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30th Sunday of Year C – 2022

21 octobre 2022
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: condemnation, discrimination, God's ways, judging world people, Luke 18:9-14, seeing ourselves, upside down

Reading the gospel text of this Sunday (Luke 18:9-14) some could exclaim:
“This is the world upside down!”

Somehow, it is!

The last verse says:
“All those who exalt themselves will be humbled,
and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
 
It seems obvious from these words that we need to learn something very important.

We must learn to appraise situations and judge people – including ourselves – in God’s way.
Better still, we should leave the judging to him!

Of course, we must gauge the situations we find ourselves in, so as to act accordingly.
It is also necessary to ascertain the attitudes of people around us, so as to react appropriately.
But discrimination and condemnation like those we see in the Pharisee of Jesus’ parable,
these are unacceptable to God.

We need to adjust our vision –

    • the manner in which we perceive the world,
    • the way we regard people,
    • the way we consider ourselves,

must become God’s ways.

This may be the work of a lifetime… but now is the moment to start!

And the new vision that results may fill us with wonder!

 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/30e-dimanche-de-lannee-c-2022/

 

Source: Images: pixabay.com  nextbigideaclub..com

2nd Sunday of Advent, C

3 décembre 2015
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 2nd Sunday Advent, change, crooked ways, gospel of Luke, Isaiah, mountains, paths, upside down, valleys

IT’S THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN!
mountains 2nd AdventYou may have been told these words at one time or another.
It may have been that you were telling someone about something quite unusual, or unexpected.
You were describing a situation, or an event, that the person listening to you could hardly imagine having happened.
He, or she, spontaneously exclaimed: “But, it’s the world upside down!”

This expression came to my mind as I read the text of the gospel for this 2nd Sunday of ADVENT (Lk.3:1-6).
It is an echo of a text from the prophet Isaiah (40:3-5) where, indeed, everything is turned crooked path 2nd adventupside down:
“The mountains brought low, the valleys filled in, the winding ways straightened and the rough roads made smooth.”

But the beginning of the text is saying: “Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.”
So, it seems that we have something to do with… turning things upside down!

Could it mean that…
Our pride should become a truthful look at ourselves,
our selfishness should be replaced with concern for others,
our dishonesty should be straightened up into honest dealings with people,
and, yes, all our other crooked ways should be transformed into genuine attitudes according to what the Lord expects from us?…

And the change might bring people around us to whisper: ‘Incredible, unbelievable! It’s the world upside down!’
They would be truly astonished at the Spirit obviously at work – if only we allow him to fashion us into the people we are meant to be…