Taize

"If there are miracles in the world, then these miracles are in Taize”. These words said us our trip organizer in the bus going to Taize.
Taize is the small village in France where Taize Community lives, which founder is Brother Roger, known as a place of pilgrimage. Taize Community unites around 100 monks – brothers from 30 countries and whose are representative of Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant religion. Taize is open to everyone, no matter belief or religion, maybe that’s why thousands of pilgrims: old or young, alone, by groups or with family come to visit it and not one time. People come here from various countries of all over world for various reasons: to pray, to study Bible, for general work, to share thoughts or experience, to gain new friends, to meditate in silence or just to find themselves, to get answers to questions.
I had never been good catholic, but had belief that something exists greater than us, who can turn our decisions to other way, in spite of that we planed everything carefully and it seemed our matter was in our hands. Our life is going as it is need because of someone correct it according your good or bad acts. Ah, is it not heaven and hell in the Earth? Taize was just incitement to grasp this reflection.
What a miracle I found in Taize? I would tell that miracles are always in us, no need to go far that to understand that. But sometimes it is need simple evidence as I found there: firstly atmosphere – everyone is smiling, making jokes, even World crisis was forgotten. At pray times in the church there are silence minutes and big miracle is that every one of 4000 or 6000 people during it do not let out any noise. To get breakfast, lunch or dinner, because of huge number of persons, it is need to wait long row, but miracle that no one push each other or hurry. I didn’t get chance to get work there, but I was surprised watching at young people singing songs and with big desire serving food, washing dishes or cleaning toilets without any reward! I m already not talking about impress ional, warmth, sincerity conversation with monks, whose you can find evenings in the church and any of them are open to talk with you about any of your matter. I m not talking about different nationality people, whose are friendly to each other, without looking at color, race or faith. Such “miracles” can be in every country, but so far it is possible in Taize. Sure, realistically speaking, Taize is not heaven, it is happen solitary instances, but I can say courageously – that’s a holy place.
Would I come back there again? As I said sometimes it is need only stimulus to open your eyes for something, which I already got from there.

Taize bells inviting to the church for pray.

Lunch time...

Waterfall in the silence park.

Last evening pray with candels.

Taize will always reminds me Oyah evening songs, silence and friendship...