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16th Sunday of Year A – 2023

21 juillet 2023
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: blessing, forgiving, images of God, John 3:16-17, lenience, pictures, Wisdom 12:13-19

Many of us have a collection of pictures and images.
Some people hold on to photos of past holidays with family and friends.
Others may have old cuttings from magazines about cinema stars, or athletes.
Others still may have religious pictures of different saints.

But there are other kinds of images, perhaps more precious.
They cannot be held in your hands, or stuck in a book, but they are no less real…
They are mental pictures, the images that our minds bring to us.
These representations are sometimes vividly present to us, or sometimes less so.

Among these images are the ones we have formed about… God.
Each one of us have his/her own pictures of who God is.
Over the years, these images may have changed –
some have been abandoned, others have been clarified, others are… still being sketched in us…

Today’s 1st reading from the Book of Wisdom (Wisdom 12:13-19) gives us a very beautiful picture of God.
It describes God as we should recognize him.
In the words of Solomon, we can perceive how God wants to be known to us.

“There is no god, other than you, who cares for everything…
Your sovereignty over all makes you lenient to all…
You are mild in judgement,
You govern us with great lenience…
You have given your children the good hope that after sin you will grant repentance.”

It is as if God’s greatness and power were… for our benefit!
He delights, not in showing strength, but in showering gifts on us.
His justice is expressed in blessing and forgiving.

 

This text of the Old Testament was in anticipation of what Jesus would tell us about God:

“God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son
so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost…
God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world
but so that through him the world might be saved.”    (John 3:16-17)
 
This is the true picture of God – the God of Jesus, our God…

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/16e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2023/

 

Source: Image (text added): pexels (Ian Turnell)

Feast of Mary, Mother of God, Year C – 2022

31 décembre 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: adult, angel, blessing, God gracious, God-one-of-us, Numbers 6:22-27, Psalm 67:1-8

Since the beginning of the Christmas season, we have been looking at a child in a manger,
or, looking at this new-born held close to her heart by his mother.

Personally, this has led me to think at what God… did NOT do!
We usually contemplate what God has done, but what about seeing the reverse?…

God wanted to reach us, the people he has created, to share his life with us, but…
He did not try to reach us as an angel.
He did not show himself with power.
And, amazingly, he did not come to us as an adult!

Yet, being God, he had a vast choice of options!
He chose to be born from a human mother, small and needy.

A God who must rely on human beings… rather unusual, is it not?

He wanted to be known as a GRACIOUS God.
This is what we hear in the 1st reading (Numbers 6:22-27)
and the Psalm (Psalm 67:1-8) of today’s celebration.

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you.”

“May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us.”

In becoming one-of-us, God has ‘graced’ us,
he has blessed us in all kinds of ways –
ways that we have never finished to discover and to understand!

The whole of the new year opening up before us will not be sufficient for this discovery…
But we can start opening the gift now, and doing so day after day!

 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/marie-mere-de-dieu-annee-c-2022/

 

Source: Image: lds365.com

Feast of Mary, Mother of God, Year B – 2021

1 janvier 2021
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: benefits, blessing, happiness, health, Numbers 6:22-27, opportunities, success

During this festive season of Christmas and the New Year, we exchange good wishes, all kinds of them.
Phone calls, Christmas cards, emails, messages on Messenger or Twitter –
all the platforms are good If they serve our purpose:
that of sending to others our wishes for their health, happiness, success, and other good things in plenty.

But do we exchange blessings?
Some of you may be surprised at this question… Blessings?
But… what are they really?

Some would define them as gifts, opportunities, benefits, good luck perhaps…
Others would describe them as an intervention that will bring a sense of well-being, of contentment.
All this is true but…

If we pay attention to the 1st reading of today’s feast (Numbers 6:22-27),
we should admit that something is missing in the definitions above and that is… God’s touch!

Yes, a blessing is not only some pious wish, or words expressing the desire of good fortune for someone else.
A blessing is a call on God himself to intervene in favor of someone,
in other words: to give as only God can give!
 
