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19th Sunday of the Year A

10 août 2017
Nicole Gregoire
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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

12th Sunday of the Year, A

22 juin 2017
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: compassion, conviction, discretion, enthusiasm, faith, God Father, Holy Spirit, Mt.10:26-33, religion, respect, silence, speak about God

« To speak or not to speak: that is the question”, some would say…
This is what we are confronted with in the last lines of this Sunday’s gospel (Mt.10:26-33, 12th Sunday of the Year, Year A) as we hear Jesus tell us:

“If anyone declares himself for me in the presence of people,
I will declare myself for that person
in the presence of my Father in heaven.
But the one who disowns me in the presence of people,
I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.”
 
Words that are direct, challenging and perhaps a little disturbing…
Disturbing in this day and age when many will tell you that religion is a private matter.
Some people claim that one should keep to oneself what he or she believes.
We are not to bother others with matters of faith, they say.
Matters of faith which may not interest them, in any case, and which may even antagonize them.

It is true that much harm can be done by speaking in a way that shows no respect for the beliefs of others.
Trying to coerce people to take on our own ways of relating to God – for this is what religion is about – is certainly not what he expects from us.
Yet, there are times when we should speak, situations which call for our intervention.

But we should speak with tact as much as enthusiasm.
Our words should be voiced with as much discretion as conviction.
To be a witness, surely, to speak for God and about God, most certainly but…
it should be done with consideration, compassion, as much as conviction.

We need to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to speak or not to speak…
He is the one who will enable us to blend, in the proper way, wise speech and respectful silence…

Source: Image: Dissolve
 

Feast of the Holy Trinity, Year A

8 juin 2017
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Advocate, Bible, compassion, Ex.34:8-9, exegetes, faith, faithfulness, Father, Father-Son-Spirit, fourth century, God, John ch.14-17, kindness, New Testament, reality, Révélation, Saviour, Scripture scholars, tenderness, theologians, Trinity

If you mention the word ‘TRINITY’ to a group of theologians, or to some Scripture scholars, they will probably give you some lengthy explanations.
Exegetes, theology professors, spiritual authors will probably do the same.
Definitions and explanations, are their domain.
Expounding on concepts and themes is very much part of their expertise. 

Strangely enough, if you look for the word ‘TRINITY’ in the Bible, you will NOT find it!
You may think that it is amazing but it is true.
This word came to be used in the Christian language only late in the fourth century.
It was at that time that this term was used to express the faith of Christian believers.

But, you will find, yes, you will discover in the New Testament, the expression of this REALITY of a God who is one and who manifests Itself (this pronoun is not masculine or feminine) in three Persons.

It is in the chapters 14 to 17 of the gospel of John that we can perceive this most clearly.
There, we hear Jesus repeatedly speaking of the FATHER and of the SPIRIT as being one and himself being one with them.

The first reading of this feast of the Holy Trinity (Ex.34:4-6,8-9) tells us that God is “a God of tenderness and compassion, rich in kindness and faithfulness.”
So, what we celebrate on Trinity Sunday is this tenderness and compassion reaching us in a fatherly way, in the brotherly way of a Saviour, in the way of One who is our Advocate – for this is what they are to us and for us: the Father, the Son and the Spirit.

What more could be said?

Source: Image: Pinterest

2nd Sunday of Easter, Year A

20 avril 2017
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: believe, faith, Jesus message, Jesus' resurrection, Jn.20:19-31, message, our resurrection, reliance, signs worked by Jesus, trust

As we read the gospel texts, different words can draw our attention.
At one time, we may be struck by a sentence, or a certain parable.
At another time, the description of a miracle, or the narrative of Jesus meeting with someone, may capture our imagination.

On this 2nd Sunday of Easter (Year A) the text from John’s gospel is quite long (Jn.20:19-31) and what struck me comes near the very end of the reading.
The words that retained my attention may not seem the essential part of the message.
They may not appear to be so important after all…
Still, I linger on them… I ponder them… and I remain with what they say.

“There were many other signs that Jesus worked and the disciples saw,
But they are not recorded in this book.
These are recorded so that you may believe.”

In fact, that is the very reason why Jesus did all that he did: to draw us into a close relationship with him.
A relationship of FAITH – a faith that is trust, reliance on him, acceptance of his message, of his person and of all that he has to give us.
The next sentence of the text completes the message:
 
“And that believing you may have life.”
 
