2 November 2024 - Commemoration of all the faithful departed

Wis 3:1-6.9; 1 Cor 15:51-57; Mt 25:31-46

Homily

Our Gospel is taken from Matthew 25. This is the chapter that immediately precedes the tragic process that will lead Jesus to his death. In the first part of this chapter, Jesus spoke to his disciples, reminding them of their responsibilities and inviting them to be vigilant, for example in the parable of the ten virgins awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom and in the parable of the talents.

In the passage from this same chapter that we read today, Jesus talks about how, at the end of time, he will face in judgement not his faithful followers - not those who have known him and heard his message - but the pagan nations. The story begins like this: ‘ When the Son of Man comes in his glory... he will sit on his throne of glory. All nations will be gathered before him’. For any Jew listening to Jesus -- and also for any Jew for whom Matthew was writing -- the expression ‘ all nations ’ could mean only one thing: all the Gentile nations, all the non-Jewish world, all those who had not heard of Jesus and had not been reached by his message.

Well then, Jesus distinguishes two groups among the Gentiles who have not known him here on earth and who have not had the opportunity to learn about his Revelation in the Bible. Some of them will inherit the kingdom of heaven and others will go to eternal punishment. And the impressive thing is that the difference between the two groups will not be based on their attitude towards God, but on their attitude towards their neighbour. They will not be asked whether they belonged to a religion or followed a spiritual master. They will be asked what they have done for their brothers and sisters. To some Jesus will say (and let's not forget that he is speaking to pagans!): ‘ Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. I was hungry and you gave me to eat... I was a stranger and you welcomed me...’.

And no doubt even more surprised will be those to whom He says: ‘ I was thirsty and you didn't give me anything to drink. Instead, you dried up my spring to irrigate industrial plantations; I was a foreigner, and you didn't welcome me; on the contrary, you refused me a residence permit and drove me back to the border, as you politely put it; I was naked, and you didn't clothe me; I was sick and in prison, and not only did you not visit me, you kept me in complete isolation. ’ And in response to their surprise (‘ When did we ever see you hungry and thirsty, naked, a stranger, sick or in prison, without putting ourselves at your service?’) he replied: ‘ Amen, I tell you, whenever you didn't do it to one of these little ones, you didn't do it to me either. ’

The situations that Jesus lists are well-known situations, which our newspapers and news bulletins are full of. And let's not take too much comfort in the fact that we are disciples of Jesus and not pagans; because if we behave like those whom Jesus calls ‘ goats “ as opposed to ” sheep “, if we ignore the needs of the hungry, the strangers, the prisoners, the sick, etc., we will be doubly guilty, since we will have read the Gospel all our lives, in which Jesus constantly identifies himself with these ”little ones".

The Gospel uses several titles to refer to Jesus. In this Gospel account, the title Jesus uses to refer to Himself is the Son of Man. And that makes a lot of sense, because the ‘Nations’, who have not had the revelation of the other titles of the Messiah, will meet the Son of Man on the Day of Judgement, the human being in the fullness of his dignity. And they will be judged on the way they have treated human beings throughout their lives. And so it will be with us. In the end, we will be judged on love.

As we come to the end of the liturgical year, let us ask ourselves what our attitude is towards our human sisters and brothers in our everyday lives. Do we have an attitude of ‘service’ - for that is what the goats in this Gospel admit they have not done: ‘When did we see you hungry, etc., without putting ourselves at your service?

Are we sheep or goats?

Armand VEILLEUX

2 novembre 2024 – Commémoration de tous les Fidèles défunts

Sg 3, 1-6.9; 1 Co 15, 51-57; Mt 25,31-46 

Homélie

           Notre évangile est tiré du chapitre 25 de Matthieu. C’est le chapitre qui précède immédiatement la mise en marche du processus tragique qui conduira Jésus à sa mort. Dans la première partie de ce chapitre, Jésus s’était adressé à ses disciples, leur rappelant leurs responsabilités et les invitant à la vigilance, par exemple dans la parabole des dix vierges qui attendent l’arrivée de l’époux et, dans la parabole des talents.

1 November 2024 - Feast of All Saints

Rev 7:2-4.9-14; 1 Jn 3:1-3; Mt 5:1-12a

Homily

          These words of Jesus are surprising words. They are not very 'religious'. There is no question of religion, not even of prayer. They refer to real life - a life in which there are people who suffer and are comforted, people who are subject to their fate and are finally fulfilled, people who are hungry and thirsty for justice, people who are pure of heart and work for peace in this world, but also poor people and the persecuted. A world, after all, not so different from our own. And to this world Jesus offers happiness. A happiness that is available to everyone, if instead of running after the idols of money and power, we opt for the reign of God. "Blessed are the poor; they have chosen the kingdom of heaven".

1^er novembre 2024 – Fête de tous les Saints

Apo 7,2-4.9-14 ; 1 Jn 3,1-3 ; Mt 5,1-12a

Homélie

          Ces paroles de Jésus sont des paroles surprenantes. Elles n’ont pas grand chose de « religieux ». Il n’y est pas question de religion, même pas de prière. Elles se réfèrent à la vie concrète – une vie où il y a des personnes qui souffrent et qui sont consolées, des personnes soumises à leur sort et qui finalement sont comblées, des personnes affamées et assoiffées de justice, des personnes qui ont le coeur pur et qui travaillent pour instaurer la paix en ce monde, mais aussi des gens pauvres et des persécutés.  Un monde, somme toute, pas tellement différent du nôtre.  Et, à ce monde, Jésus offre le bonheur. Un bonheur qui est à la disposition de tous, si au lieu de courir après les idoles de l’argent et du pouvoir, on opte pour le règne de Dieu. « Bienheureux les pauvres ; ils ont choisi le royaume des cieux ».

29 October 2024 - Tuesday of the 30th week of the even-numbered year

Eph. 5, 21-33; Luke 13, 18-21

Homily

          These two parables are part of a group of four found in the three synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), even though each of the Evangelists has placed them differently in his narrative. The other two are those of the patient farmer who has placed his seed in the ground and waits for it to grow, and that of the weeds mixed with the good seed, and which will only be uprooted when the seed has reached its full growth. All four parables speak of the same reality, that is, the apparent failure of Jesus in his preaching, or at least the slowness with which the results of that preaching were manifested.  

30 October 2024 - Wednesday of the 30th week

Eph 6, 1-9; Lk 13, 22-30

Homily

If you don't mind, we'll begin by analyzing the meaning of several expressions in this passage from Luke's Gospel, and then we'll see how this message also applies to us.