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2nd Sunday of Advent, A

1 décembre 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Advent, choices, crooked ways, décisions, judgements, justice, make straight our paths, Mt.3:1-12, opinions, plans, repent, respect, truth, vision of life, winnowing

pinterest-winnowingThe Bible speaks of God in so many ways. It describes his qualities and relates his actions. It also tells of his wishes for us, human beings. Often too, it speaks of his future interventions. All this in a language which is not abstract but quite vivid, one could almost say picturesque.

It is the case in today’s gospel (2nd Sunday of Advent, A) where we are told that the Lord is coming “with his winnowing fan in his hand” (Mt.3:1-12).

In our modern high-tech world we do not see much winnowing being done as it was in Jesus’ time. Such activity can still be observed in some areas of Africa or Asia but many of us would not have seen this otherwise than on television.

This does not mean that the message of the gospel text is no longer relevant. If we ask ourselves why winnowing is being done, the answer is clear: To separate the good grain from the straw or other unwanted material. This example speaks of sorting out, or getting rid of something to keep the good, the best.

Is Advent not a good period to do exactly this in our lives? We could look at it as a ‘Sorting out season’ – sorting out the different areas of our daily living: our opinions, our judgements, our values, our attitudes, our choices, our decisions, our plans, our habits, our expectations…

John the Baptist is calling people to ‘Repent…’ This involves a change, a ‘straightening up’ – the text says it clearly: “Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.” Perhaps the best way to do this is… to make straight our own paths!

To move away from our crooked ways, our distorted vision of life and people, our narrow-minded opinions, all that is us is a deviation from truth, justice, respect of others. Indeed, winnowing can still be part of a ‘modern’ life-style!

Source: Image: Pinterest

Palm Sunday, C

17 mars 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Jn.12:13, Jn.13:2-11, Jn.18:33-38, Jn.19:15, Jn.5:41, Jn.6:15, Jn.8:37, Lk.19:38, peace, service, truth, Your kingdom come

Some years before, they had come to make him king. It was after the multiplication of the loaves. Imagine someone feeding a huge crowd with 5 loaves and two fish – this is the kind of king they wanted, the kind of king they needed. With him the social problems of their people would be solved in no time. So, in what we would call today a ‘populist movement’ they wanted to take him and crown him by force. But he had escaped to the mountain and spent the night there, praying (Jn.6:15).

Later, during some discussion with the Jews, he had told them: “Human approval means nothing to me” (Jn.5:41). But he knew that they did not believe his words and he told them clearly: “Nothing I say has penetrated into you” (Jn.8:37).

And then, unexpectedly, he sends two of his apostles to a village telling them to fetch a donkey, yes, a donkey. He sits on it and enters Jerusalem surrounded by a crowd crying out with joy: “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Lk. 19:38). Strange, this time he not only accepts this manifestation but he has, somehow, ‘stage managed’ it, people would say nowadays.

A king, on a donkey? Which earthly ruler would accept to be seen on such a mount?TriEntry3
A king without a territorial kingdom to claim as his own?
A king without soldiers to wage war in his name to spread his fame and his rule?
A king without servants – nay, a king who is THE servant?!

What does this mean?
What does it mean to his people?
What does it mean to HIM?
What does it mean to US?

In four days’ time, only 4 days, he will be seen doing the work of a slave, washing the feet of his apostles (Jn.13:2-11).
The following day, the crowd that had cried so loud: “Blessings on the King… ” (Jn.12:13) will now shout: “Crucify him!” (Jn.19:15).

When asked by Pilate if he is a king, he will not deny it but he will make it clear what kind of a king he is: the one who came to witness to the truth – not what the Roman prefect expected to hear – in fact, he did not even listen to the answer (Jn.18:33-38).
He is a king who brings peace to the world – the chants of the people have recognised this.

SERVICE – PEACE – TRUTH, perhaps this is the deep meaning of Palm Sunday…
The deep meaning of what we pray every day: “Your kingdom come…”

Source: Image: christianbiblereference.org

 

4th Sunday of the Year, C

28 janvier 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: ambition, higher goods, hope, kind, love, patience, trust, truth

Waiting at the bus station the other day, I overheard a woman telling another: « Oh, my son Simon is really ambitious! » To which the second woman replied: ‘Well, this can be good sometimes, but at other times… not so good… » The bus arrived as the proud mother of Simon kept mentioning all the good qualities of her son.

ambition, linkedin.comSitting in the bus, I kept thinking about… ambitions. Good? Not so good?

Amazingly, in the first words of today’s 2nd reading, Paul tells the Corinthians to be… ambitious!

« Be ambitious for the higher gifts. » (1 Cor.12:31)

So, this is what makes ambitions good or not so good: what we aim at, what we strive for. When people speak of ambitions, they often think in terms of wealth, reputation, influence, success in different areas of their personal and social life. Yet, often when they reach the goal they had set for themselves in any of those areas, they do not feel satisfied. Something is still missing. Perhaps it is because they have not attain what Paul calls « the higher gifts. » And Paul adds: « I am going to show you a way that is better. »

Did you notice that, in the illustration here, the word ambition is used in the singular – one can think of ONE over-riding ambition, a goal of a special kind which is worth leaving all the rest – like all the unused letters around the word ‘ambition’. Paul tells us very clearly what is the one thing we should try to achieve – we are to LOVE.

 If there is one word which is used and over-used it is this small word ‘love’! You will hear people say: « I love this film. » « I love ice cream. » « I love walking in the woods. » « I love it when you say: ‘I love you’! » But to make sure we are not mistaking the kind of love expected from us, we are given a description of it: it « is always patient and kind, never jealous, never boastful or conceited, never rude or selfish; it does not take offence and it is not resentful. It delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes. » So this is the way we are to be ambitious.

But I must admit that, every time I come across this text, I feel like saying: ‘Lord, I’ll never manage that!’ And every time too, I am gently reminded that I am not expected to manage this on my own. The One asking us to live in this way is ready to enable us to do so…

Source: Image: linkedin.com