One year ago...

...we were in the little village of Taizé, France, which has become synonymous with the Taizé Community, an ecumenical place of worship that draws young pilgrims by the thousands every year, but particularly in the summer. For me, walking into the Church of Reconciliation was a homecoming that filled my heart with so much joy because it is a place where all are welcome at Christ’s Eucharistic table, where music is the primary form of prayer, where  justice, reconciliation, love, and hope are the bottom line, and where people of all ages share their spiritual journey.

The beauty of nature surrounds the little village, and nature's proximity added so much to the experience. Hearing the birds singing their morning songs through the open windows of the church in our times of silence, or walking to St. Stephen's source kept us in touch with God's wonderful creation even in the midst of 1500 pilgrims. It was more beautiful than I dared to imagine.

I was deeply, deeply touched by the experience of being there, to the point that when I was trying to explain what it was like to visit Taizé at a Good Friday Taizé service, I couldn’t speak for the emotions that filled me. All I can say one year later is that the prayer services, three times a day, were a taste of heaven for me. The whole place was!

It has been quite a while since I’ve moodled about my heart’s home here, so I leave you with a walking tour of the place that touched my heart so deeply one year ago, set to one of my favourite chants. It's a bit jumpy, but so wonderful to walk that road again. Thanks to Mostar Taizé for posting this video on YouTube. Enjoy!