.’ Yes, Lord be with us; fill our lives with your love. ‘You who are light, You who are love, put your Spirit of Love into our shadows.’

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Homily for the 3^rd Sunday of Easter
Acts : 27-32, 40-41 / Apocalypse 5: / John 21:1- 19
Father Tobias Bkong

“Respond to the Love of God”

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today, on the 3^rd Sunday of Easter, we are called to reflect on our response to the love of God, especially in the context of the recent events in our country and in the Church.

The elections have ended, and we thank the Lord for the peace that was so present. But this is only the beginning of our responsibility. As Catholic citizens, our role is to pray for our leaders, for peace and stability. This reminds us of the importance of living our civic duties with integrity and faith.

In this time, we have also and urgently to pray for the conclave which will elect our next pope. This moment is not only an administrative event, but is also an occasion to pray intensely, to ask the Holy Spirit to guide the cardinals in their choice. The church needs a leader who incarnate the Heart of Jesus, a Heart full of love and mercy.

In today’s Gospel, we see how Jesus, after a long period of hopelessness for the disciples, gave them a new opportunity, an abundance of fish! This reminds us that God is always near us, ready to bless us, even when we are tired and discouraged. Like Peter, we are invited to respond to Jesus: “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You”. This response is not just words, but a commitment to live in accord with that love.

In times of choice and change , whether it is in our country or in the Church, our response must always be anchored in love and in prayer. Let us pray that our next Pope, like the Good Pastor, will guide the Church with compassion.

In conclusion, while we advance, we are reminded that the will of God calls us to live with confidence. The grace of God will protect us on this road. Let us respond together with a “YES”, firm in the love of the Lord, and let us engage ourselves to work for a future full of peace and justice. Amen

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Homily for Easter Sunday
Father Léo Durocher
20^th April 2025

Enter into Life

Brothers and sisters in the faith.

This day which the Lord has given is a day of celebration and of joy as the refrain of the Psalm suggests. We are celebrating and joyful because it is Easter. Easter is more than a long weekend! Easter is more than an occasion to meet with the family and friends! Easter is more than a feast of chocolate and Easter eggs! Thus, I invite you today and the days to come to remember the symbolism of the Easter Egg.

Just as the life force of the chicken in the egg breaks the shell of the egg in order to be free, so the force and the power of life of Christ risen, moves and displaces the rock to allow Christ living to go out from the tomb.

Yes, Easter and all the pascal period are days of celebration and of joy because for us Christians this very Holy Day recalls to us the Resurrection of Christ. He knew death and the force of life and returned to live it. And again, the Sequence of this day recalls to us that Jesus comes to say to us that if we believe in Him, we are living beings for eternity. This Easter Day reminds us also that one day, that every day, we are invited to leave the shadows which arise in our everyday lives and go into the light which has come to illuminate us, and to go from our servitude to the freedom of children of God, and to go from sadness to joy, from hopelessness to hope, to go one day from the death of our body to its resurrection and eternal life.

Why are these passages happy ones? Because Jesus is resurrected, because Jesus came out of the tomb alive, because Jesus is with us every day until the end of the World. He promised this and He keeps His promises. His promises are not election promises. Jesus is always there till the end of the world. He is present and living in us. He wants only good for us! He does good for us. He heals in us all the things in us which prevent us from being happy and liberates us from all our prisons, as we heard in the first reading. Easter, a day of celebration and joy because we are living for eternity since the day of our Baptism when God the Father made us the gift of divine life, when Jesus made us His brothers and His sisters. The Holy Spirit helps us to be children of light which as Jesus says in His message of the Good News. He is witness of the immense love which God brings us.

Easter, a day of celebration and of joy, allows us to affirm our faith, our confidence in Jesus risen, by our words to be sure, but also by our acts, as for example our participation in this Eucharistic celebration. However, it is not always a feast and a joy. It is not always easy to express openly our faith and to show it. Not always easy to recognize all the signs that tell us that Jesus is risen, that He is living. Nevertheless, these signs are numerous. Think of all that is living near us, think of all the gestures of service and love that happen around us, especially the peace, the harmony, the mercy, which many hearts reveal. All this is the life of God which is manifest beyond all that is negative in our world such as violence, wars, divisions, conflicts, all the physical suffering, psychological, all the spiritual suffering such as solitude, isolation, and homelessness which so many suffer, etc.

Mary Magdalene, as we read in the Gospel, has lost someone who was very dear to her and she suffered greatly. She went to the tomb at early morning as we might, to sense a greater nearness with our lost ones. She saw that the stone had been removed. Without necessarily thinking that Jesus had risen, she ran to inform Peter and the other disciple that Jesus loved, of the situation. Peter had somewhat the same reaction as Mary Magdalene. He studied the state of the situation without pronouncing on what might have happened. Have we ever had a similar situation in our lives? Events of all sorts which have happy endings which we cannot explain, such as an unexpected healing, being saved from an accident, a collision with no loss of life, an unexpected success, a separation which ended in an agreement that seemed impossible, etc.

Like Mary Magdalene and like Peter we see the reality of the situation, but are hesitant to say it was a miracle, a sign from above. We hesitate to say, to profess our faith in God the Father, in Jesus, the divine source by which we live and to love.

And there is also the testimony of the disciple, he whom Jesus loved. He saw and he believed. He was the first disciple of the Lord to believe truly and openly in the resurrection of his greatly loved master. Because his heart was open and filled with love for Jesus, because for him the words of Jesus were the truth and they opened and brought life in abundance. He saw and believed that Jesus was raised from among the dead. And it is the same path that we are invited to follow today. To declare our faith in Jesus who came to accomplish our salvation. Let us allow to live in us He who triumphed over sin and from there over death.

We must profess our faith in Jesus, Son of God, who came and who wants us to come to an eternal future. To live our daily life searching constantly for the realities from above, there where He is seated to the right of God. As Saint Paul says in the second reading, “think of the realities above, not those from the earth.”

During this special year, a Holy Year, we are invited to be “pilgrims of hope”, that is to say “to be alive”, to be believers in the future, in the future of our humanity. To be and to live in confidence and hope because Jesus is here now, He who gives us His word, He who gives us the bread which becomes His body. To be and to live in confidence and hope, by opening our eyes and our hearts in order to see what He is doing in us and in others, so as to believe, He who wants to create with us a new heaven and a new earth. It is for us to allow ourselves to be surprised by the presence and the love of the Risen one and to share the hope which fills us so that we are all profoundly loved by God. That Jesus is now risen and that one day we will participate with Him in Glory as Saint Paul wrote. Let the Holy Spirit help us today and during all the Easter season to say and to say again: “I believe Lord, but increase in me my faith. Allow the Holy Spirit to help us to celebrate fully this day of Joy of the Resurrection of the Lord.” Amen. Alleluia, alleluia!

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Homily for Good Friday
Father Léo Durocher
18^th April 2025
Raise Your eyes Towards Jesus

Brothers and sisters in the faith.

Thursday evening, we celebrated the Last Supper of the Lord, the last meal which Jesus shared with His apostles. As His legacy, Jesus invited them to love God with all their hearts and to engage themselves with each and everyone. And so as to engage themselves on this path, Jesus began to serve them by washing the feet of His disciples and to give each of them some bread which became His body and with wine, which became His blood and by inviting them to repeat this meal in memory of Him.

After the meal, Jesus spent part of the night at Gethsemane placing Himself under the will of God. Undergoing sorrow and suffering in view of the events which would soon happen, Jesus said: Not my will but yours oh Lord.

Today we are gathered in order to remember these events to recall the last moments of Christ’s life, He who accepted to be arrested like a criminal, He who accepted to be abandoned by His near ones, He who was judged and condemned for words and gestures in disaccord with the Law, He who accepted to be whipped, crowned with thorns, He who accepted to carry the Cross on which He was nailed, He who accepted the nails and the spear and finally He who accepted death on the cross to offer the world the mercy and the pardon of God.

‘Not what I want, but what you want, Lord.’ Jesus, as we know, came to this Earth to live our daily reality. He lived happy moments just as we do. Think for a moment of His encounters, of His meals with His friends, His disciples. Think of Mary, Martha and Lazarus whom He saw as friends. He also lived more difficult times such as all His situations where He was not welcomed, when He was not recognized for what He was. Think also of the pain He experienced because of the slowness of His disciples to believe His person as well as His message. Think also of Judas who sold Him, of Peter who denied Him, of the apostles who abandon Him, and also of His way of the Cross which He took to His death for the salvation of the world.

Do we not also live moments which are painful, difficult, similar to what Jesus had to live? Pains, physical suffering, mental suffering caused by deceptions and lies, hypocrisy and falsehoods. Do we not sometimes live in the silence of God and say like Jesus: ‘Why have you abandoned me?’ Other situations might leave us sad, might increase the weight of what we have to bear: all the violence, the wars happening in the world, the uncertainty and the real insecurity we are facing. And added to this all the situations of solitude, of homelessness, of poverty, of rejection, of negative judgements of certain people around us, ….

Jesus is inviting us today to live our everyday life, accepting and welcoming each moment of our existence, not by refusing that which we cannot change, nor by rejecting the life which has been given to us, nor by reproaching God for all sorts things, for not having intervened in our favour, and so on. ‘Not what I want but what You want, Lord’ as Jesus said at Gethsemane.

We must accept our daily reality just as Jesus accepted His. Accept and ‘make ours’ our human condition, material and mortal, in order to go right to the end as Jesus accepted His and assumed our human condition. Receive and assume all that we are by engaging each day to change all that we can, for ourselves, for others without waiting for everything to come from on high, without any effort on our part. Accept and take on all that we are, by engaging ourselves each day to work to change all that we can change for ourselves and for others without assuming that all will come without any effort. We must accept and assume our human condition, material and mortal so as to be able to go to the very end of our passage here below. Accept, assume and offer to God each minute for our own existence, for our salvation and for the salvation of our world, which needs it so badly. Actually ‘All is accomplished.’ These are the last words of Jesus. These words will be our words when the moment comes to leave this world, which passes.

Our focus today is on the cross where Jesus is hung, our eyes are raised, they turn to Jesus, He who wants to help us to live well, moments of good times as well as moments of suffering and of death. Our hands can open just as the arms of Jesus on the cross – so as to welcome everyone who needs affection, pardon and mercy. Our way can move ahead toward all those men and women who are judged and isolated, mistreated, towards those men and women who need our monetary and material help such as the Share Bread Campaign. Our hearts might open when faced by this suffering servant in the First Reading, he who accepted the suffering and the rejections in order to serve those like Him. Our hearts may also rejoice and be joyful and celebrating, not because of the suffering and the death of Jesus, but rather for his victory over sin and over death, as it is mentioned in the second reading and as we will celebrate at Easter.

May the breath of the Holy Spirit move our hearts each day so that we can live as Jesus asks us in His testament, to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbour by being involved in his service.

Even if a lot of crosses which have disappeared from our public places, from our homes, on our streets, and even on ourselves, on the persons close to us, do not look away from the cross which we can see. On the contrary, raise our eyes towards the Cross, towards Jesus who has died on the Cross, so as to find in Him courage, strength and hope especially in all the difficult moments and suffering, which we have to accept, and assume, and offer.

Raise our eyes toward Jesus who comes to us to remind us that death is not the end of all things, but rather the beginning of another life, and life in all fullness! Let us raise our eyes toward Jesus, He the crucified, that we will remember that like Him, we have to see our own way of the cross, but this road leads us also, and especially, to the resurrection, to our resurrection. Amen.

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Father Léo Durocher
17 April 2025

Holy Thursday
Do this in memory of me

Brothers and Sisters in the Faith,

In the Second Reading, Saint Paul reminds us of certain things that Jesus said during the Last Supper with His apostles, a supper when Jesus made several gestures, which revealed much affection and intensity, a last supper with His apostles when Jesus spoke profound words, which revealed to them His last wishes, His spiritual testament. Among these words, Jesus said: ‘Do this in memory of me.’ Is this not what we do every year, remember our birthday, or our marriage, or one’s ordination or some other important event in our lives? Do we not recall the death of someone very dear to us? Today some people even ask for a mass to be celebrated on the day of the death of a dear one. And we can add many other examples from everyday lives where we remember some important event.

In the same line of thought, we can recall one of the Québec mottos: Je me souviens!

Today Jesus invites us to remember Him, His gestures, His words. He invites us, His apostles and disciples, to repeat again this meal where the bread becomes His body and the wine becomes His blood. He invites us, His apostles and His disciples to find in Him this very holy food which gives strength and courage, in order to undertake the mission received from Him and to be messengers of the Good News and witnesses of His love. His body and His blood are given to us in order that we be like Him, that is, servants of love, the infinite love which God brings to everyone. And this love, Jesus showed in a particular way, in the gesture of the washing of the feet of His disciples.

‘Do this in memory of me’. Jesus asks each of us to be like Him, to put ourselves in the service of God, to do everything we can to witness to Him, to profess our faith in words and gestures, to love, to pardon, to hope and to live fully even if this is not always easy. Jesus asks us to be like Him, to put ourselves at the service of our Father in heaven, and also of our brothers and sisters who are beside us.

Jesus, we know, was not content to speak of his Father. He became the servant of everyone by going to the people, welcoming them, respecting them, freeing them from their chains, curing them of their illnesses, forgiving them their sins, filling their deepest hunger and thirst. Today Jesus asks us to lower ourselves while raising our brothers and sisters, to not take ourselves for other, for more than we are, to not think of ourselves superior to whomever. He asks us to do all we can so that everyone will be able to find in Him, in Jesus, the way of love, the way of purification, the way of mercy and of pardon, the way of service, the way of hope and of life.

Jesus does not ask to consider ourselves ‘masters’. We have but one Master who is the Lord as the Gospel tells us. It is for us to act like the Master, that is to wash the feet of one another. ‘This is an example that I want to give you so that you will do, you also, as I have done for you.’ With this gesture Jesus reminds us also of this other saying: ‘I have not come to be served but to serve and to give my life in ransom for the multitude.’ To serve God and our neighbour, not out of obligation but rather out of love. To serve God and our neighbour, not for our personal glory but truly for the glory of God. To serve God and our neighbour in memory of Him, He who is Lord of His people when they were living in Egypt in servitude and slavery as the first reading reminds us.

The Last Supper reminds us also of the quick last meal that the Hebrews had before leaving Egypt. To serve God and our neighbour, words imprinted in the hearts of every one of us and more particularly in the hearts of people whom God has called to His service in becoming priests. To serve God and to serve our neighbour, words and witness that Jesus left us on the Holy Thursday, feast of the institution of the Eucharist, and also feast of the institution of the priesthood.

What we celebrate today is a meal, a very simple meal where Jesus comes to give Himself in all truth. It is not just a piece of bread that we receive, it is Jesus who gives Himself. He did not say this represents my body, this represents my blood. Jesus gives Himself as nourishment, just as God gave to the Hebrew People, the nourishment they needed to get to the Promised Land. A memorial for us to recall the liberation of the Hebrews and the exit from Egypt. A meal which recalls the gift that Jesus gave of Himself to His apostles and also to each of us and also a promise to renew each day so as to become like Jesus, a servant of God in order to complete our mission given to us by Him which is to be messengers of the Good News and witnesses of His love.

On Holy Thursday, can we remember constantly that Jesus gave us a gift of Himself each time we assemble together in order to celebrate the Eucharist; and can we also be Christ-like through an act of grace for all the marvels that God does for us and more particularly for Jesus, servant of all. Grace which comes to us through His word, through the bread which becomes His body and through the wine which becomes His blood, an Alliance new and eternal. Amen

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Father Réjean Champagne

13 April 2025
Sixth Sunday of Lent
Palms and Suffering

Brothers and Sisters in the Faith,

With today’s readings, we are invited to live this Holy Week with confidence and hope first of all, and also in the mercy and forgiveness which God offers us.

With confidence and hope in God. Jesus knows lies ahead for Him. He resolutely takes the road to Jerusalem towards the last moments of His life. Even if he was acclaimed for a brief moment, Jesus knows that He will be left to Himself, that He will be arrested, judged, condemned, stripped, nailed to a cross, and He will return His spirit to His Father.

He is recognized because He was the one who came in the name of the Lord, because He healed, freed slaves, performed miracles. Jesus, the suffering servant in the first reading from Isaiah, will undergo atrocious suffering, both physical and moral. But He also knows that after this time of great testing, He will know the glory of resurrection as Saint Paul tells us in the Second Reading.

Our daily life is not necessarily easy, as we all know. There are days full of light and well being, joy and love, which can be looked forward too. But there are also more dark days, grayer ones. Days of storm and great physical suffering, spiritual, physical and psychological. Think of the sickness and death of relations and friends. Think of those separated and abandoned, of those abandoned to solitude, to isolation, to poverty. Think of the 520,000 persons force to leave the United States. Think of all the persons who will have to bear the consequences of violence and wars, ….. . Our road, our path here below is often, indeed is very often a way of the cross whereas Jesus has invited us to put all our confidence, all our hope in God, who is always there He who comes quickly to our aid, as it says in the Psalm.

God will never abandon us. But nevertheless, things happen to us, there are times when it is not all that easy to offer to God that which is difficult and a source of suffering in our lives. Does it not happen occasionally: Why me? Why have You abandoned me? At the heart of this Holy Week, let us put our confidence and our hope in Him, who by the gift of His life does not cease to show His presence, His love and His compassion.

And it is in His Mercy and His pardon that we are invited to live during this week, which is unlike other weeks, a week when Jesus invites us to walk with Him in order to arrive at Easter. For whom did Jesus come in order to accept the will of the Father, to become the suffering servant and ultimately to live this way of the Cross? Quite simply, because He wants to see us living in in eternal happiness. To be sure, we find ourselves in darkness, living in hopelessness, living by our egoism, the realities of our life, our sins, separating ourselves from the love that God brings to us…. .But one of the last things Jesus said continues to be heard today and during all this week ‘Father forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.’ Jesus Crucified offers us the mercy and the forgiveness of God. We must become conscious of our bad choices, to recognize them and to ask the Lord for forgiveness for all that has separated us from Him and from our neighbour. And in particular, that we may welcome the mercy of the Lord and to offer our brothers and sisters who may have offended us the same pardon which liberates us and liberates others.

Let us live this Holy Week with confidence and hope, in the mercy and pardon that God offers us. When our heart is not well, when our life makes us suffer, when our near ones abandon us, when our path becomes a way of the cross, we must not forget the Way of the Cross that Jesus experienced, a way of the cross which led Him and which leads us to Easter.

During all this Holy Week do not leave Jesus to walk alone. Let us follow the road He took, the only road which leads to Easter, the only road that lead to Life, to Eternal Life. AMEN

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Father Réjean Champagne
6 April 2025

Fifth Sunday of Lent
To cultivate hope and to be careful in our judgements

The bible texts for this Sunday reveal to us a God who wants to free and save those who were lost. The Prophet Isaiah (1^st reading) is addressing a people who have just experienced a long period of captivity. He announces good news to them: today God intervenes in order to save His people. Thus, they will be able to return to the Promised Land. The desert that they have to cross will be furnished with oases; we have to see here that God can give again life and hope to the most arid hearts.

This good news concerns all of us today: in this world of ours many live without hope. It is into this world as it is that we are sent. Our mission is to make known the Source of living water, that which makes the deserts flourish, those of our family, of our life and of the world. This inexhaustible source is the love which is in God. It is from Him that we are invited to fill ourselves each day.

In the second reading, Saint Paul writing to the Philippians gives us his witness. His encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus resulted in a radical inversion of his life. At first, he had been a radical defender of the Jewish Law. He pursued the Christians and imprisoned them. However, after his conversion, he had no other ambition than to ‘know the Christ’ and to ‘come to the resurrection of the dead’ by ‘participating’ in the sufferings of Christ. It is a gift which God gives us in pure mercy. It is with Him that we will find the strength to liberate ourselves from all that confines us to ourselves.

The Gospel of Saint John shows us the mercy that liberates. Last Sunday, Jesus spoke in a parable, that of the Prodigal Son. But today we see Him confronted with a very real situation: they brought to Him a woman guilty of adultery. Her accusers were scribes and Pharisees, experts in the Law of Moses and known for their religious fervour. According to the Law of Moses, the women should be stoned. However, in turning to Jesus they were attempting to trick Him. If He refused to condemn her He would be in contradiction of the Law of Moses, and if He condemned the woman, He would be in contradiction of the mercy that he was preaching.

But Jesus turned the ‘cards over’: He opened a new case, that of the accusers. ‘He among you who is without sin, let him be the one who throws the first stone.’ While Jesus had the politeness to lower His eyes, they each examined their consciences and …. withdrew. There remained but one man without sin, Jesus; He alone would have the right to condemn, but He did not. ‘Nor do I condemn you, go and sin no more.’ The threat of death disappears, the road of a new life is opened for this woman.

Reading this Gospel, we can think of all the scandals, great and small. Some are known only within a family circle. Others are broadcast in the papers, television and on the Internet Thus the tongues can wag! To be sure we no longer kill such sinners by stoning! But we do sneer and point the finger at whoever is at fault; we only try to increase the person’s bad reputation. We leave no way for the person to save face.

Thus, we have to return to this word of Christ: ‘He among you who is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone.’ Before God, we are all poor sinners. Before giving advice to others, we are invited to take the pebble out of our own eye. That pebble is our pride, it is our contempt of the person who sinned. Behaving like this, we go against Christ who has come to seek and save those who were lost. It is with love for them and for the whole world that He died on a cross. Make no mistake, sin is the wrong which we must struggle against with all our strength. But the sinner is someone that must be healed and saved. He must receive our help so as to find again his place in the community of Christians. A Christian life is a constant struggle against the forces of evil. In this combat, we are not alone. Jesus is with us in order to show us the way. Mary is also there; as at the Marriage at Cana, she says again: ‘Do everything which He tells you…’ Dip into the Well of Him who is Love… Be the witnesses and the messengers of His mercy in the world of today. If we really want this Lent to be a time of liberation and hope, there is but one commandment: love as Jesus loves. A PrayerLord, on this Sunday, we have come to You with our desire to welcome your Word and to let ourselves be changed by it. You can change our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. We pray that your presence will bring us the joy to help, to support, to console, to heal and to love. We pray that your Word becomes our Light for our world and that your Love will bring relief to all those who suffer.

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Father Réjean Champagne
23 March 2025
Third Sunday of Lent

Time of Love and Caring

Brothers and Sisters in Faith.

The Gospel speaks of the severe difficulties that can happen to one: the Galileans are massacred while they are presenting their gifts to God and eighteen people are killed when the Tower of Siloam collapses! And so what of us, we can think of all the catastrophes which strike our world, storms and floods which arrive regularly, victims of violence, of plane and car accidents. In the time of Jesus, we thought of these events as due to the sins of the victims. And what of us, we often hear people, who are suffering severely, say: “What have I done to the good God that I must undergo such suffering?”

However, the Bible often says in different places, that God is not for nothing. Misfortunes are not a punishment from God for our faults. Therefore, why is there so much suffering? In the Bible, we find Job, who asks this question in a very pointed way; he enumerates the answers which man has provided since the world began. Job’s near ones tried to make him understand that if he is overpowered by so many difficulties and sufferings it is because of his sins and so he must live with the consequences. However, the conclusion is clear: suffering is not the result of sin. God wanted him to understand two things: Firstly, it was not for him to control these events; secondly, he must live with all that comes his way without ever losing faith in his Creator.

Faced with the massacre of the Galileans and the catastrophe of the Tower of Siloam, the disciples turn to Jesus to ask of Him a clear answer: He is categorical: there is no link, there is no link between sin and suffering. On another occasion, he is asked the same question concerning the man born blind: who sinned such that he was born with blindness? He or his parents? And Jesus responds: Neither he nor his parents!” Thus, Jesus leaves open the difficult question of suffering and personal sin. One thing is certain, God is love. He is certainly not a judge without a heart.

We see in the first reading and in the letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, that He saw the misfortunes of His people and He calls on Moses to liberate them. The same God sees all the misfortunes which fall on the shoulders of men and women and children: and He continues to call us to build a world more just and more loving, a world open to sharing and welcome of the other. Our God recognizes Himself in the one who suffers, who is hungry, who is the stranger. In the poor, it is Jesus whom we greet or reject: As He said to us: “Every time you did this to the least of mine, you did this to Me.” Mt 25)

Thus it is an urgent call that is sent to us in this time of Lent. We must take very seriously the words of Jesus: “If you do not convert, you will perish like them.” No, this is not a threat, it is not God who will cause us to perish; it is we who will go to our end. It is for this that Christ asks us now not to put our conversion off until tomorrow. Death can come without warning. The greatest danger is eternal death. That which separates us definitively from God. We are each invited to convert, to change our way of being, to turn away from our sins. Jesus only wants our happiness for us. He looks to us to have a happy and fruitful life. But if we refuse to listen to His call, we will accomplish our own downfall.

Jesus develops His teaching with the recounting of the fig tree which produces no fruit. For three years, the tree produces no figs and risks being cut down. The gardener asks for a delay of one year so that he can give it the care necessary so that the tree can produce healthy fruit. Today, it is we who are the gardeners who must bring joy and pride to our Master, Our God is impatient to give us the best of Himself, and He shows great patience as He awaits the return of His lost children.

Since the 9^th of March, we’ve entered into Lent. The Lord waited for this time with avidity. His only desire was to enter and thus reign in our hearts! This can happen as we open our hearts. He wants to do this more than we do. When men and women and children turn to God, when they find prayer and the sacraments, when they continue to share with the most deprived, Lent is for Him the true occasion of joy.

Let us Pray: Lord, thank you for this opportunity which You give us. Blessed are You for your love, your patience, your mercy. Help us to understand your call to conversion so that we turn to You. Be with us so that we are always true witnesses to your love in the World today. Amen

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Father Léo Durocher
16 March 2025

Lift Up Our Hearts

Brothers and Sisters in Faith.

Today we have come here together. Like James and John, we have responded to the call of the Lord in order to send our prayers to our Father for this world in which we live, a world troubled, divided, subject to all sorts of decrees and tariffs, a world of negotiations without end, etc..

We have all set out from our homes to take a path with Jesus which climbs the mountain and which brings us closer to God. Our preoccupations are perhaps numerous but our undertaking on this Second Sunday of Lent lifts us up towards someone whom we know so little, but who loves us with a love both infinite and eternal.

This week Jesus invited us to go into the desert with Him in order to understand who we are. Like Him we are the chosen ones of God and like Jesus we carry a Word which distances us from all those who might try to separate us from the true Life of the Kingdom of God. We must remember that it is by the Word of God that Jesus sent away Satan who tempted Jesus with the temptation of ‘having power, glory and security’.

Today, Jesus climbed the mountain in order that He would be taken up by the love of the Father who transfigured Him. His face became other, and His clothing became so bright that they could not keep their eyes on it. We remember that before experiencing this event of the Transfiguration, Jesus announced to His Disciples that He would be rejected, condemned and crucified, and that He would resurrect three days after His death.

The Disciples, too preoccupied with their way of reacting and thinking, had understood nothing of the deep meaning of the words of the Master. It often happens for us to live the same thing: we do not always welcome what others have to say about us, because we are too focused on ourselves. It often happens that we do not always say to others what is on our minds. ‘Remember, you have ears but do not always understand. You have eyes, and you do not see. If you did, you would take the road to conversion.’

Jesus, before He undertook His difficult and demanding mission to save the world, climbed the mountain to come near to His Father. He lived this unique experience which gave Him the strength to continue to the end of His mission. It is always good in moments of testing to recall happy moments, moments when love and light were foremost. And the Father came and reminded Jesus who He was: this is My Son, He whom I chose: Listen to Him. This is an important moment for Jesus who allows Himself to be seen for who He truly is: The light of the world and the salvation of humanity as it says in the Psalm. This is an important moment for Jesus, who is in discussion with Moses and Elijah who represent the Law and the Prophets of the Old Alliance.

Jesus continues today, to say who He is and to reveal Himself! He continues to let Himself be known by all that we live. Each time that we withdraw to pray as Jesus said to us on Ash Wednesday, each time we come to celebrate His presence, His word, His love and His power, when we come through the door of this place, every time we contemplate the marvels of creation, Jesus is knocking at the door of our hearts to remind us that the Lord is there with each one of us as on the day of our baptism. He is reminding us that He made the same alliance with Abraham as we read in the first reading. Jesus promises us life, life everlasting, as we recall from Saint Paul in the second reading.

We are not only citizens of Earth. We are above all citizens of Heaven. Jesus promises to transform our poor bodies into images of His Glorious Body. Jesus also promises to be present in all that we have to live. He promises to never let us fall. He promises to strengthen our faith, our hope, and our love in order to help us to live fully, to love fully in the difficult times we might have to live. And the promises that Jesus made for us are not empty promises, they will come to be!

Four invitations were made for us for this week. The First comes from Abraham. ‘He put faith in the Lord and the Lord said that he was Just.’ To have faith in the Lord, is to leave Him the governor of our life. This time of Lent invites us to raise our thoughts, our hearts to the Lord. Saint Paul can say again today that there are many people who work only for the realities of the earth. Have faith in God, who does not cease to do marvelous things for each of us.

The Second Invitation comes from Saint Paul: ‘Hold well on to the Lord.’ Life as we know is not easy; worries, insincerity, fear, deceit are present in the lives of many. Poverty, homelessness, division, rejection, violence, all this and much more are part of the lives of many. Hold on tight, be courageous and full of hope. Having faith in Jesus, we will be the big winners.

The Third invitation comes from God the Father Himself. ‘This is my Son, listen to Him.’ Keep silent and listen to the Word of the Lord, who gives us His love and who shows us the way to eternal happiness. Listen to Jesus, welcome His word, His calls. Listen to Jesus who opens the door of His heart, He who has the words of eternal life and who invites us each day to live with Him, and offer with Him each day to God the Father all our crosses in order to arrive with Him at Easter, this passage from death to life.

The Fourth invitation comes with the theme of Lent: hopefulness to be cultivated. The month of March presents us with longer days, warmer temperatures, maples which began to drip and also potholes, which have become numerous! On Wednesday we will celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph and for many this signifies the time to start planting.

The Lenten period invites us to plant, to cultivate hope, not remain stuck in one place doing nothing, waiting passively for what comes next. We must cultivate our faith, our hope, our charity in order to better help the people around us, to look ahead! We must cultivate our hope in order to improve the relations between people around us. We must cultivate our relation with Jesus in order to become better people of hope with Him.

May Jesus transform us, envelope us in His light. May He help us to be with Him, luminous for our brothers and sisters. All this week, we can say and repeat:

The Lord is my light and my saviour, whom should I fear?

The Lord is the rampart of my life, before whom should I tremble?

AMEN

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Father Léo Durocher
9 March 2025

First Sunday of Lent
My God of whom I am sure

Brothers and Sisters in the Faith,

The first reading from last Thursday told us that ‘See, I put before you either life and goodness or death and misfortune.’ At the beginning of Lent, we are confronted with a choice: we can choose to live these forty days with Jesus in the desert or we can live these forty days with insouciance and indifference directing our regard only on emptiness and indifference while looking only at material and temporal realities. Choosing life or death, choosing good or evil, choosing peace or war, choosing presence or absence, choosing security or insecurity, choosing presence or absence, choosing hope or hopelessness, and we can continue this list of the choices we have to make or repeat throughout our pilgrimage here below.

In the first reading, the people of Israel had to make these choices throughout their history. Moses invites his people to renew their choice of God at the moment when they presented to God the first of their harvest. Beginning with Abraham, Moses invites his people to remember the Egypt where they lived in slavery and also His deliverance of them into the Promised Land. That they remember more clearly their past so as to better live in recognition and renewal of their in this God of the Alliance

Moses invites us to remake, day after day, the same undertaking, which is to recognize the presence and actions of God in our personal, family and collective histories. To recognize and thank once again the Lord for life, for today, for who we are, for what we have, for our family, for our friends, for the work we have, for the retirement we have, for all the graces we have received from Him, graces we know and gifts we are not aware of, etc. . Other thanks : for the faith that we have in Him, for the hope that allows us to go forward even with many grey days, many somber days that are part of our lives, thanking the Lord for His love, for being there at the heart of our lives.

Too often, we do not think of Him, while we fix our regard on ourselves and on our desires for power, for glory, for wealth, for domination, living only for the immediate moment even if it is disquieting and insecure following all that happens in our world.

Moses, at the beginning of Lent, puts us before this choice we have to make: either to choose God in our everyday lives or to choose to ignore this and to consider ourselves to be complete masters of our destiny We have to choose to welcome Him, to cultivate and to put in practice the Word of the Lord, or to ignore it, to refuse it, to not believe.

And Saint Paul in the second reading, also invites us to choose to listen to the word of God, which brings us together here and now and which defines who we are: We are the ‘children well loved by God’. He says to us: ‘Right near you is the “Word of God”. It is in your mouth and in your heart. If your mouth asserts that Jesus is the Lord, if your heart believes that God raised Jesus from the dead, then you will be saved.’ Saint Paul invites us as well to understand that Jesus is the Word of God made man, that He is the truth which brings us to eternal goodness.

At this beginning of Lent, Jesus invites us to pay attention to His Word, which calls us to convert, to turn towards Him, who is our light and our salvation. Saint Paul puts it clearly ‘Whoever puts his faith in Him will not be deceived.’ There are not only our words which are important, there are not only the words heard from the media which inform us, there are also for us, the disciples of Christ, the Word of God who shows us the way of Eternal Life.

And in the gospel, Jesus is presented with choices. After His baptism, the Holy Spirit sends Jesus into the desert so that He could fully understand who He was. We also take time to reflect before making an important decision, before engaging ourselves in a new life project or work. Jesus was guided to the desert where there is only sand and wind, sun and utter dryness, where there is only him or her who is there.

The gospel tells us that Jesus fasted for forty days, rendering Him weaker no doubt, more physically vulnerable. He was subject to different temptations including those to have power, glory, and security. Temptation tries, as it does for us, to raise doubt in Jesus, to break the relation of confidence between God the Father and His Son. As Father Normand Provencher says on page 30 of today’s Prions en Église¹, ‘temptation is not sin but rather an occasion to exercise His liberty and make a choice.’ Jesus made His choice. He allowed His divine word to be heard from His mouth and His Heart to affirm that man does not live only on bread, but also on all the words that come from the mouth of God. He affirmed that it was to God alone that we pray and that we do not test the Lord. Jesus, Son of God, had to make a choice: Fix His eyes and faith on God the Father or fix His eyes on the realities of this world and give them priority in His life. He was true to Himself, to what He is and He allowed to the words of scripture the power to resist the temptations which assailed Him at Gethsemane, as the end of the Gospel would have us understand.

We know, we often live similar experiences as did Jesus. We are often confronted with choices to put our energies in the realities of this world – money, power, domination, glory, material goods, pleasure, security, drugs, or to put our energies to the higher realities – love, gift of ourselves, service, charity, goodness, pardon, mercy. We are often tempted between working to satisfy our truly human desires, which fall back on ourselves or to work constantly to return to the Lord as we are invited in the first reading of Ash Wednesday and also to work on our openness and our welcome of the Word of God, which expresses His will to be with pilgrims of hope during this Holy Year.

Furthermore, each day we are put in front of this choice, to have confidence solely in ourselves, in our own strength or to have confidence in the Lord and in His saving grace. It is for us to follow the example of Jesus and to put our confidence in God the Father, in His servant Jesus and in He who directs us, the Holy Spirit.

On this first Sunday of Lent, let us go to the desert with Jesus, let us let the Holy Spirit direct us and fortify us so that we can make the choice of Jesus during these forty days of Lent. Because with Jesus we can cultivate hope as the theme of Lent and listen every day to His words: Man does not live solely on bread, but on all the words that come from the mouth of God. Amen.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Father Léo Durocher
5 March 2025

ASH WEDNESDAY 2025

Brothers and Sisters in Faith.

The first words we heard in the First Reading invite us to come back to the Lord because He is tender and merciful, slow to anger and full of love. This call from the prophet Joel concerns all of us, not because our hearts have hardened and are distant from the Lord, not because we might have put aside his decrees and His instructions, in particular the instructions which he gave us in the Gospels from recent Sundays.

The Prophet Joel invites us to return, to approach God a little more, this God who is ours, and who loves us with a love that is infinite and eternal. To return towards the Lord because in Him is the true Light, which lights our ways that have become uncertain, chaotic with the way we live at the present time. To return to the Lord to find in Him the true sense for our way here below, to find in Him faith and hope for tomorrow, because He has the words of Eternal Life. To return to the Lord because He is the path which leads us to our eternal future. He is the Truth which tells us who we are, that is, the beloved Children of the Father, who are those who will live for eternity ever since Jesus came to ensure our salvation.

Return to the Lord because He is also the Life, because He triumphed over sin and death, thus giving us from the day of our baptism the hope to live in eternal beatitude. Return to the Lord, because He allowed us to reconcile with God, as Saint Paul tells us in the 2^nd Reading. We all know that each of us has weaknesses, our slowness, our blindness, our exaggerations, our fixations on desires to have and to possess always more, to be recognised and adulated, to live in glory and to have the power to decide what is good and what is bad. Saint Paul invites us to let ourselves be reconciled with God, to undertake the path to return to God. To ask Him for pardon because it often happens that we judge, condemn, exclude. refuse forgiveness or to be generous, in short, to love as Jesus asked of us!

We must allow ourselves to be reconciled with God so as to be better messengers and witnesses of Jesus, Jesus who wants us to be united and not divided as is happening now. This means that Jesus does not want war, but rather peace, life and not death. We are left to reconcile with God so as to be His ambassadors who carry His message, His word to all the men and women around us and more particularly to all those in society’s periphery, as Pope Francis says. And this includes all those who live for themselves. Yes, as Saint Paul says, ‘Now is the favourable moment, now is the day of salvation.’ It is for us to not wait until tomorrow, for us to not wait for later, it is for us to undertake now our walk towards Easter. It is for us to return towards the Lord and for us to reconcile with Him.

How are we to live this undertaking? By choosing every day the three particular paths in our Christian life. These three ways which Jesus proposed to us in the Gospel: The Road of conversion, the Road which leads us particularly to God and which directs us in a particular way towards others, and the road which leads us to our heart so as to live better the communion with God: in order to listen more to the voice of the Lord and His love, and His call to direct our eyes to others.

The First Way: Alms, that is charitable sharing, generosity. Open our eyes, our hands, our hearts in order to give, to recognize what is happening in our world of today where so many people here and elsewhere need us to be present, to receive our support, our generosity, our love! Think of all the people here and elsewhere who live in violence of all sorts: in conflicts, divisions. Think of all the victims of being alone, in isolation, of hopelessness, of homelessness, …. We must open our eyes, our ears, our hands and our hearts in order to focus more on the other. Also, we must relativize our own pains, our little problems and sufferings in comparison with those who suffer a great deal more than we. We must open ourselves to others to build with Jesus a world that is more just, more human and more peaceful.

The Second Way: Prayer, in order to be more aware of God, in order to adjust to God, to accomplish the will of God every day. Prayer as we know the repercussion of our interior life, of our life of faith. Jesus retired each day in order to live in communion with His Father, in order to act more in accordance with His will. Thus, Jesus calls us to prayer in the secret of our room, to open to God listening in the silence which is filled with the word of the Lord and His love for us, calling us to go to the persons around us in order to be with the risen Christ, Light in their lives. Pray each day, pray without ceasing, pray to be in communion with God in accomplishing His will, which is to love Him and to love one another.

The Third Way: Fasting, privations, penance, as we used to say, in order to develop in ourselves this hunger, this thirst for God in us. We do this in order to balance our spiritual life and our material life.

Sharing and giving, prayer and meditation, penance and fasting, are invitations to take roads which will favour our conversion during this time of Lent. To follow these ways is not to amaze the ‘gallery’, nor is to be ‘better’ than the others, but truly to come closer to God and to our neighbor.

Receiving these ashes today reminds us of what we are: that we are mortal beings, that we will be invited one day to close our eyes on this world and ultimately to become dust. Receiving these ashes reminds us as well that our present life is a rocky path, sometimes tortuous, occasionally dangerous, which will lead us, if we are faithful, to Jesus, who will bring us to the house of the Father. Let us pray that these forty days of Lent that are before us, will allow us to come back to the Lord to be held closer to Him, to reconcile us with God by taking this road each day, which Jesus proposes to us in the Gospel.

Let us pray that the words of the acclamation of the Gospel will stay with us during this time of conversion, which invite us to develop hope!

Today do not harden your heart, but listen to the voice of the Lord. Amen

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Father Léo Durocher
23 February 2025

How Far Does Love Go?

Brothers and Sisters in Faith.

Last week Jesus promised happiness to all those who put their faith and confidence in Him. With the Beatitudes the Lord expressed His profound desire to see us happy, not only for our eternal future, but also for today and now. Jesus invited us to be pilgrims of hope especially during this Holy Year which we are celebrating: pilgrims of hope who see further, beyond all that we can live at present, whether it is fearfulness, insecurity or worry. Jesus reminds us that He is there at the centre of our lives, walking with us on roads that are often difficult because of hardness and egotism in the hearts of us humans. He invites us to confront the routes where different storms prevent us from investing in the future. Think of this word, tariff, which is very popular and which makes us afraid. Jesus also invited us to move forward on the paths, which lead to this treasure, which we carry in ourselves. And this treasure is Jesus Himself, He who is our light and our salvation. He who is tenderness and pity, says the refrain of the Psalm.

What has Jesus come to say to us today? He comes to tell us how to be truly happy men and women. Perhaps our expectations and desires to be happy do not correspond to what Jesus says to us today, because we know in our hearts that the words of Jesus are difficult to become real every day, and that they require us to eliminate them from our daily ‘agenda’, ‘needs’, thoughts and acts that are solely for ourselves, toward our seeking power, domination, wealth, and personal satisfaction.

