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Acts 1:1-11

Feast of the Ascension, Year C – 2022

25 mai 2022
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: absence, Acts 1:1-11, appear, disappear, God's Spirit, Jesus' promise, Matthew 28:20, mystery, perceiving, présence, Seeing

Today’s feast is somehow mysterious…
In the 1st reading, we are told that, risen from the dead, Jesus has been appearing to his apostles a number of times (Acts 1:1-11).
A few verses later, we see him disappearing from their sight.

Appearing, disappearing – these two words bring to mind the two realities of presence and absence.
But, more still, they remind us of the two ways of understanding: through seeing and through perceiving.

Personally, I see this feast of the Ascension as an invitation to a new way of recognizing God among us.
It is no longer a presence that our eyes can see but a presence perceived by our hearts.

Our ‘vision’ of God no longer depends on our eyesight but on… our faith!
We no longer rely on what the eyes of our body can ascertain but on what God’s Spirit reveals to us in the depths of ourselves.

This reflection started with referring to this feast as ‘mysterious’.
All too often, people interpret a mystery as something we cannot understand.
This is a short-sighted explanation.
A mystery is rather something so great and so wonderful that we have never finished discovering it!

Exactly as God’s presence with us is!

God’s promise is clear: “Know that I am with you always, yes, to the end of time” (Matthew 28:20).
No if… but… perhaps…
Purely and simply Jesus’ promise, God’s promise!

Note: And another reflection, on a different theme, is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/fete-de-lascension-annee-c-2022/

 

Source: Image: Scripture Images

 

Ascension of the Lord, Year B – 2021

15 mai 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 2 Peter 3:8, Acts 1:1-11, Ascension, goals, God's plan, moments, seasons, time

Time, moments in time, seasons… they rule our life.
But we need to learn how to live according to their rhythm.

The 1st reading of this Feast of the Ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:1-11) shows him teaching his apostles for the last period during which he will be visibly present with them.
We are told that he is speaking to them about the kingdom of God – in other words, the way God wants to welcome people into relationship with him.

But the apostles ask Jesus:

“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
 
Obviously, they are not on the same wavelength…
Jesus corrects them in no uncertain terms:

“It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.”
 
I wonder if we, ourselves, would not sometimes deserve the same correction…
What concerns us most, very often, is the time when our own plans are going to be fulfilled.

God’s plan may seem to us more remote, distant, not very real or concrete.
We focus on the goals we set for ourselves, the realizations we want to see achieved.
Our moments are those of the immediate, we look for instant gratification…

We find is so difficult to adjust ourselves to God’s timetable.

Peter, the apostle, was reminding the first Christians:

“Beloved, do not forget this one thing,
that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years,
and a thousand years as one day”.    (2 Peter 3:8).    

A lesson we are in constant need to learn…
And learning together with it patience and the meaning of TIME…
 
Note: Another reflection on a different theme is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/ascension-du-seigneur-annee-b-2021/

 

Source: Images: iStock   Bible Verses Pictures – Scripture Images  

Fête de l’Ascension, année A – 2020

22 mai 2020
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Trésor ancien et nouveau
Mots-clés: "Loin des yeux...", Acts 1:1-11, apprentissage, disparition, foi, Homme de Nazareth, Jos.1:9, Mt.28:16-20, transformation

Nous vivons une période inédite en ce temps de pandémie.
Tous et toutes, nous savons ce qu’elle signifie et ce qu’elle exige de nous.

Quelque temps après le début de ces jours de confinement et de distanciation,
j’ai reçu un courriel d’une personne qui disait:
‘Le bon vieux dicton: “Loin des yeux, loin du coeur”, je l’ai changé pour:
“Loin des yeux, PRÈS du coeur”.

Ces paroles me sont revenues à l’esprit en lisant les textes de cette fête de l’Ascension. (Acts 1:1-11) (Mt.28:16-20)
Pendant trois ans, les apôtres avaient partagé le quotidien de Jésus, leur Maître.
Ils l’avaient vu assoiffé, fatigué, angoissé.
Ils avaient observé ses habitudes et ses manières de faire –
sa façon de marcher, de parler, et même de prier.

Lui, l’homme de Nazareth, avait parcouru avec eux les chemins de Palestine,
et on devine qu’ensemble ils discutaient de sujets divers en Araméen.
Les coutumes juives lui étaient bien connues et les Écritures de son peuple lui étaient familières.

Et voila que tout change soudainement!
Jésus quitte les apôtres – c’est du moins ce qui apparaît à leurs yeux et aux nôtres.
Il s’agit d’une disparition… ou est-ce une transformation?
La transformation d’un mode de présence…

C’est une transformation qui exige… un apprentissage pour en conprendre la signification.
Alors qu’il apparaissait aux gens après sa résurrection, le Jésus de Galilée n’est plus reconnaissable.
Un moment il est là au milieu du groupe et, soudain, il a disparu.
Il se manifeste à certains d’entre eux, puis c’est l’absence de nouveau.

Loin des yeux, mais PLUS PRÈS d’eux…
Sa présence est devenue intangible mais non moins réelle.
Invisible il demeure d’une proximité éternelle.

Il les assure:
“Moi, je suis avec vous tous les jours jusqu’à la fin du monde.”

