July 2026

Once upon a time, there was a man, as simple as a reed, purer than a spring; he was the
light. The true light that shines in the darkness. He came so that all might have life. He spoke
so that all might be soothed by human patience. He spoke to give a voice to the voiceless of the
earth. He spoke to call for peace amidst our merciless wars. He spoke to set free the hope buried
in sorrow. Through his voice, through his breath, he drew mankind from the shackles of sin; he opened up
the infinite horizon of love to them.
God, blessed be you for Jesus! Thanks to him, we know that you are a Father full of tenderness and
mercy, always ready to forgive us and to set us on our way once more towards Freedom.

Jesus, our Lord,
grant us a share in the faith you found in the humble among your people, that faith which saves.
What do we know of your welcome as long as we do not lay our burdens at your feet, as long as we do not
entrust our weaknesses to you, who came to bear them?
Teach us to free ourselves from the powerful grip of all that is non-essential, which so often invades
our daily lives or clouds our judgement. Lead us towards inner contemplation, where the
true believer may be born, in the authenticity of their being.

God our Father,
how can we give thanks to you for Jesus of Nazareth, that man after your own heart
in whom you reveal your face?
He is your Beloved Son, your very Word.
But where can we find Him in our present day, how can we discern the mystery of His Presence?
When He says to us, as He did to the rich young man: ‘One thing you lack’
Would we be prepared to leave everything behind, to give not from our surplus, but from what is essential?
When he says to us, as he did to his disciples: ‘Come and see’,
are we ready to take off our sandals before the poor man,
to recognise that blessing comes to us not from the temple built by human hands,
but through the outstretched arms of the Crucified One…?
God our Father, you who are our Future, we welcome you!

Jesus, our Lord,

who walked amongst us doing good, your path never ceases to inspire new beginnings:

we pray to you, awaken us to our humanity.

Through your welcome at the table of sinners and tax collectors, through your presence to all who drew near to you,

we pray to you, awaken us to our humanity.

Through your silence of truth and forgiveness towards those who have been unable to resist evil and who

suffer because of it, and towards those who condemn,

we pray to you, awaken us to our humanity.

Through your freedom in the face of the law, and your constant choice in favour of the life and dignity of everyone,

we pray to you, awaken us to our humanity.

Through your willingness to receive everything from the Father and to pursue the work of the Spirit to the very end along

unknown and unpredictable paths,

we pray to you, awaken us to our humanity.