A blessing is a gift from God himself.
The text says that God will be ‘gracious’ to the person blessed in his name,
and the ‘grace’ that God gives is… himself!

This is what he has done in Jesus, the new-born we see in Mary’s arms.

What else could we desire, or ask for, that would satisfy us truly?
This blessing enfolds all others!
And, the amazing thing is that God wants so much to give it to us that… he wants us to ask for it!

God BLESS YOU!

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

Source: Image: ibelieve.com   deseret.com

15th Sunday of Year A – 2020  

10 juillet 2020
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: blessing, choice, ears, eyes, hear, listen, Mt.13:1-23, noise, perceive, sounds

There is a proverb that says: “There is no deafness worse than that of the one who does not want to hear.”
Jesus’ words as he concludes his parable in this Sunday’s gospel text (Mt.13:1-23) could be addressing this condition:

He says: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
 
It is a matter of choice, the occasion of a personal decision.
We are all aware how much our daily life is filled with sounds, and noises, and cries.
Words, music, shouts surround us, much of it hardly registered in our consciousness.

Could it be that we let God’s Word go by equally unnoticed, unacknowledged?
We would then miss the blessing that Jesus says that his apostles enjoy:

“Blessed are your eyes because they see,
and your ears because they hear.”
 
I ask myself: Am I missing out?…
Lacking attention, interest, motivation?
Perhaps not aware that the Word is addressed to ME personally?
Not daring to believe that I, too, could be blessed?

LISTEN – HEAR – PERCEIVE… a BLESSING!

Note: Another reflection on a different theme in French can be found at: https://image-i-nations.com/15e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2020/

 

Source: Image: Wisdom and Instruction

 

 

 

Ash Wednesday, Year A – 2020

26 février 2020
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 21st century, blessing, invitation, Joel 2:12-18, message, return

An unusual day, especially for people of the 21st century.
But on this day a special message is addressed to us –
a message that is altogether demanding and comforting.
It is an invitation, would we say… a petition from God?

He speaks to us in a direct and personal way through the prophet Joel:
(1st reading – Joel 2:12-18).

”Even now, declares the Lord,
return to me with all your heart…
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love…
Who knows? He may turn and relent
and leave behind a blessing.”

The Lord, OUR God, we are told.
Who is he? Who does he want to be for US?

NOT a thought.
NOT a theme.
NOT a text.
NOT a thesis.
But a PERSON, really REAL.

He is the one calling us, urging us to turn to him, to return to him,
so that he may be able to bless us.

Could we refuse such a request… from him?

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/mercredi-des-centres-annee-a-2020/

 

Source: Image: biblia.com

 

Ash Wednesday, Year C – 2019

6 mars 2019
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: blessing, change, compassionate, gracious, Joel 2:12-18, Lent, prophet, who knows?, wide open

“Who knows?”  
We often hear this expression in different contexts.
It is sometimes used when inquiring about a possible event.
One may wonder about the outcome of a given project and asks someone about it.
The answer comes: ‘Who knows?’ 
 
A person may inquire about the intention of a colleague regarding a possible decision.
The same answer is given: ‘Who knows?’ 
 
These words imply that there are a number of possible outcomes.
The expression supposes that different conclusions may be reached, or choices made.
In other words: the situation is, as we say, ‘wide open’ – some change may happen in the course of time.

It is interesting to see these words used by the prophet Joel speaking about… GOD!
In the 1st reading (Joel 2:12-18), we hear him say:
”Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing…”

As if God could change his mind!
We have been taught that it is not so, and yet…

Perhaps we need to switch things around, look at another angle of the situation –
the situation of… our relationship with God…

If WE change, if we return to him as he asks us to do…
‘Who knows?’ we may come to see him as he really is:
“gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love…”
 
Perhaps this is what Lent is all about: OUR changing so we may see God as he is…
as he wants to be for us: always ready to “leave behind a blessing…”

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/mercredi-des-cendres-annee-c-2019/

 

Source: Image: Pilgrim at the Crossroads – WordPress.com