In the words of Jesus, we are reminded of the great commandment of the Lord: ‘Love God with all your heart and especially on this day, love your neighbor as yourself.’ But how do we love God with all our heart? In loving all the persons who are around us, including those featured in the news for the last several months? We are called to love all the persons that God loves, even if some of them, in our eyes, are difficult to love.

Jesus invites us to take the road which is far from easy. Is it easy to love our enemies, or those who do us wrong, who destroy us, who make war with us, who bring us suffering? We know full well that there are not only armaments that can wound us or can take one’s life. Is it easy to do good to those who hate us? We all know we cannot make everyone happy. However, as the expression goes, we can have a close relation with some but not with others. Jealousy, doubts, lies, let downs, result in our often ‘crossing the street’, so as not to have to meet certain people!

What has Jesus come to say to us today? ‘Do good to those who hate you. Not only with words but with acts and in truth.’ Jesus also tells us: ‘Wish well to those who damn you.’ Perhaps it is easier to do, because we can, if we want to, think good and heartfelt wishes for the persons who do not like us. As well, we can all pray for the persons who can do us wrong.

The way of love is demanding and it invites us to have our eyes on God and the others, and to go beyond our first reactions. When we are being hurt, when we are being done wrong, Jesus continues to speak to us of the requirements of true love. To him who hits you in the cheek, turn your other cheek, It’s not all that obvious! But we also know that Jesus invites us to be the artisans of peace especially in our world where He Himself came to wish and to give us His peace. And in other words: Love one another, and each day find sharing, generosity, goodness and charity for all and for each person, because Jesus came to say to us that we are all brothers and sisters in the faith, because we have the same Father in Heaven, because we are brothers and sisters of Christ Jesus, because we are all inhabited by the same Spirit who acts in us if we allow Him to act in us and around us.

And so, Saint Paul invites us to become conscious of the humanity which characterizes our reality every day and above all our spiritual and eternal being, which we have received from Christ Himself. We live our reality here on Earth for a specific time, but we hope to live in an eternity of happiness in Heaven, as it says in the second reading.

And this is why Jesus invites us to make the effort every day, to allow love to have the priority, to be first in our relations with each other. And Jesus was right to say: ‘If you love the other as the other loves you, if you do good to those who do good to you, if you give to others what you expect they will give to you, what thanks should you expect? If instead we make the effort to put into practice the words of Jesus, if we try truly to love each human being we meet, our recompense will be great, and as the Scripture says: ‘You will be truly sons and daughters of the Most High.’

Finally, Jesus asks us to be merciful as He is for us. Let us remember: ‘Father pardon them. They do not know what they are doing.’ Always be those who pardon and are merciful. ‘Pardon us as we pardon those who have offended us’. And in the first reading David gives us an example when he spares the life of Saul, this jealous King, but who was consecrated with unction.

It is not always easy to forgive especially when the wrong is great, when the suffering is stinging. It is not easy to not judge, to not condemn. We cannot blame because we do not know the whole matter, all that has transpired, nor all that is in the hearts of others. Only the Lord has the power to do this, and the power is the result of love.

Thus, Jesus the Lord comes on this day to present us with a map which shows us which road to take to be truly His disciples, so that our love of God and for others is not simply words and so that we can come to the harvest of the Father, we who are his well-loved children.

We have in us the capacity, this grace, to see the face of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is always at work and it is He who will help us remember during all this week and to put into practice the words of the Gospel acclamation: ‘I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I love you.’

Amen

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Father Léo Durocher
16 February 2025
The Beatitudes – Happy are we

Brothers and Sisters in the Faith,

The month of February, the month of love, the Feast of Saint Valentine, which we celebrated last Friday. What wishes were shared between people who love one another! What little gestures were shared, cards, flowers, gifts, eating together – to show and celebrate love, friendship, as proof for the person we love. In the Gospel we have just heard, Jesus is also interested in our well being. He came on this Earth to speak to us of love, and in particular to show us to what extent He loves us, even to giving His life for us. He wants to see us happy, open, flourishing, secure, confident, loving life, even if it is not always easy. He came to trace the road, the way to follow to true happiness, to eternal happiness.

Aware of our difficulties to live, to believe, aware of all the problematic situations which we have to confront, which cause us to suffer, seeing so many humans torn in their everyday lives. Think of all the immigrants who are seeking a welcoming country. Think of all the displaced persons in the Gaza Strip, think of all the men and women suffering from the violence in the Ukraine, in the Sudan, in Haiti, and elsewhere. Think of all those who have to live with the consequences of changes in American policies including diminished humanitarian aid to certain countries. As we read in the Gospel, let us think of all the men and women, who are poor, afflicted, who cry out, who are made fun of, rejected because of their names. Jesus declares in all truth: Happy are those who live daily looking for security, joy in life, happiness. Happy are those who are not focused on themselves, who are open to tomorrow, living in confidence. Happy are we because inevitably we will have to deal with difficult situations on this road of life, and to continue to put our hope in the Lord. We well know, as we saw during the eclipse, that the Sun is always there on time! It lights our way; its warmth does its job.

Often, the success of our efforts is rewarded, serenity and security live in our hearts and we experience selfish pleasure thinking that everything goes our way to such a point sometimes that we think we are the ones responsible for our great success and our wellbeing. But we also know that in our lives, there are days much greyer, days of strong winds, days of great storms when the visibility is greatly reduced and sometimes stops us from advancing, and being able to plan for the future to be happy.

What is the First Reading saying to us? ‘Damned is the man who puts his faith in a mortal, who relies on a mortal being and who turns away from the Lord.’ It happens so often that we only put our confidence in those who surround us, to those who fill the first place in our hearts and love us intensely and profoundly. But it also happens that we live in situations where doubt enters, when faced by the other, where lies appear, where dishonesty is born of a marvelous beginning. These dishonesties of all sorts, desires for glory, for power, for domination lure us to not be always guided by true, sincere and disinterested love.

What does Jeremiah tell us: ‘Blessed is the man who puts his faith in the Lord, the Lord is confidence.’ At first Jeremiah was afraid of this call which the Lord addressed to him, he did not want to be His prophet, His messenger. However, on the second occasion Jeremiah finally accepted to be the voice of the Lord for His People. Jeremiah is for us today an example of a person who has put his confidence in the Lord. And it is this that he invites us to do today.

Last week, Isaiah, Saint Paul, Simon and the other Apostles responded to the Lord who had called them: ‘Here am I, send me.’ It is with this confidence in God that they said ‘Yes’, that they took the path following Jesus and that they became messengers of the Good News and witnesses of the Risen Christ. Confidence, confidence, confidence, there is an attitude to cultivate every day.

We have so fixed our eyes on ourselves, we are so often prepared to ‘want to’, that we are often prepared to go out by ourselves, to rely on our own strengths, that it often happens that we forget the Lord, who is there fully alive at the heart of our lives, waiting to come to our aid in order to contribute to our happiness, so as to realize that with Him we can be happy.

The refrain of the Psalm says it: ‘Fortunate is the man who puts his trust in the Lord.’ Today our world faces new political and economic realities. Today, as the powers and the rich of this world want to decide everything, to direct everything, we are invited to put all our confidence in the Lord! He who will never abandon us and who invites us to be with Him: ‘Pilgrims of hope, saying loud and clear our faith and our confidence in God as did Jeremiah, and helping each one of us to form with Him a beautiful team, a good team, as in hockey, a team which is not afraid to take time and energy and effort so that the Good News is announced, and that the love of God is welcomed, a love that is faithful, which will bring us to safe harbour.

And Saint Paul in the Second Reading, also tells us to live not only today but also tomorrow with serenity and confidence because how we live now will lead us to goodness without end, towards eternal life in the House of the Father, to arise again with the Christ. Saint Paul affirmed this: ‘Christ is risen from the dead, He, the first arisen among those who are asleep.’

It is for us to put all our confidence in Jesus, the Christ, He who accompanies us now and always, He who comes to nourish and fortify our faith, our hope and our charity. He sends to us and into us the Holy Spirit, this Spirit who helps us to say: ‘I believe in the resurrection of the dead to eternal life.’

Today, Jesus comes to remind us that happiness is available now, whatever our condition and our reality, and this eternal happiness will be offered freely, when our eyes close on the present reality. Jesus comes to invite us to confidence, to trust Him, He who wants to see us happy.

Let us open ourselves even more to Him so that He has the possibility to guide us toward our eternal future. Do not be afraid of Him: He who vanquished sin and death, He who has risen for our salvation, He who comes to offer His heart because He loves us.

As the psalm says: let us put our faith and our confidence in the Lord, because He puts His confidence in us. Amen

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Father Léo Durocher
2 February 2025
Presentation of the Lord at the Temple

Jesus, Light of the Nations

Brothers and sisters in the faith.

After having seen Jesus last week in the Synagogue at Nazareth where He read a passage of the Prophet Isaiah and declared: ‘Today this passage you have heard is fulfilled.’ So here we are for a celebration in Christmas time where the child Jesus is presented to the temple in conformity with the law which says that all first born males are to be consecrated to the Lord. Mary and Joseph also followed rules by which the mother of a child must submit to a rite of purification forty days after the birth of a child, even though Mary did not need to follow this rite. This is because the fruit of her womb was holy in that it was conceived by the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Forty days after celebrating the Nativity of the Lord! Forty days since the child of the Creche was presented, not to the religious and civil authorities of the time, but instead to the poor shepherds who were tending their sheep, signs that Jesus Himself would become the Shepherd of Israel, the Shepherd of the whole of humanity. Forty days after that, Emmanuel received the Magi, who were on their knees and offering gold, incense and myrrh. And thus, they marked that this infant God would be the King of the universe! Forty days after His birth, Jesus is presented in the Temple, this place so important for the Jews, this place where all good Jews come to encounter their God.

Jesus was presented as was the custom. No priest, no scribe, no important religious or civil authority, only Simeon and Anna, two elders who awaited the Consolation of Israel. Both of them and particularly Simeon who took the infant in his arms, recognizing the glory to the People of Israel and the light which is revealed to the Nations!

This feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple is proposed today so that we can unite ourselves to Simeon and Anna in recognizing in Jesus, He who God the Father gives to us to accomplish our salvation, to be our way, our truth, and our life. The path is not always easy for us and nor for the People of Israel in the Old Testament.

After their return to their land, the moral religious situation of the chosen people deteriorated. The cult underwent several divergences and many priests became incapable of fulfilling their mission. Malachi announced in the First Reading that a messenger would come to re-establish the Alliance. His arrival would be a great moment of purification. And we know, John the Baptist came and preached: Prepare the way of the Lord, and following this, Jesus the Christ came, true God and true man, who came to accomplish our salvation through His death and His resurrection, as we heard in the Letter to the Hebrews, the second reading. He came to live our human adventure to the end, to share with us what we have to live and to come to our aid most particularly in moments of difficulty.

As a result, today we are invited to recognise the Infant who Simeon holds is the light which is revealed to the nations, which is revealed to each of us. We know that we live in a world that is not easy. Our world is disquieted, insecure, fearful, uncertain in the face of all that is occurring internationally, and more particularly in the United States. The most used word for several weeks has been ‘tariffs’! Other words have been added: economy, recession, job losses, war, prisoner exchanges, peace, hope, hopelessness, wealth, poverty, shortage of housing, and also fires and plane accidents… .

Despite all this ‘grey sky’, Jesus shows Himself to us as our light. These February days are showing more light, more heat. Jesus comes to open to us the way of hope. Jesus reminds us that God gives us, during this Holy Year, a favourable year given by the Lord. A year favourable for our personal life if we allow Jesus the chance to illuminate our interior and exterior life, as with many pilgrims of hope, who do not lose hope, and who continue to advance day after day on this way which leads to the house of the Father.

It is a favourable year if we respond to the call of the Spirit, who incites us to the vitalisation of our communities through our gestures of sharing, of charity, of solidarity no matter how small they are, and also by our witness of faith in Him who enlightens us.

It is a favourable year granted to us by the Lord because Jesus is this goodness par excellence which is given to us, He who is the light of the World, He who is the way, the truth and the life, He who is the life and the resurrection, He who was, who is, and who will be the light which lights our paths and who presents to us each day our Father in heaven, we who are His beloved children.

Today we are also invited to unit ourselves with Anna, the prophetess, to proclaim the praises of God and to speak of the Infant to all men and women who await the deliverance of Jerusalem, and we can easily add, to speak of Jesus as the light to those who await peace, security and harmony for all peoples, freedom for all, serenity, happiness, justice for all, joy and success for every individual … .

We join with Anna to profess our faith in God, who promises us a future open to life everlasting because He will always be there. To profess our faith in God in the face of this world which is so often turned to the realities of the moment, of today and not enough towards the realities above. To profess our faith in Jesus, son of God, light of the world, which helps us to grow and to always go forward, to strengthen everything in us so as to welcome the wisdom which comes from above and which helps us each day to accomplish what God expects of us.

With Simeon and Anna let us give thanks to the Father for Jesus who reveals Himself to the nations and who gives glory to His people Israel. Can we once more recognise in Jesus, he who was, He who is and He who will always be?

“Light of the world, Light of our lives, Light of your life, Light of my Life.” We pray that the Spirit of the Lord inspires us and helps us as do the words of the hymn:

To carry the Light, the Life.

To carry the Light, the Hope renewed. Amen.

On this feast of the Celebration of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, we are invited to pray in particular for men and women religious. In 1997 Pope John Paul II instituted the Day of the Consecrated Life to thank God for the grace to enter a religious life. We know that consecrated men and women played a unique role in Québec history in the areas of teaching, health care and service and all the while showing us the heritage of the faith. We pray that the Lord bless these religious men and women, consecrated persons who continue today to consecrate their lives to the Lord! That grace be rendered to them!

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Father Léo Durocher
19 January 2025

The Better Wine – The Wedding at Cana

At the very beginning of the history of humanity, at the moment of creation, God gave life to Adam, and He gave him Eve, a companion, And He set in their hearts a project, an ideal that has been present ever since: “Man would leave his father and mother and would attach himself to his wife and together they would form one.” Together they would build a project to discover, to welcome, to achieve an ideal in order to cultivate, to deepen each other. An alliance to protect and to leave each other free for a greater union, a bigger union between two beings who love each other. And this ideal inscribed at the heart of the first creation, has been transmitted from generation to generation as part of the DNA of the human being.

Alliance, this word has always been present and living in the heart of God, who made a first alliance with the people of Israel, as described in the First Reading. And it is with Abraham that the Lord concluded this alliance which He renewed multiple times, and again today. The Hebrew people, God chose them. God revealed Himself to them. God engaged Himself with them, as we are reminded in the exit from Egypt: that was the end of their servitude. On numerous occasions, God renewed this intense desire to be present and to live with His people, in the midst of His people. With this difficult people, with this people so often unfaithful, God always showed welcome, showed forgiveness, mercy. This people who lived with all sorts of suffering because of their poor choices, God did not abandon them upon their return to Him, where everything was devastation (as in Gaza at the present time).

This same Lord promised days of joy and glory. God made an alliance with His well loved people. He married Himself to this people. This chosen people, God would call them, according to Isaiah. My chosen one, the bride because the Lord preferred them. As Isaiah said “Your builder who is God, will espouse you, and the people of Israel will be the joy of your God. For God, in the Old testament, the words love and alliance are present, they are an important reality which are used to define God. And as it is said: The Lord always remembers His alliance, which He renews from generation to generation.

Having celebrated last week, the Baptism of the Lord, here we find Him participating in the marriage at Cana where a man and women promise to live in love, to solidify an alliance day after day. It is not surprising and the miracle at Cana marked the beginning of the signs that Jesus accomplished. Why? It was in order to manifest, to recall the alliance which God the Father renews with humanity and even more, that the celebration of a marriage, of a wedding, that God has not forgotten His promises, His vow to His people, His vow to each of us!

And this love is that great, is that powerful, such that He sent us His Word, to tell us, and His Son, Jesus Christ, to show us. His Son Jesus Christ came, as we know, to serve and not to be served. He came not to do His will but the will of His Father.

Jesus came to tell us that God the Father, because He loves us, wants to see us joyful, happy, full of life and hope like young married people on their wedding day. The love of God is always there, but ours is sometimes absent and not always easy. The love of God for us is eternal, always good, always savory, always the best like the good wine of the Gospel, like the wine that became the blood of Christ, which He gives to us. Our love is not always the best. Sometimes it is a bit sour, bad tasting, it has deteriorated. Our love for God and for others does not always have the best circumstances to be shown.

It is not easy to love when we are only looking at ourselves, our little worries. while God is looking at us. Not easy to love when our hands close and want to keep everything while the hands of God offer us His alliance. Not easy to love when our steps refuse to go towards the other who only asks for presence and tenderness while the steps of God are always the indications of hope.

As in the Gospel, there is at the heart of the New and Eternal Alliance, God and each one of us. There is Jesus who won with His blood, won to bring us salvation, won to help us to live in joy, in the faith, in hope and in love.

At the heart of this alliance, there is also a discreet, humble and simple Presence and it is Mary, the Mother of Jesus. A mother who does not cease to intercede for the happiness of her children, a mother who does not fear to come to Jesus, to ask Him to be involved, a Mother who asked the servant and who tells us again today: Everything that He will say to us, do it. The humble servant of the Lord, chosen Mother of God in order to give us the Saviour who signed with His blood an Alliance, New and Eternal, and always present in our reality, wanting only the best for all His children

At the heart of the Feast at Cana, there are also the servants who do what Jesus asks: fill the six water jars and bring the new wine to the Master of the feast. We are the beneficiaries of the love of God for each of us and for all of humanity. We are also, the servants of the love, which God wants to bring to the World. Like Jesus, we are called to be day after day the good wine which rejoices, nourishes and strengthens the people. But how? By being unafraid to let the gifts of the Spirit be manifested to the people around us, in the same way that we read in the Second Reading.

We each of us have gifts, qualities, areas of strength, talents which were given to us not only for ourselves but also for others. We are invited to put these gifts to the service of those around us, to the service of the community. These gifts of grace are varied, but it is the same Spirit who gave them. It is for each of us to discover and to use them with the help of the Holy Spirit who is present and alive in each one of us. Let this celebration help us to realise what God has done and does each day in alliance with each of us.

As Saint Paul said: Nothing can separate us from the love that God has for us. He takes care of us, always. Despite our weaknesses and our sins, He always renews His relation with us. Ask Him to help us to be faithful to His love, to His alliance and to not remain passive and inactive. And so, we solidify the alliance with Jesus, and following Mary, to be servants who allow the water in the jars to become good wine!

Give thanks to Jesus who comes in each celebration of the Eucharist to nourish His people and to fortify us with His presence through His body and His blood. Amen

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

The Feast of the Epiphany
5 January 2025

Père Réjean Champagne

The three readings of this Epiphany Sunday allow us to understand that God’s salvation is for everyone, without exception. This is important because since the origins of humanity, enemy brothers have not ceased to confront one another. Since the beginning , history has been filled violence and conflict. So here are the biblical texts today announcing to us good news: it is that reconciliation and love will have the last word.

The first reading, from the book of Isaiah, announces the end of a somber period: “Arise, rejoice: The light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen for you!” It is the salvation from God which He has given to His people. It is a new and happy time that begins! Even the distant lands will recognize the Lord. Crowds that have taken to the road bring to mind the Magis who came from the East. Like them, we are called to go towards He who is the light of the World.

The apostle Paul writes in the same vein. His message comes after the extraordinary upheaval that he experienced on the road to Damascus. He received a great revelation: The saving by God is not reserved only to the people that God had chosen! It is also offered to the pagan nations of the entire world. Everyone “is part of the same heritage”. This extraordinary revelation exulted the heart of Paul. In the risen Jesus, there is the universal love of God which has the last word on violence and rejection.

In his Gospel , Saint Matthew’s proposal to us is much more modest. He tells us that the Magi came from the orient. They discovered a star which announced the birth of a new king. They left everything, they continued on the road in order to bow and kneel before this King.

It is in this way that the pagans were the first to adore the Son of God. It is also a foreshadowing of what will happen after the resurrection: the light which shone in the night of Bethlehem will also shine in the extremities of the Earth.

While on their way, the Magi met the chief priests and the scribes. The latter knew everything about the Bible. This Messiah, which they had long waited for in their prayers, was to be born in Bethlehem; this they knew but they did not budge. They remained tied to their certainties, their “intimate conviction”. They did not leave to God the opportunity to manifest Himself as He chose. All the Gospel tells us is that the Lord came for everyone: but nothing will happen if we do not leave our certitudes behind and go to encounter “He who is the light of the World”.

Saint Matthew also speaks of Herod. He is a violent, powerful and murderous king. He doesn’t hesitate to kill all those who oppose him, including those in his own family. When he hears tell of this King newly born, he sees in Him a dangerous competitor who has to be eliminated. This is the first “act of war” against Jesus, which will cause the death of many innocents. And all through the centuries, the disciples of this King will be persecuted, derided, killed. And how can we not think of all fundamentalists and atheists, who do all they can to eliminate the Christian faith?

But nothing can prevent God from calling everyone to Himself. His salvation is offered to everyone. Through the Kings who came to the cradle of the Infant King, it is all peoples who are called. It is He who offers mercy to all sinners. Strangers, pagans all have their place in His heart.

On the evening of His Ascension, He will address the Apostles in order to send them on a mission. “Go out to the whole World to proclaim the Good News to the whole of Creation.”

This Feast of Epiphany is that of the Universal Church. Its mission is not to save itself but to be united with Christ who wants to save the World. Like the Magi, we come to Jesus so as to kneel before Him and to receive from Him the love with which He wants to fill us. We can no longer remain closed within the limits of our steeple and our parish; we must absolutely go out. If not, we will be like the leaders of the Priests and the Scribes, who missed this encounter with the King Messiah.

Each year, our prayer and solidarity are especially for the Christian Communities in Africa. Many suffer from poverty, from war, from famine and persecutions. They need our prayers, and brotherly support of Catholics around the world. On this day of celebration all peoples recognize that the small child found by the Magi is their Saviour.

Amen!

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

The Sunday after Christmas
29 December 2024
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Père Léo Durocher

Brothers and Sisters in the Faith. Five days ago, we celebrated the birth of our Saviour. Mary and Joseph allowed us to welcome the greatest gift which God gives to humanity. Born in poverty and simplicity, a small infant came to astound us, and to touch us in the greatest depths of our being. This is because the infant Jesus lived the same reality as we lived at our time of birth. This infant God came also to plant hope in us, a hope to welcome each day as we recall the theme of Advent.

This child God grows in us hope for the future, for better days, for happier days filled with light. He came to solidify in us the hope of our eternal salvation.

Today’s Gospel takes us past the birth of Jesus so that we can now see Him at the age of twelve with Mary and Joseph in Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. This child, Emmanuel, God with Us, was now old enough to participate in the feast. And we have just heard what occurred when His parents left to go home! Jesus remained in Jerusalem and was teaching to the Doctors of the Law. Mary and Joseph began to look for Him, and they eventually found Him three days later! Mary and Joseph who were no doubt worried and anxious like any parents in the same situation. And Jesus, once found, says a most mysterious thing: ‘Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I was about my Father’s affairs?’ And Jesus, Mary and Joseph returned to Nazareth.

It is with this event that Saint Luke reminds us today, that the Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. And it is exactly on this Feast of the Holy Family, that the Holy Year of 2025 begins, which Pope Francis inaugurated on the 24^th of December in Rome. As he said, he wants this year to be a time of ‘intense experience of grace and hope, a holy year when we are called to be pilgrims of hope.’ And the first thought to have during this holy year is God the Father, who gives us His son Jesus, Jesus who was welcomed by Mary and Joseph, Jesus who grew in wisdom and height and in grace all within a family.

No matter what we say, or what we think, the family remains an important reality in the history of humanity. The past, the present and the future have been and will be marked by the family. We all know it: the reality of the family knew and knows its problems, its suffering of all sorts. Problems of communication as in the Gospel, problems of greeting, of respect, of judgement, problems of truth and transparency, and problems of infidelity. The face of the family of the past has greatly changed in the last years. But certainly, there are couples who marry before public and religious authorities. And all this is in order to love one another and to give life to one or more child. Furthermore, there are families with adopted children, and single parent families, etc. The various life situations are generally accepted.

To live together is so common in our time that many single people form links with people who are not of the same parents, but who consider them as sisters and brothers. The model varies from country to culture. Let us think about the children among others. Here, the children learn to live at the heart of the community beginning at a young age, spending the day at a daycare or at school before joining their parents for the evening meal. What does one think of all the daycares with repeated problems with Youth protection, of all the schools that are being investigated, etc. We could discuss the situation of families for a longtime. But reading of the texts today concerning the word of God, there are three possible scenarios which speak to us in this time of 2024.

The first consists of taking care of our desire and our project to be and to live together. The Holy Family presents us with a situation of life which was not easy for Mary and Joseph. To lose a child, a dear, dear child was not easy to experience for Mary and Joseph. To lose a child, searching for a child who has disappeared, no communication, no understanding. How many parents could live in such situations? And it is still more difficult, with the changes in age: child, adolescence, young adult, parents, grandparents. The desire and the project to be and to live together is a project for all the members of a family and needs a lot of acceptance by everyone, a lot of respect for the decisions of each person, and much openness and confidence and truth. Without these qualities, the desire and the project to be and to live together Jeopardises the society of tomorrow

The second invitation comes to us from Samuel in the 1st reading and from Saint John in the 2^nd reading: we are invited to put our faith in the name of Jesus Christ. Anna, in the 1st reading, put her faith in the Lord. She prayed most desperately to the Lord that she might have a child. The Lord granted her that grace. She gave birth to Samuel, a name which means the Lord listens. And together with her husband, Anna presented and offered the child to the Lord.

Mary and Joseph in the Gospel, two persons chosen by God to undertake His will, two persons, two parents of great faith and attached to the Law of God. Two persons, two parents who had traveled together to give to the infant Jesus the best of themselves and to give him the heritage of the faith which animated Israel. Two parents who had certainly kept in their hearts the many events they had experienced together and with the infant Jesus. Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus allowed to grow in their hearts, this profound faith in God which they knew how to nourish and feed, so that Jesus could welcome and develop at His young age, His relation to God His Father. For us today: so that we do not put our faith and our hope solely in the realities of this world, but open ourselves to God who wants goodness for us and who is at the heart of our life.

The third invitation: that we love one another as Jesus commanded it. The love of God and the love of the person next to us, there is the priority that He presents. Without love, says Saint Paul, we are nothing. Without love for a family, with those with whom we live, there are all sorts of negative suffering situations which are lived and which are so often repeated in reality: separation, divorce, physical violence, psychological, economic, conjugal violence, etc. Only true love can counter all the negative situations which could ruin a relationship between a couple and indeed a whole family. But we all know that it is not easy to love and be at the service of others. This is why pardon is also important. It is for us to accept and let ourselves be loved by God because we are His most beloved children. It is for us to let the force of the love God to love for us, to love each member of our family and also all those who are around us who might be, in their way, parents and also brothers and sisters in the faith.

Give thanks to God for the Holy Family whom we are celebrating today, the Holy Family, which is an example for us. Ask the Lord, as it is written in the Opening Prayer, to aid us to practice being the Holy Family, to practice the family virtues, and to be united by the power of His love. Amen!

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

The Third Sunday of Advent

15 December 2024 – Père Réjean Champagne

Let us Be Joyful

The readings for this Sunday announce good news. In our world marked by so much hate and violence, they tell us that God comes to save us. This makes us joyous. When we look around us, everything calls us to a celebration. But it is not enough to put up fine Christmas trees and lights. True joy is more profound. It lives forever, even beyond our worries. It becomes even deeper in prayer. It is the sign of the Christian.

This is the message that we read in the first reading from the Book of the Prophet Zephaniah. He is writing to a demoralized people ‘who are struggling across an immense desert’. It is at the heart of this painful struggle that He addresses these very strong words: ‘Shout your cries of Joy! Rejoice! Jump for joy!’ The reason for this joy is the presence of God in the midst of His people. Those decrying accusations and the enemies will disappear. It is God who governs His People. It is ‘God with us.’ God in us! Yes, it is the Good News for us in these troubled times.

It is also the call to joy which we find in the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians. At the time when he wrote this letter, St Paul was in prison. But he knew that nothing could separate him from the love which is in God. The victory of Christ Risen is the source of joy and of hope. This is important because the Lord is near. He is already in us. This joy could only arise from our union with Him. It must be nourished with prayer, supplications, and thanksgiving. It can only be radiant and communicative, ‘known by all men’. It comes into the world without any distinction of religion.

In his Gospel, Saint Luke shows us the road to this joy. This coming of the Saviour must change our lives. The crowds who come to see John the Baptist understood this clearly! It is for this reason that they asked the question: ‘What should we do?’ We must also ask ourselves this question! We cannot simply content ourselves with nice words. When we prepare ourselves to receive an important person, we do everything so that he will be well received. He who was announced by John the Baptist was even more important: it is Christ Himself: it is ‘God with us.’

So, ‘What should we do?’ This question was asked by very different people: the crowds, the publicans, the soldiers. They understood that it did not suffice to simply ‘believe’, we had to ‘do’ something. And John’s responses were adapted to each group. 1. Everyone is called to demonstrate more justice in their usual day’s work. 2. Do not enrich oneself to the detriment of the poorest. 3. Perform your skills honestly.

And us, what must we do? Since John the Baptist, the answer has not changed: respect the other, share, solidarity with the most poor. With the approach of Christmas, many will be excluded from the joy and from the feast. Today, John the Baptist reminds us that the only valid answer is to share.

Live while sharing, practice our skills while respecting others, practicing justice and mercy… These are simple suggestions, easy to put into practice. If we follow them day after day, God will be close to us. He will give us His joy. He will bring us His peace. It is this goodness that Mary sung in the Magnificat: ‘My soul is magnified by the Lord; my soul is exalted by God my Saviour! All the Angels will call me blessed. The Lord has done wonders for me.’

AMEN

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

The Second Sunday of Advent
8 December 2024

A Wide Open Construction Site
(Un chantier grand ouvert)
Père Léo Durocher

Brothers and Sisters in the Faith.

When we are on the road, we are often confronted by orange cones which warn us that there are roads under construction and roads under repair. Paying attention is essential in order to avoid collisions. And these cones are everywhere in large cities but also in our area.

Today, on the second Sunday of Advent, we are invited to listen to Isaiah and John the Baptist, who ask us to prepare the road of the Lord. We know that within us there are roads that lead to our hearts. St Paul, in the second reading, invites us to take the interior roads which will take us to find again the essential, that which is the most important in our life. We are so very, very attached, and I would even add prisoners, of many things, objects of all sorts which cause us to forget that which is truly important in the course of our daily reality.

And this time of Advent allows us to realise that there are inevitably roads and paths to be reworked. As an SAQ publicity says and shows in the media, Look Front, using the music of Gerry Boulet. Otherwise we risk having a collision, an accident. In our everyday lives we follow ways which could be straight, but could also be full of curves, sometimes gentle, other times sharp, which require us to pay attention. There are, on our interior roads, curves and secondary paths which can cause us to deviate from the essential. Forgetting and rejecting the Lord in our daily lives, falling back on ourselves, living only on the goods of the world, refusing to accept the wounds, the suffering, the pains, the betrayals, a refusal to leave to Jesus the need to act in us and to accompany us on the road of pardon, etc. . Yes, there are in our daily lives ravines to fill in, mountains and hills to level. We must not be afraid to look ahead, with our two hands on the steering wheel, as the slogan of a certain election campaign puts it.

Let the divine light, let our interior instincts, let the Holy Spirit help us to remove from our hearts all self-sufficiency and all vanity, all desire to say to God what He should do in our lives, and to undertake not ours, but truly His will. Yes, we have quite a road to go in order to let the love of God fill all our interior emptiness caused by our lack of presence before God and before our brothers and sisters, who accompany us and who surround us. Prepare the way of the Lord by being attentive to everything that moves in our interior life and around us. We know that on our route there are stones, boulders, and we can add pot holes.

John the Baptist invites us in his words to convert, to turn still more to Emmanuel, towards He who will come, He who is coming to save us. There are in each of us stony roads, tortuous roads when we allow hypocrisy to live within us: hypocrisy, injustice, judgements, condemnations, indifference and misunderstandings of all sorts. Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths. This is what is suggested to us in this Second Week of Advent.

Why should we respond to the calls of Isaiah, of John the Baptist and even of Jesus, who comes to our gathering at this time? Why take the road of conversion? Quite simply, it is in order to welcome the salvation of God, as it is put at the end of today’s Gospel. For us believers, the calls from Jesus, are they not what are most important, that which is essential? Is it not there the hope which is present in each of us, the hope for eternal life, the hope to live one day in eternal goodness, in the fullness of love, in the fullness of light?

There is the ultimate hope to welcome and to strengthen constantly, a hope, which supports us and which invites us yet again to look forward, to not lose our direction with the compass, which is the Word of God.

The first Reading presents us with the people of Israel who have returned to their ancestral land after having lived deportation, a reality that included so much suffering and pain. Everything had to be reconstructed much like today, when so many people discover that their city or village, their homes have been destroyed during the war, by bombardments, by violence. Others experience and live the same situation caused by tornadoes, intense rainfalls, or flooding. It reminds us of the fire in the Cathedrale de Notre Dame de Paris which occurred five years ago. A nightmare, sorrowful, tearful, desolation but also, a promise and an engagement to reconstruct. Now, the doors of the cathedral are re-opened, and today the first mass was being celebrated. France removed its cloak of sadness and welcomed the resurrection of Notre Dame with joy and happiness.

The people of Israel experienced the same emotions. Using the voice of the prophet Baruch, the Lord invites His people to joy, to awaken their hearts to joy. ‘Take off your robes of sadness and misery, envelope yourself in the cloak of the justice of God’. Look toward the Orient, everything returns.

They rejoiced because God remembered them. These words of hope are addressed to us! Our voyage is not always easy for us. There are many realities which worry us, which disturb us and can darken the sky of our day. But the prophet has just reminded us today that God is leading us in the joy and light of His glory with His mercy and His justice. We are not alone! God is with us. Our path here below leads us to a precise destination and that destination is our salvation by God.

So many things around us awaken and stimulate our hope during this time of preparation for The Feast. So many small lights can be seen so that we can open ourselves to see the true light, that light which is Jesus Himself, who comes to remove the darkness, the sadness and hopelessness. Even if many live a time of difficulties, because of the economy in particular, a lack of resources, yet so many gestures such as paying attention to others, fortify us and renew our hope for better days when everyone can live true wellbeing.

And He calls us, all men and women, to contribute according to our means and to work together to render this world more sensitive to the life and well being of others. It is for each of us to contribute our talents and our wealth, in order to work to make our interior roads, the ways which lead to what is essential, that is Jesus, Son of God.

Let this Eucharistic celebration help us truly to prepare the Road of the Lord and that the bread and wine, which will become the body and blood of Christ, bring us courage and strength to work together in hope, to render our world better, where everyone can find peace and dignity. AMEN

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

The First Sunday of Advent – 1 December 2024 – Père Réjean Champagne

A hope for us to welcome

On this first Sunday of Advent, we enter into the new Liturgical Year. In four weeks, we will celebrate Christmas. In the stores, everything is being put in place in preparation of festivities. We say what is important is to find ourselves again as a family. Yes, certainly! But the real Christmas is much more: on that day, we celebrate the birth of Christ our Saviour. The great message of Christmas is that Jesus is ‘God with us’. He joins us in our tribulations. The God we are awaiting is faithful to His promise of well being. He is always ‘God is with us.’ He joins us in our tribulations. He is with us always to guide us on our road of life.

So yes, it is important to celebrate Christmas, but we must not forget He who is at its origin. Otherwise it is as though we organize a celebration but forget the person who must be in the principal place. The biblical texts for this Sunday invite us to leave this insouciance. It is very good to celebrate a feast; but we must understand why and say this to the whole world. If we do celebrate the feast, it is above all because God joins His people in their tribulations. The God who awaits us is faithful to his promise of happiness. He is always ‘God with us’.

It is this good news that we find in the first reading for this Sunday. Jeremiah addresses a people who have been severely tested by defeat and misery. It is truly desolation. But there is the prophet announcing consolation. This ‘promise of well being’, will be accomplished regardless of the merit of the people! God does not abandon his suffering people. What He wants is happiness for everyone. But He waits for a response from them.

In the letter to the Thessalonians, it is also a question of the ‘coming of the Lord in glory’. At the time of his writing, Paul believed firmly that the return of Christ was to be quite soon. He invites the members of the community to advance each day in faith and in love. This love must be open to all, even those who do not share this faith. The dynamic of Advent must push them (and push us) to progress each day in our fraternal love.

The Gospel sends us to the End Times, and the definitive return of Jesus. Today, he wants us to be on the watch. It is absolutely urgent to leave behind our carelessness. The Day of Judgement approaches. ‘Let not your heart become heavy in debauchery and the worries of life!’ These are words of Christ which question our Consumer Society! Nothing has changed under the sun. Filling up our baskets, celebrating, this is not an evil. But we must never forget that to prepare for Christmas is to dispose ourselves to welcome Jesus who is coming. All our preparation must be pointing in this single direction.

In today’s Gospel, we have heard disquieting words. The Return of Christ seems to be associated with catastrophes: ‘There will be signs in the sun, the moon and the stars. On earth, the nations will be overtaken by storms at sea, and violent winds. Men will die of fear coming on the world, because the powers in the heavens will be upset. Thus, we will see the Son of Man come in a cloud, with great power and great glory.’ At first glance, there is something to be afraid of. But this is not Jesus’s purpose. He warns us: ‘When these events begin, stand-up and raise your head, because your redemption approaches.’ We must share the enthusiasm of John-Paul II when he said at the beginning of his papacy: ‘Do not be afraid!’ The Gospel is good news: God loves us like a father and nothing can separate us from His love.

In this time of Advent, we ask the Lord to teach us how to invite Him into our homes and to learn to live with Him. He does not cease to invite us to be vigilant. The Advent period makes us listen to His calls with even more insistence. Pray to Him that He gives us attentive hearts. That He opens our eyes to recognise Him when He comes. Because it is true, the Lord comes to us in our daily events, and with the people that we meet. He comes to bring us life, peace and love. These gifts, He offers to a world so often filled with violence and death, to a world frightened by the violence of the storm and the fear of disruption by the tempest and the fear of injuries. The news gives us many examples each week.

These words of hope, Jesus addresses them again and again to the poor of heart, those in tears, to artisans of peace, to all those who are mentioned in the Gospel of the Beatitudes on All Saints. Christ comes as well to all those who struggle in sin and do all they can to rise above this. This Jesus who raised up so many men and women, sick and sinners, invites us to not let ourselves fall. He is there and He will not let us fall.

‘Stand up and raise your head. Your redemption is near.’ The Advent season is a call to enter into Hope. The Lord is there at the heart of our lives. With the Eucharist which brings us together, we partake in His life and His joy. He gives us His Spirit of Light and strength amidst our difficulties. Welcome with all our heart He who comes to waken us to the Love which saves the World. AMEN

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Homily – 24 November 2024 – Père Léo Durocher

From fear to confidence

Brothers and sisters in faith

On this last Sunday of the liturgical Year B, we are celebrating the Feast of Christ – King of the Universe. And with the Gospel text, we are presented with Jesus, who stands before Pilate who is interrogating Him.: ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ Pilate is trying to identify, to discover who it is who is before him. It is somewhat similar to what occurs in our courts of justice. Jesus was arrested, not because He had committed a murder, a theft, not because He had encouraged violence or because He had cured people on the Sabbath, but because the religious authorities of His time were afraid of Him because of His healing power and His wisdom. Jesus was arrested because of fear that the civil authorities would lose their power over the people.

Christ, King of the Universe! Why this Celebration? It is in order to recognize once more, that Christ came to make true the story of our salvation. It is in order to recognize that in Jesus one finds The Road that has been laid out for us, so that one day we can hope to come to the Kingdom of the Father, to recognize that in Christ is found the Truth. A truth that reveals who He is; a truth which tells us who we are, the image and the resemblance of God, and thus called to love, as Jesus, the Christ has loved us.

But why this special feast of Christ, King of the universe? It is in order to recognize that in Jesus, the son of God, we are given Divine Life, eternal life. Jesus is our King because on the day of our baptism, He allowed us to welcome the Life, a life that cannot end with our death, and which opens up in eternal happiness, and a fullness of love, and in an unending peace.

And again, why to we have this Feast of Christ King of the Universe? It is to recognize, to publish, to say loudly and clearly Who is the Christ, Who is the Lord, the Saviour, the Lamb of God who offered His life as a sacrifice for our salvation? To recognize in Jesus, the servant of servants who came to this Earth not to be served, but to serve and to give His life for the multitude.

And so again why this feast? It is to recognize in its deepest truth that He is the Christ, His life, His mission, what it is that he accomplished. Is it not this that we do in our own reality? It happens often that celebrations are organized for people consciously engaged, sometimes for years, in a business, a community, for couples faithful to one another over many years. What do we do? We organize, we prepare a get together during which we speak about the person and recognise the work that has been accomplished. She or he was this or that. He or she accomplished this or that!

It is the same thing with Christ during this end of the Liturgical Year. Daniel, in the first Reading, tells of a vision, well before the coming of Christ, in which he recognizes a Son of Man, who comes to the Old Man, which underscores his humanity, receives dominion, glory and royalty for eternity. The apocalypse, in the Second reading, reads in the same sense. We recognize in Jesus the faithful witness to the Father, the first born from the death by His resurrection, the prince and king of the Earth. To Him glory and sovereignty for ever and ever. He who is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.

