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the Master

The Alphabet of Lent – Letter I

27 février 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: disciples, energy, exhausted, invitation, Matthew 11:28-30, meaning to our life, rest, the Master

I for Invitation

Invitations – we receive all kinds of them.
In times past, we used to receive them in the mail, or someone brought them to us.
Nowadays, the emails and social media bring them to us with an amazing frequency!

Invitation to join a group.
Invitation to take part in a celebration.
Invitation to collect funds for a certain cause.
Invitation to help some people in need.
Invitation for some teamwork here, or there.
Invitation to walk for, or against, a given situation.
Invitation to a meeting of former students of this college, or that association.

Invitations, again and again… each with its own face:
family reunion, gathering of friends, political meeting, religious celebration…

If I asked you if you ever received an invitation from… Jesus, what would your reaction be?
He has indeed addressed one which is clearly presented in the gospel of Matthew:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me;
for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light  » (Matthew 11:28-30).

An invitation that is absolutely unique.
And it comes from someone who knows us well –
someone who knows how much we sometimes need rest…

Someone who understands how we are sometimes exhausted –
with no energy, no courage, not even with the desire to go on living…

He invites us to be his disciples because he knows that this is what will give meaning to our life.
To follow him, the Master, will give a direction to our daily experiences… a vision to our commitments…

A Master who is “gentle and lowly in heart” – a description that is rare and so encouraging!
We should not miss such an invitation…

 

Source: Image: pexels.com (amine)

 

Peter, the apostle, shares his life experience…

2 septembre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Apostle Peter, denial, storm on the lake, the Man of Nazareth, the Master, transfiguration

The gospel texts of the 21st and 22nd Sunday of the Year (A)
have allowed us to meet with Peter, the apostle.
He is a special character among the group of the Twelve
chosen by Jesus to be his followers and friends.

In the following video, Peter shares what his life has been
with the Master, the Man of Nazareth.

A woman, a pagan…

17 août 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: faith, Jesus, Mt.15:21-28, pagan, persévérance, prayer, sick daughter, Syrophoenician woman, the apostles, the Master, trust, woman
She was a woman, a pagan woman,
looked down upon and despised by the Jews.
She was not put off nor discouraged by a silent or verbal refusal –
the Syrophoenician woman knew better than to give up asking!…

A reflection on this gospel can be found at: 

http://image-i-nations.com/20th-sunday-of-year-a/

20th Sunday of Year A

17 août 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: answer, endurance, Jesus, Jews, Mt.15:21-28, pagan, persévérance, request, steadfasness, the Master, woman

I know a young man called William who was looking for work. It is not easy nowadays to find a job when so many are being laid off.
He went to a Bank but was not lucky. He then contacted an Insurance Company but was not accepted. A bookshop did not need his services either.
Discouraged, he sat at home watching television and lamenting the situation.

A neighbour was also looking for employment. He sent his CV with the application form to the same Insurance Company where William had tried his luck. The reply came that they did not need him. He went to their office to meet the manager and was told he had travelled. That young man went back again and again. Every month he appeared in the office and after three months he got what he wanted. His perseverance had paid off: he was employed.

In today’s gospel (20th Sunday of Year A – Mt.15:21-28) we meet a woman who shows that same kind of attitude.
Some people would say that she would not take ‘No’ for an answer.
In fact, she was not even put off by a rather blunt rebuff by Jesus himself who said to her:
“It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.”
 
Her reply was quick, witty and to the point:
“Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.”
 
That woman did not have ‘qualifications’ that would make it likely that her request would be granted.
She was only a woman, a simple, ordinary woman.
And she was seen as a pagan by the Jews of the time since she did not belong to the chosen people of God.
Yet, she kept on asking, and asking, and pursuing the one they called ‘the Master’ until she was given what she wanted!
 
Perseverance, endurance, steadfastness, some would call it: ‘stick-to-itness’!
Not to give up, not to be put off, not to abandon what one is asking for.
Not to get discouraged even if the answer is slow in coming or seems… never to come!

It seems that this is exactly what God admires and… yields to when we pray!

A video can be seen on this gospel scene at:

A woman, a pagan…

Source: Images: Free Bible Images