hello

Greetings to each and everyone of you.


This section for English-speaking viewers –
and all those enjoying the culture –

has developed over the months and is now offering materials of all kinds:

texts, images, poems, videos, etc.

It will continue to provide you with rich contents week after week.

 

32nd Sunday of Year A – 2023

10 novembre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: foolish, God's coming, Matthew 25:1-13, oil, sensible, waiting

Have you ever stood at a door knocking and… being refused entry?
You knew that some people were there but did not open.
Finally, they simply said that… they did not know you.
A very frustrating experience, if ever there was one!

This is a scene we find in today’s gospel text (Matthew 25:1-13).
It is entitled: Ten bridesmaids ­­­– five of them qualify as ‘sensible’, the others are said to be ‘foolish’.
This parable of Jesus is well known to us and its message also but…
We may tend to keep seeing it as a story and remain reluctant to see where we, ourselves, stand…

All ten bridesmaids fell asleep – the problem was not there.
But some of them had prepared for a long wait… the others had not…

Waiting – there is much waiting in our lives!
Situations when we must wait for something to happen, for someone to arrive –
this is familiar to all of us.

But there is a special kind of waiting…
It is waiting for… GOD…

This means that, first, we believe that he is indeed coming, coming to us, personally.
When will he reach us?
We do not know.
How will his presence be manifest?
This is also unknown and… unpredictable!

Like us, the apostles wanted to know, and they had asked Jesus:
“The apostles came and asked him privately,
‘Tell us when is this going to happen,
and what will be the sign of your coming’.”

He, himself, says: “I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:7,12).

When they asked the question from Jesus, his apostles were thinking of the end of the world.
But this is not the only moment we should expect him.
He will definitely come to us… at the end of our lives, each one of us.
But again, there is more to his coming to us than this last moment of our existence.

In fact, God is constantly coming to us.
The sudden inspiration to help someone in need – he is coming…
The unexpected arrival of a hoped for visitor – he is coming…
The strength received to be faithful to a commitment – he is coming…
The compassion received from a friend in a time of loss – he is coming…
The health restored after a serious accident – he is coming…
The forgiveness received from him in spite of much unfaithfulness – he is coming…

But to see it all, one has to be… ‘sensible’ – having this special oil of perception of his constant coming!

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/32e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2023/

 

Source: Image: Doyenné ­Pau – périphérie

 

Common Sense Day – 4 November

4 novembre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: interprétation, judgements, philosopher, practical knowledge, solve problems., thinking

HISTORY OF USE YOUR COMMON SENSE DAY

Common sense as a concept is ancient, first being brought to the limelight by the great philosopher, Aristotle. He described it as the ability with which animals (including humans) process sense perceptions, memories, and imagination to reach many types of judgments. To his thinking, only humans have real reasoned thinking, which takes them beyond common sense. This was then carried forward in the Roman interpretation, which holds that concepts like ideas and perceptions are held by man and make them more sophisticated than animals.

French philosopher, René Descartes, established the most common modern meaning, and its controversies, when he stated that everyone has a similar and sufficient amount of common sense, but it is rarely used well.

Since the Age of Enlightenment, the term “common sense” has been used for a rhetorical effect both approvingly, as a standard for good taste, and source of scientific and logical axioms.

In modern times, common sense is defined as ‘the basic level of practical knowledge and judgment that we all need to help us live reasonably and safely”. Without any doubt, applying common sense could save one a lot of problems.

Common Sense Day was created by Bud Bilanich, a career mentor, motivational speaker, blogger, and author. He’s starred in some leading TV shows and magazines and has written 19 books that highlight how to succeed in life, and how the application of common sense is vital to that success. Common Sense Day was first celebrated in 2015.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://nationaltoday.com/use-your-common-sense-day

31st Sunday of Year A – 2023

3 novembre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 1 Th. 2:13, 1 Th.2:7-9, concepts, Holy Spirit, ideas, thèmes, theories, thoughts, word of God

There are things we are told that we believe we know, yet…
We sometimes think that because we have heard something said many times, we understand them, but…

This could apply to… the word of God.
Writing to the early Christians of Thessalonica, the apostle Paul tells them (1 Th.2:7-9,13):

“When you received the word of God, which you heard from us,
you accepted it not as the word of men, 
but as what it really is, the word of God.”

