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Asking

17th Sunday of Year C – 2022

22 juillet 2022
Nicole Gregoire
2 Comments
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Asking, Genesis 18:20-32, harassment, insist, Luc 11:1-13, obstination, persévérance, persist

People who persist in following us to obtain something are not always rewarded!
Those who insist to attract our attention and awaken our interest will end up, very often, disappointed.
Insistence and persistence are often seen as obstination and do not gain our favor.

But it seems that… with God, things are different!
The 1st reading and the gospel of this Sunday show this clearly.

In the 1st reading we meet Abraham who pleads with God in a way that some would see as harassment.
And, amazingly, God goes along with this and accepts Abraham’s terms time and again (Genesis 18:20-32).

In the gospel, Jesus himself, tells a story meant to be the model of our approach to God:
asking, keeping on asking… until we are given what we want! (Luc 11:1-13).

To God, perseverance appears to be an important quality when presenting ourselves – and our requests – to him!
Singlemindedness and steadfastness are attitudes that can obtain from God… all that he is eager to give us in the first place!

Unfortunately, when knocking at his door… at times, we do not allow him to answer so much in a hurry are we to explore other avenues and… lacking trust in his unfailing generosity…

 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/17e-dimanche-de-lannee-c-2022/

 

 

Source: Images: walkwithgodthejourney.com   aleteia.org

2nd Sunday of Lent, Year B – 2021

26 février 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: all, Asking, faith, give, hope, Mt.7:7, Rom.8:31-34

If I were asked to make a list of all the petitions I presented to God the past year,
I would be at a loss where to start.
I would find it impossible to remember all the things I asked from him.

He told us clearly: “Ask and it will be given to you.” (Mt.7:7)
I have no doubt that he means this but…
Somehow, I feel I may not always ask what he has in mind to give!

As he writes to the Christians of Rome, Paul tells them something rather astonishing.
The 2nd reading of this Sunday gives us his words (Rom.8:31-34):
 
“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all –
how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us “all things?” 
 
Paul is convinced that God is ready to give us “all things”.
It is an amazing statement, an amazing expression of faith!

To believe without a doubt that God will give us ALL…

  • all that we are in need of;
  • all that he knows is best for us;
  • all that will make of us the people he had in mind when he created us – all!

It IS an amazing expression of faith indeed… and I can only hope –
no, I can expect that it is included in the ‘all’ that He is willing to give me!
Provided… I ask for it, of course.

 

Note: Another reflection on a different theme is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/2e-dimanche-du-careme-annee-b-2021/

And a blog, in French also, reflects on the 1st reading where God invites Abraham to count the stars: https://image-i-nations.com/une-invitation-quon-ne-recoit-pas-tous-les-jours/

 

Source: Image: prayersandpetitions.org

3rd Sunday of Lent, Year C – 2019

22 mars 2019
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Asking, creativity, enjoyment, fruit, Lk.13:1-9, meet God, precious things, responsibilities, secnd chance, talent, time

It happens that we go to some neighbours, friends, colleagues, to ask for something.
What do we actually request from them?
We may want some help, information, cooperation, assistance for this or that purpose.
We may also hope to receive from them understanding, sympathy, friendship.

Today’s gospel text (Lk.13:1-9) gives us to meet someone who asks for something totally different.
We hear him say: ”Give me time.”
 
The owner of the vineyard for whom he works as a gardener has told him to uproot a fruitless fig tree.
But this gardener wants to try again to save the tree and have it produce fruit as the owner expects.
So, he asks earnestly: ”Give me time.”  

This gospel text is sometimes called: ‘the gospel of the second chance’. 
Some even name it: ‘the gospel of the last chance’.

Perhaps TIME is that for each one of us – a second chance.
To do what?

  • to outgrow our childish ways…
  • to take our responsibilities seriously…
  • to develop some talent left unused up to now…
  • to come to the help of someone in need…
  • to discover the important and precious things in life…
  • to give oneself moments of relaxation, creativity, enjoyment…
  • to be more aware of what our existence on this earth is all about…

TIME to… meet God!
This time of Lent is a good period, yes, a good TIME for all of that!

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/3e-dimanche-du-careme-annee-c-2019/  

Source: Image: Dissolve

Feast of Pentecost, Year B

18 mai 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Acts 2:1-11, Asking, downcast, Gal.5:16-25, joy, love, patience, peace, self-control, Spirit of God

« Each one bewildered…
They were amazed and astonished… »    

This is what the 1st reading of this feast of Pentecost tells us (Acts 2:1-11)
about the Christians of the first century.
Fast forward to the 21st century, our own period of Christian living,
could not this text describe us as well?
Confused, amazed, astonished, wondering…

We must confess that we try

  • to have interesting ideas,
  • to share joyful messages,
  • to speak words of comfort.

We do our best to be serene and adopt a positive outlook on life.
We want to radiate good feelings and be generally… optimistic, do we not?

But we need to admit that… it does not work –
at least not always, not as often as we would want to.
It happens that we are simply… ‘not in the mood’, as we say.
Our spirits are low and we feel downcast.
We realize that we need a change – a change of… spirit.

Could it be that we need… the Spirit of God?!
In the 2nd reading (Gal.5:16-25) Paul writing to the Christians of Galatia tells them of the fruits of the Spirit:
“Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness, and self-control…”

Different from what we think, feel, see around?
Definitely!
But we cannot simply, take, grab, appropriate such attitudes –
we need to learn to… grow into them.
With some help? Of course!