The Gospel presents us with Jesus who is at the dawn of the greatest gesture that He will undertake in order to save humanity from sin and from death. We are invited today to recognize, to welcome the Truth of Jesus. Jesus who wants to be our King, Jesus who wants to reign in our path here below, Jesus who desires with His whole heart that we will live in His Kingdom. To be sure that today we are more or less familiar with these words: king, reign, kingdom often used in the history of humanity. But still today, there is King Charles, there was the long reign of Elizabeth II, there is also the United Kingdom and soon. But as with Jesus in the Gospel, there is a more profound reality. Jesus is our King because He loves above all, He who comes to us, He who offers us His life, a life, a love which He places freely in our hands.

We recognise Jesus our King because, through love, He put and still places Himself at our service in order to help us walk daily on the path of true happiness. Today we are invited to recognize in Christ the King of the universe, He who gives meaning to our pilgrimage here on Earth, a pilgrimage that is not always easy, given the hardships of life, but a pilgrimage which calls us to be faithful to Him who came into our world, to Him who comes now, to Him who will come someday to invite us to follow Him, to Him who will come at the end of Time to judge the living and the dead.

This feast of Christ, King of the Universe calls us to welcome and recognise Him. He who does not want to impose on us, He who does not dictate to us our way of living, He who does not come to judge and condemn our bad choices, our egoisms. This feast of Christ the King of the Universe, invites us to give to Jesus the First Place in our hearts, to Him who offers His presence, His pardon and His sympathy, and especially His love. He who comes to offer that which is best, that is life in abundance with Him, with His Father and the Holy Spirit.

Let this celebration of the end of the year help us to recognise in Jesus, He who loves more than all, He who puts Himself at our service each day because He loves us. He who invites us to be like Him, at the service of love. He who comes again today to give Himself in the Bread and Wine which become the body and blood of Christ, King of the Universe.

Today, as the acclamation for the Gospel reads, ‘Let us bless he that comes in the Name of the Lord, let us bless His Kingdom that will come. We bless He who is at the heart of our lives, He who is our Shepherd, our Pastor, He who will come next Sunday to invite us to live in hope.

Long live Christ our King

The King of the Universe

Amen

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

30^th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Père Léo Durocher – 3 November 2024

Love and Happiness

Brothers and Sisters in the faith

At this beginning of the month of November, the month when we are frequently remembering all our deceased family members and friends, we who remain present here below are invited to pray for them that they may come to the home of the Father. In the old days and still today we call the month of November, the month of the Dead. A wet time, a grey time, colder weather when the darkness comes sooner in the evening. However, we could call this month the month of Life because our passage here below orients us towards life, the true life.

Jesus tells us that we have an abode in heaven and that He is the door for us to enter because He is the Resurrection and the Life. What is it that Jesus has told us today: ‘You will love!’ Words heard in the first reading, words repeated in the Gospel. And these words constitute the essence, the base of our passage here below and the condition in order to find our place, already prepared in the Kingdom of God.

To love, now there is a word, which is spoken, sung and written since ever. To love, there is a word which is found in every heart. To love, there is a reality which everybody wants to live every day. But we all know that it is difficult to love every day and always. The ideal of love is engraved in us because when we love, we are happy, we become radiant.

Why is this? God, as we know, defines Himself by love. As we have sung before: God is love. God is light. God, our Father. God, as we know, has created us in His image and likeness. Like Him, we have, to use a word very much à la mode today, we have as our DNA, love inscribed in us. We are made to love. Love as we know, transforms that which is without life, monotonous, into a reality that is living and full of energy. Love, a word that raises us and which changes us: a child who wants to give a present to his parents, to a young friend, an adolescent in love, who dreams of impossible realities; a young couple who are amazed by what they experience with each other, parents who welcome a child, the fruit of their love; adults of every age who welcome a common soul in another, …. . How many possibilities, when love is there?

Inversely, this reality that is love, could also bring on all sorts of negative, hurtful, suffering reactions, which could last for some time. Think of all the people who have undergone such trials and have not had the chance to be loved. Think of those who have been deceived, abandoned, injured for all sorts of reasons, people who have lost dear ones, and so on…. . What of the sufferings of people who are so turned towards themselves, looking for prestige, power, domination. The interior of the heart is made for love, but often the exterior of the heart leads us elsewhere rather than to love.

Jesus tells us today: ‘You will love!’, not as a formal judgment, but as a beautiful and grand invitation to take the true road in order to be happy, and this road is love. We have not been created in order to have days turned inwards, ignoring others. We were not created in order to have our hands continuously closed, our fists tight in order to show our vengeance and to express our hate. We were not created in order to have a hard heart, looking at ourselves, and looking for everything that is negative in the other. The hurts caused by a love that is deceived, betrayed, which is no more, lead to tears and suffering. Very often healing must involve acceptance and pardon. Let us remember: ‘Father, forgive then for they do not know what they do!’ It’s not easy to love!

Jesus repeats for us today: ‘You will love!’ And this month of November reminds us that all who have died before us, have tried, just like us, to live their pilgrimage here below by trying/striving to love, to love but not by words alone, but with acts and in truth. Our deceased of the past and of today welcomed in their lives the road of love. They followed it at times with great difficulty and at times more easily while trying to do their best and by giving themselves, by speaking honestly, and loving openly, knowing that it would make them happy, at peace with themselves, a light in the world so clearly marked by times of troubles, so empty. Further, it is by loving, it is by loving God and others that we can fulfil ourselves, even that we are truly children of God. Another hymn tells us this: ‘It is when we love that we resemble God.’

And Jesus Himself showed us the road of love. ‘I have not come to be served but to serve and to give my life in ransom for the multitude.’ It is by love for his Father and for us that he offered to the Father the sacrifice of service. He is our High Priest, as we read in the second reading, because He is there between the Father and us: inviting us also to offer ourselves so that love reigns a little more in us and on our Earth. Jesus on the cross invites us to look up and to love the Father, to understand as well that our future is to be found above. Jesus on the cross, His arms extended, inviting us to love all men and women around us by being for them kindness, pardon, charity and generosity.

To love and to be loved, is it not the most intimate desire we have? Many have suffered because of a lack of love. Some are in seventh Heaven because of an abundance of love. What does Jesus say today? ‘Love from the bottom of your heart, with all your soul, with all your spirit and with all your strength.’ Love Who? Love God, He who is so often forgotten. He for whom we put aside little time. He to whom we give so few occasions to be with. Love your neighbour like yourself. If we take the time to always take care of the love we have for others, if we always pay attention to the persons whom we meet, if our love despite its ‘incompleteness’, was always animated by a profound desire to make the other happy, our world would be much better, as would we.

If we tried to be less focused on ourselves so as to not reject and condemn others, we could all progress in quietness and not in despair and fear, we could live more in hope rather than in hopelessness, we live better by being united and not separated one from the other. ‘If I have not love, then I am nothing’, says Saint Paul. It is for us to always keep these words engraved in our hearts so that each day we take the road of love, the road which our friends, who have died, tried to follow each day.

We pray that Jesus who comes to give Himself to each one of us by the love of His words and through the bread and wine which will become His body and blood, aid us, each day of this week, to give ourselves, to offer ourselves like Him and with Him so as to build a better world of peace, of justice and love particularly during this week of the American elections.

With the refrain of the Psalm, do not fear to say and say again throughout this day:’ I love you Lord, my strength’.

Amen.

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

28^th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Père Réjean Champagne – October 13^th, 2024

‘Closed fists or open hands – a missed opportunity’

The first reading speaks of a pearl of great price: Biblical Wisdom. It is participation in the wisdom of God. It consists of welcoming the Holy Spirit who wants to dwell in the heart of the baptised. We cannot have this unless we leave ourselves open to be touched by the Gospel. The Holy Spirit only asks to work in our hearts. He assists us to discern that which is best. He only waits for one thing, which is that we open our hearts. Wisdom will lead us to change our view of God and of the world. Without this, the riches of the world have no value.

Following this praise of wisdom, we have the wisdom of the word of God. This is the quotation from the second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews. It is not simply an instruction. It reveals to us how God sees us. It discerns that which is most intimate in the heart of each of us. We must take it absolutely seriously because it comes from God. It is truly God who speaks to us and who joins with us in all that we live. If we remain on the surface, if we are too encumbered or too inward looking or self concerned, we cannot hear He who comes and knocks on the door. If we welcome Him, He will illuminate our life. He will come to give us the strength and courage to progress on the road of love.

In the Gospel we discover Christ, who is presented to us as wisdom and the word of God. It shows us a man who has just found Jesus. He asks the question which he has been keeping in his heart: ‘Good Master, what must I do to gain the heritage of eternal life?’ Jesus recalls the commandments, to love God and to love our neighbour. The man responds saying that he observed all this since his youth.

The gospel then tells us that Jesus looked upon this person. We often find this kind of response of Jesus in the Gospels. We remember the calling of Peter. The way in which Jesus looks at him supposes a call. When Jesus called a disciple, he fixed His look on him. He even spread on him the love of God. This manner of loving came from the Heart of Jesus; His look and His love are a call for us.

In calling this man who has come to Him, Jesus puts his finger on the very thing that is not right in his life, it is not enough. This is all the difference between an irreproachable life and a loving life. Jesus invites us to go from a life defined by the commandments to a life filled with love. Such love cannot be limited to one’s duty. It goes much further. To love is to give everything, it is to give ourselves to the one who wants to be our only shepherd. With Him we lack nothing. Saint Therese said: ‘Since I have become free of human needs, I am totally happy.’

But the man in the Gospel has not done this. He did not want to put aside his wealth. He preferred to keep it for himself rather than accept that which Jesus offered him. His attachment to all his things prevented him from accepting the one true treasure which would have fulfilled him. This conversion, he did not accept; other things conquered him. We can think of Saint Francis of Assisi. He gave away his rich clothing. He then went away joyfully and entirely liberated so that he could begin to follow Christ.

What is being proposed to us, is that we let ourselves be overtaken by this concern and by this love of Christ. On the day of our baptism, we were immersed in the ocean of love which is in Him. If we remain in communion with Him, we will understand that these requirements are not a threat, but rather a call to live in plenitude.

This Gospel is a call to not become overwhelmed by our belongings but to put them to the service of those wounded by life. This is the price we pay to become the witnesses to the Gospel of Christ. At the end of our life, we will be judged on the basis of love. Even if we commit errors, we must never cease to love. It is the unique road to come to the inheritance of eternal life.

Your word, Lord, disturbs us and rouses us. It lightens our shadows. We pray: Open our hearts and ears. May your word be our path to light and peace. Amen

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

26^th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Père Léo Durocher
29 September 2024 | Mass for the 150^th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Sherbrooke

Brothers and sisters in the Faith.

The first reading tells us: ‘The brothers and sisters were assiduous in the teaching of the Apostles and fraternal communion, with the breaking of the bread and in prayers. The fear of the Lord was in every heart’ These are the concrete realities which animated the lives of people and families which allowed for the foundation of the Diocese of Sherbrooke of which we are a part. Living a life quite different from ours today, all these pioneer people worked hard to open the land, and build towns and villages to form our diocese of today. Animated by a profound faith and hope in God and in the future, they built, they founded communities to celebrate their faith together, which lived in harmony and charity and who joined together in prayer.

And it was with the clearing of the land and the arrival of more new families, which led to the erection of the Diocese of Sherbrooke on the 28^th of August 1874. Earlier the Diocese underwent an increase of the number of parishes as well as the arrival of several religious communities who ensured the passing on of the faith, provided the teaching of religion, as was said at the time, and who helped to maintain the religious practices and fraternal solidarity. So many parishes and municipalities have been created since the foundation of the diocese. Since about 1994, the diocese has seen the joining of parishes and the closing of several of them, the result of fewer clergy and reduced Sunday mass attendance.

What are we to do today in order to celebrate our 150 years of life and history? First of all, we must give thanks to God, to thank Him for this holy story which has continued so long. What thanksgiving for the graces we’ve received, what thanks for the work of all who came before us, who were faithful to Jesus, trying day after day to welcome and to undertake His will, which is to live, to serve and to love. What we are today, we owe to the men and women who came before us. And the same thing for those who will come after us. Give thanks, say thank you to the Lord for the witness of our ancestors and say thank you to the Lord for renewed hope! Give thanks and say thank you to the Lord for the living and active love which animated our fathers and mothers who solidified the life of our parishes and our communities. Say thank you to the Lord for us today, welcomed like they were and to now living our faith in Jesus, our fidelity in Christ, our hope which pushes us forward, which allows us to accept and overcome difficulties and hard times which come to us.

Give thanks and say thank you to the Lord today and yesterday while living our life, putting into practice the teachings of the Apostles and by fixing our sights on the reality above rather than that here below.

The second Reading taken from the Letter of Saint Paul reminds us that the presence and the action of the Holy Spirit in us is as essential as the life and the presence of the Father in us, He who gave us life and who loves us with an infinite and eternal love; as much also as the life and the presence of Christ in us, the result of His coming to be our salvation through His death and his resurrection. It is this life and this presence of the Spirit who animated the life and growth of our Diocese. Even though we see a diminishment of religious practice, even if the question of faith has become a very personal reality, even if many have left the road of faith in God and in the Church, the Holy Spirit is always at work in the Church, in our Diocese by calling its members to share gifts and charisms, to witness their faith and love of Jesus, and the Archangel Saint Michael, the holy patron of our Diocese. It is he who looks over and protects the Universal Catholic Church and more particularly our Diocese.

We all know that there is good and bad here below. St. Michael protects us from the forces of evil. It is he who looks over and protects the Catholic and Universal Church, and more particularly our Diocese. We all know that here below is good and evil. He fights for us, inviting us to always choose the good in the reality of our lives, and to chase from our existence all the temptations which invite us to turn our backs on our Lord and from the love of our neighbor.

Today, we are also invited to give thanks to our Lord for Saint Michael the Archangel, who for 150 years has looked over us and protected our diocese against everything contrary to the words of Christ. Michael the archangel and soon-to-be Saint Marie-Leonie Paradis, secondary patroness of our Diocese are there to support us in our combat against evil, against sin so that we will come out as the victors.

Give thanks, say thank you to the Lord for the 150 years of life of our Diocese. Give thanks, say thank you to the Lord for the Archangel Saint Michel, Patron of our Diocese. Give thanks to our Lord for the Christian Communities which have developed in our Diocese. If there had not been any of these communities, there would not have been any parishes. So, let us again thank the Lord for this Parish of Saint Elisabeth which began in 1906 and also thank you Lord for this Community of Sainte Catherine begun in 1872, and which is now joined with the community of Saint Elisabeth. Give thanks and say thank you Lord for our communities, but also give thanks for each of us who are an integral part of a parish in the Diocese of Sherbrooke.

Today’s Gospel invites us to be grateful and aware of our history, which could be a source of difficulty but which opens on a new future where Christ is always there, present and living at the heart of our on-going history. And the road is already set out: my commandment is this: ‘Love one another as I love you. There is no greater love than to give one’s life for those that one loves.’ We know in our hearts, what is required to live in peace with each other. It is to love not just with words, but with actions and in truth. The condition to live in serenity and confidence, even if our future seems uncertain, is love, it is to love one another, because as Saint Paul says, love never disappears.

Thus, we are invited to let Jesus live at the heart of our life, He who chose and established us to witness to our faith and to bring to the World the fruits of our faith. We pray that this celebration helps us to give thanks for these 150 years of life of the Diocese of Sherbrooke. Let this celebration help us to give thanks to Jesus, the Son of God, He who will always be for our community and for our Diocese, the way, the truth and the life.

We pray that this celebration helps us to give thanks to the Lord for the action of the Holy Spirit at the centre of our lives, who calls us each day to be the messenger of the Good News and witnesses to Him who every day as the living person who descends from Heaven. And so, we pray that this celebration today helps us to give thanks, to say thank you to the Lord for the presence and the actions of Saint Michael, archangel, and to Blessed Marie-Leonie Paradis who continue to protect us, and to support us on this path in life, which is not always easy, but which leads us to an eternity of life if we are faithful to the Christ Jesus, He who is the light of the World. Let God bless us, our diocese and our communities. Let us give thanks to God, and let the entire world adore Him. Amen!

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

25^th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Père Réjean Champagne

22 September 2024

Each of the three texts which have been proposed for us this Sunday, present us with two opposing logics: one is animated by the desire for justice and peace, by opening ourselves to the other and to God; the other seeks power, domination, pleasure, and immediate satisfaction. Each of these texts open paths for us to analyse the bases of our daily choices.

The first reading is from the book of Wisdom. It sends us back to the first century before Christ. Many Jews had left for other countries. This reading concerns those living in Alexandria. The Greeks have only derision for them because the Jews claim that they have a particular knowledge of God; they call themselves ‘sons of God’ and the ‘set aside’. Even among their compatriots, many have abandoned religious practices. They have come to renounce their faith. They no longer approve the faith of the believers because it has become a reproach of them.

The difficulties and trials of these believers are ours as well. We live in a world where many have become indifferent or even hostile to the faith. The scandals which have come to light in the last several weeks and months only add to this suffering. But we have firm hope that the evil and the hate will not have the last word. All these challenges to the Church are a call for us to attach ourselves firmly to the Lord. We can always count on Him. Nothing can separate us from His love.

In the Second Reading, Saint James denounces ‘envy and selfish ambition, leading to disorder and wickedness of every kind.’ The apostle recommends that we attach ourselves to ‘the wisdom from above’. This wisdom is ‘pure, peaceful, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits,, without partiality or hypocrisy.’ Leaving ourselves to be led by earthly wisdom leads to disorder and evil. Our thirst to enrich ourselves justifies using all sorts of means, including violence and murder. It is greed that is at the origin of wars, of violence and evil. The true Light, we can only find in the Wisdom that comes from God: it is justice, peace, tolerance, understanding, and fullness of good deeds. It transforms our hearts and makes us artisans of peace.

The Gospel of Saint Mark denounces the temptation which divides the Church; according to the words of Pope Francis, it is the ‘worldly desire to have power’, it is the wish and desire ‘to rise higher’. All this comes together when Jesus talks ‘of service and humility’. He declares to His disciples that ‘The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men; they kill Him and three days after His death He will rise again.’

Upon reading this Gospel, we can see how the apostles have not understood; Jesus is speaking the language of humiliation, the language of death and redemption. They are speaking a language of arrogance. Their only preoccupation is to rise in power as high as possible. They are tempted to think as the world would think. For Jesus, this is an occasion to make a point very clearly:’ If someone wants to be first, he must become last and the servant of all.’

This teaching of Jesus is the same for us. Jesus shows us the path we should follow, the path of service: the greatest is he who serves, he who is the greatest in service to others. It is certainly not the one who boasts about himself nor one who seeks money and power. True grandeur is to welcome and serve the little ones. Such service is raised to the rank of service to God.

In these three readings, it is God who is speaking to us: the just who suffer (first reading) speak of the persecuted Christians who are forced to leave their country. We can also see ourselves in the person creating evil which Saint James mentions. The Lord wants to free us of our ‘search’ of ourselves. In the Gospel, we are reminded that the really great are not those who seek the first places and honours but rather those whose hearts are open to others.

Thus, we are called to be a Church open to the service of others, and in particular the most fragile among them. We must remind ourselves of what Jesus once said: ‘What you have done for the least of mine, you have done to me.’ In this mission, we are not alone. During each mass, the Lord is there to nourish us with His Word and His Body. This encounter with Him is truly THE most important moment of the day. Christ is present with us every day, until the end of the World. His Eucharistic Bread is given to us in order to give us the strength to love like Him and with Him. Let us pray that He gives us the strength and courage to ‘remain in service’. AMEN!

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

September 15^th, 2024 – Père Léo Durocher

And you, what do you say?

Brothers and sisters in the faith,

The dioscesan authorities and several Christian communities stress at this beginning of September the launching of the Pastoral Year: the liturgical and pastoral activities: spiritual encounters, preparation for the sacraments are offered to whoever wants to become involved and to deepen their faith in God.

At the very beginning of a new pastoral year as with the beginning of a civil year, it is good to stop and take stock. And today Jesus asks us the same question which we heard in the Gospel. ‘What do people say, who do they say that I am?’ During vacation time, we perhaps heard people speaking of Jesus as a great humanist, a great prophet, a man of great profoundness who marked humanity, etc. Many today no longer believe in Him for diverse reasons. Others let Him live in their hearts without too much awareness, and without saying too much about it. Others are animated by questions, doubts, by real research. Still others, like us, truly believe that Jesus is the Christ. This way that Jesus uses, this way of Jesus asking questions of the disciples, resembles what is happening in the United States, in France, here in Canada as well as in our own relations. Since the announcement of the candidature of Mrs. Harris for the presidency of the United States, many if not the great majority, are asking themselves, who is Mrs. Harris? The same thing is occurring about the new prime minister of France as well as the name of the former governor of the Bank of Canada. Elements of the response became available after some research. The great majority of people want to know who these people are who are ready to serve their country.

In the Gospel, Jesus listened to the answers of His disciples who had heard different answers from the people they had met. Wanting to go further , Jesus asks them a more personal question, more engaging. ‘For you, who am I?’ It is not what the others think which is in question in this last question, it is what they themselves think and believe about Jesus. Peter declared in his name and probably in the name of the others. ‘You are the Christ’, the chosen one of God come to save humanity. It is for us today, in the beginning of this pastoral year, to welcome and to respond to the same question: ‘For you, who am I?’ For us today, is our answer the same as that of yesterday, as that of the last few months, as that of the last few years? At regular intervals during a liturgical year, Jesus asks again the same question because our relation with others is not static in time. We are in movement, our paths lead us towards other horizons and this is why we have to welcome and accept who we are, accept what we have become persons who seek, who can change, evolve, and we need to be aware of those beside us, who they are and are becoming.

Jesus comes today to remind us that He is the Christ, He who comes into this world to save us from sin and death. And He comes to reveal to His disciples what will be the right path: He will suffer, He will be rejected, He will be killed, and He will rise again. This is the path which Peter does not want to accept because he was expecting a temporal Messiah, a king who would chase the Romans from their country. It can also happen to us that accepting Jesus in His totality and in His entire integrity would be difficult for us. How many people have left the road of faith because their prayers and requests have not been answered?

How many people have doubted and still doubt even the existence of Jesus following hardships and painful suffering? How many people refuse to believe in a man, in a God who invites us to walk with Him on a road that is often difficult, who refuse to believe in a man, in a God who tells us to renounce even ourselves while our society suggests to us every day that it is our little person which is the most important, refusing to believe in a man, in a God who tells us to take up our cross and follow Him while we do everything to forget all the difficulties and sufferings which present themselves to us. The words of the first reading from Isaiah also reveal who Jesus is, the suffering servant come into this world to achieve salvation. He who placed all His confidence in His Father. He who gave His life out of love for His Father and out of love for us.

With the words of the Gospel, also with the words of our confession of faith, Jesus comes to remind us today who he truly is: the Christ, the beloved Son of the Father, the Saviour of the world. As with Peter, we might have difficulty accepting, living and following Jesus in what He invites us to be and to do. As with Peter, we might have difficulties to accept, to live and to follow Jesus by what he invites us to be and to do. Like Peter we might be tempted to dictate, to arrange what Jesus should do for us, what we need in our everyday reality: what requests, what prayers He must necessarily listen to, what happiness, what successes He must arrange for us. Jesus is there at the heart of our lives, He welcomes us today and now, and He comes to remind us that the Holy Spirit is there, always, ready to help us, each day, we follow what God expects of us as His messengers and His witnesses.

His messengers proclaim openly the Faith in Him who is risen for us. His witnesses: by which we engage ourselves each day to the people we help. And we know how numerous are those who suffer in our world. Think of all the violence, of wars, of killings, of theft, of sexual aggression, of poverty, of famine, of loneliness, of itinerance, of solitude, of despair.

Saint James in the second reading declares: You, you have the faith; I have the good deeds. Show me then your faith without good deeds; for me, it is by my deeds that I show you the faith. Saint Paul says this as well in his way: We must love not only in words and speeches but by acts and in truth. We also must remember the words of Jesus in Saint Matthew: All that you have done to one of these little ones, who are my brothers, it is to me that you have done so. That the sign of the cross which we make on ourselves, remind us constantly that we must love God (in the vertical sense) and that we must love our brothers (in the horizontal sense).

Let us pray that this celebration will help us to engage ourselves as missionaries of the Gospel and witnesses to the Risen One. On this day of the Feast of the glorious Cross, that the ‘Lord’s cross, be our only reason for pride’, as the acclamation of the gospel states. Amen.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

22^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time – 1 September 2024 – Père Réjean Champagne

The biblical readings allow us to discover what God says to men for them to guide their lives. He addresses them as a liberator God. This is what happened to the People of Israel when they were slaves in Egypt. Under the leadership of Moses. God freed them from this dramatic situation. The Bible recounts to us how they crossed the Red Sea and walked in the desert in order to reach the Promised Land.

Today, we discover that God wanted them to undergo a new stage: a people free under one law. The others are submitted to the arbitrary and to violence: we can see this every day. We live in a world which suffers because of this violence and injustice. But the author of the Book of Deuteronomy has told us that God has never ceased to love us. The law which He gives to His people can be stated in two ways: Love God and Love all our brothers.

The first phrase concerns God: ‘You will love the Lord your God’. This commandment is a response to God creator, who continues to take the first step towards us. He loves the world passionately. Without Him goodness is impossible. It is on Him that we are invited to build our life. It is insufficient to perform religious gestures. The alliance between God and man is a history of passionate love.

The second phrase concerns love of the other. It concerns avoiding everything that could harm others. Later, Jesus will reveal that God is Father, who loves each one of His children. His love is for all without exception. If we harm someone, it is against God that we sin. The greater the love, the greater the offense. This is important for us today. We live in a world that suffers violence, indifference, doubt and all sorts of misfortunes. Our mission is to live differently and to put our love in action.

In his letter Saint James addresses some newly baptized Christians who live in pagan and hostile milieus. He invites them to live clearly different lives. On the day of their baptism, they have entered a new life. At the centre of this life is Christ, Light of the world. His words are those of ‘eternal life’. This good news changes our relation with God and with all others. If we want to live in accord with God, we must not forget those men and women who have the first place in His heart, the orphans, the widows and all of the excluded in society.

In the Gospel, we see Jesus in conflict with a group of Pharisees: they are reproaching His disciples because they are eating their meal with impure hands, that is unwashed hands. This is a failure to follow the tradition of the ‘ancients’. Such behaviours are not bad in themselves. The problem is that the Pharisees forget what is most important: ‘This people honours me with their lips but in their hearts they are far from me.’ Not to wash your hands is less important than washing your heart. In their practices, the Pharisees seek to be well looked up to by men. Jesus invites them to be true. What comes first is not the accomplishing of religious gestures but the real practice of love. It is by our love that we will be judged.

Jesus adds that what comes out of man is that which tarnishes man: ‘It is what is inside, it is from the heart of man that come the perverse thoughts, misconduct, debauchery, adultery, cupidity, meanness, envy, defamation, pride and excesses. All these render man impure.’ We receive this Gospel as a call to us to convert and to be nourished each day with the Word of God. The Lord is always there to teach us to put more and more love into our life.

Today we ask the Lord, through the intercession of the Holy Virgin and Saint Elizabeth, to give us each a pure heart, free of all hypocrisy. And thus, we may live according to the spirit of the law and arrive at its very purpose, which is love. Amen

Sources:

Revue Feu Nouveau : Paroles d’Évangile d’un vieux prêtre de Montpellier
Homélies du dimanche (Mgr. Léon Soulier) – L’intelligence des Écritures (Marie Noëlle Thabut)
Pape François, 2017, Selon saint Marc. Claire Potier, ed. Parole et Silence. 180p.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

25 August 2024 – 21^st Sunday of Ordinary Time – Père Léo Durocher

« Choose Christ Every Day »

Brothers and Sisters in the faith

The text of the Gospel which we have just heard follows the discourse of Jesus on the Bread of Life. We remember that last week Jesus said ‘I am the living bread, which has descended from heaven: If someone eats this bread, they will live forever. The bread which I give you is my body given for the life of the world.’ These words were surprising, shocking, even incomprehensible! They were difficult to believe by the people at that time as they are for so many in our time.

How many have abandoned Sunday practice because of these demanding words of Jesus, as they did in the time of Jesus. It is because the question asked then is the same as that in our times: ‘Do you also want to leave?’

We know that each day we have things to do, easier things like getting out of bed, going to work or not, etc. More difficult choices like being positive or not, working for peace or spreading war, being joyful or remaining in sorrow, undertaking challenges or giving up in the face of difficulties. We have many choices to make for the well being of others, for our society, or for the future. For example, the conventions for the American president leave the American people with a choice to make. Some remain faithful to their first choice, others change and still others abstain. Another example: some believed in the gravity of the Covid pandemic, some denied it was serious. Do we stay or leave, do we believe or not-believe?

The first reading presents the choice that the people of Israel had to make, choices presented to them by Joshua and the leaders of the Jews. Leave in order to follow the former gods or remain faithful to the God of Israel who had performed marvels for the people of the first Alliance. Most notable was the crossing of the Red Sea, leading them from slavery to freedom, and providing them with manna while crossing the desert. The choice of the people: ‘We also want to serve the Lord, because He is our God.’

The second reading raises questions for many, especially in our day because certain readings, notably by Saint Paul, no longer match our modern sensibility. Today’s reading places us before choices we have to make, choices to be repeated each day. The question that kills, as a certain television program puts it, might be the following: up to what point are we prepared to answer this call to love, with which the Lord challenges us, according to the words of Saint Paul? Are we prepared to remain submissive to both one and the other, to love the other as much as ourselves, just as the Church submits itself to Christ? Are we prepared to give our lives for those persons that we love, just as Christ gave His life for us? Are we always ready to be filled with welcome, with respect, with compassion, with mercy towards others as Christ is for each of us? Are we ready to go forward every day even if it is not always easy, even if there are crosses to deal with?

As we well know, there might be moments in our life, when we want to stop, to change, to quit, to take other paths that make themselves apparent. Nevertheless we must remember that every path has its difficulties, its challenges, its sufferings. This question is raised for each and every one of us. Are you also prepared to leave as well? Do you want to take the easy road or the courageous road? Do you want to take the road of egoism, to be falling back on oneself or the road of service, of giving one’s self and one’s love? Do you want to take the road which leads us to death or to take the road which leads to eternal life? Do you want to take the living bread descended from heaven which comes to fill all our hungers and our most profound thirsts or take the road of famine?

And it is in this way that today’s Gospel constantly raises the question: ‘Do you also want to leave?’ For many years, we see that many have left. They have left the road of faith. Many no longer believe for different reasons including the lack of transparency and compassion of the Church and the serious missteps of some members of the clergy. Others have left the road of the Sunday practice while still remaining believers. And we could present many other reasons why other people have decided to leave and explore other roads.

As in the first reading, we are invited today to examine our personal, family and community story and what we have experienced with respect to our faith in God. Because we believe in God, Father, Son and Spirit, are we less happy, less confident or more happy, more confident in an eternal future?

Because our relation to Jesus leads us to the road of true happiness, of eternal happiness, are we less free than if we had taken the easy road, the road of passivity, of indifference?

With regard to our living in faith in God, are we happy to believe, happy to welcome the light in our reality, happy to welcome Jesus the living bread who descended from heaven, He who comes to lead us on the road of life without end, to eternal life?

And it is Saint Peter in the Gospel who can inspire us today in our answer to the question that Jesus posed. With these words we can say: ‘Lord, to whom can we turn? You have the words of eternal life.’ And we could add with him: ‘As for us, we believe, and we know that you are the Holy One of God.’

Today then, we are invited to renew our faith in God: Father, Son and Spirit. Having faith in God is to let Him live and act in us and to be listening, giving Him time, it is to live and have a true relation, it is to welcome His words which are life and spirit as the Gospel says. To have faith in God is to take each day the road laid out by Jesus himself, a road that is not always easy, but a road which leads us to eternal light, to the fullness of love, to life which never ends.

In this celebration where the bread of life is given to us, let it help us every day this week to make the choice to continue to follow Jesus and to live like Him and with Him in love, service and the gift of ourselves.

And now with the help of the Spirit let us give thanks to the Father for Jesus present and living in our celebration, living and present in the reality of our every day, He who helps us, as it says in the psalm, to taste and to see how He, the Lord, is good. Amen.

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Père Réjean Champagne – 18 August 2024 – 20^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

« So that we may have life »

Upon opening the Gospel of Saint Mark, I came across this question by Jesus to His disciples: ‘What do the people say to the question, ‘Who is the Son of Man?’ For some, he is Moses, for others Elijah or even a Prophet of the Old Testament. We have heard the answer to this question for several weeks now. Addressing the crowd, Jesus said: ‘I am the living bread come down from heaven. If someone eats this bread, he will live forever.’

It is not for nothing that the first reading sends us an urgent call: ‘come eat my bread; drink the wine that I have prepared: leave this turmoil and you will live.’ Listening to these words, we can understand that it is God who speaks to His people. He sends the prophets to proclaim His call. He addresses the deaf who do not understand the challenge of this solemn invitation.

With Jesus, this promise is accomplished well beyond any of our hopes. His declaration is most solemn! ‘Yes, truly I say this to you, he who eats my body and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.’ We all wish for eternal life. So we need this living Bread of Jesus Himself. It is He who gave strength to martyrs through the ages to remain firm in the faith. There are many witnesses in the history of the Church.

Listening to the rest of the Gospel for today, we heard of the recriminations of the Jews. It is not only today that we refuse Jesus and His Bread of life. The rejection that we are aware of now began at the very first day when Jesus preached His teaching of the Bread of life. For all these people, it was not possible to accept the pretensions of this man, whom everyone knew well. But Jesus insists: ‘If you do not eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and if you do not drink His blood, you will not have life.’ He gives no explanation. He invites them to an act of faith. This is the same act of faith that we are called to make during each mass.

We recognize in Jesus the Living Bread given for the life of the world. Today, as in the past, it is difficult to understand. Many refuse to accept this: others are too blasé. We must rediscover all the force and newness of this message which He addresses to us: Jesus gives us the words and the food of eternal Life. We enter into a communion of love with God who brings us to a communion of love with all men.

To be sure, at each mass we are not always aware of the grandeur of this mystery of faith. But we must not forget that mass is the most important moment of the day. It is Jesus who is there; He joins the communities that are gathered in His name. He wants to give Himself ‘so that man has life’. The priest says before communion: ‘This is the Lamb of God who forgives the sin of the World.’ These words are not only for the people assembled in the church, but for the whole world. Christ wants to give Himself to everyone. He is the living Bread for the life of the world.

In the second reading, Paul the apostle comes to help us welcome the gift of God. ‘Do not live like fools but like the wise.’ The fool is he who lets himself be influenced by fashionable ideas. He lives a trivial life and forgets the more important things. The only truth is that which we find in the Gospels: I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, Jesus says; no one goes to the Father without coming through me. Saint Paul speaks to us in his way: ‘Welcome the will of God and of the Spirit on difficult days, pray by singing hymns and the psalms, celebrate God and give Him thanks, find yourself in friendship…’ It is in this way that He teaches us to live wisely.

We will declare our faith together. But do not forget that it is the whole Eucharist that is the profession of our faith. On saying the ‘I believe in God…’ we declare our confidence in the words of Christ and proclaim that we want to follow Him to the end. Today we make ours the prayer of Psalm 33: ‘I will bless the Lord forever, His praise on my lips without ceasing. I will glorify myself in the Lord: that the poor hear me and rejoice.’

SOURCES: Revue nouveau-Homélies pour l’Année B (A. Brunot), Lectures bibliques des dimanches (A. Vanhoye), Guide Emmaüs des Dimanches et Fêtes (J.P. Bagot), Les entretiens du Dimanche (Noël Quesson)

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

11 August 2024 – 19^th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Père Léo Durocher

‘Attracted by Jesus, the bread of life.’

Brothers and sisters in the faith.

What we have undertaken today resembles the same commitment the crowd of people undertook when they came to listen to Jesus and to also receive from Jesus the five loaves of bread and the two fishes which He will multiply in order to nourish them with food before He asks them to return to their homes. Today we decided to take the road in order to come together in this church and listen to Jesus speaking to us, instructing us, to awaken in us the hunger and thirst which are there: hunger and thirst for harmony and truth, hunger and thirst for justice, hunger and thirst for confidence and hope, for perseverance; hunger and thirst for pardon, for mercy, for love, hunger and thirst for eternal life for love.

Jesus calls us to Himself because He has the words of eternal life. As with the young and the not so young who cover the walls of their rooms with posters and photos of their idols, with their dreams. Jesus draws us to Him, because in His person we can clearly see our personal future and the future of this violent world with calm, with serenity because Jesus is with us on this road of life multiplying the loaves of bread and the fishes.

And like the Gospel last week where several people of the numerous crowd were hurrying to find Jesus, hoping to find in Him one who could continue to nourish them for free with the bread of the multiplication, we also get on the road regularly or occasionally in the hope of finding Him who wants to and who can satisfy our hunger and our thirst to live fully and to believe profoundly in Him. Jesus says this himself ‘It is the Father who created us in His image and in his likeness’ and this draws us to Jesus. Our heart is similar to the heart of God. Our eyes are capable if we want to see the things , the persons, the events, the situations in which we live, as God sees them. But so often our glasses are blurry, are darkened, rendering us unable to see clearly, to identify well our deepest reality. God the Father has given each a heart similar to His, a heart capable of loving, capable of giving itself, a heart also capable of letting ourselves be attracted, to be taken by Him exactly like a heart, which discovers the beloved being.

God loves more than anything, He attracts us to Him like Cupid’s arrow piercing our hearts. The desire for encounter becomes intense. The union of the regards is melted. The nearness of the one and of the other happens and becomes communion.

It is God the Father, who today puts into our hearts this desire to come to His Son Jesus, he who comes to nourish us with His word, He who offers Himself as the living bread descended from heaven. Jesus said: ‘Do not disparage one another! Nobody can come to me, if the Father who sent me, does not draw him to me, and I will reawaken him on the last day’. Is this not the manner of doing of the Father He who habitually takes the initiative? Let us look at the history of Abraham, of Moses, of David, of the whole of the prophets, of the story of many of the saints. God the Father came to all humanity by sending His only son, Jesus the Christ.

God the Father loves us so much that He comes to us, to draw us to Him so as to let his Son Jesus nourish us and fill us with strength, with courage and hope in the face of hardness of the life that we might face and also to face the world which gives us fear as we confront catastrophes such as the conflicts, the wars, and the climate change we are facing, as well as the conflicts of all sorts between communities and individuals.

Jesus comes to us. He gives Himself to us, inviting us to come to Him exactly as we will do at the moment of Communion, at the moment of receiving the bread of life. You will leave your seat to get into the aisle. You will take a few steps in order to receive and to allow Him to find a dwelling place in your heart. In the first reading, Elijah found near him bread and water to nourish himself and to continue on his road, a road that was not so easy because he was being followed. As with us! It is not easy in our society to be messengers of the Good News, to be witnesses to Jesus but with Him who comes to nourish us, it is possible to undertake the mission that we have received. With Jesus everything remains possible. We only have to approach Him, to believe in Him, that He will raise us on the last day.

The promise of resurrection, is it not a source of joy and hope even if so much negative reality in our personal lives and in our present world makes us sad: think of the bombing of a school in Gaza, which caused more than eighty dead. This promise of eternal life, is it not a source of an act of grace because the life of God in us is stronger than our corporal death. This promise of Jesus of resurrection at the end of time, is it not the source of our adherence to Jesus, He who comes to show us the face and the heart of our Father in heaven.

Jesus, living bread, descend from heaven, come to help us on this day to serve, to give, to share the bread with those men and women who seek from us. Do we have to be reminded now that it is we who have to live by our gestures, by our words, by our actions, by our charity, that we become like Jesus, that is to multiply the bread in order to give it to those around us who are hungry.

It is for us to be like Jesus, to be persons who profoundly love the men and women around us. In the words of Saint Paul in the Second Reading, come and dwell in our hearts so that we begin to put them into service with the strength of the Bread of Life which we receive. ‘All manner of dishonesty must be eliminated from our lives. Among you be persons of generosity and tenderness, forgive one another. Imitate God. Live in love.

We pray that this celebration of our faith in Jesus, living bread descended from heaven, that this celebration inspires us to give thanks to God our Father for all the marvels which He does not cease to do for us. And most particularly for the gift of His Son, He who allows us to hope to live eternally and to see the goodness of the Lord.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Père Réjean Champagne – 4 August 2024 – 18^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

‘The bread we hunger for’

The biblical texts for this Sunday invite us to know how to recognize the gift of God. This is a free gift which He gives us to show His infinite love for us. The problem arises when the receiver does not see the signs of this love; he only sees the material side of the gift. Today’s texts seek to help us to change how we see: the most important thing is to recognize and welcome the signs of God’s love for us and for the entire world.

This is the path which we have in the First Reading: the life of the Hebrews in the desert is not an easy one: they are fed-up by the lack of food; tensions rise. They have protested against Moses and Aaron: they want to return ‘to the country of Egypt’ to at least find their rations as slaves. For them the thought of dying in the desert doesn’t make sense.

God hears the complaints. He gives them this special food called ‘manna’; but this gift is also a test, one to test their faith. He forbids them to take extra. Above all they must have faith in the Lord who promises them to have a sufficiency each day. We Christians, we still believe today that God gives us what we need: material riches; but they must not lead us away from God who has still better to offer us.

