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This page will be regularly updated throughout the year with news from life on the hill of Taizé. September: A report on the theme group “Towards a new solidarity” One option for the participants in the summer youth meetings this year was to reflect together on brother Alois’ “Letter 2012-2015”. The aim was not only to share ideas and experiences but also to prepare a workshop at the end of the week for the other young people present at Taizé. The group was often enriched by the contributions of visitors at Taizé for a few days. Among those who met with us was sister Cécile Renouard who spoke of the ethics of the economy, based on her experiences in various countries in the southern hemisphere. The Jesuit, Henri Madelin, traced the situation regarding the reception of refugees and migrants. Jonathan Miles, gave the testimony of « Shevet Achim », an organisation with American Protestant roots, which has made it possible for Palestinian children and children from Iraq and Syria to have heart operations in Israeli hospitals. The volunteers who lived a month in Huelva, Spain, spoke, together with the parish priest who was visiting Taizé. The MEP Philippe Lamberts facilitated an exchange about Christian responsibility in the quest for the common good. And in September, the last of our guests was the bishop of Oran, Algeria, Jean-Paul Vesco, who set before us some paths towards dialogue between believers of different religions. August: A very diverse summer in Taizé In August, there were even more visitors than in July. During the largest week of the year the Church of Reconciliation, along with its extensions, was not big enough to accommodate everyone. Some of the brothers went to pray with those who couldn’t get in, in one of the big tents next to the church which was linked by audio relay to the church. A great confessional diversity characterised this summer period. There were once more many young people from Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Russia and Belarus, and among them a great numbers of Orthodox Christians, often accompanied by one or more priests. Several Anglican and Protestant bishops led groups of young people, including Bishop Fischer of Baden in Germany – part of this diocese will welcome guests during the Strasbourg meeting. Catholic bishops were also present from Belgium, Japan, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the USA. Bishop Benoît Rivière, the bishop of Autun, the local diocese, came to celebrate the Eucharist one Sunday and met with the brothers. Cardinal Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for the Unity of Christians in Rome, made a joint visit of several days to The Taizé Community and the Diocese of Autun. In Taizé he met with the brothers, as well as a groups of longer-term volunteers from different church backgrounds, and Orthodox and oriental young people present during that week. The day before he left the Cardinal also led a workshop. In front of a large numbers of young people he spoke on the theme of "From Doubt to Faith – How can we advance in our lives with God?" Bridgit (USA) The thing I love best about Taizé is the community of believers that focuses more on what unites Christians than what divides us. In the US it seems that we love to embrace what separates us. I’m an ELCA Lutheran and very proud of the heritage and tradition that comes from that denomination. But sometimes it is hard to work with people from other denominations because they are equally proud of their church. In Taizé, though, we don’t talk about my church or their church; we talk about the Church. I might have a brief discussion with someone about how they worship God in different ways or the different truths we and our communities have discovered, but as soon as the bells start ringing, they cease to be divisive. We sit down together to worship the God we all love. Taizé inspires me to reach across the barriers that separate Lutherans from Methodists, Protestants from Catholics, Christians from Muslims and believers from unbelievers. We are all children of God seeking truth. Once we remember this, that we are united in Christ, then we can work toward becoming the Church. July: Truly a very beautiful moment of the year in Taizé From the first days of July the crowds of young pilgrims began to arrive on the hill. From Sunday to Sunday the buses drop off the arrivals and leave again with those who have come to the end of their week. Others make their own way on public transport, by bike, even on foot ... In the big week most of the big tents and meeting rooms are taken over for the welcome of the young people, adults and families – the different languages being spread out over the whole of the hill. Starting on Monday up to 20 different bible introduction groups take place in various places, the young people being divided mostly by age group ... and with separate groups for those spending a few days in silence. This year the theme is taken from Brother Alois’ "Proposals 2013" : Uncovering the Wellsprings of Trust in God. At the end of the afternoon, twice a week, there is the opportunity to spend some time in silence and to be listened to, offered side by side with the workshops. In the church the young people stay a moment to pray in silence and find the listening ear in the form of one of the