Homélies de Dom Armand Veilleux

May 20, 2025 - Tuesday of the 5th week of Easter

Acts 14:19-28; John 14:27-31a

Homily

The first reading tells us about a particularly eventful period in the apostolic ministry of Paul and Barnabas. Nothing discouraged them, even when they were subjected to violence and Paul was stoned and left for dead. If such violence was directed against them, it was precisely because not only did they refuse to use violence themselves, but they preached the Good News to everyone, without exception, thus recognising that every person has the same dignity and the same vocation as a child of God, beyond all differences.

20 mai 2025 – Mardi de la 5ème semaine de Pâques

Actes 14:19-28; Jean 14:27-31a

Homélie

La première lecture nous raconte une période particulièrement mouvementée du ministère apostolique de Paul et Barnabé. Rien ne les décourage, même lorsqu'ils sont l'objet de violence et que Paul est lapidé et laissé pour mort. Si une telle violence s'acharne contre eux, c'est précisément que, non seulement ils refusent d'utiliser eux-mêmes la violence, mais qu'ils prêchent la Bonne Nouvelle à tous, sans exception, reconnaissant ainsi à toute personne la même dignité et la même vocation d'enfant de Dieu, au delà de toutes les différences.

18 May 2025 - 5th Sunday of Easter “C”

Acts 14:21...27; Rev 21:1-5; John 13:31...35

Homily

          Jesus' last words to his disciples at the Last Supper have rightly been called his “spiritual testament”. Jesus does not give His disciples a final set of precepts or detailed recommendations about what they should or should not do. When He says: ‘A new commandment I give you, that you love one another’, the Greek word (entolè), which we translate into French as ‘commandment’ for want of a better term, has, in John's language, a doctrinal rather than a moral or legal meaning. In this context, it is much more a question of a ‘mission’ than a commandment. The word ‘mission’ implies that we are sent by someone to achieve something (unfortunately this word ‘mission’, so rich in meaning, tends nowadays to lose its richness, being frequently used to express the goal that a group gives itself). Loving one another is the mission we have received from Jesus. And this is how people will know we are His disciples; this is how we will be His witnesses.

18 mai 2025 – 5ème dimanche de Pâques "C"

Ac 14, 21...27; Ap 21, 1-5; Jn 13, 31...35

H O M É L I E

          Ces derniers mots de Jésus à ses disciples au cours de la dernière Cène ont été justement appelés le "testament spirituel" de Jésus. Celui-ci, en effet, ne donne pas à ses disciples une dernière série de préceptes ou de recommandations détaillées concernant ce qu'ils devront faire ou ne pas faire. Lorsqu'il dit: "Je vous donne un commandement nouveau : c'est de vous aimer les uns les autres", le mot grec (entolè) que nous traduisons en français par "commandement" à défaut d'un meilleur terme, a, dans la langue de Jean, un sens doctrinal plutôt que moral ou légal. Il s'agit, dans ce contexte-ci, beaucoup plus d'une "mission" que d'un commandement. Le mot "mission" implique qu'on est envoyé par quelqu'un pour réaliser quelque chose. (Malheureusement ce mot (mission), si riche de signification, tend de nos jours à perdre de sa richesse, étant fréquemment utilisé pour exprimer le but qu'un groupe se donne à lui-même). Nous aimer les uns les autres est la mission que nous avons reçue de Jésus. Et c'est par là que les gens saurons que nous sommes ses disciples; c'est ainsi que nous serons ses témoins.

May 17, 2025 - Saturday of the 4th week of Easter

Acts 13:44-52; John 14:7-14

Homily

Dear brothers and sisters,

          In these days of Eastertide, the first reading of the Mass continues to tell us about the beginnings of apostolic preaching, first in Jerusalem and then to all the nations. The Gospel reading is taken from Saint John, especially, in these days, from the account of Jesus' discourses to his disciples before his passion. The tone is very familiar. Yesterday, Jesus told them that he was going to his Father and their Father, and that they too knew the way. Thomas replied, ‘We don't even know where you're going; how can we know the way? Today he speaks to them of his Father and says: ‘From now on you know him and have seen him’. And this time it was Philip who replied: ‘Show us the Father and that will be enough for us’. This was an opportunity for Jesus to explain to them that the Father and he are one, and therefore whoever knows the Son also knows the Father.

May 16, 2025, Friday of the 4th week of Easter

Acts 13:26-33; John 14:1-6

Homily

Thomas is an interesting character. He never hesitates to intervene, even with undiplomatic questions. When Jesus told the Apostles that He was going to prepare a place for them near His Father and that He would come back to take them with Him, Thomas objected: “Lord, we don't know where you're going. How can we know the way?” And as with every time He speaks, Jesus takes him seriously and not only gives him an answer, but makes an important revelation: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

16 avril 2025, vendredi de la 4ème semaine de Pâques

Actes 13:26-33; Jean 14:1-6

H O M É L I E

Thomas est un personnage vraiment intéressant. Il n'hésite jamais à intervenir même avec des questions qui n'ont rien de diplomatique. Lorsque Jésus dit aux Apôtres qu'il va leur préparer une place près de son Père et qu'il reviendra les prendre avec lui, Thomas objecte : "Seigneur, nous ne savons pas où tu vas. Comment saurions-nous le chemin ?" Et comme à chacune de ses interventions, Jésus le prend au sérieux et non seulement lui donne une réponse, mais lui fait une révélation importante : « Je suis la Voie, la Vérité et la Vie. Nul ne vient au Père sinon par moi."