Year B - Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

Jeremiah 23,1-6

Psalm 22

Ephesians 2,13-18

Mark 6,30-34

To go further

Details

-Brrrr, it is nippy up here!

-No vegetation, only grey. There is no doubt, he is out on a limb !

-The rabbit has forgotten to dress himself to rest.

Questions

-Before the action, Jesus took the time to pray to his Father. Before choosing his disciples, he passed the night praying.

-After the action, Jesus sent his disciples... to rest. The rest of the disciples, it is the prayer "Only in God is my soul at rest".

-The cloth is that of the prayer. Without this cloth, the rest would be compromised, or even wasted. Do I take the time to dress myself in the cloth of prayer, before and after an action ? (and during ?)

-Let's be specific. How much time have I taken for God this week ?

-How much time have I passed in listening to Him ? To feed myself with the sacraments? To read the word of God ?

Take a piece of paper, sit down, run a check-in, don't lie... and make your conclusions.

Year B - Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

Amos 7, 12-15

Psalm 84

Ephesians 1, 3-14

Mark 6, 7-13

To go further

Details

-Here we observe the creation of the world. God has the globe in his hand and says "It is ready". That is to say, before putting people on earth, it required millions of years before the earth was ready to receive humans.

-Then, God already knew what to choose, in what place and in which epoch.

Before all of the world was created, I already existed in the thoughts of God. I already existed in his heart.

-That phrase alone can help me through the week "I already existed in the heart of God"

-If God had already foreseen my existence, this does not mean to say that he had programmed the content of each hour of my life. No, that is for me to fill up my life with my choices. 

Questions

-In this world, nothing is bad in itself. But what we make of it can be good or bad. Example ; I have a tongue. With it, I can bless or curse. I can say something good or bad. It is I who chooses the usage of what I have. Same for work, money, TV, food. How do I use all of these things?What pulls me close to my Creator? What pulls me away further ?

Year B - Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

Ezzechiel 2, 2

Psalm 122

2 Corinthians 12, 7-10

Mark 6, 1-6

To go further

Details

-The rabbit is upright, even though he is not touching the ground.

-The bed is a pneumatic system (look at the make of the bed) "pneuma" means to breathe in ancient Greek. The breathe is the Spirit.

-It is 3am (time to get up!) 3am is the time of the death of Christ, the time of the Holy Spirit. The time where he entered in the sleep of death in order to stand us up.

-The Holy Spirit gives life, resuscitates us, stands us up, in the position of a living man.

-The rabbit is surprised, he has one eye open and the other closed

-If he chose this bed to lie in, it is because he doubted the logic of what should follow...

Questions

-God called the prohet Ezekiel to be his spokesperson. Maybe this has happened to me too, to be the spokesperson of God for a friend, in my work, with a stranger...Sometimes, we are stressed even though we are sleeping. If the Spirit stands me up, it is so that I can do other things afterwards. In the image, the space in front of the rabbit is clear, no obstacles.

Year B - Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

Wisdom 1, 13-24

Psalm 29

2 Corinthians 8, 7-15

Mark 5, 21-43

To go further

Details

-The rabbit smiles whilst thinking of what he would be without life; bones, skin, muscles and fat. Of course it is an interesting and complex subject, but the essential part is missing...

-To the left, the little worm thinks the same thing, except he is a little less elaborate.

-In the order of size, a blade of grass is less than a worm, a worm less than a rabbit and rabbit less than a man. And God is still bigger than all.

Questions

-If we take the word of the book of wisdom, we see the goal of God; to create something which subsists, create to continue.

-There is text that I do not like, concerning an obituary: "It pleases the Lord to remind him of X or Y" As if the Lord took pleasure in this, he who has created things and people so that they continue. It is true that we will one day find all those who have left us for an eternal party, but hey, the Lord does not play with us like puppets. Another word from the Bible says that if the Lord waits, it is so that we have the time to convert. So, he collects us when we are ripe, not when we are green or past our best.

-And I, do I weave my relationships so that they continue ? Or am I in disposable relationships ? Disposable projects ? Disposable love?

Year B - Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

Job 38, 1-11

Psalm 106

2 Corinthians 5, 14-17

Mark 4, 35-41

To go further

Details

-We can see that something has changed... The grey rabbit is violent. Upon meeting Christ, the grey rabbit has become blue, and peaceful.