But help is available, offered and freely given… if we only ask for it… yes, ASK FOR IT –
on Pentecost, and every day!

Source: Images: jw.org   memorizesciptureonthego.com

 

2nd Sunday of Easter, Year B

5 avril 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: absence, Asking, Béatitudes, believe, blessed, closeness, happy are those, here and now, intimacy, Jn.20:19-31, Lk.11:27-28, Mt.24:35, Mt.5:1-10, présence, see hear touch Jesus

Beatitudes – there are 8 which are best known to us in the text entitled: ‘The Sermon on the Mount’ (Mt.5:1-10).
There is another one, less known and prompted by a woman who said to Jesus:
“Happy (or, blessed) the woman who gave you birth and nursed you” (Lk.11:27).
To which Jesus replied: “Happier (or, blessed) still are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Lk.11:28).

And there is the beatitude in today’s gospel (2nd Sunday of Easter, Year B – Jn.20:19-31) where Jesus says:
“Happy (or, blessed) are those who believe without seeing.”
 
This one can speak especially to us because it concerns us in a very immediate fashion.
It reaches us precisely where we are – in our ‘here and now’ condition…
It describes the situation which is ours:
that of people who cannot see, cannot hear, cannot touch the Risen Lord.

Many of us to whom this beatitude, this blessedness, is addressed, will not say they experience it!…
Many people will say they do not ‘feel’ any special happiness at not seeing Jesus with their own eyes nor hearing him as they do the voice of their loved ones.

I can truly say I share in their predicament.
I sympathize with their experience of ‘absence’ more than that of presence…
No cozy feeling of closeness, of immediacy, of rewarding intimacy.

Yet… as I write this, I recall the words of Jesus saying:
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Mt.24:35).
So, his assurance that we are happy and blessed remains, it cannot go away…

And what remains also, on our part, is this need to… believe –
a gift, yes, a blessing, given to those who dare ask for it, again, and again, and again…

Note: Another reflection is available in French on a different theme at: https://image-i-nations.com/2e-dimanche-de-paques-annee-b/

Source: Image: purplelovesorange – WordPress.com
                                                                   

 

6th Sunday of Year B

8 février 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Asking, fear, Leprosy, Lev.13:1-2, Lev.13:45-46, matter-of-fact, Mk.1:14-20, need, request

It happens that we find ourselves in a situation of need.
It may be for a service, we may wish to ask for a lift, or we may want to borrow an item of some kind.
More urgently we may require some information, or we may need advice.

We then wonder to whom we will go to present our request.
A neighbour, a colleague, a friend, a relative?
Usually, before addressing ourselves to the person, we remind ourselves of his, or her, character.
We may also recall such occasions, in the past, when we asked for help and… what kind of response we received.

The fact is that we may be afraid that our request will not be granted.
The assistance we need may not be forthcoming.
We may be told that the person is too busy, is not able, has too many commitments already, etc.

Has it happened to you very often that when you asked someone for any kind of help, the person replied: “Of course, I will help you!”
In my own experience, this is not the usual reply…

But with God, things are different.
His ‘reply’ is somehow the ‘matter of fact’ type!
As if he could not refuse, as if it goes without saying that we will receive what we need!…

This is the message that today’s gospel text gives us (6th Sunday of Year B – Mk.1:14-20).
A man comes to Jesus suffering from a shameful disease: leprosy.
As the 1st reading told us (Lev.13:1-2,45-46), such people were to remain far from others, they were somehow outcasts in the Jewish society.
The fear of contracting and spreading the disease was paramount.

The leper tells Jesus: “If you want to, you can cure me.”
The reply of Jesus comes spontaneously and without delay: “Of course, I want to!”
And the man is cured there and then.

It may be good to remind ourselves that when the ‘if, perhaps, maybe’ are spoken…” they always come from our side…
God’s vocabulary does not seem to include these words…
With him it is: “Of course, I want to…
To help, to cure, to comfort, to free, to guide, to answer you whatever be your need.

Really? You can but try!

Source: Images: manaogbasilica.org   Prayer for Special Help

 

25th Sunday of Year A

22 septembre 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Asking, assistance, blessings, expectations, friend, giving, help, hope, image of God, Mt.20 :1-16, neighbour, relative, The Father

EXPECTATIONS – we all have them and plenty of them, do we not ?
And they fill our lives with more than a touch of hope and anticipation!

Expectations of…
– recovery after sickness,
– success in a coming exam
– a promotion at work,
– the partner we dream of to start a new life!

When we are in need, some expectation may arise of receiving help from a relative, a friend, or a neighbour.
Just recall for a moment the last time you went to someone with a request for his or her assistance.
You may have been hoping for help, or… fearing that help would not be forthcoming.
But did you expect that you would be given much more than what you asked for?

Among us, people, this is not usually the case.
But, with God, it is!
In fact, this is a characteristic of God : He gives more than we would ask for.
He is a generous God who delights in showering on us his gifts and blessings.

This is what today’s gospel text (25th Sunday of Year A – Mt.20 :1-16) is meant to remind us of.
In the parable that Jesus tells the people around him, he gives us a wonderful and true picture of what his Father – and our Father – is :

  • a bounteous God,
  • a God who enjoys giving lavishly,
  • a God who does not know how to measure what he wants to bless us with.

I wonder how many people treasure this image of God…
Perhaps many of us think that we have to ask, and beg, and repeat our requests for help, never too sure that we will be heard.

This Sunday may be the ideal moment to correct our image of God !

Source: Image: Youtube