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.

 

4th Sunday of Advent, Year C – 2021

17 décembre 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: conflict, human freedom, killing, Micah 5:1-4, mission, peace, promise, security, war

The daily news broadcast on television shows us long files of migrants and would-be refugees.
Asked why they left their country, the recurring answer is that there was no security, no peace, where they come from.
SECURITY and PEACE, the essentials for a decent life, a life without threat of being hurt, tortured, killed.

In today’s 1st reading (Micah 5:1-4) the prophet Micah promises, in God’s name, those very precious things.
The prophet says that, when he comes to us, God’s Messenger will bring these gifts from God himself.
The message is clear and there can be no doubt about its meaning.

“They (the people) will live securely…
And he will be our peace.”

This special Messenger of God has indeed come to us.
This is what we prepare to celebrate anew in this Advent Season.
We know that he has not failed to carry out God’s promise to bring security and peace to our world.

But then, why, indeed WHY is there so much conflict, war, maiming, killing, in our world today?
Security? It is absent in so many places…
Peace? People lament that it is missing in so many areas.
What has happened?

The answer lies in… the ‘mystery’ of human freedom!
And it is a mystery, really!

God who created us in his own image, made us free beings.
But in so doing, he took the risk that we might use our freedom in a way that would go against his plan –
his plan of a world where people would love one another and live in peace.
We could say here what the popular expression repeats in different circumstances: “The ball is in our court”!

If we want peace, we need to promote it, to work for it.
We need to create situations where good will and mutual understanding make for peaceful relationships between us.

At this time, many of us start decorating our homes for the festive season.
What about putting somewhere – in the Christmas tree, or hanging on a star, or stuck in a window –
a small object which will remind us of our ‘mission’ of promoting peace, being messengers of PEACE?
 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/4e-dimanche-de-lavent-annee-c-2021/

 

And in a short video, also in French, Ghislaine Deslières offers us another reflection on this 4th Sunday of Advent, Year C, at: https://youtu.be/Rgi6z2MpJAM

 

 

 

Source: Images: The Reflectionary   etsy.com

3rd Sunday of Advent, Year C – 2021

10 décembre 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: dignity, expectation, God's coming, justice, Luke 3:10-18, questions, recognize, respect, waiting

Waiting – there is much of this in our lives, no doubt about it.
We wait for all kinds of things to happen and for different people to come.
We anticipate some events with joy and trepidation.
And we find it difficult to wait with patience for the arrival of certain people so eager are we to see them.

In the gospel of this Sunday (Luke 3:10-18), we see people coming to John the Baptist to be baptized.
And of them, the text says:

“The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts
if John might possibly be the Messiah”.
 
This description reveals some joyful anticipation, some eagerness for the coming of the one they call: ‘The Messiah’.

What about us… are we waiting for someone, truly waiting, eagerly expecting this Someone?
Are we wondering in our hearts… when he will be coming, under which form he will appear?…
Do we ask ourselves whether we will recognize him?…

Every year, in this period of Advent, we are invited anew to wait for the Lord.
We no longer wonder or ask ourselves questions –
it seems that we know well the One we are waiting for, and we can put a date on his arrival: Christmas day.

But… does this ‘historical’ coming not hide a more frequent coming of God in our lives?
Of God ‘dressed’ in a different clothing than the Child Jesus…
Of God, no longer lying in a manger, but knocking at our door for help…
Of God asking for food, work, justice, dignity – all that a human being has a right to…

God does not claim these for himself – we usually give him glory and praise and thanks, do we not? 
But he asks for, no, he demands respect, justice, help, for everyone of his children.
HE, TOO, IS… WAITING…

And our period of waiting should be an answer to HIS…

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/3e-dimanche-de-lavent-annee-c-2021/

And in a short video, also in French, Ghislaine Deslières offers us another reflection on this 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year C, at: https://youtu.be/bEtz8IfMSOA

 

Source: Images: biblepic.com    VideoHive  

World Climate Day – 8 December

8 décembre 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: carbon dioxide, climage change, environment, extinction, global warming, human migration

Contemporary climate change includes both the global warming caused by humans, and its impacts on Earth’s weather patterns. There have been previous periods of climate change, but the current changes are more rapid than any known events in Earth’s history.

The main cause is the emission of greenhouse gases, mostly carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane. Burning fossil fuels for energy use creates most of these emissions. Agriculture, steel making, cement production, and forest loss are additional sources. Temperature rise is also affected by climate feedbacks such as the loss of sunlight-reflecting snow cover, and the release of carbon dioxide from drought-stricken forests. Collectively, these amplify global warming.

On land, temperatures have risen about twice as fast as the global average. Deserts are expanding, while heat waves and wildfires are becoming more common. Increased warming in the Arctic has contributed to melting permafrost, glacial retreat and sea ice loss. Higher temperatures are also causing more intense storms and other weather extremes. In places such as coral reefs, mountains, and the Arctic, many species are forced to relocate or become extinct, as their environment changes. 