sisters or the brothers, to share concerns and questions. In summer many young people remain a few weeks in Taizé to help For those who wish there is the opportunity to remain for a longer stay, to spend some time living with others, in personal reflection and helping with the practical tasks involved in the welcome. In summer the meetings take on a particularly international flavour with the presence of many young people from Latin America, Africa and Asia. The young volunteers took turns each week to present themselves and their traditions and faith, coming from Asia, Africa and Latin America. People from other countries were also able to introduce themselves through traditional songs and dances. A workshop with the young people from Ukraine Franziska (Germany) During my 3 months stay at Taizé, I had many great experiences here which helped me learn more about life and faith. What I found here is a deeper joy and a simple trust in God and in my future. During this time I experienced that life can always be beautiful because we are never alone. And for God the impossible is possible. Of course it’s easier to live this when praying three times a day becomes normal, but I hope to carry this joy in my heart once I’m back at home as well. And if you stay in a relationship with God, your life will always be rich and meaningful. Matthew (Canada) It was a hot summer morning in France. Precariously balancing a plastic tray on my knee, barely weighted down with chocolate, a crunchy bun, and a stick of butter, I was surrounded by nineteen other men eating their breakfast in silence. It was the start of my second week in the monastic community of Taize: a week that I would spend in silence, solitude, and contemplation. In silent community with fellow brothers in faith, I was staying in a house some distance away from the multitudes of other global pilgrims, though still close enough to attend the prayers three times a day. As I ate my breakfast- a simple one that I had come to cherish during my time there- something small caught my eye, right in front of my feet. It was a piece of broken pottery, the glazed side glistening in the early morning sun. On it was a portion of a blue flower. Staring at it until it was time to proceed with the day, I knew I couldn’t leave it behind; picking it up and placing it in my pocket, I took it with me for my morning reflection. It stayed with me through the whole day…and the next, and the next. I prayed while feeling it between my fingers; I walked up arduous hills with its weight in my pocket. Somehow I felt attracted to this piece of pottery: broken and shattered, yet also beautiful. I didn’t understand its unrelenting appeal to me until my time in Taize was almost over. Returning to my room after a late evening of song and prayer, I realized what the piece of pottery could mean. More than just a piece of pottery, it was a mirror: one in which I could see my own brokenness and beauty. It was me. Humanity. I still have the piece of pottery. When I hold it in my hand, I’m reminded of many things: of hot summer mornings, silent breakfasts, communal song and prayer. I’m also reminded of who and what I am: a precious creation of God, beautiful even in my brokenness, constantly being reshaped, refashioned, and reformed into something new. [If you would like a copy of the complete article please write to echoes taize.fr.]. June: ready for the big summer crowds Over the month of June the Swedish have been the most numerous. But the largest weeks of the year in terms of numbers are just round the corner and the young people in Taizé for a longer stay spent the last few weeks getting things ready for the summer. Beginning with the young people from Africa, the volunteers from different continents have already started leading workshops each Saturday introducing their countries, speaking about their lives and their faith. A group of young Orthodox Christians from Belarus accompanied by two priests also led a musical workshop with songs from their country. An important visit took place by the council of the Protestant Federation of France, along with their President, Pastor Claude Baty. They had the opportunity during the visit to meet ministers here that week from various different countries: Sweden, Germany, Britain, and also from Korea, Taiwan and the United States. A Roman Catholic Bishop from Burundi, Mgr Nzéyimana, also came for a few days. Visit by an Ukrainian Orthodox Bishop In June, Bishop Hilary from the Diocese of Makaryiv, part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church visited Taizé, together with two priests. As this same delegation took part recently in the European meeting in Rome, we can rejoice that that friendship is growing. The program of the visit to Taizé included a meeting with volunteers from various countries. One of them, Karolina from Poland, shares her impressions here. While I expected a conversation about the complexity of the liturgy or a rundown on the current situation of the Orthodox Church, Bishop Hilary is centred on what we all share as Christians. In a simple and at the same time touching meeting he spoke of the need to take people as they are, and love without judgement, prejudice or stereotype. He also asked us what we young people loved about Taizé, and in particular why we decided to stay here for longer. As the bishop clearly