Des siècles plus tôt, Dieu avait promis à l’un de ses messagers:
“Prends courage. Ne t’effaie point, ne t’épouvante point,
car l’Éternel ton Dieu est avec toi dans tout ce que tu entreprendras.” (Jos.1:9) 

Jésus de Nazareth, devenu le Christ ressuscité, réalise cette promesse… jusqu’à la fin des temps.
Le reconnaître demande un apprentissage,
un apprentissage de FOI qui doit être le nôtre aussi… au fil du temps…

Note: Une autre réflexion est disponible sur un thème différent à: https://image-i-nations.com/feast-of-the-ascension-year-a-2020/

 

Source: Image: Lincoln Cathedral

Feast of the Ascension, Year A – 2020

22 mai 2020
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Acts 1:1-11, believe, difficulty, doubts, Mk.9:24, Mt.28:16-20, proof, trust

The gospel texts have much for us to learn, to reflect upon, to be inspired and to be challenged by.
But at times, there are some texts which are also giving us some comfort and encouragement.
It can be a series of verses, but it can also happen that only one line, or even a few words, have some unexpected comforting message.

This is the case in today’s gospel text (Mt.28:16-20) where we are told:
“The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.”
 
This is surprising indeed.
The apostles had been with Jesus for some three years.
They had seen, heard and touched him (as John would later write: 1 Jn.1:1),
noticing what he said and observing what he did.

In the 1st reading is is also said:
“After his suffering, he presented himself to them
and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.”  (Acts 1:1-11)
 
Still some of the apostles doubted – is it not quite astonishing?
Astonishing, yes, but also encouraging for us who are struggling to believe.

There are moments when our faith is tested… questions arise in our minds.
We find ourselves in situations where we no longer see God present with us.
Some circumstances see us puzzled and perplexed, wondering and searching for meaning.
We are trying to make sense of some event that seems meaningless.

We should not think that this makes us guilty in God’s eyes.
He knows us, fragility is part of our human nature.
God understands our difficulty in trusting him in all things and at all times.
What he expects from us is that we try, and try again… and again.

And he is pleased when we make ours the prayer of the man in the gospel who said to Jesus:
“Lord, I believe but help my unbelief.” (Mk.9:24)
In other words: Help this part of me which is still struggling to overcome my doubts…

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/fete-de-lascension-annee-a-2020/

 
 
Source: Image: www.joyfulheart.com
 
 

 

Pentecost, C

11 mai 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: "under the influence", 1 Cor.12:12-13, 1 Cor.12:3-7, Acts 1:1-11, Holy Spirit

jeanbesset.unblog.fr“He is under the influence…” This expression has come to be used for someone “driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”
But is can be heard as well when speaking of a child acting “under the influence” of siblings or peers. Again a person seen as being weak in character will be said to be “under the influence” of anyone showing him or her some friendship.

Sadly, those examples have somehow a negative connotation but the expression itself need not be understood negatively. There are some good and positive influences. There are people who display some inspiring attitudes and generous behaviour and it is good to be under the influence of such men and women. We can sometimes see a brilliant student and people exclaim: “He is exactly like his Prof!” Or, those meeting a young artist painter or sculptor notice how he or she reproduces the skill of the famous master who trained him or her.

And today, on the Feast of Pentecost, it may be appropriate to think that we should be “under the influence” of the Holy Spirit, no less!

Of the apostles who, on the day of the first Pentecost, received this Spirit, the 1st reading (Acts 1:1-11) tells us: “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit”. And, in the 2nd reading (1 Cor.12:3-7,12-13), Paul reminds the first Christians of Corinth that the “Spirit was given to us all.” And this is valid for us as well.

To be under the influence of the Spirit means to allow him to inspire us, to mold us, to move us.  To lead us so that we may follow God’s way, take on God’s thoughts, adopt Christ’s values and imitate his attitudes – simply that, all of that!

Source: Image: jeanbesset.unblog.fr

Ascension, C

5 mai 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Acts 1:1-11, apostles, Ascension, Eph.1:17-23, Lk.24:46-53, power

www.pinterest.comWe repeat the words every time we recite the Creed : « He ascended to heaven…”  It is possible that our lips pronounce the words without our giving too much attention to what we speak. But this is what our celebration is about today. The 1st reading (Acts 1:1-11) tells us: “He (Christ) was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight.”

We try to picture the small group of men, simple people, used to the tangible daily realities, witnessing this happening. We are told: “They were staring in the sky…” I believe I would have done the same! They must have thought: “What a POWER!”

Of course, during the past three years, they had seen Jesus’ power curing sick people, even raising some from the dead. They were in the boat when he had commanded to the wind, calmed the sea and the storm had abated, but THAT now… moving up into the sky, going through the clouds… that was absolutely astonishing!

Many years later, the apostle Paul (2nd reading: Eph.1:17-23) will express this in a language that no one could have used at the time:
“(God’s) power at work in Christ,
when he used it to raise him from the dead
and to make him sit at his right hand in heaven.”

Just before his Ascension Jesus had told his friends:
“I am sending down to you what the Father has promised (the Spirit).
Stay in the city then, until you are clothed with the power from on high.”  (Gospel Lk.24:46-53)

Paul adds that God has also used this power “for us believers.” You may be wondering… where… how… has God used his power for you, in your life?
Today’s feast may be a good occasion to find out… and to remain assured that he is still using this power for you, in you…

Source: Image: www.pinterest.com