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32nd Sunday of Year B – 2024

8 novembre 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 1 Kings 17:10-16, certainty, death, doubt, fear, God's faithfulness, poor widow, prophet, trust

Today’s 1st reading presents us a scene that is very human and… very inspiring too (1 Kings 17:10-16).
Elijah, the prophet – a man of God, in the mind of pious Jews – arrives at a poor widow’s home.
We see him asking immediately for a drink and, before the woman goes, he adds also a request for food.

The woman’s reply is very touching:
“As surely as the Lord your God lives, I don’t have any bread –
only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug.
I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son,
that we may eat it – and die.”

Absolute poverty, total penury – the text describes the woman’s complete destitution.
She is ready to die a terrible death which will take her son as well.

The prophet’s reply comes as a promise, wonderful but enigmatic…
the how and when of his words remain unknown…

“Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said.
But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me,
and then make something for yourself and your son.
For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:
‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry
until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”

The widow hears these words of comfort as the request for food from Elijah remains unchanged.
What is asked of this poor woman is to rest assured that God will provide.
God will take care of her and her son when she has no longer anything to help herself.

To be certain, to be completely sure of something, when there is really no sign that it will happen.
To be convinced, to have no doubt whatever, to entertain no fear, that a promise will be realized.
This is to venture into the unknown, into darkness, into… some would whisper ‘foolishness’…

Some people – like this widow – are ready to credit God’s faithfulness to his word to this extent!
There are people ready to walk surrounded by mist, blinded by puzzlement, yet they make one step after another…
They CANNOT… NOT rely on God, whatever the situation, no matter the troubling circumstances…

Such a trust is an amazing experience – it can test our human resources to the utmost.
But it gives God the occasion of revealing himself as the God he is: ever present, unfailingly reliable!…

 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/32e-dimanche-de-lannee-b-2024/

 

Source: Image: https://goodnewsshared.wordpress.com/tag/1-kings-177-16/

12th Sunday of Year B – 2024

21 juin 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: asleep, being questioned by God, faith, fear, not caring, questioning God, storms

Our relationship with God can take on different aspects.
Today’s gospel text shows a rather astonishing element… that of questioning!

The scene is that of the apostles caught in a storm and their boat is nearly swamped by the waves (Mark 4:35-41).
Amazingly, Jesus is quietly sleeping through this situation.
His apostles come to wake him up with obvious insistence, asking him:

“Master, don’t you care if we drown?”

A question which has the tone of a challenge, and something of a reproach as well.
Jesus intervenes with power and authority over the forces of nature.
All is peaceful again – both wind and sea are now calm.

But then, Jesus is the one now questioning the apostles, saying:
“Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Quite an amazing question in the circumstances!
Jesus had been sleeping, unaware, unconcerned, it seems, by what the apostles were faced with.
The whole episode could have turned tragic.
And he questions… their FAITH!

His friends have nothing to say in reply, but they now question… themselves about Jesus – about God.
“Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Questioning God… Being questioned by God… Questioning ourselves about God…
This may be the slow process of getting to know God… through stormy days as well as more peaceful ones.
Daring to believe that even if he seems asleep God cannot fail to keep us safe…

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/12e-dimanche-de-lannee-b-2024/

Source: Image: Scripture Images

International Day of Peace – 21 September 2023

21 septembre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: actions, ambition, climate chaos, fear, global goals, human rights, inequality, violence

2023 Theme – Actions for peace: Our ambition for the #GlobalGoals

Each year the International Day of Peace (IDP) is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. Never has our world needed peace more.

This year’s theme is Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the #GlobalGoals. It is a call to action that recognizes our individual and collective responsibility to foster peace. Fostering peace contributes to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will create a culture of peace for all.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said, « Peace is needed today more than ever. War and conflict are unleashing devastation, poverty, and hunger, and driving tens of millions of people from their homes. Climate chaos is all around. And even peaceful countries are gripped by gaping inequalities and political polarization. »

Sustainable Development Goals

2023 marks the mid-point in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2023 observance of the International Day of Peace coincides with the SDG summit (18 – 19 September) to mark the mid-point milestone.

The SDGs aim to bring us closer to having more peaceful, just, and inclusive societies, free from fear and violence. But without the buy-in and contribution of a wide range of actors including the 1.2 billion young people alive, the goals will not be achieved. We invite you to join the United Nations’ call to take action for peace: fight inequality, drive action on climate change, and promote and protect human rights.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://www.un.org/

International Epilepsy Day – 13 February 2024

12 février 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: diagnostic, discrimination, epilepsy, fear, misunderstanding, seizures, treatment

Despite being one of the world’s oldest known medical conditions, public fear and misunderstanding about epilepsy persist, making many people reluctant to talk about it. That reluctance leads to lives lived in the shadows, lack of understanding about individual risk, discrimination in workplaces and communities, and a lack of funding for new therapies research. People with epilepsy die prematurely at a higher rate compared to the general population. The most common cause of death from epilepsy is sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, known as SUDEP. For many people living with epilepsy, the misconceptions and discrimination can be more difficult to overcome than the seizures themselves.

