22 August 2025 – Friday of the 20th week

Ruth 1:1-22; Matthew 22:34-40

Homily

In many societies, especially in Africa, solidarity within the extended family is an extremely important aspect of the social structure. In fact, this solidarity is essential for survival. Living conditions may be very simple and frugal, but no one generally lacks the essentials. When a woman becomes a widow and children are orphaned, they are taken care of by the extended family through a whole network of relationships. Similarly, strangers have a divine right to hospitality.

23 August 2025 - Saturday of the 20th week of Ordinary Time

Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17; Matthew 23:1-12

HOMILY

Jesus' main and most absolute statement in this Gospel is: ‘You have only one Father, the one in heaven.’ It follows that anyone who exercises fatherhood or motherhood in the family, society or the Church, exercises that of God, of whom they are the representative or vicar. Once this is clearly recognized, everything falls into place. The Christian community, no more than any other human society, can be an amorphous group without structure. Because of the social nature of human beings, the community is made up of a set of relationships, and these relationships are linked to the various services that the members of the community render to one another.

21 août 2025 – Jeudi de la 20^ème semaine

Jg 11, 29-39a ; Mt 22, 1-14

H O M É L I E

          Jésus utilise souvent l’image du banquet de noces dans l’Évangile, lorsqu’il veut révéler le mystère de l’histoire du salut.

21 August 2025 – Thursday of the 20th week

Jg 11:29-39a; Mt 22:1-14

Homily

Jesus often uses the image of a wedding banquet in the Gospel when he wants to reveal the mystery of salvation history.

Let us reflect a little on the meaning of this image. First of all, let us ask ourselves what distinguishes a banquet from an everyday meal.

20 août 2025, Fête de saint Bernard

Sap 7,7-10.15-16 ; Phil 3,17 - 4,1 ; Io 17,20-26

H O M É L I E

            Depuis déjà plus d’un siècle, nous célébrons saint Bernard comme Docteur de l’Église. Cependant, si Bernard est important pour nous, moines, c’est avant tout en tant que moine et abbé. Ce que nous attendons de lui n’est pas la réponse d’un grand maître à nos problèmes, mais plutôt les questions et les défis posés par un grand maître spirituel, qui était avant tout moine, et qui l’est demeuré à travers toutes les vicissitudes de sa vie.

August 20. 2025, Feast of Saint Bernard

Sap 7,7-10.15-16 ; Phil 3,17 - 4,1 ; Io 17,20-26

Homily

For over a century now, we have been celebrating saint Bernard as a Doctor of the Church. However, if Bernard is important to us monks, it is first and foremost as a monk and abbot. What we expect from him is not the answer of a great master to our problems, but rather the questions and challenges posed by a great spiritual master, who was first and foremost a monk, and who remained so through all the vicissitudes of his life.