Could Paul say the same from us?
It is good to ask ourselves:
When picking up the Bible to read a text, are we aware, really aware, of “what it really is” as Paul says?
When we hear a passage from Scripture being read to us, are we convinced that it is indeed “the word of God”?

In fact, the word of God is often written with a capital letter: Word of God,
with the meaning that it is Jesus himself, the Son of God, speaking to us.
It is not simply a printed text, not only words from a book, but God addressing us personally.

Of course, the texts have been written by human beings –
but human beings who placed themselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, God’s own Spirit.

This changes the whole perspective – we are not considering texts, themes, or theories.
We are not reflecting about ideas, thoughts, or concepts…
We are meant to meet Someone addressing us directly!

And this Someone is God himself!
How different an experience this can be!…

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/31e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2023/

 

Source: Image: One Walk ǀ with Jesus

 

 

 

World Vegan Day – 1 November

31 octobre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: animal suffering, animal-free food, change, nutrition, Veganism, way of life

The vegan way of life is increasingly establishing itself in our society as a way of life that can be practiced not only easily, but above  all without the need to cause animal suffering for one’s own food and clothing. Even in rural areas, the range of vegan products available in supermarkets is growing so that the fact that veganism is on the advance in our society can no longer be denied. Also the number of hotels and restaurants that focus on animal-free food has increased enormously in recent years. Long ago the fear of many Veganer, the purely vegetable nutrition is only a temporary, social trend, the conviction gave way that the Veganismus with its contribution for animal and environmental protection finds ever more trailer – and this world-wide.

The history of World Vegan Day

World Vegan Day originated in England in 1994, when vegan animal rights activist Louise Wallis was looking for a suitable setting to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Vegan Society. As President of the Vegan Society, her aim was not only to emphasise the continued existence of a vegan association, but also to draw attention to the fact that the word ‘vegan’ had found its way into the English language.

Wallis set November 1 as the date, as it falls exactly between October 31, which is Halloween, and the Mexican Day of the Dead, which falls on November 2. Since November 1, 1994, World Vegan Day has thus provided a welcome occasion for vegans in all parts of the world to celebrate and further promote veganism with all its positive aspects.

A ‘day of action’ with a higher sense

The World Vegan Day is not only about exchanging ideas with like-minded people and to honour Veganism. In the foreground on this day above all the clearing-up work is located: Humans, who do not have so far yet or only little entrance to the veganen way of life, are to be brought by information material or leaflets to the thinking and reorientation. The active dialogue with omnivores or vegetarians regarding their consumer behaviour and the advantages of a purely vegetable food plays an important role. Finally Veganer, which take part in the Weltvegantag actively, want to make attentive to the fact that each individual can make its contribution for animal and environmental protection and change thus much – completely after the slogan Gandhis: “Be you yourself the change, which you wish yourselves for this world ».

 

Source: Text: https://vegan-day.org/en/       Image: Journée mondiale

World Cities Day – 31 October 2023

31 octobre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: challenges, cooperation, global urbanization, habitat, inclusive cities, planning, sustainable development

Background

The United Nations General Assembly designated 31 October as World Cities Day, by its resolution 68/239. The Day is expected to greatly promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization, push forward cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities addressing challenges of urbanization and contributing to sustainable urban development around the world.

Urbanization provides the potential for new forms of social inclusion, including greater equality, access to services and new opportunities, and engagement and mobilization that reflects the diversity of cities, countries and the globe. Yet too often this is not the shape of urban development. Inequality and exclusion abound, often at rates greater than the national average, at the expense of sustainable development that delivers for all.

Urban October was launched by UN-Habitat in 2014 to emphasize the world’s urban challenges and engage the international community towards the New Urban Agenda.

Sustainable Development Goal 11, which formulates the ambition to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable – underlying the relevance of UN-Habitat’s mission. Inequalities in cities have grown since 1980. The world largest cities are also often the most unequal, and this year’s theme is embraced by the action and implementation of the New Urban Agenda, which is putting the topic of inclusive cities as one of the main pillars for the urban shift.

