Journal

Lord God,
You know how hard it is for human beings not to return insult for insult,
to bless those who don’t love us.
We see it in our own lives, and in global conflicts between countries
where the escalation of violence seems inexorable, blind and brutal.
Hope has been shattered and anxiety has taken hold of our hearts.
What remains of the love from which we expected marvels?
Repair our cracks, Lord, you who built the foundations of the universe.
Consolidate our existence, You who fashioned us to be the dwelling place of Your unalterable beauty,
of Your infinite goodness, eternally

Lord God
As you know, witnessing is not a crusade,
nor is it about proving anything.
Baptised in Christ, renewed in the Spirit,
we speak, we love, we weep, we doubt,
we work, we laugh, we suffer, we hope,
like all men, we live!
But Lord, we beg you to allow us to lead a humble and unostentatious life,
a daily existence that is clearly founded on Christ and his Gospel.
In this way, animated by the Spirit, we will forge ever deeper links
with all humanity and with You, faithful God, for ever and ever.

Your Spirit, Lord, is like the wind:
no one knows where it comes from, but we can see the traces of its passage
whenever there is peace, trust, love and joy.
We pray to you: may it dwell in our prayer, guide our steps
and may our actions and words
to continue your act of creation and blessing.

Before the dawn of the day, your Spirit is already here, Lord our God:
May it awaken in us the desire to know You and to trust You
May He speak to us of Your longing to meet us, You who seek us like the merchant
who leaves everything to find his precious pearl.
May it help us to hear Your voice in the men and women who cross our path today.
May He communicate to us Your joy of giving and forgiving, without measure and at every moment.
May it make our interdependence a springboard for true solidarity, where each of us feels responsible for the happiness of others,
feels responsible for the happiness of others.

Stay with us Lord, now it’s evening
and we have not yet recognised your face in the poorest of the poor.
Stay with us Lord, evening is coming
And we have not yet shared your bread in thanksgiving with those in need.
Stay with us Lord, evening is coming
And we have not yet heard your call through the distress of the excluded.
Stay with us Lord, evening is coming
And our hearts are still so slow to believe that you had to die
to rise again and that you are in our midst…
Stay with us, Lord!

Lord, in the depths of our silence, your name sings.
At the heart of our weaknesses, there is your resurrection that renews life.
In the depths of our discord, there is a gentle breath that makes peace.
In the questions of our lives, it’s not your answer,
It is you yourself, infinitely present, who helps us to answer.
This, Lord, is what we know about you
and today our poor hearts have been filled.
Blessed are you, now and always.

Lord, you are the Master of time and the God of our spaces,
You go ahead of us and lead us through the years,
You are our guide and our path.

You who watch silently over the heart of our lives,
You who give us courage in our darkest despair?
You are our light and our path.

You who walk with us and in our midst with no other power than your Love,
Your silences and Your words lead us to follow You towards a new dawn.
You are our Saviour and our way.

Is that not our faith?
Acclaiming Jesus Christ, our Master and Lord, one day,
crucifying him next day, refusing to follow him on the path of total trust in the Father,
discovering tomorrow his presence by our side in spite of everything.
Is this not our love?
Acclaiming one day the one who gave his life to save ours?
crucifying him next day when selfishness, jealousy and selfishness take over our hearts,
discovering tomorrow, in spite of everything, the presence of the Risen One
who has overcome evil and death.
For faith and love renewed by the sap of spring,
by the mystery of Christ’s Passover,
we give you thanks, God of our life.

Lord our God,
something is stirring in your Church,
as if Moses’ bush were secretly on fire again,
calling us to new exoduses after so many deserts.
Help us to understand that we are not walking alone,
that others elsewhere are reaching out to us
to pave the way for peace, for the salvation of the world, for compassion.
Give us the strength to move forward together, in deep water
and recognise your footsteps, you, the God of our faith,
Father of Jesus Christ.

Christ our brother,
you lead us to this slow interior transfiguration to conform us to you, little by little.
Give us the gift of being your healing hands,
your Word that comforts,
your action that lifts us up
so that none of the least of these may be crushed, and so that your praise may rise to the Father with ours
through your Spirit of Love.