Recherche

image-i-nations trésor

answer

3rd Sunday of Easter, Year C – 2022

29 avril 2022
Nicole Gregoire
2 Comments
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: answer, Apostle Peter, be reminded, friendship with God, God knows, insights, John 21:19-31, proximity, questions

Reading the gospel texts, each one is inspired by them in his/her own way.
Any given text, at different moments, may open up new perspectives and offer new messages.

Today the long gospel text presents us with two different scenes (John 21:19-31).
In the second one, we see Jesus with Peter – a scene quite special indeed and rich in insights.
I read it again and… an unusual idea comes – the title I would give to this scene:
‘What God knows but… wants to be told again!’
 
Not once, not twice, but three times, Jesus asks a question from Peter.
A searching question, one that is very personal, and… evocative…
Every time Peter answers repeating the words:
“Lord, you know that I love you.”
 
The third time, Peter adds the words:
“Lord, you know everything…”
 
Peter is right: Jesus knows it but wants to hear it, he wants Peter to pronounce the words –
words that will remind him who has been weak, and betrayed Jesus, that he is still Jesus’ friend.

There are people who refuse to pray saying that God knows everything and does not need to be told of our needs.
They are convinced that God knows whatever situation we find ourselves in and does not need to be reminded of anything.

It is true but… perhaps WE need to realize what our situation is, what our needs are, and… what is the friendship that God offers us!
God who wants to share our life, in close proximity to us, from day to day…

It may be something that WE need to be reminded of!

 

Note: And another reflection, on a different theme, is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/3e-dimanche-de-paques-annee-c-2022/

 

Source: Image: Church of Jesus Christ

 

5th Sunday of Lent, Year C – 2022

1 avril 2022
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: answer, cell phones, compassion, computers, John 8:1-11, question, sand

Our days are filled with messages sent and received on many platforms –
computers, cell phones, tablets – these tools are available at our fingertips, literally.
The more traditional media – books, magazines, periodicals – are still in use to contact people.

But have you ever received a message written on… sand?
This is surely not the usual mode of communication nowadays! 
Amazingly, we see this in today’s gospel (John 8:1-11) – we see Jesus writing in the sand.

What did he write? What was the message he wanted to make known?
No one can say…
Did the Pharisees read it? Did they realize that the words were meant for them?
Impossible to assert…
Did the woman make out the characters traced by Jesus’ finger?
Did this give her courage, hope to be spared the stoning prescribed by the Jewish Law?
This, too, is unknown.

It is after the question voiced by the religious leaders, that Jesus bent down to write in the sand.
Their question was:

“Now what do you say?” 

Obviously, the leaders were more concerned with condemning Jesus than condemning the woman!
The gospel writer adds immediately:

“They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.”

The answer of Jesus is framed in silence and… in the sand – there is no need for more.
This answer has all the power that compassion can offer.
The leaders leave, and the woman is forgiven.

And… the same can happen today…
 

Note: A video presents this gospel scene where Jeannie Calavrias personifies the Woman caught in adultery; it can be found at: https://youtu.be/lH5ZJSjSItI

And another reflection, on a different theme, is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/5e-dimanche-du-careme-annee-c-2022/

Source: Image: shop.catholic.com

 

 

 

16th Sunday of Year A – 2020

17 juillet 2020
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: answer, prayer, Romans 8:26-27, speaking to God

Praying – we know we should do it.
Of course, we would like to pray well, to pray as we should…
We have been told many things about praying.
We have read articles on prayer, we have heard sermons about prayer and…
Yes, we believe it is important to pray.

But, it seems we do not manage – manage to pray well, manage to pray as we should.
What should we say, how should we address God?
What does he expect us to say, and how?…

Long ago, reading an article about prayer I came across this definition:
“Prayer is wanting to want to be possessed by God.”
 
At times, it seems we find if hard even to want to pray…
But, wanting to want… this is already a beginning.

And the text of the 2nd reading of this Sunday (Romans 8:26-27)
tells us something most encouraging:

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
We do not know what we ought to pray for,
but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”

This is THE answer for me!

 

Note: Another reflection on a different theme in French can be found at: https://image-i-nations.com/16e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2020/

 

Source: Image: Heartlight                    

 

 

 

26th Sunday of the Year C – 2019

27 septembre 2019
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: answer, Jesus risen, Jn.14:2-3, Lk.16:19-31, question, the dead

Some people who find it hard to believe the Christian message will sometimes say:
“If someone came back from the dead to tell us how things are after we die,
then we would believe.”

