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.

 

7th Sunday of the Year, A

16 février 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 1 Peter 1:16, aim, Christian ideal-18, holy, Lev.19:12-17, love of enemies, Mt.5:38-48, need to lear, need to practise, saint.

During our Eucharistic celebration, when the time comes for the readings, we sit down, find a comfortable position, put our belongings in place, we may adjust one item of clothing or another – then we are ready to… listen.

This preparation may have extended to the beginning of the first reading causing the first lines to… escape our notice. If so, we may have missed the very important second verse of the 1st reading for today (7th Sunday of the Year, A: Lev.19:12-17-18).

The text says:
“Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.”

 To be holy – really?
To be a saint? Me!
How can this be?
What does it require?

Does it mean: Being without fault, without weakness of any kind? Not really…
Does it imply: Not to be self-centred, or short-tempered? This can help, but…
Does it demand: Not to fail in anything, not to fall short of the Christian ideal? It is part of it, but…

Today’s gospel (Mt.5:38-48) gives us clear guidelines:
“Offer the wicked man no resistance.
If anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well.
If a man would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
If anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him.
Give to anyone who asks or wants to borrow.
Love your enemies.
Pray for those who persecute you.
In this way you will be children of your Father in heaven.”

This is the reason, this is the purpose, this is the aim…
 

Something we are in constant need to learn and to practise –

just like the first Christians to whom the apostle Peter was repeating the words of today’s first reading.

Source: Images: www. Pinterest.com;   Wild Men of God

 

International Angelman Day – 15 February

15 février 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Angelmna syndrome, challenges, developmental delay, dreams, hopes, mobility issues, needs, understanding

People with Angelman Sydrome have the same basic wants, needs, hopes and dreams as anyone else – a need to feel loved, valued and included, and to experience caring and understanding relationships with family, friends, peers, teachers and their community. An exceptional gift that those with Angelman syndrome usually offer, is affection, joy and unconditional love. All they ask for, is that others take the time to get to know them as an individual, and respect the challenges they face.

Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a neuro-genetic disorder of Chromosome 15 that results in intellectual and developmental delay. It affects about 1 in 20,000 people. Individuals with Angelman Syndrome may speak only a few words. Many have mobility issues and may be wheelchair users. Most suffer with seizures and all require life-long 24/7 care. People with Angelman Syndrome are known for their wonderful smiles & warm personalities. M

The condition is named Angelman Syndrome, after Dr Harry Angelman. In 1965, he was the first person to make an observational diagnosis of 3 children who displayed very similar characteristics.

Source: Text & Image: IAD

World Radio Day – 13 February

13 février 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: challenges, change, dialogue, discrimination, human rights, information, problems, radio, sustainable development, truth, UNESCO

Message from Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of the World Radio Day      

We are living a revolution in how we share and access information – and, yet, in the midst of deep change, radio has never been so dynamic, engaging and important.
This is UNESCO’s message on World Radio Day, 13 February 2017.

At a time of turbulence, radio provides an enduring platform to bring communities together. On the way to work, in our homes, offices and fields, in times of peace, conflict and emergencies, radio remains a crucial source of information and knowledge, spanning generations and cultures, inspiring us with the wealth of humanity’s diversity, and connecting us with the world. Radio gives voice to women and men everywhere. It listens to audiences and responds to needs. It is a force for human rights and dignity and a powerful enabler of solutions to the challenges all societies face.

This is why radio is important to taking forward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Advancing fundamental freedoms and promoting public access to information is essential to bolstering good governance and the rule of law, to deepening inclusion and dialogue. In tackling new challenges, in responding to climate change, in countering discrimination, radio can provide an accessible and real-time medium to bridge divides and strengthen dialogue.

This requires a new commitment by all to radio. Broadcasters, regulators and audiences alike should nurture and make the most of its power. Listener clubs and forums are uniting communities around common issues with the power to hear themselves on the airwaves and to have others listen to them. Audience engagement policies are placing listeners at the heart of broadcasts. Media and information literacy has never been so vital, to build trust in information and knowledge at a time when notions of ‘truth’ have been challenged. This is how radio can provide a beacon for innovative solutions to local problems, and continue to advance human rights, gender equality, dialogue and peace.

On World Radio Day, UNESCO calls on everyone to nurture the power of radio to foster the conversations and the listening we need for cooperation to tackle the challenges all humanity faces.

