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God knows

3rd Sunday of Easter, Year C – 2022

29 avril 2022
Nicole Gregoire
2 Comments
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: answer, Apostle Peter, be reminded, friendship with God, God knows, insights, John 21:19-31, proximity, questions

Reading the gospel texts, each one is inspired by them in his/her own way.
Any given text, at different moments, may open up new perspectives and offer new messages.

Today the long gospel text presents us with two different scenes (John 21:19-31).
In the second one, we see Jesus with Peter – a scene quite special indeed and rich in insights.
I read it again and… an unusual idea comes – the title I would give to this scene:
‘What God knows but… wants to be told again!’
 
Not once, not twice, but three times, Jesus asks a question from Peter.
A searching question, one that is very personal, and… evocative…
Every time Peter answers repeating the words:
“Lord, you know that I love you.”
 
The third time, Peter adds the words:
“Lord, you know everything…”
 
Peter is right: Jesus knows it but wants to hear it, he wants Peter to pronounce the words –
words that will remind him who has been weak, and betrayed Jesus, that he is still Jesus’ friend.

There are people who refuse to pray saying that God knows everything and does not need to be told of our needs.
They are convinced that God knows whatever situation we find ourselves in and does not need to be reminded of anything.

It is true but… perhaps WE need to realize what our situation is, what our needs are, and… what is the friendship that God offers us!
God who wants to share our life, in close proximity to us, from day to day…

It may be something that WE need to be reminded of!

 

Note: And another reflection, on a different theme, is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/3e-dimanche-de-paques-annee-c-2022/

 

Source: Image: Church of Jesus Christ

 

27th Sunday of Year B – 2021

1 octobre 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: companion, compassion, Genesis 2:18-24, God knows, kindness, Mercy, Romans 8:28

If you were asked what is the most important quality of… GOD, for you,
I imagine that you would choose the attribute that speaks to you most.
I expect that the answers would vary from one person to another.
People would speak of his kindness, his mercy, his patience, his compassion, etc.

The 1st reading of this Sunday (Genesis 2:18-24) mentions one aspect of who God is that I personally find very revealing.
The text says:

“The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.”
 
These few words tell us something quite astonishing,
all the more so that this text appears in the second chapter of the very first book of the Bible.
What is said, in fact, is that God knows what is good for us, human beings.
And not only does he know, but this is what he wants for us, what he is ready to give us.

The scene describes man – the first human being – trying to find a companion, someone… like himself!
Someone with whom he will be able to share his life on earth.
We see him going through all the creatures already present around him, but none of them responds to man’s need.
Not any of the living beings that surround him correspond to what he is looking for…

What is interesting in the text is that before we see man searching, we are told of God’s plan:
to give man this special companion he desires so much!
God has foreseen the need, God knows what is good, God is ready to provide…

To me, this is one quality of God that I find most comforting:
in any and every situation, God knows what is good for us and he is ready to give us precisely that!
 
We are sometimes slow to understand this and to rely on his willingness…
The apostle Paul had discovered this and he was convinced that it was so whatever happened.
He wrote to the first Christians of Rome, saying:

“By turning everything to their good, God cooperates with all those who love him” (Romans 8:28).

Do we?…

 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/27e-dimanche-de-lannee-b-2021/

 

Source: Image: PrimoBibleVerses

 

5th Sunday of Easter, Year B – 2021

30 avril 2021
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 1 Jn.3:18-24, condemn, God knows, God understands, hearts, progress

We try to live as followers of Jesus.
We do our best to be faithful to what he asks from us.
We make special efforts to carry out what we believe is his will.
But . . .

But, when we look at the result of our efforts, we may lose heart.
We may feel discouraged at seeing the outcome of what we thought was our best…

If so, today’s message in the 2nd reading (1 Jn.3:18-24) is meant for us –
meant to give us comfort.

The apostle John writing to the first Christians assures them:

“If our hearts condemn us,
we know that God is greater than our hearts,
and he knows everything.”
 
What an encouraging thought!
What a truly wonderful reality: God knows, God understands!

God knows our inner feelings, he is aware of our good intentions.
He understands – so much better than we do – that we do not always succeed in doing what we would like to do.
We are not always able to be the person that we would like to become.
We are not yet the ‘ideal self’ that we want to be.

He knows that we are still on the way and… he walks on that way with us!
So, one more step today is what he accepts, ready to wait for what we see as our slow progress,
and not condemning us for it, simply walking with us.

Truly, « God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”

 

Note: Another reflection on a different theme is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/5e-dimanche-de-paques-annee-b-2021/

 

Source: Image: Quotefancy