In the Gospel, we hear of Jesus who has fed a hungry crowd; for the poor people, it is a quite extraordinary thing: they come to Him so that He will respond to their needs. But Jesus does not want to become known as a ‘super bread baker’: this is not His mission. He has much better to offer them. And this is equally true for us today. Our prayers must not become limited to simple prayers for material things! What the Lord wants to give us is much more important.

The great priority is not the things which we own, nor the things we want to have. Jesus sees all these people who work hard for their bodily needs. However, this is a perishable food for a perishable life.

The Gospel introduces us to this other bread. It speaks of the ‘true bread’, ‘the bread of God’, ‘the bread of life’, ‘the bread from heaven’. It is not like manna, which the ancients ate in the desert at the time of Moses. The only true bread is Jesus. He is the bread of heaven, that which gives us life. This food offered to many is, first of all, the word of Jesus: ‘Man does not live by bread alone but all the words which come from the mouth of God’ (Dt. 8.3). Jesus is equally food by His Body and His Blood.; This nourishment is offered to all during the Eucharistic Celebration.

Actually, the same Christ continues to relieve our hunger and thirst for the absolute. He sees all these young and the not so young who run after the pleasures which our consumer society provides: drugs, alcohol, and decibels! He sees all these people, who are suffering because they have lost their jobs. Their great pain is that nobody needs them. They lack an environment of tenderness and of love, which could give light to their lives. We Christians are sent to testify to this love, which is God, and to communicate this to all those who surround us.

Saint Paul shows the way. He invites the believers of his time and each of us, to let ourselves be guided by a renewed spirit. The Ephesians, to whom Paul is writing, have been converted. They left their old practices in order to follow Christ. Their faith in Jesus made them into new men. But Saint Paul knows that this faith is still fragile because it is lived in pagan world. We also can be affected by this pagan spirit in our time. This is what we do when we give the first place in our life to money and to material satisfaction. But the Lord keeps watch: He calls us continuously to go over to the ‘other side of the river’. It is there that He waits for us. He wants us to share His life.

We have nothing to recriminate against God, as in the desert. Christ gives Himself to all men and women who hunger after His Words and his Bread. He alone can guide us on the road to conversion. Let us give thanks to Him for this gift which He gives us, and let us ask that He will keep us faithful to His words because they are the Words of Eternal Life.

Sources: Revus Liturgiques – Feu Nouveau, Prions en Église – La Parole de Dieu pour chaque Jour (V. Roglia), Pensées sur l’Évangile de Marc (C. Schönborn), Homélies pour l’année B (Amédée Brunot)

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Homily – Père Réjean Champagne – 28 July 2024

17^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

When we read the biblical texts for this Sunday, we are impressed by the emphasis given to numbers: 20 barley loaves for a hundred people, five loaves and two fish for five thousand people, and there were still 12 baskets of leftovers… And how can we not think of the other numbers in our time: the hundreds of thousands killed in wars, millions starving in the world, and the tens of millions of Euros in order to transfer one soccer player from one team to another! These numbers leave us without words, they become the word. On one side it is the cry of admiration in the face of the miracle and on the other, it is horror.

These numbers tell us more than a simple mathematical calculation. In the biblical readings for this Sunday, show us the disproportion between the quantity of available food and the enormous needs: ‘There is the young boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what is that for so many people?’ We also are confronted with the same questions: in the face of all the deadly catastrophes, in the face of wars and famines, we find ourselves in despair and helpless: in the face of all the murderous catastrophes, in the face of wars and famines, we feel abandoned and helpless: what can we do?

And it is there that we must come back to the Gospel and see what Jesus does. He suggests that we look at our ‘multiplication table’ in another way. To begin with He accepts the modest piece of bread from a child. Nothing would have been possible if the child had not offered all he had. God needs our gestures of sharing in order to produce great things. It is thus that the five loaves and the two fish served to feed five thousand people. A clarification : bread made with barley was bread for the poor. It was with this ‘bread for the poor’ that He nourished the whole crowd. He has total confidence in God. He knows that everything is possible with God.

This Gospel pushes/throws us into the reality of our world. How can we not think of the famine which ravages a large part of humanity? Many ask the question: Where is God in the Sahel? And even in our western countries, many do not have the minimum to survive. So, we feel helpless and powerless in the face of the immensity of these needs. However, the word of Jesus is always there in John’s Gospel: ‘Give of what you have to eat!’ Even a little is sufficient depending on what we have, a little love, a little of our material goods and a little availability on our part to help conquer hunger, that of the body and that of the heart. This little, we put in the hands of the Lord. It is with this that He can accomplish great things.

Another question arises: Jesus gave nourishment to the crowds one day. But the next day, they continued to be no less hungry! They found themselves once again in a situation that was no less miserable. So why did Jesus undertake this gesture without any change in the situation? When we want to fight against famine, we must not be content to simply provide something to eat. We act in solidarity with other organizations, against the causes which have resulted in the famine. But Jesus’s purpose is not to simply feed the hungry; it is to change the hearts of men. It is for people renewed by the Gospel to make the necessary changes. When we are filled with Christ’s message of love, nothing can be the same as before. What is important is that we give the best of ourselves in concert with those who organise works of solidarity – Moisson-Estrie, Estrie Aide among many others.

When we see Jesus in the midst of these crowds, we think of Moses speaking to the Hebrew people. We recall that he had guided them through the desert to the Promised Land. Jesus guides the whole of humanity from the other side of the lake, towards the Father. He calls us to join Him on the mountain to live by the new alliance and become children of God. He presents Himself to everyone as the true liberator. He is the one who brings us out of the slavery of sin to true liberty, from shadows to Light, from death to Life. Thus, the multiplication of the loaves is more than just a miracle: it is a sign which speaks to us of God.

Seeing Jesus before the crowds, we can think of Moses standing before the Hebrew people. We recall that he led them across the desert to the Promised Land. Jesus guides the whole of humanity to the other side of the lake, to the Father. He calls us to join Him on the Mountain so as to live in the new alliance and become children of God. He presents Himself to everyone as the true liberator. It is He who brings us from the slavery of sin to the true liberty, from the shadows to the Light, from death to Life. Thus, the multiplication of the loaves of bread is more than just a miracle; it is a sign which speaks to us of God.

When reading this Gospel, we must not limit ourselves to the loaf of bread. To be sure bread is a necessary food. But Christ is inviting us to take a step further. He is saying that God is present in all the realities and events of our lives! It is in faith that we encounter Him. We live by His love. In the past He multiplied loaves of bread. This gesture is a sign of the multiplication of the love which He brings to us. He sends it to us so the we distribute it to all those who are hungry for love. Thus, it depends on us that this miracle never ends, the miracle of love between all men.

‘We are there at the heart of life with God, at the heart of the life of God.’ On this Sunday, it is He who brings us together around the table of the risen Christ to share His bread. We beg of Him: ‘give us your Holy Spirit so that we may enter into your love.’ AMEN

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Père Réjean Champagne, 7^th of July 2024 – 14^th Sunday of Ordinary Time
‘Sent as a prophet…. Have confidence, my grace is sufficient’

The biblical texts for this Sunday speak to us who have heard God’s call. To begin with we have the testimony of the prophet Ezekiel, who is sent to a rebellious people who are in revolt against God. He knows that he will not be listened to because he is confronted with the hardening of their hearts. But nothing must stop Him, whether we listen or not, the Word of God must be proclaimed. We might think of the little Bernadette of Lourdes who said: ‘I am not charged to make you believe but to declare to you: ‘This is how God calls the little ones in order to speak to you.’ This is how God calls the little people in order to send us the most important messages. He calls us to convert and to rediscover the lost friendship.

In the Second Letter to the Corinthians, we have the testimony of Paul the Apostle. He describes the real conditions of his apostolate: he received extraordinary revelations, but he is overcome by difficulties and humiliations: insults, restrictions, persecutions, agonizing situations. He is also confronted by serious health problems. He asks God to be freed of these obligations. But the Lord answers him: ‘My grace is sufficient for you.’ Paul discovers that God acts within his very weaknesses. Thus, he is not alone in his mission! As for the main work, it is God who does it in the hearts of those whom He puts on the road with the apostle.

In the Gospel, we find Jesus of Nazareth. His preaching could have been a success. Everyone throughout Galilee, everyone rejoices at His words and His miracles. But the people of Nazareth only see him as the village carpenter. What they reproach Him for, is that He speaks the Word of God without being qualified to do so: he has not had rabbinical training, he is a simple lay person!

Here is the Christ and he is unable to be recognized as the Messiah: ‘He returned to his own and they did not receive Him…’. We are in no position to judge them: we are often rebellious when one come to speak of God. But nothing nor no one could stop Him from announcing the Good News. In the face of this refusal, Jesus left to go to neighboring villages. The missionaries of the Gospel must not be discouraged either if we refuse to greet them; like Jesus, they must go and announce the Gospel because everyone must hear it.

The problem with those listening to Jesus is that they were limited by their certitudes and traditions. This is often the case with us, we think that we know a great deal about God. But what we might be able to say will always be insignificant compared to what He really is. We will never stop asking ourselves the question: who is Jesus for me? We find this question throughout the Gospel of Saint Mark. And the answer will be given to us by a pagan Centurion at the foot of the Cross: ‘Truly this man was the Son of God.’

Like the prophet Ezekiel and like Paul, we are conscious of our poverty and our weaknesses. Nevertheless, the Lord counts on us to be His spoke-persons. Baptism renders us a people of prophets, marked by the Holy Spirit, called and sent forth. God knows the circumstances of the mission. He knows better than we what risks will be heavy and discouraging. For those He has called, He has promised His presence and His assistance.

To be sure, like all the prophets of the past, we also encounter difficulties. We are confronted with unbelief, wrong beliefs and indifference. In the whole world, numerous Christians are persecuted and killed. And even in the Church, we are faced with wrong witnessing, which does harm. This Church of Jesus Christ is ever a people of sinners! We might be tempted to criticize it, to say what we think about it. But a child cannot break the bond which attaches it to its mother.

Our attachment to Christ must be stronger than the temptation of rupture. God does not choose those He sends out from among the best but very often they are from among the poor, from among sinners. We must not forget that the great witnesses of the faith are pardoned sinners! Think of Peter who denied Christ because he was afraid. However, in welcoming the pardoning from Christ, he received from Him the mission to be the shepherd of His people.

In celebrating this Eucharist, let us give thanks for the confidence which God gives us by associating us to His mission. Missionary-disciples, raise our eyes so as to put our fragility into His hands. We pray that His word will be accomplished for us today: ‘My grace is sufficient for you.’

AMEN!

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Homily 23^th of June 2024

Père Léo Durocher

From fear to confidence

Brothers and sisters in faith,

Today when we are invited to rejoice on the occasion of our National Day, when we are invited to remind ourselves of Saint John the Baptist, who invites us again to prepare every day the way of the Lord, today’s liturgy plunges us into the mystery of the suffering and the scandal of evil.

We don’t have to look too far to become aware of the suffering and the evil in our world and in each one of us. And like all those who have come before us, we can ask ourselves: ‘Why, why evil, why is suffering always present in our human reality?’ Think of all the dead from conflicts of all kinds, the great world wars, bloody conflicts between Israel and Hamas, Ukraine and Russia. We can think of many other conflicts in our world, including Haiti, the Sudan. Think of all the murders committed nearly everywhere, of all the violence in the human heart. Think of all the suffering which the human being must live day after day: physical suffering, psychological and affective suffering. We hear more and more about mental health. Why all this suffering, this evil in the world in which we live? Why the earthquakes, the pandemics, the diseases, the accidents, climate change, heat waves, which together seem like the coming of the last days. Why this scandal of suffering and evil?

We do not have to deny it, the human being is responsible for much, much of the suffering, of the stress which we continue to put on our environment and which has an impact on our lives and on the lives of others.

Think now of the people being evacuated because of forest fires on the North Shore, and in the Churchill Falls region. We act egotistically, allowing ourselves to be drawn by the temptations which Jesus Himself experienced in the desert: to have the pride, the power, the domination, the possibility to be able to decide what is good and what is evil, etc. . The human being is responsible for the deterioration of our common home, which is the Earth, as Pope Francis has said. We are still responsible for our human condition – material and corporal. Our bodies inevitably grow older – we cannot look forward to eternal youth! We all have our little ‘bobos’, as they say, which cause us to suffer at times.

And we can ask ourselves, as Job did in the first reading, he who had everything and now has nothing. ‘Where is God?’, is He asleep? Is He absent from our reality? Where is His goodness, His love? He who wants only our happiness, His love? He who wants our well being, He who wants to see us happy, why has He left us to our own strength, without answer to our prayers, to our supplications in the face of sufferings, in the face of the evil in us and around us. Here is the kind of dialogue between Job and God.

A similar situation like this is faced by Jesus’s disciples in today’s Gospel. Experiencing a terrible storm, Jesus’s disciples become terrified, there is a threat to their lives. They cry out with fear, they beseech Jesus, who is asleep in the boat. Awakened, He speaks to the wind and the sea: ‘Silence! Be quiet!!’ And Jesus asks: ‘Why were you fearful? Do you no longer have faith?’ So often fear invades us when we are faced with suffering and evil. We are little ones, fragile when faced with the catastrophes which occur for time to time in the world and in our own lives.

We are so centred on what happens to us in the present instant, that we forget our past, that we forget all those moments when we have recognized the presence and the action of the Lord in our every day life. ‘Do you not yet believe?’ The Apostles witnessed the acts of Jesus in favour of life. They saw the miracles which revealed that Jesus was the Son of God. They listened to Jesus telling them of the power of the life of the Father, He who awakened us to new life on the day of our baptism; He, the Father, who gave us, as it says in the second reading, to see ourselves as beings no longer centered on ourselves, on our material realities, but centred on Christ who died and rose for us.

We are more than just material beings and flesh. We are new creatures, and Jesus comes to our gathering to show us that He is there fully alive in our lives. He promised this: ‘I am with you all days till the end of the world.’

Today, Jesus has not come to answer all our questions ‘Why?’, all our ‘How is it…?’ He has not come to explain in detail all the bad things, all the sufferings which humans have to suffer and confront. But on the other hand, we know, our liberty, our capacity to choose between the good and the bad, our openness to let temptation enter into us, all these lead to suffering and evil and lead us into tempests where destructive winds are unleashed and paralyse us with fear!

Jesus Himself, the Son of God who spoke to the wind and to the sea, experienced, as do we, gray days, days of turmoil, where suffering and evil came to Him. We remember His birth in a stable, His presence that was not always welcomed, His message often taken badly, the refusal to believe that He was the Son of God. And what have we to say of His arrest, His being judged, of His being whipped, of His condemnation, of His being put in jail, of His death on the cross. Jesus who addresses His Father, ‘Why have you abandoned me?’ And Jesus answers: ‘Not what I want, but what You want.’

‘Have you no longer faith?’ This question Jesus asks us today. He is present at the very centre of us and at the heart of this celebration. We forget this so often. We often let it lie asleep in our hearts, that which is our only means to confront dark days, days of turmoil and days of fatigue.

Today we are invited to fix our sights on Jesus who invites us to have confidence in Him. He gave His life for you, for me, for us, and this is why He cannot let us fall. We are so dear to Him! He is always ready to support us, and even more, at the heart of our difficulties, of our distresses, and of our fears. Even if He does not want to answer all of our panics, to all that causes our suffering, He remains beside us, He is there in the boat of our lives, inviting us to believe in Him and to follow Him.

It often happens that we act like Him with people whom we love and who are suffering a great deal. Without saying anything or with only a few words, we are there present, simply to support, and comfort, bring confidence and hope.

Who is Jesus? He is the Son of God who invites us in confidence even if we have difficulty living in fear and suffering.

As Saint Paul will say: ‘The ancient world has gone, a world of fear and distrust, a new world is born with Jesus, a world of confidence and of hope.’ Amen

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Homily 9 June 2024 – Tout sera pardonné – Père Léo Durocher

Brothers and sisters in the faith,

Two days ago, on Friday, the Church celebrated the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a heart so full of goodness and sympathy for the whole of humanity, for each and every one of us. Jesus has come to save us from sin and death. Last week, we celebrated the feast of the Blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, another manifestation of the immense love that Jesus brings us, that the Father offers us. Jesus offers himself to us so that we can offer ourselves to Him. Jesus has come to make an alliance with us, to be in union with us. And today the immense love of God for each of us is our pardon.

The first reading presents us with the story of Adam and Eve who allowed themselves to be tempted, who allowed themselves to be seduced by Satan and finally accepted to overcome and prevent him. Do we not sometimes experience a similar situation? We are often tempted by our thoughts which do not respect the dignity of others, with words which judge and condemn persons around us, with actions which prevent others from being happier, by omissions which bind us to ourselves rather than opening us to others.

Having succumbed to the temptation, we realize, as did Adam and Eve, that this is perhaps not the right thing to do. We regret this, and like Adam and Eve we try to shuck off the culpability and put the fault on others, on our personal history, on our society. Adam said it was Eve’s fault. Eve said it was the serpent’s fault.

Today, we say, it is not my fault. Everybody does it! There is no more sin. It is others’ fault. It is the fault of religion, of society, and so on. We seek to avoid responsibility for our thoughts, for our acts. In the world we live in, the seductions, the temptations to deviate from the right road are numerous, the seeking after power, pride, the wish to be other, to be God Himself.

It is for us to repeat continually, let us not fall into temptation, rather deliver us from evil. In the first reading we see how sin entered the world and that it continues to be present in the very heart of humanity. To look at the history of humanity such as the landing at Normandy, to view our history today, which at first view is not improving, to examine our own slowness, to lack hope in the future, even doubt our God who by love for us gave us this capacity, this power to choose what is good, or what is evil.

Saint Paul, in the second reading, tells us to not lose courage. To be sure, we are not perfect. We are humans, limited, poor, weak, sinners. But we are more than that, more than what is perishable in us. We are on our way to our eternal future, towards the house of God, where we will be eternally happy.

Why? Because Jesus came and assured our salvation through His death and resurrection, inviting us to be His messengers and His witnesses. Messengers of the mercy of the Lord for each and everyone, witnesses to the love of God, who invites us every day to no longer live in the past which is no longer there, to no longer live in regrets, in culpability which prevents us from advancing, but much rather to live by looking ahead, by greeting each day the love of the Lord for us and by fixing our sights on the ultimate end of our journey here on Earth, which is to be welcomed some day into the eternal dwelling in heaven, which is not the work of man as we read in the Second Reading.

Further, Jesus in the Gospel reading assures us that the pardon of God is available at all times for all those who recognise their faults and accept their responsibility for the wrongs they have committed, for the suffering brought on others, for the lack of respect for the wellbeing of others. ‘Everything will be forgiven for the children of God: their sins and their blaspheming, which they have done. One sin only will not be forgiven, that is blaspheming against the Spirit.’ The Scribes accused Jesus of being possessed by an impure spirit because He expelled evil spirits. It was for love, for goodness and mercy that He freed these persons from the servitude of evil, from the presence of Satan. Jesus cannot be loved by the head of the demons. We cannot suggest that Jesus had wicked ideas while He had only love and goodness for us, that He saved us from sin and death.

‘Everything will be pardoned for the children of man.’ Are not these words of confidence and hope in the face of who we are? Words which invite many to leave aside a state of culpability and make accessible the pardon of God and so move ahead while also being aware of who we are.

God, as we know, defines Himself as Love. If He is love, is it then not possible for Him to pardon all those who recognise their need for mercy? There is here an important nuance concerning our freedom, our choices. There cannot be pardon for one who consciously refuses to receive pardon.

By our presence here today, we recognise that we are members of the large family of God our Father, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, and loved by the same Holy Spirit who works in us so as to render us capable of forgiveness like God. Do we not ask God: Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us? It is not always possible to be animated with a welcoming spirit of mercy, of pardon and love towards persons who might offend us. But this is what Jesus invites us to do every day. Behaving in this way we will show the Lord that we are truly one of His family. ‘He who does the will of God is my brother, my sister, my mother.’

As today’s psalm says ‘Near to God is love. Near to Him, salvation abounds.’ Let us give thanks to God for His immense love which is pardon and mercy. Amen.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

The Feast of the Holy Sacrament – 2^nd of June 2024

Père Réjean Champagne – Homily

We were perhaps a little surprised by the Gospel. We have just celebrated the Feasts of Pentecost and of the Trinity, and now we are back to the Passion of Jesus. Judas has just betrayed Him; Peter will deny Him the next day. The other disciples will abandon Him, except for John who will find himself at the foot of the cross. Jesus finds Himself alone with the perspective of the Passion.

However, the evangelist Luke brings out something important: Jesus does not suffer His passion; He assumes it in all freedom. It is He who organizes the Paschal supper. It is His last meal: He chose the day of the celebration of the liberation of Egypt in the time of Moses. However, today He is giving a new significance to the meal: the paschal lamb is no longer an immolated lamb but Jesus himself, who gives His life. The bread that is broken and shared becomes His body. The wine becomes His spilt blood.

What is important is this new reality. The true Lamb immolated and eaten is Jesus Himself. He delivers himself in order to free the whole of humanity from everything which distances us from God. The Eucharistic Bread is not only made in order to be adored: it is given for us as nourishment. It is thus that we enter into communion with God. We must not forget that we are engaged in both life and death. Sharing the cup is to welcome the life that Christ gives us by His violent death on the cross. It is also so that we engage ourselves to follow Him, ready on our part to give up our lives.

Each time we come to receive communion, we receive the life of Christ. The love which leads us to give ourselves is eternally present. At each mass, He is made manifest. He is made present to our eyes. At each Mass, one can say: ‘Today is the day that it happens.’ But there is one thing we must never forget: Jesus gave His Body and His Blood for us and for the multitude. This means that we cannot be in communion with Him without being in communion with our brothers and sisters. If we have problems with someone, we must first reconcile ourselves with that person. To be a disciple of Christ, is to love like Him and with Him. This can mean to go as far as giving our own life.

The First Reading prepared us for this reality. The Hebrew people found themselves gathered before Moses: it was to seal the alliance between God and His people. Moses used blood: ‘Here is the blood of the Alliance, which God has made with you.’ Be clear about this, it is not we who have made an alliance with God, but the very opposite: it is God who takes the first step and who engages with us. The ritual of blood signifies that this alliance is ‘to life and to death’! God is always faithful to His promise. In response, the people undertake to remain faithful to the Word of God. Later, Jesus will present Himself as the new Moses: he will be the perfect mediator between God and man. These words will be those of eternal life. He will obtain for us a definitive liberation, not with the blood of oxen but with His own blood.

The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us of what is occurring in the New Alliance between God and man. With the coming of Christ, His death on the cross and His resurrection, the rights of the Old Alliance are replaced. They are not made obsolete like something we would throw away. They were there to announce something much larger. From now on, it is Jesus who fulfills the rites of the Old Alliance. In Him, it is God who speaks. At each Eucharist, it is as though we are present as Jesus makes the gift of His life. There is only one unique sacrifice of Jesus. When we are at mass, it is this sacrifice that we are witnessing, the offering of Jesus and His death on the cross. We also assist in the victory of love over death and we receive its fruits.

This is the meal to which we are all invited. It is truly THE most important moment of the week. The risen Christ is there: He joins us. At each mass, we celebrate Him who loves us as no one else has loved us. It is the least we can do to answer this invitation. Today, Christ presents Himself to us as ‘the living bread which descended from heaven. If someone eats the bread, he will live eternally’. The Eucharist is truly an extraordinary gift. It is food for eternal Life.

On this feast day of the Body and Blood of Christ, we renew our prayer of thanksgiving for the wonder which we celebrate. And we make our own, the prayer that the priest recites before communion; ‘Let your Body and Blood deliver me from all evil, and may I never be separated from you.’

Amen

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

The Feast of Pentecost – 19 May 2024

Père Réjean Champagne – Homily

Brothers and Sisters in the Faith,

On this Feast of Pentecost, we celebrate with Christians of the entire World, the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles and to the whole Church. The Gospel reminds us that on the eve of His death, Jesus had gathered the Twelve. He had come to announce that He was leaving: however, He would remain present, but in another manner, and that without fail, He would send the Holy Spirit to them. ‘When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you towards the complete Truth.’

This truth is Jesus Himself: This is what we read in one of His discussions with the disciples: I am the road//path, The Truth and the Life, nobody can come to the Father without passing through me.’ To go towards the Truth, to do what is True, is to go to Jesus. It is the welcome of the love that is in God and which allows us to be taken over by Him. It is this that occurred on Pentecost Day. Saint Luke speaks to us of a noise that was similar to a violent gust of wind. The apostles saw appearing as a sort of fire which divided into tongues and which landed on each of them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. It was like a wind which surged into the house and forced them to leave and go to the crowds of people.

And with this, there was an extraordinary change. Peter does not mince his words. He who, only 50 days previously, had denied Jesus because of his fear, takes up the challenge with a stupefying speech: This Jesus whom you have killed on the cross, God has resurrected… And now, He has spread His Spirit across the world.’ And among all the people listening to Peter there were those who had boasted of the death of Jesus. And there were the apostles, no longer fearful. Beginning then nothing could stop them. This Good News which they proclaimed, was like a fire, which had to be spread in the whole world.

And since the first Pentecost, the Holy Spirit has acted in the Church to guide it ‘towards the whole truth’. To be sure, we must not think that everything that has occurred in the Church was under an impulse of the Holy Spirit. There was division among Christ’s disciples, massacres, abuses and even scandals. In recent time the media have recalled very saddening events. Pope John-Paul II understood well that we must ask for pardon. We can make our own examination of conscience. We recognize our divisiveness, our egotism, all those weaknesses which always have the tendency to become dominant. But the Lord does not abandon us. He continues to send His Holy Spirit in order to embrace us with that love which is in God.

‘The Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, which the Father sends you in my name, will teach you and remind you of everything that I have said to you.’ We should understand clearly: the Gospel is not a text which we will understand and remember with one reading. Across long centuries, the world has changed continually. Right now, it is marked by the progress of science and technology. But at the same time there are painful dramas related to the economic crises, unemployment, and poverty. The weakest in our societies are the victims of violence and injustices of all sorts.

And it is there that the Holy Spirit intervenes. He resounds in each stage of our history with a perpetual newness. It is with His Light that we discover the Bible, rather like a compass which shows us which direction to take. In the present context, He comes to recall to us that that which is first is not money but the person. What gives value to life is not the return but the love we have every day for the men and women that surround us, It is thus that he reminds us of the great commandment of Christ: ‘Love one another as I have loved you’… ‘Whatever you have done for the smallest of my children, you have done it for me.’ It is in this way that the Church is called to proceed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit which inspires inventive fidelity.

In the reading from Saint Luke, the Spirit is compared to a wind. It is a way of saying that He is a push which gets us to advance and which, on occasion, disrupts us. For 2000 years the Church has experienced tempests. But the Holy Spirit has neve ceased to blow in its sails. The Church today needs this strength in order to reconstruct its unity. Without Him, it would be incapable of evangelizing the world where humanity has so much difficulty to understand itself and live in solidarity.

It is with the Holy Spirit that we can retrieve and propose again the Gospel values to all the men and women who are living without any future perspective. In one of his letters, Saint Paul invites us to walk, ‘under the impulse of the Spirit’. We must not hesitate to ask Him for His help in the decisions and choices which we will have to make. We pray that He helps us to find the right path amidst all the attractions of the world today. If Pentecost is an important feast, it is because it is the exaltation of courage, of truth and of joy. The only true devotion which we can have with respect to the Holy Spirit is for us to say to Him ‘COME!’.

Today we give thanks to the Saviour for His gift of the Spirit, which He renews with each celebration of the Eucharist. Let us open our spirits and our hearts to His breath so that we can understand more fully the message of Jesus, so that we can love our neighbour better and announce the Gospel to them with a zeal such that nothing can intimidate.

Amen

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Sixth Week after Easter – 5^th of May 2024
Père Léo Durocher – Homily

The commandment to love one another

Brothers and Sisters in the Faith.

Today’s Gospel, which we have just heard, follows that which we heard last Sunday, where Jesus spoke to us of the reign of the Lord. He says to us: I am the true vine. My Father is the wine master and we are the servants, who are called to produce much fruit. There is one condition however: we must remain in the love of the Lord, as we read again in today’s Gospel; which means to remain grafted to the Lord. Each day. Welcome each day the life and the love, which the Lord offers us. Let it live in each of us so that it is possible for it to be seen alive in all that we are. Remain in the Love of the Lord, remain attached to Jesus, become rooted in His love, become aware each day to deepen, to solidify our link, our relation to Him who gave His life for us and who opened the doors of the Home of God, of life without end.

Today, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, brings us to welcome the words of Jesus which express all the confidence he has in His disciples, all the love that He has in his heart for those who will pursue His mission, that they will be fruitful and that the fruit will last. Already with these words, Jesus prepares us for His leaving.

Next Sunday will be Mother’s Day. Mothers we know have so much love in their hearts for their children, like the love in the heart of our Father for us. Next Sunday will also be the celebration of the Ascension of the Lord. Jesus leaves His disciples and He leaves them the task of being His messengers and witnesses. How are they to undertake this mission, which is also given to us? They are to do it by remaining in the love of the Lord, by being like Jesus, servants of the Lord. Jesus came to accomplish our salvation. He came not to fulfill His will, but that of the Father who sent Him. Jesus is presented as a suffering servant in the New Testament. Jesus himself tells us: I have not come to be served but rather to serve and to give my life in ransom for many. We must remember the gesture of the washing of the feet. Jesus, servant and more than this, Son of God, beloved son of the Father in perfect union with Him through the Holy Spirit, He the beloved Son of the Father in whom He always remained in His love.

And us, who are we, who are we really? The Gospel reminds us: ‘It is not us who have chosen the Lord, it is He who has chosen us.’ God the Father gave us this gift, this grace to remain His children, on the day of our baptism. He opened His heart to us, inviting us to remain in His love. Following Jesus, we are also servants, the servants of God along with Mary, our example during this month that is consecrated to her. We are servants to the infinite love of God for every human being, all men and women of yesterday and every man and woman today and tomorrow. We are servants of the tenderness and the sorrow of the Lord. The beloved Son of the Father, servant of the infinite Love of the Father for us. Jesus reminds us that we are also His Friends, important friends, beloved, precious, friends who have received of the Father transmitted to us by Jesus Himself. For us who are His chosen ones, His friends, he makes Himself present and living. He is the word made flesh. He is food in the bread which is transformed into His body and the wine which becomes His blood.

We remain in the love of God, living in His heart and we are also invited to open our hearts and let Him enter into each of us. It is for each of us, the friends of Jesus, to share His dream to see humans live in love, to be united with one another, to show a particular attention for the poor, for the ‘little ones’, for the weak, for those who have been physically aggressed, for those without housing, and . . . .

Jesus invites us as friends, as disciples to open ourselves to be missionaries so that love reigns on Earth, this Earth where war, violence, injustice still reigns as well as our refusal to welcome, to support, to share . . . .

How can we merit, each day, to be the beloved children of the Father, servants and friends of the Risen Christ? How can we participate in God’s plan? To be sure it is by staying in His love and keeping His commandments, by obeying His laws, and by following His path. Listening to the words of St John in the Second Reading or in the Gospel Reading, the words which speak of commandments might incite us to see this in a negative light given an apparent absence of freedom, of a tone of obligation, of oppression, or even a judgment., etc.

On the contrary, the commandments received from the Lord draw for us the road which brings us to live in harmony, in communion with God, with others and with ourselves. The commandments received from the Lord are translated by the great commandment of love; this love that is given to us by the Father. This love that is in us and which answers to this profound desire to be loved, to be happy and to see others happy. Love one another, Jesus said. Love so as to live better, to be well with ourselves, to give witness that we are the well-beloved children of God. Love so that we are better as people and as Christians, the disciples and friends of the living Christ. Love so as to accomplish the mission which we received from the Lord, to bring better fruit, fruit which will last for eternity.

Love, and look around us and recognise the work of God in our world, in our immediate surroundings and also in ourselves. Love so that we recognize that Jesus is there at the centre of our lives. So often we do not see Him because of all the resistance in us, because of the difficulty for us to separate from our prejudices, from our fears, from our fear of others.

In the first reading, Peter was obliged to recognize the action and presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of Cornelius and his entourage. We also are invited to recognize that we are not alone, the Holy Spirit comes to our aid in order to become witnesses to the Risen Christ and to all the love that He brings us.

Let us pray during this celebration of the Eucharist that we come to understand that Jesus relies on each of us to continue the mission and thus advance a little more each day the grand project of God our Father, that sees humans living in love, to see us united and not divided. Because we live in the love of the Lord, today we can make our own the words of the psalm: Sing to the Lord a new song, because He has done marvels for His servants, for His friends, which we are. Amen

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Fourth Week after Easter – Père Léo Durocher

21 April 2024 – Homily

Brothers and Sisters in the Faith,

Since the Feast of Easter, the Sunday gospels have presented us with the living Jesus. the risen Jesus, who appears to his near ones in order to invite them to believe in Him and to become His witnesses, as we read at the end of the Gospel last Sunday. We are reminded of the experiences of Mary Magdalene, of Peter and of John, of Thomas, the disciples of Emmaus, the group of eleven. Jesus presents Himself to His disciples to chase fear from their believing hearts, fear and doubt, but above all to say to them, to wish them that ‘Peace be with them’.

This same living Jesus appears again to us today. He does not come to frighten us, to make us doubt in Him. He does not come to oblige us to follow Him. He leaves us free always. He does not come to judge us, to condemn us. He comes quite simply to tell us that He is the Good Shepherd, the shepherd who gives his life for his sheep. To be sure, we are not living in the time of Jesus when the reality of sheep was so important. With the words and the images that Jesus uses, the message is relatively easy to understand. With what we are living through today, we can welcome the same message that Jesus is addressing to us. Think of the many parents who know and love their children, always ready to make many sacrifices to see them happy. Think of the many teachers who know and like their students, hoping for them that they will succeed in their studies. Think of all the family doctors who know and do all they can to look after their patients. Think of all the business owners for whom each employee is important. And one could multiply the examples of people who like Jesus are good shepherds, true shepherds for all those that they love or are under their care.

Today, Jesus affirms that He is the Good Shepherd, the true Shepherd. He has so much love in His heart for all, for each and everyone among us. It is this love that He manifested to us in the sacrifice of His life on the cross. Jesus said ‘There is no greater love than to give you life for those whom we love.’ We are not just anybody. We must remember, God created us in His image and His resemblance. He gave us the gift of this world which we live on and tomorrow, the 22 of April, it will be the day of judgment of Earth, a prodigious world that must be safeguarded and not bombarded and destroyed by our pollution.

God knows us; He calls us by our name. He made each of us his dearly loved child, as we recall in the second reading from Saint John. God loves us more than we can love Him. He is always welcoming, tender, loving, merciful, respectful of our choices even when our liberty takes us to paths which lead nowhere, roads that lead us to our loss.

God is with us. He reminds of this us each day by means of the whole of creation and even more by the mystery of our redemption. Jesus reminds us of this through His word. God wants for us that which is the best. He wants our happiness. Jesus, who is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is powered by that same love, a love that brought Him to Good Friday, and above all, to the Day of the Resurrection. Jesus loves us as the Father loves His Son and the Son loves his Father.

Jesus loves us such that He became present, that He became the living word, that He became the living bread, that He descended from Heaven, that He became infinite love for you, for me, for us.

At this time when the World is seeking peace, serenity, true happiness, the veritable love, the true meaning of our search on earth, Jesus presents Himself to us for us to be clearly aware that He is there in the midst of our lives. At this time when so many in our world suffer from loneliness, rejection, abandonment, violence, are not recognized and loved, Jesus presents Himself to us today to console, to comfort, to heal, to protect all those who suffer in their hearts and in their bodies.

At a time when our world is threatened by all kinds of ideologies, frauds, falsehoods, aggressivity, lack of respect for each person, Jesus presents himself today so as to bring us help in order that we become everything for ourselves and for others. Jesus is there, Jesus is here to sustain us, to protect us, for us to do good as Peter did with the infirm as we heard in the First reading.

Jesus, the rock and rejected by the builders, comes to us each day to lead us in the howling storm, and to distance us from those who are not animated by the same love as that of the good shepherd, the real shepherd who will give his life for his sheep.

The invitation is given to us to welcome, to allow us to welcome He who loves us infinitely. He who is our Road, our Truth and our Life. He who says and repeats: ‘I am with you all the days till the end of time.’ Even if there are days when we do not think of Him, He is there. Even if there are days when we do not act as the Child of God, as we are reminded in the Second reading, He is there. Even if, on occasion, we rebel against God, Jesus always remains there to remind us to follow the good road.

We are also invited to become like Jesus, the good shepherd, the true shepherd for each person we meet, to be moved by the same love that God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit has for you, for me, for us. Jesus the Good Shepherd, the True Shepherd ask us to not remain there, isolated in ourselves, doing nothing, but rather to come out of ourselves to be active in the name of Jesus, to do good to others in order, to quote Saint Peter: ‘Jesus asks us to witness to Him, to take His side, to do things that speak of His presence, that speak of His love. Jesus asks us to be aware of the needs of each and everyone who lives on the periphery, as Pope Francis refers to it, who live their daily lives without any reference to Him, to God.

Let us remember Jesus says ‘I have other sheep who are not of this lot: these also I must lead. And this is the mission that we are given: to say God by our words, show God by our deeds, be the good pastor, be a good shepherd for all our fellow beings.

This fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday, invites us also to pray for vocations to the priesthood and the religious life. As we know the vocations are few and the priests are getting old. Those who are active carry a load that is more and more heavy. It is for us to raise our prayers to God so that those who are called accept to consecrate their lives to serve God and to be pastors and shepherds like Jesus. Let us pray also that we will become disciples as Pope Francis has said, as messenger of the Good News and witnesses of the Risen Jesus, He who is the good pastor and the true shepherd. As it says in the psalm: Give praise to the Lord on this day for He is Good, and His love eternal . Amen!

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

HOLY THURSDAY 2024

Père Réjean Champagne, Homily

‘I ardently desired to share this meal with you before suffering’ Luke 22,15. These are the very words of Jesus at the beginning of his last supper with the apostles. In reality, it was always His desire. Today, as yesterday, he wanted to remain with His own; He wanted to be with us. This evening, we can ask ourselves the question: do we have the same desire to be with Him, at least a little? Will we offer to Him this little bit of accompaniment and affection that our heart is capable of?

If we look closer, we have to recognize that it is always He who makes the effort to approach us. He takes the first step without ceasing. On Holy Thursday, the last day of His life, He gathers together His disciples. In an extreme demonstration of love, He continues to align Himself with them definitively.

The biblical texts teach us that Jesus came to the table with the Twelve. He took bread and distributed it saying: ‘This is my body delivered up for you.’ As well, He took the cup: ‘This is my blood poured out for you.’ These are the words which priests will use at the altar. And it is the same Lord who will invite each of us to nourish ourselves with the consecrated bread and wine. Thus, it is in this way that Jesus ‘invented’ the impossible in order to remain at our sides. It is in this way that He chose to be close to His disciples throughout history.

In reality, He did not simply want to be close. He wanted to be within His disciples. For us, He becomes food, flesh of our flesh. The bread and the wine are the nourishment that God provides us. They continue to be a remedy and a support in our lives. They unite us to Jesus in order to render us similar to Him. It is in this way that we learn to desire the things that He desired. In giving us this bread and wine, the Lord raises up in us the sentiments of goodness, affection, love and of pardon.

It is in the name of this love that Jesus will accomplish a most important act. He kneels before His disciples in order to wash their feet. This act was frequent among the Jews because the roads were usually very dusty. Ordinarily, a servant would be available to wash a visitor’s feet. We can imagine Peter’s astonishment and we understand his refusal. But in order to be in loving communion with Christ, he had to welcome the witness which he left us.

In our world, we run after honours, prestige, power. We avoid those who are obstacles or discourage us. The Gospel on Holy Thursday invites us to go in the opposite direction. It is His commandment : wash each other’s feet, be at the service of the weak, the sick, the vulnerable. A new way to live.

Two scenarios: washing feet, and the Eucharist; the same impulse. Christ who welcomes us in going to communion, sets us to being of service to others. He gave us this very example. His love went as far as the gift of His life.

Today, in the Western Church, the Eucharist raises a question. We participate in a drastic lessening of the number of Sunday masses, and a lessening of regular participants. Elsewhere Mass can only be celebrated in secret. When the Eucharist is diminished so are the Christian communities. We must not forget what Vatican II had to say: ‘The Eucharist builds the Church’.

Difficulty is often an invitation to come back to essentials. The celebration of the Last Supper is the occasion for us to return to that source. On Holy Thursday evening, the apostles not only had to listen to an explanation. They lived an event which struck their hearts. They would never be the same. For us Christians, the celebration of the Eucharist must be of the same dimension. It is an event which profoundly transforms a person who allows his feet to be washed by Christ.

Jesus is the first to remove his tunic in order to dress again as a servant. We must also put aside our pride which prevents us from joining Christ in total truth: it is this which Pope Francis continues to repeat: A poor Church to serve the poorest. Let us ask the Lord to bring us to this spirit of love and service in order to transform the world around us. Let us always keep in mind this sentence in the Gospel: ‘Jesus, in loving His own in the world, loved them till the end.’

Translation – Hugh Gwyn

Fourth Sunday of Lent – 10 March 2024
Homily, Père Réjean Champagne

Come Lord, open the way for us

Saved by Love

In the Biblical readings for this Sunday, we encounter the word ‘saved’ several times.

The first reading from the Book of Chronicles is a retelling of past events. The chief priests and all the people are multiplying infidelities. They are imitating the sacrileges of the pagan nations. Their conduct is the cause of their loss. The temple in Jerusalem is destroyed; the people are sent into exile in Babylon (538-586). Nevertheless, God remains eternally faithful with respect to His alliance, while man continues to deceive Him. He sends messengers because He has pity for His people. He does not cease to offer His generous love.

