Taize Revival

Bless the Lord, my soul
And bless God's holy name,
Bless the Lord, my soul
Who leads me into life.

Do these lines ring a bell?  I first heard these lines sung repeatedly in October 1990 when there was this parish assembly in church. A Korean brother, a member of the Taize Community, gave a talk about his community and their forthcoming event in Manila the following year. Taize Community is founded by the late Bro Roger Schutz when World War II broke out. According to its website, the community "is made up of over a hundred brothers, Catholics and from various Protestant backgrounds, coming from around thirty nations. By its very existence, the community is a “parable of community” that wants its life to be a sign of reconciliation between divided Christians and between separated peoples."

Nada te turbe, nada te espante;

quien a Dios tiene nada le falta.

Nada te turbe, nada te espante:

sólo Dios basta.

I find Taize's prayer service quite different from the traditional devotions we were so used to such as novenas, Holy Hour, etc.I find the Taize way of prayer to be more relaxed, more spontaneous.  Don't get me wrong, each prayer would have their own peculiar structure. Regardless, each of these aim at giving glory to God.

O luwalhati sa Diyos

O luwalhati sa Diyos

O luwalhati sa Diyos

Luwalhati sa Diyos!

I was delighted that during the Christ the King procession in Gagalangin in 1992, the songs that were sung were from Taize's repertoire, thanks to a colleague Arnold Vidar. The following year, when it was the parish youth's turn to make an hour's vigil before the Blessed Sacrament, we used the Taize style of prayer. 

Liwanag ng buong mundo, halina Jesus halina.

Liwanag ng buhay ko, aleluya!

1993 was the last time I heard of the Taize songs. Until last Tuesday.

It was 7 o'clock in the evening. My family and I made our way to the Poor Clares Convent Chapel to attend a Taize Prayer Service. I think this is the first time it would be held in the parish. A lady was already giving a short introduction as we took our seats. She also made an announcement about this event during last weekend's Masses. The service was mostly composed of meditative singing, but there was also a time to listen to God's word, to spend a few minutes of silence, and to pray for various intentions with an opportunity to light a candle for one's intention. 

Bless the Lord, my soul

And bless God's holy name,

Bless the Lord, my soul

Who leads me into life.

By singing the songs repeatedly and with devotion, I felt as though the lyrics were my own. As I "own" it, I felt my soul striving to open itself to God. And as it opened itself to God, the more it became one with its Maker. Tuesday was a busy day and the prayer service gave me, my family, and, I am sure, everyone present an opportunity to lift up our hearts to the Lord and to refresh ourselves. Personally, it revived my Taize experience! We look forward to attend the next service. In the meantime, like Mary, we burst into song:

Magnificat, magnificat, magnificat anima mea Dominum

Magnificat, magnificat, magnifat anima mea!

Ang puso ko'y nagpupuri, nagpupuri sa Panginoong aking Diyos.

Ang puso ko'y nagpupuri, nagpupuri sa Panginoon!