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Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, Year A – 2020

3 janvier 2020
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: destination, encounters, goal, hurry, journey, Mt.2:1-12, obstacles, on the move, surprises

Repeatedly, and in many ways, poets and prophets have said it: LIFE IS A JOURNEY.
The beginning of a new year is, somehow, a reminder of this.
Of course, a journey means setting out and being on the move.

Today’s gospel, on the Feast of Epiphany (Mt.2:1-12) illustrates this very clearly.
We see three men on the way, they have set out towards… the unknown.
Ready for whatever the journey has in store for them:
Joyful surprises, painful circumstances, threatening obstacles, suspicious encounters…
There may be moments of darkness, periods of questioning – it is all part of the journey.

Being on the move – we are!
So often running here and there, rushing, hurrying, always on the go.
But… a journey must have… a goal.
Setting out is meant to be towards a destination.

Moving for the sake of moving is not being on a journey.
We may be caught in a frenzy of perpetual movement but this cannot bring to a definite place –
the place we are longing to reach – that of happiness, peace of mind and heart, true serenity.

So, perhaps today’s feast reminds us that, at the beginning of a year still new,
we need to see clearly the destination we want to reach…
the place where we want to find ourselves… at the end of the year.

Or, at the end of our journey on this earth…

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

 

Source: Image: www.pinterest.de

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

19th Sunday of Year C – 2019

9 août 2019
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: busy, care about, Lk.12:35-40, surprises, The Color Purple Alice Walker

Waiting – who likes waiting?
I expect that not many people enjoy the experience.

Waiting… for God? 
Some will be quick to reply: ‘Of course, he will come at the end of our life.’
And what about from day to day? For he does!

But we have always so much to do, so much to care about, so much to get busy with…
Waiting?
Yes, waiting and recognizing him and… serving him?
We have been taught that this is what we must do: serve God.
Strangely enough, the text of today’s gospel (Lk.12:35-40) describes the reverse side of reality!

“Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.
I tell you solemnly, he will sit them down at table and wait on them.”
 
Simply said:
If we wait FOR him, he will wait ON us.
 
In fact, he does already – he ‘serves’ us the wonderful ‘food’ of:

  • life and health
  • strength in difficult times
  • comfort in sorrow
  • unexpected joy and deep peace… and so much more!

In the beautiful book The Color Purple by Alice Walker, Shug, one of characters (African-American), says with much wisdom:
“People think pleasing God is all God care about.
But any fool living in the world can see it (=GOD) always trying to please us back.
It (=GOD) always making little surprises and springing them on us when us (=we) least expect.”

The world… upside down, turned around?
To our eyes, perhaps but this is GOD being God!

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/19e-dimanche-de-lannee-c-2019/

 

Source: Images: Unsplash 

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

 

C’est la fin de l’année!

30 décembre 2015
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: À bien y penser... blogue
Mots-clés: 31 décembre, année de grâce, deuils, échecs, fin de l'année, grâce, joies, peines, pertes, Romains 8:28, surprises, tirer le bien du mal

Il y a la fin de l’année scolaire attendue avec trépidation. Il y a la fin de l’année fiscale et les rapports financiers à boucler. La fin de l’année liturgique et sa signification pour nous, chrétiens. Puis il y a la fin de l’année… tout court! C’est là que nous nous trouvons aujourd’hui!

31 déc.Le dernier jour du dernier mois – la dernière page du calendrier. Nos agendas sont remplis et il n’y a plus de page additionnelle pour noter tel rendez-vous ou un autre engagement. C’en est fini de cette année et de ce qu’elle a été ou… ce qu’elle a manqué d’être…

Il y a encore tant à faire: des préparatifs de dernière minute pour le réveillon ou le repas de demain, un dernier petit quelque chose à acheter, des téléphones à faire, une personne à rencontrer, et la liste continue. Si seulement on pouvait arrêter les minutes qui filent, les heures qui courent… Un jour de plus, une heure encore, quelques minutes de grâce…electr.agenda

Mais justement, c’est ce qu’elle a été cette année qui disparaît: une année de… grâce! Toute tissée qu’elle fut de dons et de pardons… Vous l’ignoriez, vous ne l’avez pas remarqué? Il y a encore un peu de temps, minuit n’a pas encore sonné. Temps pour se rappeler les joies soudaines, les surprises qui nous ont fait éclater de rire, les visites inattendues qui nous ont comblés, les occasions inespérées et si riches de conséquences. Oui, il y a eu tout cela et davantage.

Vous pensez aussi, bien sûr, aux ombres et aux nuages… Les difficultés, les peines, les échecs, les pertes, les deuils… tout le bilan négatif, lui aussi remonte à la surface en ce dernier jour. Qu’en faire? Surtout pas le nier, tenter de le faire disparaître d’une manière ou d’une autre – ça ne réussit jamais, on le sait trop bien. Alors il reste une solution, salutaire et libératrice: l’abandonner à Celui qui sait toujours tirer le bien du mal, le meilleur du pire – et ça, ce n’est pas un rêve, c’est l’expérience de quiconque a osé cet abandon! (Romains 8:28)