Year A - Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

Isaiah 56, 1. 6 - 7

Psalm 66

Romans 11, 13 ... 32

Matthew 15, 21 ... 28

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Details 

- In today's Gospel, we can easily imagine that the disciples are annoyed by this woman. Nowadays, we would call that harassment and we would press charges ... 

- The fingers of the rabbit in the right are clenched, so are his ears. His left ear says it's had enough. His right ear is pointing towards the one who's bothering him. He's not even looking at the woman anymore, his eyes are looking up to the sky, as if he was talking to God.

Questions 

- When we've exhausted all that we could do, without success, this annoys us. Sometimes, it is at that moment (and only at that moment, alas) that we shout towards God. We're even ready to do anything (or almost) to get rid of what's annoying us. 

- What about me, how do I understand this word for the week to come ?

Year A - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 Kings 19, 9. 11 - 13

Psalm 84

Romans 9, 1 - 5

Matthew 14, 22 - 33

 

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Details 

-This picture makes reference to all the precautions that could prevent us from moving forward in faith. This is expressed by the expression "We never know".

-The sky is blue, the sea turquoise. All is calm, except the rabbit who's experiencing an inner battle with bright colours : his signpost is bright yellow and his buoy red and white (mix of worry and naivety).

- The rabbit thinks he's fighting a lost battle. He can already see himself sinking. What faith !

-The attitude is shown in the fact he's not looking ahead of him but back. In the Gospel, as long as Peter is looking at Jesus, he's walking on water? The moment he looks at the wind, the waves, he sinks. 

Questions 

- What about me, in which circumstances to I adopt this "We never know" kind of attitude ?
- When do I feel like I'm fighting a lost battle ? Why ?

- Is it (and will it always be) fatal ?

Year A - Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

Isaiah 55, 1 - 3

Psalm 144

Romans 8, 35 - 39

Matthew 14, 13 - 21

 

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Details 

- Most of the details are in the colours. The tramp-rabbit is all dressed in grey. The rabbit in the centre is very flashy : red clothes and trainers, yellow mobile phone.

- He's so much "in your face" that the rabbit on the right can't even see the other people, whether it be the tramp or the central character. The only thing which attracts his attention is the mobile phone. 

Questions 

- Am I more attached to things or to people ? 

- To answer to that question, for example, can I describe the salesperson at the lasy shop I've been to ? (in general, we can do so if the person was unpleasant ...)

Year A - Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

1 Kings 3, 5. 7 - 12

Psalm 118

Romans 8, 28 - 30

Matthew 13, 44 - 52

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Details

- This blue rabbit is trying to buy the "Champ de Mars" (for those who don't know about it, the "Champ de Mars" is in Paris, where the Eiffel Tower, which we can see through the window on the picture, stands pride of place.

- To do so, he only has a little piggy bank which doesn't weigh much in exchange for this unaffordable land

Questions

- The treasure mentioned in today's gospel can represent a variety of realities

- Another biblical word reads "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be". To know what my treasure is, I only need to know what I spend most of my (spare) time doing or even what for (or who for) I spend my money.

- Christ ? My life of faith ? ... Are they part of my treasure ? What do I concretely dedicate to them ?

Year A - Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wisdom 12, 13. 16 - 19

Psalm 85

Romans 8, 26 - 27

Matthew 13, 24 - 43

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Details

- The picture is quite clear : the rabbit is getting exhausted while rowing depite having the wind on his side. We can see clearly that the boat is going quite fast but the rabbit is exhausted.

- The name of the boat is "let blow"

- The wind is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God.

- The mast is the cross. The spirit is given to us when Jesus is on it. He's giving the spirit.

- The direction of the action is reversed. Usually, we go from left to right. Here it is the opposite direction, meaning that when we let ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit, we're quite often going in the opposite direction of the world, its appeals, its easiness, its ideas.

- On the helm, there's a brake handle. On this picture, the rabbit is neither resisting the Holy Spirit nor God as he's not braking. The problem is he is going about it the wrong way. He's relying on himself more than on God.

Questions

- What about me, do I make projects and ask God to bless my projects (including for him) or do I start by praying and by asking him what he wants ?

- That would prevent me from rowing, even if that's not quite what I had planned for ...

Year A - Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 55, 10 - 11

Psalm 63

Romans 8, 18 - 23

Matthew 13, 1 - 23

 

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Details

- The rabbit is moving forward while sowing seeds, under the penguin's skeptical look

- In this picture, nothing could prevent the seeds from growing apart from the soil itself

- There also is a periscope. We don't quite know what it is doing there. It is hope, in the coldest lands, which is looking in the direction the rabbit is taking.

- The rabbit is carrying a towel. On his shoulder (not on his frozen ears). It's the softness, the warmth and the strength of the Holy Spirit. With your shoulders, you can carry heavy things, that's why when we make the sign of the cross, we sign our shoulder when we mention the Holy Spirit.

- The seeds are red, the towel is yellow ; the colours are visible. They are they only warm ones of the picture. The Spirit that God put within ourselves is the only one that can make us live, like a source of heat in a frozen environment.

Questions

- In this picture, nothing could prevent the seeds from growing apart from the soil itself. We can take away the warmth of the sun from the parable, the birds, the bramble, ... If the soil is not welcoming, nothing can grow. The seeds bounce as if to go somewhere else.

- For God's grace to rest within ourselves, we must clear the ground a bit. The more we clear, the more welcoming space there is.

- How can I clear the ground this week ?