Johannine Hours                Luke 9:24               September 1996
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[The "Johannine hours" are meant as a way of seeking God in silence
and prayer in the midst of our daily life. During the course of a
day, take a moment to read the Bible passage with the short
commentary and to reflect on the questions which follow.
Afterwards, a small group people can meet to share what they have
discovered and perhaps for a time of prayer.] 

Jesus came so that people might have "life to the full"; he came to
save "those who were lost." He did not wish to repress human life,
therefore, but to liberate it from all that could hamper it. 

People who think only about saving themselves live under the threat
of failure. Making their fears the motivation of their acts, they
live on the defensive, attempting to protect themselves, refusing
to look for something new. In the end, other people become for them
rivals or threats. 

Whoever gives their life is free of constantly having to calculate:
What will I get out of it? What will I lose? If they consent to
"lose," in their own eyes as well as in the eyes of others, that is
because the free gift of themselves is already vital for them and
is more meaningful than anything else. Rather than seeking to
convince others, to control or to seduce, they can serve others,
care for them, support them. In this way they create trust. Their
freedom blossoms in a communion without limits; their existence can
open to eternal life. 

There is a sequence in giving. If I am alive, if I am able to love
life, that is because others have loved me and looked forward to
welcoming me. And if I want others to have a beautiful life, it is
because I know that life is worth living. Since I have received my
life from another, I can give it in my turn. 

Jesus is the perfect witness to the truth that life takes on its
full meaning when it is given. Because, as Son of God, he lived to
the very end a life rooted in the Father's love, he was able to
give his own life, his body and his blood, out of love for human
beings. In his eyes, we matter more than his own existence. His
gift becomes for us a source that enables us to give ourselves. By
relying on him, we have, beyond our failings and our fears, the
assurance that we too can live lives of love. 

      How can I invite others to marvel at what I love most in
      life? 
      What reminds me of the value that God places on human beings,
      on creation, on life? 

"Johannine Hours" - 09/96 - ©71250 Taizé-Community, France.
community@taize.fr




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