Praying Together
“I do not call you servants any longer… but I have
called you friends” (Jn 15:15)
Rom 8:26-27 The Spirit helps us
in our weakness
Lk 11:1-4 Lord, teach us to
pray
Meditation
God thirsts for relationship
with us. He searches for us as he searched for Adam, calling to him in the
garden: “Where are you?” (Gen 3:9)
In Christ, God came to meet us.
Jesus lived in prayer, intimately united to his Father, while creating
friendships with his disciples and all those he met. He introduced them to that
which was most precious to him: the relationship of love with his Father, who
is our Father. Jesus and the disciples sang psalms together, rooted in the
richness of their Jewish tradition. At other times, Jesus retired to pray
alone.
Prayer can be solitary or
shared with others. It can express wonder, complaint, intercession, thanksgiving
or simple silence. Sometimes the desire to pray is there, but one has the
feeling of not being able to do so. Turning to Jesus and saying to him, “teach
me”, can pave the way. Our desire itself is already prayer.
Getting together in a group offers
us support. Through hymns, words and silence, communion is created. If we pray
with Christians of other traditions, we may be surprised to feel united by a
bond of friendship that comes from the One who is beyond all division. The
forms may vary, but it is the same Spirit that brings us together.
In the regularity of our common prayer, the love of
Jesus springs up within us, we know not how. Common prayer does not exempt us
from personal prayer. One sustains the other. Let us take a time each day to renew
our personal intimacy with Jesus Christ.
The Rule of Taizé in French and English Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, Great
Britain pp. 19 & 21
Prayer
Lord Jesus, your entire life
was prayer, perfect harmony with the Father. Through your Spirit, teach us to
pray according to your will of love. May the faithful of the whole world unite
in intercession and praise, and may your kingdom of love come.
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