International Epilepsy Day seeks to raise awareness and educate the general public on the true facts about epilepsy and the urgent need for improved treatment, better care, and greater investment in research.

Facts in Tweet-size Bites

  • 65 million people around the world live w/ #epilepsy
  • 3.4+ million people in the U.S. live w/ #epilepsy
  • 1 in 26 people in the U.S. will develop epilepsy at some point in their lifetime
  • 4 to 10 out of 1,000 people on earth live w/ active #seizures at any one time
  • 150,000 new cases of #epilepsy are diagnosed in the U.S. each year
  • One-third of people w/ #epilepsy live w/ uncontrolled #seizures because no available treatment works for them
  • For 6 out of 10 people w/ #epilepsy the cause is unknown
  • Each year, more than 1 in 1,000 people with epilepsy die from sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, known as SUDEP.
  • 4 out of 10 people w/ #epilepsy in the industrialized world do not receive appropriate treatment
  • 8 out of 10 people w/ #epilepsy in developing nations do not receive appropriate treatment

 

Source: Text & Image: https://www.epilepsy.com/volunteer/spreading-awarness/international-epilepsy-day#

3rd Sunday of Advent, Year A – 2022-2023

9 décembre 2022
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: courage, danger, fear, GOD himself, Isaiah 35:1-6, Isaiah 35:10, peace, salvation, sin, threat

Reading God’s message week after week, we are sometimes struck by an idea.
A short text perhaps, or even a single verse, can draw our attention and… we remain there.
It seems that we cannot keep on reading…
We are caught by something which has touched us in a special way.

This is the case, this Sunday, with the words of the prophet Isaiah telling us (Isaiah 35:1-6,10):

        “Courage! Do not be afraid.
        Look your God is coming…
        He is coming to save you.”
 
Salvation is a word with meaning of different kinds:

  • salvation from a painful situation, or a real threat,
  • salvation from a serious disease, or a loss of some kind,
  • salvation from an enemy, an attacker,
  • salvation from crippling feelings – helplessness, guilt, shame…

We often hear the word salvation in relation to our sins – the situation of being estranged from God.
We are aware that we need help…
Where will it come from?

Isaiah assures us that our God is coming.
God HIMSELF is the one who will rescue us from whatever threatens us.

Is this not amazing?
God has not sent an angel, he did not ask a great prophet, or another saintly personage, to save us.
He has chosen to come HIMSELF – in Jesus – to free us from whatever prevents us from:

  • being the people he wants us to be,
  • living in close friendship with him.

God HIMSELF… I keep repeating these words and I marvel at the reality they express…
I can count on him, I can rely on him, for whatever I need to be truly the person he had in mind when he created me.

So, no fear or anxiety, only peace and serenity…
A comforting message in this period of Advent…

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French at:  https://image-i-nations.com/3e-dimanche-de-lavent-annee-a-2022-2023/

 

Source: Image: Knowledge of Him

 

27th Sunday of Year C – 2022

30 septembre 2022
Nicole Gregoire
2 Comments
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 2 Timothy 1:13-14, 2 Timothy 1:6-8, adjust, approaching God, approaching people, fear, friends, Holy Spirit

Most of us are in contact with many people every day.
We approach some of them spontaneously, considering them as friends.
Others, we keep our distance from them, we are not sure how we will be received.
There are some, we know that we will always be welcomed when knocking at their door.
Others, we would not go to them at any time, we feel we must choose the right moment.

What about God?
Do we approach him, spontaneously, without any hesitation?
Are we convinced that any moment is a good moment to ‘get in touch’ with him?
Or are we in doubt that we will be welcomed?
Are we afraid to go to him just as we are?

In today’s 2nd reading, we meet the apostle Paul writing to his friend Timothy (2 Timothy 1:6-8,13-14).
Some of his words can help us to ‘adjust’ our way of looking on to God – enabling us to come to him in a way that is ‘just’.

  • Just seeing him really as our Father.
  • Just accepting that we are his beloved children.
  • Just trusting him, truly.

Paul writes:
“God did not give us a spirit of fear
but power, and love, and self-control.”
 
It is sad to see how many people fear God, how may do not dare to come to him with the simplicity of a child.
They may think that they are sinners and are not worthy to approach him.
They forget that Jesus came precisely for sinners – he said it openly (

).

God never asked us to be worthy, he asks us to be confident in his mercy – that’s all!

Some of us have yet to REALize this basic and wonderful reality!
May it become REAL indeed!