told us he didn’t want any definitive answers, it really helped me to think about what had drawn me here. I enjoyed the summary he gave afterwards: as he understood it, coming to Taizé means having an opportunity to learn how to live as Christians, so that at home we are able to continue to live our life with God. May: echoes from the meetings Mikaël (France) During my week in Taizé, I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the discussions we have had in my sharing group after the bible introduction. Due to the listening of the other members of the group I was able to share in a very deep way about an event in my life that had been difficult. Each person had something personal to share in relation to the theme of the day’s bible passage. And having to use the medium of the the English language, our only common language was not a problem, on the contrary, it helped us to develop our ideas, in order to be sure that the others understood us well. Esther (Spain) For the first time, I spent a week in silence. It was hard! But I realized one of the most important things about my life, God is always with me. And not only is he with me and stays with me, but he loves me. I read the Bible more than usual and I realized that Jesus had been saying this to his disciples, especially Peter. Like me, he made many mistakes, like me he was sometimes afraid, but Jesus always forgave him, he loved him. And me to, he forgives me and loves me. So, I realized that God will be with me, in me, not just when I feel very close to him, but when I do not have the feeling of being a good Christian, when I feel very far from him. And now he is the centre of my life, the reason for me to continue my volunteering for a year here in Taizé. Elinor (Sweden) The period of my life in which I find myself at the moment called me learn more about myself, about the world, about God and his plans for me. I came to Taizé and I discovered a lot of goodness in God, in others ... and myself! Among the people at Taizé, there is a feeling of mutual trust that makes you want to help others around you and creates a sense of security. Experiencing that goodness and feeling the trust and unity were an important step in my search for God. Elena (Germany) During this stay in Taizé, my first big experience took place while we were in the queue to eat. A very friendly girl started talking to me though we had never met before. It’s a nice feeling to talk to people and and make new friends, for me it is the most beautiful thing that happens in Taizé: you meet so many people with whom you have so much in common. April: from Easter to Pentecost With the feasts of Ascension and Pentecost we reach the second great peak of the year in terms of numbers taking part in the meetings, with a great majority coming from Germany. Several volunteers who will stay until the end of the summer have already arrived from India, Benin, Madagascar and Colombia. One week after the Orthodox churches celebrated Easter a group from two Moscow parishes also came. The young people from the group led a workshop at the end of their time here entitled "Being Christian in Russia Today". For the community the last few weeks have seen us losing brother Jean-Pierre and coming to terms with his loss. A native of Switzerland, at 94 years old he was the oldest brother in the community. And good news came in the form of the entry into the community of a young man from Tanzania, who is living with the brothers in the fraternity in Nairobi, Kenya. Brother Alois made the trip to Kenya to give him the white prayer robe of a brother. March: Holy Week and Easter On Easter morning, Brother Alois said the following prayer: Christ Jesus, you are alive; death did not keep you in its power! The announcement of this amazing news overwhelms us. You open a way forward where everything seemed closed. By your Spirit, you breathe upon our resignation and our bitterness. You break down the divisions between human beings. You restore dignity to the poorest. You send us into the world to bring the hope of new life. The prayer is available in many languages in this document Holy Week 2013 in Taizé Sergió from Portugal spent ten days at Taizé around Easter. He wrote a daily journal and asked other young people to write their contributions as well. Here is his account: Thursday 28 – The washing of the feet The day dawned cold as people were making their way to church, in time for the morning prayer. After breakfast, the young pilgrims on the hill went to their Bible groups with the brothers. During the midday prayer, a young man from Chad entered into the community; Brother Alois giving him the white robe that the brothers wear for common prayer. Throughout this same day, more than one thousand pilgrims, coming from many different places, were welcomed. Together, there are now more than 3300 people who have chosen to come to Taizé and celebrate Easter together. During the evening prayer, after the reading of the Gospel account in which Jesus shares his last meal with his disciples, a profound moment occurred: the washing of the feet. This year, for the first time, the brothers offered to wash the feet of all the pilgrims present. This impressed several young people whom I met: “Despite the fact that I knew beforehand that the brothers were going to wash our feet during the prayer, to really experience