Reflection on Taize

The news if the murder of Brother Roger have many of us in state of shock or grat sadnes... probably we all have different reasons, so I will tel my own story.

I am not longer Roman Catholic, for the grace of God, but I was at some point. I was raised atheist and -believe it or not- being Christian gave me the courage to come out, to search in my soul for reconciliation between my sexuality and my faith, as well as to find the courage to "come out" as a Christina, in environments that are not always very friendly -either to sexuality or to Christians-.

Taize is a very important form of spirituality for me, because I grew up in a post second vatican world, in which mass in Latin and organ music was often subtituted by guitar music and "folk masses" and in my opinion, some of the most beautiful vernacular masses in spanish were composed in the 70's in Central America and Spain. (Misa Campesina, Misa popular Latinoamericana, etc.)

With this in mind, many of us -children of the 70's and 80's were in a constant search for a less political and more spiritual form of liturgical music, that were inovative and still spiritual enough.

That is how I became in touch with Taize, the repetitive tone, the fact that is writen in several languajes and the beautiful -and yet simple- musical compositions were the answer that our youth Christian movements were looking for, in which we try very hardly to introduce other kids our age (teenagers) to prayer and meditation, while all they know was a grandmother who literally drag them into mass.

Also, as a seminarian, the Taize movement and spirituality helped a lot of us to show a more happy face of the church, in which life was celebrated trough deep, slow and repetitive music that invited to prayer, and to seek silence for the soul in God.

I think my generation owe a great deal to Brother Roger, and I only hope that we can pay him back, by using the Taize spirituality to bring a message of joy to the sick and suffering of the world.

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine;
et lux perpetua luceat eis;
Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion,
et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem.
Exaudi orationem meam:
ad te omnis caro veniet.
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine;
et lux perpetua luceat eis.