Lenten Taizé Prayers

Greetings Taizé friends! As you journey in Lent, enjoy an excerpt from Br. Matthew’s annual letter 2026, the subject of which is “What are you seeking?” See below for upcoming prayers around the state.

“Seeking a direction”

“Silence makes true discernment possible. When we are seeking which direction to take, silence allows us to listen to what is deepest in us. We also need an inner freedom so that we can make a responsible choice. Such freedom involves accepting our limits, but without being afraid: fear is never a good counsellor, and God never forces our hearts.

Everyone is seeking both a sense of belonging and some form of security. And as we seek an authentic way of living, sometimes it is other people who can help us find who we really are. Through others we may be surprised to discover something that we could not have found alone.

In John’s Gospel, two young people are staying in the Jordan valley with their teacher, John the Baptist, whom they trust. Not wanting to keep them for himself, he points them towards another, to Jesus. And they leave to go after him.

When Jesus sees them, he asks, “What are you seeking?” When they reply, “Master, where do you live?” he tells them, “Come and you will see”.*

Those two questions sum up the process of seeking and discovering a direction for a life with Christ. Starting with our own desires, with expressions of our longing for greater life – “What are you seeking?” – we go on to confront them with the person of Jesus – “Master, where do you live?”

The Jesus who invites us to “Come and see” is gentle and humble of heart, and he loves us with a love that is unconditional, secure and unfailing. Will I dare to respond to his invitation despite my hesitations and even my doubts?

Christ Jesus, show me the way and make me ready to follow it.*

Who are the people who point me towards Christ? Spend a moment giving thanks for them.

REGULAR PRAYERS AROUND GEORGIA

THIS THURSDAY, March 12, Thursday, 7:30 p.m., St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 636 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. Decatur, GA 30030. Prayers in Advent and Lent. Tea and cookies following! Park in front of the church for easy access.

March 16th, Third Mondays, 8:00  p.m.Cathedral of Saint Philip, 2744 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA. https://www.stphilipscathedral.org. Labyrinth walk in Atrium 7:00-8:00.

March 22, Fourth Sundays, March 22, 10:00 a.m.Atlanta Mennonite Church, 1088 Bouldercrest Dr SE, Atlanta, GA. https://atlmenno.org. Sunday worship on Fourth Sundays is always a Taizé service.

March 24, Fourth Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m., Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church, 471 Mt. Vernon Highway NE, Sandy Springs, GA 30328. Labyrinth available during prayer.

April 1, First Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m., St. John Lutheran Church, Griffin. 1689 Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy, Griffin, GA 30224. (Contact Larry Boudon, larryboudon@gmail.com).

Weekly on Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m. On ZoomColumbia Presbyterian Church. Zoom link: https://cpcdecatur.com/online-worship-links. With recorded music.

Weekly on Wednesdays, 5:30 – 6:00 p.m., Vineville United Methodist Church, 2045 Vineville Avenue, Maconhttps://vinevillemethodist.com/taize/ Communion service.

See also the Taizé Atlanta Facebook page for prayer listings and other stories. Apologies for gaps in communication!

Lenten Taizé Services and Other News

Taizé Prayers around Georgia during Lent (see new listing in Macon)

Monday, February 19, and March 18, 8:00  p.m.Cathedral of Saint Philip, 2744 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA. 7:00 p.m., Labyrinth walk, Child Hall; 8 p.m., Taizé Service, Mikell Chapel, Third Mondays

Thursday, February 22, 7:30 PM, St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 636 W. Ponce de Leon, Decatur, 30030. Parking along the street in front of the church. Tea and cookies following. Quarterly prayer.

Tuesday, February 27, and March 26, 7:00 p.m.Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church, 471 Mt. Vernon Highway NE, Sandy Springs, GA 30328. Labyrinth available during prayer. Fourth Tuesdays.

Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m. On ZoomColumbia Presbyterian Church, 711 South Columbia Drive, Decatur, 30030.  https://cpcdecatur.com/online-worship-links/ Weekly.

New Listing! Wednesdays, 5:30 – 6:00 p.m., Vineville United Methodist Church, 2045 Vineville Avenue, Macon, Georgia 31204. https://vinevillemethodist.com/taize/ Includes a communion service. Weekly.

News

The new Prior of Taizé, Br. Matthew, wrote the annual Letter from Taizé with the theme “Journeying Together.” It is a reflection on what it means to journey together as ecumenical Christians. “You have one teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters” (MT 23:8), Jesus said. Are not all Christians sisters and brothers, united in a communion that is still imperfect but nevertheless real? Is it not Christ who calls us and opens a way for us to go forward with him as fellow travelers, together with those who live on the margins of our societies? On this journey, in a dialogue that reconciles, we want to remember that we need each other, not so as to impose our opinions, but as a contribution to peace in the human family.” Here is where you can find the Taizé Letter 2024. May it inspire you!

In January, Taizé Atlanta musicians joined with others to accompany the Prayer for Christian Unity organized by the Archdiocese of Atlanta. You can watch and listen to them play Laudate Dominum during the processional here . That evening they also accompanied Focolare musicians as they played their original song, “One in Him”, written for last year’s Prayer for the Week of Christian Unity. You can see a video here. Enjoy!

“The exchange with God becomes real for us in prayer: by his Holy Spirit, God comes to dwell within us. By his word and by the sacraments, Christ gives himself to us. In return, we can surrender everything to him.”  - Brother Alois, Letter from Cochabamba