News from Taizé
Taizé: In February, the big weeks begin again
After the usual mid-winter slowdown the big weeks have begun again. Over the past two weeks, more than 3,000 young people have passed through Taizé, most of them young French and Portuguese students. The largest groups were from Toulouse, Saint Denis (the northern and eastern suburbs of Paris) and Lyon in France, Viseu and Santarem in Portugal. The bishops of Angers, Rodez and Saint Denis also came along to accompany the young people. Other countries were also well represented, including the Czech Republic, Korea and the USA, with a group of thirty teenagers from New York.
On the first day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18, a prayer was held in Taizé, in the Church of Reconciliation, in the presence of the Bishop of Autun and the reformed pastor of Chalon-sur-Saône. As this year the theme for the week was prepared by Christians from Brazil, two brothers who have spent time living there led a meeting on the life of the fraternity in Alagoinhas.
Two weeks later, at the end of the annual Community Council, the brothers visited the Sisters of St. Andrew in Ameugny as they do each year. The previous afternoon they spent in Chalon-sur-Saône, with a prayer in one of the parishes of the town and a visit to the Muslim community. This meeting was particularly important after the tragic events of the beginning of the year in Paris - to experience the warm welcome of the imam and other members of the community gathered there on that Saturday afternoon.
Pilgrimages to Russia and Ukraine
During the Prague European Meeting, Brother Alois made the following invitation: "Young people from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, belonging to different churches, are among us. Together with them, we know that Christ is our hope and our peace. So, with a few of my brothers and young adults from different countries of Europe, we will go on pilgrimage to celebrate with them at home the Resurrection of Christ during the Orthodox Easter next April 12"
The two stages of the pilgrimage, either in Russia from 8 - 12 April, or in Ukraine from 15 - 19 April, are open to around a hundred young adults aged between 18 and 35. There are still a few places remaining but time is getting short for the formalities. If you are thinking about taking part please write as soon as possible to the welcome team.
Taizé 2015: on and around the 12 May
2015 will be a special year for the community, with several important celebrations planned during the year. The first will be the centenary of Brother Roger’s birth, on the 12 May 1915 in the Swiss village of Provence.
In Taizé, for this anniversary, the community is inviting those living in the greater region around Taizé (between Dijon and Lyon, Moulins and Geneva) to come and celebrate. On Sunday 10 May, from 3pm onwards, various workshops will present Brother Roger’s life. There will also be a special programme adapted for children and teenagers. At 5.30pm the community and all those present will come together for a prayer of thanksgiving.
Elsewhere in the world, on or around the 12 May, to remember Brother Roger and to put into practice his call to follow Christ, young people are invited to organise a prayer and to do something together for other people, showing solidarity with those in need. We would like to include these different initiatives on our website – please write, with details of places and dates, to info2015 taize.fr.
Taizé 2015: three special meetings this summer
* Reflection Week on the Relevance of a Religious Vocation. From 5 to 12 July 2015, an international gathering for young people 40 and under living a monastic or religious life, both those in formation as well as those already committed for some years, with the help of leaders from Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant congregations, communities and monasteries.
- Youth Gathering for a New Solidarity. From 9 to 16 August 2015, commemorating Brother Roger’s life, thousands of young adults between 18 and 35 will come to Taizé, as well as people involved in working for greater solidarity, representatives of international organisations, Church leaders, believers from other faiths, young people from different cultures. There will also be workshops on art and creation. On Sunday 16 August, during the afternoon, this gathering will conclude with a prayer of thanksgiving, open to all, in memory of Brother Roger, in the presence of Church leaders. A more detailed programme can be found on the webite.
- Colloquium on Brother Roger’s Contribution to Theological Thought. From 30 August to 6 September 2015, an international colloquium for young theologians 40 years old or under: theology students, researchers, or those already serving in Church ministry for several years. Protestant, Orthodox and Catholic theologians from various countries will be in Taizé to shine light on different aspects of Brother Roger’s thought which could make a contribution to theological research.
Visits in the UK
In March a brother of the Community will be at a weekend meeting in Birmingham, "You are the Salt of the Earth", and he will also take part in gatherings in other places. At the same time, Raquel from Portugal and Wiebke from Germany, two of the volunteer team at Taizé will be visiting 18 schools in England and Wales which are interested in the School and College Weeks. A 20-minute film which was shot by young people themselves during a stay at Taizé last summer has just been released: One Week in July.
Commented Bible Passage: "God, Take Care of the Violence in Me"
Words are sharpened weapons. The singer of this psalm decided to use language for that purpose. Not to attack, but to defend himself. He has no other protection from the violent and the untruthful, so he tries to find in God what the evildoers have taken from him. What did they take? The very possibility of communicating. Violence attacks in us our ability to build bridges and leave isolation behind.
For the Diary
- On Sunday 8 March at 4.30pm brother Alois will be giving one of the Lent conferences at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on the theme of "A life which becomes a sign".
Prayer
On the road towards Easter we would like to follow your light, Christ Jesus. Even with only a little faith, we would like to listen to you when you say to us : "Turn to God and trust in the Gospel."
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