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Isaiah

5th Sunday of Year C – 2019

8 février 2019
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 1 Cor.15:1-11, appraisal, expérience, Is.6:1-8, Isaiah, Lk.5:1-11, Paul apostle, self-image, Simon-Peter

This Sunday’s readings present us a tableau, so to speak, in three parts.
It gives us the picture of three men: 
Isaiah, (Is.6:1-8) 
the apostle Paul, (1 Cor.15:1-11) 
Simon (Lk.5:1-11) who was to become Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. 

Though they lived many centuries apart, they have one thing in common: they saw themselves as they were!
This may seem a strange characteristic but it is no small achievement in our world of… image-making where people show off trying to impress others!…

Isaiah says to God: “What a wretched state I am in, I am a man of unclean lips.”
Paul confesses openly: “I am the least of the apostles, I hardly deserve the name apostle.”
Simon begs Jesus: “Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man.”

Yes, they saw themselves as they were but… what they saw was not the full picture!
It needed to be corrected, to be… enhanced, could we say, and by God himself!

To Isaiah, the angel said: “Your sin is taken away.”
Paul recognises: “The grace that God gave me has not been fruitless.”
Jesus assures Peter: “Do not be afraid; from now on it is men you will catch.”
 
It may be a worthwhile exercise to go through the same experience:

  • Have an honest look at ourselves
  • Try to give ourselves a just appraisal and…
  • Let God do the adjustments and corrections he sees fit.

The final picture may be most encouraging !

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/5e-dimanche-de-lannee-c-2019/

Source: Images: theodisseyonline.com cursillos.ca   Free Bible Images

Feast of the Transfiguration, Year A *

3 août 2017
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: apostles, Bible, comfort, Elijah, fear, God's people, God's presence, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joshua, learning, lesson, light, Mary Mothre of Jesus, Moses, Mt.17:1-9, names, reaction, security, voice

* (This feast takes the place of the 18th Sunday of Year)

The gospel of this Sunday (Feast of the Transfiguration, Year A – Mt.17:1-9) presents us with a scene that is rather unusual in the life of Jesus.
It is no wonder that the apostles are startled and even Peter is lost for words.

The sight of Moses and Elijah present with Jesus – a Jesus so resplendent with light – is already an amazing apparition.
But suddenly there is more: the apostles are covered with a bright cloud and from within comes a voice.
Their reaction is immediate: “They fell on their faces overcome with fear.”

Throughout the Bible, this seems to be the spontaneous reaction of human beings when God comes close to them.
Strange but true: the proximity of God which should be a source of comfort and security is experienced as overwhelming and frightening…

Today’s gospel text goes on saying:
“Jesus came and touched them and said, ‘Do not be afraid’.”

It is said that these very words (or their equivalent: “Fear not”) is repeated 365 times in the Bible.
Yes, as many times as there are days in the year!
It appears that it is a lesson we have never finished learning – not to fear anything, and especially NOT God’s close presence!

God’s people throughout their history, God’s friends and God’s messengers – all needed to learn it:
Moses, Joshua, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Mary: Jesus’ mother herself, Jesus’ disciples, the apostle Paul, to mention but a few.

Perhaps… our own names could be listed as well for we share the same need, do we not?…

Source: Images: Pinterest, tapistryministry,org

 

 

2nd Sunday of the Year, A

12 janvier 2017
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 1 Cor.1:1-3, expérience, Is.49:3-6, Isaiah, Jn.1:29-34, John the Baptist, Paul the apostle, the Spirit, truth, witness

Being a witness can be a duty and it sometimes becomes an obligation that cannot be avoided.
It can be a pleasant task as it is to act as witnesses to the commitment of two people getting married.
It can be a painful experience to retell the details of an accident which one has witnessed.
And it can be very stressful to appear in court and, under oath, to say what one knows and sees as true.

In all these circumstances, a person is called to say clearly what he, or she, has seen, heard, and knows of a given situation.
In other words, the personal experience of the witness is what is required.

On this 2nd Sunday of the Year (A) the three scripture readings somehow refer to this aspect of human responsibility: witnessing.

Isaiah claims: “The Lord formed me in the womb to be his servant” (Is.49:3,5-6) and this service will be that of proclaiming God’s message to his people, speaking as a witness of what God has revealed to him.

