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Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, Year C – 2022

28 juin 2022
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: advice, anticipation, Einstein, life experiences, Luke 9:11-17, Niels Bohr, physicists, Sign, Temptation

It is recorded that Niels Bohr, a brilliant physicist told the no less brilliant Einstein : « Einstein, stop telling God what to do. »

It seems that we, human beings, often give in to the temptation of doing exactly that: telling God what to do!
We see the apostles doing this in today’s gospel (Luke 9:11-17).

They tell Jesus:

« Send the people away and they can go to the villages to find lodging and food.”
 
Had Jesus listened to the apostles, there would have been no multiplication of the loaves!
No anticipation of something more…
No sign of what was to come…
What we celebrate on today’s feast: Jesus giving us his own body and blood as food –
food permanently offered and always available to us…

It could be an interesting exercise – and quite a revelation –
To look at all those times when, in our life experiences – we told God what to do
and… he did not follow our suggestion or insistent request!

What did we not gain from his refusal to accept our advice!
Much to be thankful for… to this day!

 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/fete-du-corps-et-du-sang-du-christ-annee-c-2022/

 

Source: Image: BiblePic.com

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Year C – 2022

7 janvier 2022
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 'God-with-us', baptism, Hebrews 4:21, identity, Jesus one-of-us, Luke 3:15-16, Luke 3:21-22, proximity, saint Irenaeus, Sign

Among us, people, signs are very much part of our interaction.
A wink, a scowl, a frown, a shaking of the head – all of these give a message.
But to be truly meaningful, such signs need to be interpreted.
If not, then the message can be either lost or misunderstood.

Today’s gospel text, on the Feast of Jesus’ Baptism (Luke 3:15-16,21-22), offers us many signs indeed.
People coming to John to be baptized is the sign of their repentance from their sins.
John speaks of the untying the sandal straps; this was a sign of unworthiness as it referred to the work of a slave.
The fire mentioned by John is a sign of purification.
The dove descending from above is interpreted as the sign of God’s Spirit.

But no matter how meaningful these signs may appear, they are weak and poor in comparison to THE SIGN not yet mentioned.
This exceptional SIGN is that of Jesus himself being baptized.

He goes down into the water, just like everyone else.
Even when John the Baptist objects, Jesus insists to be treated like all others (Matthew 3:3-15).
What does this say?
What does it mean?

During the Christmas season just ended, we have remembered the name given to Jesus: God-with-us.
Jesus is indeed God-with us, but today, we are given to understand that Jesus is also one-of us.
And the author of the letter to the Hebrews dares to say that Jesus was

“in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:21).

A close proximity, you may think.
More still: an amazing identity – this is the true meaning of the Incarnation.
Born like all of us, he will die as we will all do, to make us what he is:
true children of God!

Already in the 2nd century, Saint Irenaeus was teaching this extraordinary truth to the early Christians:
“The Son of God became the Son of man so that man might become a son of God”.

Ours is also an amazing identity!

 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/fete-du-bapteme-du-seigneur-annee-c-2022/

 

Source: Image: Pinterest

Feast of the Epiphany, Year B – 2021

2 janvier 2021
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: child, doubfaith, Epiphany, guide, joy, king, manifestation, recognition, Sign, star

The text of the gospel of the Feast of Epiphany is well known to us.
We could repeat with much detail the story of the Magi searching for the new-born king and their visit to him.

Yet, every year, there seems to be in the text something that speaks in a new way.
This year I stopped at the following words:

   “We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
 
 “After they had heard the king, they went on their way, the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.”

A star appears and guides people on their way…
But these people want to be sure… so they go and consult a king – a king should know, they suppose…

Is it that they no longer see the star?
Has this mysterious sign in the sky disappear?
Or, is it that the travelers no longer trust the sign?
Or is it that they do not rely on the faith they had at first that the star is a reliable guide?

I see there, a pattern, a pattern often recurring in our daily lives.
At first, we trust a message received, a sign given to us –
it seems clear, yes, like a star.
But after a while it is no longer so clear, in fact, at times it seems to have vanished completely.
We doubt the sign, and often we doubt ourselves.

Or, is it that we do not recognize the one who gave the sign?
On this feast of Epiphany – the word means ‘manifestation’ – it could be an ideal occasion to…
contemplate anew the One who has come to us.

A contemplation that leads to the recognition of Him and…
of the signs he gives us on our way, from day to day.

Note: Another reflection on a different theme is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/fete-de-lepiphanie-annee-b-2021/

Source: Images: depositphotos.com   Art & Life Notes – WordPress.com   depositphotos.com  

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

2nd Sunday of the Year, C

15 janvier 2016
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Cana, Care, compassion, Concern, Galilea, Holy Spirit, Jesus' first miracle, John 2:1-11, Mary Mother of Jesus, miracles, Sign, water to wine

The Wedding Feast at Canathefirstmiracle_wide_t

It seems that we know the text of this gospel scene so well (Jn.2:1-11), we could repeat it with all its details. And that is precisely the danger: perhaps we know it too well!

If someone were to ask me to summarize this text in a few sentences, I would say this. For me this scene is about a woman’s attention and sensitivity to the needs of those around her. And the sensitivity and compassion of God-made-man to those around him.

1st miracle, cana, www.chaosnode.netI can imagine Mary noticing what was happening – a serious shortage of wine for the feast – and making a ‘sign’ to her son, Jesus. Then, THE ‘sign’ followed – that of Jesus, his miracle, changing the water into wine. This part is the one that remains imprinted in our memories, but the previous section is as important: the noticing and the feeling concerned, concerned enough to do something about the situation of need.

We may not be able to work miracles in the strict sense of the word. But do you know the miracles of the 3 Cs? CONCERN, COMPASSION, CARE. These miracles, I am convinced that the Spirit in us is willing to enable us to do them – if only we ask him and are willing, ourselves, to act on his impulse.

Source: Images: kitwechurch.com; www.chaosnode.net