Canterbury Tales - Page 7

Canterbury Colorado

Love one another as I have loved you. John 13:34

Jamie Mills
meditating at Taizé

Text Box: In the month of May, 2007, I became a pilgrim to the monastery in Taizé, France. Joined by 24 other pilgrims – young adults and adult chaperones – we were drawn to Taizé with a desire to draw closer to God through experiencing the monastic life with other young adults. This special monastery, nestled in the heart of the Burgundy region of France, was established in 1940 by Brother Roger as a special place for ecumenical community life, especially for young adults. Our time spent in Taizé was truly blessed by renewal, rebirth, and growth. Monastic life is one that is centered on purposeful simplicity and routine. Awakened and structured by bells calling us to prayer three times a day, we followed a similar schedule each day that included prayer, meals, bible study, and cleaning chores for the monastery. In the midst of this daily routine, it was very easy to renew my mind and refresh my spirit. At the center of each day’s routine were the times of prayer spent with the Brothers of the monastery as well as other youth, young adults, and adults who made pilgrimages to the monastery from all over the world – from as many as 250 others to nearly 2000 as the weekend approached. As we prayed, sang, and listened to lessons in languages as diverse as Latin, German, French,

Text Box: and Polish, I came to see the unity that we all share in Christ. As Paul wrote in Romans 7:4, “In the same way, my friends, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God.” The same love that Christ shares with me is also shared with the young South Korean male who was working at Taizé during the summer, or the Austrian young adult who had been at Taizé for the previous year, or the Swiss youth visiting Taizé for a few days on a school trip. Life in the monastery is centered around the two central elements of the prayer sessions: meditative silence and prayer. In each prayer session, the church draws an awed hush for more than ten minutes while everyone – sometimes as many as 2000 congregants – enters a meditative time of prayerful reflection and silence. The most cherished part of my time in Taizé was spent in quiet reflection, as I spent three days in silence with twelve others. As I ate in silence each day – accompanied by classical music and chattering dishes and spoons – and as I spent long periods in prayerful discernment, reading, and writing, I grew to appreciate the words from Psalm 46: “Be still and know that I am God.” I felt the presence of God very keenly as I refrained from speaking (except

Text Box: during the prayer sessions) and cultivated the inner regions of my heart. It was during this time of silence that I made a very difficult life decision that required deep and prayerful consideration, and felt the blessings of God most intimately. It was during this time that I grew to appreciate and value a prayer attributed to Brother Roger, as I discerned that my life should be dedicated to serving and loving my fellow human beings, promoting a spirit of reconciliation and peace: Holy Spirit, you live in every human being and you come to place in us these essential realities of the Gospel: kind-heartedness and forgiveness. To love and to express it with our life, to love with kind-heartedness and to forgive: there you enable us to find one of the wellsprings of peace and joy. Truly my time in Taizé was a blessed one, and I pray that I never forget the wonderful aspects of simplicity, meditative and musical prayer, and silence that pervade the community of Taizé. May I always remember the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John as I reflect on the larger world: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” —Jamie Mills, Taizé Pilgrim
Canterbury Colorado

Text Box: “Life in the monastery is centered around the two central elements of the prayer sessions: meditative silence and prayer.” —Jamie Mills

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