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http://www.taize.fr/en_article681.html
Des coeurs brisés, le seigneur est proche. Il sauve des
ésprits abattus. (Broken hearts, the Lord is near. He saves drooping
spirits.) + Psalm 56
Nehemiah 8:8-12
Bro Roger Schütz: A key word from my youth...
LETTER FROM TAIZE:
LEAPING OVER WALLS
OF SEPERATION
http://www.taize.fr/IMG/pdf/121-en.pdf
(http://www.taize.fr/IMG/pdf/120enletter.pdf)
Short Writings from
Taize:
ICONS
http://www.taize.fr/IMG/pdf/cahiers16en_web.pdf
Bible texts with
commentary
These Bible
meditations are meant as a way of seeking God in silence and prayer in the
midst of our daily life. During the course of a day, take a moment to read the
Bible passage with the short commentary and to reflect on the questions which
follow. Afterwards, a small group of 3 to 10 people can meet to share what they
have discovered and perhaps for a time of prayer.
April 2014
James 1:19-27: Putting the Word into Practice
My dear brothers and
sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak
and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the
righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the
evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can
save you.
Do not merely listen
to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to
the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in
a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what
he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives
freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing
it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Those who consider
themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive
themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father
accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in
their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James
1:19-27)
In a world where we
are bombarded by all kinds of messages, the voice of the Gospel sometimes
becomes inaudible. For various reasons, the announcement of the Good News of
Jesus Christ has become inaccessible to a large part of the world. In this
context, how can we help our contemporaries to hear God’s Word?
The Letter of James,
written for the Christian communities of the dispersion outside of Palestine,
is still relevant in our multicultural, secularized and globalized world. It
stresses the importance of works, in other words the concrete practice of love.
We must not merely listen to the Word; we must act.
James urges his
readers to be “quick to listen but slow to speak.” The importance of listening
to build and keep peace at all levels of society cannot be overstated. This
virtue is even more necessary for those who bear responsibility. Being “slow to
anger” (v. 19) reminds us that “God is slow to anger, abounding in love” (Psalm
103:8). Of course, there can be a holy and justifiable anger. We have good
reason to be indignant at injustices done to the weak in society, at the abuse
of the innocent. But when we are misunderstood or falsely accused, most often
anger resolves nothing. It facilitates neither our relationship to others nor
the peace of our own heart. Persevering in a relationship instead of getting
angry prepares the ground for the Word of God.
The Word, in fact, has
already been planted in us (v. 21). It is good news: Christ loved us and
offered himself to God for us (Ephesians 5:2). We can live in love because he
loved us first. We must welcome this Word of life and truth as a precious
treasure, since it can save our lives (v. 21). Receiving the Word also means
putting it into practice. Meditating on it or contemplating it is not enough.
Later on the letter develops the relationship between believing and acting
(2:14-26). In a language different from that of St. Paul, James says that
people are justified by their works and not by their faith alone (2:24). This
is a topic which, since the Reformation, has generated much controversy and
divisions. However, the position of James is not necessarily in contradiction
with what the apostle Paul said. For Paul too, “what matters is faith working
through love” (Galatians 5:6).
For James, putting
love into practice is closely linked to the worship of God (v. 27). Solidarity
with the poor is not only an ethical requirement but also a way to encounter
the Lord, who identified himself with the lowest of the low (see Matthew
25:40). One cannot separate action and prayer, struggle and contemplation,
solidarity and inner life. True religion is never a flight from the realities
of life. For James, the refusal of worldliness is consistent with commitment to
the poor in distress (v. 27).
Translated into
concrete acts of love, the language of faith can rediscover its power and
meaning. Then the words of the Gospel can touch people’s hearts beyond our
Churches and can change their lives.
How can we learn to be “quick to listen but slow to
speak”? What helps me to deal with anger? Who are “the orphans and widows in distress” for us today?
Where is it urgent to show solidarity around us and in the world? “Ubi caritas Deus ibi est” (Where charity and
love are found, God is there). When have I experienced this? Who are the people
whose lives reflect this?
News from
Taizé
Taizé: Some echoes of the past weeks
In March, the
hundreds of young people present week after week came from many different
countries. Among them, a group of Protestant students from
Clermont-Ferrand wrote:
"This trip to Taizé, a meeting-place for exchange and sharing, was the
first for most of us. It was very rewarding, and an opportunity to meditate and
breathe spiritually. We felt a real Christian unity there. The simple life
allows the walls of intolerance that can sometimes exist between Christians to
fall down."
