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Feast of Mary, Mother of God, Year C

31 décembre 2018
Nicole Gregoire
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Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: blessings, grâce, happiness, health, Nb.6:22-27, peace, Ps.67:2-8, saint Irenaeus, wishes

During this festive Season we have been exchanging good wishes of all kinds. We wish one another good health, happiness and peace, and many more good things. We sometimes summarize them in telling people that we want for them God’s blessings.

The first reading of today’s celebration (Nb.6:22-27) is, in fact, an extended blessing. The text tells us that God himself has chosen the words of it, so to speak.

One expression, repeated in the Psalm that follows (Ps.67:2-3,5,7-8), says:

“May God be gracious to you.”

The word ‘gracious’ evokes the picture of someone who is pleasant, kind, cordial, ready to help. Another definition comes to mind in the words: “filled with God’s grace”.

We are used to the language of religious faith and the expression ‘God’s grace’ is very familiar to us. Perhaps too familiar… we may no longer be aware of its deep meaning.

We may be in danger of seeing ‘grace’ as a ‘thing’, a gift from God, yes, but something different from himself.

In fact, it is the very essence of God, the very way God is for us, towards us… in us! God could not be otherwise!

God wants to ‘grace’ us, that is to share with us what he is so that we may become ever more as he is. This is the very meaning of the feast of Christmas that we have been celebrating.

One of the Fathers of the Church, saint Irenaeus, (c.120-200) said:

“God has become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself. »

This is the extent of his graciousness!

 

Note: Another reflection is available on a different theme in French at:  https://image-i-nations.com/fete-de-marie-mere-de-dieu-annee-c/

 

23rd Sunday of Year A

7 septembre 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: blessings, expérience, Father in heaven, gospel texts, inventory, Mt.18:15-20, needs, prayer, Prophets, Psalms, wishes

We know and we believe that the word of God in Scripture tells us about him and his will for our lives.
His message comes to us, ‘clothed’ if I may say, in all kinds of ways reaching us as light and guidance, strength and comfort.

The prophets and the Psalms, the gospels texts and the epistles – all of them are meant for our instruction, says Paul (Rom.15:4).
But, personally, I must confess that I am rather partial to texts which offer us promises, yes, promises from God himself.

The last verses of today’s gospel (23rd Sunday, Year A – Mt.18:15-20) give us exactly that: a two-fold promise from Jesus himself.
Words that are powerful and, yes, really promising!
This is what he says:

« I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all,
it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven.
For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.”

Some will say: “Wonderful!”
Others will think: “It did not work out for me!” meaning that they asked, and asked, with relatives and friends, and they simply did not get what they were asking for…
And many would endorse this statement and the experience it describes.

Perhaps most of us have made this experience – that of praying with our whole heart, convinced that God hears our prayers but, in the end, what we were hoping for did not materialize.
Did our praying bring about anything? We wonder.
We think to ourselves: If it did, it was surely not what we had asked for.

Perhaps this is because we have yet to identify our real needs… which can be quite different from our wishes and…yes, our whims…
God, who knows us better than we know ourselves, knows also what is best for us, even if we find it very difficult to admit to that.

Today may be a good occasion to make some kind of inventory – the inventory of all that we have received from God recently and see if some of those blessings were not – in disguise – what we were most in need of at the time…

Source: Image: justice-and-peace.org.uk