USA: Meeting in ChicagoPrayers at new places in Bangkok
On a rainy Friday afternoon in September a beautiful prayer was held at Heart´s Home, in the middle of densely populated Khlong Toey area in Bangkok. People in this part of the city are mostly poor people. Many struggle much to earn their daily living.
The Heart´s Home was however easy to find, local residents pointed us to the right place in a small house on a narrow “soi”. Volunteers of The Heart´s Home welcomed everyone warmly, and soon the prayer started. There were people from different churches and nationalities. Several young children were present; obviously the place and its volunteer workers were well known among those poor children. One could observe that The Heart´s Home provides the children with attention and warmth which may be lacking in their homes. This prayer was a beautiful sign of hope and love in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Bangkok.
The following week one of the brothers spent a whole day with students of the Lutheran seminary in Bangkok. The day was part of a five-day course on spirituality and meditation in the Christian tradition. Discussion, sharing and interaction with the students were mutually enriching. Especially the group discussion based on the Letter from Chile of Br. Alois opened new insights of how we can be bearers of joy, compassion and forgiveness. Two prayers held during the day brought us to the source of these attributes, which is in God.
Pilgrimage of trust in Bangkok: 2007
« Choosing to love, choosing hope ».
Meditative prayer with Brother Alois, Prior of Taizé
At Assumption Cathedral, Bangkok
On the evening of 11 November 2007, Bangkok’s Assumption Cathedral was packed with people from various Christian churches and traditions, parishes, congregations, schools and communities when the long-prepared and much awaited event finally took place.
Cardinal Michael Michai Kitbunchu, Archbishop of Bangkok, welcomed everybody and expressed his joy that Christians from different backgrounds had gathered to pray together. Present also were the Bishop of the Lutheran church in Thailand, the Vice-Moderator of the Church of Christ in Thailand and the Representative of Russian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarchate to Thailand… *
The cathedral was beautifully decorated with Taizé icons in central places. The Catholic youth commission shouldered the main responsibility for practical arrangements, with a much help from people from other Christian backgrounds.
The prayer went smoothly, joyfully and in a peaceful manner. Nearly all the songs were sung in the Thai language, and the Bible readings in Thai and English; the intercessions in several languages represented the international and ecumenical character of the prayer on this beautiful evening. Those taking part were not only residents of Bangkok; young people from Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines were also present.
In his meditation Brother Alois spoke about Christian hope, which begins around us. We can start this by paying more attention to the people around us, in particular to those who are poorer than we are. He wished that our groups and parishes could above all be places kindness of heart and of trust, places where we welcome one another.
As the prayer neared the end, a large Taizé cross was placed on the floor. The singing continued, and people waited patiently in long lines to confide their burdens to Christ. It seemed that many people did not want to leave the church at all; some came closer to the cross, and the singing went on at length. Burdens were commended to Christ, and trust, joy and hope arose in our hearts.
Prior to the prayer there was a workshop, which also gathered a good number of people, around 250 people.
The preparation of this pilgrimage in Bangkok started early this year. Prayers were arranged in different places, in churches, places of suffering and hope, in schools. We gathered in Catholic schools, seminars, churches, in a Lutheran day-care centre in a slum, an Orthodox chapel, an Anglican church, among others. The involvement has been ecumenical, and this process of hope, love and reconciliation should continue in Thailand. During the preparatory prayers, many people expressed their hope to be able to come together to pray more often. Thailand has an extremely low percentage of Christians, about 1% of the population. This calls for common witness to Christ, peace, reconciliation and hope in this beautiful country. Praying together is certainly one of the best ways to continue on this road.
* “We would like to express our gratitude to His Eminence Cardinal Michai Kitbunchu for being with us tonight and for his words of welcome.
We also would like to thank for their presence:
Bishop Pierre Bach, former Apostolic Vicar of Thaket – Savannaket in Laos, in charge of the Laotian diaspora.
Bishop Visanukorn Upama from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Thailand
Dr. Banjong Chomphuwong, Vice-Moderator of Church of Christ in Thailand.
Mgr Dennis from the Apostolic Nunciature
Rev. Oleg Cherepanin, the Representative of the Russian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarchate.
We are also very grateful for the presence of young people from Laos, Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore & Malaysia who came especially for the prayer.
We would like also to mention young people from Myanmar and India who are studying here in Bangkok.”