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The first "work" of the Community of Sant'Egidio is prayer. By reading the Scriptures and placing them at the center of their lives, the young people who began the Community were challenged to live a more authentic life: they discovered the invitation to become disciples of his, it is the same invitation that Jesus addresses to all generations. It is a call to conversion, giving up a life spent just for oneself, and beginning in freedom to be instruments of a broader love for everybody, for men and women, and above all for the poorest ones. Listening and Living the Word of God as the most important thing in one's own life means to accept that one should follow Jesus, rather than oneself.
The most authentic picture is the community in prayer, gathered to listen to the Word of God. It is like the family of disciples gathered around Jesus. A unanimous and devoted prayer (Acts 2: 42) is the simple way, offered and required of all community members. Prayer is a pathway to becoming familiar with Jesus' words and with his prayer, togethr with the prayer of the generations that came before us, like that of the psalms. At the same time we present to the Lord the needs of poor people, our own needs and the needs of the whole world.
That is why, in Rome and in other cities of Italy, of Europe and of the world, the communities gather as frequently as possible to pray together. In many cities there is a common daily prayer open to everybody. Each member of the community is also expected to find a significant space for personal prayer and for reading the Scripture in his/her life, beginning with the Gospel.
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Personal prayer |
