Service for Christian Unity,
Thursday, March 24th, 2022

Meditation

Another world – the vision of beauty

On the eve of his Passion, after having announced Peter’s denial, at the moment when history, which had become mad, accelerated its pace, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let not your hearts be troubled.” It is the ineffable peace before the breaking waves. This peace makes it possible to ward off any contamination by the prince of this world. Through this peace, hearts keep their purity.
To fight against all forms of corruption, it would not be reasonable to dream of a return to triumphant morality. Morality does not triumph. It can only be offered as value and freely accepted. […] Without beauty, the good is not attractive or convincing. Without a radiance capable of moving the heart, the good loses its force of attraction. It is in this spirit that Dostoyevsky has one of his characters exclaim: “Beauty will save the world.” In the midst of the debacle of values, salvation lies in the efflorescence of the beautiful in front of which one can be silently enraptured. To do this, you have to go down to the root of things and find there a divine seed, penetrate the essence of beings, and encounter the presence of the Creator there. “After God, see God in every man”, says an adage of the Fathers of the desert.


Extract from: Michel Evdokimov, Ouvrir son coeur, Desclée De Brouwer, 2004, pp. 147-148

Intercessions

Prepared by our brothers and sisters in Canada.


To be used as appropriate

1 / Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal (Montreal) is the largest sanctuary in the world dedicated to Saint Joseph. Every year, it receives some two million pilgrims and visitors from all over the world, and from various religions or beliefs.
Lord in this month traditionally dedicated to Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, and following the example of his friend Saint Brother André, founder of Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, call us to be strong and courageous in the hard times. Make us attentive to the needs of those around us and tender towards those who suffer and are sick. Grant to all those who entrust themselves to Saint Joseph to reveal to them your own Father’s heart, full of love and mercy.

2/ Olivier Fleury, pioneer of Alpha courses in the French-speaking world and former director of Youth in Mission Switzerland, is driven by an unusual vision : to bring together Christians from all over the world to celebrate the 2000th anniversary of the resurrection of Christ. In Quebec, an ecumenical committee has been set up, of which the Chemin Neuf Community is a member.
Lord, make us creative to live in full brotherhood with our brothers and sisters of other Christian denominations. Grant us to work in unity to come together with our differences to celebrate and express together our joy and gratitude, and witness to those who do not know God’s love so that the 2000th Easter in history a historic and unique occasion.

3/ Since the start of the war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the toll has continued to grow. In Canada, where more than a million Canadians of Ukrainian origin live in anguish, the Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Most Holy Apostles Peter and John in Lviv has become the gathering place for this community which pray for peace.
 Lord Jesus, you who suffered on the cross, listen to the cry of your children who are victims of the violence of war. Help them and give us an open heart to welcome them. Send your Spirit on the political leaders so that they seek, in a spirit of peace, solutions of justice. Give us the strength to respond to hatred with love, to offense with forgiveness.