Source: Text & Images: UNESCO

International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers – 12 February

12 février 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: armed conflicts, brutality, challenges, children soldiers, rape, rights of the Child, sexual violence, UNICEF, victimes, violence, war

 Child Soldiers are Boys and Girls we Failed to Protect
As we mark the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, tens of thousands of boys and girls are associated with armed forces and groups in conflicts in over 20 countries around the world. “Again this year, the multiplication of conflicts and the brutality of tactics of war have made children extremely vulnerable to recruitment and use,” said Leila Zerrougui, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.

In the most recent Annual report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, 56 of the 57 parties to conflict identified for grave violations against children are named because they are recruiting and using child soldiers.

Children are sent to the frontlines as combatants, but many are also used in functions that put their lives in danger such as cooks, porters, spies and informants. During their association with armed groups or forces, children are exposed to high levels of violence. They are witnesses, victims or forced to commit acts of brutality. In addition, a majority of girls, but also boys, are victims of rape and sexual violence. When they are captured or arrested for alleged association with armed groups, too often, children are not treated primarily as victims and denied the protection guaranteed by international norms and standards of juvenile justice.

“Children who are released or escape often have a hard time finding their place in society, or can even be rejected by their communities. We must make it our common responsibility to ensure sufficient resources are available for reintegration to provide psychosocial support as well as education and vocational training. This is crucial to their future and to build peaceful societies,” said Leila Zerrougui.

Twenty years of work to protect boys and girls in conflict
In 1996, the mandate of the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict was created following the realization that children were the primary victims of armed conflict.

Twenty years later, the international community’s engagement has resulted in a strong framework and concrete tools to engage with parties to conflict and address the violations committed against children during conflict.

“We still face huge challenges to protect children in times of war, but our work and advocacy has led to an emerging consensus among the world’s nations that boys and girls do not belong in national security forces in conflict or in any armed group,” declared the Special Representative

The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, now ratified by 162 state parties, has played a crucial role to bring about this consensus. Leila Zerrougui invites all Member States who have not yet ratified the Optional protocol to do so as soon as possible.

Children, Not Soldiers
In 2014, the campaign Children, Not Soldiers was launched by the Special Representative and UNICEF to support the last eight states –Afghanistan, Chad, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen- identified by the Secretary-General for the recruitment of children in their security forces.

Source: Text & Image: A child associated with an armed group in South Sudan is released, UNICEF

World Day of the Sick – 11 February

11 février 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Bernadette Soubirous, Lourdes, Parkinson disease. health, Pope Benedict, Pope Francis, sick

About World Day of the Sick
Pope John Paul II initiated the day in 1992 to encourage people to pray for those who suffer from illness and for their caregivers. The Pope himself had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s a year before, in 1991, and it is considered that his own illness was impetus for his designation of the day.

World Day of the Sick was first observed on February 11, 1993. February 11 is also the Catholic Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, which a name is given to the Virgin Mary in honor of the apparitions that were said to have been seen in and around Lourdes, France, by a young girl called Bernadette Soubirous. The Church canonized Bernadette as a saint several years later.

Did you know?
Pope Benedict XVI declared his decision to resign from his post as the Pope on this day in 2013. He cited his failing health as the reason behind his decision.

Source: Text: timeanddate.com  Images: Catholic News, Herald Malaysia

6th Sunday of the Year, A

9 février 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: excuses, fault, free, libération, maturity, mistake, scapegoat, Si.15:15-20

Have you ever notice how people answer when they must give an account of something… negative that has happened. You will hear:

“The cup fell and got broken.”
“This thing got lost.”
“So-and-so made me do that…”

All these statements have one thing in common: they ‘free’ someone from the responsibility of having done something.
He did not break the cup, she did not lose something, and if they did something wrong, well… it was the fault of somebody else!

This reflection came to me as I read the very first line of the first reading of this Sunday (6th Sunday of Year A – Si.15:15-20):
“If you wish, you can keep the commandments,
To behave faithfully is in your power.”

Being free, yes, from having to look for excuses, free from feeling obliged to find a scapegoat.
Being able to say:

“I did it.”
“It is my mistake.”
“It is my fault, I am sorry.”

What a liberating experience!
And the way to… human and Christian maturity!

Source: Image: www.nikkenu.com

 

 

International Epilepsy Day – 8 February

8 février 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: discrimination, epilepsy, illness of the brain, neurological disorder, sickness, success

International Epilepsy Day is marked in order to recognise that epilepsy is an illness and spread the message that people who suffer from it can be successful.

It is estimated that one in every 100 people suffers from epilepsy. Despite it being a recognised neurological disorder, there is still a lot of stigma and discrimination associated with epilepsy.

Epilepsy South Africa’s Gauteng Director, Magdaleen Kruger, says many people succeed in life despite living with the condition.  

