Reflection text
This week’s service was prepared by a group of brothers and sisters from the Community in Northern France.
Brother Roger’s last Letter
Brother Roger’s last unfinished letter on August the 16th 2005, the day he died
« I leave you peace; I give you my peace. » What is this peace that God gives?
It is first of all an inner peace, a peace of the heart. This peace enables us to look at the world with hope, even though it is often torn apart by violence and conflicts.
This peace from God also supports us so that we can contribute, quite humbly, to building peace in those places where it is jeopardized. […]
In a dazzling intuition, the Gospel of Saint John expresses who God is in three words: “God is love.” If we can grasp only those three words, we shall go far, very far. […]
But what does it mean to love?
[…] Loving means forgiving, living as people who are reconciled. And reconciliation always brings springtime to the soul. […]
Seeking reconciliation and peace involves a struggle within oneself. It does not mean taking the line of least resistance. Nothing lasting is created when things are too easy. The spirit of communion is not gullible. It causes the heart to become more encompassing; it is profound kindness; it does not listen to suspicions.
To be bearers of communion, will each of us walk forward in our lives on the road of trust and of a constantly renewed kind-heartedness? […] And, our whole life long, the Holy Spirit will enable us to set out again and again, going from one beginning to another towards a future of peace.
Intercessions
This week’s service was prepared by a group of brothers and sisters from the Community in Northern France.
On October 18, 1685, King Louis XIV signed the Edict of Fontainebleau restricting freedom of Protestants in the Kingdom of France. Schools were closed, synods were banned, and more and more Huguenots were forced to convert to Catholicism. It was not until the French Revolution, a century later, that religious freedom was proclaimed in France.
Lord, we entrust to you all the historical research and commemoration that will take place in a few days in Fontainebleau. May this event help us to continue to draw closer and reconcile ourselves as Christian brothers and sisters, and may it lead us to give thanks for the journey we have already made together.
In September 2025, during the millennium of the coronation of Duke Baleslas I as King of Poland, the city of Gniezno hosted a major ecumenical event: the Congress for Peace. Peace is a Paschal gift that we can welcome through dialogue, fraternity, reconciliation, and prayer.
Lord, so many people are suffering from war: those who have been exiled, those who have lost loved ones, the wounded. Peace often seems blocked and unattainable. May enemies become brothers through your grace.
In 1925, two friends, Anglican Viscount Halifax and French Catholic priest Fernand Portal, entered into dialogue, which lead to the Malines Conversations. A century later, in September 2025, commemorations were held in Malines to give thanks for the Anglican-Catholic dialogue, which has made great strides thanks in part to these fraternal exchanges.
Lord, thank you for these friendships forged between brothers and sisters of different denominations. We pray especially for our brothers and sisters in the Chemin Neuf Community who are from Christian Churches other than Roman Catholics. May our shared brotherhood and mission be an authentic sign of your Kingdom.