O Risen Christ,

    you breathe your Holy Spirit upon us

    like a gentle breeze

    and tell us: ” Peace be yours.”

Opening ourselves to your peace,

    letting it penetrate the harsh and rocky ground

        of our hearts,

    means preparing ourselves to be bearers 

    of reconciliation wherever you may place us.

But you know that at times we are at a loss.

So come and lead us to wait in silence,

    to let a ray of hope shine through in our world.

 

Brother Roger, 1915 – 2005, Swiss monastic, founded the Taizé Community

 

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On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”  And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”