In the
community prayer, the liturgy is characterized by the expectation of Easter.
Some young adults have chosen this time of year to spend a week in silent
retreat with a specific program. During
one of the weekends, the "open house " at the pottery allowed many
people in the area to visit the workshops of the community.
Brother
Alois in Rome
Among the many contacts during a stay in Rome, Brother Alois and
some brothers had exchanges with Cardinal Koch and his collaborators in the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. This was an opportunity to
express the search which the community continues, with young people, in order
to foster the visible communion of Christians.
One morning, Brother Alois participated in the Eucharist
celebrated by Pope Francis at the Casa Santa Marta. That same day, he also
visited Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
Ukraine: "We are all sisters and
brothers"
Two young people from Ukraine presented the situation in their
country and their aspirations, including a young woman who was present for the
events in Maidan Square, Lisa, and who came to France for a few days. In
addition, young Christians from Alsace wrote a message to their Ukrainian friends,
so many of whom had come to Strasbourg in December 2013 to take part in the
European meeting. The message concludes: "Like you, we hope in a free,
fair and peaceful solution to the current conflict. Our hope is being put to
the test but it continues to vibrate in our hearts. We are all sisters and
brothers borne forward by the same human destiny; together, we hope for better
days for your people and for all the peoples of Europe."
USA.: Meetings in Texas
The first meeting led by Taizé in Texas just took place in Austin;
the beauty of the prayer space and the singing was particularly striking. It is
still possible to register until April 1 for Dallas and until
April 18 for Houston. Two volunteers from Taizé, Andrea from Italy and Adam
from Australia, prepared these meetings by visits lasting several weeks. They
write: “It has been joyous to share about Taize with others and invite them to
participate in the upcoming gatherings. I have been humbled by the generosity
and welcome that we have received from those that we have visited. It is an
inspiring experience to meet with so many strangers and yet to not see in them
a stranger but a fellow member of our Christian family. »
Bangladesh: Unity means everyone being ready
to work together
Rafayel, a
young Bangladeshi reacts to the theme of the visible
communion of Christians developed
by Brother Alois in his "Proposals 2014". He writes: "For me,
the search for unity means to share, to help each other. It means to agree, to
communicate in order to work for peace; it also means helping others to succeed
in life. When we are ready to work together, then we can talk about searching
for unity. In Bangladesh there are many divisions between people, between
ethnic and religious groups, much opposition among the political parties that
can even result in violence. Most people, organizations and even Christian
denominations are very concerned about their own interests..."
Czech Republic: Visits to prepare the
upcoming European meeting
In Prague and the surrounding region, four young people sent by
the community have been visiting Christians of different Churches these past
few weeks. During their stay, Veronika from Belarus and Franziska from Germany
spoke about their visits: “It is impossible to describe a typical day in our
visit, because every day is unique. We have different meetings with priests,
pastors, mayors. We join gatherings of catechism groups, Bible groups, prayer
groups. We go to Masses and prayers. And of course we meet many families for
lunch, supper or tea. The only thing we have every day is the prayer, three
times a day. Three times a day for twenty minutes we don’t worry about the
programme, because we appreciate the possibility just to focus on God for this
time, together with whoever wants to join us. While our days are quite busy, we
find this possibility to pray a great gift.”
Scotland: An echo of the weekend in
Edinburgh
Bruno, from
Poland, took part in the meeting held a few days ago in Edinburgh, Scotland. He
shares his experience: "This weekend was for us a big time of faith,
prayer and inner joy. We came from Poland especialy for this meeting, because
we couldn’t participate in the last European meeting in Strasbourg.
It was amazing, in a very secular country, to meet other young believers who
want to share their faith and life experiences. It was another time when I
could see and feel how a small group of people can do a lot of wonderful things
for other people. The Saturday evening prayer in St Andrew Episcopal Church was
really beautiful and touched my soul a lot.”
Agenda
·
- Mexico. The next stage of the pilgrimage of trust to be held in Mexico City from May 1-4, with the presence of Brother Alois, has entered the final stages of preparation. The deadline to register is April 10. Different aspects of the preparation: echoes, photos and the Facebook page.