it was a beautiful symbol of humbleness and servitude.” (Marta, Portugal) “I already came several times for Holy Week in Taizé. This year I liked very much the Maundy Thursday celebration when usually Br. Alois was washing the feet of the other brothers. This time, the brothers went all around the church, to wash everyone’s feet. This sign was a great and involving surprise.” (Nadia, Italy) “I have come to Taizé some times already. But this time I had a very emotional moment during the prayer of the washing of the feet. All the participants became the actors. It was very special to feel that the community of Taizé not only welcomes but also serves the pilgrims that come to spend Easter on the small hill. An Easter spent in simplicity and joy” (Marco, Portugal) Then the evening prayer continued with the celebration of the Eucharist. Picture sent by Pedro (Portugal) Friday 29 – Good Friday Already on Friday morning, many people were feeling the grief of Good Friday. The weather also seemed to join in on the lament. After morning prayer and breakfast, the pilgrims on the hill met at the different places for their Bible introduction or went to their work, for those who had their sharing in the afternoon. Today the text was taken from the Gospel of Matthew (26:36-46). During the afternoon, exactly at 3:00 pm, one bell rang for several minutes. Everyone stopped for a time of reflection and prayer, in silence with the resounding sound of the bell. It was another very touching moment for everyone on the hill while we remembered all of Jesus’ passion, till the time of his death according to the Gospel. In the evening, the common prayer started with a procession of the cross, carried by the brothers through the Church of Reconciliation. At the end, the brothers knelt down near the cross like every Friday, and then all those willing came near the cross to pray in their turn. Oyak was closed for the night. And the vigil lasted into the early hours of the morning. Tobias from Germany told me: “This was my sixth visit to Taizé, and again it’s totally different from the other times. Being here during Holy Week for the first time, I feel the Holy Spirit working during the silence, the singing, the work, and the times of sharing.” And Dina from Portugal adds: “During this first time at Taizé, I found silence, a silence that’s not empty; on the contrary, a silence filled with love. I found myself, I found others, and I found Him who supports everything. The daily prayers were a very meaningful step in this meeting with God.” Meeting of a group from Sweden Saturday 30 – The expectation As on Friday there was no Eucharist today. During the midday prayer the icon of the Descent into Hades was carried in procession through the Church of Reconciliation. It reminded people that even during the death of Jesus, he was at work. Today, the young people had their last meeting with the brothers for the Bible introduction. Everyone reflected on the meeting of the Risen Christ with the disciples on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). For me, this text was a reminder of how it is sometimes impossible to recognize the presence of God in my life, even when he is standing right in front of us. In the afternoon, the work teams or the small sharing groups met again. During evening prayer, a Basque brother made his life commitment in the community. The joy was obvious, both for the brothers and for the young people. After the prayer Brother Alois talked about it in his evening meditation. Picture sent by Ye-Weon (Korea) “Coming back to Taizé this year, it was difficult to pray and find silence – there were so many things to think about in my head. But I talked with a brother and he told me it’s also a prayer just to be in the presence of God.” (Lotti, Germany) “I had no idea what I was going to find in Taizé. It began like an adventure and ended up like an amazing experience. Times of silence, powerful prayers, sharing feelings and doubts with people from all around the world. It has strengthened my faith and I look forward to making it stronger.” (Camino, Spain) Sunday 31 – The Joy of the Resurrection Easter Sunday is finally here! From the beginning of the celebration, the light is now shining brighter and the joy explodes in song with the first “Alleluia”. A very beautiful moment. Towards the end, the Easter Greeting is proclaimed by Brother Alois and other brothers in more than 25 languages: “Christ is risen!” The pilgrims responded joyfully, “He is risen indeed!” Already in the afternoon many pilgrims had to leave Taizé to go back to their homes, and the others were getting ready to do so. Among them, Nadine from Germany, wrote: “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! It was such a joyful atmosphere in the church when we announced these words in all of the languages. They had never come so deeply from my heart before. After the foot-washing on Thursday and the prayer around the cross on Good Friday, I longed for Easter, for all the joy, for the ’Alleluia’, and for this kind of new beginning. Today finally the sun came out. And I want to take this light back to my daily life, and spread the joy of Easter to others.” Monday 1st of April – A new welcome day Today we welcome in Taizé more than three thousand pilgrims coming from all over, but especially from Germany. The sun shone the whole day, and in