This is important for us today. We live in a society which tries to construct itself without reference to any religion. God is the great absence! Without Him we also run smack into catastrophes. But God does not cease to want to save us. He calls incessantly for us to return to Him with all our hearts: ‘Convert and believe in the good news.’ God does not seek the death of the sinner but that he converts and that he lives. This is the call that we are invited welcome. God is love: He has never ceased to love us.

We encounter the same revelation in the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians: ‘God is most merciful.’ Because of this great love with which He loves us, we who were slaves because of our faults, He has given us life in Christ. This is the good news that is announced throughout Lent: God is love; He loves all of us passionately. Everything that comes to us from Christ comes through the mercy of God. This does not come from either from us nor from our acts. Saint Paul, who had encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, knows what he is talking about. He knows what life is, which is renewed by love.

In the Gospel, written between 80 and 90 AD, we also encounter the expression ‘saved’. Without God, we are castaways at sea. And it is in order to bring all men to God that the apostle Peter was given the mission of ‘Fisher of men’. Today Saint John invites us to raise our eyes to a sign. He speaks to us of Christ. ‘raised’ on the cross like the bronze snake that Moses raised over the people. Those who looked at the raised serpent were cured. They were not cured by the object, but by the saviour of all peoples.

The evangelist continues to add expressions which speak of deliverance: ‘Obtain life eternal…, to be saved…, avoid judgment…’ God’s grand project is to bring His salvation to all men. He sends His Son to carry out this project. He has shown us His immense love by giving us His Son. It is through the cross that He reveals this unique love. The evangelist is asking us to decide while we face the cross which reveals the love of God. ‘He who believes in Him avoids the Judgment, he who does not believe is already judged’.

We have to repeat and repeat: our sins will never be as great as this love. It is an unshakable teaching of the Church: We are saved by Jesus who delivered his body and spilt His blood while on the cross. No fault can ever be greater than this love. For those who know to look, the cross is a sign of salvation and not one of condemnation. Unfortunately, we so often look elsewhere. When we organise our lives without God, it is a catastrophe, we lose the compass pointing north, we take the wrong trail.

All along in this Lent and all along in our lives, we are being invited to raise our eyes towards the cross of Christ. By His death and resurrection, Jesus, the risen Christ, brings us to the true Light. With Him, we can take another step. He invites us to look at the world with Him and as He does. Through His cross, He heals the wounds of the world. He is the Light that is stronger than night, Love that is stronger than death. So yes, raise our eyes, raise our hearts! Let us profit from these last days of Lent in order to open our eyes on the Truth. And thus, be reborn by the Light of life.

To accomplish truth in ourselves, we must ask to be authentic, and align ourselves with the values of Jesus.

Spirit of God, draw our eyes towards He who was ‘raised from earth’. Spread in us the Spirit of Christ and let us be reborn with Him. Amen

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Second Sunday of Lent – 25^th of February 2024
Homily – Père Léo Durocher : The light on our way

Brothers and sisters in faith.

Last Sunday Jesus said to us: ‘The times are accomplished: the reign of God is very near. Convert yourselves and believe in the Gospel.’ Jesus Himself has urged us to take the way of conversion so as to prepare ourselves for the celebration for the most beautiful and the greatest feast – The Resurrection of the Lord. One week has already gone by that leads to Easter. The Word of God urged us to take the road of sharing, of prayer and of fasting in order to lead more directly towards God and towards our neighbor. Jesus is speaking to each and everyone of us, inviting us to take away the centre, that is our selves, and to focus more directly on God and our neighbor.

Jesus is addressing all of us with these words, inviting us to take ourselves from the centre of our regard, from the small needs which are so often egotistical, in order to focus more on God, the Father, and His great project of love and salvation for the whole of humanity, and also to focus ourselves on all the persons around us and most particularly those who are suffering, wounded, marginalized… .

Today, there is another way, another script to be heard. It is not a human script but a divine one, that of God the Father Himself. ‘He who is my beloved Son, listen to Him.’ Before confronting all the suffering during His Passion and Death, Jesus lived that moment of grace, of life, of light and of love. In our moments of suffering, testing, of sadness, of pain, it is always very good to recall all the good times which we have had, all the time of fullness, of intense insight, of love. Think of an encounter which changed our lives, a wedding, the birth of a child, a special celebration, a new season…..

In this moment of transfiguration, of illumination, Jesus no doubt remembers the moments of being judged, condemned. As he carried the cross, He will place His spirit in the hands of His father. The moment of the Transfiguration must certainly have been evident in his face on the morning of the Resurrection. Triumphing over sin and death, opening the doors of eternal life.

‘He is my Beloved Son, hear Him!’ The voice of God the Father comes and reminds us that Jesus is His son, that He is the Lord, the Lord who opens for us the road as is presented in the theme for Lent this year. The road of the Lord was not easy. There was a tough road, lots of rocks and boulders, stinking smells in the stables, temptations in the desert, rejection, incomprehension, agony, multiple sufferings, denials by his friends.

Like those of Jesus, our way diverse temptations bring us to follow ephemeral good times now, rather than to look for the realities from above. There are also moments of incomprehension, rupture, friends leaving, friends dying. Even our belief in God is in danger, as we saw in the first reading, where Abraham questioned the demands of God who asked that he offer the life of his son Isaac. God the Father himself is tested with a similar event when He sends is own son into the World, His son who dies while being hung on a cross, the result of the human violence, the result of the same temptations of our own time – power, glory, domination, masters of our destiny. The humans at the time of Jesus resemble very strangely the humans of our own time !

Let us remember that this is the second anniversary of the in invasion of Ukraine by Russia, there are the conflicts between Israel and Hamas, and there are many other areas of violent clashes in our world such as in Haiti, in the Sudan, and even in our own country.

But fortunately, there are not only difficult conflicts, the dark side of our world here below. There is also light which helps us always to move ahead. This time of year provides us with more and more light, a light which allows growth to continue again, a living light, a light which lights our interior life. There are all sorts of small lightings in our daily lives. It is only a matter of opening our eyes and to see, as did the three disciples in the Gospel. Words of comfort, of encouragement, acts of service, words of appreciation, unexpected invitations, presence in order to bring good. Listening which liberates. Gestures of love and friendship . All sorts of similar acts which lighten our daily lives.

On our road, there is also the ‘Light’, who is Jesus, light ‘par excellence’, who comes to us in order to remind us that we are the children most beloved of the Father. The Father who said to you and to me: ‘You are my son, my daughter whom I love infinitely.’ And our Father said further: ‘Listen to the voice of my son, Jesus.’

In order to listen, we have to pay attention. We have to quieten all the sounds which come to our ears, which distract us and which often prevent us from really paying attention to what is going on in our hearts. Jesus said to us: ‘You have ears and you do not hear.’ In order to hear, we have to be silent. But today we have to actively reduce the noise. For many, silence is frightening, worrying. It is in silence, away from the crowds that Jesus conversed daily with His father in order to better bring about His will, to pray. Listen to Him because ‘Jesus has the words of eternal life.’ Listen to Him because Jesus lives forever. To Him who opens the road, who lights the way, who brings us to the house of the Father.

Peter, James and John had to live the time of intense light with joy, serenity and openness. To see Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah, to see Jesus in His true reality, to see Jesus, who He really was, the Son of God!

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time – 11 February 2024

Homily, Père Léo Durocher – The Mystery of Suffering

Brothers and sisters in faith.

We recall that last week Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever. Simon spoke about her to Jesus who went to her, took her hand and got her to get up. She was cured!

Today in the Gospel, it is again a question of sickness, suffering and isolation. A leper, hearing that Jesus was passing by, approached Jesus and begged Him to purify him of the disease. ‘If you wish,’ he said to Jesus, ‘you can purify me.’ Jesus stretched out His hand, touched him and said: ‘Be purified.’

Leprosy, in the time of Jesus, as with many other diseases, was considered to be the result of sin. Then, as today indeed, we try to discover the origins of diseases. They knew that leprosy was a very difficult sickness to live with. It was contagious and had all sorts of consequences in the person’s body. It meant that the person had to leave the community and to go and live in isolated places, without outside contact, which resulted in loosing ‘recognition’ as a human. And the person had to cry out ‘Impure….Unclean’!! Leprosy is still rampant: they estimate that a new case is diagnosed every 3 minutes. This is evidence that the virus is still in circulation. Each year some 200,000 people come down with the disease, and this includes a good number of children. All of these people will eventually be left with some severe handicap or other.

Never the less, the leper in today’s Gospel is not afraid to approach Jesus even though this was prohibited. It is the leper himself who takes the initiative. We read last week that it was the Apostle who spoke to Jesus about the disease. Jesus touched Simon’s mother-in-law, and she was cured. Jesus touched the leper and he was purified. We can ask ourselves why in the first case it was healing and in the other case it was a matter of liberation. Perhaps it was that Jesus did not want to argue against the thinking about these diseases at the time. No matter, in the light of these two events, Jesus manifested His power of life in healing, in liberation. Jesus, with His power over life, re-establishes their dignity, the dignity of two humans who were isolated and who suffered. The power to heal thereby removes the physical, psychological and mental, affective and spiritual suffering in order to give solace instead of the suffering and pain. The power to liberate us from the evil spirits, which forgives the sins of the world, which renews all the abundant love which God has for each human person.

There was leprosy in the time of Jesus. There were various epidemics during human history which resulted in the death of millions of individuals. Not so long ago we lived through the spread of COVID 19 which led to the death of so many people around the world. The virus continues to kill. My last aunt died not long ago on the 2^nd of January. The protection we were advised to follow was to isolate ourselves, limited contact with others, wash our hands thoroughly, wear masks, and how many other measures. Never the less the virus is still active. Telephone a hospital and you will hear the message to be cautious. The disease continues, the suffering is ever present in our every day lives. We cannot deny it. Sickness, suffering and pain are there because our being, because our bodies are not perfect.

But despite all this, Jesus is at the heart of our lives to accompany us in the most difficult moments in our lives: aging, physical handicaps, weakness all come our way. Welcoming, tenderness, respect, compassion, sensitivity and love: these are the sentiments which animated Jesus when faced with the sick and the lepers as described in Gospel.

Today, the 11^th of February, is the World Day of the Sick: the day reminds us especially of our mission to those who are ill. Do not be afraid to come close to the sick who are suffering in their bodies as they are suffering in their need for affection. Do not be afraid to meet them in their profound reality, in that which could reduce them as that which could build them up. Do not be afraid to see them with tenderness and goodness. Do not be afraid to touch them, to speak with them, to give them a hand, as Jesus did, in order to share with them our well being and to encounter them even if it is difficult. It is not always easy to know what to say. Do not be afraid to ask how they are, to give them our best wishes and to reassure them of our love and our prayers.

The example which Jesus gives us today tells us again that He is invested with this Divine force to come to heal, to liberate. Our bodies often need healing. Our spiritual life also needs to be freed. Still today there are ‘leprosies of sin’ which are always present to our spirit, and which want to distance us from the Lord and the great commandment of love! Next Wednesday will be Ash Wednesday when the liturgy invites us to return to the Lord, to accord Him a greater place in our lives, to allow Him to purify us, to reconcile us with Him in all simplicity and humility.

During Lent 2024 we are invited to say during the 40 days: ‘Come Lord, open the path of faith, of confidence, of hope, open also the path of service, of abandonment and of offering’, just as Jesus offered His life to the Father to save us from sin. Also, as St Paul says in the second reading, we should do everything for the greater glory of God and we must truly welcome each person we meet. When visiting the suffering, the sick, or the handicapped, those reduced by old age, we can bring to them concrete living signs of the tenderness and the compassion of God.

With this celebration, we again give thanks to the Lord who is at the heart of our lives, we give Him thanks for life, for the health which we still have. And let our prayers rise asking Him to bless all who are suffering in this World. Let us also ask Him that He bless all those who are working with the physically restricted and those suffering psychologically. In the words of the hymn: ‘Come to me you who are in pain, you who are weighed down, and I will relieve you.’

This is the power of abandoning and of offering, which Jesus did, offering Himself to His Father to save us from sin. This is also what St Paul was saying in the reading, where we are invited to do everything for the glory of God and to really welcome each and every person that we meet. In the presence of Jesus occupied by the sick, Saint Paul calls us to imitate Christ, and to be for all persons suffering, ill, handicapped, diminished from aging, the concrete signs, the givers of the tenderness and compassion of God.

During this celebration, let us give thanks to the Lord, who is there at the heart of our lives. Let us give thanks for our lives, for our health, which we have. And let us pray to God to bless all those who are ill, all the people suffering in our world. Ask Him to bless all those who work in the areas of physical and mental health. As we read in the Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 11:28-30): ‘Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’. Amen.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time – 28^th of January 2024

Homily – Père Léo Durocher

Who is Jesus of Nazareth?

Brothers and sisters in the faith. ‘Who is Jesus of Nazareth?’ He is the one who brings us together, He whom we have come to encounter. It is He who comes to us to speak of Himself and of His Father. It is He who comes to heal us of everything which causes us to suffer. It is He who comes to free us from everything that could separate us from Him.

At the beginning of the month the gospel and the epistle presented Jesus to us as the light of the World. He who came to light our way, to walk with us. He who made sense of our lives in this world. He who came to save us from sin and from the world

The Prophet Isaiah presented Jesus to us with these words: The people who lived in shadows were shown a great light. On those who lived in the land and the shadow of death, a light was raised. This light, who is Jesus, has come to illuminate us, to transform us. But our reality of today, our fixation with ourselves often prevents us from opening our eyes in order to welcome these realities from above. Jesus comes to light the way which leads to real happiness, but we often prefer a way that leads away from others, on a road which leads us to turn back to ourselves, on a road which divides us. As someone has said, we often need a compass to lead us to the light, to real happiness.

Two weeks ago, John the Baptist said of Jesus that He was the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the World, and he invited two of His disciples to follow Him.

The Lamb of God, Son of God, has come not to fulfill His own will, but the will of Him who sent Him, His Father. The Lamb of God who has come to freely offer his life in order to accomplish the salvation of humanity, that is us! The Lamb of God, who through love for His Father and for us, accepts the sacrifice of His life to allow us to live for ever. The Lamb of God immolated on the cross in order to invite us each day to recognize that we have need of Him in order to make us capable to live like Him: that is in the love of God and our neighbour.

We are gathered together in this church today to listen, to meet a man who teaches with authority. He teaches with authority because He is, in the words of Saint John the ‘Word of God made man.’ We know this, the word in a phrase is an essential element in written and spoken language. [This works better in French: ‘Le verbe fait chair’ and a verb is even more essential than a word in a sentence.] Jesus is the Word of God. He knows, He is in communion with the Father and also with the Spirit, the three make one true God. Jesus, a man who teaches with authority because He knows what a human being is, because He is Himself human. He knows what is in our hearts, the dark corners as well as those full of light. Knowing the Father because He is the Son of the Father, thus of divine nature, knowing who we are, Jesus is able to tell us which road to take in order to find the right, to find goodness here to the extent possible and for eternity.

Jesus of Nazareth, who accepted to live as we live, presents Himself to us today to tell us what God the Father wants to tell us. That is that He loves us with an infinite love and that he has given us His son, one of the greatest proofs of His love for us. Jesus, who teaches with complete authority, is the prophet, par excellence, announced by Moses in the first reading.

Who is this who has come to us today? It is Jesus, son of Mary and Joseph, who accepted to live in our human condition. It is the Son of God come to accomplish our salvation, come to tell us that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It is He whom we are invited to meet and to truly listen to because we know that He leaves all sorts of traces in all sorts of things, through all sorts of sounds that deafen us, and which can make us forget worries and fears, in the face of own futures and the future of our world.

In the second reading, Saint Paul invites us to give Jesus the first place in our daily lives, so as to recognize that our material life is temporary here below and is worth very little in comparison to the eternity which is offered to us.

Saint Paul’s words invite us to be attentive to all the messages, to all the signs that God gives us. God reaches out to us, He really speaks to us, but we do not hear Him, we do not see Him. Saint Paul proposes that that we give priority to Jesus in our daily lives. He proposes that which is good, so that we will be attached to the Lord alone.

Let this celebration help us to give ourselves completely to Jesus who brings us together, to Jesus who came to free us and to cure us of our paralysis and from everything which might keep us from Him and from our neighbour.

We pray that Jesus, the living bread, descend from heaven and come to help us undertake our mission, which is to be missionaries of the Good News and witnesses to the infinite love that God brings to the whole of humanity. As we read in the Psalm ‘Today, do not close your heart, but listen to the voice of the Lord.’ Amen.

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time – 14 January 2024
Homily – Père Réjean Champagne

Since last Monday, we have entered once again into ‘Ordinary Time’ liturgically. It is a less festive period but it remains very important. It is here that we must grow in faithfulness and in listening to the Word of God. However, the liturgy of this Sunday continues with the atmosphere of Epiphany. We recall that that feast was the appearance of God to the Wisemen. Today, He manifests Himself by taking the form of a calling.

In the first reading, we heard of the calling of young Samuel. The important word is the verb ‘to call’, which is repeated eleven times. Two important points must be underlined: the three calls and the promptness of the answer. This answer is based on an act of faith: ‘Speak Lord, your servant is listening.’ And the text adds : ‘The child grew. The Lord was with Him and none of his words will remain without effect.’ As with the young Samuel, there are numerous callings in our own lives; we do not always hear them. We need the help and discernment of other people.

The second reading reminds us that when we encounter the Lord and have heard His call, nothing is like it was before. This is what the apostle Paul reminds the Christians in Corinth. He denounces the divisions among them and the abuses which are present in the community: the divisions between the faithful, sinning against Christian chastity, and seeking judgements from pagan tribunals. All of this is intolerable. Our encounter with Christ must be the objective, the beginning of an entirely new life. We Christians can be subjected to all sorts of temptations. Nevertheless, the Lord is there; He never ceases to call us. Like Samuel, we are invited to listen to his words and to allow ourselves to be guided by Him.

The Gospel reminds us of the calling of the first disciples. These men had begun by following John the Baptist. On the faith of his word, where he describes Jesus and the ‘Lamb of God’, they were encouraged to follow Him. Jesus is aware of this and asks them the question: ‘Whom do you seek?’ It is one way to invite them to understand their desire more deeply. This absolute quest, which they did not feel with John, they had to understand interiorly.

The same question is asked of us today: what are we searching for? It is often true that we don’t look in the right place. Many launch themselves on roads to perdition. But the Lord is always there to say to us: ‘Come and you will see!’ What you will see will go beyond whatever you could have imagined. Like the first disciples, we are invited to listen to this call from Jesus and to remain with Him. Hearing it, we will discover that His words are those of eternal life.

The Gospel stresses the importance of this meeting with Christ. But for this meeting to become possible, there have to be intermediaries. In this first instance, it is John the Baptist who points to Jesus. Then it is Andrew who brings his brother Simon, who having been called personally by Jesus, brings Nathanial. The roads of one and another are different, however they are called to the one same vocation – missionary disciples, as Pope Francis has called them.

This is also true for ourselves: if we have encountered Christ, and if we have responded to His call, it is thanks to intermediaries. On our road there are priests, religious men and women, parents and grand parents and other lay persons, who have shared with us their experience of faith. Together, with one another, we walk following Christ. He does not need these intermediaries, but He wants all of these people to be associated with His work. He counts on each of us to be the mediators, the messengers, that the world needs.

The good news of the Gospel must be announced to everyone: children, young people and adults. It is not a question of converting, nor of convincing, but of giving witness and favouring the personal encounter with Christ. Relayed by others, the Lord’s call is heard from one generation to the next. It is through our personal and collective responses that we will build the Body of Christ, the Sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. Like Saint Andrew we can say: We have found Him, whom we were looking for.’

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

First Sunday of advent – 3^rd of December 2023
Homily, Père Leo Durocher

Listen and remain awake

Brothers and sisters in the faith.

It is the beginning of a new month, and the beginning of a new liturgical year with Advent, and the celebration of Christmas on the horizon. During Advent we are invited to prepare the Feast of Christmas. This feast day recalls the coming of the promised Messiah, of the Savior of humanity of which we are a part. The Advent calendars, which are available everywhere, recall for us the coming of Christmas and the New Year. The invitation is for each one of us to prepare for these celebrations: in particular to prepare decorations of lights, Christmas trees, special food and gatherings. But it is above all a time of more interior preparation – silence, reflection, prayer, gestures of sharing, a better attitude towards all the persons we are with and that we meet.

This time of Advent invites us now to allow ourselves to become sensitive so as to welcome He who has already come into our history. He who comes today in our celebration and He who will come one day to invite us to follow Him even to the house of His Father, and also He who will come at the end of time to judge the living and the dead as we declare in our Credo, our Act of Faith.

The gospel which we have just heard, says and repeats four times: Keep watch and remain awake so that we recognize and greet all the signs that God gives so as to recognize that God is here in our daily lives and affairs. Unfortunately, so often our eyes do not see and our ears do not hear. The first reading recalls that the Lord has always been there in order to accompany us, sustain us, fortify and direct His people towards green pastures. On numerous occasions God manifested Himself to the chosen people with whom He made His alliance. But as Isaiah said, the people of Israel turned away and chose roads where they got lost, where they were led to suffering and to sin. And this same people of Israel repeatedly returned to God asking Him to treat them like clay because the Royal People are called to be the work of the hands of God.

Let the words of the Prophet in the First Reading be a description of us here and now. God has created us in His image and likeness. He has created an alliance with each one of us. He loves us with an infinite and eternal love, always ready to forgive us. He gave us His son who cane to make real our being saved and engaged Himself to be present and living in our daily lives.

What do we make of this alliance that is repeated and renewed? As happens so often, as occurs in our society, we forget God, and live as though God was not there, as though He did not exist. What is important are the material realities, daily pleasures, our feelings ….. . Where is our hope for better days even if still there are wars and civil violence, which never end – murders one after another and the grasping after power? What has become of our courage, our perseverance, our strength that has come out of our history, which sent us on towards the future?

There are economic difficulties and conflicts in the unionized world and the governments, inflation, isolation, solitude, depression. So many people live in fear, and look upon our future in trepidation. What has become of our confidence, our energy that come from our vitality? What has become of our interior calling to be positive, active to find again our steps in order to build, to construct, to keep watch. Too often we allow ourselves to become dizzy or fall asleep by all that makes us weak, worried, fearful in the face of, for example, the future of the environment!

Indeed, we are invited, not only to take stock of our world, but also to recognize that we are not alone as we look to ‘He who comes and who is our Saviour , our Father. He who wishes to make us happy. He who wishes to save us, to assure us an eternal future’.

Today and during the whole of time of Advent there is one word to remember. Watch: stay awake so as to be ready to recognize the Lord when He comes to meet us in our daily lives and when He comes at the end of our time here on Earth. We must always be ready/prepared to recognize and not be asleep when He comes to the door, to invite Him to enter into our internal home, to allow him to take the first place in our lives of every day. To meet Him so that we recognize His call to be active, vigilant, dynamic and ready to carry out what wants of each one of us as we read in the Gospel: He has given each of us a work, a mission to accomplish, while asking us to remain vigilant. The mission we have to accomplish is clear: love God, love our neighbor. Jesus reminded us last week when he spoke about who is our neighbor: to greet to love and to give to him or her who is hungry or thirsty, who is sick, who is naked, in prison. And we know how great the needs are today, the calls for help are numerous, the suffering is enormous. How many people are rejected, mistreated, ignored, living in the street, and more!

Yes, each time you have done for the least of my brothers, it was for me that you have done it. During Advent, we repeat day after day, ‘Come Lord’! ‘Show us your face’ is the suggested theme for this year. But we also know that the Lord already shows us His face in that of men and women we know and that we meet and soon He will show us the face of a child, ‘Emmanuel, God with Us.’

We must now Keep Watch as we heard in the First Sunday of Advent. It is for us to be awake each day, to be available, open so that we allow ourselves to be formed by the love of the Lord, He who calls us to hear His word, to witness our faith and to undertake concrete gestures in order to support our brothers and sisters who are walking beside us on this path of life.

Jesus has come, Jesus is coming in this very instant, Jesus will come again. We must be hopeful and serene as when we listen to news, as when we await the birth of a child. We must wait for and be vigilant, confident while being assured that it is He who will do all this till the very end, as Saint Paul wrote in the second reading. This is so because God is faithful, He who was called to live in communion with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. ‘Come Lord and show us your face.’ Amen

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – 19^th of November 2023

Homily, Père Leo Durocher

The Parable of the Talents

Brothers and sisters in the faith,

On this last Sunday in Ordinary Time of Liturgical Year A, Jesus proposes to meditate on the parable of the talents. For us today, this story invites us quite simply to put to use all the talents, all the gifts that the Lord has given us. Like the child who is called from his birth, to eat, to walk, to discover and to become itself, we are invited to continue to advance on the road of life, seeking to become better than yesterday and also to respond to that which is most fundamental in our journey here below, which is to love and be loved. In this time of difficulty, where peace, justice, the well being of others seems so difficult to identify, in this world where fraternity, good relations and respect for others does not seem to be the priority (war, killing, violence, work conflicts, etc.). Jesus challenges each of us so that the best in each of us is realized, becomes concrete. And there is at the heart of each person a goodness to become complete by the end of our voyage here on Earth.

We must bring our talents to fruition. We must open wide the doors of our heart and allow the love of the Lord and our own love to join that with the brothers and sisters that we meet on our road. We must allow our talents to mature so as to put them at the service of the Lord and at the service of the persons around us.

We must be more and more the light in this increasingly dark world. We must be increasingly positive there where there is so much that is negative, pessimistic in our world. We must be increasingly persons of faith, of hope, respect and openness, instead of ones whose hearts can only fall back on themselves, thinking only ourselves and our judgment of others.

Today, we must each ask ourselves what can I do to be better and to improve in my life each day. As Saint Therese of the Child Jesus said: What can I do in order to walk more clearly towards perfection?

The parable of the talents invites us to become aware of the great responsibility which God Himself gave us in the face of our world today and of our world in the future, and also in the face of His Church and His Kingdom. We are not alive solely for ourselves despite the fact that many believe this. God has granted us His talents. We might remember that in the time of Jesus, a talent was not what we refer to as our talents. Then a talent was a measure of weight, the equivalent of nearly 139 pounds, the equivalent of nearly 35 years’ salary! The master in the parable was giving a huge sum of money to his servants. It’s like us receiving millions of dollars to invest, not for ourselves but for the improvement of the quality of life of the poorest, for justice and peace in this world so fearful of its future. God has confided to us His talents. He has confided to us His creation, this world on which we live, and which we have to preserve.

God has given us the responsibility to work such that everyone in this world can live, can thrive in dignity, can be recognized for who they are. He has put into our hands a future to construct, and as we well know, there are so many things to be done.

Recently, a summit meeting was held between the leaders of the Asia-Pacific countries. There were lots of exchanges, bilateral meetings between the presidents of the United States and China. In many Summit Meetings of this sort there are a lot of exchanges of words, some not very compromising speeches, warm hand shakes, smiles, etc. But these words should normally be accompanied and pursued in concrete gestures so as to arrive at a better future and an enduring peace.

God has also given us the gifts of His Kingdom, which are truth, justice and love! All these goods, all these commandments, God has confided them to us to develop further for the greater benefit of everyone on this Earth.

God provides us with these riches every day of our lives here on Earth. But we must remember, that some day we will have to render to Him our account, as the parable tells us. Will we have done our utmost to render this a better world, to help our brothers and sisters in the business of living, to survive, to be happy and open? Will we have done our utmost to save our planet, our common home as Pope Francis puts it, who is fully aware of the deplorable climatic conditions, and excessive exploitation of nature. Have we all done our utmost to grow peace among us, while distrust, suspicion, intolerance, radicalism and violence have grown among us as well? Have we done all we can to grow in our love of Jesus who is the resurrection and the life, for which we will have to give an account one day so that we can enter into the House of the Father? Have we done everything we can to make concrete gestures and to show every day our love of God and of our neighbor, thus affirming our Christian love.

As the parable suggests, we have a choice to make: we must make concrete gestures with regard to the Kingdom so that it will spread. Grow, so that it will bear much fruit, rather than remain immobile, remain silent, without speaking, doing nothing as did the third servant in the parable. Perhaps there is fear in us, fear as there was in the hearts of the Apostles at the time of the death of Jesus. But above all there is the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and with this event we can see the radical change in the Apostles, which brought fruit from all the talents which Jesus had instilled in them. ‘Go, I send you, gather disciples, baptise them and teach them to keep the commandments.’

It is now we who must to bring to fruition our own talents along with the Kingdom which we have been given. It is for us to remain awake, vigilant and sober, in order to undertake our mission as Saint Paul reminds us in the second reading. We must remain attentive, inventive, so as to serve better on every occasion, as the first reading reminds us. We must undertake the work of Christ who is the heart of our lives. He who came to this world in order to save us. He who brought to fruition the talents which were given to Him by the Father. He who gave the ultimate gift of His life so that the Holy Spirit would come to us, so that, with Him, a world would be built so that all might live and grow, a Kingdom where all the Father’s children will come together in love. Amen!

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Sunday, 5 November 2023
Homily – Léo Durocher

Remembering our deceased brothers and sisters and friends.

Jesus came to do not His will but to do the will of God the Father who had sent Him. This will consists in offering to one and all a future where there is no more misery, pain, loneliness and to be sure no more death. As it is now, each news report from the media speaks of all these deaths caused by violence against the human person, as we hear of how many children and innocent persons have their lives taken from them. At the hour when darkness plunges us into night, at the hour when we descend into darkness, at the hour when our world questions itself on its uncertain future, we are gathered today to praise God for the life that is ours, and so that we can recall all our dead and most especially those who have died during the past year.

We know that it is difficult to be thus separated from those whom we have loved, accompanied, supported in our lives every day. To be sure, we are sad, hurt to realise that our own pilgrimage on the earth will come to an end some day. To be sure, today and as yesterday and tomorrow, our deceased see us with their welcoming eyes, their open hands and their loving hearts. To be sure, the ashes of those who have passed to the other shore encourage us to open the treasure of our memories in order to see the way forward, in order to live more fully each day that God gives us.

Nevertheless, many questions remain without answers. Why is there death? How? When? Is it the end of everything, as some think? Is it only a passing to a better world where life shows itself in its fullness and where we can rejoin our deceased brothers and sisters, those whom we have loved so much and who have loved us.

And what of Jesus today? He has reminded us that there is life after death, that there is the resurrection. He has opened the door of hope in our hearts. He says to us that all that we live does not stop with death. The first reading reminds us that we all have a Father, a Father who has created us in His image and in His resemblance, a Father who loves all of us with a love that is infinitely eternal even if we might doubt. A Father who is there with His Son and the Holy Spirit, and who each day gives us a sign, even though we are distracted by material things, a Father who sent His son to save us from sin and death and to be our Road to the Resurrection and the fullness of life.

Our life on earth does not take the way of denial, the way where everything ends. Our road here on earth, even if it is not always easy, leads us to a better one, towards a life of goodness, of fullness, a life of prayer, of joy, of serenity, a life where blazing light will do away with the shadows of violence, of war, of death, where the light of the Resurrected will inevitably distance, chase away the lies, the hypocrisies, the pettiness, the deceptions which are all so present in the hearts of man. What are the messages that Jesus and our departed loved ones leave with us today? The first message is an invitation to believe, to believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, that Jesus is the Way that leads to life without end, where we will be gathered in the Love. An invitation to believe, and an invitation also to open our hearts to Jesus, who is the Truth, the Truth which renders us free to love and which gives sense to our journey here on Earth. It is an invitation to believe, and an invitation also to open our hearts to Jesus who is the truth, the truth which renders us free to love and provides the reality to our journey here on Earth. It is an invitation to believe that Jesus Himself is the Life, the eternal Life that we received at our baptism, the eternal life made possible by His death on the cross and His resurrection. The second message is also an invitation to live and to love just as Jesus loved us. The Thessalonians in the second reading welcomed and believed the words of Saint Paul. They were converted, that is to say that they turned towards God and they put into practice the commandment which we were reminded of last Sunday: “You will love your God with your whole heart with your whole soul, and your neighbor as yourself.” The way of the true life, of eternal life, is love, the love that we are all called to show to all men and women who surround us. A love that is sincere, welcoming, respectful. A love that is not judgmental, that does not condemn, a love that brings goodness, welcome, patience, pardon, communion as the letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians reminds us. It is Sant Paul who says that love will never disappear. And in our own times, when so many live such difficulties, economic, social, psychological and material, we are invited to act, undertake charity, to share, to be generous. We must recall the words of Jesus that each time we make a gesture of sharing, of charity, we have done it to Him. Receive together the Kingdom.The love of all our deceased brothers and sisters will never disappear. They are living in eternity. Today we are not celebrating death. Jesus destroyed death, we are celebrating life. Jesus has resurrected and lives. He is with us. If we believe, we will rise with Him. We are celebrating the lives of the dead to whom we call to help us advance, to move forward, to live with courage and hope, in joy and serenity and above all, in love. We pray that faith, hope and charity will be ever present in our lives, every day! As we repeat in Psalm 130, Let us live our passage here below in humility, in confidence and in hope. Lord, keep my soul in peace near you. AMEN

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Père Léo Durocher

Homily 27 August 2023

‘Who do you say that I am?’

Brothers and Sisters in faith.

St. Paul writes at the beginning of the 2nd Reading: ‘O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!’ The knowledge of God, the knowledge of other and the knowledge of who we are : so important in our lives everyday.

Last Wednesday evening there was a debate in the United States among 8 Republicans. Why? So that they could make themselves known, present their ideas, and hope to further their campaigns. During the last weeks we have seen publicity in the media showing us another aspect of the personality of the Conservative leader here in Canada. Why? It was in order for him to become better known in the event of the next election. What can we now say about the Jean-Talon riding? Four people are running hoping to become the Member of the Assemblée Nationale. People whom we do not know or only slightly! These candidates have to present themselves so that we can know who they are, and what it is they want to do for the well being of the constituents.

I want to present three situations in which knowing the people is important in the process!

In the Gospel, Jesus is already known by many people: visits to many towns and villages, teaching and preaching, miracles and healing, private prayer, denunciation of evil doing, calls to conversion… To His disciples who have been following Him, Jesus asks : Who do the people say is Son of man? Some answer John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jerimiah or one of the prophets. They associate Him with another person. They have trouble discerning who he really is. In raising this question, Jesus wants to know what they think about Him, what is it that the people are saying about Him. And still further in His question, He adds: ‘And you, who do you say that I am?’ A personal question, a question that calls the disciples to truth, to sincerity, to say to Jesus what they truly believe He is for them. And it is Peter who responds, saying: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ An answer inspired by the Father as the Gospel tells us.

Today, Jesus brings us together, we who are His disciples. He comes to ask us the same questions. And it is up to us to answer, even if we only know more or less who Jesus is for people in general, and for us in particular. For our society today, Jesus is a name that many know especially because of Christmas and Easter. For many of our children, this name is unknown. For others, Jesus was a great prophet, a great humanist who left to humanity great words of wisdom. For still others, without really believing, Jesus is someone who died on a cross, who, it appears, arose from death and who founded a Church which in our society is quickly decreasing and is facing difficulties about which we well know.

But Jesus also asks us the question: For you, who am I? To be sure we can respond with the words we learnt and which we repeat in our act of faith: you are the Son of God, the Word of God, Light of the world, Lord, Christ our saviour, Messiah, Road of Truth and Life, Shepherd, Lamb of God….. .

But to what do these words correspond in describing Jesus, to what life challenges do they correspond in each of us? We can easily say of Jesus that he is Lord and Saviour, Christ and Pastor. These are the words that I would use to answer Jesus. For me, Jesus is my Lord for all that I have received in life, for what I have become with Him, a son of God in my baptism. He is my Lord for what He has saved me from in sin and death by His death and resurrection, because He has made sense of my life, He who has already saved me on several occasions. He is for me the Christ because He has the words of life eternal and He invites me to pray every day, to work, to serve and to love. These are the four key words of my life’s path. In effect He is my Shepherd, my pastor because He takes care, because He looks after me, because every day He comes to my prayer to give me strength, courage and hope to follow Him to the end of my life, hoping that He will welcome me into His Father’s house at the end of my passage here below.

Today we must take the time to understand our relation with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We do this in order to understand better our relation with the world as messengers of the Good News, and witnesses of Jesus the Son of man and the Son of the living God.

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Pr. Léo Durocher

Homily 30 July 2023

‘Ask what I can do for you.’ This is what God asks of Solomon the prophet in the first reading. His response could easily have been to ask for a long life, riches, the death of his enemies, glory…. . However, Solomon asks God for discernment, the skill of being attentive and the art to govern. His answer is inspired by a profound desire to serve and to lead the people of God. He could have asked God for rewards for who he was, and for his immediate well-being. However, his intelligence and wisdom led him to serve God and his people, and not to enhance himself. His answer resembles that of which Jesus would say of Himself: ‘I have not come to be served but to serve and to give my life in ransom for the multitude.

‘Ask what it is that I should give you.’ On Friday I was at the Pharmacy to renew my prescriptions, a lady of a certain age in front of me bought 40$ of lottery tickets hoping to win!! So many people bet their future on the lottery! But God said to Solomon and He says clearly to us today, We should examine our present reality, the most precious, the most important in our lives. Some put their hope in the future, the lotteries to be won. Others will put their desires into the acquisition of material goods of medium or little value. Others will hope for a roof over their heads and abundant food. Others still hope in their deepest selves to be to be known, greeted, respected, helped, loved for who they are. Others still, hope for the return of their health and for long days to come. Ask me what it is I should give you. What is the most precious treasure which will make the most complete sense of our lives which will give us all the value of who we are… .

In the Gospel, Jesus continues to help us reflect on that which is most important in our lives. Last Sunday, Jesus instructed us with the parable of the good and bad grains of wheat and the yeast in the bread. Today Jesus invites us to go further in our reflection with the parable of the treasure hidden in a field along with the pearl of great value and our fishing net set out in the sea. This Sunday, as Saint Paul writes in the second reading, God is calling us to allow ourselves to be formed in the image His Son, so that we can share in His glory, so that one day we will receive from God the promised inheritance.

What then is most precious in our lives? If one day we are in a boat with the three most precious things that we own, and we are asked keep only one of them and to throw the two other things overboard. What would be our choice? What is it that keeps us alive? The material or the spiritual? The goods of this world or the people around us, the interior or the external, that which is passing of that which is eternal? Sell everything so that we can posses the treasure that is in the field. Sell everything so that we can own the pearl of great value, make everything ours in this world in which we live so as to keep only that which is good and beautiful, or that helps us to live according to the commandments of God, according to the great commandment that was left to us by Jesus

‘Ask what it is that I give you?’ What is our response? What is the most precious desire in us? What is the treasure that gives us all its value in our lives? Is it someone who walks with us on this road of life or is it a person who is no longer there but who lives in our heart? This happens fairly often to hear others say this to a person. A new parent talking to their newborn: ‘You are my treasure. You are the most precious thing in our lives. Jesus is inviting us to be aware that the Kingdom of Heaven is the most precious gift for a Christian man or women. It is the treasure par excellence that we have been given, because this Kingdom is always present. It was then, it is now, and it will be tomorrow. The Kingdom of Heaven of which we are a part, helps us to live, to live a good life. We must become aware that we are the children in the hands of God, saved by the death and resurrection of Christ and spurred on by the Holy Spirit who helps us to love and live.

We pray that this celebration will help us during these summer months to see clearly in our daily life what it is that keeps us, what it is that is most precious, what are our priorities. And above all, we pray that this celebration helps us to become aware, to realize that our real treasure is Jesus who is there, present and living at the heart of our lives. Jesus, the Christ, our Lord and our Saviour is the road to the Kingdom, to the House of the Lord.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
2 July 2023

Père Réjean Champagne

The biblical texts for this Sunday present us with strong words concerning welcoming. During this summer season, we have occasions to greet and be greeted in families. We will meet different people from different places. In today’s first reading, it is the Prophet Elisha, who is being welcomed by the Shunammite woman. The woman reveals herself as very generous toward him in that she recognized him as a man of God. However, she is bearing within herself a suffering which she does not mention: she has no son and her husband is old. With great delicacy Elisha promises her a son, which she had never imagined possible!

Listening to this text of the word of God, we understand that to welcome the other is to listen to his confidences, share his joys and his sufferings. What is important is not the quantity of luxuries, but the warmth of our greeting. We Christians, we have learnt that through the persons that we meet, it is God who is there, it is Him whom we welcome or refuse to welcome. We must not forget that it is in the quality of our love and greeting that we will be recognized as disciples of Christ.

In the Letter to the Romans, Saint Paul speaks to us of the most important day of our lives, when we are welcomed into the great family of Christians. We have understood this, this is a question of our baptism. In fact, we tend to have a little difficulty comprehending this. We have to understand that in the primitive Church, the newly baptized had lived in a world without God. For them, life made no sense. But God came to them and greeted them. Baptism for them was a new birth; it was a radical rupture from the life they had known up to that point. On the day of our baptism, we were immersed in that ocean of love which is in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Since then we choose to greet Christ and to place Him at the centre of our lives.

Today’s Gospel also speaks to us of this greeting. But it makes forcefully clear that our love for Jesus must come before all our family links: ‘He who loves his father, his mother, his brother, his sisters and his children more than me, is not worthy of me.’ Hearing these words, we might think of catechists who might ask the question: ‘How can we teach this Gospel to children, while we ask them to be peaceful (and obedient) at home?’

