Africa
“Criste, lux mundi qui sequitur te habebit lumen vitae, lumen vitae”
“O Christ, light of the world, whoever follows you will have the light of life”
Dear Taizé brothers,
It is with that light that shines in my heart and does good to my whole being that I write this letter to you.
Christ made himself present among us. The times of prayer together, the small groups, the topics and the life that were shared with people from different places; these were the richest moments of the Jornada da confiaça, at Santo Andre, from 12 to 15 November. My spiritual life, and that of many, many others was nourished by the fraternal life during the meeting.
These words were written by Renato, a young man from Campinas.
The long period of preparation was sometimes laborious, partly because the local church did not have a very clear idea of what was being prepared, and partly because of the urban context in which the meeting took place: in the very large city, young people are constantly faced with a thousand possibilities, which can also become frustrating impossibilities.
The Bishop of Santo Andre took part in the prayers, and was visibly touched by the fervour of the young people. The feeling of deep reverence continued through the prayer around the Cross, which lasted two hours, in spite of long queues to get close. The presence of an Orthodox priest and monk, and of several pastors, gave a visible ecumenical note.
The singing was led by a very good choir, under the direction of a young woman from Chile who had come especially for the meeting. Most of the singers were from Campinas, where the choir has been in existence since the jornada that took place there in 2002. They are very familiar with the songs from Taizé.
At the beginning of the meeting, a message from Brother Alois was read: “Many young people ask themselves: how can we go towards peace? To do so, it is essential to listen to the first words of the Risen Christ, when he says to his disciples: Peace be with you. He has passed through violence, through hatred and through death. But he gives peace. It is he who gives us peace; we need to receive it from him in order to transmit it to others.”