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2nd Sunday of Advent, Year A – 2022-2023

2 décembre 2022
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: conflicts, encouragement, endurance, life hard, Romans 15:4-9, shortages, viruses, war

“Life is hard!”
You may have heard a number of people say this recently, and you probably felt that you knew what they meant!
Viruses of different kinds, the cost of living with inflation, shortage of different items, lack of personnel in different services, conflicts and war –
the list could go on.
Faced with all this, people feel helpless, and they lament and complain – what else can they do, they wonder.

In today’s 2nd reading, the apostle Paul, writing to the first Christians of Rome (Romans 15:4-9), speaks of:
“the God who gives endurance and encouragement”.
 
Reading, or hearing, these words, we may think that this is where help is to be found.
We are told that these will give us HOPE.
God knows – he does indeed – how we need this!

But strangely enough, Paul goes on to say that we should pray God to give us these gifts of endurance and encouragement so that we may have:
“the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.”
 
It becomes clear, then, that our situation can improve if… we help one another!
Our condition will get better by making it easier for others to bear their burden –
the burden of daily life and all that it entails…

We may not manage to overcome all the difficulties people are faced with, but we may be able to bring some comfort to those in need of it.
Helping one another may be the way to brighten, not only their life, but also our own!

The season of Advent is a good period to make this experience…
We may be surprised at how positive the result turns out to be!
 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/2e-dimanche-de-lavent-annee-a-2022-2023/

 

Source: Image: Pinterest

 

 

1st Sunday of Advent, Year B – 2020

27 novembre 2020
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Advent, awake, death, encouragement, Mark 13:33-37, situation, strength, understanding, wait for the Lord

All kinds of things and situations can keep us awake.
For some people, caffeine will do this.
Other substances with some stimulant will do the same.

But anxiety, fear and worry, will have the same effect: prevent us from sleeping.
On the other hand, a phone call announcing some unexpected good news or the anticipation of a pleasant event will probably keep sleep away.

The gospel text of this 1st Sunday of Advent (Year B: Mark 13:33-37) is short
and yet we are told four times to keep awake, to stay awake!

Stay awake not to watch a good movie on the screen, or play a video game.
Not to work on the computer, or read a novel.
But then, to do what?

Stay awake to wait for the Lord.
For many people, these words evoke the end of the world, or perhaps the moment of death.
This understanding is correct but, to my mind, incomplete.

Personally, I am convinced that the Lord can come at any moment, in every situation –
Not necessarily at the end of time, or the end of our lives.

His coming is discreet, gentle… it come under the form of

  • a word of praise from a colleague
  • a new idea for a project
  • an additional supply of patience in a trying situation
  • some encouragement from a friend who sees I am at my wit’s end
  • an increase of strength when I just can’t go on
  • the sudden understanding of the puzzling reaction of a loved one…

His presence can become close and very real in whatever happens if only we are alert,
AWAKE to his being there with us.
If only…

The period of Advent starting today is a good time to do this from day to day.

Note: Another reflection on a different theme is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/1er-dimanche-de-lavent-annee-b-2020/

 

Source: Images: human life   AppleGate Recovery   Stockfreeimages   SoundCloud

8è dimanche de l’année, A

23 février 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Trésor ancien et nouveau
Mots-clés: compassion, consolation, Dieu Père-Mère, encouragement, image de Dieu, Is.49 :14-15, Mt.6 :24-34, oiseaux du ciel, tendresse

Les lectures de chaque dimanche nous offrent des textes de toutes sortes : des écrits historiques, juridiques et prophétiques et, bien sûr les pages évangéliques.
Certains écrits comportent des injonctions et des commandements, d’autres des paroles de consolation et d’encouragement.

Ce 8è dimanche nous présente justement cette sorte de textes riches d’encouragement et cela en nous donnant une image de Dieu qui en est une essentiellement de compassion.
C’est l’image d’un Dieu… paternellement maternel et maternellement paternel . . .

Vous êtes… surpris par cette description . . .
Elle m’est suggérée – j’allais dire ‘dictée’ – par les paroles de Dieu sur les lèvres de son prophète Isaïe (Is.49 :14-15) et celles que l’on retrouve dans l’évangile de Matthieu (Mt.6 :24-34).

« Une femme peut-elle oublier son nourrisson,
ne plus avoir de tendresse pour le fils de ses entrailles ?
Même si elle l’oubliait,
moi, je ne t’oublierai pas,
– dit le Seigneur. »

 

 

« Regardez les oiseaux du ciel :
ils ne font ni semailles ni moisson,
ils n’amassent pas dans des greniers,
et votre Père céleste les nourrit.
Vous-mêmes, ne valez-vous pas
beaucoup plus qu’eux ?… 

Votre Père céleste sait ce dont vous en avez besoin…»

 

Alors la conclusion surgit d’elle-même…

« Ne vous faites pas de souci pour demain :
demain aura souci de lui-même… »

Ce sera le souci de ce Dieu qui sait ce dont nous avons besoin aujourd’hui, demain, et… chaque autre ‘demain’ . . .

Source: Images: All-free-download.com; New Love Times

 

 

Feast of Epiphany, year A

5 janvier 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 'God-with-us', comfort, encouragement, Epiphany, foreighners, invitation, Is.60:1-6, light, Magi, outsiders, reproach, strangers

Day after day, week after week, the Bible texts call to us in different ways.
We believe that this is God’s message addressed to us.
We are convinced that the words we hear are not simply human words but God’s own words.

They may be words of invitation, or words of comfort;
words of reproach, or words of encouragement.

 God’s messengers speaking to us in his name sometimes ask us to do something.
In the first reading, this is what Isaiah does today (Is.60:1-6). He tells us:
“Lift up your eyes and look around.”
 
Did you notice how many people go about doing… exactly the opposite?!
Many walk around head bent down, with stooped shoulders…
Their steps are heavy… and, possibly, their hearts as well.
 
Through Isaiah, God invites us to lift up our eyes to see what?
He wants his people to realize:
“The nations come to your light… all are assembling.”
 
This is the meaning of today’s celebration on this feast of Epiphany.
It is a celebration for all nations, all peoples are called to recognize God in our midst, “God-with-us”.
The Magi – those Wise Men from the East –are the symbol of all the many we may see as strangers, foreigners, outsiders.
They are all called to be God’s people.
 
They, from afar, who come close to this new-born Child, represent already the Samaritan woman, the Roman soldier, the Syro-Phoenician woman, to whom He will make himself close to.
This will be… Epiphany continued!…
God’s revelation to each and everyone, notwithstanding their nation or language, their origin or belief.
 
God is the GOD OF ALL – by His own choice!

Source: Images: Daily Record; The Well Community Church