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29th Sunday of Year A

19 octobre 2017
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: adoration, beneficiaries, Caesar, give back, God, kindness, Mt.22 :15-21, obey the law, pay taxes, respect, voting, wisdom

The last verse of this Sunday’s gospel text (29th of Year A – Mt.22 :15-21) is so well-know to us that we sometimes use it ourselves… for our own purposes!
“Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

The meaning of the words is obvious and we do not question what the saying aims at as far as Caesar is concerned.
People will immediately think of such duties as: obeying the law, paying taxes, selecting just leaders by voting and… paying fines (if one is guilty of an offence involving such returns).
And what belongs to God? What are we expected to ‘render’ him?
Some will say: respect, adoration, obedience, prayer, thanksgiving, etc.
And much more…

All in all, it is plain, clear, simple, obvious!
But as I reflect on this gospel text I tell myself that, perhaps, yes perhaps… I should add something.
Not to the list of items to ‘give back’ but to the… beneficiaries!
Somehow, I feel that there are a number of people to whom I should return something for what they have done, and keep doing, for me.

My mind brings back to me the memory of:

– The good teachers who have provided me with sound knowledge.
– The skilled surgeon who operated on me and the medical staff who assisted him in bringing me back to health.
– The lawyer who wisely defended me when I had been wrongfully accused of a misdeed.
– The kind neighbour always ready to help me with this or that.
– The faithful friend always there when I need her assistance.
– The dynamic fellow coaching my children in their sport activities.
– The ever-smiling garage mechanic on whom I can safely rely.

This is my list… and you surely have yours…
I feel I should give back something to them for their kindness, their assistance, their good-humour, the wisdom they share with me, and their presence when I am in need.

Yes, I SHALL give back to Caesar, to God, and… to all those kind-hearted people who make life so much lighter and enjoyable!

Image: stjohspr.org

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16th Sunday of Year A

20 juillet 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: advice, enemy, evil, God, good, harvest, injustice, lenient, Mt.13:24-43, poor, powerful, présence, real, rich, right, seed, selfish, separate, situation, sort out, suffering, wait, way of God, weak, weeds, wisdom, wrong

There is so much that is wrong in our world today, is it not so?
The powerful bring suffering to the weak.
The selfish – legions of them – grab all they can.
The rich keep adding to their share while the poor have to manage on what they can scrape together.

It seems that evil spreads far and wide, and goodness has a hard time existing at all.
Examples we see every day are only too many and too easy to find.

Poverty, sickness, injustice, suffering – evil under all its forms – everywhere we turn it seems that we see only more of that!
Some people mutter to themselves: “Not much sign of God in a world like this…”
Others get really angry, and yes, angry with God: Why does he not do something to right all that is wrong?
They whisper under their breath: “If I were God, things would be different!”

We have to admit it: we are troubled by the presence of evil in our world, in people…
Perhaps today’s gospel (16th Sunday of Year A – Mt.13:24-43) can bring light to this situation.
At first sight, some would think: ‘More of the same!’
Good seed has been planted and there comes an enemy who spoils the whole thing as the weeds in plenty show.
The workers question the owner of the field about it and they are ready to put things right.

The owner shows wisdom: removing the weeds may destroy the good plants as well.
So, his advice is… to wait.
WAIT – waiting… till the harvest, waiting till all has grown and then… then will be the time to sort out and to separate.

For many of us, this is not our preferred mode of operating.
Yet, surprisingly perhaps, this is the way… of God!
He waits, and waits… for us!
He waits that we change…

The 1st reading (Wis.12:13,16-19) says it beautifully:
“Your sovereignty makes you lenient to all…
You are mild in judgement,
You govern us with great leniency.”

He waits that we recognize him, accept his ways, see him as REAL – really present in our lives.
How much longer will he have to wait for this to happen?…

Source: Images: Wikipedia, Experimental Theology – blogger

 

 

Ascension of the Lord, Year A

25 mai 2017
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: affirmation, Bible Texts, consolation, conviction, healing, Mt.28:16-20, Presence of God, promise, strength, truth, wisdom

In the Bible, there are many texts which are truly beautiful.
They are inspiring, encouraging, consoling.
They give light, they provide strength, they bring healing.
They can lead to the truth, instill wisdom, and enrich our daily life in so many ways.

When I ask different people what their favourite verse is, they come up with different answers which express what, for them, is most important and helpful.

For me, one verse which I find especially meaningful is the last sentence of today’s gospel (Ascension, Year A – Mt.28:16-20):

“I am with you always, yes, until the end of time. »

A clear affirmation.
More still: a promise, simple and straightforward.
No condition, no restriction.
No limitation, no reservation.

It is expressed in the present –a present that is continuous, on-going, permanent.
If only… we accept it with an unshakable conviction and allow it to be realised in our lives, day after day…

Source: Image: Pinterest

Christmas, Year A

23 décembre 2016
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 'God-with-us', birth of a child, event, glorifying God, helplessness, human history, Lk.2:15-20, Mt.1:23, power, proverbs, strength, weakness, wisdom

Proverbs often have much wisdom encapsulated in a few words. They convey the popular wisdom which has much to tell us about life and situations.

At one time or another, you may have heard this saying: “There is more to it than meets the eye.” Looking at a situation, observing the attitude of someone, a friend or neighbour may have whispered these words: “There is more to it than meets the eye.” The person would have acknowledged that what he saw, what she noticed, was “not the whole story”, as they say.

These words are truly appropriate for what we are celebrating at Christmas – what we see, or… think we see! – as we look at a Nativity scene. The scene itself may be very ordinary or quite elaborate, it may show only the new-born child with his mother and father, or display as well the humble visitors and the royal guests that are part of the longer narrative.

Yes…

  • We look at a baby – We are to see God himself;
  • We look at poverty – We are to see the riches of God;
  • We look at weakness – We are to see the strength of God;
  • We look at helplessness – We are to see the power of God;

Indeed, we look at a simple situation: the birth of a child – We are to see the most extraordinary event in human history: God who has become a human being like us.

He has chosen the name he was to be called: “God-with-us” (Mt.1:23) – this is what He is, what He wants to be for each one of us. There is no situation – except that of our refusal – which can render this obsolete.

The gospel text (Lk.2:15-20) tells us, that having seen the new-born child, the shepherds “went back glorifying and praising God.” What more could we do?

Source: Image: Answers in Genesis