Climate change threatens people with food and water scarcity, increased flooding, extreme heat, more disease, and economic loss. It can also drive human migration The World Health Organization calls climate change the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century. Even if efforts to minimise future warming are successful, some effects will continue for centuries. These include sea level rise, and warmer, more acidic oceans.

 

Source: Text: en.wikipedia.org  Image: Utility Magazine

2nd Sunday of Advent, Year C – 2021

3 décembre 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Advent, choices, commitments, décisions, discern, Ph.1:8-11, Philippians 1:4-6, priorities, time, values

It happens to most of us: we sometimes feel we have too much to do, too many things to see to.
The commitments we have taken on are just too many.
The people relying on us for help, or advice, are too many, and their demand on our time is more than we can afford to give.
We may sit down one night and say: « I can’t go on like this, I must make some choices, take some decisions.”

We see it: in such a situation, what is needed is to set some priorities.
What is the most important, to what should I first give my attention, my time, my energy?
In fact, what we need to do is… to discern.

This is exactly what the apostle Paul tells the Philippians to do.
In the 2nd reading of this Sunday, we hear his words (Ph.1:4-6,8-11):

“This is my prayer: (…) that you may be able to discern what is best.”
 
In this period of Advent, this may be what we, too, are called to do: see what is best.
Find out what is really important in life, what we should invest ourselves in.

  • Which are the commitments we can take on at the moment?
  • What are the causes that are worth giving our time and efforts to?
  • Who are the people really in need of assistance?
  • What are the values that should prompt us to act, or withdraw?

And… would God approve of my selection?
Is he the one inspiring me to move in this or that direction?

Discerning what is best… is all about that, and Advent is a good period to reflect on this.

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/2e-dimanche-de-lavent-annee-c-2021/

And in a short video, also in French, Ghislaine Deslières offers us another reflection on this 2nd Sunday of Advent at: https://youtu.be/jN7uIU0V9-E

 

Source: Images: Dreamstime.com

World AIDS Day – 1 December 2021

1 décembre 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: awareness, communities, HIV-AIDS, inequalities, pandemic, solidarity, treatment, WHO

World AIDS Day brings together people from around the world to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and demonstrate international solidarity in the face of the pandemic.

The day is an opportunity for public and private partners to spread awareness about the status of the pandemic and encourage progress in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care around the world. It has become one of the most widely recognized international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have died, and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.

On 1 December 2021, WHO is calling on global leaders and citizens to rally to confront the inequalities that drive AIDS and to reach people who are currently not receiving essential HIV services.

 

Source: Text: WHO  Images: hiv.gov    unaids.org

Giving Tuesday

30 novembre 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: connection, generosity, giving, humanity, innovation, reciprocity, solidarity

As an organization, GivingTuesday promotes the concept of radical generosity— »generosity not as a benevolence that the haves show to the have-nots but rather an expression of mutuality, solidarity, and reciprocity. » To that end, they execute several year-round activities to support the generosity sector around the world.

GivingTuesday has a global presence through 75 country movements spanning the world, each representing their own unique cultures and needs, while remaining united in their determination to mobilize their countries around generosity and shared humanity. In each country, a team of entrepreneurial leaders work with their own ecosystems of communities, nonprofits, platforms, religious institutions, families, schools, and private sector partners to drive increased giving, connection, and innovation.

At a local and cause level, GivingTuesday operates through an interconnected network of leaders working toward a common goal. Around the world, hundreds of GivingTuesday communities are led by a range of handraisers: community foundations, nonprofits, giving groups, giving circles, and social activists. In the U.S. alone, more than 240 GivingTuesday communities and coalitions drive generosity among people with a common connection to a geography, cause, culture or identity.

 

Source: Text: en.wikipedia.org  Image: Dreamstime.org

1st Sunday of Advent, Year C – 2021

26 novembre 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: adjust, Advent, future, God's ways, honesty, integrity, Jr.33:14-16, justice, promise

There is no doubt about it: this 1st Sunday of Advent invites us to look to the future.
A promise is essentially doing this and it is a promise that we are given in the 1st reading (Jr.33:14-16).
The text of the prophet Jeremiah gives us God’s words in a clear language:

“The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfil the gracious promise I made…
In those days, I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;
he will do what is just and right in the land.”
 
We often speak of God’s grace, yes, our God is a gracious God.
He delights in showering on us his blessings of all kinds.
The promise he makes is that the Gracious One – the Righteous One – will do what is good for us.

Another translation of the text uses the words “honesty and integrity”
And the one who is coming to us in God’s name – God himself – is called:
“The Lord-our-integrity.”
 
We all want to receive good things from God, but how can we be sure that his blessings will be ours?
I would venture to say that the best way is to… ad-just ourselves to God’s ways –
that is to become just ourselves –

just in our ways of thinking
just in our ways of judging situations
just in our choices and decisions
just in the plans we make and the options we choose
just in our relations with people…

In other words: behaving with honesty and integrity.

This could be the first step in this Advent period as we set on the path to welcome anew God’s coming to us.