the evening the songs of the resurrection echoed through the Church of Reconciliation. A last word by Miguel from Portugal: “One of the most touching experiences in Taizé is to share our beliefs and our personal experiences with people from all over the world. In these gatherings, and after the Bible introductions, the “most different” kind of people can walk together towards God and discover themselves. After the sharing, the prayers help us to discover God inside of ourselves.” Workshop “Towards a new solidarity” - Picture sent by Natalie (Germany) February: a Lenten Rhythm Several hundred Portuguese young people were in Taizé for the beginning of Lent. On Wednesday evening, marking the beginning of this period journeying towards Easter, each person present had a sign of the cross marked on their forehead with ashes and was invited to "put their trust in the Gospel". The altar is dressed in purple during Lent time and there are no "Alleluia"s sung during the prayers so that at Easter they will ring out all the more strongly. Special hymns for the season also help to enter into the spirit of expectancy. This preparation time is not just spiritual: the volunteers and young visitors have been putting up the big tents ready to welcome the thousands expected for Holy Week. You can feel the nature waking up little by little, too, and Taizé saw it’s first sunny days after the snows in the middle of February. The last few weeks on the hill have seen several groups of young people coming from different regions of France for the school holidays. The biggest groups came from the south-western region of Midi-Pyrénées, Tours, Lyon and the suburbs of Paris. Several of the groups were joined for a few days by their bishop. A Fruitful Week in Silence Shiela (Philippines) During the time I spent as a volunteer in Taizé, the week spent in silence was really a great blessing and helped me a lot to discover myself in a deeper way. Guided by the daily bible introduction, especially the Gospel stories of the Prodigal Son and Jesus walking on the water with Peter, I was more and more inspired each day. I learnt that silence is not just the absence of words or conversation. Silence is also to appreciate everything around you, and under that our meeting with God, listening to him speaking in the silence of our hearts. January: the meetings start again in the cold of winter In these first weeks of 2013, the international meetings have resumed. The largest number of young people in January is from Belgium, and others come from much further away: Korea, Burundi, Botswana, Chile, the United States, Canada.... They are mostly students or young professionals and are using holiday time to start the year at Taizé. Some have had to shift their arrival – because of snowfall. During these weeks, the prayer of the brothers returns to world events: the conflict in Mali, the rebuilding in Haiti three years after the earthquake, and also the celebration of the Franco-German reconciliation. The feast of Epiphany was celebrated in a special union with the Christians of the East, some of whom were celebrating Christmas at the same time. From the 18th to the 25th of January, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity took place in many countries: its theme this year was prepared by students from India. In this context, an evening of prayer took place at Taizé, in the church of the Reconciliation, in the presence of the Bishop of Autun, Protestant pastors and the Orthodox priest of the region. A brother who has been living in Bangladesh for thirty years also animated a meeting about the witness of Christians in Asia. Giving one’s best to others Bishoy (Egypt) At the beginning of my stay as a volunteer, I was frightened of having difficulties making contact with people, making friends. I quickly realised that it was very easy and that people were very receptive. I learned lots of things here: at the level of the management of the community and in the daily tasks but equally ideas in different languages. A strong point during my stay was seeing real love between people and the wish of each person to give their best to others. I was impressed by the young people’s willingness to offer their help voluntarily. I rejoice at being able to return to Egypt with all these new experiences in my head. Desire for prayer Velimir (Croatia) Sometimes people fall into a ’faith routine’ – prayer and the fact of going to church become simple traditions, we do it because ’that’s how it is’. A stay at Taizé makes prayer obligatory, not in the sense of a constraint, but rather of a desire. We concentrate on the dialogue and our own relationship with God. But it is not only prayer that builds the spirituality here: it is also trust. We share our points of view with the young people that we have just met; we entrust ourselves to others and to God.
