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4th Sunday of Year A – 2023

27 janvier 2023
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, everlasting, expiration date, long-lasting, Matthew 5:1-12, value, worthwhile, Zephaniah 2:3, Zephaniah 3:12-13

It is interesting to observe people in a food store, or supermarket.
Many of them look closely at the product searching for… the ‘use by date’, or expiration date.
They are conscious that different items will be good only for a certain time, for a limited period.
They would rather choose an article that will last longer – it is better value for money!

Is it not strange that people do not do the same when looking… at life?
It is obvious that a human life has a limited number of years.
We may like to forget, but we know it all too well: our days are counted!
What gives value to our life?
What are the long-lasting things that make a human existence worthwhile?…

The readings of today’s celebration are shedding some light on this.
Writing to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul tells them (1 Corinthians 1:26-31):

“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

To boast is to be proud of something, to be happy about one’s success:
the realization of something worthwhile, the achievement of a valuable goal.
What are the things that can give us such feeling of having achieved something worthwhile?

We often look for experiences that will be satisfying.
We launch into adventures that we expect to be gratifying.
But the ‘use by date’ of these experiences and adventures often proves to be short-lived.
We end up being dissatisfied and disappointed…

The first words of the 1st reading tell us (Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13):  
“Seek the Lord…”

The Lord, he is the one who gives meaning to what we are and live.
He gives a direction towards the long-lasting situations that we are longing for.

In today’s gospel text (Matthew 5:1-12), he mentions eight areas where we can find,
not only long-lasting, but e v e r l a s t i n g happiness.

Of course, the choice remains ours…
 
 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/4e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2023/

 

Source: Images: Free Images     Decatur Presbyterian Church

World Day to Combat Desertification – 17 June

17 juin 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: awareness, consumers, development, drought, Ecuador, focus, jobs, land management, producers, value

LAND HAS TRUE VALUE. INVEST IN IT.

The World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) will be celebrated worldwide on 17 June with the focus on sustainable land management as a way to regenerate economies, create jobs and revitalize communities. Under the slogan “Land has true value – Invest in it,” WDCD2018 will call all involved – producers, consumers and policy makers – to make a difference by investing in the future of land.

The WDCD2018 global observance will be hosted by the Government of Ecuador. The country promotes sustainable land management as one of the pillars of bio-economy – the knowledge-based production and utilization of biological resources, innovative biological processes and principles to sustainably provide goods and services across all economic sectors. Ecuador will use the WDCD as an occasion to showcase its nation-wide efforts in making sustainable land management the principal tool for the development of bio-economy.

WDCD was established by the UN General Assembly 23 years ago to raise awareness on the global and national actions that address desertification, land degradation and drought.

Source: Text: UN Image Wellness News at Weighing Success

 

6th Sunday of Easter, Year B

4 mai 2018
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: discoveries, freedom, friend of God, friends, Jn.15:9-17, requirement, The Father, value

Whether we like it or not, Facebook is one of the most popular social media.
It has taken on the ‘mission’ of ‘connecting’ us, of linking together the inhabitants of Planet Earth.
To achieve this task, it makes use of all kinds of clever ways – one of which is the ’FRIENDS’ feature.

It is interesting to listen to people telling one another how many ‘friends’ they have on Facebook.
Some will boast of having thousands of friendly followers who faithfully check, daily of course, what is happening to them.

Today, I ask myself: How many people have in their personal list the name of… GOD?!
Strange to say, I have never heard anyone make such a claim!

Reading the gospel of this Sunday (6th Sunday of Easter, Year B – Jn.15:9-17)
I find the words of Jesus who says clearly:

”I shall not call you servants any more…
I call you friends
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.”
 
An amazing statement indeed and for more than one reason.
Each one of us can say, in all truth: ‘I am a friend of God’.
This does NOT require any qualification, social status, privileged background, or exceptional experience.
The only requirement is that… we accept his friendship!

By definition becoming the friend of someone is a free decision.
It is no different with friendship with God.
He has created us free beings and will not force us into anything –
surely not into accepting him as a personal friend in our lives.
Coercion would destroy the beauty and value of friendship.

The second aspect of Jesus’ words that I find amazing is that he claims that
he has made known to us all that he, himself, has learned from his Father.

I personally feel that… I have still to make an inventory of all of this…
I am convinced that I am bound to make astonishing discoveries when I seriously get down to it!…
The same may happen to you . . .

Note: Another reflection is available in French on a different theme at: https://image-i-nations.com/6e-dimanche-de-paques-annee-b/

Source: Image: Alan Kraft

International Human Solidarity Day – 20 December

20 décembre 2017
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: awareness, development, globalization, inequality, international peace, Millenium Goals, poverty, promotion, security, sharing, UN, value

The United Nations’ (UN) International Human Solidarity Day is annually held on December 20 to celebrate unity in diversity. It also aims to remind people on the importance of solidarity in working towards eradicating poverty.

Background
Solidarity refers to a union of interests, purposes or sympathies among members of a group. In the Millennium Declaration world leaders agreed that solidarity was a value that was important to international relations in the 21st century. In light of globalization and growing inequality, the UN realized that strong international solidarity and cooperation was needed to achieve its Millennium Development Goals. The UN was founded on the idea unity and harmony via the concept of collective security that relies on its members’ solidarity to unite for international peace and security.

On December 22, 2005, the UN General Assembly proclaimed that International Solidarity Day would take place on December 20 each year. The event aimed to raise people’s awareness of the importance of advancing the international development agenda and promoting global understanding of the value of human solidarity. The assembly felt that the promotion of a culture of solidarity and the spirit of sharing was important in combating poverty.

Symbols
The UN emblem may be found in material promoting International Human Solidarity Day. The emblem consists of a projection of the globe centered on the North Pole. It depicts all continents except Antarctica and four concentric circles representing degrees of latitude. The projection is surrounded by images of olive branches, representing peace. The emblem is often blue, although it is printed in white on a blue background on the UN flag.

Source: Text: timeanddate.com   Image: SlideShare