Reflection text
This week’s service was prepared by our brothers and sisters of the Community in Hautecombe, France.
Excerpt from the speech of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Conference of Bishops of France in Lourdes, Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Regarding environmental protection, we must also invoke the memory of Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios, whose prophetic voice called upon our Church in 1989 to become the guardian of creation. Since then, all Orthodox Churches, as well as the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and numerous other Christian denominations, including the World Council of Churches, have responded to the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s call by dedicating September 1st to prayer for environmental protection.
Saint Gregory of Nyssa teaches us that divine grace “permeates all of creation.” Therefore, there is no boundary between the sacred and the profane, between the spiritual and the material: everything is imbued with the presence of God. When scientists observe the melting of glaciers and we meditate on the groanings of creation (Romans 8:22), we are reading the same book: the book of God’s wisdom inscribed in the world.
[…] We also know that our faith holds precious wisdom. It teaches us patience, moderation, and the joy of self-denial. (…) In a world obsessed with speed and consumption, we must rediscover the meaning of moderation and simplicity. Choosing quality over quantity, beauty over utility, communion over profit. This is not a step backward: it is a liberation. The freedom to live with gratitude, in simplicity and inner peace.
Intercessions
At Hautecombe Abbey, around forty young people from all over the world and from different Christian denominations will experience a week on ecumenism next week as part of the Hautecombe Discipleship School.
Lord, we pray for all the young people and families who give you their time, at Hautecombe or in the various formation centres around the world. Grant them a passion for unity, so that they may be witnesses of fraternity to those they meet.
From November 10 to 21, COP30 (Conference of the Parties) is taking place in Belém, Brazil, where negotiators, scientists, and civil society are meeting to discuss priority measures to combat climate change. One of the main themes being addressed concerns managing the socio-economic impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations.
Lord, we pray for all the participants and delegates of this conference. May this meeting be a source of inspiration for us to learn more about living in unity with all of your creation and to respond to “our ecclesial call to take care of our common home.”
To mark the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, Pope Leo XIV will undertake his first apostolic journey from November 27 to December 2, first to Turkey, then to Lebanon. For the first leg of his journey, in Turkey, the motto chosen by Pope Leo XIV will be: “One God, one faith, one baptism.”
Lord, we entrust to you this apostolic journey of Pope Leo and the message he brings to these countries. May this papal visit strengthen the bonds of friendship between our Churches and contribute to peace and Christian unity throughout the world.
Reflection text
This week’s service was prepared by our brothers and sisters of the Community in Bethanien, Switzerland.
A shared commitment by the catholic and protestant churches of Germany in 2017 (500th anniversary of the Reformation)
We want to take practical steps to transform our prayers, our teaching and our actions in a spirit of fraternal ecumenism.
Trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to make the fundamental points of our faith that we hold in common our first priority, and to keep moving forward on the path of ecumenical apprenticeship. We commit ourselves to deepen the points we have in common in our understanding of the doctrine of justification, as has been documented in the « Shared Declaration », and to use them to clarify our conception of the Church.
Trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to witnessing to God together in this world of ours’. As far as is possible we commit ourselves to act together and actively to support each other, notably in the areas of loving kindness and servanthood, social justice, the maintenance of peace and respect for the rights of man.
Trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to promote and to step up the culture of dialogue and of cooperation at every level of church life. To do this we want to be inspired by the Charta Ecumenica, to which we are committed.
We will take special care over those prayers which are said for our ecumenical partners during the religious offices.
Trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to abstaining from everything that could give rise to new dissensions between the Churches. We commit ourselves to search fordialogue before taking decisions about the ethical questions which divide us.
Trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to bring all the help needed to interconfessional marriages, so as to strengthen their shared faith and to promote the religious eduction of their children. We commit ourselves to make the ecumenical attitude within interconfessional mariages bear fruit at the heart of our Churches.
Trusting the power of the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to do all that we possibly can so that progress can be made on the pathto the visible unity of the Churches. We commit ourselves to put theological dialogue to the service of this task more intensively than ever before.
We make these commitments before God.
May He be with us so that we hold on to them and that he may give us his peace to achieve them.
Intercessions
1. On October 11th the official inauguration took place of the underwater exhibition « Lumeum », in the former swimming pool of Bethanien monastery, in the presence of Monseigneur Joseph Maria Bonnemain of Korea and representatives of the Reformed and Evangelical Churches. It gave the opportunity to help visitors discover the life of the Swiss worker for peace, Nicolas of Flue and his wife Dorothy Wyss, in a new and creative way.
Lord, we pray that this work may touch visitors who are often searching for meaning more and more, in particular the young.
