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The Alphabet of Lent – Letter M

4 mars 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: afraid, alone, believe, desperate, hope, Jairus, Mark 5:22-43, messages

M for Message

Messages, we receive plenty of them!
Those which used to come to us through the mail still reach us.
But the many platforms of the social media are now a more importance source.

Permanent connection, continuous information, repeated messages in loop – each second downloads them!
Each message brings its contents and… the emotions it awakens…
All comes our way: Information, invitations, questions, challenges…

Ask yourself the question: What was the latest message you received?
What was your reaction when you learnt what it said?

In the gospel of Mark, there is an interesting scene about this subject.
We meet Jairus, the leader of the synagogue asking Jesus to come and heal his daughter seriously ill (Mark 5:22-43).
Already on the way, Jesus stops to heal a woman who has been sick for a long time.

At that moment, some people arrive from Jairus’ home bringing a message to him:

 “Your daughter is dead,” they said.
“Why bother the teacher anymore?”
Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, 
‘Don’t be afraid; just believe’.”

The young girl is already dead, what hope is there still?
Jesus tells Jairus not to be afraid… to believe…

I stop and I ask myself how I would have received these words?…

To believe that God is with us even when we seem unable to overcome what cannot be overcome?
To believe that we are never alone?…
To believe that God does not leave us on our own to face the desperate situations we have to deal with?…
To believe that, from death… God can draw… some good… life itself?…

It seems to me that, from deep within myself, I hear ‘a small voice’ whispering:
‘A real feat it is!’

Yes… to believe as He alone can enable us to do…

 

Source: Images: pexels.com (Cottonbro Studio)

 

Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, Year A – 2020

12 juin 2020
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: alone, Deuteronomy 8:14-16, Deuteronomy 8:2-3, Jn.6:51-58, looking back, meaning, pandemic, struggle

Though the confinement is being relaxed, the pandemic has not left us yet.
Many people try to find some meaningful activity to fill the many hours spent at home… alone.

Looking back at the past can be such a meaningful activity.
This is the invitation that today’s 1st reading offers us (Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14-16)

“Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you…”
 
Much can happen in a long stretch of time, a long stretch of life.
The text adds that God was somehow ‘testing’ his people

“to know what was in their heart.” 
 
What is in our hearts?
So many things, indeed all kinds of things, possibly the best and… the worst, at times.
Because this is what we are capable of: the best and the worst.
The most compassionate, generous, self-giving, other-centred behaviour can be ours.
And, sad to say, the opposite of these noble attitudes can be found in us as well.

There are moments when we are willing to help and comfort others, to listen to them and assist them in their need.
But there are situations that find us ready to put down, to fight, to crush those who stand in our way.
We are not always able to allow our best self to overcome the other selfish and mean part of us.

We need help – the very help that is offered to us in today’s gospel (Jn.6:51-58):

“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.”
 
The journey goes on, the road ahead will see us on the way, day in, day out,
but NOT alone – not alone to struggle, to find meaning to our existence.
Someone is there with us, will always be there…
And this changes everything.
 

Note: Another reflection on a different theme in French can be found at: https://image-i-nations.com/fete-du-corps-et-du-sang-du-christ-annee-a-2020/

 

Source: Image: Unsplash

 

 

 

19th Sunday of the Year A

10 août 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: alone, answer, Apostle Peter, apostles, faith, fear, Jesus test, pray, rely on, request, storm, struggle, trust

The theme of last Sunday (Feast of the Transfiguration, Year A) is back again: “Do not be afraid…”

Yet, the situation described in today’s gospel (19th Sunday of Year A – Mt.14:22-33) is quite frightening!
A storm on the lake and the apparition of… a mysterious being walking on the water – this is most unusual and rather scary, even for grown-up fishermen like the Apostles.

After the multiplication of the loaves, Jesus had stayed behind to send back the people.
He had remained on his own to pray.
An unexpected storm is raging and the apostles are alone.
They feel insecure and they struggle to face a situation which they seem unable to control.

The strange being moving in the distance does not reassure them in any way.
Then, they hear the voice they know well: that of Jesus himself telling them, yes, not to be afraid!
As usual, the first to react is Peter who utters a request typically true-to-character:
“Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.”
 
We know the rest!
Peter has somehow put Jesus to the test and… Jesus took him to his word.
But the test was, in fact, one of Peter’s faith!

The struggle on the lake was between the strength of the fishermen and that of the waves, of course,
But it was also a struggle between doubt and faith…
A struggle between fear and trust…
A struggle between relying on oneself and… on someone else – the one who calls to us.

And the answer needs to be repeated day in day out, on a stormy day as well as when the sun shines bright!

Source: Image: lds.org