News

From 2020-05-03 to 2020-05-23

The Rainbow

This is why, one fine morning, the spring, the brook, the lake and the river received the same invitation: 'II shall expect you at my place on Sunday, at the crack of dawn.” signed, your Father.

For the occasion, they donned their most beautiful colours.

In spite of the warm greeting of the Creator, there was some uneasiness in facing the unknown, the other's différence.

Invited by God to share their experiences, their dreams and even their fears and difficulties, they came to the realization that everywhere there were days filled with sunshine and storms that were, at times, quite violent.  Gradually, their differences which seemed at first to divide and even oppose them to one another, became strength and richness.  Discovering this gave them a better appreciation of their own colour.

Each one marveled at the other's beauty.  They discovered together how differ­ent, but also how similar they were.

They felt the beginnings of an immense desire for communion.  Attentive to the least sign of life, they discovered within themselves a space in which the loving presence of their Father could unite them beyond their diversity.

Having been ennobled and made richer by the solidarity which they had started to build, they savoured the joy of living together "in His sight and in Love".

God then went away for a moment to prepare the minutes of the meeting.  In a gesture of love, He put together the colours of His children: yellow, the generous and wise colour of the spring, orange, the joyful and gratuitous colour of the brook, red, the  courageous colour of the river, blue, the deep and peaceful colour of the lake.

He added the green of their hope and the indigo of their sharing.  He also brushed in some purple for their sorrows and difficulties.

When He returned to them, He opened His arms and a magnificent rainbow sprang from His hands and spread before them.  They were stunned at the sight of such beauty.  Little by little, each one recognized its own colour in this arc of many hues and understood that one colour alone cannot make up a rainbow.

What was growing in them was something so strong and so great; too strong and too great to be treasured selfishly.  By common accord, God and His children made a covenant which would attest forever the bond of love that united them.

They knew that, from then on, their waters would sing forever thanksgiving to the end of the world.

At the risk of losing everything, they had to go and share it.  This gift was also a mission.

"From every tribe, every tongue, every people and nation" God wanted to bring a large family together in peace and love.

From 2020-04-28 to 2020-05-29

A LEGACY OF LOVE

KINDLING A PASSIONATE FIRE OF LOVE

The awaited One came and He kindled the new Passionate Fire as declared by John, known as the Precursor—the forerunner. However, the newness which Jesus revealed left John somewhat perplexed; therefore, he sent some messengers ahead to check the status of this Messiah: Are you the one who was to come…? (Lk 7:20) Of course there was something to verify because this Messiah spoke with strangers as equals; He healed the heathens as well as his own people; He excluded no one; He questioned age-old traditions and religious laws; He was simple and discreet; He forgave His enemies; called Yahweh His “Father”; He chose love and justice above rituals and hypocritical cant. Had I been in John’s place, I too would have checked out my Messiah, because He had gone beyond normal boundaries.

 

WATCH FOR DAYBREAK

To the messengers investigating Him, the Messiah named Jesus of Nazareth replied: Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor (Lk 7:22). Quoting the words of the prophet Malachi (3:1) Jesus addressed the crowd and took the opportunity to underscore that John was truly the one chosen by God to prepare the way for this new passionate Fire of Love. The love that Jesus revealed and manifested was out-of bounds and beyond the limits instilled in the minds of John and the twelve apostles. Authorities did all in their power to confine this passionate Fire of Love and even to extinguish it because it was becoming contagious and dangerous. However, a sudden, strong, astonishing wind, never experienced before, vigorously kindled that passionate Fire of Love. A vigor that has motivated millions of hearts throughout the centuries—to be Fire-guardians and shepherds of love, to be daybreak watchers, so that the world might not die of hopelessness.

When the Spirit of Love seems to be extinguished and all hope lost, there are people like Vincent de Paul, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, Doctor Julien who rise up and rekindle the flames of love. They bring that passionate Fire of Love to those who suffer from the cold, from hunger; to those who are sick, abandoned and despised. These are well-known watchers, but there are many others, perhaps less known, who accomplish

similar works. Délia Tétreault often repeated to her Sisters: Be souls of fire! Ninety years ago, she foresaw the importance of making known the works of her Fire-guardians abroad. Thus was born the magazine Le Précurseur / The Precursor later known as MIC Mission News. After so many years, this magazine continues to inspire its readers. Witnesses speak about their experiences in mission; they reveal how the Christian faith needs more helping hands. They reveal the courage and determination needed to confront the problems they come across in developing countries so as to keep the Fire burning. Readers become more aware of how to develop links of solidarity with those who work in impoverished countries; they learn about the spirituality of Délia Tétreault and how they can become involved in some of the MIC mission projects. Reading through the pages of such a magazine awakens our awareness and gratitude for God’s benevolent love which is revealed through the works of the missionaries.

 

A CHAIN OF FIRE-WATCHERS

There was John the Precursor, Jesus the Messiah, the twelve Apostles, Paul and the many others who continued to be the chain of Fire watchers; they transmitted the Word in the hope of keeping alive the Good News of the Gospel. The Gospel bears fruits…each time a suffering person finds someone to hold his/her hand. Thanks to the magazine Le Précurseur/ MIC Mission News, a multitude of readers have marveled over this legacy of Love and have contributed to it in their own personal way.

André Gadbois