2. On October 31st 1517, Martin Luther fixed his 95 theses to the door of Wittenberg church. This would be the point of departure for the Reformation and the separation of the Western Churches. Since then, more and more people have worked to reestablish the unity of Christians.
Lord, we pray that one day we will rediscover the unity that you will ; breathe, Lord, with your Spirit on the faithful and on the leaders of our Churches.
3. « In the name of the Lord. Amen » It is with these words that the treaty of 1291, the foundation of Switzerland, began. The device inscribed on the ceiling of the federal Palace « One for all, all for one », the neutrality of the country and the spirit of Nicolas de Flue and of Henri Dunant have since then helped keep Switzerland uninvolved in wars and forged a spirit of peace and solidarity.
Lord we pray that these values which are threatened today may continue to inspire the inhabitants, the male and female politicians of this country and of all our countries.
Reflection text
This week’s service was prepared by a group of brothers and sisters of the Community in Poland.
Extracts from: A letter from Christians from Germany, Poland and Ukraine to the Christians of the Orthodox Church in Russia
Full text: https://www.lettertorussia.eu
It is difficult to address these words in times of war when brothers and sisters are being murdered. But as Christians, we pray “Our Father” on both sides of the front line. We believe that God created all people and never stopped loving them, even when they became sinners and criminals. ….
War means that the aggressor and the victim can no longer talk to each other, can no longer look each other honestly in the eye, they hate each other and don’t want to have anything to do with each other anymore. In times of war, there is a chasm between us where there are no bridges, no relationships, no face-to-face dialogue.
Christ conquers hatred. He gave his life to bridge the chasm that divides us. ….
We fight for an end to hate and crime, but not to people who – before God – are our brothers or sisters. Ultimately, forgiveness means an outstretched hand, an offer of a renewed relationship to the perpetrator. …. In the mystical tradition we find the image of God hiding his face when he weeps.
Intercessions
1. Lord God, we humbly ask you for the gift of unity and peace in all corners of the world where the noise of war still resounds, and where brother raises his hand against his brother.
Today more than ever we implore you to give peace to tormented Ukraine, to put an end to the violence, and to bring a gleam of hope for all those who are suffering from the war.
2. Lord, renew the ties between nations and communities, reconcile those which are separated by hostility and prejudice.
Teach us to recognise that each person you put in our path is a brother or a sister, children of the same Father.
3. Lord, strengthen the Christians of Russia and Ukraine who in spite of the violence proclaim peace, and suffer because of it.
Give them perseverance, faith and an unshakeable trust in your Providence.
Reflection text
This week’s service was prepared by a group of brothers and sisters from the Community in Tigery.
Excerpt from the Apostolic Exhortation “DILEXI TE” – “I Have Loved You” of the Holy Father LEO XIV
(§ 119-121)
“we Christians must not abandon almsgiving [. . . ] It will not solve the problem of world poverty, yet it must still be carried out, with intelligence, diligence and social responsibility. For our part, we need to give alms as a way of reaching out and touching the suffering flesh of the poor.
Christian love breaks down every barrier, brings close those who were distant, unites strangers, and reconciles enemies. It spans chasms that are humanly impossible to bridge, and it penetrates to the most hidden crevices of society. By its very nature, Christian love is prophetic: it works miracles and knows no limits. It makes what was apparently impossible happen. Love is above all a way of looking at life and a way of living it. A Church that sets no limits to love, that knows no enemies to fight but only men and women to love, is the Church that the world needs today.
Through your work, your efforts to change unjust social structures or your simple, heartfelt gesture of closeness and support, the poor will come to realize that Jesus’ words are addressed personally to each of them: “I have loved you” (Rev 3:9).”
Intercessions
1. In many countries, such as France, freedom of religion is regularly questioned: Christians find themselves threatened and some are even attacked by extremists, by journalists, and even by the government.
Lord, grant courage and perseverance to persecuted Christians across the world. May their unwavering testimony of faith bring peace to the heart of a divided world, prey to so much violence.
2. Sarah Mullally, formerly the Anglican Bishop of London, was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury at the beginning of October. She is the first woman to hold this post in the Anglican Church and as a result, becomes the Primate of the Anglican Communion, which is threatened by discord caused by many opposing currents.
Lord, give her the strength needed in her ministry to face these tensions. May she always be able to seek peace and unity among the member churches of the Anglican Communion and more broadly, among all different Christian confessions.
3. In France, as in many other European countries, a great number of churches, and chapels, especially Catholic ones, are lent to small Christian communities—evangelical, Orthodox, or Eastern Rite—who make the request. This loaning of churches for worship gatherings is a testament to the fraternal solidarity and Christian presence in our society.
Lord, we give You thanks for this fruitful collaboration between the Catholic Church and other Christian communities. May all who search for a place of worship find a warm welcome at a place adapted to their needs so that Your name may be praised.