Let’s be clear: it is entirely normal that children love their father and mother more than anybody else. There is no stronger link than that between children and their parents. We are all very strongly attached to our parents. This is perfectly natural. And when they are no longer there, we suffer in consequence.

But looking at this more closely, we see that Jesus is not talking to the large crowd: He is talking to His disciples. He has called them to follow Him. But they must understand that Jesus is not a master like any other: He is the Son of God. Thus, He is above man. It is He whom we can and must love more than anyone else dear to us. But in this love which we give Jesus will help us to love the other better.

The Lord calls all of us to be ‘disciples and missionaries’. A disciple is one who follows Christ. The missionary is one who will announce Him. Our welcoming of Christ and our attachment to Him must come before all our family links. We know that this is not easy; we have to affirm ourselves before the whole world and even before our own family. We will be confronted with indifference, hostility. For many this will be persecution. Jesus himself experienced these difficulties; but he went to the very end of His mission, to His very death on the cross.

To welcome Christ, to prefer Him before all else, to be inhabited by Him, this is what is proposed for us at the beginning of our summer vacations. We will learn to recognize Him in the persons we meet. The role of the Church, the role for all of us is precisely to welcome all those who sense that they are attracted to Him. It is with these qualities of welcoming that we will be recognized as disciples of Christ.

On Sunday we are united by the Eucharist: it is God who welcomes us in His mission. He invites us to His feast. And at the end of each mass, He sends us to give witness in the world of this free love that is constantly offered. There are no occasions when we could not make others happier. There is no lack of them. Through these encounters, it is the Lord who is knocking at our door. AMEN!

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Feast of The Ascension of our Lord
21 May 2023

Father Léo Durocher

Two weeks ago, a policewoman was killed in Québec, and last week the same thing happened to a policeman in Ontario. As well, two people lost their lives in Montreal, victims of violence. How many people in this world we live in, lose their lives whether in an accident, illness, suicide, drugs, …. . The recent meeting of the G7 in Hiroshima, Japan, reminds us again of the death of millions of people. Such violent deaths are hard to accept, to live with, deaths with such suffering.

When someone who is dear to us dies, this very often leaves us saddened, sometimes at a loss and without hope. Jesus said to us last week: ‘Do not let yourself be overcome, you believe in God, believe also in Me. In the house of my Father there are many rooms.’ The death of someone who is dear to us, often brings us to fix our regard on the urn, or a photo or the coffin. We might also remember a great deal about the person: their gestures, their use of words, which have particularly struck us, that may have helped us and which still help us to live and to grow.

The Feast of the Ascension today shows us the Lord, who is leaving to return to heaven from where He had come. Having completed His mission, which was to announce the Good News, He, the Word of God made man, having offered His body and poured out His blood revealing His immense love for His Father and for each for us, He returns to His Father so that He can send to us the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, the Defender who is at our sides in order to make good the will of God.

What the Apostles experienced is the same as what we experience when someone close to us dies. The first reading describes this very well. They are waiting for Jesus. The Apostles welcomed the promise of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which they would soon receive, and which would render them witnesses to the Resurrection, throughout the World.

‘Following these words, Christ rose and a gentle cloud hid Him from their sight. They fixed their eyes on Him, who has risen!’ It is what we do at the cemetery when we lower a casket or an urn into the grave. ‘And then two men dressed in white invited the apostles to continue their way’ just as we are invited to go on with our lives following the burial of one of our family or our friends. Stare at heaven, the grave, an urn, this is not we are invited to do. The Gospel, which does not speak of the Ascension as such, tells us what it is that the Apostles have to do and what we have to do, we who read today ‘Go to all the nations, gather disciples, baptize then and teach them to observe all that we have been commanded.’

Jesus was physically present to His apostles and disciples during His time here on Earth. He is present and living since His ascension, in the hearts of every man and woman who believes in Him. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit is alive, acting in our hearts beginning from the time of our baptism and especially since the day of our Confirmation. As it is written in the second reading, God the Father with Jesus, His son, gives us the Holy Spirit for our discernment of the truth which we are called to announce, to give thanks that the Son of God will make real our salvation, and who is above all beings. This spirit of wisdom helps us to live and is our strength and vigour, our energy. This spirit of wisdom gives us the ability to be faithful to Jesus present in all the signs and sacraments. He also strengthens us in His promise of glory without end, the heritage we will share with our brothers and sisters

Today let us fix our gaze on Jesus who lives in our hearts, who gives Himself in His word, which is given to us entirely. And further, He comes to us in the bread which becomes His body, and the wine which becomes His blood. Turn our regard to Jesus who does not abandon us like orphans. And He is there at the heart of our lives with His Father and with the Holy Spirit. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus who invites us to fix our regard on our neighbour in whom He is also present and living. Let us remember each day – ‘I am with you even to the end of the World.’ As we respond in the Universal Prayers: Let Your presence sustain us, O Lord. Amen.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Fifth Sunday of Easter – 7 May 2023

Homily, Père Réjean Champagne

Rejoice, Christ is Risen…
He is the Way, the Truth and the Life – Alleluia!

We know this Gospel well. It is often chosen for funeral services. Jesus is presented to us as the ‘road’. While reading the text, I thought of all those who were on the roads of the world without knowing where they would spend the night. Many of them had a fine life, a trade, and a family life. But then there was some event which forced them into the street. In many countries whole families had to flee their homes in order to avoid a war. They left without knowing where the road would lead them.

When Jesus says that He is the road, it is quite a different matter. He is forever with His father. At the same time, He assures of His presence among us for all time till the end of the world. He is for us the Road, the Truth and the Life’. He alone can bring us to the Father. His great project, is to gather all men together. He prepares for us a home where we will all feel welcomed with love.

What we have to understand clearly is that Jesus is not satisfied with merely showing us the road. Jesus himself is ‘the Way, the Truth and the Life.’ It is in Him that we find the fulness of the truth. His words are those of Eternal Life. Without Him we are without anything. No one can go to the Father without going through Jesus. It is He who reveals the true face of God. It is in looking toward heaven that we will rediscover the true sense of our life. This gospel is a call to hope, even if we are entirely upset by the uncertainty and trials of life. To give way to discouragement would be worst of all. We can come back to the words of today’s psalm: ‘The Lord looks on those who love Him and hope in His love.’ And Jesus is there always to continuously repeat: ‘Believe in Me.’

Never the less this road is not an easy one. It is narrow, and it leads us to a narrow doorway. Our life is a struggle every day against the forces of evil which seek to lead us into the ways of perdition. It is the race after money, violence, hatred, grudges. All of these lead us away from the true aim of our life. So it is worth while to ask ourselves: Is Jesus really our road? Is it really Him that we are following? If that is not the case then we must listen again to His call: Come to Me with all your heart… Convert and believe in the Gospel….’

The Acts of the Apostle (1st reading) describe how the first Christians followed Christ’s path. The Word of God was preached to the pagans. Widows are not abandoned to their sad state: they are helped. Helping one another becomes the way of life. This is how a community puts itself on a road following Jesus. This is important for us today: the word of God must be announced in good times and bad times; but the little people, the poor, the excluded must not be forgotten: it is not possible to preach the good news of the Gospel to people who are cold and hungry. It is though them that Christ Himself calls us.

In the second reading, Saint Peter invites us to approach the Lord Jesus. We remember that in the Gospel, Jesus speaks of the House of the Father, which has ‘many rooms’. With this Saint Peter says that Jesus is the ‘living rock which men have rejected but which God has chosen because he knows His worth.’ The home of which he speaks is not simply made of stone or wood: it is a fraternity, a community made by the breath of the Holy Spirit. As disciples, we participate in His victory. We have become ‘the chosen race, the Royal priesthood, the holy nation, the people who belong to God.’

But there is a trap, which we must avoid: the risk is that we become complacent with these honours. We have an urgent mission: it is to announce ‘the marvels of He who brought us through clouds and shadows to His amazing light.’ It is urgent to demonstrate that we know where we are going. We are on a road that is laid out in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have there the essential sign posts for our journey. During one of his audiences, Pope Francis recommended that we read the gospel every day. The Word of God is an indispensable nourishment for our journey to the Father.

To conclude, I propose a few words from Saint Augustin who joins us on our road. ‘Here (on earth) it is hope that makes us sing… Sing, but while we are walking. Forget your tiredness by singing, but watch out for laziness… Sing and walk without losing the road, without looking backwards, without just ‘marking time’. SING and WALK.’

We pray that this Eucharist will nourish us and give us the strength to continue on the road with Jesus. AMEN

Sources: Revues Fiches dominicales et Feu Nouveau, Paroles pour la route (J.Y. Carneau), C’est dimanche (E. Oré)

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Third Sunday of Easter, 23 April 2023

Homily

Père Réjean Champagne

The readings for the Third Sunday of Easter bring us the witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus. In the first reading we have the description of the event by the Apostle Peter. There has been a radical change in his life. We remember his response when Jesus first announced his Passion, his death and his resurrection. Peter could not bear to hear of this possibility. It simply did not correspond to his idea of the Messiah! And when Jesus was arrested, Peter was so fearful for his own life that he declared to the authorities that he had no part in His group.

But on the Day of Pentecost, everything was changed: The Apostles received the Holy Spirit. And thus, Peter witnessed to this with strength and courage: ‘This Jesus whom you have killed on the cross, God has brought back to life.’ His death was not a failure. He is alive for ever; all of this was foreseen in the Scriptures, Moses, the Psalms, the Prophets. We must now read the whole Old Testament in the light of the Resurrection of Jesus. This good news was proclaimed firstly to the Jews, then to all the pagans. The whole world had to know this: with Jesus, death does not have the last word; God’s project leads to life.

This call of Peter, also appears in the second reading: this Jesus who died and is resurrected, is the saviour of all mankind. It is not with gold or silver that we have been bought from the superficial doings of our fathers; it is by the precious blood of Jesus Christ that we are purified; it is for us and for the multitude that He offered His life and poured out His blood. His love is beyond everything that we could imagine. We are invited to receive this message as a call to a profound conversion, to become profoundly aware and to live True Love.

This Sunday’s Gospel recounts for us what happened following the meeting between Jesus and the disciples at Emmaus. It was in the evening of the first day of the week, that is Easter Sunday. Jesus had been arrested, condemned and had died on the cross. And the two disciples had seen Him enclosed in His tomb. For them, everything had come to an end. They were completely demoralized. All that was left for them was to return home to Emmaus.

But then, on the road home, an unknown person joined them. It was Jesus but they did not recognize Him. In order to recognize Him, there were two important steps for them. The first was an explanation of Scripture: Jesus let them tell of their confusion; then He recounted all that had been said about Him by Moses, the prophets and the psalms… Secondly, there was all that had happened at the house: they had recognized Him by the breaking of the bread. Thus, everything changed for them. Despite the late hour, they hurried back to Jerusalem to share the good news with the eleven apostles.

This same Jesus is he whom we encounter during every mass. He renews for us that which He did for the disciples at Emmaus. He enlightens us with His words and He shares with us His Eucharistic Bread. Hence, we have to ask ourselves a question of the highest importance: what happens when we leave and return home? Do we go with the same enthusiasm, the same spirit as the disciples at Emmaus? It is possible that we do not celebrate our mass as an amazing event. Each week we are called to nourish ourselves at the table of the Word and of the Eucharist. If we have truly encountered and welcomed the Lord, we understand what it is that we have to do like the disciples at Emmaus: we must set out with the same enthusiasm as theirs and announce the good news to others.

The disciples at Emmaus returned to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven apostles. They all shared what it was that they had experienced, that it is true the Christ is risen. He is alive. He appeared to Peter. And thus, Jesus appeared to them. He came to make real the promise that He had made not long before: ‘When two or three of you are gathered in my name, I am there in your midst.’ (Mt 18:20) We, like them, are assembled at Church on Sunday, we do not see the Lord: but He is present in order to reinforce our faith and to prepare us for the mission which was assigned to us.

The three readings for this Sunday are an invitation to rebuild the conviction of our faith. Christ is resurrected. We will resurrect. A new world will be inaugurated. We have to make it known. Easter is the victory over death, and that changes everything. We must allow ourselves to overturn our preconceived ideas and to discern the presence of Christ living at the heart of our lives. By rereading our history in the light of the gospels that we will discover the signs of the presence of love on so many occasions. With Him, we will be carriers of peace to those whose hearts are upset, and to those who have lost the path of life. Amen!

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Homily – Fifth Sunday of Lent 2023

26 March 2023 – Père Léo Durocher : The Ressurection of Jesus

Brothers and sisters in faith,

The theme hymn for Lent this year leads us to reflect on these words of Jesus: ‘If you knew the gift of God’. Throughout these five weeks of Lent we have been called to take note of the gifts we have received from God.

On the first Sunday it was the Word: man does not live by bread alone, but by the word coming from the mouth of God. During the 2nd week it was the gift of light. Jesus is transfigured and we are called to listen. The 3rd Sunday, it is the gift of living water to satisfy our most profound hunger and thirst. In the 4th week we are given the gift of healing. Jesus who opens our eyes, invites us to see, not the appearances and illusions, but truly the essential, the heart, that which is interior. This Sunday, today, it is the gift of life that we are greeting, not simply the material dimension but truly the eternal life.

Next week we will accompany Jesus to the cross, right to a grave, right to Easter. Jesus will follow this path which has brought Him to give His life as ransom for the multitude. Already today, he tells Mary and Martha that He is the resurrection, the one who overcomes death. Jesus has come to give us life, life in all its fullness. Hence his bringing Lazarus back to life, dead for four days, requires faith, hope, confidence in Jesus, who walks with us along this road of life.

This is never easy to leave to God what we have begun, which we have. Last September, my eldest brother died at the age of 73. It was not easy when the coffin was closed; it is like a film that comes to an end, like a love story which remains in our memory. And at the cemetery the coffin is lowered into the ground and the body becomes dust. And Mary, in the gospel, is sad. All this pain is shared. After a while Jesus comes to comfort Martha and Mary.

Faced with what is happening, in the presence of His friend Lazarus, Jesus cries. He is human, and is moved, like any other person. However, death is not the finality. It is a passage toward a life that will not end. Jesus continues to tell His disciples to welcome, to understand that which is coming. Jesus announces His coming death on the cross and His resurrection on the third day.

Martha and Mary and others already have open hearts, an open faith, a faith open to the power of Jesus. Martha says to the Lord: ‘If you had been here my brother would not be dead. But now I know that whatever you ask of God. God will grant you.’ Jesus answers her: ‘I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me, if he dies, will live: he who lives in Me will never die.

Can we believe this? Do we not occasionally have the same thoughts as Mary and Martha in the face of the death of someone we know? Why him? Why her?

We must remember that the Lord does not want the death of anyone. He wants, quite simply, to receive us in His love. Thus, in this reading, Jesus wants to present Himself to Mary and Martha as well as to His disciples, as the Resurrection and the Life. It is often difficult to think of the future when we are in mourning for someone very close to us. The distress, the fear, the sadness, the doubt so often prevents us from realizing that the person who has died, continues to live. Martha and Mary believe in Jesus, He is the Christ, the son of God, He who comes into the world. And we know what follows. Jesus approaches the tomb, He is overcome with emotion, He ask them to take away the stone, He gives thanks to the Father, He cries out in a loud voice: ‘Lazarus come out!’, Lazarus does, and Jesus says: ‘Untie him and let him go.’

On our journey to Easter, this account of Lazarus coming back to life provides Jesus with the opportunity to help us realise that we are often tied up, attached in all sorts of ‘bandages’. We have our problems, our refusals to pardon, which prevent us from seeing, from living, from loving and from truly living in the love of God. We find it difficult to speak of God. We find it difficult to speak of the Lord who is calling us out: come and see the Light, to come and partake in joy. Jesus is now our route, our road. He wants us to realise that that we are made to live and not to die, that we are made to put away our death trappings and put on the clothes of summer.

Jesus reminds us that He did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life in ransom for the multitude. Through love of us, Jesus will accept rejection and suffering, the cross and death on the cross, the tomb, the resurrection. By His love for us, He will give His life so that we will have Life. By His love for us, He will accomplish the will of the Father to liberate us from everything that prevents us from living fully. In His love for us, He opens the doors to eternal life.

During this 5th week of Lent let us be touched by the words of Jesus, these words which are new life. Let us be witnesses, signs of this gift, this gift of infinite value which is life, our human life to be sure, but more importantly eternal life received at our Baptism.

Jesus, you who descended from Heaven, let us say with Martha and Mary, I believe, You are the Christ, the Son of God, who comes into the World. Amen.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Homily – First Sunday of Lent 2023

26^th February 2023

Père Réjean Champagne

RE-EXAMINING OUR PRIORITIES

Last Wednesday, we entered the Lenten Season. This period of forty days is like a major Spring cleaning. It suggests to us that we need to put our relations with God in order. In effect, our relation has been sullied by the idea we have of God. Too often, we think that He does not wish the best for us. In order to clean up that idea, the first reading provides us with the story of Noah.

The book of Genesis describes for us how, from the beginning, men have turned away from God. They sank into violence. Sin is presented to us as a rupture from God. However, after the Great Flood, God manifests Himself to Noah; He concludes an alliance of peace with him, a universal alliance. It is God who takes the initiative: He does so without any preconditions. This, even if His people are unfaithful, God remains faithful to His alliance. This good news comes to us at the beginning of Lent. If we are prisoners of our heavy tendencies or crushed by our heavy worries, God takes our part, takes our side. We find the proof of this in the Gospels: Christ is so strongly attached to us that He dies for us on a cross!

In his letter, Saint Paul harks back to the Flood: he draws our attention to the small number who were saved, only eight in all. This number allows him to emphasise the grandeur of our being saved by Jesus: the flood is an image of Baptism. It is more than a simple purification. Noah’s family comes out alive from the waters of the flood. Since then, it is the waters of Baptism which save us. We are being saved from everything which would bring us towards death but which now bring us towards God. It is He who establishes the covenant with us and invites us to walk with Him.

The Gospel presents us clearly with ‘He who will accomplish this work of Salvation’. Jesus has just been baptized in the waters of the Jordan. He was addressed as the beloved Son of the Father. Immediately after this event, the Holy Spirit sent Him to the desert. It is perhaps better to say, ‘Chased Him to the desert.’ We must also underscore the importance of the words ‘Immediately after,’ which is used often in Mark’s Gospel. There is an important message here for our Lenten prayer. It was not a question of ‘I’ll begin tomorrow or later…… .’. It is a matter of now that the Lord awaits my response to His call.

As we read the Gospel, we can think of the Hebrews who, in the time of Moses, were fled into the desert because of Pharaoh. They underwent an exodus that went on for forty years. With today’s Gospel, we see Jesus who begins a new exodus. The Hebrews went towards the Promised Land. Jesus goes to His Kingdom and asks us to follow Him. All through this Lent, we are invited to undergo a ‘conversion’, to turn towards Him. In a world marked by the din of motors and the screams of the radio and television, we might remember to keep desert places of silence in order find God again. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. It is through Him and with Him that we will go to God.

While in the desert, the Hebrews revolted against God. Jesus also suffered His temptations and trials, which are the part of all humans. But because He was filled with the Holy Spirit, He came out of the test the victor. This was much better than Noah’s results, as we saw in the first reading, the victory of Christ over the forces of evil is the very beginning of a new alliance. This new and eternal alliance is offered to ‘all the nations under the sky.’ (Acts 2. 5) This is the good news that Jesus proclaimed throughout Galilee: ‘The times are accomplished; the reign of God is near: Convert and believe in the Good News’. Proclaim the Good News, means that the reign of God is in the process of beginning.

Throughout Lent we are invited to follow Jesus in the desert. He wants to include us in His victory. We often ask God to protect us. However, today He is bringing us onto a field of combat. He puts us face to face with our responsibilities. But He does not leave us to our strength alone. It is with Christ that we can be victorious over the forces of evil. We can truly rely on Him. His love for us is received once and for all, and nothing can separate us from it!

In our lives, Lent is not just a miserable event. It is a time of liberation. We are invited to free ourselves from everything which prevents us from turning toward others and toward God. It is a time to love: ‘Forty days to live as though on vacation, forty days to do nothing but to love’. Jesus shows us the way. We live in a world impregnated with indifference, unbelief, no faith, bad faith. It is because of that world that Jesus came. By our lives and our witness of faith, everything must reveal that ‘the reign of God has neared.’ Let us resolutely enter into this alliance, which the Lord has proposed to us. Amen!

Translated by Hugh Gwyn 2023-02-27

Homily – Second Sunday of Ordinary Time 2003

15^th January 2023, Père Réjean Champagne

‘Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World.’ John 1:29

Today we are entering the cycle of Ordinary Time. Jesus, whose birth we have just celebrated, has brought us good news for humanity. The good news was first announced to the shepherds and the Magi. The Gospels help us to rediscover the marvels which the Lord has accomplished in order to save the world.

This liberation had already been announced several centuries earlier by the Prophet Isaiah. We heard of his message addressed to a people deported to a foreign land. This people had been the victim of all sorts of bullying in the past. But God saw the suffering of his people, and He sent his prophet to announce their liberation. Everyone, even the humble and the most unfortunate, eventually came to discover that they were cherished in the eyes of God.

We have here a message of hope for all the prisoners and the excluded of today. We can think of those who have bad reputations because of their past and their actions. But the Lord does not abandon them. He sends them prophets, priests, witnesses to let them know that they are of value in the eyes of God. He does not want even one of them to be lost; and He counts on us to carry this hope and this light to all of humanity.

This is also the message of hope that we find in the Letter of Paul to the Corinthians. He is addressing the newly converted. Among them are the little people, those of little consequence. Though the world ignores them; they are also brought to discover that Christ has come for everyone. They, like everyone, are invited to become disciples and missionaries. Jesus calls them all to sanctity – to live with God every day –including those who have fallen very low. They all have great value in the eyes of God.

Today’s Gospel speaks of Jesus coming to John the Baptist. We must remember that the name of Jesus means the ‘Lord who saves’. Therefore, on this day, we see Him coming together with humanity that is suffering from its sin. It is He who takes the initiative. Humanity has a real need to be saved. We can see this everyday. We are perhaps tempted to be discouraged, because this salvation seems to be far off. But Saint John reminds us that God does not abandon us. He ‘loved us first’. We have just celebrated Christmas: this is God’s interruption of Mankind in order to bring salvation to Mankind.

This is how John the Baptist discovers Jesus in a new day. We have heard this said in two ways: ‘I do not know him.’ Yet they were cousins: they certainly had met during their childhood. We also have had this same experience. Among our relationships, there are probably people whom we thought we knew well. But after a while, we discover them in a new light. We would never have thought of finding them again in this way!

When John the Baptist says to us that he does not know Jesus, he is speaking to us of His mystery. He finds in Him ‘the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world’. In Him, is the promise of Isaiah, which will come to pass beyond all our hopes. Christ takes on Himself all the sins of the world so as to liberate us, to free us. Eventually He will say, ‘the Son of Man has come to find and save all who were lost.’ The good news is that Christ is not simply a person from the past. He continues to come to us at the heart of our lives, of our joys and of our struggles.

But in order to find Christ, we must seek Him or rather allow Him to find us. He is always there! He only asks that He may come to us. But it is usually we who are somewhere else. Today, we are invited to welcome this presence of Christ so that we can be witnesses to those who do not know Him. The best place to meet Him is in the Eucharist. It is a gift, which He offers us freely so as to perpetuate His presence among us. The more we come to the Eucharist, the more we conform ourselves to Him, and so increase our presence and our love. It is this presence and this love which the world needs today.

A Prayer – We pray to you Lord: Help us to become even closer to You once again, more often and for longer. Let us hunger after You. Let us become thirsty for your Word. Let us live with You, familiarly, joyously, in the intimacy of the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Sources: Revues Feu Nouveau – Fiches Dominicales – Elle est vivante la Parole de Dieu, Homélies dominicales Année A (R. Houlliot)

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Christmas Day
25^th December 2022

The Lord Has Come, Père Réjean Champagne

‘He came to his own and they did not receive him…’. Last night, we heard the reading of the birth of Jesus. This event occurred in miserable conditions, in a shelter for animals. However, this little infant is God who comes close to us. He comes as an infant in the arms of His mother or lying in a manger. It is ‘Emmanuel’ which means ‘God with us’.The good news is heard in all the churches throughout the World: ‘Today a Saviour is born to us…’ Unfortunately, there are many who will ignore the origins of this celebration or simply do not want to hear of it. Some will even go so far as to break up some of the crèches. Others will only think of the public holiday. Everything is ready, the tree, the Christmas dinner, the wreaths… . We forget at Christmas it is Jesus who came and who continues to come to seek out and save those who were lost.

Along with the shepherds, we are invited to come to the Manger. It is there that our Saviour awaits us. We have come together in order to fill ourselves with the presence of Him who wishes to come alive in our hearts. We welcome this light which is in Him in order to transform our life. And in turn we are sent to spread this news to everyone we meet on our path. The presence and this love of God is a treasure which we must both welcome and share. We must never forget that it is Jesus who continues to come for us and for the whole world.

This Jesus whom we celebrate at Christmas was born poor among the poor. Furthermore, He sees Himself in each one of the poor. If we do not have a place for them in our lives, it is He who will reject us: ‘He came to His own and His own did not receive Him…’ The Gospel explains to us that it is impossible to celebrate Christmas without them. If we want to meet Him and welcome Him, it is to them we must go: He is present in the one who is cold and hungry, he who is sick, he who has lost or forgotten his human dignity. To live Christmas, we must also welcome Christ in the person who is poor and offer him the place of honour.

‘The Word was the true Light which lights every man, by coming into the World…’ Later, Jesus will say: ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness…’ It is this light which we are receiving this Christmas Day. But we must not forget this recommendation of Christ’s: ‘Keep your lamps lit.’ This is the light of faith, the light of prayer. In welcoming Jesus and in listening to Him, we learn how to adjust ourselves more and more to the love which is in Him. With Him, it is like a door that opens, a new light, a new way to see life.

Today Christ joins all men and women who are tested with suffering, sickness, sorrow, out of work, and family conflicts… He will not do miracles to resolve all these problems, but He will open the door of hope and courage for us to continue looking for solutions. Our God is a companion who walks with us. And at times, He carries us. And what is extraordinary is that we can always speak to Him in prayer. He is always there to help us, to encourage us to leave our doors ajar.

We live in a world of double walled towers, enclosed in walls of egotism, indifference, racism and grudges. But Christmas brings us a message of hope which is offered to everyone. We receive the visit of God with joy. It is for us. We must greet His message of hope. Let Him take us up. We will simply not regret it. This is the price of living a good Christmas.

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Christmas Night
24^th December 2022

The Lord Has Come, Père Réjean Champagne

All during Advent, the liturgy spoke to us of the coming of Christ. This Good News was announced for several centuries to a ‘people who walked in the dark.’ This darkness was that of exile and foreign oppression. The Christmas message is given in the shadows, which sadly mark the life of our world, that of terrorism and violence but also that of sickness and solitude.

The Good Word is that God has not abandoned us. He comes to us. He comes to ‘bring hope and to save us.’ Throughout the Gospels, we hear of a God who is Father, a Father who loves each of His children. He has come ‘to seek and save those who were lost’. The true God has nothing to do with a religion which massacres the innocent, men, women and even children. The feast of Christmas comes to remind us that the true God is LOVE. He does not know anything else. In a world polluted by hate and violence, He it is who brings us the true light.

This Jesus whose birth we are celebrating was first announced to shepherds! When we set up the crèche in our home, we place it in a prominent place, but few know who it represents. Doing this is truly part of the unknown. These were rather rough men, who were not in the habit of visiting places of worship. But it was through them that the Good News was announced to the little people, the poor and the excluded. And we see this same pattern throughout the Gospels. Jesus has come to let us know that it is they, who are first in the heart of God.

It’s true, the Gospels remind us of the mission of Jesusamong those who are oppressed by all sorts of suffering. He greets those men and women who were not being considered because of their poorer lives! He opened the Door to the Light, to Mary Magdalen, to Zachariah, Matthew the publican, the women of Samaria and many others who had been rejected by the very heavy society of the times. With Him, it is a matter of the Victory of LOVE over evil and death.

This Good News was not only for the people of former times. It is for all men and women and children in every age. It has to be proclaimed to the whole world, including in the ‘peripheries’. Groups come together in order to go to the poorest, people who live alone, those who live on the street, those who do not have any means to celebrate. Mass is celebrated in prisons and hospitals. Christ comes to all men and women who are down trodden by suffering, sickness, mourning, without work, and family conflicts. To be sure, He will not perform miracles in order to solve all these problems. But He will always walk with us. And at time He will even carry us. He will open a path of hopefulness.

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

The Third Sunday of Advent
Decembre 11, 2022

We are living together awaiting the Lord.
Father Réjean Champagne

This Third Sunday of Advent is one of Joy. If we are joyful, it is because the Lord is near. His coming is the source of our hope. This good news is to be found in all of today’s readings. They reveal to us a God who delivers us from evil. This God loves most particularly the poor, the small people, the excluded. Later Jesus will say that they have the first place in His heart.

In the first reading, Isaiah reveals the marvels of the salvation that is to come. He is addressing a people who have suffered a great deal. After living for forty years in exile in a strange land, they will at last be able to come back to their home. This return is presented like a ‘hurricane of joy’. God cannot put up with the tragic condition of the exiles, the prisoners, the debased populations. So, He decides to change things. The biblical text uses the word ‘vengeance’. But the vengeance of God does not mean to punish nor to crush. If He intervenes it is first of all to heal and to save. Upon reading this biblical test, we discover that it is the prelude to a liberation that is much more important. By His death on the cross, and His resurrection Jesus will open the road to true life to the whole of humanity. The world and its inhabitants will be transfigured.

In the second reading, Saint James tells us of the glorious coming of the Saviour. This will be infinitely better than the return of Israel to its Land. It will be our definitive entrance into God’s world. Saint James tells us that it is not for right away. He invites us to be patient. He gives us the example of the farmer. When he sows his grain, he has to wait patiently for harvest time. So, throughout our lives we are preparing ourselves for the definitive encounter with Him.

With Jesus, we are assisting at the progressive realisation of the prophecies of Isaiah. This is the Good News which John the Baptist announced. He was put in jail because he spoke more clearly than the religious authorities of his time. From the depth of his prison, he was able to reflect. He raised lots of questions about this Jesus. What he had heard about Him did not jive with what Jesus had been announcing. So, he took the chance to get his faithful followers to ask Him the most important question: Are you the One who is to come or must we wait for another?’

Imprisoned, John the Baptist is also questioning, is having doubts: ‘After all, am I not being fooled?’ Coming from John the Baptist, the question is terrible. We must not forget his provocative beginnings, his successes, his virulent declarations while beside the Jordan: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord… There is one among you whom you do not know… You must convert… change your lives…’ It was a time of euphoria, and of certainty. Jesus received John the Baptist’s question most serenely. He showed John’s followers how the promises of the prophets were coming to pass: Go and say to John: the blind see, the cripples walk, the sick are cured… and especially, the Good News is preached to the poor.

Like John the Baptist, we can also find ourselves enclosed in our doubts, our questioning. We can also surround ourselves in certitudes which are not part of the truth of the Gospel. Too often, we create for ourselves a false idea of Jesus. It will always be way beyond what we can say or write about Him. With today’s Gospel, we understand that our God is not a vengeful God but a God who reveals and who saves. The poor, the little people, the excluded are in the first place in His heart.

And if we want to be in communion with this Jesus, saviour, we must adjust ourselves to Him. He sends us towards those who suffer, those who are hungry, those who are lonely. Through them, it is He who is there and who awaits us. We need Him to open our eyes, our ears and above all our hearts to their distress. It is with Jesus that the Good News is announced to the poor. If we have understood this, this will be truly a Sunday of joy.

By coming together in the Eucharist, we turn ourselves to Him who is the source of our joy. We leave to you, Lord, ‘the approaching celebrations’ which we are preparing with perhaps over activity or perhaps a certain disenchantment. Give us to be open to the Saving Grace which will come, the true sense of Christmas. AMEN
Translated by Hugh Gwyn

The First Sunday of Advent 2022
November 27, 2022

Père Justin Ndoole

Advent begins today, and today we are in Jerusalem. Christ is coming here where we all live.

He comes when there is a space for Him, that is in Jerusalem. We are Jerusalem. We have prayed that He come. He has come, as one of us!

‘Jerusalem’ is transformed into a celestial Jerusalem. So, it is with joy that we come together to celebrate His coming. We can only be full of joy. Joy is the surest sign of the presence of God. Our peace, our joy is now transforming us, now and through history.

This God is transforming everything. Thus, we can answer the invitation to do what we have been called to do. All of those things we know! And we know despite of all the hurdles. So, entering into prayer we can do anything as man and woman.

We know what all of those things are, and we know this despite all the hurdles that we may encounter.

Thus, entering into prayer, we can do those things as men and women. God has called us, along with the whole of creation.

Here God has called us. ‘Here’ in the reading meant to Jerusalem. But today we are called here and now. And it is the Law of Moses that is the guide for us to follow. Just as it was then, so it is now, as Jesus has laid it out for us.

Hence, the woman who was called was answering to the reality that was before her, just as we are called and must answer to the reality that is before us now!

Summary by Hugh Gwyn

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 13^th, 2022
Père Réjean Champagne

How can we follow Jesus to the very end, without the breath of the Holy Spirit?

We are approaching the end of the liturgical year. Each year, the liturgy announces the change towards a new world. The Prophet Malachi, in the first reading, addresses the believers who no longer understand their status in the scheme of things. Men have long believed they could hope for immediate justice, a repayment to their mode of living, as it were. But they needed to look at the evidence: the just who remained faithful to the Lord are persecuted. However, on the contrary, the impious and the partisans of evil prospered.

But God had good news for us: evil would not have the last word! Believers need not despair. One day, God will show that He knows how to make a difference: He will overcome the forces of destruction which so upset man and the world. It will be the establishment of God’s justice that was so long awaited. It will mark His victory over darkness, over evil and over death. Later, Jesus will announce that salvation is not only for the faithful: it is offered to all men. The Lord waits patiently so that everyone converts to His love.

In the time of Saint Paul, it was thought that the return of the Saviour was very imminent. For some, this became the pretext for doing nothing. They considered that it was useless to work, to undertake projects. In his letter, Paul corrects their ‘clocks’ as it were: he gives himself as an example: he always has some activity so as not be a burden on the community’s resources. He invites them to work so that they have bread to eat which they have earned themselves. Christians must be present in the world through exemplary work. The apostle has harsh words for the lazy: ‘If someone does not want to work, neither is there any need for him to eat.’

In today’s Gospel, we have heard about catastrophes: there is the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, wars, famines, persecutions. On this Day of the Poor, the Pope calls us to work especially for displaced and exiled peoples: ‘The war in Ukraine is being added to the regional wars which sow death and destruction. Because a Superpower wants to impose its will, millions of people are uprooted… Those who remain in the conflict zones live each day in fear, want of food, water and medical help.’ Acknowledging the willingness of different peoples who have opened their doors in order to greet the millions of refugees, in the Middle East, in Central Africa, and now from Ukraine, the Pope points to the difficulties to ensure the continuity of the aid, but underscores the duty for Christians to persevere: ‘For us, generosity finds its strongest motivation in the Son of God: From the rich person that He was, writes Saint Paul, He made Himself poor.’

We do look for Christ in what excites or dramatizes history. The Lord is always fully present at the heart of our lives. No challenge can separate us from His love. When things go badly, it is He who gives us the courage to work for the making of a world more just and more brotherly. In this time of violence and our days of weakness, we have difficulty recognizing this. The day of the Lord seems to be late. But we must never forget: there is no other Saviour to wait for other than Jesus Who died on the cross and arose again.

Those who turn to Him will be victims of persecution. For many months, we have seen this clearly, especially in strongly Islamic areas. We must also think of the Christians in China, North Korea and several other countries. In Europe, and here at home in North America, the simple fact of being a Christian is more and more the basis for exclusion.

Jesus is announcing difficult times. We have to struggle against the forces of evil which seek to turn us from Him. The danger comes as well from the distractions of the World, which may take many astray. It is there that we find the idols which come to distract us and swallow us. Take care! Jesus says. The only posture to adopt is to be vigilant. We are called to be those who greet the early sun on the day of the Lord.

The liturgy for this Sunday reminds us that we are invited to advance humbly and courageously while strengthening ourselves with the Word of God. This Word is ‘the light of our path’. Every Sunday, the Lord meets us in the Eucharist, source and summit of the whole Christian life. Furthermore, He sends us to give witness to the hope which dwells in us.

Prayer: ‘Let us see your Day, O Lord! To the people of this world, which you renew each day with tenderness, give hearts of flesh, new hearts. Send us, whom you have created in your image, your Spirit, a new Spirit.’

Amen

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Sunday, 30 October 2022
31st Sunday in ordinary time

Rev. Justin Ndoole

Pride

We want to show everyone that we are better than others. However, pride is our stumbling block, because it keeps us away from others, as it were! Others will pull away from us because our mutual love is no longer at hand. To love or not, is the standard we use. If it is there, it is this which brings us back to turn again to God. Refusing love, we will find ourselves utterly alone.

And what was it that we did? We spat on the Crucified!

By this I mean that I am only living at my level, that is, according to my lights, because God is not “there”. I cannot discern Him. Once I realize this then I have to choose evil or God! That is, it will be my Communion or my separation. This can begin with my confession, when I declare my unworthiness: “I am a sinner!”

I will have to change my path; I will have to undergo conversion! And along with Saint Paul, I have to pray to the saints that they pray for me.

Ultimately, Christ’s strength is His love for us. Let us pray to the Holy Spirit. We plead to be received back into His love and asking for His forgiveness.

We can also turn to Mary to pray for “Others” by which we mean for oneself along with all of us assembled here this morning. It is Mary’s simplicity which leaves her open to our prayer so that it can be received.

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Homily, 2 October 2022
Père Justin Ndoole

We have already asked ourselves questions concerning the existence of God in the face of our difficulties, our conflicts, our problems, our failures and so many other similar challenges. At times this has led us to deceptions, discouragement and other such situations. And fear has come to invade our life!

However, Saint Paul invites us to put on the spirit of strength, of love and of balance with a view of continuing to seek hope and to announce the Good News of the Gospel.

This requires us to address ourselves to the Lord, praying that He increase our faith so that we can serve our brothers and sisters better, and serve our Lord for the rest of our lives.

Let us end with an echo of the Psalmist: “Today let us not close our hearts, but rather let us listen to the voice of the Lord.

Translation – Hugh Gwyn

Homily – 25^th Sunday in Ordinary time

18 September 2022
Père Réjean Champagne

The danger of riches

Today, Jesus invites us to reflect seriously on two opposed life styles: a worldly one and an Evangelical one, the spirit of the world and the spirit of Jesus. In order to understand His message better, Jesus recounted the parable of the unfaithful and corrupt manager. The latter was to be let go for a serious fault and would soon be on the street, with empty pockets. However, he quickly came to the best conclusion in his situation. He intended to seek the good will of his master’s debtors by lowering their debt. In this way he hoped to assure his future.

To be sure there is no question of approving such a maneuver. However, what is put in relief, is the agility of the ‘children of this world’. When it is in their own interests, they know how to find solutions. Christ would wish that the ‘sons of the light’ were as skilled, so that money served everyone. Pope Francis invites us ‘to respond to this worldly maneuver with a Christian one, which is the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ It is a matter of distancing ourselves from these worldly values in order to live according to the Gospel.

Throughout this teaching, Christ calls us to choose between the spirit of the World and Him, between the logic of corruption and avidity, and the logic of rectitude, gentleness and sharing. ‘Make friends with ill-gotten money, in order that on the day when there is no more, its friends will receive you in eternity.’ Saint Teresa of Calcutta understood this message well: Her friends are the poorest among the poor, Les Misérables, the excluded. Through them, it is Jesus who is there! Each time we put ourselves at their service, it is Him whom we serve. The principal friendship that we must seek is that of God. He is our supreme treasure which will allow us to be welcomed ‘into the eternal home’.

The First Reading is a pointed proclamation from the Prophet Amos. He fiercely attacks the disruptions, the inequalities and the exploitation of the poor. He who was a cattle raiser, knew well the meaning of the enrichment of the rich to the detriment of the poor. He denounced the cheating with merchandise. When we profit from the dependency of the weakest in order to exploit them still more, it becomes intolerable. It was not for this that God made an alliance with His people! He is also struck by the oppressed and the exploited.

Amos is no longer with us but his message is more than ever pertinent: we must realize that more than half the riches of the world are held by less than one percent of the World’s population. And what more could be said all sorts of maneuvers, cheating with merchandise, and scams on the internet? If Amos were here, he would denounce present day slavery: men and women as well as children, who have to work long hours in order barely earn enough to eat. When we buy these products, we participate in this injustice. It is urgent that we listen to the call from Amos for the construction of a world more just and more fraternal.

In the Second Reading, we have the testimony of Saint Paul. Over charging is not really his concern! Quite the contrary, he placed himself at the service of faith and truth. He proclaims a God who seeks the salvation of every man. Jesus died for everyone, including those who have political responsibilities. Paul is asking us to pray for all men and especially for the leaders of our society: that they work for a climate of peace and dignity which our world so dearly needs. True prayer is to speak with God about His project, it is to enter into His project and impregnate ourselves with it. With Him, we become able to spread the good news like a cloud of dust. The most important moment is the Mass on Sunday. We could compare it to a vast meeting at the construction site. This site is the Kingdom of God. If we want to be faithful to the Master Builder, our presence is essential.

Let us pray to the Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Church and our Mother, to help us choose the correct road. It is with her that we will find the courage to go against-the-current so that we can follow Jesus and His Gospel.

