April 2025

You see us, Lord, we who are never sure of love.
We are always asking for signs, irrefutable proof,
when all we ever have are furtive traces, to be gathered day by day.
We who would like to have evidence, lead us to trust
which is the other name for faith.
And who knows how to read in the fragile signs of a newborn baby on the ground,
a cross on the hill,
a piece of bread broken at dusk,
and a stone rolled at dawn,
the beginning of ‘all things new’ that you have created
and that are already emerging, our future in You, God with mankind.

You who in the beginning called out ‘Light’ and the darkness fled;
‘Day!’ and the night shrank;
‘Man!’ and out of nothingness we were born.
You who have given meaning to our lives, we pray to you, Lord our God :
make us servants of your plan,
help us to lay the foundations of this house full of people,
your Church, the first fruits of fraternal humanity.
May your Name be peace for us: ‘I will be there’.
through the Risen Jesus, today and always.

Wonder, wonder!
Who sows in tears
reaps in joy.
Jesus, God has raised him from the dead,
the gates of death gave way
before the humble Lamb.
Wonder, wonder!
He takes us with him into Life,
He takes us with him into Life! Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
He lives, He lives! Alleluia!
Prince of Life, He has arisen!
He teaches us the way of Peace; Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Lord, give us the power to discern your Body, to discern it every time we break bread,
gathered in your Name.

But discern it also in all those who are your brothers and sisters,
our brothers and sisters.

Help us to live the new relationships
that sharing bread implies:
the Eucharist is an action; what we celebrate, we must do.
If we receive from you the grace to know how to share our lives as you broke yours?
our brothers and sisters will be able to discern the Love with which you love them, and your Name will be kept alive for all time.

Jesus Lord,
why ask you for signs when it’s up to us today
to be your signs in a world lacking light?
Don’t let us be overshadowed by our lack of faith
but rekindle in us every day the desire to let
see that You are the One who inspires our lives,
raises our hope, animates our fragile love.
And through this very little, may your Spirit act and speak of You, Jesus the Living
who gives life, today as yesterday and until the end of time.

A huge crowd of people who are still looking for you,
but also all those who no longer know anything about you,
of your love, of your very human companionship.
So that your Name may live on, invite us today
to keep vigil in prayer.
Your Spirit connects all life; may it connect us to your Life,
Jesus, Son of God, our Brother.

Jesus, Christ and Lord,
through your life, your work and your word, you give us back the true image of God who is good and wills no evil.
In the face of the misfortunes and tragedies of this world, may your Spirit open up opportunities for us to reflect, to overcome the illusion of power without God and, with your help, to strengthen our commitment to change our lives.

Lord, we all desire peace, yet the escalation of violence continues unabated:
‘Rearmament! Rearmament!’ ‘Military deterrence!’ These words are in the mouths and minds of all those in power.
Jesus, what can we do?
You who are the light of the world, stay with us, we beg you, for it is night in the world.
Help us to understand what you expect of us, what is within our reach, so that we can touch our wounded humanity with gestures of gentleness, consolation and hope in you, Christ, Prince of Peace for ever.

Blessed are you, our God, for this day that you give us to live in communion with each other and with you. Help us to leave behind the past that hinders or disturbs us and to turn, in silence and hope, towards the newness that you want to create with us.

Grant us today to welcome without exclusion, to give without reserve, to forgive tirelessly. May our actions and our decisions our words, our thoughts be illuminated by the light of your Kingdom, revealed in Jesus Christ, our Lord.