Fr. German’s Message
From March 28th to April 3rd we were blessed to
welcome at St. Sebastian one of the brothers of the monastic community of
Taizé.
The conferences, gatherings and prayers that we shared with Brother
Emanuel were privileged moments for each and every one of us.
We spoke at length about the true image of God, Who is all love, and
about the false representations that we have of God that oppose His true image
as revealed through Jesus Christ.
We were delighted to see the large number of people that participated in
our organized activities.
During Brother Emmanuel’s stay in Los Angeles, we held daily prayers in
the style of Taizé.
After one of these prayers, I was asked if we considered organizing
Taizé prayers in the future. My response was that if we saw a sufficient number
of individuals interested in this type of prayer, we would then consider
holding a Taizé prayer in the parish on a regular basis.
Several individuals of our parish, and of neighboring parishes, have
contacted us to inquire about when we will start to hold a Taizé prayer. In
light of the large number of requests, I contacted the prayer group of the
parish and we decided to start a PRAYER OF TAIZÉ to be held on the first Friday
of each month at 7pm, beginning the first Friday in June.
The Prayer of Taizé is characterized by its simplicity, diversity, and
meditative style, and for its repetition of short verses that express various
fundamental truths about our Faith.
The spiritual experience lived through the Prayer of Taizé cannot easily
be described. Several individuals have shared with me that when they
experienced the Prayer of Taizé they discovered the beauty of the prayer and
felt a desire to make this prayer an important activity in their lives.
Another characteristic of the Prayer of Taizé is the participation by
youth. Many young people that had never prayed before have discovered the joy,
beauty and necessity of prayer since experiencing the Prayer of Taizé.
Today, throughout the world, the Prayer of Taizé is well-known and many
people utilize this prayer to live a true experience with God.
If you wish to pray with us, mark your calendar for the first Friday of
every month at 7pm and come to St. Sebastian Church to live a true experience
of Christian prayer.
Have a happy week.
Fr. Germán May 19th /20th 2012