The community of Taizé sing Wait for the Lord. ‘Wait for the Lord, his day is near. Wait for the Lord, be strong, take heart.’

Today’s reading is from the Prophet Joel.

Joel 1:13-15

Put on sackcloth and lament, you priests;

wail, you ministers of the altar.

Come, pass the night in sackcloth,

you ministers of my God!

Grain-offering and drink-offering

are withheld from the house of your God.

Sanctify a fast,

call a solemn assembly.

Gather the elders

and all the inhabitants of the land

to the house of the Lord your God,

and cry out to the Lord.

Alas for the day!

For the day of the Lord is near,

and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.

The Day of the Lord is a major theme for Joel. The prophet calling for repentance, excludes no one. Though you might sense that no one in the city is in any doubt. Imagine being there. The sky is dark— ominous warnings hang in the air. Joel speaks with urgency. There are tears in the temple, and people dress in sackcloth. Can you hear the blast of the ram's horn echoing through the streets?

What are your feelings about this scene? Are you afraid, disoriented—or do you feel called? Feel the weight of the moment. What is being revealed?

This is a moment of desolation. The darkness is tangible but its source is within - the people have turned from God. Consider, what in your life needs awakening? As you gather your thoughts, do you have a sense of something overlooked or ignored? Even in 'a day of darkness and gloom', God is present.

The trumpet blast is a sign: God is calling them back. As you listen again to the passage, consider how God might be calling you to return.

Joel 1:13-15

Put on sackcloth and lament, you priests;

wail, you ministers of the altar.

Come, pass the night in sackcloth,

you ministers of my God!

Grain-offering and drink-offering

are withheld from the house of your God.

Sanctify a fast,

call a solemn assembly.

Gather the elders

and all the inhabitants of the land

to the house of the Lord your God,

and cry out to the Lord.

Alas for the day!

For the day of the Lord is near,

and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.

“For the day of the Lord is near.”

In this moment of prayer, trust in the Lord’s presence even in crisis, even in silence, even in the shadows and share your thoughts on this reading.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be

World without end

Amen