The last line of the reading tells us how this is possible…
“…with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”
 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/27e-dimanche-de-lannee-c-2022/

 

Source: Image: Oak Grove Church of Christ

 

6th Sunday of Year B – 2021

12 février 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 45-46, approach God, compassion, doubt, fear, hésitation, Lv.13:1-2, Mk.1:40-45, pray, shame

We are often told that we should turn to God.
We should come to him in all kinds of situations and pray to him for all our needs.
And, of course, many writers and preachers tell us HOW we should do this.

Today, I choose to reflect on HOW NOT to do so.
I personally believe that we should NOT turn to God with fear, hesitation, shame or doubt.

We should NOT be afraid that he is too far above or too far away to listen to us.
We should NOT hesitate to turn to him thinking that he is not concerned about our problems.
We should NOT be ashamed of our failings and failures of all kinds – they will not bother him.
We should NOT doubt that he is compassionate and merciful.

What confirms me in this conviction is the gospel text of this Sunday (Mk.1:40-45).
Here comes a man afflicted by a shameful disease – that man is a leper.
The rule in his society is that he should keep away from everyone,
as we see in the 1st reading (Lv.13:1-2,45-46).

Jesus is a respected religious leader and he is an outcast.
Yet, this leper is not afraid or ashamed, he does not hesitate or doubt.
He asks Jesus to cure him, and Jesus does so without delay!

Why do we not do the same with our difficulties, problems and, possibly, even our shameful situation?!

 

Note: Another reflection on a different theme is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/6e-dimanche-de-lannee-b-2021/

  

Source: Images: sharesonofgod.com

3rd Sunday of Easter, Year A – 2020

24 avril 2020
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: blindness, fear, indifférence, Luke 24:13-35, path, présence, recognize, road, shame

The scene of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, today’s gospel (Luke 24:13-35)
offers many interesting aspects for reflection.

One especially retains my attention; the text says:
“Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 
but they were kept from recognizing him. »

Many writers have been speculating on the cause of this:
what was it that prevented the disciples from recognizing Jesus?
What caused them to be blind in this way, unable to see that the man walking with them was Jesus?

Different commentators have proposed different reasons.
As far as their explanations are concerned, the usual expression can be used:
‘On this matter, the jury is still out.’
In other words, nobody knows for sure! 

The reason why this verse keeps me thinking does not belong to exegesis.
It is more personal, much closer to ‘home’, one could say.
The question then becomes formulated in a different way,
and it is addressed to me directly:
‘What is it that prevents ME from recognizing Jesus in my own life?

What prevents me from perceiving Christ, the Risen Lord, present with me from day to day?
What is the cause if this unusual blindness,
this failure to be aware of the obvious presence –
even though hidden from the eyes of my body?

An impediment of what kind?
An obstacle of what sort?

Fear of seeing something within myself that I would prefer not to see?
Shame for something of the past which I do not want to acknowledge?
Inattention? Indifference?

Perhaps simply forgetfulness?
Whenever I walk alone on whatever road or path, perhaps I could find out?…
 

Note: A video presentation of this scene can be found at: https://youtu.be/4QwKU442-80

And another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/3e-dimanche-de-paques-annee-a-2020/

 

Source: Image: Catholic online

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

 

International Day of Peace – 27 September

21 septembre 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: acceptance, bigotry, bridges, communities, dignity, discrimination, fear, hope, human rights, humanity, migrants, neighbours, partnership, peace, refugees, respect, safety, societies, support, UN

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.

The theme for 2017 is “Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All.”

The theme honours the spirit of TOGETHER, a global initiative that promotes respect, safety and dignity for everyone forced to flee their homes in search of a better life. TOGETHER unites the organizations of the United Nations System, the 193 Member States of the United Nations, the private sector, civil society, academic institutions and individual citizens in a global partnership in support of diversity, non-discrimination and acceptance of refugees and migrants. It was initiated during the United Nations Summit for Refugees and Migrants on 19 September 2016.

“In times of insecurity, communities that look different become convenient scapegoats,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. “We must resist cynical efforts to divide communities and portray neighbours as ‘the other’. Discrimination diminishes us all. It prevents people — and societies — from achieving their full potential.” He added, “Together, let us stand up against bigotry and for human rights. Together, let us build bridges. Together, let us transform fear into hope.”

This year, the International Day of Peace will focus on engaging and mobilizing people throughout the world to show support for refugees and migrants. Its messages will be shared with communities hosting refugees and migrants as well as people concerned that refugees and migrants may bring physical and economic insecurity to their lives.

The Day will highlight solidarity with refugees and migrants and showcase the shared benefits of migration to economies and nations, while also acknowledging legitimate concerns of host communities. Ultimately, it will be about bringing people together and reminding them of their common humanity.

Source: Text & Image: UN