4. On October 4th, Pope Leo XIV published his first apostolic exhortation titled “Dilexi te” – “I Have Loved You” (Rev 3:9). Continuing the teaching of his predecessor Pope Francis, this text, addressed to people of good will, focuses on love toward the poor of the world.
Lord, may every Christian open their eyes and heart to questions of social justice so that we can together “foster a concrete commitment on the part of all humanity to solving the immense problem of poverty in the world” (§84).
Reflection text
This week’s service was prepared by brothers and sisters from New York.
An Address by His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Delivered at the celebration to welcome Chemin Neuf and to launch the Community at the Crossing program at the Cathedral of St John the Divine (September 8, 2022)
[…]
Even as we are present with you in spirit today, what comes to mind is the powerful symbol of doors! What we would like to see and encourage you to aspire to, dear friends, is for your newly-planted community to become a door for the young men and women that it will shape through this initiative:
- a door to heaven and a door to the world;
- a door to the heart and a door to humankind and all creation;
- a door to the compassionate nature of God and a door to the communal nature of the Church.
Such is surely the authentic expression of monasticism. […] monasticism has never existed for itself but has always burned like a candle of intercession to the loving Lord for the life of the world.
Therefore, our hope and prayer for this new house of Chemin Neuf on the cathedral campus of St. John the Divine is that it may become a place of contemplation and consolation, another “bronze door” that will reflect the light of Christ onto the world and welcome “all those who labor and are heavy laden that they may find rest . . . For [the Lord is] gentle and lowly in heart” (Mt 11.28–29).
Intercessions
St John the Divine Cathedral in New York, in partnership with the Chemin Neuf Community, welcomed the third cohort of the Community at the Crossing (CATC) on Sunday 21 September. This new cohort includes 13 young adults from across the United States, as well as international participants from Japan and India. Representing a wide range of Christian traditions, the cohort includes members from the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Protestant, and non-denominational churches.
We entrust to you, Lord, each member of this third cohort, that their shared journey and their differences in background and tradition may become sources of learning and growth, offering a living witness to the unity that can arise from dialogue and hospitality.
2. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of 300 million Eastern Orthodox Christians, received the 2025 Templeton Prize for his pioneering efforts to bridge scientific and spiritual understandings of the relationship between humanity and the natural world, by bringing together people of different faiths to respond to the call for responsible stewardship of creation.
We entrust to you, Lord, his work accomplished in partnership with other leaders such as scientists, academics, politicians and various religious representatives from the Catholic, Jewish and Muslim worlds, so that he may highlight environmental concerns as a means of caring for the most vulnerable members of our societies.
3. The Jewish community in New York is estimated to number between 1.6 and 1.8 million people, making it the largest Jewish community in the diaspora. A large part of this population is concentrated in Brooklyn neighbourhoods such as Williamsburg, Crown Heights and Borough Park, which are important centres of the Hasidic movements.
We entrust to you, Lord, the Jewish communities throughout the world as they enter the Jewish autumn holidays.
4. Recent events in the United States have highlighted the growing political polarisation and social fragmentation in that country, as well as their impact on the ability to conduct peaceful debate and express differences of opinion in a healthy manner.
Lord, we pray for all victims of political violence in the United States and abroad. Inspire leaders to find ways to ease tensions and listen to one another.
We entrust to you in particular the work of the United Nations and its important summit this week.
The vegetable garden
Observe the evolution of the vegetable garden over the seasons, from empty space to teeming life!
The orchard
We planted beautiful apple and pear trees on the site of the former monks’ orchard, and gave people the opportunity to sponsor a tree.
Année pour Dieu ? Father Vincent Breynaert, director of The National Service for the Evangelization of Young People and Vocations in France (SNEJV) and a priest of the Chemin Neuf Community, came to Hautecombe Discipleship School to teach for a week on Church History.
On this occasion, we took advantage of his presence to ask him “why take a year for God”?
I’m going to choose 3 reasons that seem so important today, and that also take up the invitations of Pope Francis in his exhortation to all young people Christus Vivit.
The hope of young Christians
The first reason is : to be able to give an account of the Hope that is in us and to know this hope, to know the faith that structures us. The first reason to take a year for God is to take time to get to know God, to form ourselves around the word of God in particular. Most of us are lucky enough to be educated at university for 2, 3, 5 or even 7 years sometimes, and we learn exciting things that will serve us for the rest of our lives. How much more necessary it is to know the word of God, to know our faith, to know elements of our theology, to know our history in the Church. Very often we realise, as Christian young adults, that we are sometimes ignorant of this or that element of the Word of God, of our faith. To take a year for God is to take an authentic moment of human and intellectual formation by discovering more of the richness of the word of God and of our tradition.
