Journal

Jesus,
the Spirit you promised is like the wind; we cannot see it.
But we can see the traces of its passage whenever there is peace, faith, love, patience and kindness.
Grant us a share in this life-giving Spirit, we pray, so that we may become sons and daughters
of peace, men and women of the Good News intended for all: the Father loves us all infinitely and
eternally!

Lord,
in the face of the immense challenges of our time, do not let us retreat into a bygone past that is
illusory and supposedly better, but inspire us with the wisdom to create a world in harmony with your
creative plan: that humankind may live in harmony with one another, that the earth may yield its fruit, each according to its kind, and
that animals and creatures may thrive in all their diversity. We want to dream alongside the Bible so that
this time may come, and to help you bring it about!
In the name of Jesus Christ, who desires a good and abundant life for all!

At a time when thousands of hectares of forest and arable land are going up in smoke,
we know we can pray to you, Jesus, the man of agricultural parables…
Pray for the firefighters and all the volunteers battling the blaze.
May they know that you stand with them in their fight to save their fellow citizens and the land that sustains them.
To pray to you for our farmer friends who, throughout the year, through their expertise and hard work,
prevent the land from returning to wasteland and desertification.
To pray to you for all those living in parts of the world where climate change has already
wreaked havoc and is causing the displacement of starving populations.
To pray to you for the dreamers, the utopians, the courageous, who are fighting against the degradation of
the environment, and come up against conflicting financial interests.

When we run towards nowhere,
when we search in the distance for illusory treasures that will leave us unsatisfied,
bring us back to our field.
So often we squander these hours, these days, these daily treasures that are given to us.
So often we are consumers of the fleeting.
In the frantic race for ever more, which speeds up our world,
stop us for your sake, stop us for our own sake,
stop us now for this moment of prayer,
in its truth,
in its selflessness.

Jesus, Yeshua, every morning I repeat your Name, and bless you.
I repeat your Name like the light that dispels the night, and bless you.
I repeat your Name like living water in our deserts, and bless you.
I repeat your Name like a seed promising all growth, and bless you.
To repeat your Name like a gentle breath, more enduring than our weariness, and to bless you.
To repeat your Name as the One who will open to us the heart of God, your Father and our Father.

God our Father, as this day draws to a close, we may feel that nothing of significance has taken place in our hearts. Remind us that your Kingdom begins each day and that, quietly but tirelessly, you guide us through your Spirit along the path of your Love – a path of grace, a path of joy. Fill us this evening with that joy through Jesus, our brother and friend.

Lord Jesus, you spoke to us of the mustard seed that grows into the largest plant in the garden, and of the
leaven that a woman hid in her flour, causing the whole batch to rise. For the Kingdom that is already present amongst us and
in our hearts, we give you thanks; and for whatever within us—and therefore for others—has stood in the way of your
coming, we ask your forgiveness.

n the midst of this world thrown out of balance by so many forces that divide, we wish to bear witness to you,
Lord our God. You who have given us life, who sustain us at every moment
and entrust us to be, for others, your heart, your hands, your living water… May your grace bridge the gap
between your expectations and our feeble responses, and grant us the grace to commit ourselves with joy and determination to
your work of creation and renewal through Jesus Christ.

Thank you, our God, for those whose kindness speaks of You.

Thank you for those whose hope breaks through the walls of fate.

Thank you for those who know how to forgive and offer a fresh start.

Thank you for those who, without making a fuss, perform acts of kindness.

Thank You for those whose zest for life and light-heartedness bear witness to the fact that Your Kingdom is already here…

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.