This statement describes the attitude of people searching for a convincing answer –
an answer that takes away questions and doubts about where our human life is heading to.
But then, where would faith come in?

Amazingly, an answer has been given long ago.
We find it in the last words of Jesus’ story in the gospel text today (Lk.16:19-31):

“If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets,
they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”
 
If we do not accept God’s message spoken by his messengers,
neither will we be inclined to accept this message from someone returning from the world of the dead.

But the strangest thing is that, in fact, someone HAS returned from the dead!
Jesus has – we affirm this when we recite the Creed saying:
“He has risen from the dead.”
 
He has told us about where we are going: to the very place he has prepared for us (Jn.14:2-3).
What else do we need? 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/26e-dimanche-de-lannee-c-2019/

 

Source: Image: GOD IS REAL

 

 

2nd Sunday of Year B

11 janvier 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 1 Cor.6:19, 1 Sam.3:3-10, answer, Holy Spirit, pray, Rom.8:26-27

Whenever I come across the text of the 1st reading of this Sunday(2nd Sunday of Year B – 1 Sam.3:3-10,19), I am tempted to envy the young Samuel.
He was very fortunate in being told how to speak to God, what to tell him, in other words: How to pray!

I believe that most of us often ask ourselves what is the best way to go about this most important activity.
Our constant reference, Google, in less than a second gave me 9 billions, yes this is what I got: 9 billion possible articles when I simply keyed in: HOW TO…
The first one was entitled: How to do anything !

I am NOT inclined to ask Google the question HOW TO PRAY.
I expect that I would find many texts on the topic – how, and when, and with what words, and for whom, I should address God.

I can say that I have found my own answer… and I am ready to share it with you.
I take it from the apostle Paul in his letter to the early Christians of Rome, as he tells them:

“When we cannot choose words in order to pray properly,
the Spirit himself expresses our plea
in a way that could never be put into words,
and God who knows everything in our heart
knows perfectly well what he means.”   (Rom.8:26-27)

And this same Paul assures us in the 2nd reading today:
“The Holy Spirit is in you since you received him from God.”   (1 Cor.6:19)

So, I need only repeat Samuel’s words:
“Speak, Lord, your servant is listening”,
and the rest will follow… of itself… nay, of Himself

Source: Images: unsplash.com  psychologytoday.com

Note: Another text for reflection is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/2e-dimanche-de-lannee-b/

20th Sunday of Year A

17 août 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: answer, endurance, Jesus, Jews, Mt.15:21-28, pagan, persévérance, request, steadfasness, the Master, woman

I know a young man called William who was looking for work. It is not easy nowadays to find a job when so many are being laid off.
He went to a Bank but was not lucky. He then contacted an Insurance Company but was not accepted. A bookshop did not need his services either.
Discouraged, he sat at home watching television and lamenting the situation.

A neighbour was also looking for employment. He sent his CV with the application form to the same Insurance Company where William had tried his luck. The reply came that they did not need him. He went to their office to meet the manager and was told he had travelled. That young man went back again and again. Every month he appeared in the office and after three months he got what he wanted. His perseverance had paid off: he was employed.

In today’s gospel (20th Sunday of Year A – Mt.15:21-28) we meet a woman who shows that same kind of attitude.
Some people would say that she would not take ‘No’ for an answer.
In fact, she was not even put off by a rather blunt rebuff by Jesus himself who said to her:
“It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.”
 
Her reply was quick, witty and to the point:
“Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.”
 
That woman did not have ‘qualifications’ that would make it likely that her request would be granted.
She was only a woman, a simple, ordinary woman.
And she was seen as a pagan by the Jews of the time since she did not belong to the chosen people of God.
Yet, she kept on asking, and asking, and pursuing the one they called ‘the Master’ until she was given what she wanted!
 
Perseverance, endurance, steadfastness, some would call it: ‘stick-to-itness’!
Not to give up, not to be put off, not to abandon what one is asking for.
Not to get discouraged even if the answer is slow in coming or seems… never to come!

It seems that this is exactly what God admires and… yields to when we pray!

A video can be seen on this gospel scene at:

A woman, a pagan…

Source: Images: Free Bible Images

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