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Rujan: Odjeci radne skupine »Nova solidarnost« Tijekom ljeta, svim zainteresiranim mladima bila je predložena poludnevna radna skupina koja se bavila temom »Pisma 2012.-2015.« brata Aloisa. Cilj ove skupine bilo je živjeti tjedan dana intenzivnog traganja i dijeljenja, ali i pripremiti radionicu na kraju tjedna, otvorenu za sve na kojoj su predstavili svoje plodove i otkrića. Skupina je također primila brojne posjetitelje koji su se zaustavili na nekoliko dana u Taizéu. Među tim osobama bila je sr. Cécile Renouard, stručnjakinja u pitanjima etike u gospodarstvu, koja je govorila o svom istraživanju i iskustvima u raznim zemljama na jugu. Isusovac Henri Madelin govorio je o prihvaćanju izbjeglica i migranata. Jonathan Miles, porijeklom iz Amerike, govorio je o radu organizacije »Shevet Achim« koja palestinskoj, iračkoj i sirijskoj djeci omogućuje operacije srca u izraelskim bolnicama. Dva volontera koji su živjeli mjesec dana u južnošpanjolskom gradu Huelva također su podijelili svoja iskustva, zajedno s tamošnjim župnikom. MEP Philippe Lamberts vodio je raspravu o odgovornosti kršćana u traženju općega dobra. Konačno, posljednji govornik na početku rujna, bio je biskup alžirske biskupije Oran, Dominikanac Jean-Paul Vesco, koji je s mladima razmatrao mogućnosti dijaloga između vjernika različitih religija. Lipanj: Na brežuljku sve je spremno! Ovih dana počinju tjedni s najvećim brojem mladih u godini. U lipnju, volonteri koji dulje žive u Taizéu pripremaju se za ovo ljeto. U posljednjih nekoliko tjedana, mladi Šveđani bili su najbrojniji. Počevši s Afrikancima, volonteri s različitih kontinenata sada svake subote vode radionice na kojima predstavljaju svoju zemlju. Skupina iz Bjelorusije došla je s dvojicom pravoslavnih svećenika, a uz pjesme iz svoje zemlje govorili su o svojem životu. Taizé je posjetio i odbor Protestantske federacije Francuske sa svojim predsjednikom, pastorom Claudeom Batyjem. Između ostalog, sastali su se s prisutnim pastorima iz drugih zemalja: iz Švedske, Njemačke, Engleske, ali također i iz Koreje, Tajvana, SAD-a... Katolički biskup iz Burundija došao je na nekoliko dana u Taizé. Posjet ukrajinskog pravoslavnog biskupa Taizéu Ovoga lipnja, biskup Hilarion iz biskupije Makaryiv Ukrajinske pravoslavne crkve, posjetio je Taizé, zajedno s dvojicom svećenika. S obzirom da su u istom sastavu već nedavno sudjelovali na Europskom susretu u Rimu, možemo se radovati da prijateljstvo raste. Program boravka uključivao je i susret s mladim volonterima iz različitih zemalja. Jedna od njih, Karolina iz Poljske, dijeli svoje dojmove: Iako sam očekivala govor o složenosti liturgije ili o trenutnoj situaciji Pravoslavne crkve, biskup Hilarion je govorio o onome što svi kao kršćani dijelimo. Jednostavno, ali vrlo dirljivo govorio je o potrebi da prihvaćamo ljude onakvima kakvi jesu, da ih ljubimo bez predrasuda ili stereotipa. _ Također nas je pitao što mi mladi volimo u Taizéu, a posebno zašto smo odlučili ostati ovdje duže. Kako je biskup jasno naglasio da ne želi „naučene“ odgovore, to mi je stvarno pomoglo da razmišljam o tome što me je privuklo ovdje. Uživala sam u sažetku koji je na kraju dao: Razumio je da doći u Taizé znači priliku učiti kako živjeti kao kršćanin, tako da, po povratku kući, budemo sposobni nastaviti živjeti s Bogom. Svibanj: Odjeci raznih susreta Mikaël (Francuska) Tijekom svog tjedna u Taizéu, bio sam vrlo ugodno iznenađen kvalitetom razgovora koje smo imali u mojoj maloj skupini nakon biblijskog uvoda. Zahvaljujući slušanju ostalih članova grupe, mogao sam na vrlo dubok način govoriti o događaju u svom životu koji je za mene bio težak, a svatko od nas imao je osobnu priču koja se odnosila na biblijski tekst. Činjenica da smo morali razgovarati na engleskom, našem jedinom zajedničkom jeziku, nije bila problem, naprotiv; to nas je poticalo da jasno izrazimo svoje ideje kako bi ih ostali dobro razumjeli. Esther (Španjolska) Po prvi put, provela sam tjedan dana u tišini. Bilo je teško! No, shvatila sam jednu od najvažnijih stvarnosti svoga života, Bog je uvijek sa mnom. I ne samo da je sa mnom i da ostaje uz mene, nego me on voli. Čitala sam Bibliju više nego inače i shvatila sam da je Isus to često govorio svojim učenicima, pogotovo Petru. Kao i ja, i on je napravio mnogo grešaka, kao i ja, i on se ponekad bojao, ali uvijek mu je Isus oprostio, on ga je volio. I meni također on oprašta i on me voli. Tako sam shvatila da je Bog sa mnom, u meni, ne samo kada ga osjećam, nego i kada nemam osjećaja da sam dobra kršćanka, kada se osjećam jako daleko od njega. A sada je On središte mog života, moj razlog da nastavljam svoje volontiranje na brežuljku. Elinor (Švedska) Razdoblje mog života u kojem se trenutno nalazim poziva me naučiti više o sebi, o svijetu, o Bogu te o njegovim planovima za mene. Došla sam u Taizé i otkrila sam puno dobrote u Bogu, u drugima... te u meni! Među ljudima u Taizéu, osjećaj međusobnog povjerenja čini da želiš pomoći drugima i to stvara osjećaj sigurnosti. Iskustvo te dobrote, osjećaja povjerenja i zajedništva bio je važan korak u mojoj potrazi za Bogom. Elena (Njemačka) Tijekom svog boravka u Taizéu, moje prvo veliko iskustvo dogodilo se dok sam stajala u redu za hranu. Jedna mi se djevojka, koju prije nisam poznavala, vrlo prijateljski obratila. Ugodan je osjećaj razgovarati s ljudima na taj način i stvarati nova prijateljstva; za mene je to najljepša stvar koja mi se dogodila u Taizéu: upoznaješ toliko ljudi s kojima uvijek imaš nešto zajedničko. Travanj: od Uskrsa do Duhova Oko Uzašašća i Duhova, susreti mladih dostigli su drugi vrhunac ove godine, s velikom većinom mladih Nijemaca. Također su došli mladi s drugih kontinenata koji će u Taizéu ostati sve do kraja ljeta, između ostalog iz Indije, zapadnoafričkog Benina, Madagaskara i Kolumbije. Tjedan dana nakon Uskrsa po julijanskom kalendaru, došla