Recherche

image-i-nations trésor

power

26th Sunday of Year B

28 septembre 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: authority, exclusion, jealousy, Mk.9:38-43, Nb.11:25-29, outsiders, power, prejudice, pride, segregation, séparation

I read and read again the 1st reading of this Sunday (26th Sunday of Year B – Nb.11:25-29)
and the first part of the gospel (Mk.9:38-43)
and… I try to read between the lines –
read the words and the meaning that is hidden there.

The two texts are similar and their message is equally so.
What is depicted there is, unfortunately, something still very much part of our landscape in this 21st century.

We see people trying to jealously keep some prerogatives.
People refusing that some good can be performed by ‘outsiders’.
People who try to prevent others to realize something positive as if it were their sole responsibility to do so.
People who want those in authority to side with them and support their attitude.

All this results in separation, segregation, exclusion, under the pretext:
those others are not from among us!
Power, pride, prejudice – all present there in a shameful display!

“If only the whole people of the Lord were prophets,
and the Lord gave his Spirit to them all!”
 
Moses, the wise leader, has the right answer as he replies to Joshua – an old saying which would serve us well.
If only… we lived according to it.

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/26e-dimanche-de-lannee-b/

Source: Image: Free Bible Images

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

 

1st Sunday of Lent, Year A

2 mars 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: arrogance, compassion, desire, domination, Jesus' temptations, magnet, Mt.4:1-11, pleasure, power, pride, respect, selfish enjoyment, shared joy, Temptation, urge, wanting

  We are all familiar with the use of magnets. A mechanic finds very useful a screwdriver with a magnet to gather screws and bolts.
A seamstress also sees as very practical her scissors with a magnet to pick up pins scattered on the floor.
And many of us have those small magnetic items stuck on the door of the fridge as ‘Bear in mind’ message holders.

These items exert a strong pull on different objects and, as such, I find them an excellent example to illustrate what… temptation is!
For this is very much the theme of this 1st Sunday of Lent, Year A.

What is a temptation really?
We all know it… from experience!
It is a strong pull, a powerful urge awakening in us a desire.
It leads us to want, to want urgently, absolutely, something… someone…

The scene of Jesus’ temptations in today’s gospel (Mt.4:1-11) shows temptation emerging mostly in 3 areas – the areas of… the 3 Ps: Pride – Power – Pleasure.

And our own lives will provide occasions a-plenty, for temptation to manifest itself in the same 3 areas:

PRIDE: Too much arrogance – Not enough respect for others.
POWER: Too much domination – Not enough compassion.
PLEASURE: Too much selfish enjoyment – Not enough true joy shared with others.

Lent is a good period to look precisely at this: the too much and the not enough aspects of our lives and… to increase and to diminish the respective amounts according to the gospel message!

Source: Images:  www.dhgate.com;  Amazon.com;; AliExpress.com;  storiesnow.com

Christmas, Year A

23 décembre 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 'God-with-us', birth of a child, event, glorifying God, helplessness, human history, Lk.2:15-20, Mt.1:23, power, proverbs, strength, weakness, wisdom

Proverbs often have much wisdom encapsulated in a few words. They convey the popular wisdom which has much to tell us about life and situations.

At one time or another, you may have heard this saying: “There is more to it than meets the eye.” Looking at a situation, observing the attitude of someone, a friend or neighbour may have whispered these words: “There is more to it than meets the eye.” The person would have acknowledged that what he saw, what she noticed, was “not the whole story”, as they say.

These words are truly appropriate for what we are celebrating at Christmas – what we see, or… think we see! – as we look at a Nativity scene. The scene itself may be very ordinary or quite elaborate, it may show only the new-born child with his mother and father, or display as well the humble visitors and the royal guests that are part of the longer narrative.

Yes…

  • We look at a baby – We are to see God himself;
  • We look at poverty – We are to see the riches of God;
  • We look at weakness – We are to see the strength of God;
  • We look at helplessness – We are to see the power of God;

Indeed, we look at a simple situation: the birth of a child – We are to see the most extraordinary event in human history: God who has become a human being like us.

He has chosen the name he was to be called: “God-with-us” (Mt.1:23) – this is what He is, what He wants to be for each one of us. There is no situation – except that of our refusal – which can render this obsolete.

The gospel text (Lk.2:15-20) tells us, that having seen the new-born child, the shepherds “went back glorifying and praising God.” What more could we do?

Source: Image: Answers in Genesis          

                                                                                                                                                     

Ascension, C

5 mai 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Acts 1:1-11, apostles, Ascension, Eph.1:17-23, Lk.24:46-53, power

www.pinterest.comWe repeat the words every time we recite the Creed : « He ascended to heaven…”  It is possible that our lips pronounce the words without our giving too much attention to what we speak. But this is what our celebration is about today. The 1st reading (Acts 1:1-11) tells us: “He (Christ) was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight.”

We try to picture the small group of men, simple people, used to the tangible daily realities, witnessing this happening. We are told: “They were staring in the sky…” I believe I would have done the same! They must have thought: “What a POWER!”

Of course, during the past three years, they had seen Jesus’ power curing sick people, even raising some from the dead. They were in the boat when he had commanded to the wind, calmed the sea and the storm had abated, but THAT now… moving up into the sky, going through the clouds… that was absolutely astonishing!

Many years later, the apostle Paul (2nd reading: Eph.1:17-23) will express this in a language that no one could have used at the time:
“(God’s) power at work in Christ,
when he used it to raise him from the dead
and to make him sit at his right hand in heaven.”

Just before his Ascension Jesus had told his friends:
“I am sending down to you what the Father has promised (the Spirit).
Stay in the city then, until you are clothed with the power from on high.”  (Gospel Lk.24:46-53)

Paul adds that God has also used this power “for us believers.” You may be wondering… where… how… has God used his power for you, in your life?
Today’s feast may be a good occasion to find out… and to remain assured that he is still using this power for you, in you…

Source: Image: www.pinterest.com