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The Alphabet of Lent – Letter C

19 février 2024
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: anxious, calm, daily life, fears, peace, plans, regrets, serenity, storms

C for Calm

Daily life often brings much to upset our plans and shake us.
All that we had foreseen to do and all that suddenly comes up – this is all too much.
And apart from all the activities of the moment, there are those that we must foresee.

We feel upset, threatened, overwhelmed.
We are often tired, bitter, anxious.
We experience the feeling of being caught… in a storm.
We need so much… CALM.  

It is then that the gospel text of Mark comes to our rescue: 
 
“They took him along, just as he was, in the boat…
 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.   
Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.
The disciples woke him and said to him,
“Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!”  
Then the wind died down and it was completely calm” (Mark 4:36-39).

Exactly what we need at certain periods in our lives.
And the one who calm the storm on the Sea of Galilea can do the same with all our own storms –
the storms of our fears, our regrets, our weaknesses, our guilt no matter how heavy.

The calm that he offers brings peace and serenity… a great calm, indeed!
 

Note: In the following video (in French), Teresa Peñafiel helps us to continue this reflection: https://youtu.be/54Z7yFrLzyE?si=yQOOtZ1L6jIZnKfA

 

Source: Image: Scripture Images

 

21st Sunday of Year A – 2023

25 août 2023
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: answers, daily life, expérience, Genesis 3:9, God speaking, Matthew 16:13-20, questions, relationship with God

QUESTIONS: there are all kinds of them, they are countless.
There are short questions, easy; others are intricate, or vague.
Some are intriguing, others are disturbing, they make us feel uncomfortable.

People ask us questions, of course.
Life also asks questions of us, often difficult questions.
And even… God asks us questions!

This started long ago – we see it happening in the very beginning of the Bible where God asks Adam where he is hiding! (Genesis 3:9).
Throughout the books of the Bible, different people are confronted with this questioning from God.
The prophets are often the interpreters to their people of God’s questions.

Today’s gospel text shows us Jesus asking a very important question indeed (Matthew 16:13-20).
He asks his apostles:
“What about you? Who do you say I am?”

If we move from the first to the twenty-first century where we find ourselves and…
If we listen to this very question now addressed to us…
What will we answer?
Not repeating Peter’s answer, but giving our own very personal reply to Jesus…

Some people reading this text will think: ‘It all depends…’
Very true! It all depends what kind of relationship we are having with God.

For us, is God a distant deity, far above, or far away, who has little to do – we think – with our daily life and experience?
Do we know little about who he is, apart from acknowledging his greatness and power?
Or, do we perceive him – mysteriously, perhaps – as close and concerned about us, always ready to come to our help?

God’s questions are always meant to help us discern the way to a better life, a deeper freedom, a more meaningful existence.
And, we should be convinced that, with God, there are no bad answer, no reply that is wrong.
All our answers – even the most inadequate or incomplete – will be received by him who accepts us as we are!

But, of course, we have to listen to him to hear him speaking to us…
For his part, he will wait, and wait, for our answers…

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/21e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2023/

 

Source: Image: Unsplash

4th Sunday of Easter, Year B

20 avril 2018
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: awareness, believe, caring, Concern, daily life, fog, Frederick Forsyth, Jesus Good Shepherd, Jn.10:11-18, lost, needs, Ps.119:176, safety, sheep, shepherd, trust, wandering

The gospel of this Sunday (4th Sunday of Easter, Year B – Jn.10:11-18) is well known with its text on the Good Shepherd.
The words of Jesus are familiar and the picture they suggest to our minds is one similar to the picture here – a man concerned about his sheep and caring for his flock.

The example may not speak to our daily life in modern cities far away from a village in Palestine of old.
However, a book published by a well-known author expresses very well in a modern metaphor what the message of Jesus is about.
I speak of the book The Shepherd of Frederick Forsyth – not intended for spiritual reading but with rich spiritual overtones that can inspire us!

It is the story of a pilot going home for Christmas and, suddenly, his aircraft suffers a complete electrical failure en route. Lost in fog and with little fuel left, he fears the worse. Literally out of the blue and absolutely unexpected. he is met and led (or shepherded) by another pilot who has apparently been sent up to guide him and bring him to land safely.

You will say it is a clever plot from a no less clever author, and you are right.
But, strange to say – and is it really strange? – our own life can provide us with no less wonderful experiences.
We, too, can feel lost in the occasional fog of daily living and our energy may be low, depleted by the struggle to cope day after day…

To me, today’s gospel presents us someone, yes Someone, who is aware and who cares – aware of

  • who we are,
  • what we are faced with,
  • what we need.

Aware, indeed he is, and he cares – he cares enough to provide for our needs
and more abundantly than we could ever dream of!

A fairy tale? No!
A fascinating thriller? Not at all!
The on-going experience of someone (it can be you and me) who dares to believe, to trust,
and to say with the Psalmist:

“I am wandering like a lost sheep;
come and look for your servant..   (Ps.119:176)
 
Note: Another reflection is available in French on a different theme at: https://image-i-nations.com/4e-dimanche-de-paques-annee-b/

Source: Images: catholicteacherresources.com  pinterest.com
Book illustration: Wikipedia

13th Sunday of the Year, C

23 juin 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: anger, daily life, desire to retaliate, discernment, disciple, frustration, generosity, grâce, James and John, Jérusalem, Jesus, kingdom of God, personal experience, Rom.8:28

2092087_how-did-the-apostles-die_phoi6mn445vbbn4o2ra4kwuovmeatuw6lrlcsphco3flmkbrawuq_757x425Reading the gospel text for this Sunday (Lk.9:51-62, 13th Sunday, Year C) someone could explain with a touch of humour: “This is a mixed bag!” Indeed, we find in those few verses all kinds of ideas. More than one theme is presented to our reflection:

    •    Jesus resolute march to Jerusalem as the time of his passion draws near.
    •    The frustration of James and John faced with the Samaritans’ refusal to allow them to pass through their territory, their anger and desire to retaliate.
    •    A man’s desire to be a disciple of Jesus, perhaps without enough discernment.
    •    Two other individuals called by Jesus to follow him who make excuses for their delay and Jesus’ reply to each one of them.

As I look at the different people and the attitude of each one of them, I realize that, in fact, they represent much of what makes up our daily life: determination, frustration, anger, desire to take revenge, generosity, hesitation to commit ourselves… Yes, all this, and much more, makes up our personal experience from day to day.

What is wonderful is that God makes use of all of this to fashion us into the people he want us to become… if only we allow him to do so. No material is too coarse, no attitude is too rebellious, nobody is too unworthy – God’s grace is sufficient to transform all human experience into building material for the kingdom! Paul had assured the Christians of Rome – and it remains ever true: « By turning everything to their good God co-operates with those who love him » (Roma.8:28). Everything? Absolutely!

Source: Image: channel.nationalgeographic.com