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3rd Sunday of Easter, Year B – 2024

There are gospel texts which we find difficult to understand, others we see as very demanding.
But there are some which, somehow, are encouraging.
On many occasions, the attitude of the apostles can make us feel that we are not so far from them!

They had lived for some three years with Jesus.
They had heard him teach people about many things.
They had seen him perform miracles, even raising some dead people to life.
And yet, yet… so often they did not understand him, nor recognize what he was about.

In today’s gospel text, as Jesus appears to them, his disciples think they see… a ghost ! (Luke 24:35-48).
Of course, they knew he had been tortured and had died a cruel death on a cross.
They thought – rightly so – that he had really died.
How could he be there alive before them?

He has to repeat that he is truly their Master.
He has to give them some proofs – the kind of proofs that they will understand:
he shows them his hands and feet that have been pierced,
he asks them food to eat, and he eats in front of them.

But he has to do more.
The evangelist Luke tells us:

“He opened their minds so they could understand…” 

Understand what his whole life was about.
Understand what his suffering and death were for.
Understand how they had to share with others what they had seen as witnesses do.

Perhaps we need the same kind of understanding…
The Risen Christ can open our own minds… if we ask him to do so…

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/3e-dimanche-de-paques-annee-b-2024/

Source: Image: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

The Alphabet of Lent – Letter N

N for Nourish

Food is an essential part of daily life, wherever in the world we find ourselves.
Nowadays, publicity does not fail to display what is seen as appropriate choices in terms of food.
Advice, recommendations, suggestions of healthy dishes, information about diets, nothing is missing.

It is interesting to note that the topic of nourishment comes back also… in the gospels!
More than once, Jesus speaks about it.
The texts of the gospel speak at least twice about occasions that lead to a memorable miracle.

The text of Luke shows us the apostles, after a long period of teaching, asking Jesus to send back the people (Luke 9:12-17).
“Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging”.

We know what happened: Jesus nourished (provided food for) the crowd of 5000 people by multiplying five loaves and two fishes.

An interesting detail is given to us at the end of the story of the young daughter of Jairus whom Jesus brought back to life.
The text mentions clearly:

“Jesus told them to give her something to eat (Luke 8:55).

Yet, we must remember what took place during Jesus’ retreat in the desert.
Tempted by Satan to change stones into loaves of bread to feed himself, Jesus replied to the one tempting him:

“A human being does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

Deeper still is the affirmation of Jesus who says:
“I am the bread of life,
he who comes to me will never be hungry” (John 6:34).

During this period of Lent, it is good to ask oneself what truly satisfies us…
Does the word of God nourish me every day?…
Do I welcome his presence – bread-of-life – giving me the abundant life (John 10:10) that he offers me from day to day?…

Perhaps I would need to adjust… my menu…

 

Source: Images: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

 

 

International Volunteer Day – 5 December 2023

More than one billion people volunteer globally for solidarity and humanity, for people and the planet. International Volunteer Day (IVD), 5 December, is an occasion to pay tribute to volunteers worldwide and to recognize the value of volunteerism in advancing peace and development.

This year, we mark IVD by recognizing the power of collective action: if everyone did.

If everyone volunteered, the world would be a better place.  Imagine more than eight billion of us volunteering. Limitless possibilities for sustainable development – food and education for everyone, clean environment and good health, inclusive and peaceful societies, and more.

Volunteerism is an enormous renewable resource for social, economic and environmental problem-solving throughout the world. As the world faces mounting challenges, volunteers are often the first to helpVolunteers are at the fore in crises and emergencies, often in very testing and dire situations.

Source:https://www.unv.org/

 

 

World Vegetarian Day – 1 october

The Many Different Types of Vegetarianism

A vegetarian is a person who does not consume meat or products of animal slaughter due to ethical, moral, or religious concerns. There are many varieties of vegetarianism. Ovo-Lacto vegetarians, for instance, eat eggs and milk, but no other animal products. Adherents of more strict forms of vegetarianism, such as vegans, tend to abstain from consuming anything that may include any kind of animal products or may be made from animal labor, such as animal testing. Other types of vegetarians include raw vegetarianism, where followers only eat raw foods or products that have been dehydrated; and fruitarianism, where adherents only consume fruits and nuts, preferably obtained without any harm to the plant.

In India, members of the Jain religion follow a form of vegetarianism that not only prohibits eating animal products, but also restricts consumption of root vegetables like onions, potatoes, and garlic.

