21 May 2024 - Tuesday of the 7th week in Ordinary Time - even years

Jas 4:1-10; Mk 9:30-37

Homily

           It is said that the emperor Napoleon, towards the end of his career but before his fall, after having exercised a good deal of ‘power’ during his lifetime, confided to one of his generals: ‘Do you know what surprises me most in the world? - It's the inability of force to create anything. In the end -- he added -- the sword is always defeated by the spirit.

May 20, 2024: Memory of Mary Mother of the Church.

Gen. 3, 9-15.20 or Acts 1, 12-14; John 19, 25-34

Homily

           During the Second Vatican Council, some of the Council Fathers would have liked a document devoted specifically to the Virgin Mary to be proclaimed, no doubt attributing to her new titles in addition to all those that Tradition and popular piety have conferred on her. The Council opted instead to speak of Mary in chapter 8 of the dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, on the Church, placing her at the heart of the Mystery of Christ and the Church.

20 mai 2024 : Mémoire de Marie Mère de l’Église.

Gen. 3, 9-15.20 ou Ac 1, 12-14 ; Jean 19, 25-34

Homélie

           Au cours du Concile Vatican II, certains Pères conciliaires auraient voulu la proclamation d’un document consacré spécifiquement à la Vierge Marie, lui attribuant sans doute de nouveaux titres en plus de tous ceux que la Tradition et aussi la piété populaire lui ont conférés. Le Concile opta plutôt pour parler de Marie au chapitre 8 de la Constitution dogmatique Lumen gentium, sur l’Église, situant Marie au cœur du Mystère du Christ et de l’Église.

Solemnity of Pentecost 2024

Acts 2:1-11; Galatians 5:16-25; John 15:26-27; 16:12-15

Homily

          Behind the story of Luke that we had as our first reading, we find the story of the Tower of Babel. In this Old Testament story, the building of a tower that claimed to reach to heaven represented the efforts of the Assyrians' political and military power to exercise its authority over all the peoples of the known world and to impose uniformity of customs and language on them. God then intervened to ensure the diversity of languages. There is a certain ambiguity in this account, however, as this diversity can be interpreted as both a gift and a punishment.

Solennité de la Pentecôte 2024

Ac 2,1-11; Ga 5,16-25; Jn 15,26-27; 16,12-15

Homélie

           Derrière le récit de Luc que nous avions comme première lecture se trouve, comme en filigrane, celui de la tour de Babel. Dans ce récit de l’Ancien Testament, la construction d’une tour qui avait la prétention d’atteindre le ciel représentait l’effort du pouvoir politique et militaire des Assyriens d’exercer son autorité sur toutes les populations du monde connu et de leur imposer l’uniformité des coutumes et de la langue. Dieu intervient alors pour assurer la diversité des langues. Ce récit conserve cependant une certaine ambigüité, cette diversité pouvant être interprétée aussi bien comme un don que comme une punition.

18 May 2024, Saturday of the 7th week of Easter

Acts 28, 16-20.30-31; John 21, 20-25

Homily

With the solemnity of Pentecost, which we celebrate tomorrow, the liturgical season of Easter comes to an end. In the Eucharistic celebrations of the last seven weeks, the first reading, generally taken from the Book of Acts, has introduced us to the witness of the first martyrs of the Faith and the life of the first Christian community in Jerusalem, followed by the preaching to the Nations beyond the Jewish world, and particularly the ministry of Paul. The reading of the Gospel has told us about the appearances of Jesus to his disciples during this /period; and, since the beginning of the last week, we have been reading the chapters of the Gospel of John relating the words of Jesus to his disciples during the last meal he had with them and his long prayer to his Father during this same meal. So it was only natural that, on this last day of Paschal Time before Pentecost, we should read the last verses of the Acts of the Apostles and the last verses of John's Gospel.