je skupina iz dvije moskovske župe; na kraju svoga boravka animirala je radionicu na temu: »Biti kršćanin u današnjoj Rusiji«. Braća Zajednice ovih su se tjedana morala oprostiti od najstarijeg od svoje braće, brata Jean-Pierrea, švicarskog podrijetla, koji je umro u dobi od 94 godine. Dobra vijest stigla je iz Afrike: mladi Tanzanijac, koji živi s braćom u Keniji, stupio je u Zajednicu. Brat Alois je ovom povodom bio u Nairobiju kako bi ga obukao u bijelu haljinu braće. Ožujka: Veliki tjedan i Uskrs Na uskrsno jutro, brat Alois je izrekao sljedeću molitvu: Isuse Kriste, ti si živ; smrt te nije mogla zadržati u svojoj vlasti! Potreseni smo ovom nevjerojatnom viješću. Ti otvaraš prolaz ondje gdje se sve činilo i zatvorenim. Dah tvojega Duha dopire do naših očajavanja i ogorčenja. Ti rušiš zidove razdvajanja među ljudima i vraćaš dostojanstvo najsiromašnijima. Ti nas šalješ da svijetu donosimo nadu novoga života. Ova molitva na mnogim jezicima: Veliki tjedan 2013. u Taizéu Sergio iz Portugala proveo je deset dana oko Uskrsa u Taizéu. On je vodio dnevnik i pitao je mlade da pismeno doprinesu. Evo njegovog teksta: Četvrtak, 28. ožujka - pranje nogu Dan je započeo na hladnoći, dok su ljudi ulazili u crkvu na jutarnju molitvu. Nakon doručka, mladi ljudi su se pridružili biblijskim uvodima koje vode braća. Tijekom podnevne molitve, jedan je mladić iz Čada ušao u Zajednicu, brat Alois mu je odjenuo bijelu haljinu koju braća nose na zajedničkim molitvama. Istoga je dana stiglo još više od tisuću ljudi iz različitih zemalja, povisivši broj prisutnih na 3300 ljudi koji su u Taizéu živjeli Uskrsni vikend. Tijekom večernje molitve, nakon čitanja Evanđelja u kojem je Isus podijelio svoju zadnju večeru sa svojim učenicima, pranje nogu bilo je dojmljiv trenutak. Ove godine po prvi put, braća su prala noge svim prisutnim mladima. To je ostavilo jak dojam na mnoge ljude koje sam naišao: »Unatoč činjenici da sam unaprijed znao da će braća tijekom molitve svima oprati noge, doživjeti to za mene je bilo veliki simbol poniznosti i služenja.« (Marta iz Portugala) »Već sam bio u Taizéu nekoliko puta za Veliki tjedan. Ove godine, ono što me najviše dirnulo bila je molitva na Veliki četvrtak, tijekom koje brat Alois obično pere noge braći. Ovaj put, braća su se proširila diljem crkve i prala noge svima. Bilo je to veliko iznenađenje i doživljaj!«(Nadia iz Italije) »Ja sam bio ovdje nekoliko puta u Taizéu, ali ovaj put je pranje nogu bilo vrlo dirljivo. Svi oni koji su bili prisutni sudjelovali su u tome. A Zajednica nije samo primila mlade ljude, ona im je raspolaganju. To je način da se Uskrs živi u jednostavnosti i radosti.« (Marko iz Portugala) Zatim, večer molitve nastavila se euharistijskim slavljem. Foto: Pedro (Portugal) Petak, 29. ožujka – Veliki petak U jutarnjim satima, mnogi su osjećali bol Velikog petka. Činilo se također da je vrijeme pridonijelo tugovanju. Nakon jutarnje molitve i doručka, hodočasnici na brdu su se pridružili biblijskim uvodima ili radnim skupinama. Toga se dana komentirao tekst iz Evanđelja po Mateju (26,36-46). Tijekom poslijepodneva, u 15 sati, zvono je zvonilo nekoliko minuta. Svi du tada zastali na trenutak promišljanja i molitve, u tišini, uz zvuk zvona. To je bio dojmljiv trenutak, koji je svima omogućio da se prisjete Isusove muke, točno na sat njegove smrti prema Evanđelju. U večernjim satima, molitva je započela s procesijom križa koji su nosila braća kroz veliku Crkvu pomirenja. Nakon molitve, braća su kleknula oko križa kao i svaki petak, a svi oni koji su željeli također su se približili. Te je večeri bar Oyak ostao zatvoren i molitveno se bdijenje nastavilo do ranog jutra. Tobias iz Njemačke mi je rekao: »Ovo je moj šesti posjet Taizéu, a opet je sasvim drugačiji od prijašnjih posjeta. Doista, vrlo je posebno biti ovdje za Veliki tjedan. Osjećam da je Duh Sveti na djelu u tišini, u pjevanju, na poslu, u razmjeni mišljenja.« I Dina iz Portugala dodaje: »Tijekom ovog prvog boravka u Taizéu, našla sam tišinu. Tišinu koja nije prazna, nego ispunjena ljubavlju. Upoznala sam samu sebe, upoznala sam druge, a upoznala sam i Onoga koji sve podržava. Dnevne molitve vrlo su značajan korak u tom susretu s Bogom.« Skupina iz Švedske Subota, 30. ožujka - čekanje Kao i jučer, nije bilo Euharistije. Ikona silaska u pakao prenesena je u procesiji kroz crkvu - kao poziv da se sjetimo da je Isus čak i u smrti na poslu. Danas su se mladi ljudi vratili svojem bratu na biblijski uvod posljednji put ovoga tjedna. Razmatrali su susret uskrslog Krista s učenicima na putu do Emausa (Luka 24,13-35). Mene je to podsjetilo kako je ponekad nemoguće prepoznati Božju prisutnost u mom životu, čak i kada korača uz nas. U popodnevnim satima, radni timovi ili male skupine za razgovor nastavili su se. A onda, tijekom večernje molitve, jedan brat iz Baskije položio je doživotne zavjete. Radost braće i mladih bila je opipljiva. Brat Alois se obratio mladima nakon molitve. Fotografija koju je poslao Ye-Weon (Koreja) »Nakon dolaska ovdje, ove godine mi je bilo prilično teško da se molim i da budem u tišini. Toliko stvari se komešalo u mojoj glavi! Ali razgovarao sam o tome s bratom koji mi je rekao da u Božjoj prisutnosti već molimo.«(Lotti iz Njemačke) »Nisam imao pojma što bih mogao pronaći u Taizéu. A moj boravak je počeo kao avantura i završio je s velikom iskustvom. Vrijeme tišine, snažne molitve, dijeljenje naših osjećaja i sumnji s ljudima iz cijelog svijeta... to je ojačalo moju vjeru, a sada očekujem da ću tako živjeti još intenzivnije.