In October 2016, the HABITAT III Conference, held in Quito, adopted a new framework, which will set the world on a course towards sustainable urban development by rethinking how cities are planned, managed and inhabited. The New Urban Agenda will set the pace on how to deal with the challenges of urbanization in the next two decades, and is seen as an extension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, agreed on by the 193 Member States of the UN in September 2015.

 

Source: Text & IMage: https://www.un.org/en/observances/cities-day

 

30th Sunday of Year A – 2023

27 octobre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: compassion, Exodus 22:20-27, Luke 6:36, migrants, orphans, people in need, poor, refugees, widows

Often, those in power do not pay much attention to ordinary people.
People who enjoy wealth and influence are not always keen to be associated with those who are less fortunate.

We know that God is almighty and his power is infinite, yet…
Yet, he does not keep at a distance from the human beings he has created.
Amazingly, he identifies with them, even the poorest and most needy.

This is what today’s 1st reading tells us very clearly (Exodus 22:20-27).
This text of the Book of Exodus speaks of the foreigner, the widow, the orphan, the poor who pledged even his own cloak.
All such people are people in need and not only does God cares for them, but he also wants us to do the same.
He tells us to do so in very strong words.

God insists that we must not take advantage of people in need.
“My anger will be aroused”, says God, if we do not obey his command.

And he adds: “When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate”.
 
To the people listening to him, this is precisely what Jesus will teach:
“You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate” (Luke 6:36).

This is what is expected of us in these our days…
The migrants and the refugees are at our door…
The widow and the orphans are waiting for help…

The poor of all kinds are begging for assistance…
Compassion is what they are all hoping for…

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/30e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2023/

 

Source: Images: pexels.com  (Ahmed Akacha) unsplash.com (Jon Tyson)  Bible Portal

 

 

 

29th Sunday of Year A – 2023

20 octobre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: captivity, exile in Babylon, God beyond our theories and theologies, God's choice, Isaiah 45:1, Isaiah 45:4-6, King Cyrus, libération, special mission

 

God is an amazing God – so much beyond what we think of him.
Beyond our frontiers, our perimeters, our borders…
Beyond our theories, our ideologies, our theologies…
Beyond our definitions, our explanations, our anticipations!

We constantly need to remind ourselves of this.
Today’s 1st reading – the text of Isaiah – helps us be more aware of this (Isaiah 45:1,4-6).
The prophet expresses God’s message to King Cyrus in these words:

“This is what the Lord says to his anointed,
to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of
to subdue nations before him…
I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor,
though you do not acknowledge me…
I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me.”

God has chosen Cyrus, a Persian King, to deliver the Jewish people from their captivity in Babylon.
This famous king does not know Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, yet God has chosen him as “his anointed”.

God does not reproach Cyrus for not recognizing him, on the contrary.
God chooses him as his instrument to carry out the liberation of his people.
He assures him that he will give him the strength required to accomplish this special mission.

King Cyrus was a great king and a powerful ruler.
He had conquered lands and obtained victory over nations, but he was a humane leader.
He showed compassion to the Jews and allowed them to return to their country and rebuild the Temple.
It is to such a man that God confides the responsibility of restoring the heritage of his people.

God’s choice does not always follow our human criteria.
God’s call of people is not always according to what we would see fitting.
God sees the heart, the secret intentions and motivations, and he welcomes anyone, everyone…
Everyone ready to follow the guidance of his Spirit…

Cyrus did exactly that!

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/29e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2023/

 

Source: Image: Wikipedia

 

 

 

World Osteoporosis Day – 20 October 2023

20 octobre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: ageing, disability, falls, fractures, life-style, pain, prévention

World osteoporosis day is a global healthcare event observed every year on 20 October, followed by various awareness campaigns and activities to promote the early diagnosis of osteoporosis, its treatment and preventive tips for strong bones. The campaigns are mainly focused on encouraging people to take preventative measures for their bone health to avoid any risk of osteoporosis and associated complications in the future.

Importance of World Osteoporosis Day (WOD)

Osteoporosis is a medical condition in which bones become very weak and brittle. Usually, it doesn’t show any symptoms unless the fracture happens. In the case of osteoporosis, the bone becomes so fragile that a fracture can occur with a minor fall, bump or sudden movement. The chances of osteoporosis prevail more with ageing. It is one of the most common causes of fractures in the elderly. Because of the asymptomatic nature of this bone disorder, it is essential to look after bone health to prevent complications related to bone fractures.