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/1er-dimanche-de-lavent-annee-c-2021/

And in a short video, also in French, Ghislaine Deslières offers us another reflection on this 1st Sunday of Advent at: https://youtu.be/lpkMLsxne3s

 

Source: Image: slideplayer.com

34th Sunday of Year B, Feast of Christ the King – 2021

19 novembre 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: authority, different, fake news, fame, glory, John 18:33-37, John 6:15, John 7:46, justice, king, voice

He came, long ago, but some still speak about him.
What he said, what he did, what he taught, how he related to people.
It was said that: “Nobody ever spoke like this man” (John 7:46).
 
He was… different, yes, everyone could see this, different yet…
There was something about him that drew people to him.
He did not look for glory or fame, no, he was concerned about others.
One day, they had tried to make him king (John 6:15) but he had escaped –
this was not at all what he had in mind.

Brought before the authority, he told a Roman procurator why he had come to our world (John 18:33-37):
“The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.
Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

If he came back to our world today…
If he came back, would he repeat these words?
Would he find people ready to listen to his voice?

He would be all too aware of:

the fake news,
the unfounded revelation of presumed facts,
the systematic distortion of evidence,
the prevailing disinformation,
the exaggeration of narratives,
the manipulation of witnesses,
the bias of some medias,
the misrepresentation of events,
the falsification of documents,
the attempts to pervert justice…

“Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
Would there be some?
Would we be among them, no matter the cost?
 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/34e-dimanche-de-lannee-b-fete-du-christ-roi-2021/

 

Source: Image: www.pinterest.com

33rd Sunday of Year B – 2021

12 novembre 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: choice, faith, God's presence, hope. joy, Ph.1:8-11, Ps.16:1, Ps.16:5, serenity

Every week, a new reflection appears here on the texts given to us for the Sunday celebration.
Most times, the text presented refers to one of the three readings assigned for the day.
Today, we will rather look at the Psalm (Ps.16:1,5,8-11) used as a response to the 1st reading.

The words of verse 8 have caught my attention:
“I keep the Lord before me always.”

An amazing statement!
The author of this Psalm affirms that God is present to him at all times.
If it was so for him, why would it not be so for us?

God present to us in all situations,
present in whatever happens,
wherever we find ourselves,
whatever be our condition at the moment.

The Psalmist is convinced that, remaining in God’s presence, he can claim:
“With him at my right hand, nothing can shake me.”

He keeps assured that he will “rest securely’ and that God “will not abandon” him.
He will be blessed with “abounded joy” in God’s presence.

Faith, Hope, Joy: the very ingredients of a life lived in serenity.
A choice offered to us all.

Note: Another reflection. in French, on a theme from the gospel is given at: https://image-i-nations.com/33e-dimanche-de-lannee-b/

And another reflection is available on a different theme also in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/33e-dimanche-de-lannee-b-2021/

 

Source: Image: Online Bible – Knowing Jesus

32nd Sunday of Year B – 2021

5 novembre 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: coins, comparing, John 6:9, Mark 11:1-11, Mark 12:38-44, Mark 9:24, poor, rich people

The expression is familiar: ‘That’s nothing compared with…’

A child will speak these words to boast of his father’s achievement, better than that of the father of his friends: ‘That’s nothing compared with’… what my father can do!’
A woman showing the item she got on sale will say the same to a neighbour who had shown her what she bought: ‘That’s nothing compared with’… what I got!’
A manager will use the same expression showing off before colleagues the special deal he obtained surpassing by far that of another manager: ‘That’s nothing compared with what I managed to gain! 

Reading today’s gospel text (Mark 12:38-44), someone may be tempted to say the same of the poor widow’s offering in the Temple:
She “put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.”
 
Of course, that’s nothing compared with…
“Many rich people threw in large amounts…” 
 
Those who happened to see the woman putting in her humble offering may have been tempted to make such a statement.
But in all the gospel texts reported to us by the different writers, nowhere can we find these words spoken by Jesus.

He did not say this when a young boy had only his few loaves and fishes to offer to feed the crowd (John 6:9).
He did not say this when he agreed to enter Jerusalem on a donkey rather than a horse as would the Roman rulers in his country (Mark 11:1-11).
He did not speak in this way either when the man who had brought his son with epilepsy admitted: “I have faith, help the little faith I have…” (Mark 9:24).

It seems that for Jesus, comparing people and their offering is something he cannot do.
For him, whatever we give, whatever we are ready to contribute, is precious to him –
no matter how small, no matter how insignificant it may appear to other people.

What comes from the heart, what is given wholeheartedly, this is the only thing that matters to God.
For him the value is not in the object itself but in the intention to please him.

Something truly encouraging for us who can find ourselves so rich… with so little!

 

Note: The scene of this gospel is presented in a video (in French) at:https://youtu.be/q3wwpTDlPPI

And another reflection is available on a different theme, also in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/32e-dimanche-de-lannee-b-2021/

 

Source: Images: Pinterest    YouTube