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Jn.1:14

5th Sunday of Lent, Year B – 2021

19 mars 2021
Nicole Gregoire
3 Comments
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Galatians 4:4, He.5:7-9, Jn.1:14, John 12:27, John 13:21, Luke 2:51-52, Luke 22:44, Luke 23:46

The 2nd reading of this Sunday (He.5:7-9) gives us a text that is quite surprising:

“In the days of His flesh, when He (Christ) had offered up prayers and supplications, 
with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death,
and was heard because of His godly fear, 
though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”
 
Taken one by one, the texts of Scripture give us messages that nourish our reflection.
But taken as a group, they can offer an overall picture that is quite challenging.
This is what I have found out when I gathered together some chosen texts.

“The Word became flesh.” (Jn.1:14)
 
“God sent his Son, born of a woman.” (Galatians 4:4)
 
“He (Jesus) went down with them (Mary and Joseph) and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them…
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:51-52)
 
“My soul is troubled.” (John 12:27 – today’s gospel)
“He was troubled in spirit.” (John 13:21)
 
“Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly,
and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:44)
 
« Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. »
When he had said this, he breathed his last.” (Luke 23:46)
 
This is our CREED – the faith in what theologians call ‘the mystery of INCARNATION.’
The mystery of a God so unlike what we perhaps think God should be!

A God who is born of a human mother.
A God who grows up like all children do.
A God who obeys human beings.
A God who is troubled and experiences great fear and anguish.
A God who dies as we will all do…

This is OUR God – so much like us in so many things…
Calling us to be like God… nothing less.

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

 

Source: Image: pinterest.com

Good Friday, Year A – 2020

10 avril 2020
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: absence, God dying, Jn.1:14, Jn.19:23, Jn.19:25-27, Lk.23-27, Mk.15:31-32, Mt.27:32, Mt.27:38

At the scene, when God is dying…

Some people reading this title may possibly be tempted to move on to another reflection.
They may want a text that is less… shocking.
GOD DYING?

At Christmas time, some were reluctant to pronounce the words: GOD IS BORN.
They found it less shocking in the text of John’s gospel: « The word was made flesh.” (Jn.1:14)
And yet… who is this WORD?

The very one we see nailed to the cross – God’s own Son, God himself.
God himself become one-of-us…

As he slowly, painfully, made his way to the place where he was to die,  different people were there to see him pass…
Some women lamenting, as was the custom, offering a compassionate presence to one condemned to death. (Lk.23-27)
A man called Simon, perhaps returning from his field – he was originally from Cyrene in North Africa. (Mt.27:32)
Tradition tells us that a woman named Veronica bravely approached Jesus to wipe his face covered with sweat and blood.

We can imagine Mary, his mother, and John, near the cross. (Jn.19:25-27)
The soldiers were there, of course, they had a job to do, they could not do otherwise. (Jn.19:23)
There were two other men also condemned to death – thieves we are told. (Mt.27:38)
The leaders of the Jews were present as well – at long last they had obtained what they wanted: to get rid of the Man of Nazareth. (Mk.15:31-32)

I am looking for some other people, but I cannot see them… Where are they?
The blind who can now see everything clearly.
The deaf and dumb who can hear and speak like you and me.
The paralytics no longer needing even a stick to walk.
The lepers freely joining a group without shame or fear to be sent away.
Where are they all?

God was dying… it was shocking.
The absence of those who should have been there was also shocking.
My absence would be no less so… if it means that I fail to understand that… he was dying for me.

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/vendredi-saint-annee-a-2020/

 

Source: Image: Unsplash

Feast of the Holy Family, Year C

28 décembre 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 1 Jn.3:1-2, 1 Jn.3:21-24, God-one-of-us, God's children, Jn.1:14, Lk.2:10-11

This may have happened to you: waking up in the morning and saying to yourself: “I hope that, today, some good news will come my way…”

Well, this is what we have been celebrating on Christmas day. The gospel text gave us the angel’s words: “Today, I bring you news of great joy…” (Lk.2:10-11).

That good news is that God has become one of us.

And today, the second part of this great news unfolds for us: We have become… one of his!

