Friday 1 April 2022

Today is Friday the 1st of April, in the fourth week of Lent.
The community of Taizé sing, Jésus le Christ: ‘Jesus Christ, inner light, do not let my darkness speak to me. Jesus Christ, inner light, let me welcome your love.’
Jésus le Christ, lumière intérieure
Ne laisse pas les ténèbres me parler
Jésus le Christ, lumière intérieure
Donne-moi d'accueillir ton amour
Jésus le Christ, lumière intérieure (Seigneur tu me sondes et me connais)
Ne laisse pas mes ténèbres me parler (que je me lève ou m'asseois, tu le sais)
Jésus le Christ, lumière intérieure (tu me devances et me poursuis, tu m'enserres)
Donne-moi d'accueillir ton amour (tu as mis sur moi ta main)
Jésus le Christ, lumière intérieure (je prends les ailes de l'aurore)
Ne laisse pas mes ténèbres me parler (je me loge au-delà des mers)
Jésus le Christ, lumière intérieure (même là, ta main me conduit)
Donne-moi d'accueillir ton amour (ta main droite me saisit)
Jésus le Christ, lumière intérieure
Ne laisse pas mes ténèbres me parler
Jésus le Christ, lumière intérieure
Donne-moi d'accueillir ton amour
Jésus le Christ, lumière intérieure (je dirai, que me confie la ténèbre)
Ne laisse pas mes ténèbres me parler (la ténèbre n'est point ténèbre devant toi)
Jésus le Christ, lumière intérieure
Donne-moi d'accueillir ton amour (la nuit comme le jour illumine)
Jésus le Christ, lumière intérieure (je te rends grâce pour tant de prodiges
Ne laisse pas mes ténèbres me parler (merveille que je suis, merveille que tes oeuvres)
Jésus le Christ, lumière intérieure (sonde-moi, ô Dieu, connais mon cœur)
Donne-moi d'accueillir ton amour (conduis-moi sur le chemin d'éternité)
Jésus le Christ, lumière intérieure
Ne laisse pas mes ténèbres me parler
Jésus le Christ, lumière intérieure
Donne-moi d'accueillir ton amour


Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John.
John 7:1-2,10,25-30
After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him. Now the Jewish festival of Booths was near.
But after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but as it were in secret.
Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, ‘Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah? Yet we know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.’ Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, ‘You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.’ Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come.

We have witnessed in this passage a tense dialogue between the people and Jesus. How do you imagine the atmosphere of this scene?
Imagine you are with Jesus in this moment… how do you respond to such hostility and pushback from the people?
Hear Jesus as he cries out his response… how does he sound? How does he gesture?
As you listen again, place yourself into the scene and watch it unfold before you…
Having been a part of this moment, how do you want to respond to the people? To Jesus? To one who sent Jesus?
Take these final few moments to respond however you feel you would like to now…

You have given all to me
To you, Lord I return it
Everything is yours
Do with it what you will
Give me only your love and your grace
That is enough for me.