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Matthew 28:20

Feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord, Year B – 2024

31 mai 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: faith, Luke 22:19, Mark 14:12-16.22-26, Matthew 28:20, promise, real presence, signs

When I notice the backpack of my guest hanging on the rail of the stairs, I know he is back from his travels.
As I perceive the familiar smell of freshly brewed coffee and toasted bread, I know that my sister is in the kitchen with breakfast ready for us.

The backpack and the odor of coffee are signs that speak – they reveal a hidden reality.
I have not seen either my guest or my sister, but I can conclude to their presence.

We could say that this is what today’s feast is about: the celebration of the signs of a presence.
The bread and wine are precisely this: the signs of Christ’s presence with us.

He has promised: “I am with you until the end of times” (Matthew 28:20).
He, himself, has chosen these signs of the bread and wine to assure us of the fulfilment of his promise.

In today’s gospel, we see him offering his apostles the bread and the wine while they can still see him (Mark 14:12-16,22-26).
But, even when he will no longer be visible to them, his presence will be no less real.

In another gospel text, handing the bread to them, we hear him say:
“This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

As we repeat this gesture of eating the bread, drinking the wine, he is still, and ever, present with us.
He said he would be – he cannot fail to carry out what he promised.

Our eyes cannot vouch for his physical presence, but our faith can affirm his real presence.

This is worth a celebration, indeed!

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/fete-du-corps-et-du-sang-du-christ-annee-b-2024/

 

Source: Images: pexels.com (Jimbear) (Sumeyye Ugurlu)        https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/

Dimanche des Rameaux, année A – 2023

31 mars 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Trésor ancien et nouveau
Mots-clés: credo, Isaïe 7:14, l'Homme de Nazareth, Matthew 28:20, question, Qui est cet homme?, réponse

Une question vieille de… 2000 ans!
« Qui est cet homme? »

Sur cette route sinueuse entrant à Jérusalem, on pose la question.
Sur les chemins poussiéreux de la Palestine, on l’a souvent demandée.
Sur le parvis du Temple, on la murmurait.
Au sortir de la synagogue, on en discutait.

« Qui est cet homme? »

Et, qu’en est-il au 21è siècle?
Le paralysé, seul, sans famille ni ami, il se demande…
La femme qui porte l’enfant de l’assaillant qui l’a maîtrisée, elle se demande…
Le jeune homosexuel que l’on considère avec mépris dans son pays, il se demande…
La fille trompée, ‘trafiquée’, condamnée à un commerce honteux, elle se demande…
Le prisonnier libéré mais toujours captif des regards qui le condamnent, il se demande…
Les réfugiés sans espoir, les condamnés sans justice, ils se demandent…
Ils/elles se posent la question, ou… peut-être n’osent plus la poser…

Et nous, chrétien/nes depuis toujours, qui pensons connaître la réponse…
Nous qui avons appris et récité tant de fois le ‘Credo’…
L’avons-nous vraiment rencontré, LUI?

Avons-nous entendu ce qu’il nous disait au plus profond de nous-mêmes?
L’avons-nous suivi, au fil des jours, à travers tout ce que le quotidien nous apportait?
Les problèmes et les difficultés nous ont peut-être convaincu/es qu’il était absent…
Les gens alentour nous ont peut-être persuadé/es qu’un tel ‘personnage’ n’est pas réel…

Et pourtant, il demeure, LUI…
Jésus, l’Homme de Nazareth, ‘Dieu-avec-nous’ (Isaïe 7:14)
pour toujours et à jamais,
selon sa promesse, ‘jusqu’à la fin du monde’ (Matthieu 28:20).
 

Note: Une autre réflexion, sur un thème différent, est disponible en anglais à: https://image-i-nations.com/palm-sunday-year-a-2023/

 

Source: Image: www.churchofjesuschrist.org

28th Sunday of Year C – 2022

7 octobre 2022
Nicole Gregoire
2 Comments
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 2 Timothy 2:8-13, Ezekiel 34:15-16, God faithful, Isaiah 49:15, Matthew 28:20, Matthew 6:30, Psalm 32:8, relationships

We engage in different types of relationships: with relatives and friends, neighbors and colleagues.
From different people, we expect different things while we appreciate the qualities of each one.
But from all of them, we usually expect one attitude above all others, it is that of FAITHFULNESS.
We want to be able to rely on them in good and bad times alike.

Today’s 2nd reading (2 Timothy 2:8-13) ends with an amazing – and very comforting – statement.
It says:

“We may be unfaithful but he (God) is always faithful.”
 
God’s faithfulness does NOT depend on ours… some of us may need to convince ourselves of this.

Rules and regulations, commandments and observances – all of these are signposts to show us the way.
But our being faithful to them is NOT a condition for God’s love and compassion to reach us.

 

“Does a woman forget her baby at the breast? Even if these forget, I will never forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15)
            God is faithful…
“I will watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8)
            God is faithful…
“I myself will show them where to rest… I shall look for the lost one… bandage the wounded.” (Ezekiel 34:15-16)
            God is faithful…
“If God clothes the flowers in the field… will he not much more look after you?” (Matthew 6:30)
            God is faithful…
“I am with you always, yes, to the end of time.” (Matthew 28:20)
            God is faithful…

It is said that there is nothing God cannot do.
Personally, I believe that God CANNOT forget his promises.
God CANNOT fail to carry out what he said he would do
God CANNOT be untrue to his word.

Even in the depths of our own unfaithfulness, we can always rely on this FAITHFUL GOD.
 
 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/28e-dimanche-de-lannee-c-2022/

 

Source: Image: Haiku Deck

Feast of the Ascension, Year C – 2022

25 mai 2022
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: absence, Acts 1:1-11, appear, disappear, God's Spirit, Jesus' promise, Matthew 28:20, mystery, perceiving, présence, Seeing

Today’s feast is somehow mysterious…
In the 1st reading, we are told that, risen from the dead, Jesus has been appearing to his apostles a number of times (Acts 1:1-11).
A few verses later, we see him disappearing from their sight.

Appearing, disappearing – these two words bring to mind the two realities of presence and absence.
But, more still, they remind us of the two ways of understanding: through seeing and through perceiving.

Personally, I see this feast of the Ascension as an invitation to a new way of recognizing God among us.
It is no longer a presence that our eyes can see but a presence perceived by our hearts.

Our ‘vision’ of God no longer depends on our eyesight but on… our faith!
We no longer rely on what the eyes of our body can ascertain but on what God’s Spirit reveals to us in the depths of ourselves.

This reflection started with referring to this feast as ‘mysterious’.
All too often, people interpret a mystery as something we cannot understand.
This is a short-sighted explanation.
A mystery is rather something so great and so wonderful that we have never finished discovering it!

Exactly as God’s presence with us is!

God’s promise is clear: “Know that I am with you always, yes, to the end of time” (Matthew 28:20).
No if… but… perhaps…
Purely and simply Jesus’ promise, God’s promise!

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

 

Source: Image: Scripture Images