It is said, it is written, it is proclaimed, in the second reading of the 1st epistle

of John: “We are called God’s children and so we are!” (1 Jn.3:1-2,21-24).

We are indeed and in truth ‘God’s family’.

It may not take all the problems away, it may not remove all pain and sorrow, but it provides strength to carry the problems and comfort in facing the painful situations.

GOOD NEWS indeed!

Note: Another reflection on a different theme is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/fete-de-la-sainte-famille-annee-c/

Source: Image: YouTube

Noël, année C

24 décembre 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Trésor ancien et nouveau
Mots-clés: Chair, Emmanuel, Incarnation, Jn.1:14, légendes, Mystère, mythes, Ph.2:6-7, réalité

NOËL – 4 lettres, un mot bien court.

On a dit, écrit, décrit, transcrit, tant de choses sur ce mot. On l’a évoqué, prononcé, crié, chanté… NOËL ! NOËL !

Il y a les légendes et les mythes, les histoires et les contes et, au cœur de tout cela : la RÉALITÉ – la réalité d’un Dieu qui s’est voulu… humain. À la vue de cette expression, vous arrêtez de lire…

Mais c’est cela NOËL : l’extraordinaire – certains oseraient dire – l’extravagante, décision de Dieu de se faire l’un de nous ! Il y a de quoi arrêter de lire et… considérer… s’émerveillera… adorer…

Certaines personnes décrivent cet événement comme un ‘mystère’ et c’en est un ! Il ne faut surtout pas penser qu’on ne doit pas tenter de comprendre, mais il faut poursuivre l’effort de compréhension tout au long de notre vie !

Qui oserait juxtaposer ces deux mots : DIEU et CHAIR ?! Mais il faut le faire, pas d’autre voie pour com-prendre = prendre avec soi-même cette réalité. Les théologiens, pour le faire, utilisent un terme… respectueux : IN-CARN-ATION = dans la chair.

L’apôtre Jean l’a dit sans hésitation:

 

« Le Verbe s’est fait CHAIR. » (Jn.1:14)

Et, de son côté, Paul écrit aux Philippiens : «De condition divine, il est devenu semblable aux humains. » (Ph.2:6-7)

EMMANUEL, « Dieu-avec-nous », Dieu, l’un de nous !

Si ce n’était pas cela Noël……… ce serait quoi au juste ?!

 

Note: Une autre réflexion sur un thème différent est disponible en anglais à: https://image-i-nations.com/christmas-year-c/

 

Source : Image: YouTube

 

 

 

14th Sunday of Year B

6 juillet 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 1 Cor.1:25, 2 Cor.12:7-10, death, He.11.27, hope, invisible, Jn.1:14, Jn.11:25, Lc.9:58, Life, paradoxes, power, Rom.4:18, surprises, weakness, wisdom

 An author of spiritual books (Gerard W. Hughes) has published one under the title: The God of surprises.
His reflections are pertinent and helpful.

After reading it, I was thinking to myself: ‘Were I to write a book of spiritual reflections,
I would give it the title: The God of… paradoxes’.
This is one aspect of God that I find fascinating and sometimes… more than a little disturbing!…

He is a God who has decided to… become a human being – He took on our flesh (Jn.1:14).
He who knows all things had to learn how to speak.
He who is all-powerful had to depend on a woman of our race to answer his needs as a child.
He who created the world and all it contains had nowhere to lay his head (Lc.9:58).

What triggered this reflection of mine is the text of the 2nd reading of this Sunday
(14th Sunday, Year B – 2 Cor.12:7-10) where God tells the apostle Paul:
“My power is made perfect in weakness.”
 
It is Paul who tells us again:
“The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (1 Cor.1:25)

This is the God who enabled Paul to say from experience:
“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses…
For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
 
Paradoxes… but then, is Christian living not a life of paradoxes?

  • Hoping against hope (Rom.4:18).
  • Walking as if one saw the invisible (He.11.27).
  • Finding life in death (Jn.11:25).

The God of PARADOXES… my God… your God?   

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

Source : Images : Goodreads   covervault.com  YouTube