Sources: Revue Feu Nouveau et Fiches dominicales – François selon saint Luc – L’intelligence des Écritures (Marie Noelle Thabut – Assemblées du dimanche – L’Évangile de la Miséricorde (Cardinal Schönborn)

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

23nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 4^th, 2022
Père Réjean Champagne

How can we follow Jesus to the very end, without the breath of the Holy Spirit?

What man can discover the intentions of God? Who can understand the will of God? These are the questions which we’ve heard in the first reading from the Book of Wisdom. It’s true, we believe that we know many things about God, but we deceive ourselves. God goes infinitely beyond us! But He does intervene in the life of man in order to communicate His ‘Wisdom’. This Wisdom is His Holy Spirit. He is given to us in order to direct us ‘towards the complete truth’. It is He who adheres us to Christ when we assemble on Sundays to listen to the Word of God and celebrate the Eucharist.

It is this same Spirit of God which is revealed to Philomen: that Onesimus is no longer a slave but a child of God. The is Saint Paul’s message in the 2^nd Reading. He shows us the delicateness of the love that God puts into the hearts of His disciples. Onesimus was a slave on the run! Paul greeted him and spoke with him of the love that God put into the hearts of the disciples. It was thus that Onesimus was converted and was baptised. Throughout this letter, we find all the delicateness that God places in our hearts. It is in this way that we become brothers and sisters.

This Wisdom of God is also revealed to us in the Gospel for this Sunday. The words we have heard are upsetting. Jesus invites us on an adventure. He calls us to a real leap into the unknown. If we want to be His disciples, we must accept the condition which He has set: ‘If someone comes to Me without preferring Me over his father, mother, wife, his brother, his sisters or even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.’ What comes first is to let Christ fill our life with the love that is in Him. Our natural affections are limited and imperfect. They are often mixed with egotism. The Lord demands of us to renounce them in order to welcome His disinterested and intensely generous love.

In order to go to Jesus, we must ‘hate’ what is not of Him. The commandment to love the other is always there. But Christ demands that we reorganize our affective lives today. God must come before everything else. We owe Him everything. He is our absolute priority. His love will develop a new love in our hearts for the members of our families.

To give the first place to God, that is the call which we are given during this new Fall season. However, it is often the opposite that takes place. This is what happens when we are content with the minimum programme. Gatherings, times of sharing and celebration are suggested to children, to the young and to adults. These calls of the Lord are waiting for our response. They have to be addressed before sports, cultural or other activities. If we want to come to Christ, our whole life must be directed towards Him. We must prefer Him over all the rest.

To be a disciple of Christ is not obvious. It is difficult and demanding. Those who want to follow Jesus, must first consider. They must ask themselves if they are prepared to put everything in place in order to undertake it seriously. If this is not the case, it is like someone who wants to build a tower, but he hasn’t enough money to finish the work. Similarly, the person who wants to go to war has to sit down and plan. It is even truer if we want to become disciples of Christ: we have to clear about our means and weaknesses.

It is important that our life is nourished in prayer, reading of the Bible and the Gospels. Without this strengthening at length, we will not be able to go far enough in our human and Christian undertakings: we will be like the person who begins to build a tower and leaves it half finished.

Today, Christ puts us on our guard against the danger of only being ‘half Christians’. Such a way of being will convince no one. Quite the contrary, it will only create scandal and rejection. It often creates a void between what we say as Christians and the way we live. And so, we are mocked, as in the parable in today’s Gospel. If we want to be credible, we have to put our lives in order. If we give the first place to God unconditionally, our life has found the right direction. To only half do it, will really not amount to much.

The three readings reveal to us the Wisdom of God, which has nothing in common with that of the world. They tell us of the passionate love of the Lord who wants only the saving of all men. In response, we cannot be content with little prayers. What is important, is to truly walk with Christ and allow ourselves to be transformed by Him. It is with Him that we will enter into true life and even into eternal life.

Lord Jesus, let us never forget your presence. In this way, we will be happy to be friends as we are. Jesus, Son of God, you are the joy of our hearts. Amen

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
28 August 2022
Père Réjean Champagne

With Jesus, on the path to humility!

The readings for this Sunday speak to us of humility. They do not give us simple suggestions on how to be polite or how to live. Instead they are much more important: we must be looking towards Christ. In his letter to the Philippians, Saint Paul tells us that ‘Christ lowered Himself even to die and die on a cross. For this reason, God raised Him above everything.’ In this way Jesus shows us the path which leads to the Father. Humility can be defined as someone’s attitude of being modest.

The first reading brings us the readings of Ben Sirac the Wise. This man had met people who had important responsibilities. Some were truly bloated up with pride: this rotted the best things to their roots. Others showed patience and kindness. While remaining humble, they knew how to love: this resulted in them being more effective. This lesson of humility is only sound advice in order to be considerate. Humility which is evident from the first is above all from the Lord. It is the humble who render Him glory. By doing everything with humility, we are in the same path as the Lord Himself.

This is the same message that we have in the second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews. The author speaks of the coming of the Lord and how it is manifested. Previously, while on the Mount Sinai, these signs were very remarkable: there was fire, clouds and shadows, the hurricane, the sound of trumpets. When Christ came, there was none of that: it all happened humbly. This coming of Christ was for Christians the starting point of a new alliance, a new relation with God. It is in Jesus that we find the source of goodness in Heaven and on earth. We are introduced into the Holy City with the saints and angels. This is the teaching of the author of the Letter to the Hebrews.

The Gospel tells us of Jesus invited to the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees, to join him in a meal. He noticed that the guests all took the first places. So He recounts a parable to put things in the right order: We must be clear. These words of Christ are not simply to explain proper etiquette! He says: ‘Go to the last place, and you will be invited to go higher up.’ With these words, Christ is speaking of the conditions for our admission into the Kingdom of God: He recommends to us to put away all ambition, all sentiments of superiority and pride.

This is the message that we have in the Magnificat of the Virgin Mary. God raises the humble; He lowers the proud. In today’s Gospel, Jesus suggests that we invite the little people, the poor, the excluded. To be sure, they cannot return the same favour that we make. But this free and disinterested love will not be left without reward on the day of the Resurrection. Being without pretention and disinterest, is the best way to win the heart of God and those of men.

To help us to understand this, we can begin by understanding what we might witness. If the rivers flow towards the sea, it is because sea level is lower than the rivers. This is its skill, to remain lower than the rivers and streams! This is sort of like the image of our relation with God. He is for us a river, that only seeks to fill us with His love. And this would be possible if we remain at the right level. It is humility which allows us to accept our smallness and the grandeur of God. If we remain imbued in our pride and our superiority, none of this will be possible.

Jesus has given us the most beautiful example of humility. He is God made man. He was born in the most ordinary conditions. He lived among the fishermen of Lake Galilee. He welcomed the Publicans, notorious sinners and the lepers. In every situation, He was the model of humility. He forbids His disciples to call Him ‘Master and Lord’ until He had washed their feet. We must not forget that this humble service was usually only done by a servant. We, the disciples of Christ, we are invited every day to follow the same path as the Master.

A Prayer

Today we turn to you, Lord Jesus: You came not to be served but to serve. You who know our pride and our desires for grandeur, give us through your Holy Spirit the gift of humility. Show us the reward which there is in giving our lives for those we love: in this way we will all be able to come to the joy of your Kingdom. Amen

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Do you think I have come to bring peace in the world? No, I tell you, rather discord.’

Didier Croonenberghs, Belgian Dominican

14 August 2022

The gospel reading is not easy. Those who know me, know that I like to play on words. Here there are oxymorons, which juxtapose two opposite ideas or thoughts!

– A dark sun

– An eloquent silence, something horribly good

– A good war

– A force for peace

– A marvelous misfortune

– A beer without alcohol, ….

In short, an oxymoron is a contradiction in terms.

And today, the gospel gives us a sort of contradiction! Jesus, who is presented as the ‘Prince of Peace’ seems to bring division, seems to render Christian existence an oxymoron, a contradiction!

At first view, I suggest the text that appears disquieting or disturbing, is in fact reassuring. Quite simply, it is because He recalls that a literal reading of the Gospels is always hazardous. Any act of reading is an act of interpretation and the meaning is never a given. So, what can we make of this text……?

The fire: what Christ brings above all is the fire of His word, however a radical word, unconditional, a word which demands each of us to choose a side, to choose freely. To bring a message of fire into our life, is to have the audacity of the truth, the audacity of free choices which avoid the soft consensus.

Our world does not appreciate an unconditional love, hence it is this ‘word of fire’ that we must bear….. .

Hence that your word be a word of fire, allow me to suggest two simple ways to rediscover how our word can be fire, a fire of truth. How we can have a word that is not just friendly, but is burning?

We have to rediscover that discord does not always imply falling out of love. We can have a curious way of being, which is there since our youth, and which is the result of the weakness of our love. If I am not in agreement, if I am different, I might feel that I am not welcome.

It just might happen that we find ourselves in different conflicts, which get worse and worse, because we have not taken the time to spell them out. True relations are neither easy, nor necessarily comfortable, but they are indispensable! Trying to be like everybody else in order to be accepted, goes nowhere… . We have to be ourselves in order to be able to give ourselves, in order to love unconditionally. So, in order to be ourselves we have to decide. It is not a matter of opposing for the sake of opposing, but rather to discover that the discord is not necessarily a lack of loving. This is how discord in families is so often perceived as a lack of love. And if things are truly real and tragically violent, it is perhaps because the discord was not truly and honestly expressed.

Second simple way to have a burning word…

We have a hard time saying ‘no’ at times. Surprisingly, many people take it as an insult to be told ‘no’. If we say yes repeatedly, to repeated requests, we will end up saying to one another: ‘You invaded me, whereas it was I who did not manage to mark out my territory, to say no to you: You are the drop that made my vase overflow.’ But it’s up to me to be responsible for my vase: You have to learn to say no in time, but also to the right person. What energy wasted in complaint, recrimination rather than in truth!

This is the fire that Jesus comes to bring… An unconditional love that can say no, that can disagree.

Paul Claudel said that the Gospel is salt, but that we have to make sugar from it. We can say today that the word of the Gospel — an unconditionally open word — is fire.

To fulfill its mission, the Church needs Christians who are truly passionate about the love that is God. This is our common vocation. The Church today needs even more Christian men and women with hearts of fire ‘declaring the Word in season and out of season’ (2 Tim 4,2). The French writer François Mauriac wrote: ‘If you are a follower of Christ, many will warm themselves with this fire. But on the days when you are not burning with love, others will freeze to death.’

Baptized in Jesus, we are configured to Christ, we are members of his Body and by the anointing we received, we participate in his dignity as priest, prophet and king. I am a Christian where I am, where my feet are; I am a Christian in my spare time, I am a Christian in my work, in my family. The Christian garment is not something that I put on or take off whenever I feel like it. I am clothed with Christ all the time.

Our denials and disagreements are not signs of our not loving. Because the radicalness of the Gospel is truly the following: ‘Whatever happens, whatever we might do, we are the sons and daughters of God’. Therefore, I invite you to live these words of fire, significant and enlightening.

Amen.

Given by Michel Clairoux

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 31, 2022
Père Gilles Baril

‘To be rich in the sight of God’: this is the message of today’s Gospel in words that are clear and direct.

‘To be rich in the sight of God’: what does it mean?

‘It is to be rich in goodness, in humanity, in charity.’

To overcome one’s pride, or rather to learn the greatness of soul of humility which requires living in truth, accepting events as they are without idealizing them. Without letting walls of incomprehension be erected between us.
To set out on the road of solidarity which supposes great respect for people in what we say:

– Absence of criticisms and complaints

– Excusing rather than accusing

– To keep silent rather than speaking words that wound ‘which bring no good to those they are addressed to’. (John Bosco) This is not the way in which we speak to God which is a testimony of the strength of our faith, but rather the way in which we speak to others.

To learn to serve with love and not by duty alone (which was the prayer taught by Francis of Assisi)
To learn to love what we are doing so in the end we will always love what we are doing
To remain witnesses of the joy of living

– To seek the positive in each event

– To identify the interior strengths in each person and help them for these to grow in them

– Persist in keep in good humour: the best witness is that of friendship and being good humoured which reassures people who are in search of meaning.

– To know as certain that the best is always before us: God always has more to give than we have to offer Him.’

To be in the good graces of Christ

– is to live in a manner such that those who know us and do not know God will come to know Him because they know us.

– is to put soul into the every day through our capacity to be amazed by every that lives around us. Love is fundamentally amazement, because I cannot love that which I do not find beautiful and edifying.

So here is a program for life which is offered to us. Whoever forgets God becomes self-sufficient and egotistical, according to the Gospel, and to be sure, risks finding himself isolated, disabused and deceived by life.

One who lives in the presence of God, is aware that God appears to absent Himself from time to time in order that we can grow interiorly, but we become capable of being amazed, of thanks and of respect for each person.

Let us become capable to help one another to become rich in the eyes of God by seeking in our relations with others a love greater than ourselves, a love that springs from the love of God, a love that fills us with joy.

In today’s Gospel, Christ presents us with God as a presence in order to help us to confront the challenge daily. Jesus Christ is not a philosopher. He does not bring with Him an ideal system to build the community. He does not present Himself like a thinker who answers all our speculative questions.

He is a witness to the tenderness and unconditional welcome of the Father ‘so that I can be in your midst’.

Our challenge, like Christ, is to stop with each person, to listen, to understand and to love.

Jesus is the road for every day. Let us allow Him accompany us in our everyday affairs with confidence and sometimes perhaps with abandon.

When I see how the communities have managed, my heart is filled with grace. I recover my confidence in the future of the Church despite its multiple wounds. I have been profoundly happy with you.

I am leaving this Sector of the Diocese in order to answer a call from God through Bishop Cyr, but I will never cease to love you.

Thank you for the joy that I have received through you. My love for you will not end.

Gilles Baril

31 July 2022

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

On the day that I pray to You, answer me Father
17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Réjean Champagne
24 July 2022

Today’s Gospel reading speaks of Jesus praying, apart from the others. ‘When He was finished, one of His disciples asked Him: Lord, teach us to pray the way that John the Baptist taught his disciples.’ And He answered: ‘When you pray, say: “Father”’. This word is the secret of Jesus’ prayer. He is the key in which He gives Himself to us. It is thus that we also can enter into a confidential dialogue with the Father, who had accompanied Jesus all His life.

The first prayers show us that we must be concerned with the reign of God, with His glory and with His will. We are invited to give all the space in our lives to God. He is asking for nothing less than for us to become His domain of love. It is in our lives that the holiness of God must be made manifest. With these demands, we can express our thanks to the Father, who fills us with His love.

Three other requests complete this prayer which Jesus is teaching us. These requests concern bread, pardon and aid in times of temptation.

Bread is essential because we cannot live without bread, we cannot live without pardon, nor without God’s help in moments of temptation. But as Saint Cyprian tells us, it is bread that is the most important, it is the Eucharist. We have to hope that Christians will nourish themselves with this bread and so be transformed by Christ. It is there that is found the light and strength of His grace.
Pardon, above all, is what we receive from God. He shows Himself as Father when He frees our hearts and revives us. We are all pardoned sinners by the infinite mercy of God. The pardon renders us capable of concrete gestures of reconciliation. If we do not recognize that we are forgiven sinners, we can never accomplish the gestures of reconciliation between one another. It is by accepting God’s forgiveness that we learn how to pardon our brothers and sisters.
Aid in times of temptation. As we pray: ‘and lead us not into temptation!’, we recognize that we are vulnerable to traps leading to evil. This temptation is the result of loss of hope; it is a time when we think that God has abandoned us. Jesus teaches us to turn to the Father, to ask Him to liberate us from this evil, which seeks to destroy us.

Jesus’ teaching is followed by two parables. He presents, as a model, the attitude of someone with respect to a friend in a light that is similar to the regard of a father for his son. We find here an invitation to have confidence in God who is Father. He knows better than we, what it is that we need. But as with Abraham in the first reading, we have to present our prayers audaciously and persistently. This is our way of participating in His work of salvation!

Let’s be clear: our purpose is not to convince God but rather to strengthen our faith and our patience. It is a struggle with God concerning the important things in our lives. Like Abraham, in the First Reading, we are invited to remain in the presence of God: the mission of Christian communities is precisely to intercede for the World which God so loves. The prayer which we address to God on their behalf helps us to change our view of them. Like Abraham, we have the firm hope that the small numbers of the faithful can save the many.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus makes clear that we must petition the Holy Spirit. This was the prayer of the Apostles when they prepared for Pentecost. In communion with one another, we pray to the Father: Give us your Holy Spirit. That He abides with us in order to live this coming week wisely and lovingly by following the will of God.

In his letter to the Colossians, Saint Paul reminds us that we are part of Christ’s victory over death and sin. It is in the light of this good news we can unite ourselves to His confidant prayer for us and the whole world. With this prayer, should we ask Mary to intercede for us? Her whole existence was entirely animated by the Spirit of Jesus. We pray that she will teach us to turn to the Father with confidence and perseverance.

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Réjean Champagne, ptre
Mk 6:1-6
3 July 2022

With Christ Resurrected,

Witnesses to the Joy of the Gospel

‘Rejoice O Jerusalem! Exult with her, you who love her. Be full of joy with her, all you who are in tears.’ These are the words of the prophet Isaiah which we heard at the beginning of the first reading. It is an invitation to a joy given to us by God. We are reminded that: He created ‘new heavens, a new earth and a new Jerusalem.’

We are invited to be joyful because this Jerusalem is a mother for us, Isaiah tells us that we will be nourished and satiated with her milk of consolation. This consoling milk is ‘the unadulterated milk of the word’. (2P.2.2). Isaiah also tells us of the peace ‘which overflows like a torrent’. This peace is not simply the absence of conflicts; it is above all the loving presence of God, the glory of the nations converted to the Lord.

The Jerusalem we are talking about, is really not the earthly Jerusalem, which is perfectly beautiful. The text from Isaiah is a prophecy which has not yet been realized. We Christians understand that it refers to the Church. She is truly a mother to us: she brings us forth through our Baptism; she nourishes us with the Word of God and the Eucharist; and reveals to us something of the heavenly Jerusalem. It is towards this eternal joy that we walk. We have a foretaste of this here on earth; we will receive it in abundance in the heavenly Jerusalem. ‘Our city is found in the heavens.’ (Phil 3, 20) Saint Cyril of Alexandria has told us: ‘In Christ’s Church, there is no room for sadness; the Church is full of hope of life without end and glory undiminished.’

This ‘joy of the Gospel’ must be announced to every man and woman. Saint Luke tells of the sending out of the seventy-two. This number symbolises all the nations that were known at the time of Jesus. It is a way of saying that the Good News must be proclaimed to the whole World. It is for everybody, for the Christians who no longer attend mass, for the adolescents in full crises, for those who turn derisively at the faith of Christians. All men and women of the whole world must be able to hear and welcome this good news.

Such is the vast mission, which clearly is beyond human capacities. But there is one thing that we must never forget: Jesus sent the seventy-two disciples to all the villages and hamlets where He would also be going. The mission was not their business: it was the Lord’s. He performs the principle work in the hearts of men and women and children whom we meet on our way. Bernadette of Lourdes said: ‘I am not charged with making you believe, but rather to recount these things to you.’ Without the Lord nothing can be accomplished.

At the time when Luke wrote his Gospel, he had in mind the missionaries going to various communities. It is really the risen Lord who directed and sent them to bring the Good News to the very ends of the World. This is an extraordinary challenge. Now even more than in the past, Christians are subject to persecution. Numbers of them are murdered simply because they are proclaiming the Gospel to the people. But nothing can stop the Word of God, nor prevent it from bearing fruit. It is precisely the witness to the courage of persecuted Christians that men and women are converted to Christ. There are numerous examples to this in our times.

In the second reading, Saint Paul presents us with the accomplishment of the Prophet Isaiah. With the death and resurrection of Christ, salvation is offered to everyone. It is no longer the result of good actions or accumulated merit. It is the free gift of God. Paul was only proud of one thing, it was Christ’s Cross; it was the key to open to the New Creation; it removed from all of us the weight of sin. On the day of our Baptism, we became children of God and carriers of His love.

Gathering together in this church, we nourish ourselves with the Word of God and the Eucharist. And, like the seventy-two, we are sent out to proclaim that ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ In our world where many things are going badly, God comes to fill us with His presence and His glory. The Gospel stresses the urgency of this mission. Like Christ and like His prophets, we will have to confront rejection or indifference. But nothing can prevent the coming of the reign of God. If we encounter evil, we will overcome it with goodness.

Through the Prophet Isaiah, we can understand that the presence of the Lord will lead us to be filled with joy, even when everything goes badly! Yes Lord, we rely on You. You have sent us ‘like sheep into the midst of wolves’. Make us strong in the face of adversity, and keep us faithful to the mission You have given us. AMEN

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Gilles Baril, ptre
Luke 9:51-62
26 June 2022

The question which comes to mind after reading today’s Gospel is: ‘What must we do to participate in the works of the Lord?’

I suggest a first element of an answer to this question with an anecdote about a child who hid himself and who was quite delighted because everyone was looking for him. The telephone rang:

Is your father there? Yes, but he’s busy.
Is your mother there? Yes, but she is working with my father.
Is your big sister there? She is busy as well.
So, what is going on at your place?

I’ve been hiding and everyone is looking for me because they think I’ve disappeared and that I’m lost!

What is it that we have to do to be involved in the work of the Lord? We must begin by looking for Him, desiring Him, and we must be prepared to leave a space in our lives for Him. And Jesus adds: ‘The son of man has no place to rest his head.’ … This is to say, that we must have an unshakable faith in God Himself even if we have to walk in the ‘unknown’ at times. We must allow ourselves to doubt, knowing that God does not always lay out a path to complete happiness, as we might expect and as we might envision for ourselves.

‘Leave the dead to bury the dead.’ This saying is an invitation for us to look ahead to where we are going. To do the works of the Lord, is not to simply repeat past happy events and experiences! As we all know, our memories of the past often render them rather more pleasant than they actually were: we idealize them. We have to become imaginative and creative in order to adapt the Gospel to our contemporary culture. We also have to listen more carefully to what the persons around us are living if we want to be significant witnesses for them of a God who is constantly working within today’s realities. This means that we become ‘spreaders of hope’ particularly to those who live the ‘Good Life’ with no thought for the rest of the world

And Jesus adds: ‘He who puts his hand to the plough and looks behind, is not fit for the Kingdom of God.’ Participating in the ‘Work of the Lord’, is not a question of emotional feelings. It requires more than a ‘part time’ effort. Don’t worry about what others think of you. Charity requires self-giving in each instant and all circumstances. However, we must also avoid the trap which leads us to believe that ‘working for God is a source for sorrow, uncertainty and aloneness! On the contrary, working for God allows us to live in solidarity with other Christians. The true work for God is to live in simplicity and respect of each person. Loving and respecting the other, feeling that we are loved and respected can only result in that profound joy, which becomes radiant and a source of security. It gives others the profound desire to bask in that same source of goodness which moves us every day.

I wrote above, that to participate in the Works of the God is a full-time activity, that God requires more than a part-time contribution, such that the environment in which we work is transformed. It is transforming such that we do not have the impression of ‘having to work’, but rather that one is in an oasis of perpetual goodness. Welcome to the club!

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Feast of Corpus Christi
Père Réjean Champagne
19 June 2022

My Dear Friends,

The Eucharist, which brings us together every Sunday, is rooted in the Old Testament and comes to its full meaning in the New Testament. This is what we come to understand while listening to the readings of the day. In the first reading we’ve heard a passage from the bBook of Genesis. With it, we are at the dawn of the so called First Alliance. Abraham, the father of believers, demonstrated his submission to God. He succeeded in victories. And today, we see him crowned by Melchizedek, King of Jerusalem. He renders praise to God the Most High with bread and wine. He receives the blessing of Melchizedek. The offering of tithes to the High Priest is the sign of his acceptance of the order ‘according to Melchizedek’.

At the moment when Jesus enters Jerusalem, He prepares to conclude this new alliance. He will institute the priesthood, ‘according to the order of Melchizedek’ with bread and wine. He will also bless God. He brings the blessing to all those who celebrate this ceremony of faith. But in the Eucharist, there is a great deal more than bread and wine. With the words of Christ, these offerings became His body and blood. This new ‘practice’ is the accomplishment of that which had only been a prefiguring. The necessary offering had to go beyond the simple presentation of material things. They now become the offering of Himself.

In the second reading, Saint Paul shares with us what he has received. He is addressing a divided community! He reminds them that if Christ is dead, it is for everyone. We can draw these conclusions: We cannot come to His table without being very aware of one another, and hence we must examine our consciences before eating this bread and drinking from this cup. This is the reason why we say before Communion: ‘Lord I am not worthy to receive……’

The Gospel prepares us for the Eucharist. The event that is recalled occurs at the end of a very harassing day. The disciples are well aware that the crowds of people are hungry: they suggest sending them away. But Jesus will not hear of this. He says to the Twelve: ‘Go and feed them yourselves.’ And this is the story of the multiplication of the loaves. With only five loaves and two fish which are brought to Him, He will satisfy the crowds of people.

Today’s Gospel is an announcement of what the Eucharist will be. We find here the same gestures that Jesus will use on Holy Thursday: He ‘took the loaves of bread and the fish, raising His eyes to heaven, He blessed them, he broke the bread and gave it… .’ Here are the four verbs which we encounter in every Eucharist. We bring the bread and wine, fruit of the Earth and the work of men, we recognize that everything comes from God, we are not the owners of these goods which He has given us; we are not the overlords. These treasures are given to us for the good of all.

Don’t ever forget: when we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, we are not alone before God. All the prayers use the word ‘we’: ‘We pray to You…we offer to You…’ We are here with others who are hungry for bread, hungry for love, hungry for tenderness and freedom. They are with each of us and we cannot ignore them. Christ’s love embraces in His heart the whole of humanity and each of us individually. Each Mass is celebrated for the whole of humanity and for each person individually.

Furthermore, it is the tradition of the Church to add particular intentions for which the priest celebrates the Eucharist. We can ask that a mass be celebrated for this or that intention; we pray for everyone and more particularly for some particular person. To be asked to celebrate a mass, is to enter into the prayer of Jesus and the Church: it is to direct the infinite love of God to an intention that is dear to us. We can offer a Mass in order to give thanks to God, to present Him with a particular need. We can also remember deceased persons because it is the Love of Christ which brings freedom. All these particular intentions are added to the prayer of the whole Church. They are presented to our Lord, who gave up His blood for the multitude!

The Eucharist is food that is offered to everyone! This is what is meant when the priest raises the host and says: ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world…’ These words are not addressed only to those assembled in the church, but to the whole World. The Lord present in our midst, asks only to be given to everyone.

If we assemble in the Church, it is in order to respond to the Lord’s invitation! Our love for Him also brings us to a time of adoration. In some churches, these are organised using a monstrance. But today we are the Monstrance: we have been created by God in order to present His Son to the world. Therefore, we must be worthy of His presence.

Lord we pray that the bread of your Word and your Body become the food which allows us to become signs of hope in this world, which so badly needs it. Abide with us so that we become witnesses and messengers of your love. Amen

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Trinity Sunday
Père Gilles Baril – 12 June 2022

My Dear Friends,

A little girl wants to make a drawing of God: she asks her mother for a piece of white paper and her best colouring pencils, because as she says: ‘I’m going to make a very special drawing.’ She had been told that God is very beautiful. After several tries, she decided not to make her drawing after all because: ‘I will only ruin it.’ Indeed, God is a mystery and trying to define Him risks messing it up.

The Triune God is a grace that is given to us. To understand this, I turn to the legend of Narcissus. He was a young man completely taken up by his own beauty.

He looked everywhere for his likeness, in the mirrors of his palace, and on the smooth surface of water in small ponds. He was able to find this beautiful reflection till the day when, passing beside a pond and seeing his reflection in the water, and wanting to join with it, he dove into the pond and drowned. And Narcissus flowers began to grow on his body. This story shows that even in antiquity they understood the sterility of self-loving and an egotistical idolatry. And here, in order to completely free us from such egotism, Christ reveals to us the Trinity. The great treasure of the Gospel. The great secret of love. The greatest of all discoveries.

Knowing that God is unique, believers have tended to think that He was a solitary who spent eternity, if we can speak like this, contemplating Himself, praising Himself, admiring Himself, and also requiring His creatures to praise and adore Him. With such a perspective, God could become a nightmare; God could only become a Narcissus of infinite dimensions, an egotism idolizing Himself.

But the revelation of the Trinity dispels forever such a nightmare, by showing us that the life of God is a communion of love.

And this overflowing life of love is shared even with us. God is love and charity. We live Godlike every time we make a gesture of love. God is pure generosity lived in complete humility. This is what Christ taught us on Holy Thursday when He washed the disciple’s feet.

Encountering Christ changes us without our being aware of it. The disciple sees his master and tries to do that same thing… which provokes in us our commitment when our regard is fixed on Christ. God is there where human misery becomes an invitation to forget ourselves and to share. God is there where the openness of the heart is spontaneous.

It is not important to be able always to see God, but rather to know as a certainty that God sees us and He looks over us. I will never forget the day that I arrived home to find my neighbor’s house in flames. The central tragedy was that a child was caught on the second floor. And a miracle occurred: the child appeared in tears at a window. His father yelled at him ‘Jump’. And the youngster answered: ‘There is too much smoke and I can’t see and I’m afraid.’ His father yelled back: ‘If you can’t see me it doesn’t matter. Jump and I will catch you.’

Perhaps we do not see God all the time, but He sees us. ‘Jump!’ Do not be afraid to have confidence in Him.

AMEN!

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

PENTECOST
M. l’abbé Gilles Noël

5 June 2022

Since the death of their master, the friends of Jesus hid in Jerusalem. They were afraid. They locked the doors. But here was the surprise, Jesus comes to them fully alive. He is there, in their midst! However, His coming is only temporary. If He does not leave, then the Holy Spirit cannot come to them. ‘He left their presence and was taken up into heaven.’ This is the explanation that is provided during the Feast of The Ascension, last Sunday. And by the morning of Pentecost, what a change in Jerusalem during the celebrations, when the Jews from the neighboring villages arrived. It was such that one could no longer recognize Jesus’ disciples for their joy.

How come? What has been going on? We can find the answer to the question in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles: it first talks about a very strong wind storm. It had to have been a very strong wind indeed to have upset the pilgrims and largely silenced them. It also needed a rain of fire to warm the disciples who were frozen by fear. Only the Holy Spirit could dislodge these men hiding and frozen in fear. They began to proclaim all about, that Jesus was alive. The fear that had held them dissolved and they were now ardently proclaiming the resurrection of Christ.

In order to explain adequately this dramatic interior change, Luke uses the images of wind and fire. These are the images found in the Book of Exodus when God handed the Tablets of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. Like a tempest the wind uprooted trees, a great blast which shook the dwellings and destroyed a tower; the Spirit came to them and turned everything upside down. Their fear was wiped away, a gentle breath was given to them. It was as though they were now breathing the breath of God. Like a flame, which reassures in the dark of night; like a tongue of fire, the Holy Spirit came to them and marked them. Everything became clear. They now had to spread throughout the world the love that Jesus had come to sow. A new flame sprouted from them, almost as though it was the fire from God. This love is capable of removing all the barriers between nations. It produces the opposite of what the Tower of Babel produced. The whole world could understand this despite the diversity of cultures and languages. Yes, Jesus kept His promise: His Holy Spirit now abided in them. The Defender, the Spirit of Truth, now worked in them. He helped them to remember all that Jesus had said to them.

The Gospel reading confirms this: ‘If you love me, you will follow my commandments.’ If there is one word that can help us imagine this, it is certainly the word ‘love me’. But this is also a sort of trap. For some, it creates a sort passing shiver. For others, it leads to a life of giving. Or, as Gilles Vigneault put it, ‘How difficult it is to love’. Love! Jesus set it as a commandment! For Jesus, love is a test and is tested. We cannot keep these words, that is, allow the Gospel to transform our lives, if we have not first been touched by love. In order for the Spirit of Truth to touch our hearts, our hearts must have been first united to it.

‘If someone loves Me, he will keep my word; we will come to him and there we will make our home.’ Beginning with our baptism, God resides in us. We are filled with the same Spirit which raised Jesus from among the dead. This is why a new breeze fills us. It makes our hearts beat to God’s rhythm. We can now let this love be seen in us, this same love, which unites the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. According to Saint Paul, it is thanks to the Holy Spirit that we are no longer slaves chained to the passions and anxieties of our world, as he points out in the Second Reading.

Celebrating Pentecost today is not just to recall what happened when the Church first began. It is above all to recognize that, even now, the Holy Spirit continues to act in us. It is He who uses His strength in our weakness. So that, as our Church no longer has the power it once had, we can now count on the Spirit to renew ourselves and to proclaim the Joy of the Gospel. Like the first disciples, we are invited to allow a tongue of fire to descend on each of us, and to receive from the Holy Spirit, the gift of love for the well-being of the whole of humanity. It is the Spirit which is leading us to be the ‘Church in the World’, no longer hidden. This is the invitation of Pope Francis. We are called to accept to be everywhere where the Spirit pushes us so that we speak the language of God, which is love. AMEN!

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ
M. l’Abbé Réjean Champagne

29 May 2022

On this Feast Day of the Ascension of our Lord, we celebrate the risen Christ, who enters into the glory of the Father. This is His last appearance to His disciples. From now on, Jesus is no longer visible on Earth, but He remains present every day, until the end of the world. The apostles are full of joy, because they are filled with the presence of Christ. Back in Jerusalem, they are at the Temple every day to give thanks to God. On Easter evening, Jesus had given them the breath of the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, this breath will transfigure them into tireless witnesses to the risen Christ. With this, it is the beginning time of the Church.

The good news is also the trust that God has in us. The risen Christ is present everywhere. He is with us every day. But He is not the inquisitor to be wary of. He is not there for us in order to interfere with our freedom. We are created free and responsible. His love is not overwhelming. It is liberating; He trusts us. He keeps repeating: Do not be afraid. At the moment when He withdraws from sight, Jesus raises his hands and blesses His disciples. He is like a father who opens his arms so as to let his child walk by itself for the first time. His love sets us free. He makes us responsible men and women, adults in the faith.

This trust that Jesus has in us is matched only by that which He has for his Father. For Jesus, the trust continued all the way to the cross. Such love is both a source of joy and pain. Confidence is a source of wonder. But it is also a risk. It is a challenge that constantly teaches us to go beyond our own limitations. Confidence that is given and received, allows us to grow and makes us humble.

By bringing Jesus back to life and raising Him to Himself, God confirms that this path is the path of true life. Accepting the risk of faith and trusting in God’s love takes us, through Christ, from death to life. Our God is a loving Father, who believes in us. He makes us free men and women, capable of progressing on the path that leads to Him. It is through Jesus and with Him that we are made capable to move forward on this path. In other words, we can say that the Ascension of Christ prepares us for our ascension; this ascent began on the day of our baptism and it must continue throughout our lives.

The Feast of the Ascension is always the Good News for our World, which sorely needs it. Our World is so often immersed in mistrust and doubt. For many, the future seems blocked. If you want to earn trust, you have to merit it. When profitability and efficiency become the watchwords, it becomes scary. There are so many people who can no longer bear this paralyzing situation.

Faced with so much suffering, we regularly hear this question: Where is this God of whom you speak? He is there, present at the very heart of our lives, at the very heart of our suffering. But the problem is that we are elsewhere. The Apostles were sent to all nations. Their mission was to proclaim love victorious. No death can stop its course. This is what we have to bear witness to in our daily life. The risen Christ is no longer visible to our sight, but the World must be able to see His face through us, to hear His message through our words and our whole life. And above all, they must discover in it something of the passionate love for all men and women. This is the trust Jesus has in us. So, let’s not waste a minute. It is at every moment that we have to radiate this light which comes from God.

The Ascension of Jesus gives birth to great hope in us. It is amazing joy such that we cannot keep it to ourselves. Christ, the conqueror of death and sin, wants to include all of us in His victory. He gives us His Holy Spirit every day, constantly, thereby making us witnesses and messengers of His love. It can only be with joy that we actively engage in the epic work of evangelization. It is not a question of conquering, but of serving and loving in the name of the Lord, who sends us. We are all called to live in this world to bear witness to this Good News of God’s love for us.

Today, we pray to the Lord in communion with others. We must remember that it is in Him that we find the source of all life and of all love. May He always keep us united to Him, with Mary’s help, so that we may always be faithful to the mission He entrusts to us.

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Sixth Sunday of Easter
Father Gilles Noel
May 22, 2022

‘I am the Good Shepherd’

My dear friends.

We have just heard a reading from the Acts of the Apostles, which describes the major difficulties that the Early Church had to face. One might say that the more it changes, the more it is the same, because our Church is also suffering from major difficulties. And like the people of the Early Church, we also have to look for solutions that are adapted to the world today and thattruly respond to these problems in 2022. Our Church, and in particular the Diocese of Sherbrooke, is at a turning point in its history. In order for the life of our parishes to continue, we will have to undertake structural changes.

Change causes a great deal of insecurity for many parishioners. They develop the impression that making changes to our way of doing things, will result in the loss of their Parish. Sometimes, I have the impression of a repetition of the worries of the first Jewish converts to the early Church. This is how we did it in the past and we must continue to do it in the same way even if, as we might well foresee, that way is no longer feasible. If you want to change things which we have done for ages, we will just quit! Let us think about the solution which the first Christians found to solve their problem and especially the words of today’s Gospel reading.

‘If someone loves Me, he will keep My word… The person who does not love Me will not follow My word.’ To keep the Word means to be faithful to that word. In the Church, some understand that to be faithful means that we can change nothing in our ‘Tradition’ or that was done in the past. But this way of understanding faithfulness can only end in a sort of immobilisation, which prevents the progress of life, which hinders any evolution, and stymies our ability to live fully in the present.

Today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostle recounts the crises which developed in the very early Church. The people coming from Judea wanted to indoctrinate their brothers from the Church in Antioch saying: ‘If you are not circumcised following the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ This created a confrontation as well as a heated discussion between the people at Antioch and Paul and Barnabas. To address this, the Apostles brought together all the Elders and the whole Church. And in the end, they found a compromise. The pagans who had converted to Christ had ‘to stop eating the food offered to the Idols, drinking the blood or eating meat with blood and to avoid illegitimate unions.’ Also, they were no longer required to be circumcised. It was just this sort of thing which prevented the Church from playing the role which it had been called to play in the pagan world. Essentially, it is not circumcision which is important, it is Jesus Christ, who becomes known and loved. It is Him, our Savior.

At first glance, this episode shows that though the Apostles were Jews, they understood that true fidelity to Jesus required them to abandon some of their well ingrained certainties and to go beyond their Jewish traditions. They were introduced to listening to the Holy Spirit, who would guide them ‘to the whole truth’. We should take note that if the Church had resisted the Holy Spirit, today, we would also be obliged to not eat blood or un-bled meats.Faithfulness to the Word is not a fixation with the past, a servile repetition of ancient things. Jesus links one’s faithfulness to His word and the love which we offer Him. Love is a gift, but it is also something that must grow, be reinvented each day. It must be adapted to the persons who come into our lives. This creativity is the light of the Word of God. But we meet this Word in all the circumstances of our lives. And we also realize that we are still on the road. Finally, it is we who must invent, in the light of the Holy Spirit and the Church, our way and method to be faithful to Jesus, both personally and in community. When we are faced with the temptation to ‘give up’, we must not be afraid ‘to step into the future’. Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to diminish our fear which paralyzes us, so that we will continue to become artisans of peace, despite the temptations which bombard us. Let us remain confident in Jesus who said that He would be with us until the end of time.
AMEN!

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Fifth Sunday of Easter
Réjean Champagne
May 15, 2022

‘I give you a new commandment: it is that you love one another.
As I love you, you also must love one another.’

These are the words of Jesus on Holy Thursday, a few hours before His passion and death on the cross. Jesus was underlining again a very old commandment from the time of Moses. But what is new about it, is its call to love ‘in the same way’ Jesus loves and ‘as fully’ as Jesus loves. In order to understand what it is that He expects of us, it is that we must turn to Him. The whole Gospel tells us that He loves us as we have never loved.

The book of the Acts of the Apostles and of the Apocalypse tell us that this love is offered to everyone; no one is excluded. It is in this that we find the ‘New Jerusalem’, which goes far beyond that accorded to the Chosen People. God wants to find His home in all men; the Pagans are all called to Salvation in the same way as the Jews. God loves all men and women and children. Like Him, we are invited to love the whole world.

On reading the gospels, we discover, at first, how much Jesus does not distinguish between us: He includes all the social groups: Jesus loves the pharisees, and the Publicans, the prostitutes and the pious women, the children and the adults, the strangers as well as the Jews, the soldiers and the lepers. The good news of the Gospel is for everyone without exception.

Following this first discovery, there is a second one: this is a love that does not include any judgment of the person: He greets the Samaritan woman, the adulteress, the Publicans and sinners. In this way, He is gong against the social rules of the time. Jesus’s words are not judgemental, they are not reproachful, they do not leave the sinner in his past ad even less in his sin. His mission is to heal and save those who were lost.

We must love as Jesus loves us. We know full well that we are well off that track. We live in a world which judges and condemns. Many of us close ourselves in hatefulness; if we want to be recognized as disciples of Christ, we have to change this way, otherwise our lives will become a counter witness.

The third aspect is that we must nourish ourselves with the Word of God each day, so as to learn to love and Jesus loved. His love went to the extreme of giving His life. On the cross, Jesus reveals to us that there is no greater love for those we love. It was there that He delivered up His body and spilt His blood for us and for the multitude. Through His death and resurrection, He opens a way to a new world, which He calls the Kingdom of God; it is to this that we must give witness in our lives.