«(Camino iz Španjolske) Nedjelja, 31. ožujka - Radost uskrsnuća Uskrs je napokon ovdje! Od početka proslave, svjetlo sada sjaji i prvo "Aleluja" eksplodira s radošću. Lijep trenutak. Pri kraju, brat Alois je izrekao uskrsnu čestitku uz pomoć druge braće, na više od 25 jezika: - Krist je uskrsnuo. – Doista je uskrsnuo! Poslijepodne su se neke skupine uputile natrag kući, a druga su se to spremale učiniti. Među njima, Nadine iz Njemačke piše: »Krist je uskrsnuo – Zaista je uskrsnuo. Atmosfera u crkvi bila je nevjerojatna sretna dok su te riječi bile izgovorene na svim jezicima. Nikada nisam imala srca to izreći. Od pranja nogu u četvrtak i molitve oko križa u petak, Uskrs sam čekala iznutra. I pjevati ’Aleluja’, to je kao novi početak. Sunce je napokon izašlo danas - nadam se da će ono donijeti svjetlost u moj život i davati drugima radost Uskrsa.« Ponedjeljak, 1. travnja - Novi tjedan susreta mladih na brežuljku Više od 3.000 mladih ljudi stiglo je na brežuljak toga dana, najbrojniji su bili iz Njemačke. Sunce je sjelo cijeli dan, a navečer su crkvom odzvanjale radosne pjesme u slavu uskrsnuće. Posljednje svjedočanstvo dao je Miguel iz Portugala: »Jedno od najdirljivijih iskustava za mene je podijeliti svoju vjeru i osobna iskustva s ljudima diljem svijeta. U tim susretima, nakon biblijskih braće, ljudi koji se naoko najviše razlikuju mogu koračati zajedno prema Bogu i sami otkrivati. Nakon odlaska, molitva nam pomaže da otkrijemo Boga u sebi.« Radionica »Prema novoj solidarnosti« - Fotografija: Natalie iz Njemačke Veljače: ritam korizme Nekoliko stotina mladih Portugalaca bilo je u Taizéu na početku korizme. U srijedu navečer, u znak početka tog razdoblja na putu prema Uskrsu, svaka je prisutna osoba primila na čelo znak križa pepelom te je pozvana na «povjerenje u Evanđelje». Oltar je odjeven u ljubičasto tijekom korizmenog vremena i ne pjeva se «Aleluja» za vrijeme molitve, tako da će na Uskrs odzvanjati još jače. Posebni himni za ovo doba godine također pomažu ulasku u duh očekivanja. Ovo vrijeme pripreme nije samo duhovno: volonteri i mladi posjetitelji postavili su velike šatore spremne za doček tisuća posjetitelja koji se očekuju za Veliki tjedan. Ona također smatra da se priroda budi postupno, a Taizé je imao svoje prve sunčane dane nakon snijega sredinom veljače. Posljednjih nekoliko tjedana na brdu obilježeno je boravkom nekoliko skupina mladih iz raznih krajeva Francuske, koji su na školskim praznicima. Najveće skupine došle su iz Toursa, Lyona i nekoliko gradova regije Seine-Saint-Denis. Nekima od tih grupa su se prije nekoliko dana pridružili njihovi biskupi. Plodonosan tjedan u tišini Shiela (Filipini) Tijekom mog volontiranja u Taizéu, tjedan koji sam proveo u tišini doista je blagoslov. Pomogao mi je da uđem u duboko otkrivanje sebe. Vođen dnevnim biblijskim uvodom, osobito evanđeoskom pričom o izgubljenom sinu i Isusovom hodu po vodi s Petrom, bio sam svaki dan sve više inspiriran. Naučio sam da šutnja nije samo odsutnost riječi ili rasprave. Šutnja je također uživanje u svemu oko nas, a prije svega susret s Bogom i slušanje kako govori u tišini naših srca. Siječanj: susreti se nastavljaju u zimskoj hladnoći U prvim tjednima 2013., nastavljeni su međunarodni susreti. Najbrojniji mladi u siječnju su oni iz Belgije, a drugi dolaze iz udaljenih krajeva: Koreje, Burundija, Bocvane, Sjedinjenih Američkih Država, Kanade... Većinom su studenti ili radnička mladež, koji u Taizéu provode početak godine. Neki su se morali odgoditi svoj dolazak... zbog snijega. Tijekom ovih tjedana, molitva braće pratila je svjetske događaje: sukob u Maliju, obnovu Haitija tri godine nakon potresa, i proslavu francusko-njemačke pomirbe. Blagdan Bogojavljenja slavili smo u posebnom zajedništvu s kršćanima Istoka, uključujući i one koji slave Božić u to vrijeme. Od 18. do 25. siječnja, u mnogim je zemljama održan Tjedan molitve za jedinstvo kršćana, tema koju su ovdje pripremili indijski studenti. U tom kontekstu, u Taizéu je, u Crkvi pomirenja, održano molitveno bdijenje, u prisutnosti biskupa Autuna, protestantskih pastora i pravoslavnog svećenika iz regije. Brat koji živi već trideset godina u Bangladešu također je animirao susret o svjedočenju kršćana u Aziji. Dati najbolje drugima Bishoy (Egipat) Na početku svog boravka kao volonter, bojao sam se da ću imati poteškoća u odnosu s ljudima, da ću teško steći prijatelje. Brzo sam shvatio da je to vrlo lako i ljudi su bili vrlo susretljivi. Puno sam naučio ovdje: od zajedničke organizacije do svakodnevnog rada, no također i pojmove na različitim jezicima. Vrhunac moga posjeta je vidjeti pravu ljubav među ljudima i želju dati najbolje od sebe drugima. Impresionirala me spremnost mladih dragovoljno ponuditi svoju pomoć. Drago mi je da se vraćam u Egipat sa svim tim novim iskustvima na umu. Želja za molitvom Velimir (Hrvatska) Ponekad, ljudi upadaju u "rutinu vjere" - molitva i odlazak u crkvu postaju puka tradicija, činimo to jer «to je tako». Boravak u Taizéu čini molitvu obaveznom, ne u smislu prisile, već želje. Usredotočeni smo na dijalog i naš vlastiti odnos s Bogom. Ali nije samo molitva ta koja ovdje gradi duhovnost: to je također i povjerenje. Svoje poglede na svijet dijelimo s mladima koje smo susreli; povjeravamo se drugima i Bogu.