-Looking at the shadow, it is grey underneath the grey rabbit and blue under the blue rabbit. This signifies that our acts follow us (Apocalypse 19). We always leave the traces of our passage (the good and the bad).

 -The tin can could represent the presence of the other in my life. If there was only I on the earth, I do not think that there would be tin cans. The tin can represents the passing of the other, and their presence on earth. The grey rabbit cannot stand this.

Questions

-To know Christ renews our outlook on God, on others, on creation.

-Today, what would I be without Jesus ?

-What would my life be like ?

-Around what would my life turn ?

-In what am I renewed? In which domain do I still resist?

Year B - Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

Ezzechiel 17, 22-24

2 Corinthians 5, 6-10

Mark 4, 26-34

To go further

Details

-A rabbit goes forwards, with a certain uneasiness. He gropes around.

-The light is behind him. He marches towards blackness.  This is what people look like if they don't believe in God; what is the point of going forwards, if it is only to go into the darkness ? The wall ? Into nothingness ?

-Those who are lucky enough to have faith, even if they cannot see it, they are less fearful for the future because they know that Jesus will not let them fall.

-The rabbits hands and ears are held to the front.  He has faith.

Questions

-Believe, what does it mean?

The "You Cat" (catechism given by Benoît XVI to the young people of JMJ in Madrid) told us at number 22 that it is to "seek a personal relationship with God and to believe in all which God shows to us of Himself"

At the beginning of faith, there is a shock : Man senses that the visible world is not the totality of existence. He finds, little by little, the confidence to address Him and to start a relationship with Him.

To believe, is to agree to Jesus and to place his life on Him.

-Where am I, concerning my faith, following this definition ?

Year B - Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

Leviticus 13, 1...46

Psalm 31

1 Corinthians 10, 31-11, 1

Mark 1, 40-45

To go further

Details and questions:

-There's not much to see, apart from two details : the angle of vision and the colours.

-The angle of vision used is called "high angle": we look from up high. It reinforces the superiority of the one who is observing and the smallness of what is observed. How do I consider the people or the material tasks which are less rewarding? Standing on my pedestal?

-The colours, everything is dull (grayscale) apart from the rabbit, his gloves, his sink strainer, his apron... This shows that everything in our life, the same events, the same people, the same landscapes... can be dull or amazing, depending on how we look at them.

Do everything for the glory of God... The secret resides in the "Spirit in which we do things."

Do I do things simply because they have to be done?

Or do I give some meaning to everything I do? A soul? A goal? To anticipate the reign of God?

Year B - Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

Job 7, 1...7

Psalm 146

1 Corinthians 9, 16...23

Mark 1, 29-39

To go further

Details and questions:

- Sometimes, we look for God... but we close our eyes... The rabbits' attitudes reflect the way in which we look for God. From left to right.

-We walk forwards and we look backwards. We refuse to let go of the past.

-We shout towards God but we close our eyes to make sure we can't see what he's asking for...

-We face him, we hold a magnifying glass and inspect details, but we forget the Essential (Him)

-We are close to Him (the rabbit in the middle) and we look somewhere else (distraction while we pray)

-We are lost in the bushes and we struggle. Why are we looking for Him in the bushes? (we refuse to leave our entanglement and stubbornness)

-We're looking under the stones. All these stones are so heavy to lift! (exhaustion from looking the wrong way, occultism, pseudo-revelations, miracle makers...)

-We're looking for Him in dialogue "Haven't you seen him?" and the other one shakes his head "No" (refusal to testify to the wonders that God made in our lives, and which could help the other one move forward)

-And also, the cross is very visible, but we prefer to look for God in glory... Don't we?

Year B - Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

Deuteronomy 18, 15-20

Psalm 94

1 Corinthians 7, 32-35

Mark 1, 21-28

To go further

Details

- This rabbit on the stage is a prophet. He speaks in the name of God, he "climbs on high", he proclaims (with all his might because we can see his tongue really extended). 
Curiously enough, there is no microphone but his words are reflected  in the speakers (which signifies that God helps to amplify the small part of the action that he has asked us to accomplish).

- Beneath, there is a priest who is with his Bible, to announce the Good News but without success, visibly.

