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6th Sunday of Year B – 2024

10 février 2024
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 1 Corinthians 10:31 – 11:1, behavior, dream, guidelines, justice, Matthew 5:3-12, mutual help, needs of others, respect, truth, way of life

The Bible offers all kinds of texts to our meditation.
These texts, from different authors and times, are presented in different literary styles.
Some are deep spiritual reflections, others give us more practical guidelines.

Today’s 2nd reading belongs to this last group of texts.
In his letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul outlines what their behavior should be
(1 Corinthians 10:31 – 11:1).

One verse has caught my attention:

“I try to be helpful to everyone at all times,
not anxious for my own advantage
but for the advantage of everybody else”.   (Bible of Jerusalem translation)

Quite an inspiring way of life, very demanding indeed, but essentially Christian.
Just imagine for a moment what daily life would be if every believer lived in this way!
No more envy, injustice, anger, vengeance…
No more attempts to outdo others, deceive them, cheat or steal.
No more conflicts of any kind…

A society where the rights of everyone are respected.
A group of people where each makes the contribution that he/she can to the needs of others.
Among them, there is sharing and mutual help, truth and justice prevail.

Reading these lines, you may say that… I am dreaming!
I suppose that I am… dreaming as Jesus taught (Matthew 5:3-12) –
the kind of dream that makes the ‘dreamers’… “blessed and happy”!

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/6e-dimanche-de-lannee-b-2024/

Source: Image: Uplifting Scripture

 

 

 

 

 

World Vegan Day – 1 November

31 octobre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: animal suffering, animal-free food, change, nutrition, Veganism, way of life

The vegan way of life is increasingly establishing itself in our society as a way of life that can be practiced not only easily, but above  all without the need to cause animal suffering for one’s own food and clothing. Even in rural areas, the range of vegan products available in supermarkets is growing so that the fact that veganism is on the advance in our society can no longer be denied. Also the number of hotels and restaurants that focus on animal-free food has increased enormously in recent years. Long ago the fear of many Veganer, the purely vegetable nutrition is only a temporary, social trend, the conviction gave way that the Veganismus with its contribution for animal and environmental protection finds ever more trailer – and this world-wide.

The history of World Vegan Day

World Vegan Day originated in England in 1994, when vegan animal rights activist Louise Wallis was looking for a suitable setting to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Vegan Society. As President of the Vegan Society, her aim was not only to emphasise the continued existence of a vegan association, but also to draw attention to the fact that the word ‘vegan’ had found its way into the English language.

Wallis set November 1 as the date, as it falls exactly between October 31, which is Halloween, and the Mexican Day of the Dead, which falls on November 2. Since November 1, 1994, World Vegan Day has thus provided a welcome occasion for vegans in all parts of the world to celebrate and further promote veganism with all its positive aspects.

A ‘day of action’ with a higher sense

The World Vegan Day is not only about exchanging ideas with like-minded people and to honour Veganism. In the foreground on this day above all the clearing-up work is located: Humans, who do not have so far yet or only little entrance to the veganen way of life, are to be brought by information material or leaflets to the thinking and reorientation. The active dialogue with omnivores or vegetarians regarding their consumer behaviour and the advantages of a purely vegetable food plays an important role. Finally Veganer, which take part in the Weltvegantag actively, want to make attentive to the fact that each individual can make its contribution for animal and environmental protection and change thus much – completely after the slogan Gandhis: “Be you yourself the change, which you wish yourselves for this world ».

 

Source: Text: https://vegan-day.org/en/       Image: Journée mondiale

29th Sunday of Year B – 2021

15 octobre 2021
Nicole Gregoire
1 commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: apostles of Jesus, great, Mark 10:35-45, power, servant, slave, way of life

To render a service to someone, most of us would be ready to do so.
But, to put oneself at the service of others… this is another proposition altogether!
And this is precisely what the Lord asks of us!

The gospel text of this Sunday (Mark 10:35-45) is quite clear about it:

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 
and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.”
 
To be great, who would not want to be?
To be known as a person of importance, to be famous, to have power and influence over people –
this is what so many people are struggling for, even… fighting for!

Strange how people nowadays are so much like the apostles of Jesus, 21 centuries ago!
They wanted places of honor in the kingdom to come!

But becoming a servant, even a slave, who would choose such a way of life?
Perhaps the question should not be ‘who’ but ‘WHY’ should someone make such a choice?

The answer, again, is given by Jesus himself:
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, 
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
 
The way of Christ, the way of a Christian…
Obviously, it is not a path easy to follow,
but it is definitely a path where we are sure that the Lord walks with us all along the way as it is… HIS way!

 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/29e-dimanche-de-lannee-b-2021/

 

Source: Image: Prayers Room

4th Sunday of the Year, A

26 janvier 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: advertising, direction, gentle, happiness, Jesus, merciful, mourning, Mt.5:1-12, peacemakers, persecuted, poor in spirit, pure in heart, standard, today, values, way of life

Advertising has taken on a very important place in business and it has an impact on our daily life, there is no doubt about it.
Newspapers are filled with ads of all kinds, and our TV programmes are interrupted by much publicity that we could do without!
As for the web, it offers a constant flow of things to buy, programmes to join in, clubs to be part of, etc.

What all these have in common is that they describe in a very positive way what they offer. They present a glossy picture of what they want us to choose, to obtain, to adopt.

Those who design the ads, entice us to see things from their point of view and they aim at convincing us that, if we want to be happy, yes, really happy, there is no other way but to take on what is on display!

On this Sunday (4th of the Year, A) we see Jesus, early on in his life of teaching the crowds. In today’s gospel (Mt.5:1-12), we hear him address the people about that very topic: HAPPINESS. But his words do not describe an appealing picture of what will provide happiness. His speech does not resemble in any way what we are used to when someone wants to have us take on his ways!

Who are the happy people according to Jesus?

  • « The poor in spirit,
  • the gentle,
  • those who mourn,
  • those who hunger and thirst for justice,
  • the merciful,
  • the pure in heart,
  • the peacemakers,
  • those persecuted in the cause of right. »

The standard definition of happiness is definitely NOT this one!
Fame, riches, power, are most often part of a description of the happy life, not deprivation and persecution.

But then, perhaps our standard needs to be corrected…
Perhaps our values need to be readjusted…
Perhaps our search for happiness needs to be given a new direction…
Perhaps our way of life needs to be more attuned to Jesus’ message… perhaps…

Today may be a good day to start doing that!
And, ‘by the way’ happiness may just find us… in HIS way!

Source: Images: www.dreamstime.com;  Pinterest