Homélies de Dom Armand Veilleux

12 July 2024 - Friday of the 14th week - even-numbered year

Hosea 14, 2-10; Matthew 10, 16-23

Homily

Today's first reading continues yesterday's beautiful text from the prophet Hosea, calling us to conversion. He calls us to return to the Lord by speaking to him. The formula is both beautiful and surprising: " Take words with you and return to the Lord ". We sometimes wonder whether it is really necessary to use words in our prayer, since God knows in advance everything we are going to say to him. And yet the prophet tells us " Take with you words...". It's because God wants to meet us on our own ground, to converse with us in human language. In the Old Testament, we could say that this was anthropomorphism. But in the New Testament, God became one of us and spoke to us in our own language. The Word of God became human speech. So we can - and must - speak to him. In reality, it is not He who needs to. We do.

11 July 2024 -- Solemnity of Saint Benedict

Prov. 2:1-9; Col 3:12-17; Matt. 19:27-29

Homily

           These words of Jesus are the conclusion of the Gospel story about a rich young man who had come to ask him what he should do to inherit eternal life. We know how Jesus invited him to sell all his possessions to follow him, and how, unable to resign himself to doing so, the young man went away sad. Jesus took the opportunity to make some disturbing remarks about the use of wealth. Then Peter asked Jesus: "We have left everything to follow you; what will become of us? In his reply, Jesus promised that they would share in eternal life.

11 juillet 2024 -- Solennité de saint Benoît

Prov. 2,1-9; Col 3, 12-17; Matt. 19, 27-29

 

H O M É L I E 

           Ces paroles de Jésus sont la conclusion du récit évangélique concernant un jeune homme riche qui était venu lui demander ce qu’il devait faire pour hériter de la vie éternelle. On sait comment Jésus l’avait invité à vendre tous ses biens pour le suivre, puis comment, ne pouvant se résigner à le faire, le jeune homme s’en était allé tout triste. Jésus en profita pour faire quelques réflexions dérangeantes sur l’usage de la richesse. C’est alors que Pierre posa à Jésus la question : « Nous, nous avons tout quitté pour te suivre ; qu’en sera-t-il de nous ? » Dans sa réponse, Jésus promet qu’ils auront en partage la vie éternelle.

7 juillet 2024 – 14ème dimanche ordinaire "B"

Ez 2, 2-5; 2Co 12, 7-10; Mc 6, 1-6 

H o m é l i e

            Lorsque Jésus arrive à Nazareth, (car on suppose qu'il s'agit bien de Nazareth, même si Marc, sans doute volontairement, ne nomme pas la ville), sa réputation l'a précédée. En lisant les chapitres précédents de l’Évangile de Marc, nous voyons que non seulement la renommée de thaumaturge de Jésus l’a précédé à Nazareth, mais aussi la réputation de personnage dangereux que lui ont faite les pharisiens et les chefs du peuple -- qui ont d'ailleurs déjà décidé de le faire périr (Mc 3,6). On sait qu'il enseigne en son propre nom et non pas comme les scribes (Mc 1,22). On sait qu'il n'observe pas les traditions, osant toucher un lépreux et permettant à ses disciples d'arracher des épis et de les broyer le jour du sabbat et même de faire une guérison en ce jour-là (Mc 1,39-45; 2, 23-3,6); on sait qu'il va manger chez des gens peu respectables (Mc 2, 14-17), etc. D'ailleurs, à cause de tout cela sa propre famille avait conclu qu'il avait perdu la tête ; et était venue, y compris avec sa mère, pour le chercher et le ramener à la maison (Mc 3,21; 31-35).

7 July 2024 - 14th ordinary Sunday "B

Ezek 2:2-5; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Mk 6:1-6

Homily

When Jesus arrives in Nazareth (for we assume that this is indeed Nazareth, even though Mark, no doubt deliberately, does not name the town), his reputation has preceded him. If we read the preceding chapters of Mark's Gospel, we see that not only did Jesus' reputation as a miracle-worker precede him to Nazareth, but so did his reputation as a dangerous figure among the Pharisees and the leaders of the people -- who had already decided to have him killed (Mk 3:6). We know that he taught in his own name and not like the scribes (Mk 1:22). We know that he did not observe tradition, daring to touch a leper and allowing his disciples to pluck ears of corn and crush them on the Sabbath and even to heal on that day (Mk 1:39-45; 2:23-3:6); we know that he went to eat in the homes of disreputable people (Mk 2:14-17), and so on. Moreover, because of all this, his own family had concluded that he had lost his mind and had come, including his mother, to look for him and bring him home (Mk 3:21; 31-35).

4 July 2024 - Thursday of the 13th ordinary week

Am 7, 10-17; Mt 9, 1-8

Homily

When Jesus was in Galilee, the region that Isaiah had already called the "Galilee of the Gentiles" (Is. 7:23-9:1, quoted in Matt. 4:15), he was on the borders of the land of Israel and was often confronted by those whom the Jews called "Gentiles" or "pagans".

4 juillet 2024 – Jeudi de la 13ème semaine ordinaire

Am 7, 10-17 ; Mt 9, 1-8

H O M É L I E

           Quand Jésus se trouve en Galilée, cette région qu'Isaïe appelait déjà la "Galilée des Nations" (Is. 7,23-9,1, cité en Matt 4,15), il est aux frontières de la terre d'Israël et souvent confronté avec ceux que les Juifs appellent les "gentils" ou les "païens".