- He who speaks to the priest reproaches to him the fact that he cannot hear him. We need to meet three criteria in order to be audible:

         1. To make oneself heard (if I speak very softly, I take the risk of not being heard)

         2. To make oneself understood (I adapt the message. I do not adapt the content of the message, but the manner of saying it, the vocabulary...)

         3. Live, myself, that which I say.

Questions

- What do I reproach to priests in the manner of conducting themselves? What do I expect of them?

- And I, how can I give a speech of life? With whom am I most at ease to speak with? Maybe it is in this place that God will call me?

- In the apostolic letter to the devoted Pope Francis said "The prophet receives from God the capacity to scrutinize the history in which he lives, and to interpret events: he is like a sentinel who watches during the night and knows when dawn comes (cf. Is 21: 11-12).  He knows God and he knows men and women, his brothers and sisters.  He is capable of discernment and also capable of denouncing the evil of sin and of injustices, because he is free; He answers to no master but God, he has no other interest but those of God.  The prophet is usually on the side of the poor and of those without recourse, because God himself is on their side"

- In what way does this speak to me? How ?

Year B - Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

Jonah 3, 1-10

Psalm 24

1 Corinthians 7, 29-31

Mark 1, 14-20

To go further

Details

- Religion of fear, it is to do things by obligation, without necessarilly putting ones heart into it. I go along with something, but un reaility, why do I go along with it? Does it give me a place, and ideal, a goal? If I don't adhere to it, what will happen to me?

The rabbit of the religion of fear is livid. He has no strong colour. He does things which makes him lose his colour, his personality. He goes forward because he is forced to do so.

- The religion of love, it is not so much to follow the commandements, it is more to follow a living person, Christ. And starting from the moment that we follow Christ, it becomes logical to follow the commandments as well but we do the with all our heart, without judging he who does not do like me. The rabbit of the religion of love has a real colour, his own. He is motivated and has hi eyes fixed on the love of God.

The rabbit of the religion of fear and the one of the religion of love have the same remark "Ok Ok". Except that one of them believes in it, the other does not.

God is attractive to us when we feel loved by Him. Am I not attracted by someone because I feel there is love, goodness in them?

Questions

- And I, where am I? What does this comic strip reveal of myself, of the others, of God?

- And when I look to bring someone else to God, is it with force or love?

In the religion of fear, be careful to not put yourself in the place of God in saying to the other what they must do.

In the religion of love, it will be God himself who will educate you progressively.

Year B - Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

1 Samuel 3, 3...19

Psalm 39

1 Corinthians 6, 13...20

John 1, 35 - 42

To go further

Details

- John and Andrew are asking Jesus where he is staying. With a gaze, they are looking up.

- Jesus answers by showing his dwell : the heart of Man. To find Jesus, you need to go deep into the heart of human beings, very deep.

- There is a ladder, which shows how long the journey is. We have to go down one step at a time. Looking closer at the ladder, we can see that the further down we go,  the narrower it gets. This represents the spiritual path which becomes more and more refined.

- You don't get to know the Man's heart at once. Trust is something that gets created over time.

- The heart-shaped hole was covered by a stone which has been rolled away. This is an image of the Resurrection. When Jesus is present in the heart of the Man, there is life in the darkness.

- Jesus tells the two apostles to get ready before going down: "Come and see". To be able to come, you need shoes, and to be able to see, you need glasses.

Questions

- To walk and to watch, isn't that the attitude of whomever is constantly searching for God?

- Before sending off his disciples, Jesus invites them to come, to get to know him. He invites them to come down.

- What about me ? How does this image talke to me today ?

- What does it reveal to me about God ? About others ? About myself ?

Year B - First Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

Isaiah 42, 1...7

Psalm 28

Apostles Acts 10, 34-38

Mark 1, 7-11

To go further

Details

- There is no likely detail which can help meditation, except for the rabbit at the top of the tree. Clearly, he missed the mark. He should have gone over or next to the tree, but no...

Questions

- Usually, the more I step back, the further I go
- Do I take the time to look back on my day ? To think about my behaviour, my words, my attitudes, so that I'm not in a slave position next time the situation presents itself ?

- To what extent are God's ways not necesarily the ones I was thinking about ?

- In what way did God surprise those who lived in his time ?

- What was expected of him ? How did he respond to it ?

- What about me ? What do I expect of him ? How do I react if he doesn't fulfill my expectations ?