From Babel, with love

It’s good to remember that the Emmanuel Community was born in France from an American seed. A nice beginning. Today French brothers and sisters who travel around the world always come back happily to Paray-le-Monial, where they sing and praise the Lord in French with those nice songs from the green songbook.

Others stay in the USA. And learn how to sing and praise the Lord in English with those nice songs from the blue songbook. At first, it may seem tough. And what a relief when we can use a song in Latin!

Then time after time, we are reminded that the Holy Spirit is not only giving the gift of tongs as a charism to help us enter the mystery of God’s love. He is also helping with grammar and vocabulary, if not with pronunciation.

Yet when French speaking brothers and sisters are gathered in His name (for example near Washington DC), the Lord receives our prayer in French and our praise from the green songbook!

But the mission goes on and the gift of more brothers and sisters is the opportunity to go back to the blue songbook.

And what about spontaneous praise? What about texts from the Bible? What about sharing? Do we have to do that in English?

Fear not, little flock. You’ll manage your way through all that. Remember: in the beginning was the word. No matter in wich language. Nobody is asking you to write a perfect paper. Just open your mouth, let your heart speak and receive what you need.

Laure (DC)

2 Comments
  1. After 7 years of households in French (in Paris) I was getting good at singing without even looking at the green song book… What a joy to discover when we came here that there existed a blue songbook… and how difficult in the beginning to sing in English, stumbling on the words and the rhythm! Impossible to sing without looking at it for the moment but who knows in 7 years…
    Praise is a tremendous gift of the Lord and He allows us to praise in all languages! Glory to God!

  2. I thank God for the joy of having worshipped in Paris with Martine Laffite and Pierre Goursat in the very beginning days of Charismatic Renewal, brought back to France by Pere Albert de Moleon. Those were the days of great grace, (as they are today, also). I attend Charismatic Prayer Meetings at St. Katherine of Siena Parish in Wayne, PA.

    I am sure you will be welcome if ever you venture forward to join us. We have “Life in the Spirit” Seminars about 4 to 6 times a year. Paul Hayes and Mellie Schrem founded that group, maybe 30 years ago.

    I began my first Charismatic Prayer Meetings in 1971 at Catholic University when the gifts were first given at Duquane U. run by the Holy Spirit Fathers and passed onto their friends at CUA. Those days were powerful in the Holy Spirit, even though we were just babies in the Spirit starting out even with Our Father and H ail Marys.

    Thanks for all you are doing to keep the French Spirit ALIVE!

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