News

Experience in Taize, France

Sr. Ania nds, María, Andrea and Agnieszka (Ania´s friend) lived a beautiful week in Taize in France where the brothers of Taize, sisters and volunteers received us with a warmth welcome. The Taize community is an ecumenical monastic order which invites people of different Christian denominations. Also It is a special place where many people from different countries around the world go to pray and seek the source of their lives.

Andrea, Agnieszka and María went to share in small groups according their ages while Sr. Ania went with the silence´s group. We reflected on some texts of the Gospel of Matthew and four proposals about “together, open new paths of hope”. We tried to help each other with questions, listening, prayers and sharing our reflections. Sometimes the people shared personal and sacred situations in their lives. It was very significant since we could feel that the Holy Spirit led us to be open to one another. It was a good atmosphere.

It was a week of personal and spiritual preparation and community living with a single Spirit in community. Prayer was three times a day, in singing and in sharing and working all together (about 2000 people), so that we can discover or rediscover a sense of life and make changes in our life as to what motivates us. It also helps to prepare ourselves to assume responsibilities in order to be a witness of peace and hope.

In addition, we had our biblical reflection with a brother of Taize or a sister from the silence´s group in the mornings. Also we had singing practice and sharing biblical reflection groups (same group all the week), worship or a meeting according our country or continent.

Some important phrases and biblical texts that we reflected in our groups were:

  • “Staying steadfast in hope, the hope is creative”
  • “Look up at sky and count the stars – if indeed you can count them”(Genesis 15, 5).
  • “Simplify our life to share”.
  • “You give them something to eat” (Matt 13:16)
  • “To be together, to reveal the dynamism of the Gospel”
  • “Go, sell your possessions”.(Matt. 19, 21)
  • “Raising the fraternity to prepare peace”
  • “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant”(Matt. 20, 26)
  • “Not what I want, but what you want”(Matt. 26, 39)
  • “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee”.(Matt. 28, 10)

In our last day we had the opportunity to go to Macon, it is a small city close to Taize, we visited a beautiful church Saint- Pierre, it was constructed in 19 centuries. Also we walked around the city and the Saone River. It was a sunny and lovely day.

“When the Church listens, heals and reconciles, she becomes what she is at her most luminous – a communion of love, of compassion, of comfort, a clear reflection of the Risen Christ.”
Brother Roger Schutz, Founder of Taize


Andrea Chacon Carmona, Novice NDS
Community St. John in Montana
August 11th, 2017.