Asking the right questions during a year for God
A second reason that seems so important to me, at a time when our lives are sometimes accelerating, is the space to ask ourselves the right questions for our lives. Pope Francis tells us that there is a risk sometimes of living on the surface of ourselves; of living by letting events, relationships follow one another and then gradually life unfolds but we have not taken the time to reflect authentically on ourselves, on what we want, to listen to our desires, and to respond to our deepest vocation.
Taking a year for God is a space of interiority and freedom where we have time to reflect on what we want to do with our lives in the light of God’s word. John Paul II said that youth is the time when we make choices that will guide the rest of our lives. John Paul II said that youth is the time when we make choices that will guide the rest of our lives.
And it is worth taking a few months, a year, to put ourselves in prayer, to listen to this voice that works within us… Very often in the daily life of a student or a young professional, we don’t have the time! We are caught up in the succession of activities and events; in a year for God, we suddenly have time to pray, to reflect, to read and to listen to the will of God.
Community life during a year for God
The third reason is the path of fraternal life. We are never Christians on our own, and we are probably experiencing this even more today. We need to make good friendships with others, and in fraternal relationships we discover more about ourselves. A year for God is not a hermit’s year!
It is a year in which we walk with other Christians, other disciples who will also allow each of us to discover who we are, it is an experience of fraternal life, of self-giving, of sharing, of transparency, of reconciliation and of acceptance of the other in his or her differences, sometimes in a different denominational path, and thus together we approach more truth and also missionary impetus.
To conclude, to make a year for God is to become authentically those missionary disciples that Christ needs to announce his Good News to the world. Do you want to announce the grace of the Gospel to others, to your family, to your friends? Then take time to form yourself, to listen to the word of God that works in your heart and take time to share it with other young people with whom you will be confronted.
And then you will not become a bureaucrat, but a passionate missionary, consumed by the desire to transmit the Good News of the Gospel. So don’t hesitate to think about the year you could take. In other cultures, other countries, sometimes other denominations it is much more usual. I think that for us, especially in France, it should be much easier to free up time, it’s necessary, it’s good, and it bears much fruit.
- Prayer for Christian unity
Prepared by the Community in Hautecombe Abbey, France - Prayer for Christian unity
Prepared by the Community in Switzerland - Prayer for Christian unity
Prepared by the Community in Poland
In our lives there are many times before and after.
They can either be a surprise, or something we can choose.
Hautecombe Discipleship School participants share about what called them to take year out to listen to God and what the calling that resonates in their heart.
Last year
Baptiste (France)
Last year, I was in Thailand doing a year of volunteering with the Children of the Mekong, and I was in lockdown in Bangkok.
Emma (France)
Last year, I was studying History in Paris, and I was a Chemin Neuf Young Adult [JCN]
Anne (Netherlands)
Last year I was studying Child Psychology and Education, and finishing my primary teacher training.
Laëtitia (France)
Last year I was on Erasmus in Rome, doing my third year of medical studies and it was there that I met the community.
This year
Andrea (Italy)
What motivated me to come to Hautecombe was finding a time and a place to really listen to what God wants for my life.
And also to learn how to hold relationships with others, to come out of myself, to learn to really be a brother, to really learn how to love in the way that Jesus teaches us in the gospel.
Baptiste (France)
Choosing to do HDS was both because I took a year out to serve, and because I felt I needed to take a year to take time with the Lord, to listen to him and to know him better.
Mylène (France)
To have an intellectual grounding in the Bible, when it was written, who the authors are, why it has so much strength and power in our lives, and so I decided to do the formation.
Emma (France)
I chose to take a gap year at HDS to learn to let myself be loved by the Lord and to love him better.
Next year
Anne (Netherlands)
If you want to deepen your relationship with God, if want to learn more about the way he speaks to you and all in this very beautiful community, then I think HDS is an ideal year for it.
Mylène
I can tell you that you will grow spiritually; internally you will learn to know yourself better, and to know God, this truly loving God who wants this relationship with you.
Laëtitia
And if you’re wondering about next year, well, don’t hesitate too much because it’s a year…really, it’s a gift that you give yourself. It’s a gift because you meet the Lord, because you are carried by fellowship.
Patrick (Lebanon)
For all those who are asking themselves the question of taking a gap year, honestly, with all my heart, I say to you : take this step with courage, with all the difficulties, because, in the end, you don’t waste time, but you give a year of your life to God and God doesn’t waste anything – on the contrary, he gives you more and more. In any case, you come to such a beautiful place, is it possible to say no?
Read more
Père Vincent Breynaert : https://hds.chemin-neuf.org/video-annee-pour-dieu-2/
God-focused gap year: which one to choose? : https://fr.aleteia.org/2017/06/21/une-annee-sabbatique-tournee-vers-dieu/