Shining Within Us

Lord Jesus, your light is shining within us,
Let not my doubts and darkness speak to me.
Lord Jesus, your light is shining within in us.
Let my heart always welcome your love.

I have accidentally omitted this beautiful song in my recent article on the Taize prayer service which was held in our parish.  With a slow and gentle tempo, this song allows us anyone who sings it to meditate, to let one's heart speak to the Lord.

 

Lord Jesus, your light is shining within us,
Let not my doubts and darkness speak to me.
Lord Jesus, your light is shining within in us.
Let my heart always welcome your love.

I think of this song as I recall that horrible mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. In an interview, the father of the gunman had one question to his son: Why? Indeed, most if not all of us affected by this incident would echo the same question. Is it pure hatred on the LGBT (Lesbian, gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community? If it is, would killing 49 people and wounding another 50 be justifiable?

 

Lord Jesus, your light is shining within us,
Let not my doubts and darkness speak to me.
Lord Jesus, your light is shining within in us.
Let my heart always welcome your love.

My thoughts too go to that bishop in Shanghai, China, Thaddeus Ma Daqin who recently made an about face when he publicly recanted his decision to bolt the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA). CCPA is sanctioned by the state to control the life of the Catholic Church in China since the 1950s. Control includes ordaining their own bishops without the blessing from Vatican. When Daqin was ordained, he publicly dissociated himself with CCPA. Put under house arrest, he did not give into pressure to recant and served as a model to Catholics who secretly maintained their loyalty to Rome. Until last June 12. What made him change his mind?

 

Lord Jesus, your light is shining within us,
Let not my doubts and darkness speak to me.
Lord Jesus, your light is shining within in us.
Let my heart always welcome your love.

While my heart has high hopes for the President-elect in my land of birth, I felt uneasy with how he has already alienated a host of people: the UN, the Catholic Church (albeit I would imagine that his ire is more focused on the leaders of the Church), the Martial Law victims, women, the media, and the Vice President-elect (I could understand why he is not going to appoint her to his Cabinet, but having a separate inauguration is beyond me!). He seems hell-bent to have the former dictator buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.  Why? To console the Marcoses at the expense of the many who suffered under the dictatorship? Elections are political exercises. They divide people. Some are in this camp, while another is on that camp, etc. But now that they're over, shouldn't Duterte, as paterfamilias, reach out to everyone (regardless if they voted for him or not) instead of catering only to the needs of his friends and others close to him?

 

Lord Jesus, your light is shining within us,Let not my doubts and darkness speak to me.
Lord Jesus, your light is shining within in us.
Let my heart always welcome your love.

In these moments of darkness and doubt, in these times when we would often ask "Why?", let us take courage in Jesus' light "shining within us". Let us also pray that this same light will shine on the victims of the Orlando shooting, on Omar Mateen (RIP) and others who have wrong views on other people, on Thaddeus Ma Daqin, on our fellow Catholics in China who keep the faith alive, on President-elect Duterte, and on our country.  And because it's Father's Day this Sunday, let us also remember all fathers in our prayer.  May we all be guided by this light to work for what is true and just.

 

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!