Recherche

image-i-nations trésor

promises

5th Sunday of Lent, Year B – 2024

16 mars 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: covenant, forgiveness, Jeremiah 31:31-34, promises, Psalm 119:11.50.133.162, Révélation, sins

God has made himself known to us, human beings, little by little.
Our minds and hearts needed to understand what kind of a God our God is, but this had to happen gradually.
The texts of the Bible show us how this has taken place over centuries.
It is through events and situations, and the people involved in them, that God revealed himself.

The 1st reading of today’s celebration is a very important text in terms of revelation (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
Through the prophet Jeremiah, God makes himself known as a God of covenant and promises.
It gives us a message that is astonishing:

“I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah…
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God, and they will be my people…
I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

A covenant is a term that is not used frequently in our daily conversations –
we think more in terms of an agreement, or a plan of cooperation.
Between them, heads of states will come to a deal, or an understanding of mutual assistance.
As for promises, they are indeed part of our daily life, for better or for worse, some may say…

As far as God is concerned, it is as if he could not speak… otherwise than promising good things to people!
He knows that in terms of covenant… our own record is not glorious…
And the same can be said about our way of keeping our promises to him…

Yet, again and again, he will renew his plan of a relationship with us –
a relationship that is ongoing, through thick and thin.
God will not abandon us no matter if we go away from him.
He keeps on trying to reach us – wherever we are – to win our friendship.

For that, he is ready to say, to repeat, to promise:
“I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Our response can be that of the Psalmist:

“I have treasured your promises in my heart, I have no wish to sin against you.”
“This has been my comfort in my suffering: that your promise gives me life.”
“Direct my steps as you have promised, let evil win no power over me.”
I rejoice in your promise, like someone on finding a vast treasure.” (Psalm 119:11,50,133,162)

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/5-e-dimanche-du-careme-annee-b-2024/

 

Source: Image: Scripture Images

28th Sunday of Year A – 2023

13 octobre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: doubt, expérience, hope, Isaiah 25:6-10, optimism, pain, promises, skepticism, suffering, way to happiness

 

We sometimes hear people exclaim: “This is too good to be true!”
They may speak these words about some unexpected outcome, or some surprising opportunity.
They can hardly believe that such good fortune is offered to them.

The text of today’s 1st reading could perhaps provoke the same reaction from many people (Isaiah 25:6-10).
What the prophet Isaiah tells the people of Israel is indeed quite astonishing.
Isaiah describes what God is preparing for them.
The words of the prophet depict the scene of a wonderful feast to be enjoyed:
delicious food and wine are available in plenty and suffering and death have disappeared for ever.

It is true that our daily life is not easy and often we meet with much that causes pain and suffering.
We are faced with problems and trials of all kinds.
So, when hearing of promises such as those in Isaiah’s text, people may wonder about the possibility of such an outcome.
To many, skepticism will come more easily than optimism!…
Doubt may prevail over hope…

But perhaps we need to realize that, with God, the saying mentioned above must be turned around.
It should be said: “It is too good NOT to be true!”

God is not only good, God is goodness itself.
He delights in showering on us his gifts and blessings.
He wants us to be happy and, in Jesus, he has shown us the way to happiness.

He has shown us the way, yes, but… it is up to us to follow this way…
Then… through all that happens, all that we experience…
then, we will come to see, and to REAL-IZE…

Realize and be able to make our own the words of Isaiah:
“Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us.”

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/28e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2023/

 

Source: Image: KALEIDOSCOPE

 

 

 

6th Sunday of Easter, Year A – 2023

12 mai 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Advocate, comforter, counselor, defender, God's promise, John 14:15-21, meaning, promises, protector

 

Promises are important statements, often heavy with meaning.
We usually expect someone trustworthy to carry out what he/she has promised.

And when the promise is spoken by… God, we cannot but rely on his words.
One such statement is made by Jesus in today’s gospel text (John 14:15-21).
He says:

“I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate.”

An ‘Advocate’, our modern minds may think of a lawyer.
The different translations of the Bible rather speak of:
“A counselor, a comforter, a protector, a defender.”
The Spirit of Jesus and the Father is all of this for us.

A counselor who shows us the way, who guides us in times of choices and decisions.
A comforter who provides strength in difficulties, consolation in painful situations.
A protector shielding us from danger, guarding us from threats.
A defender from those whose menace to harm us in different ways.

This is what the Spirit is, yes, or rather… what he wants to be if… we allow him to be so for us…
God does not force himself on us, he respects the freedom he has given us.
His Spirit wants to be welcomed in our lives…

 

Another text is available on a different theme, in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/6e-dimanche-de-paques-annee-a-2023/

 

Source: Image: Scripture Images

 

6th Sunday of Easter, Year C – 2022

20 mai 2022
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: gifts, John 14:23-29, pétition, prayer, promises, relationship, requests

Among us, people, we often exchange services of different kinds.
We go to a neighbor, a friend, a doctor, a teacher, a builder, asking them to provide us with whatever we need at any given time.
And, we do the same… with God!