In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we see Paul and Barnabas at work giving witness to the good news. They stayed close to those who had converted to the Christ. And now was the time to organise their community life. Because of their witness, the Good News of the Gospel spread further and further. However, the most important aspect of this is the grace of God present in the communities. Mission is its work! Nevertheless, everything was done ‘with them’.

The Second Reading is from the Apocalypse of Saint John. In order to understand it, we must remember that it was written for Christians undergoing persecution. This is a particularly strong and solemn message to announce the victory of love over all the powers of evil. The privilege of being with God and for all! They will be His people…..and God will be their God.

Each Sunday, Christ brings us together to nourish us with His word and His eucharist. He comes to give us strength and courage to love as He loved and to love with Him. It is this that gives value to one’s life. Would that everyone who looks at our Christian communities could say: ‘See how they love one another! ‘ Yes! Abide by us, O Lord. Fill our lives with your love. ‘You who are light, your who are love, put into our shadows your Spirit of love.’ And ask of Mary, the mother of the Church, and our Mother, to help us welcome the love of her Son, Jesus. Amen

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Fourth Sunday of Easter – Vocation Sunday
Father Gilles Noel
May 8, 2022

‘I am the Good Shepherd’

‘I know my sheep and my sheep know me. They listen to my voice.’

These are ‘sheep’ values: a poor shepherd has seven sheep stolen from him. He is advised to cry out along with all sorts of others suggestions. However, the sheep remain together, they know they are one flock as it were.

This could be seen as solidarity among us, just as the sheep sticking together. No one is excluded, all are respected along with real concern for the missing or injured sheep. And what relief and joy there is when all are found.

We can understand the role of the priest as that of a shepherd or perhaps the conductor of an orchestra keeping time and balance among all the players. This is all very well, but I am thinking of Mgr Rouet of Poitiers, in France. In 1990 there were 600 priests in his diocese. By 2015 there were only 200 Priests, but there were also 40 Deacons and more than 100 lay Pastoral Agents, 310 persons in charge of their communities and more than 10,000 volunteers. So, is there really a dearth of vocations?

The fundamental question then is: Are we creating life or are we slipping into hopelessness? Nobody wants to get into a boat that has started to sink!

To render service to Christ:

Humility – by always remaining open to the needs of other. We are only enriched doing this. Working with others rather than always seeking to be the ‘boss’.

Passionate – to be fully engaged in Life. What is often absent are persons who are filled with Christ in their lives. This passion always comes with admiration and enthusiasm.

Joy – We must become sparks of Joy. It is Joy that attracts. This is also a necessary ingredient. It is the surest sign of the presence of God. It is the remedy against defeatism and morosity. Joy makes it possible for us to face our challenges together.

As Pope Francis has said: The greatest difficulty for the Church is that there are too many Christians who continue with their ‘face of Lent’ and never manage to ‘give witness to God’ with faces of Resurrection.

We are well, all of us together. We have many challenges before us in order to render witness to Christ. For this, we need one another.

Translation by Hugh Gwyn

Third Sunday of Easter – 2022
Père Réjean Champagne

Since the First Sunday of Easter, there is one word which is often repeated: the word is witness; we find it in the first reading: ‘concerning us, we are witnesses of all this with the Holy Spirit, which God has given to those who obey Him.’

These witnesses did not lack for courage. They had been forbidden to speak of the resurrection of Christ. They continued to do so; bullying and humiliation did not succeed in discouraging them. Quite the contrary, they left ‘all joyous to have been judged worthy to undergo humiliations in the name of Jesus.’ (Acts 5,41). Like them, we are all called and sent off to be witnesses to Christ Risen; nothing should get in our way, even if we have to row against the current.

In the primitive Church, there were numerous martyrs. This is still more true in today’s Church, many even wonder if it still has a future. This was already the case for the disciples after the death of Jesus. Peter returned to his fishing: he went back to his former trade, his livelihood. Along with his friends, he had put all his hope in Jesus. But everything fell apart. So, they went back to their trades and it was there that Jesus rejoined them. He found bone-tired fishermen, discouraged by having caught nothing!

So Jesus had them begin fishing over again: ‘Throw your nets on the right side of the boat and you’ll find some.’ And the results were beyond their imagining. The Gospel speaks of 153 fishes. This number symbolises all the peoples on the earth who were known at that time; the Church is called to bring them together and lead them to the Risen Christ who invites them all to a meal. We are all called to announce this good news, but it is Jesus who works in the hearts of those who hear this call.

All of this requires of us love without fail with respect to Him who has called us and sent us. It is this that was asked of Peter: Simon, son of John, do you truly love Me. more than these?’ The question is repeated three times. This reminds us that Peter had denied his Master three times. As a result, he found himself in a very uncomfortable situation! But Jesus offers him a way out. And Peter will be able to declare his love three times! And for this, Jesus will make him the shepherd of His flock. All the great witnesses of the faith are sinners who have been forgiven, who have welcomed the mercy of God.

The mercy of Christ knows no limit. It is true for each of us. He joins us wherever we are so as to rebuild our hope. For Him, there is no hopeless situation. Like Peter, we are invited to ‘dive in’ and so show our confidence in His word. Like him, we are sent into the world to witness to the hope that fills us. It is for each and everyone of us that the Risen Christ wants to render His mercy visible. As He said himself that He had come ‘to find and save those who were lost’. He wants all of us to be part of his victory over death and sin.

The second reading is from the Apocalypse of Saint John. It is a book that is somewhat unsettling if we are not used to it. Today, we’ve heard the words of victory, of triumph and of praise. We should realise that it is written in a coded language in order to encourage the persecuted Christians to remain firm in the faith. It encourages them to give glory to the immolated Lamb, conqueror of death and sin. Even today, many Christians are faced with persecution or derision. But the strength of love is a contagious force which neither situation nor person can stop. Clearly, it is love and not evil which will have the last word.

The great message of these three readings is that Christ Risen is always there, even if we do not see Him. He does not cease coming into the heart of our lives, our doubts and our difficulties. He comes to pardon us. With Him, we can rise again and rebuild with confidence. The nourishment which He provides us to regain our strength is no longer a grilled fish, but is His Body and His Blood! Like Peter, we are confirmed in love. We are sent to be the witnesses and the messengers.

The month of May is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. What is notable about her is how she hurried to get to see her cousin Elizabeth. A word that is often used in the Bible is ‘ As soon as …’ This reveals another aspect of one’s faith. The answers to a call from God don’t allow for much delay! Mary leaves immediately and in haste. The good news is that Mary has not changed. We can call her and right away she runs to us with Jesus in her or near her. It is with Jesus and Mary that we can be both ‘disciples and missionaries’.

This Easter celebration should revive our faith, our deep link with Jesus Christ. Let us pray that He gives us the strength and courage for the mission that we have been given. Today we pray to you, O Lord: Give us, through the intercession of Mary raised to heaven, to come to the glory of the Resurrection!

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Palm Sunday – 2022
Père Gilles Noel

Dear Friends,

The evangelist informs us that Jesus has just made a triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. The crowds were joyful to see this man who had accomplished so many miracles everywhere He went. The group of disciples were filled with joy and began to praise God loudly for all the miracles that they had seen. This same crowd, however, will turn on him because they were expecting a liberator, a saviour, a man who would be the head of an army so as to rid Palestine of the Roman invaders. However, this was not Jesus’ role. The mission that He had been given by His Father was not a temporal one, but that of a spiritual one. The crowd of disciples, like the apostles, found it difficult to accept that Jesus would be a suffering Messiah as the prophet Isaiah had foretold. As a consequence, at the urging of the Pharisees and Scribes, it was better to be rid of this usurper and to await he who would come in the name of God to deliver the people from their servitude under the Romans.

Luke not only wants to give us the details of the event, but also to provide us with the sense of what was happening. I want to bring to your attention three points to underline the importance of this.

Firstly, Peter denies Jesus three times. Nevertheless, his faith seems unshakable. He was the first to declare that Jesus was the Messiah of God. During the Last Supper, he avowed forcefully that he was prepared to follow Jesus, whether to prison or even to death. Luke underscores that the first victim during Christ’s passion, is faith in Jesus. The eleven abandon Him, including Peter. However, this is not all. Faith is resurrected with Christ Himself. He makes this promise to Peter: I prayed for you so that your faith would not become black. Yes, the Christ has the power to resurrect faith in our hearts.

Secondly: During the Last Supper, Jesus predicts the bases of accusations against Him, quoting from Isaiah: He was counted among the sinners, literally meaning He was counted among those ‘outside the laws’. Luke underlines that three times Pilate declares the innocence of Jesus. The last time Luke quotes Pilate: ‘What wrong has this man done? I can find no reason to condemn Him to death.’ But the crowd insisted even more strongly, demanding that He be crucified. As so often happens with humans, during this case, we seek neither the truth nor justice: what we want is a condemnation. What we are looking for is to rid ourselves of this just person who is upsetting because he is so free. It is to rid ourselves of this prophet who speaks the truth so loudly.

However, Jesus makes no response to these accusers! Or if He does, it will be to let the hate die with Him and to offer pardon. So they condemned Jesus three times and demanded his death thus treating Him as a criminal. Thus, the human being will remain hidden in its lies forever. Is this not the death of truth? And even then, in some unexpected way, truth is resurrected in some manner or other. And this from the mouth of a pagan! At the instant the Jesus dies, the Centurion recognizes His innocence and declares: ‘Surely, this man was innocent.’ The power of Christ is greater than all the lies!

The third point: the first among the religious leaders mock Jesus, saying: ‘Let him save himself, if he is the Messiah!’ And then it is the turn of the soldiers: ’If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!’ And finally, one of the thieves cries out: ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself, and us as well!’

After His baptism while in the desert, Jesus had resisted the three temptations from the Devil. He had remained in the desert till the appointed time. Here is the appointed moment. The devil returns with the ultimate temptation: Save yourself. To accomplish this without God and leaving the others on the cross, is the height of self-sufficiency and is in effect a monstrous lie. This is because the human being is in the image of God and he cannot be himself without also opening himself to the Other and to the others in Communion. This is Christ ‘s supreme victory. He overcomes this temptation in an act of total abandonment: ‘Father I put my spirit into your hands’, literally, my breath and my life.

With this, Jesus has shown us the way of ultimate trust. He shows us our ultimate destiny: we are to accomplish it in absolute confidence in God our Father. This is Christ’s victory over mistrust, pride and selfishness.

With the Eucharist, we welcome Christ the victor even within His death. Let us pray that our communion in His body and in His blood accomplishes in us this triple victory. AMEN!

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Fifth Sunday of Lent – 2022
Père Réjean Champagne

God the Liberator
The Bible readings that we have just heard reveal a God who wants to liberate and save those who were lost. In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah is writing to a people that has just lived through a long period of captivity. He is announcing the good news: Today, God is intervening in order to save His people! They will be able to return to their Promised Land: the desert which they have to cross will be studded with oases. In this sign. we see that God can renew life and hope in even the driest of hearts.

This good news concerns all of us today: in our world so many among us live in hopelessness. Our mission, our calling is to reveal the ultimate Source of living water, which will flower in all dry places, in our families, those in our own lives and those in our in our milieu. The source is the inexhaustible love of our loving God. It is from Him that we are invited to fill ourselves every day.

In the second reading, Saint Paul gives witness to us. His meeting with Christ on the Road to Damascus produced a radical upending of his life. He began as an ardent defender of the Jewish Law. He pursued Christians and jailed them. But after his conversion, he now had new ambitions and ventures in order to ‘know Christ’ and to arrive at ‘the resurrection of the dead’ through His suffering and passion. For us, as for Paul, the real liberation is that which comes from Christ. It is the gift which God gives out of pure mercy.

The Gospel of Saint John speaks of the mercy that is liberating. Last Sunday, Jesus spoke in the form of a parable, that of the Prodigal Son. Today, we see Him confronting the Scribes and Pharisees, the experts in the Law of Moses, men recognized for their religious fervour. According to the Law of Moses, this woman should be stoned to death. However, the Pharisees raise this question with Jesus in an attempt to lead Him into a trap. If he refuses to condemn the woman, He would be in contradiction with the Law of Moses; and if He condemns her, He would then be in contradiction of the mercy which He has been preaching.

But Jesus upsets this trap: in effect, He opens a new ‘case’, that of the accusers, when He answers: ‘He among you who is without sin may throw the first stone.’ Jesus lowers His eyes while the accusers examine their consciences and ….. they withdraw. Only one man who is not a sinner remains, Jesus: only He would have the right to condemn, but He does not: ‘Nor do I, I do not condemn you go and sin no more.’ The threat of death vanishes, the road to a new life is opened for this woman.

On reading the Gospel, we are reminded of all the scandals, both small and more important ones. Some of them are only known by the immediate family. Other ones are featured in the news and the internet, such that the ‘tongues can wag’. To be sure we no longer stone sinners. But we sneer, and judge the guilty: and tarnish their reputations even more. We allow no way out for redemption.

This is why we must come back to Christ’s words: ‘Whoever among you who is without sin, let him be the first to throw stones.’ We should remember that before God, we are all poor sinners. Before we think of teaching someone a lesson, we have been invited to ‘pull the stick out of our eye’! This stick is our pride, it is our disregard for the person who has sinned. Acting in this way we are going against Christ who has come to find and save those who were lost. It is through His love for them and for the whole world that He died on the cross.

Let’s be clear, sin is the evil that we must fight against with all our strength. And the sinner is the one that we must heal and save. The sinner needs our help in order to find again his place in the Christian community. Christian life is a struggle for everyone every day against the forces of evil. But in this struggle, we are not alone. Jesus is there with us, showing the way. Mary is also there: as she was at the marriage at Canna, and she repeats to us: ‘Go and do what he tells you …’. Fill yourself at the Source of He who is Love. Become witnesses and messengers of His mercy in today’s world. If we truly want this Lent to be a source of liberation, there is only one commandment: love as Jesus loves.

Lord, we have come to you this Sunday with our desire to listen to your Word and to allow ourselves to be transformed by it. You can change our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. Let your presence bring us the joy to help, to support, to console and to love. Let your Word be the Light of the World and your love, healing for those who are suffering.

Sources: Revue Feu Nouveau, Cahiers Prions en Église, Missel des Dimanches 2019, Missel de Dimanches et fêtes des trois années (Bayard). Homélies pour l’Année C (A. Brunot), lectures bibliques des dimanches (A. Vanhoye).

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Fourth Sunday of Lent 2022
Père Gilles Baril

What a Blessing to Have Such a Father
The Gospel reading that we have just heard is among the best known among Christians (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32). And with reason, for that matter, because of unheard of riches. It presents us with three persons who illustrate the three realities of life, which are repeated from generation to generation.

The Prodigal Son:
He is looking for the good life centered on pleasure. He has lots of friends and is in a continuous state of celebrating. But it all relies on money. There follows the inevitable ‘conversion of the stomach’, he’s run out of money and begins to be hungry! He has forgotten that his father is a generous and good man. He only remembers that at home the fridge is full and that everyone can have his fill.

The Merciful Father:
He loves his son, and he is worried about him. He becomes very worried by his son’s silence and when he finally appears at the door, he doesn’t allow his son to feel humiliated, he is welcomed home unconditionally.

The Older Brother:
The older brother sees his father in effect as his boss. The son becomes appreciated by doing his job as expected. He has nothing to be ashamed of! But our devoutness must never be seen as an exclusive power over others.

If we think about it a bit further, there are perhaps aspects of both brothers in each of us. At times we are the younger brother. We try to lead our lives without God. And so, we distance ourselves from Him. But then something occurs to make us insecure, so we turn back to God, hoping that He will help us deal with our problems. And we are quite prepared to repeat this sequence, as long as God continues to “bail us out” each time, as it were. Other times, we are more like the older son. We see God as someone who owes us something because we follow His commands!

Fortunately, the Good News for today does not take the side of either son. The Good News takes the side of the father. First of all, he accepts the departure of his youngest son along with his inheritance. He continues to scan the horizon in the hope for his return. When he sees him from afar, he runs towards him, throws himself around his neck and covers him with kisses. He speaks no reproaches, but with concrete gestures he reinstates his youngest in dignity as his son. And, when the other son refuses to greet his brother, the father goes out to greet him and begs him to come in. What a father with the heart of a mother!

When He recounts the parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus presents the true traits/ways of God, our Father. He shows again what a Father we have! He repeats as well the ardent desire of our Father to re-establish us as the children of God. We have no idea whether the two brothers would recognize the father that they had. It is now left to us to write the epilogue to this story in our daily lives.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Third Sunday of Lent 2022
Père Gilles Noël

My Dear Friends,

In this Third Sunday of Lent, the liturgy presents God as the One who is attentive to the misery of His people. It is in this sense that God called Moses to invite him to go to Pharaoh’s house to demand the liberation of the people of Israel, so that they could offer a sacrifice to their God. We know that the people were then in slavery in Egypt, the result of the Pharaoh’s hard heart. It was not God who wanted to punish His people for their infidelity, on the contrary God saw the misery of His people and heard their cries. He was sensitive to this misery and He decided to save the people by calling on Moses.

When I read the text in the Book of Exodus, which we have just heard, I said to myself that history constantly repeats itself. Now, we are witnessing the people of the Ukraine having to save themselves at the risk of their lives; they have to take refuge underground, they see their hospitals being destroyed, along with their schools and their homes. They are being reduced to suffer the blows of a dictator like Pharaoh in the time of Moses. And if you recall the story of Moses, you know that he had to plead with Pharaoh several times before he would accept to liberate the people.

Today we see the President of France among other heads-of-state meeting this dictator to discuss with him and to attempt to convince him to change his regard for the people of Ukraine. It is not that God wants to avenge Himself on these peoples, but it is because of the hardness-of-heart of a tyrant.

Did God see the misery of His people and did He hear their crying out to Him? I think He did. When we see how the Polish people and other countries are reaching out to the refugees with kindness and generosity, we can say that God is at work in our world. The Polish people who have come to the aid of the neighbours are like Moses who accepted the task that was set for him by God.

In the Gospel, Jesus is questioned on the murder of the Galileans who had come to offer sacrifices and who were massacred by order of Pontius Pilate. And Jesus adds to this the eighteen people who died when the Tower of Siloam collapsed; these people were no more culpable than any others. In the eyes of Jesus, these sufferings are warnings about our fragility and are in effect calls to our conversion and to remain vigilant: “If you do not covert, you will perish never-the-less.” This will happen not because God seeks vengeance but because, for example, that if we continue to pollute our Earth, if we lack respect for the other person, if we reject the other whom we consider ineffectual, we run a great risk. Let us take this time of Lent (March 2-April 14, 2022) to reorient and change our view of God and of the World.

Finally, the parable of the fig tree that did not bear fruit and that the master wanted to cut down, underlines God’s patience towards us. The parable teaches us God’s patience. So often there is talk of conversion during Lent. Conversion, if it includes an effort on our part, consists principally in our receiving the goodness of God in our lives. We put our confidence in God who does not punish sinners, who knows to wait and to give us the time to change our lives. Lent is the favourable time to stop and leave space for God who is impatient to come into our hearts. And it is He who converts us and changes our view of Him and of the world. We pray that the Eucharist that we are now celebrating will add profoundly to that prayer. AMEN!

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

Second Sunday of Lent 2022
Père Réjean Champagne

Let us be transfigured in the image of Christ

The readings of the Word of God for today are there to help us to enter into the spirit of Lent. This is not primarily a time of penitence and austere mortifications. What it is above all is an encounter with God. He is calling us to Himself and what He is listening for from each of us is a free and loving response.

This is what it is about in the first reading. God has called Abraham to leave his country and family. Abraham has begun a voyage. He has put his trust in the word of God. To live Lent means that we must leave our small tranquil life; it will be to nourish ourselves with the Gospel every day, it will be to follow our Saviour on paths which we have not anticipated. What is quite extraordinary, is that God has a deep desire to fill us with His blessings.

The Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy repeats/follows the reading in Genesis, which we have just heard. It refers to God’s grand project. It hopes for nothing less than to make real the blessing given to Abraham, ‘Our Saviour, Jesus the Christ, has manifested Himself by destroying death and revealing the splendour of life.’ Our mission as disciples is to announce this Good News every where and to every one! God is asking use to become collaborators in His- Project of Salvation!

The Gospel reading recounts the Transfiguration of our Saviour. Jesus brings three of His disciples to the mountain so that they can see and witness to the beauty of His divinity. We are reminded by this, that He once said: I am the Light of the world.’ Today, He allows these disciples to see some of that light which is in Him. This is important because in a few days, they will see His face disfigured. He has to fix them in their faith.

The account of the Transfiguration describes what it is that occurs during the celebration of the Eucharist, which we are about to enact After six days of work, Jesus brings us together to a sacred place. This is important, we all need to be raised up. It is not a matter of us to ‘leave the World’. If Christ calls us to Himself, it is in order for us to contemplate the ‘things of heaven’. This encounter is indeed quite extraordinary because it gives a completely new direction to our lives.

In the Gospel today, we read that Jesus took with Him three of the disciples. Indeed, his real wish was to bring all of us. In Saint John’s Gospel, this desire is transformed into a prayer: ‘Father, those that you have given me, I desire that, there where I am, that they also be with me, so that they can contemplate the glory that you have given me (Jn 17. 24). This is exactly what occurs on Mount Tabor. And it is also what occurs during the mass. This coming together with Christ is an event which we must not avoid.

The apostle Peter would have liked to remain there in the company of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. But he is interrupted by a voice in the cloud: ‘This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.’ This voice is also addressing us. Listen to the Gospel: It is the most precious of words, the most explicit and the most luminous which the Lord had given us. As a result of these words, the apostles found themselves plunged into the adventure, more profound and serious than they could possibly imagine.

It is the same for us in the Gospel. If we can hear it, we will be led into a new adventure. It will be more beautiful and grander than anything we might have imagined. With it, our life could become at once both beautiful and luminous. We must have no fear. The face of Jesus transfigured both hearts and the world. He remains with us always! In order to transform our lives, we must listen to Him. He has defeated death and gave life splendour. It is a light of love which illuminates our eyes. It is also a light that is transmitted. With love, everything grows and is adorned with colours.

All along during this time of Lent, the Lord is calling us the climb the mountain and come near to Him. We must be serious about being called by the Father: ‘Listen to Him!’ The parish is preparing things so that we can become more attentive to the Word of God. Let us be united in this prayer: Lord allow us to contemplate your face in the mystery of the Eucharist so its light will reveal its mysteries in our lives. Help us also to discover You in the face of our brothers and sisters whom You bring into our lives. Amen.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

First Sunday of Lent 2022

Père Réjean Champagne

Since last Wednesday we have begun celebrating Lent. During forty days we are invited to return to the sources of our faith and to our Baptism. During this period, we are open to being led by the Holy Spirit, as was Jesus in the desert. Like Him, we will be confronted with tests and temptations. However, if we know how to receive them, the Word of God will be the source of our strength. Christ the conqueror of all evil wants us all to associate ourselves with His victory over death and sin.

Sunday’s gospel (Luke 4:1-13) speaks of three different significant places in Judaism. These are not simply geographical places. They have very strong symbolic meanings. They remind us, each in its own way, of how God revealed Himself to His people.

First there was the desert: it is there that God led Israel (the holy people) in order to free them from their slavery in Egypt. But the desert is also a place of privation. However, the people were prepared to renounce their liberty and so followed their longing for abundant food. They chose plenty. They were forgetting their calling as the preferred Children of God. The desert was where they continued their complaining against God and against Moses. Jesus in His turn was also tempted by hunger in the desert. But He refused to give in to the temptation to own and consume. He is the Son, the Blessed one of the Father. He wanted to be loyal to the very end. He answered this trial by recalling the Word of God: ‘Man does not live by bread alone but by the word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Later, He will remind the crowd of followers that He is indeed ‘the Bread of Life’ that has come from the Father.

We know well the dry desert of our temptations. It is the temptation to let ourselves be totally immersed in consuming material things. We search to own more and more, at whatever price. At the end of it all, our hearts become quite as hard as rock and incapable of opening to the Word of God and to share with those who are hungry. In closing ourselves to God, we become impermeable to His love; we deny our identity as sons and daughters of God. This first Sunday of Lent is meant for us to remember that we have crossed the waters of baptism in order to live free. We are invited to return to the heart of our faith and to let ourselves be guided by Christ along our road of salvation. In effect to be reborn in Him.

The second place where the Gospel takes us, is to the Temple. It was that privileged place where Israel raised its voice in prayer. It was there that we began the habit of serving ‘God three times holy’! The prophets denounced this practice because it was self-serving. ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’ (Is. 29.13) Instead of serving God, we made use of God. Jesus rejected this form of exchange! The Beloved Son of God would not use the Temple for His own success. His mission on the contrary, was to ‘purify’ it because it had become a ‘place of trading’. Later, He will announce that He is the true Temple of God that glorifies the Father.

We in our way, are often tempted to use God and religion for our own purposes. This is what happens when we rely on the goodness of God to attain our ambitions or to hide our errors and follies. This is also true when we ask God to ensure our ambitions or to cover-up our errors. It is also the case when we ask God anything and everything, thinking that it is our right. But we cannot make deals with God, thinking all the while that it is our right and that He owes it to us. We cannot make deals with God. He owes us nothing. He loves us totally freely and without any merit on our part. His love surpasses all imagining. He only waits for us to stretch out our hand to receive this love into our lives and to allow ourselves to be transformed by it. With Him we are reborn.

The third place that the Gospel speaks about, is on the mountain. It reminds us of Mount Sinai. It was there that God gave His law to Moses: ‘Listen Israel, it is I the Lord your God… You have no other God but Me. You will not bow down before other gods and you will not serve them.’ (Dt 5) At the foot of the mountain, Israel turned away from their God and made sacrifice to a golden calf: they bowed and prostrated themselves before it. At the foot of the high mountain, Jesus resisted the temptation to idolatry. The only one that we must adore in spirit and in truth, is God.

The Golden Calf, before which the Hebrews prostrated themselves, has taken on other disguises for us. Our world bows down before money, power and the power of consumption. To acquire them, are we appear to be prepared to do anything? Each time that we compromise in this way, we end up alone, far from our baptismal freedom.

Jesus resisted all his temptations by saying no three times to Satan and yes three times to His Father. We encounter His YES throughout His life on earth. By following Him, we are invited to do the same, to say yes to our Baptism, to recognize and accept this love, which is in God. Today and throughout Lent, it is Jesus who is begging/calling? us.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

February 13, 2022 – Sixth Sunday of ordinary Time
Réjean Champagne

On the 11 of February 1858, the Virgin appeared for the first time to Bernadette of Lourdes. For some time now, the 11^th of February has become the world day for the sick and also for the world of health, medicine, nurses, nurses’ aides, visitors, spiritual services for the sick… The theme of that day can be summarised with the simple title: Happiness

Sunday’s readings join us in this challenge. First of all the Prophet Jeremiah invites us to put all our confidence in God. Then, Saint Paul insists on our faith in Jesus resurrected, who becomes the first to be resurrected from the dead. This is also the paradox which the Gospel presents us. Jesus presents us with an impossible road to follow from our human point of view. Simply because of our common sense, we’re inclined to react. In order to have the courage to live, we have to rely on what is solid, the visible, One has to have a minimum of well being, to be recognized in what we are and in what we do, to be loved by someone, and to have good health. Could the promise of well being sometime in the future be sufficient for us to continue to have the taste to go on living? This scenario is what a lot of those around us think.

But it is more important to understand what it is that Christ has to say, and to be able to hear His message. He does not announce ‘good times’ for tomorrow in the light of tough times today. Indeed, it is the opposite: He is announcing the good times today for those who, in the eyes of men, are unfortunate. And He puts us on our guard about those who are having a good time today because tomorrow, they could well be very unhappy. Let’s be clear: it is not Jesus who will provoke their unhappiness. It is they who will have to live the consequences of a way of life which will brings on these events.

‘Blessed are you who are humble of heart!’ This does not mean: ‘Happy are the miserable!’ Misery is always an insult to God. In the present case, Jesus is describing to us the wellbeing of those do not profit from the riches, from their knowledge and their wisdom. He is addressing those who understand/know that they are poor in the face of God and their brothers. They are the ones who avoid all temptation to superiority, to competition and domination. They are entirely open to receive the Good News of the Gospel.

However, how unfortunate am I with all my material things which lead me to rely on myself. If I put my happiness in my wealth, in my material success, I have, in effect, the heart of a pagan. But all of that can only last a short time. The wealth that we accumulate is only important in this world. True wealth is found elsewhere in the eyes of God. Bernadette of Lourdes was truly poor. She cried because of her sins. She was mocked by half the town. But in choosing to place everything with in God’s hands, she found true happiness.

Sick and handicapped people recognize themselves in this message of hope. At Lourdes, Mary showed us the world of the resurrection in this message of hope which Saint Paul wrote about. The Immaculate Conception is also Mary of the Assumption. It is the same person! That which God did for her, He also wants to do for us. We are called to partake in this Goodness of God. Believing in Christ resurrected is to be engaged beginning now, in eternal life. It is to enter into the hope of the Kingdom as one of the people of the New Alliance.

Our role as Christians is to be witnesses and messengers of the Good News. We will do this not only by our words but especial by living this love which our Lord has put in us. We are all members of the Body of Christ. And it is precisely with the poor, the sick, the excluded and the hopeless that we will reveal the love of God. By our way of living, loving and greeting, we reveal to the world that there is a place for each of us in the Kingdom of God.

We are all invited to evolve from the ‘wisdom of men’ to the ‘Wisdom of God’, which is founded on love. Christ Risen is the conqueror of death and sin! It is in Him that we put our faith so as to prepare actively for the Kingdom for tomorrow. Each person, whether ill or well, plays his part. In following Christ, each of us can bring a precious stone of love. None of these can be excluded from the Kingdom.

The message of the beatitudes is always immediate. The eternal dignity of man is in peril when economic or financial interests become the majors focus and objectives. The well being of a society can never be solely measured by the health of its members. It is measured by its capacity to live in fraternity and solidarity. What comes before all is that all our life be filled with the love of God. Our bodies will disappear. ‘Love will never end.’ AMEN

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

5 December 2021 | 2^nd Sunday of Advent
Pr. Gilles Baril

My Dear Friends,

‘All men will see the salvation of God.’ Every person is conceived to live in goodness. Many roads lead to goodness and God’s salvation. But not all roads lead to happiness or at least some of the roads need to be well marked, repaired or straightened. There are ways of violence, of drugs or empty ‘good times’, all of which lead nowhere. There are roads of self-giving or mutual help which lead to well-being and ever-increasing fulfillment. These are the ways of conversion, awareness of others, of discernment of what is essential as proposed for us by John the Baptist.

The problem is rooted in the fact that many of us can no longer hear God, or perhaps only as ‘folklore tales’ related to Christmas. God in these tellings arises along with our childhood image of the Nativity.

This reminds me of the man who had just learnt that I was a priest and came to me to say how disconcerted he was in the face of the wickedness of so many people. He declared himself an atheist, that is, unless I could prove that God exited. He spoke of prayer, of self-reflection, of discernment as having no sensible meaning for him. It was with this that I had an idea: I took two identical small bowls. In one I put some salt and in the other, some white sugar. Which was which, I asked?

To distinguish between sugar and salt you have to taste them. It is precisely the same with divine realities: to know who God is, one must experience Him, that is, by living an experience personally. No one can grow in his or her faith on the basis of the faith of another. Nevertheless, this reality of faith is full and rich such that it cannot be lived alone!

Despite my best intentions, I cannot, even as a priest, give the ‘taste for God’ to another person. The saying is that it takes a whole village to form one human. Likewise, it takes a whole community to produce a profound and engaged Christian. It is the quality of the life of a community which produces the most beautiful image of God. Even though I became a priest and was strongly impressed by priests as I was growing up, I remember nothing of their sermons. However, I will always remember the dynamism of my childhood community, the love, the joy, the sharing, the mutual respect and cooperation. This was and still is what motivates me, working together day by day. This is still the source of my believing, our capacity to be and work together with full respect for one another. This is the mystery of Christmas for which we are preparing. God who took the body of a human to remind us that the Heart of God is in our hearts each time that we add to the well being of another person.

We might try this in the coming days to become an occasion of the presence of God for someone else. That is, a presence which does good and might give to others the desire to do good also.

This was at the core of the conversion of Charles de Foucault, who wrote:

‘When I felt that I had become unlikable and that everything was distasteful, there was my Aunt Mary. She was always welcoming, never judgmental, never hectoring. With the passing of time, I’ve become aware that she was teaching me, through her unconditional love for me, the tenderness of God. Without knowing it, she was calling me to make more of my life.’

Let us all become Aunt Marys by our way of greeting others. AMEN

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

14 November 2021 | 33^rdSunday in Ordinary Time
Père Gilles Noël

My Dear Friends,

We are coming to the end of the liturgical year. Next Sunday we will be celebrating the feast of Christ, King of the Universe. And we will enter a new liturgical year with the First Sunday of Advent.

Because we are nearing the end of the liturgical year, the texts we are reading also refer to the end times. The readings are referred to as Apocalyptic because they present a reality which we do not yet know, the end of the world and the return of Christ in glory.

The first text speaks of the difficult time to come, times of distress such as have never been seen since the beginning of nations: we can understand that we are probably experiencing times that have never occurred before now. I am thinking of the Islamic State, whose members, if I understand it correctly, think only of doing harm to the greatest number of people possible, beheading men, women and children, setting off bombs among crowds of people gathered in the market places or the mosque. I am thinking of the ecological crisis we have created, which is causing sea level to rise, thus forcing millions to move into higher ground already densely peopled. I am thinking of older people among us who, because of their diminished state, are being cheated by unscrupulous persons. I could mention many other vulnerable groups of people.

We did not experience life in the 16^th or 17^th centuries, but I am aware of the hardships that our ancestors experienced when they first arrived here in Québec, most especially our very harsh winters. They were not prepared to survive such winters living in rough cabins, which let more wind blow in than retained heat! What I am trying to illustrate is that there will always be hard times. From the time of the prophet Daniel to the time of Jesus, whom we crucified, to the time of the first Christians who suffered persecution in a pagan world. Persecution and very hard times are not new, they still exist. Still today the Catholic Church is attacked in various media, by recalling without cease the weaknesses, the sins of some of our members. Churches in the Middle East are blown up while people are there celebrating their faith.

However, what should perhaps worry us the most is our own end-of-the-world! As we know when we arrive at a certain age, we begin to be aware of the end of our time. Once we arrive at the age of fifty, we come to realise that we have already lived more than half our lifetime. The time for our living is now shorter.

There are many people who are worried about the end of the world but seem to think little of their own end despite that the one is inevitable and the other is entirely unknown. For my part, I think I will not be here to see the end of the world, unless it’s from above in heaven! But as to my own end, the end of my world, it is advancing apace! For some it might be in 5 years, in 10 years, in 20 or 30 years. But I do not think that we need to be alarmed by the end of our life; it is everybody’s lot, nobody can escape it. For that matter, as we say from time to time, that if there is one justice on earth, it is that everyone will die!

Hence, what is important is that we be prepared to die at any time. There is no doubt that our end will come, but we can be without fear as long as we continue to sow peace and love around us. If I remain attentive to others, those who surround me, and if I seek to make their lives more gentle and beautiful, then I am walking joyfully towards my eternal salvation. And when Jesus will return in His glory, it will be a great gift for me to enter into His glory. AMEN!

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

7 November 2021 | 32^th Sunday in Ordinary time
Père Gilles Noël

Good morning to each of you. The presence of so many of you adds a further solemnity to our ceremony this morning.

Even though we may have been tested by the loss of those dear to us, a parent, a sibling, a friend, we continue to hold our Christian hope because we firmly believe in Jesus Christ Risen. This is the whole reason for our coming together in this parish church today, which has probably seen several persons with whom we have prayed, disappear from among us these last two years. This Jesus who said to us in the gospel one day that ‘He who loves his life will lose it, but he who detaches himself form this world will keep it for eternity.’

We have put candles out to symbolize each of those who have died. The lamps will be lit from the Pascal Candle, which represents Jesus, the light of the world. Those whom we are remembering, strived during their lives to respond the mission to which God called them. They were for us a light, they illuminated our lives in one way or another.

You have answered the invitation from Jesus and from this Christian community to pray for all the dead, in particular those who have died during the last two years. As Christians, we still want to celebrate Christian funerals within the Church. We find ourselves together this morning, we who have lost those dear to our hearts during the last two years. Our faith aids us, at least I hope so, to accept that he or she will have crossed over to the other shore. Their life now differs from ours, but they remain attached to us in the communion of the saints. This is because we are all interrelated in the church of Jesus Christ here on Earth, and to them in the church of Jesus Christ in the other world.

When talking to His disciples, Jesus underscored that the will of the Father is to lose none of His children. And thus, in the resurrection of His Son, God calls all His children to live in Him. It is good for us to remember our Christian convictions concerning death. No one can avoid death: it is an integral part of life. Christ’s resurrection does not save us from this, no more than the emotions and sentiments which arise upon the death of a loved one. Jesus knew suffering and death, but he vanquished these, and by so doing abolished the threat to our lives that they represent. His victory does not change the finality of our life on earth. But it proclaims that death is not the end of everything. In Jesus, we are called to live eternally. When someone dear to us dies, we hand them on to God because, in our faith we believe that the deceased lives on in the Lord. We also remain hopeful that we will see that person in the house of the Lord. This is why we say in our profession of faith: I believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.’ Saint Paul said the same when he wrote: ‘Because we are His children, we are also so inheritors: inheritors of God, inheritors of Christ.’ Let us pray that God gives peace and serenity to all His children, that we will be able some day to greet all those we have loved and who have now retuned to God. And until that time, may we live intensely the life that we have been given today.

There is a passage in the Gospel, which recalls the story of a grain of wheat, which, once buried, produces a hundred times more, some time later. Nature has, in effect, this ability to regenerate without cease, using the compost of organic matter of all sorts. In our times, it is almost an obligation to recycle and compost as much as possible in order to save the planet. With this we have finally understood ‘that nothing is lost and nothing is created’, that all is life. When the future human generations write the history of their ancestors, will they do the same thing? The lives of one generation engender the lives of the next and thus life is perpetuated.

However, for us believers, Paul speaks of another life. He refers to us as inheritors, as children of God and co-inheritors of Christ: eternal life. If today we are celebrating the Feast of the Dead/Deceased, it is because we believe more than ever that they are with the Father who has ‘glorified them with His name. For them death is no more’, as the Prophet Isaiah had already announced.

Translated by Hugh Gwyn

24 October 2021 | 30^th Sunday in Ordinary time
Père Gilles Noël

My dear friends,

The Lord did everything for Israel: He freed it from Egypt, the land of bondage and slavery. He guided and accompanied Israel during the long crossing of the desert until they settled in the Promised Land. He taught His decrees and ordinances to be put into practice in order to live in coherence with their vocation as a chosen people and to serve as light to the nations.

Unfortunately, Israel has not always listened to its God. Its infidelity lead to social disorder and lead to its weakening. It was then that Nebuchadnezzar’s army conquered Jerusalem and deported Jacob’s sons and daughters to Babylon. Israelites were plunged into the darkness of exile and of despair.

But now, unexpectedly, the Lord freed His people and brought them back to their lands. This is the meaning of the first reading from the prophet Jeremiah. This experience of Israel prefigures that of the Church. For, through Christ, God linked His purpose to the ecclesial community. However painful the situation of the Church may be – persecution, decline in practice, lack of priestly vocations, scandalous behavior by some of its members, weakening of the ecumenical impulse – God is always present.

Like a Father, He wants to free His children from the obstacles that hinder their progress, to accompany them on the path of renewal and to save everyone, including and especially the weak ones. That is why we can look to Him constantly with confidence; He will act in His time.

From the beginning of chapter 10 of the Gospel according to Saint Mark, Jesus begins His ascent towards Jerusalem. Along the way, you remember, He answers a question about marriage; He welcomes children and talks to a rich man. He again announces His death and resurrection to His disciples and responds to the request of James and John. In Jericho; the last step before His arrival in Jerusalem, He performs a last miracle: the healing of Bartimaeus, the blind man.

Jesus is aware that Jerusalem will be the scene of the supreme sacrifice of His life for the salvation of the world. However, He takes the time to stop to listen to Bartimaeus and respond to his request. For the sake of a person, Jesus is prepared to delay His “hour”. By this gesture, He still reverences the great value of human dignity: nothing can justify a refusal to render service to the person in distress.

The healing of Bartimaeus announces ours. For each time that, immobilized on our way, we utter a cry of faith, Jesus, the Son of David, is always listening. And He intervenes to get us out of the blindness into which selfishness, complacency, hatred, resentment and the refusal to live fraternity have plunged us.

Despite the crowd trying to push him aside, Bartimaeus persists in calling out to Jesus with force. He believes that Jesus is indeed the Messiah of God and that He can heal him. When he hears himself called, he throws off his cloak and rushes to the preacher of Nazareth. Bartimaeus’ great faith led him to recover his sight. Once healed, he sets out to follow Jesus, which means that he becomes his disciple, ready to share his destiny of stripping himself of everything and giving his life for the salvation of the world.

Today, Bartimaeus refers us to our identity as missionary disciples of Christ. It is an invitation to get up and let down the embarrassment, what will be said and everything hinders us in following Christ. Let us embark on the road to Jerusalem, on the path of fidelity to the Father, on service without calculation, on modesty and on total self-giving.

The Eucharist that we celebrate brings us into communion of life and love with Christ and disposes us to act like Him. AMEN

Translated by Michel Clairoux