From Religion to Saving the Environment

In many cultures, vegetarianism is an integral part of religion. Many sects of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism prohibit the consumption of meat and animal products, though the use of milk, honey, and sometimes unfertilized poultry eggs is acceptable.

Religious vegetarianism tends to be rooted in a philosophy of non-violence and compassion towards the natural world. Many other people follow vegetarianism as a way to protect the environment – they believe that raising and killing of animals for food negatively affects the environment, creates pollution, and contributes to climate change.

Many follow vegetarianism out of concern for animals and their treatment at farms where they are being raised for food. Others on the hand, adopt the vegetarian diet for its health benefits. Research has shown that a plant-based diet can help reduce the risks of heart disease, diabetes, and some kinds of cancer.

 

Source: Text: https://www.timeanddate.com/    Image: national Day Calendar

Word Sustainable Gastronomy Day – June 18

Word Sustainable Gastronomy Day on June 18 recognizes the practices and principals associated with sustainable food consumption combined with the art of collecting, preparing, and consuming the food we eat. As part of the observance, the day acknowledges the social, cultural, and artistic expression related to gastronomy and defines three dimensions of sustainable development – people, planet, and profit.

The United Nations says several principals guide sustainable food production and consumption:

  1. Improving efficiency in the use of agricultural resources.
  2. Direct action to conserve, protect and enhance natural resources.
  3. Responding to the changing needs of people, communities, and ecosystems is key to sustainable agriculture.
HOW TO OBSERVE WORLD GASTRONOMY DAY

Learn more about sustainable gastronomy and agriculture by visiting the www.un.org website.

  • Don’t buy more food than you need.
  • Recycle food by composting and converting unused foods into jams or sauces.
  • Shop locally grown vegetables and fruits.
  • Buy from small and local suppliers who use or promote sustainable agriculture techniques.
  • Use all of the food you have on hand.
  • Be mindful of what is in your vegetable drawer and use it before it wilts and rots.
  • Make lunch to take to work — compost food scraps.

Use #SustainableGastronomyDay to share on social media.

WORLD SUSTAINABLE GASTRONOMY DAY HISTORY

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed World Sustainable Gastronomy Day in December 2016 and first celebrated in 2017.

 

Source: Text & Image:  https://nationaldaycalendar.com/world-sustainable-gastronomy-day-june-18/

International Chefs Day – 20 October

International Chefs Day is celebrated each year on October 20th. The day focuses on educating kids around the world about eating healthy. It’s also a day for chefs to pass on their knowledge and skills to the next generation of chefs.

There are approximately 942,000 chefs, head cooks, and food and serving supervisors in the United States. Along with overseeing the daily food service operation of restaurants, chefs also direct other cooks in the kitchen. Chefs use their creativity and knowledge to create and prepare recipes. Additionally, chefs must deal with a multitude of food-related concerns.

The different kinds of chefs include:

  • Executive chef – as managers for multiple outlets, executive chefs do very little cooking.
  • Head chef – manages kitchen staff and controls the whole kitchen.
  • Sous chef – the chef that is second in command to the head chef.
  • Chef de Partie – runs a specific part of the kitchen.
  • Commis chef – a junior member of the restaurant staff that works under a chef de partie.
  • Kitchen porter – assists with basic food preparation, such as peeling potatoes.
  • Dishwasher – washes all the dishes and cutlery. It’s not uncommon for a dishwasher to work their way up the chef ladder.

Some chefs specialize in preparing certain kinds of food. For instance, a butcher chef is in charge of preparing meats and poultry. A grill chef manages the grill. A pastry chef is responsible for creating desserts.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/international-chefs-day-october-20/

19th Sunday of Year B – 2021

Just imagine for a moment a man standing before a group of people.
Most of them know him, they know his mother, of course, and where he comes from.
He is dressed as they are, he speaks as they do, but… what he says has never been heard before.

He says that he descended from heaven.
He even claims that he can give some food that will enable people to live eternally.
He repeats with conviction that those eating this food will never die.
And he concludes proclaiming that he, himself, is that food.

How do you think people would react?
Voices would rise to jeer, to ridicule, to condemn such claims:

“Who does he think he is?”
“He’s talking nonsense!”
“He’s out of his mind!”
”Eating the flesh of a man, who would do that?”

This is more or less a reproduction of what the scene in today’s gospel offers us (Jn.6:41-51).
The vocabulary may have changed somehow but the reactions of the listeners are very similar:
that kind of speech is just too much of them.
Who could put faith in such extravagant language?
Who would dream of following the Man of Nazareth?