Very often, our prayer to God takes the form of a petition –
We bring to him all kinds of requests for ourselves and for people dear to us, or people we see in need.
We trust that he will answer our needs, our dreams, our hopes.
And he does so, very often.

But have you realized that, often, God gives us things that we never asked for?
He pours into our lives blessings and gifts that we would have never thought – or dared – to ask him for!

The text of today’s gospel is an obvious example of this (John 14:23-29).
On the eve of his death, Jesus assures his apostles:

“Anyone who loves me… my Father will love them,
and we will come to them
and make our home with them…
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you all things 
and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you.”

Amazing promises indeed!
Gifts we would not have dreamt of!
Relationships we would never have dared to imagine possible!

All this is given freely to “Anyone who loves me…” says Jesus.
Given with no conditions attached other than… our readiness to receive!

 

Note: And another reflection, on a different theme, is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/6e-dimanche-de-paques-annee-c-2022/

 

Source: Image: DailyVerses.net

1st Sunday of Lent, Year C – 2022

4 mars 2022
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: goal, honor, Lent, pilgrimage, promises, protection, Ps.91:14-15, what God does for us

Usually, our reflection is on a theme taken from one of the readings.
However, today we will focus our attention on the Psalm of today’s celebration, Psalm 91.

This Sunday opens the period of Lent and we start today our Lenten pilgrimage.
A pilgrimage, a journey to a destination, to a goal that we plan to attain.
We are not setting on a leisurely walk, we are moving intending to reach a goal.

To do so, many of us are considering what we will do to come to our destination.
What if we changed the perspective?
What if we no longer kept our attention on what WE will do
but rather saw – at long last, perhaps – what GOD is ready to do for us?

In Psalm 91, the author lists what he is convinced God will do for the person who acknowledges him as God.
If we trust him and rely on him, God will guard us from harm, he will protect us from danger of all kinds.

Suddenly, the Psalmist is… interrupted, as if God cuts him short!
It seems that God wants to speak for himself!
We then hear these amazing words:

“Because he/she loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him/her;
I will protect him/her, for he/she acknowledges my name.
He/she will call on me, and I will answer him/her;
I will be with him/her in trouble,
I will deliver him/her and honor him/her.”   (Ps.91:14-15)
 
We often think that we should make promises to God,
but here it is God himself who makes these wonderful promises to us.
God commits himself, he speaks words that are really astonishing.
Not only will he rescue and protect us, he will be with us in our troubles and deliver us.

Have you ever thought that God would… honor you?
This is how he concludes his promise – he will honor us!
 
If we allow ourselves to be inspired by these words,
a quiet serenity will be ours as we progress on the Lenten journey.
 
 

Note: Another reflection on a different theme is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/1er-dimanche-du-careme-annee-c-2022/

 

Source: Image: flickr

Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, Year B

1 juin 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Christ's presence, Emmanuel God-with-us, Mt.18:20-22, Mt.28:16-20, promises, Ps.34:18, sacrament, Sign, Trinity

Last week, on the Feast of the Holy Trinity, we reflected on ‘promises’
especially those from… God himself.
We focused on the one of Jesus in the last verse of the gospel of the day (Mt.28:16-20)
a promise assuring us:

”I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.”

Today, on the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ we see this promise being realized.
Jesus has found a way – an extraordinary means – to be with us, and to remain with us, always.
He has made his presence REAL in this sign –
the sacrament of himself truly and unfailingly present to all that we live and experience.

We must say that his presence is not restricted to this single mode of the sacrament.
Jesus has said that he is with us when two or three of us are gathered in his name (Mt.18:20-22).
Long ago, the Psalmist has said that God is near the broken-hearted (Ps.34:18),
in other words: God is with us in our pain and suffering.
The words of Scripture also translate his presence to us.

When he came into our world, his name was already expressing this reality:
Emmanuel: God-with-us.
He can – and he does – remain with each one of us in the different situations of our lives
and the happenings in our world.

Today is a special occasion to remember it and to celebrate his promised realized.

Source : Images : Dreamstime.com

Feast of the Holy Trinity, year B

25 mai 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: God's presence, Jn.10:30, Jn.14:17, Mt.29:16-20, promises, The Father, the Spirit

Promises – they are important, we rely on them,
especially when they are from people who are trustworthy.
And then… there are very special promises: those from… God himself!

In today gospel, on the Feast of the Holy Trinity (Year B – Mt.28:16-20), the last verse gives us precisely this:
a promise from Jesus assuring us:

”I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.”
 
An astonishing statement, all the more so when we remember that he also said:
“The Father and I are one” (Jn.10:30) and
“The Spirit is with you, in you” (Jn.14:17).

So, these three verses summarize, in a way, what today’s feast is about:
the Father, Jesus himself and the Spirit are with us, in us,
yes, “until the end of time.”

