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‘good news’

Nativity of the Lord, Year C – 2021

24 décembre 2021
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 'good news', Christmas, faith, God's coming, home, joy, Luke 2:1-14, Nativity

Someone telling a group of friends that he, or she, has received some good news would set their minds thinking.
Their curiosity would lead them to try and guess what this piece of good news can be…
A promotion? Winning the lotto? Going on holidays?
Perhaps the visit of a loved one? Or, maybe, expecting a child?
If after a few moments enjoying the friends’ guessing, the person said:

“God has come to us, yes, he’s come to our home,” –
the reaction of the group would probably be one of silent… amazement!
The friends would be utterly bewildered…
GOD, GOD has gone to his/her home!

If these words were said, not in a joking fashion but as a statement of deep faith,
it might be an incentive for the listeners to become aware that…
the same thing could be true for them, the same good news!

In fact, this is precisely the message of the gospel on the feast of the Nativity (Luke 2:1-14).
The angel appearing to the shepherds tells them:

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.”
 
Good news, great joy, and for everyone!

Those more discrete among us may not like to say openly:
“God has come to our home”,
and it may not be necessary to voice the words.

But what is necessary, what is essential, for Christmas to be truly Christmas is
to realize it deeply and…
to allow God to be at home with us!

 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/nativite-du-seigneur-annee-c-2021/

 

Source: Image: verseoftheday.com

1st Sunday of Lent, Year C – 2019

9 mars 2019
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 'good news', God's answer, protection, Ps.91:10-15, remind, return, too good, trouble, waiting

“It is too good to be true!” – no doubt, you have heard these words as well as I have.
Some people do not want to be seen as naive, or gullible, believing easily any piece of good news.
They are not trusting easily the messengers of happy tidings.

Strange – and sad to say – some will even doubt THE… ‘good news’!
The good news of who God is and what he wants to be for us.

It is true that he goes far beyond what we could expect or even dream of.
This thought comes to me as I read again the words of today’s response
to the 1st reading (Ps.91:1-2,10-15) where God himself says:

“I rescue all who cling to me,
I protect whoever knows my name,
I answer everyone who invokes me,,
I am with them when they are in trouble.”
 
“All… Whoever… Everyone…”
No restriction, no limits, no qualification or credentials required.
No past experience or achievement of any kind.
One and all are acceptable to this God of ours –
a God who is waiting, always waiting for our return to him.

This is what Lent is about, is it not?
To return and to REMIND ourselves of this amazing truth…
When it is God who speaks, is it not too good NOT to be true!

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/1er-dimanche-du-careme-annee-c-2019/

A short video is also available on this theme in French: https://youtu.be/cpfWC7eed1A

Source: Image: Kozman

 

3rd Sunday of Advent, Year B

14 décembre 2017
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 'good news', captives, commandments, ewgulations, focus, hungry, Is.61:1-2, Lc.1:46-50, Lc.1:53-54, Mercy, prescriptions, religion, rituals, worship

In all religions, whatever be the name and description of a given set of beliefs,
there are principles and prescriptions,
rites, and rituals, and regulations,
commandments and observances.

Whichever way they are formulated, there are admonitions saying:
“Thou shalt” and “Thou shalt not.”
The language used indicates clearly the ‘should’, the ‘must’, the ‘have to’
that guide the believers of a certain group.
And the behaviour of the faithful is meant to translate these into concrete actions.

This is the whole area of what WE are expected to do for God.
It is sometimes described at length and with much insistence.
Yet, this is only one side of the coin, only one aspect of religion.
There is the whole area of what GOD does for us.

This aspect is presented to us in a beautiful and inspiring way
in some of the texts of this 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year B.
God’s messenger acting in his name,

“brings good news to the poor,
binds up hearts that are broken,
proclaims liberty to captives,
proclaims a year of favour from the Lord.”  (1st reading: Is.61:1-2,10-11)

“His mercy reaches from age to age,
the hungry he has filled with good things,
he comes to the help of his servant,
he remembers to show mercy.”   (Response: Lk.1:46-50,53-54)

Why do we concentrate so much on what we should do for God?
This season of Advent is a good time to change our focus and, at long last,
to consider and marvel at all that God does for us, day after day!

Source: Image: 123RF Stock Photos

 

World Communications Day – 28 May

28 mai 2017
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 'good news', Ascension, evil, Is.43:5, journalists, Pope Francis, responsible approach, Saint Francis de Sales, solutions, writers

The Holy See on 24 January 2017, the liturgical memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, patron saint of writers and journalists, released the Holy Father’s Message for the 51st World Communications Day.

The Message of Pope Francis is entitled « Fear not, for I am with you (Isaiah 43:5): Communicating Hope and Trust in our Time ».

In 2017, World Communications Day will be celebrated on 28 May, which in Canada is the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. In his Message, the Pope expresses his desire « to contribute to the search for an open and creative style of communication that never seeks to glamourize evil, but instead to concentrate on solutions and to inspire a positive and responsible approach on the part of its recipients. I ask everyone to offer the people of our time storylines that are at heart ‘good news’. »

Source: Text: CCCB,  Image: catholicbishops.ie