Taize July 2: Tonight we prayer to overcome racism

Welcome to our monthly Taize Prayer Service on the first Thursday of the month, coming to you from Precious Blood Renewal Center in in Liberty, Missouri. Once again, we are being led by means of Zoom from various places in the Kansas City metro area and joined by others around the nation and world.

Thanks for being with us.

On this weekend in the United States we will celebrate Independence Day. But we acknowledge that not all our citizens enjoy real freedom. So, tonight we include prayer to overcome our racism.

In their pastoral letter on racism, “Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call of Love,” the U.S. Bishops Conference wrote:

“Racism arises when, either consciously or unconsciously, a person holds that his or her own race or ethnicity is superior, and therefore judges persons of other races or ethnicities as inferior and unworthy of equal regard. When this conviction or attitude leads individuals or groups to exclude, ridicule, mistreat, or unjustly discriminate against persons on the basis of their race or ethnicity, it is sinful. Racist acts are sinful because they violate justice. They reveal a failure to acknowledge the human dignity of the persons offended, to recognize them as the neighbors Christ calls us to love.” (Matthew 22:39)

This day, this weekend, let us pray:

God who summons and sends us,
inspire in us creative and loving action
as we work for racial justice.

May we courageously answer your call to care
for each and every one of our brothers and sisters.

May we strive to listen and learn with love
as we act to build a more just society.

Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Join the Precious Blood Renewal Center team for a prayer service in the Taize style. This video goes live on three locations July 2.

• Our Website: See below or find all the Taize videos here. 
• On YouTube: at bit.ly/2BmDJcE
• On Facebook beginning at 7 p.m.: facebook.com/preciousbloodrenewalcenter/

Taizé Prayer is sung, ecumenical community prayer. It originated with a monastic community in France and has spread to numerous spots around the world. The prayer service uses chant melodies and simple accompaniment along with moments of silence in a meditative atmosphere, to allow the finger of God to touch one’s soul.

Nothing is more conducive to communion with the living God than meditative common prayer. When the mystery of God becomes tangible through the simple beauty of symbols, when it is not smothered by too many words, then a common prayer awakens us to heaven’s joy on earth.

Precious Blood Renewal Center welcomes everyone. It is a safe and sacred place for all people, offering healing and hope, renewal and reconciliation. The center is a ministry of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, a Roman Catholic religious congregation.

You don’t need to register, but if you fill out the form below, we’ll know you’re interested. Hope to see you July 3!

[gravityform id=”2″ title=”true” description=”true”]