- Russia. A brother will go to Russia from April 21-28. As a sign of communion with the Christians in that country, he will be there for the “Week of Light,” the week after Easter, a time of special celebraton for Orthodox Christians. There will be times of prayer and meeting in Moscow (details from dlidli@mail.ru) and St Petersburg (details fromirisha_levina@mail.ru).
- Montenegro. The program of the meeting to be held in late August in Monténégro has been put online, as well asinformation concerning the journey.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, even in the darkness
a light from you shines like a lamp in a dark place. Reawaken the hope of those
who are experiencing suffering and fear of the future, in so many places. Show
us God’s compassion.
Taizé website: http://www.taize.fr
‘I give
you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you
also should love one another.’ (Jn 13:34)
You may want to know when Jesus said these
words. It was just before the beginning of his pas¬sion. He gave his farewell
discourse as his final testament, and these words are part of that.
Just think how important they are!
If we never forget what a father says just
before he dies, what about the words of a God?
They must be taken seriously, and so together
let’s try to deepen our understanding of them.
‘I give you
a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you
also should love one another.’
Jesus was about to die and what he said was
affected by this. His imminent departure demanded an answer to one problem
above all. How could he stay with his people and help the Church grow?
You may know, for example, that Jesus is
present in sacramental acts: he makes himself present in the Eucharist.
But Jesus is also present wherever there is
mutual love. Indeed, he said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am
there among them” (Mt. 18:20).
In a community whose deep life is mutual love,
therefore, he can remain actively present. And through the community he can
continue to show himself to the world and continue to influence the world.
Isn’t this wonderful? Doesn’t it make you want
to start right away living this love together with your fellow Christians?
John, who tells us of these words, saw mutual
love as the Church’s supreme commandment. The Church’s vocation is precisely
this: to be communion, to be unity.
‘I give you
a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you
also should love one another.’
Jesus said immediately afterwards, ‘By this everyone
will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ (Jn
13:35)
So if you want to discover the true mark of
authenticity for Christ’s disciples, if you want to see their badge, you have
to look for it in mutual love.
Christians are to be recognized by this sign.
And, if it’s missing, the world will no longer find Jesus in the Church.
‘I give you a new commandment, that you love
one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.’
Mutual love creates unity. But what does unity
do? Jesus prayed, ‘May they be one … that the world may believe’ (Jn 17:21).
Unity, by revealing Christ’s presence, draws the world to follow him. When the
world is faced with unity, with mutual love, it believes in him.
‘I give you
a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you
also should love one another.’
In the same farewell discourse, Jesus called
this commandment ‘his’.
It is his and so is particularly dear to him.
You ought not take it as simply a rule, a
precept or a commandment alongside others. Here Jesus wants to reveal to you a
way of living, to tell you how to set up your life. Indeed, the first
Christians made this commandment the basis of their lives. As Peter said,
‘Above all, maintain constant love for one another’ (1 Pt 4:8).
Before starting work, before studying, before
going to church, before any activity, make sure that mutual love reigns between
you and whoever lives it with you. If it is so, then on this basis everything
has value. Without this foundation, nothing is pleasing to God.
‘I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have
loved you, you also should love one another.’
Jesus also tells you that this commandment is
‘new’. ‘I give you a new commandment’.
What does he mean? Perhaps that the commandment
was unknown before?
No. ‘New’ means that it is made for the ‘new
age’.
But what’s this about?
It’s like this. Jesus died for us. Therefore he
loved us to the utmost extreme. But what kind of love was his? It certainly
wasn’t like ours. His was and is a ‘divine’ love. He said, ‘As the Father has
loved me, so I have loved you’ (Jn 15:9). He loved us, therefore, with the very
same love with which he and the Father love one another.
And it is with this same love that we must love
one another in order to carry out the ‘new’ command¬ment.
But you, as a man or a woman, don’t have a love
like this. Yet you can be happy because, as a Christian, you receive it. And
who gives it to you? The Holy Spirit pours it into your heart, and into the
hearts of all believers.
There is, then, an affinity between the Father,
the Son and us Christians because of the one divine love that we possess. It is
this love that introduces us into the Trinity. It is this love that makes us children
of God.
It’s through this love that heaven and earth
are linked as by a great current. Through this love the Christian community is
brought into the sphere of God and the divine reality dwells on earth where
believers love one another.
Doesn’t all this seem to you divinely
beautiful, and isn’t the Christian life utterly fascinating?
Chiara Lubich
First published in May 1980