In his turn, Paul affirms that he has been “appointed by God to be an apostle” (1 Cor.1:1-3), in other words he, too, will be asked to tell what he has experienced of the God of Jesus.

However, it is John the Baptist who speaks more clearly as he says of himself: “I have seen and I am the witness” (Jn.1:29-34).

Our times need witnesses no less than the past. It is easy to dismiss the fact that each Christian is called to be precisely that. Speaking for God, sharing Christ’s message, allowing the Spirit to lead me to speak when I should so that the truth may be known. The truth of who God is and what he calls us to be.

We need not be theologians, teachers, or specialists in explaining Bible texts. What is expected of us is simply letting our experience of God speak for itself… speak for Him!

Source: Images: wisconsinvows.com; 123RF.com;  www.diminishedvalue.com;  spiritualityhealth.com

 

5th Sunday of the Year, C

4 février 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 1 Cor.3:9), angels, Gerard W. Hughes, God's message, Isaiah, Isaiah 6:1-8, Luke 5:1-11, messenger, sin, The God of Surprises, weakness

healthy_eating_s3_daughter_helps_mom_cook, www.medicinenet.comfather-and-son-fishing-guideYou would smile hearing a father tell his young son: “Danny, I want to catch a big fish; will you help me?” Smile, you would also seeing a young girl with a grin as her mother said: “Today I need your help to cook lunch!” We all know that neither the father nor the mother really need the help of the children and yet they are happy to involve them in the activity they have planned.

These examples came to my mind as I read the 1st reading of this 5th Sunday (Year C). It is the scene of Isaiah, the prophet (Is.6:1-8) who is called to be God’s messenger. Well, at first he is not called but… he offers his services to God who is searching for a messenger. This is quite surprising and not in line with our idea of a god. We picture God as being Almighty, all powerful, and surely not in need of anyone. Moreover, in the vision that Isaiah is given to witness there are many angels who, by definition, are precisely God’s messengers. And yet, God is looking for someone to send with his message.

This is the true image of OUR God: a God who wants to be in need… of us, human beings – and this, from the very beginning when he asked the newly-created Adam to name the animals that he, God, has brought into being. Much later, the apostle Paul will say boldly: “We are fellow workers with God” (1 Cor.3:9).Isaiah vision

A theologian and spiritual writer (Gerard W. Hughes) has written a book entitled: The God of Surprises. Indeed, God is constantly surprising us. And the amazing thing is that God does not ask us to be without defect, or weakness, or sin, to associate us with his work. When we speak the words: “Lord, I am not worthy…” as Peter spoke in today’s gospel (Luke 5:1-11), we mean well as he did! But the truth is that God does NOT ask us to be worthy.

What God wants is our eagerness to work with him. Work with him at making the world a better place for all. Work with him at creating more happiness for people around us. Work with him in spreading the message of his close presence with us. This is the partnership he offers us – and what a partnership it is!

Source: Images: Boy: footage.framepool.com    Girl: www.shutterstock.com
Isaiah: amaickinghezekiah,blogspot.com

 

2nd Sunday of Advent, C

3 décembre 2015
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 2nd Sunday Advent, change, crooked ways, gospel of Luke, Isaiah, mountains, paths, upside down, valleys

IT’S THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN!
mountains 2nd AdventYou may have been told these words at one time or another.
It may have been that you were telling someone about something quite unusual, or unexpected.
You were describing a situation, or an event, that the person listening to you could hardly imagine having happened.
He, or she, spontaneously exclaimed: “But, it’s the world upside down!”

This expression came to my mind as I read the text of the gospel for this 2nd Sunday of ADVENT (Lk.3:1-6).
It is an echo of a text from the prophet Isaiah (40:3-5) where, indeed, everything is turned crooked path 2nd adventupside down:
“The mountains brought low, the valleys filled in, the winding ways straightened and the rough roads made smooth.”

But the beginning of the text is saying: “Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.”
So, it seems that we have something to do with… turning things upside down!

Could it mean that…
Our pride should become a truthful look at ourselves,
our selfishness should be replaced with concern for others,
our dishonesty should be straightened up into honest dealings with people,
and, yes, all our other crooked ways should be transformed into genuine attitudes according to what the Lord expects from us?…

And the change might bring people around us to whisper: ‘Incredible, unbelievable! It’s the world upside down!’
They would be truly astonished at the Spirit obviously at work – if only we allow him to fashion us into the people we are meant to be…