Life now, life later… for ever – this is the meaning of the Resurrection of Jesus, the promise of our own…

Source: Image: The Gospel of Coalition Blog

12th Sunday of the Year, C

16 juin 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: faith, Lk.9:18-24, Martyrs-Confessors, Mt.16:17, Peter the apostle, problems, trust

yanchepcatholic.orgWhen we mention the word ‘confession’ we immediately think of ‘sins’ but there is also the confession… of FAITH! This is why the martyrs are also called ‘Confessors’ – not because they received penitents asking to be forgiven but because they proclaimed their faith by giving their lives.

The gospel text of this Sunday (12th Sunday, Year C – Lk.9:18-24) presents us with this: a confession of faith by Peter. In different gospel texts, Peter is often given this role of defusing a potentially embarrassing situation for the group by giving the right answer! Here, Jesus is asking them, first, how people see him. Then, he goes on putting to the apostles a direct question: “But you, who do you say I am?”

Any one of them could have replied: “Lord, you are our Master, the one we follow day after day, what else do you want to hear?” It was obvious, was it not? But Peter’s answer goes further and deeper than this: “The Christ of God.” An amazing answer from this fisherman and he knew, as we know, that it came not from a personal insight but it was revealed to him by God himself. Matthew says it in his own version of the story (Mt.16:17). And the fuller meaning of this answer, the apostles will come to understand after having received the Spirit at Pentecost.

The answer Peter gave on that day gives us a picture of what FAITH is about. It is not first and foremost acknowledging some truths, or giving allegiance to some religious beliefs, or even proclaiming some statements of faith. It is about committing oneself to someone to the point of giving our lives to that person. Not necessarily by dying – as the martyrs have done at one point in time – but all the time, from day to day, the small martyrdom of daily life with all its difficulties, problems, frustrations.

Faith is not first of all believing something but trusting Someone, not admitting that some theological explanation is correct, but relying on Someone, surrendering to that Someone in complete trust and absolute confidence.

We can ask ourselves: If Jesus were to address us the same question as he asked from his apostles: “But you, who do you say I am?” what would we answer? It cannot be purely and simply the answer Peter gave. It must be a ‘personalized’ reply, as we say nowadays, custom-made to our very selves, coming from the depths of our being. This is where genuine faith takes root. Then, our answer – in whatever form it  is – will be the one that Christ expects from us, the one inspired by God himself!

Source: Image: yanchepcatholic.org

4th Sunday of Advent, C

18 décembre 2015
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: early Church, faith, gift, happiness, happy life, Mary's cousin Elisabeth, Mother of God

life-is-meant-to-be-happyAre you happy? Oh, I know, this is a personal question and you need not answer me. Some philosophers or ‘masters’, or ‘gurus’ will tell us that, yes, « Life is meant to be happy ». But… we all know that true happiness seems, at times, to be in short supply for many people. If you asked yourself and tried to reply in all honesty to the question, what would you say? Perhaps you would admit that you are sometimes truly happy but that, at other times, you are not carried by a big wave of happiness. But, if you pursue your introspection, or soul searching, and look at what makes you truly happy you may admit that the love of those around you, good health, success in your daily activities, some appreciation of friends and colleagues – all this can bring some measure of happiness, yet . . .

If someone dared to ask: « Are you happy because you believe? » You may be taken aback and, to save time before you give an answer, you may ask the person: « What did you say – happy because… I believe? » You may never had thought about it… happiness born of… faith.

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In the gospel of this 4th Sunday of Advent, this is what Mary’s cousin, Elisabeth, told her: « Happy (or blessed, in some translations) is she who believed… » (Luke 1:45).
In the early Church, there was a tradition that honoured Mary more because of her faith than because of her being the Mother of God. At first, this may seem surprising, but when we think of it, somehow, it makes sense! God asking Mary to be the Mother of his Son, was a great gift HE was giving her – making her the Mother of God! But Mary accepting this very special offer – believing that God wanted her to be exactly that – was HER gift to God! Of course, she said her ‘Yes’ with the help of the Holy Spirit, but it was HER ‘Yes’! Elisabeth added: « … because you believed that the promise of the Lord would be fulfilled ».
Have you thought of giving God a gift this Christmas? Another question you need not answer … but you may like to think about it, and FAITH in his promises to you might be… the perfect gift for HIM! 

Religious Art, Dorothy Webster, Blessed Mother, The Visitation on Pintarest