“It is not a mental illness. It is not a psychiatric disorder and it is not infectious or contagious. It is a normal illness of the brain characterised by unusual electrical activity in the brain. People who suffer from epilepsy can live a full life if their condition is accepted as an illness.”

Source: Text: SABC Image: International League Against Epilepsy

World Cancer Day – 4 February

4 février 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: cancer, death, détection, disease, opportunity, prévention, spread, treatment

On February 04, 2017 World Cancer Day (WCD) is observed to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. This health awareness day is led by theUnion for International Cancer Control, a global consortium of more than 470 cancer-fighting organizations in over 120 countries.

The aims of WCD are to help save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about cancer, and pressing to governments across the world to take action against the disease. The day is a key opportunity for everyone affected by cancer to work together to ensure that world leaders stick to the promises they made at the UN Summit in relation to reducing the impact of cancer.

Cancer is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the body through the lymphatic system or bloodstream. Not all tumors are cancerous.

Significantly, the number of cancer cases and related deaths worldwide is estimated to double over the next 20 to 40 years. With the greatest increase in low and middle income countries, those least equipped to cope with both the social and economic impact of the disease.

Source: Text & Image: Cute calendar

Symbols
There are different symbols that are used to help promote the fight against different types of cancers. For example, the pink ribbon is a global symbol of breast cancer awareness, while the orange ribbon is associated with child cancer awareness. Another example is the daffodil, which the American Cancer Society sees as a symbol of hope that people share for a future where cancer is no longer a life-threatening disease.

Source : Text : timeanddate.com

5th Sunday of the Year, A

2 février 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: comforting, Is.58:7-10, listening, relief, Temptation, the homeless, the hungry, the Lord, the oppressed, the poor, understanding

Have you ever said to yourself: ‘If only I knew what God expects from me!’
The 1st reading of this Sunday (5th of Year A – Is.58:7-10) answers this desire.

The very first line says :
“It is the Lord who speaks…”
The prophet Isaiah, God’s messenger, reveals to us what God wants from us:

“Share your bread with the hungry,
and shelter the homeless poor,
clothe the man you see to be naked,
and give relief to the oppressed.”

It is clear and simple, but very demanding indeed!
Not to try and escape, not to do as if I had not seen, not to pretend I have not noticed.

The temptation is always there: to mind my own business, not to meddle with what concerns other people.

And if ‘what concerns other people’ – their needs, their situation of want, their lack of this or that – should become ‘my own business’!…
This is exactly what these words of the Lord demand of me.

We are inclined to protest: “There are so many people in need, they are always there… “
Their presence annoys us sometimes, their persistence irritates us.

‘We can’t help everybody!’ – ‘No, for sure…’
‘Impossible to come to the aid of everyone!’ – ‘Obviously!… But perhaps… one at a time…’

And beyond the material assistance, there is the understanding look, the attentive listening, the comforting reply…

And the word of the Lord asking that we do something,
this demanding word which exacts what we hesitate to give,
this word bears a promise:

“Cry, and the Lord will answer;
call, and he will say : ‘I am here’!”

Source: Images: colourbox; Daily Mail

 

World Leprosy Day – 29th January

28 janvier 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: awareness, cure, Hansen's disease, Leprosy, Mahatma Gandhi, prévention, Raoul Follereau, treatment

World Leprosy Day is observed internationally on January 30 or its nearest Sunday to increase the public awareness of the Leprosy or Hansen’s Disease. Leprosy is one of the oldest recorded diseases in the world. It is an infectious chronic disease that targets the nervous system, especially the nerves in the cooler parts of the body – the hands, feet, and face.

Source: Text: Wikipedia

The day was initiated in 1954 by French philanthropist and writer, Raoul Follereau, as a way to raise global awareness of this deadly ancient disease and call attention to the fact that it can be prevented, treated and cured.

About World Leprosy Day
Leprosy is one of the oldest diseases known to humankind. It is also known as Hansen’s disease, named after Norwegian physician, Gerhard Henrik Armauer Hansen, who debunked the prevailing notion of the time that leprosy was a hereditary disease. He showed that the disease had a bacterial cause instead. For thousands of years, people with leprosy have been stigmatized and considered to be at the extreme margins of the society. The aim of World Leprosy Day is to change this attitude and increase public awareness of the fact that leprosy can now be easily prevented and cured.

The date for World Leprosy Day was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of Indian freedom fighter, Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination on January 30, 1948. During his lifetime, Mahatma Gandhi worked tirelessly towards the betterment of people afflicted with leprosy.

Source: Text: timeanddate; Image: medindia