In a small country town, a stranger stopped outside the general store and saw a big sign reading: “Danger! Beware of dog!” As he entered, he stepped over Rocky, the shopkeeper’s big bloodhound, sound asleep and blocking the entrance. Looking down at the snoring dog, he turned to the owner and asked, “Is this the dog people are supposed to be afraid of?” “Yep, that’s him,” the owner answered. Amused, the man responded, “He certainly doesn’t look very dangerous to me. Why would you ever post such a sign?” The owner explained: “Because before I put up that sign, people kept tripping over him!”
“Beware, keep alert: for you do not know the time of your Master’s coming. Keep awake!”
In the 1950s, Prime Minister Nikita Khruschev famously described Russian foreign policy as follows: “We have no pride; only interests.” Today’s Gospel presents us with the fascinating encounter between Jesus and an unnamed Canaanite woman, a Gentile, living in what would
Although you wouldn’t guess it from the weather so far, summer is here! A time to wind down from our busy schedules, a time when parish priests are encouraged ro scale their homilies down to "homilettes". And yet, we continue to gather together on the Lord's day, to be nourished by the God who
We celebrate today the Ascension of the Lord. It is a fascinating feast, full of paradoxes: a leave-taking that prepares us for an arrival, an absence necessary to reveal a fuller and deeper presence. Jesus had already told his friends that it was necessary that he should go away, so that the promised Spirit could come, and lead them to a deeper and fuller truth. Contained in his farewell discourse, located by St. John on the evening of the Last Supper, it was a message intended to console, to comfort, to strengthen them for the trials to come.
Last year, the world of music and poetry lost an iconic figure: Montreal’s very own Leonard Cohen. Without ever renouncing his Jewish identity and traditions, Leonard was also strongly influenced by Buddhist teaching and practice. There are also many explicitly Christian images in his songs.
“Lord, it is good for us to be here!” These words, spoken by Peter on behalf of the disciples in today’s Gospel, express my sentiments well as we come together today (at St. Gabriel’s) to celebrate this Eucharist (Mass of Anticipation).
You are my beloved child: in you I am well pleased
Fr. Raymond Lafontaine, E.V.March 5, 2017
Lent begins – as it does each year – with the familiar story of the temptations of Jesus. It’s a story we’ve heard many times before. We know how it ends. How can we allow these words of Jesus to challenge us, to speak to us in the circumstances and challenges of our daily lives? As we embark
While reflecting on the Scriptures for this weekend's homily, I realized that we are coming to the end of the week of prayer for Christian unity, and the beginning of the week of prayer for vocations. And something came back to me from a retreat I attended many years ago.
St. Monica's Parish