Holy Spirit, mystery of a presence, you enfold us with your peace that comes to touch our inmost heart, bringing us a breath of life.
(Brother Roger, founder of Taizé)
We normally stick to Taizé songs but, this month, as we recall the power of the Holy Spirit to touch and transform us, let us start with a traditional hymn:
Dear Lord and Father of mankind….
Song 1- Come Holy Spirit
Psalm 29
A psalm of David.
1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes
with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
11 The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Song 2- Bless the Lord
sung by Voirrey Carr
Song 3- Nada te Turbe
Nothing can ever come between us and the love of God, the love of God, revealed to us in Christ Jesus.
Old testament reading
Isaiah 43:18-19
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
Song 4- See I am near says the Lord. See I make all things new….
New Testament reading
Matthew 6:7-15
“Jesus said: Some think that by using many words in prayer, they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
Silence
“Christ Jesus, we praise you for your goodness and your simplicity. Through your humility the light of God shone your whole life long.
This light shines today in our hearts. It can heal our wounds and even transform our frailties and our uncertainties into wellsprings of life, into creative energy, into the gift of trust.
By shining this light of God on us, you make us able to hope in season and out of season.”
(Brother Alois, current leader of the Taizé community)
Prayers
Holy Spirit, you fill the universe, and you bring within the reach of our frail and faltering humanity these Gospel values: goodness of heart, forgiveness, compassion.
Guard us, guide us and give us peace in our hearts.
Bless our beleaguered planet, with its fragile and finite resources.
Bless and guide our community and our nation.
Have mercy on those in distress, especially the sick, the lonely and those who need care. Fill them with your hope and grant them the knowledge of your love and inner peace.
Holy Spirit, help us to hold one another- our friends, family and ourselves- in prayer…
Bless your people and bring them into your kingdom. Bless especially those we know, and those we love as we hold them, by name, in our hearts……
Kindle in each one of us a flame, so we can move from indifference to love, from anxiety to trust, from distraction to peace, and from shadow toward light.
We pray for your creation, your universe and your kingdom, to the glory of the risen Lord Jesus, and in his holy name. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
(sung in French)
Song 4- In resurrectione tua
Let heaven and earth rejoice in your resurrection, O Christ!
Song 5- Let all who are thirsty come
Blessing
Bless us, Christ; keep us in the spirit of the Beatitudes: joy, simplicity, mercy.
The Grace
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit…be with us all now and evermore. Amen
Song 6-Amazing Grace
To conclude, we may listen to another traditional hymn, sung by singers from 50 countries affected by the pandemic:
Further reflection and study.
You may like to watch Brother Kombo from Taizé talking (in French but with written translation) about our Old testament reading, in relation to the current global crisis:
A short talk about the Holy Spirit at Pentecost by Brother Timothy:
To find out more, or to participate in weekly online Saturday evening services in Taizé in France, click this link: https://www.taize.fr/en_