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

Source: Image: Brainy Quotes

World White Band Day against Poverty – 1st July

1 juillet 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Action Against Poverty, activities, campaign, citizens, coalition, networks, promises, strategies, World Social Forum, worldwide alliance

The white band is the symbol of the Global Call to Action against Poverty that brings together hundreds of organizations and citizens around the world.

On the occasion of the World Day of the white band, July 1, each of us is invited to wear a white band on his wrist the week before July 1 and on the same day, a sign of support to global action against poverty.

CODEGAZ joins this day and carries the white band day through its actions toward the neediest populations.

Source: Text & Image: CODEGAZ

= = = =

The Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) is a growing worldwide alliance consisting of national coalitions (or platforms) of campaigns to end poverty.

It is involved with some 38 million people in actions in 2005 in over 75 countries and 23 million people in 2006 in over 85 countries.

GCAP was initially a worldwide alliance committed to making world leaders live up to their promises and to making a breakthrough on poverty during 2005. However due to the success of the campaign during 2005, the 170 members of the campaign’s International Facilitation Group (IFG) met in Beirut in early 2006 and unanimously agreed to continue the campaign up to December 31, 2007. At a global assembly in Montevideo, Uruguay in May 2007 the national coalitions and other constituencies voted to extend the campaigning alliance until at least 2015.

The campaign was founded at a conference in Johannesburg, South Africa in late 2004 and officially launched at the World Social Forum in Brazil on the January 1, 2005.

It rapidly grew to earn its status as the largest anti-poverty campaign in the world by building on existing networks, and their strategies and activities. Currently it boasts of more than one thousand member organisations and millions of supporters worldwide.

Source: Text: Wikipedia

2nd Sunday of Lent, Year A

9 mars 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Abram leaving, beliefs, country, customs, doubting, Gn.12:1-4, He.11:8, hésitation, leaving, Lent, promises, questioning, traditions

LEAVING… there is much leaving in a human life, we know it.

We leave our house for another as we want better accommodation.
We leave a means of transport choosing another more efficient one.
We leave perhaps our job having been offered a better salary somewhere else
We leave some old clothes, looking for more appropriate ones.
We leave, of course, this old software for a more up-to-date one.

It is hard to imagine the situation described by the 1st reading which shows Abram told plainly and simply: “Leave your country…” (Gn.12:1-4).
And for which country? He is not told, he only receives the promise that he will be shown where to go when the time comes.
Other promises are given to him but everything is expressed in the future tense…

Yet, when God stops speaking, the next sentence says: “Abram went as the Lord had told him.”
No doubting, no questioning, no hesitation – he leaves.
The writer of the letter to the Hebrews will say: “It was by faith that Abraham set out… that he set out without knowing where he was going” (He.11:8).

 We may leave… with difficulty perhaps, some old habits, some cherished customs.
We may leave… with hesitation probably, some traditions favoured by people around us.
We may leave… or do we? Our long-held beliefs, our pseudo-values…

But perhaps the ‘country’ we are to leave is our… ‘old self’ – the selfish, arrogant, narrow-minded self, the one needing to be transformed by the One who, himself, has been transfigured.

LENT time, a time of setting out, of moving, of LEAVING all that prevents us from being the person God meant us to be. Indeed!

Source: Images: WordPress.com; Pixabay

1st Sunday of ADVENT, C

26 novembre 2015
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: difficulties, First Sunday Advent, guilty feelings, heads up, hope, problems, promises, regrets, relationships

When walking on the streets, I observe people around. Even on the move, some are busy keying in a texto! Others are hurrying, running to catch a bus or rushing to meet a deadline. Sad to say, many people are walking with stooped shoulders and sad faces. Their steps seem heavy, and their hearts even more so!… They move with their heads down seeming overwhelmed with negative feelings of all kinds.

As I read the gospel for this 1st SundGroup of multi racial business people looking up at copyspaceay of Advent (Lk.21:25-28,34-36), I thought of those people when I read the words: « Hold your heads high » (v.28). There is no denying that life can be hard at times – difficulties of all kinds keep coming at us: sickness, financial problems, strained relationships with the people we live and work with. Add to that the bitter regrets, dashed hopes, guilty feelings, lack of incentive, broken promises from those we love, and your list and mine could go on…

We really don’t feel like ‘lifting our heads high’ in such situations. We would be more inclined to bury our heads in the sand like the proverbial ostrich! How can we hold our heads high? We don’t feel the energy even to attempt doing that…

But the second part of verse 28 opens up a new perspective when it assures us: « Because your liberation is near at hand. »

People talk much of liberty, but liberation? Yet, is it not what we most need, all of us? Being freed from our fears and regrets, our obsessions, our tensions and frustrations – all that prevents us from being as God meant us to be. All too often, we find ourselves in a land of slavery – a slavery we may have grown accustomed to. This is what ADVENT is about: it is a time when we allow Someone to take over as he tells us: « I am coming, I am already here to free you from what is not your true self. » And it is the time to allow him to do so . . .