It is estimated that globally, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men aged 50 years suffer from an osteoporotic fracture, making it one of the leading causes of deadly pain and long-term disability in ageing people. Also, because of the poor healthcare infrastructure, facility, accessibility and lack of awareness, only 20% of patients with osteoporosis are getting diagnosed or treated.

The prevalence of osteoporosis in elderly female has been noticed more, after 5-7 year of menopause they tend to lose their bone density by 20%. To avoid any future complications in bone health, world osteoporosis day (WOD), with the help of concerned organizations and people around the world, creates awareness and encourages people to get an early diagnosis and check for bone density and act accordingly. Implementing a particular lifestyle and adhering to healthy food habits can help ensure healthy bones and prevent prolonged osteoporosis.

World Osteoporosis Day 2023 Theme

This year, 2023, the World Osteoporosis Day Theme is “Build Better Bones”, intending the significance of leading a bone-healthy lifestyle as the foundation for strong bones and fracture-free future.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://www.pacehospital.com/world-osteoporosis-day-20-octobe

World Breast Cancer Day – 19 October 2023

19 octobre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: causes of cancer, diagnosis, hormone therapy, treatment

How common is breast cancer?

Breast cancer accounts for 12.5% of all new annual cancer cases worldwide, making it the most common cancer in the world.  About 13% (about 1 in 8) of U.S. women are going to develop invasive breast cancer in the course of their life.

In 2023, an estimated 297,790 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in U.S. women, along with 55,720 new cases of DCIS.

In 2023, an estimated 2,800 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 833.

There are currently more than 4 million women with a history of breast cancer in the United States. This includes women currently being treated and women who have finished treatment.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women. About 30% of all newly diagnosed cancers in women each year are breast cancer.  

Did you know?

Breast cancer incidence rates in the United States began decreasing in 2000, after increasing for the previous two decades. They dropped by 7% from 2002 to 2003 alone.

One theory is that this decrease was partially due to the reduced use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by women after the results of a large study called the Women’s Health Initiative were published in 2002. These results suggested a connection between HRT and increased breast cancer risk. In recent years, incidence rates have increased slightly by 0.5% per year.

Breast cancer is still one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in U.S. women, second only to lung cancer.  

 

Source: Text: https://www.breastcancer.org/facts-statistics    Image: Canadian Cancer Society

World Menopause Day – 18 October 2023

18 octobre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, health, pregnancy, stigma, symptoms, well-being

World Menopause Day is held each year on 18 October to raise awareness, break the stigma and highlight the support available for improving health and wellbeing for those experiencing menopause.

Menopause is not just a gender or age issue, it is an organisational issue which can impact colleagues both directly or indirectly. Awareness around this topic is key to reducing the stigma attached to menopause and encouraging people to talk more openly about it.

The Long Term Workforce Plan has emphasised the importance of retaining our valued NHS workforce. Employers should be looking at their wellbeing offer and critically evaluating the experience of staff through all stages of their careers. The NHS People Promise explores the seven elements of creating a positive staff experience. A positive staff experience and a rounded support offer are vital to encouraging staff to remain in the workplace.

Did you know?

Research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) showed that:

  • women aged 50 and over are the fastest growing group in the workforce; the average age for menopause transition is 51
  • three out of five working women aged between 45 and 55 who are experiencing menopause symptoms say it has a negative impact on them at work
  • more than half of this group said they experienced more stress
  • nearly a third of women have taken sick leave due to their symptoms, but only a quarter told managers the real reason why.

World Menopause Day 2023

The theme for World Menopause Day 2023 is cardiovascular disease. The link between reproductive factors and cardiovascular disease is another important aspect of menopause that women need to be aware of.

Researchers have recently discovered that a woman’s reproductive experiences (including menstruation, pregnancy, breast cancer treatments and menopause) can affect the chances of developing cardiovascular disease later in life. Awareness of this can help determine an individual’s risk. 

The International Menopause Society has a range of resources available to support this year’s theme, these resources are also available in different languages.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://www.nhsemployers.org/news/world-menopause-day-18-october-2023