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God near

The Alphabet of Lent – Letter T

13 mars 2024
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 2 Corinthians 6:2, God near, God's proximity, invitation to change, Luke 17:22, Mark 1:14-15, time, time of God's favor

 T for Time

Time – we speak about it in many ways:
“The time comes… Time passes… Time flies…
I don’t have time… If you had time… If there is time…”

Obviously, time is measured in different ways according to the beliefs of people.
So there are calendars called: Gregorian, Hebrew, Moslem, Hindu, Chinese, etc.

But why exactly do we strive to measure time?…
Could it be that we have some relationship with time?

Jesus has spoken about time, precisely at different moments of his existence.
One day, he has said to his apostles, in a rather mysterious manner:

“The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man,
but you will not see it (Luke 17:22).

But, at the beginning of his preaching to people, Jesus went to Galilea and he spoke these words:

“The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near.
Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14-15).

“The time that has come, it is God who is near – this is the “Good News of God”

In Jesus, God has made himself near – year after year, in this our time,
this is what we celebrate at Christmas!
God’s proximity, a piece of good news as none other!

It remains a permanent invitation to change our ways, our attitudes, our behaviour,
to adjust them to God’s own!
Has he not created us in his image?

The period of Lent represents what the apostle Paul speaks about:
“I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

“The time that has come… the time of God’s favor…” It is here now!

 

Source: Images: DailyVerses.net    unsplash.com (Towfiqu Barbhuiya)  

25th Sunday of Year A – 2023

22 septembre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: God near, God's power and greatness, God's wisdom and mercy, Incarnation, Isaiah 55:6-9, James 4:8, Ps.145:17-18, Ps.145:2-3, Ps.145:8-9

 

When someone repeats something, usually the person wants to draw attention to what he/she says.
The same thing could apply to the Scripture texts offered to our reflection.
On this Sunday, the 1st reading (Isaiah 55:6-9) and the Psalm (Ps.145:2-3,8-9,17-18), both texts repeat something meant to draw our attention.

“Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near” (1st reading).

“The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth” (Psalm).

If a survey was made and a group of people were asked the first quality they would ascribe to God,
I wonder how many would say that GOD IS NEAR…

When thinking about God, many people, most people perhaps, would remember his greatness and his power.
Some may add his wisdom, a few more could mention his mercy.
But his nearness?… His close presence?…

Could it be that many Christians have yet to understand the true meaning of… the Incarnation?
God becoming a human being!
This was the extraordinary attempt of God to be near to us!
So near as to become one of us!…

Extraordinary is even too weak and too poor a word to describe this reality –
because it is REAL and true, and this is something permanent, it will not change.

The apostle James writing to the first Christians was telling them:
“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8).

But could we not turn the words around and tell ourselves:
God is near to me, why would I not get near to him?…

Something worth reflecting about…
 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/25e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2023/

 

Source: Images: The Bottom of a Bottle     Bible Hub

 

 

 

 

14th Sunday of Year C – 2022

30 juin 2022
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: God near, kingdom of God, knowing God, knowing someone, Lk.10:17-20, Luke 10:1-12, mantra

Among believers, if asked whether they know God, some people would answer immediately:
“Of course, I know him!”
Others may pause for a moment before replying: “Well, I know some things about him…”

Knowing someone is quite an experience, and to know someone truly the experience must be on-going, never achieved completely.
The same is true, all the more so, where God is concerned.
In fact, to know him truly, we need him to make himself known to us.

In the gospel of this Sunday (Luke 10:1-12,17-20), Jesus tells us something important about God.
Sending his Apostles to towns and villages to tell people about God, Jesus says that they are to proclaim:

“The kingdom of God is very near to you.”
 
The kingdom of God – God’s presence, God himself is indeed very near to us.
Sad to say, many people think of him as far away, far above…
To many people, God is uninvolved, untouched, unmoved by our human experiences…
When he, himself, has chosen to become one of us in Jesus!

It may be helpful in the coming days, to repeat the words – a little like a mantra:
“God is very near…”

The days ahead may be transformed into something we had not experienced until now…

 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at:https://image-i-nations.com/14e-dimanche-de-lannee-c-2022/

 

Source: Image: Our Retirement Days

3rd Sunday of Advent, Year C

15 décembre 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: faith, God near, God real, Ph4:4-7, reach God, Ze.3:14-18

There are many things said about God. Teachers and preachers, theologians and scripture scholars, give us much information on who God is. Some of their words may inspire us, others leave us skeptic, or indifferent perhaps.

The first and second readings of this Sunday (3rd Sunday of Advent, Year C) tell us something most important. Something which is, in fact, astonishing.

To the Christians of Philippi (Ph4:4-7), the apostle Paul says: “God is near.”     

And the prophet Zephaniah (Ze.3:14-18) adds: “The Lord is in you.”

 From ancient times, human beings have tried to reach God. Amazingly, it is God who is trying to draw our attention, more still draw us to himself.

Today’s message, in a nutshell, could read: GOD IS REAL, GOD IS NEAR!

 This short text could find itself on the social media.

 It should find itself at the heart of… our faith and our lives!

Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/3e-dimanche-de-lavent-annee-c/

 

Source: Image: HCliffCraig.com