Prayer time on March 1, 2026, 10 a.m.
At the Airport – with AGORA
Colombian music
Welcome and invocation
Grace and peace from God be with you. Amen
Welcome to everyone for this time of prayer that we are experiencing remotely with the entire AGORA team. Anne, Julien, Véronique, and Virginie send their greetings. I, Irène, am particularly grateful for this opportunity to celebrate with you.
So, to begin, let us pray:
Our God, you have called us, each of us where we are, as we are, so here we are, gathered this morning in this space at the airport.
We want to open ourselves to your presence, to your light, to your love for us and for our world. Be among us during this time of prayer, so that we may receive a Word of life that encourages us. Amen.
Song « The prayer » (Céline Dion, Andrea Bocelli) (4 :31)
Praise, from Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging… 7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress…
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; …11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Prayer of Humility
We pray:
Our God, our hands are not always clean, our hearts are not always pure. We do not always live up to your expectations.
And yet you are there. You see us as we are and you love us, without us having earned it in any way. For love cannot be earned. It is given and received. Come and soften our hearts, so that we may receive your love and draw strength and hope from it. Amen.
Song « Amazing grace » (Il Divo 2012 Version) (4 :31)
Word of grace
Here is the word of grace that God addresses to each of us personally, and to all of us gathered together in his name, at his call:
God is with us. God repeats to us: I am here, with you, every day, until the end. I am there when you see and feel me. And I am there too when you feel only the coldness of abandonment. I am there discreetly and delicately. Whatever happens, I am there, with you, with all of you. I will not leave you, I will be with you, for my love is eternal. Amen.
Tamil music
Prayer for enlightenment
Before opening the Scriptures, we pray:
Lord, Your Word is seed, it accompanies us to the heart of existence.
It strengthens us in our moments of suffering.
Yes, Your Word brings us resilience. Beyond our limitations and shortcomings.
In fact, Your Word, Lord, reminds us of Your presence. It leads us to overcome our worries and mistrust, and to move beyond our inconsistencies.
Your Word leads us to live in mercy and forgiveness toward one another. Your Word clothes us in patience and hope. Amen.
Bible reading 1: Old Testament: Isaiah 30:15 and 18
«This is what the Sovereign Lord… says: In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength… Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!»
Colombian music
Bible reading 2: New Testament Mark 4:35-40
Jesus Calms the Storm
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Music or silence
Message
Jesus and his disciples are traveling; they want to cross to the other side of the lake. It’s a bit like us leaving our country to go somewhere else. Jesus and his disciples are traveling at night. It has probably been a busy day. Jesus needs to rest. He is sleeping in the back of the boat.
A storm is coming, and the lake is very rough. The disciples are very worried, almost desperate.
This is what happens to us too when we are overwhelmed by difficulties. We can feel anxiety and despair.
The storm reflects the difficulties of life. There are times when we are like the disciples who are worried, afraid, and doubtful. This is understandable, humanly speaking.
What is good about this story is that the disciples dared to wake Jesus. They put their hope in him. Thanks to Jesus, they found peace again. Perhaps this is also the message we can take from this story: when we are with God, he helps us find peace again.
In this story, Jesus calms the storm. Afterwards, he turns to his disciples and asks them why they were afraid and where their faith is. We too can ask ourselves this question: in difficult times, “where is our faith?” In the midst of our troubles and trials, do we remember that faith is given to us and that with the help of Jesus/God, we can live through and overcome our problems?
Right now, here at the airport, with negative responses or waiting for the outcome of an appeal or interview, we may feel helpless. But this story reminds us that even in the midst of our storms, God is present. He hears our cries and is with us. Calling on him reminds us that he lives alongside us in all circumstances. He never abandons those who trust in him.
We may not necessarily receive the answer we expect, but when we put our trust in God, calm returns. Despite our turmoil, our prayers can be a blessing and a source of comfort. The Spirit of God sustains us and leads us day after day toward the gentle, deep calm of His love that accompanies us.
Let us remember this: in every situation in life, what matters to us is to be in the same boat as the Lord. Our peace and our consolation are there. As it is written in Psalm 46 which we read: «God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.» Then, as we recall from the reading in Isaiah 30: «in quietness and trust is our strength.»
Amen.
Silence
Music « You rise me up » (Pentatonic) (4 :18)
Intercessory prayer and Our Father (each in their native language)
We pray:
Our God, we want to thank you first for your presence in our lives.
This morning, we entrust to you Jason, Racheed, Jorge, Derans, Roshan, Anna, with their intentions, and all the people who work here at the INAD building and at the airport.
We entrust to you all those who are on the road to exile, who are waiting for an answer, for a decision on their situation.
We entrust to you the victims of wars and conflicts around the world, those who suffer any form of injustice, those who live in anxiety, despair, and depression. We entrust to you those who feel unwell and who are suffering.
We also pray for those who make decisions regarding international relations, those who have influence in the world, that they may act for the good of all.
Our God, we also entrust to you those who do good in the world, all people of good will. Those who continue to sow hope.
And we do not forget our families and those we love, here or far away.
And we gather all our prayers in the one that Jesus left us and which makes us your children:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen.
Music : When you believe (4 :58)
Sending forth and blessing
I invite you to stand to receive the sending forth and blessing.
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you
The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Amen.
Final Music