“Heaven… the Father… rise on the last day… eternal life… bread of life… bread that is flesh!”

Could it be that all these words have been part of our religious language for so long that we no longer question their meaning.
In no way do they make us feel uncomfortable…

Do they touch us really?
Do they still question us?
Do they reach us in the depths of our being?
Do we allow them to challenge our faith?
Do they inspire our commitment to that Man, Jesus?

If not, that chapter of John’s gospel is just another… printed text…
We will hear it another time, at another place, perhaps… all the time remaining the same ourselves…
While Jesus is waiting for us… just waiting…

 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/19e-dimanche-de-lannee-b-2021/

 

Source: Images: Presentation Guru   churchofjesuschrist.org

17th Sunday of Year B – 2021

The methodology of… God can be quite surprising and sometimes rather upsetting – we have all experienced it!
He has told us about this long ago through his prophet, Isaiah, when he said openly:

“My ways are not your ways” (Is.55:8).
But it seems that we do not get used to this easily…

This thought came to me as I read the gospel text of this Sunday (Jn.6:1-15).
A crowd has been listening to Jesus’ teaching for a long time and he does not want to send them back without giving them something to eat.

 So, he asks his apostle, Philip, where they could get food for all those people.
The text says:
 
He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do”.
A little frustrating for poor Philip, if he knew… he, too, has to learn God’s ways!

But then, Jesus provides the food and we are told that the people were given “as much as they wanted”.
I said Jesus provides but, in fact, a child has made this abundant feast possible with his contribution.

So, after all, God’s methodology is not one of refusal, or measured provision, but an abundance of gifts and blessings.
And, often through our own sharing with those around us!

How long do we still need to understand?…

 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/17e-dimanche-de-lannee-b-2021/

 

Source: Images: Jesus Film Project

12th Sunday of Year B – 2021

Some people enjoy making lists – lists of all kinds of things.
Names of places they have visited, names of stars of cinema or sports heroes,
names of best deals for items to buy, names of prospective clients for their business, etc.

I wonder if anyone has ever made a list of… temptations he, or she, has to grapple with!…
This could be an interesting – and possibly quite surprising – ­exercise!

I will not reveal here my own list of things I have to struggle with,
but I will tell you what I find perhaps the worst temptation.
It came back to me as I read the words of the apostles in the gospel of this Sunday (Mk.4:35-41).

The scene is well known to us: the apostles are caught up in a storm on the lake at nighttime.
The wind is terribly strong, the waves threatening, and the men can no longer cope with the situation.
As for Jesus, he is quietly sleeping through it all!

The gospel text says:
 “The disciples woke him and said to him,
“Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
 
The temptation I spoke of is NOT that of fear, of weakness, or helplessness –
NO, these are only expressions of our being human.
The temptation – insidious, vicious, really – is to think that God does not care!
 
How many of us have not given in to this temptation at one time or another?
To think that God is too far, too great, too occupied with other people’s problems,
to be concerned with our own troubles!
To think that the nitty gritty of our daily lives is too insignificant for God to be bothered with it.
Would he lower himself to care for that?…
 
This is precisely what he has done in becoming one of us!
Food and drink, sickness and sin, and whatever comes with these situations –
this is precisely what he has been caring about… and continues to do so.

And we, “who have no faith”, are still tempted to ask him the question?!

 

Note: Another reflection on a different theme is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/12e-dimanche-de-lannee-b-2021/

 

Source: Image: Bijoux to Cara 

Human Rights Day – 10 December

Every so often a thing comes to pass that is of such astounding importance that we must stand up and recognize it. We must place this thing on the pedestal it deserves, and ensure that the precepts and policies put in place by it are adhered to, appreciated, and spread as far as the human voice will carry. Such is the sort of message sent by Human Rights Day.

History of Human Rights Day
Human Rights Day was established in 1948, and ever since that auspicious day it has stood as the first major stride forward in ensuring that the rights of every human across the globe are protected. From the most basic human needs such as food, shelter, and water, all the way up to access to free and uncensored information, such has been the goals and ambitions laid out that day.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was a shout across the world by the leading countries in the world, stating loud and clear that no matter where we live, what we believe, or how we love, we are each individually deserving of the most basic fundamentals of human needs. Every year Human Rights Day marks conferences around the world dedicated to ensuring that these ideals are pursued, and that the basic Human Rights of every person is made a priority in the global theater.

Source: Text & Image: DAYSoftheYEAR