Meditation

Thank you for being with us during this week of meetings in Taizé. Many of you are from Germany, but there are also groups here from Sweden, Ireland and the Netherlands, not forgetting the team of young volunteers who are with us from further afield. This past week, new volunteers arrived from Chile, Mexico, Chad, Indonesia and Vietnam. But a special welcome for the group from China that has been with us this week. It is for you that we have been singing “Bless the Lord” in Mandarin!

So many of you have come from different parts of Germany to be with us during this week when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. There are also young people with us from other countries. A special greeting to those who have come from Åland, the archipelago of islands between Finland and Sweden and also to the young people who arrived recently from further afield: from Nicaragua, Mexico, Peru, Kenya, Indonesia, India and Thailand. And we say goodbye to the Malaysians wh

Welcome to you all, whether you have been with us from the beginning of the week, or if you have just arrived as for the Pentecost weekend. We are happy to share this days of prayer, community life and reflection with you. In a moment, Abel (NL) and Christine (MY) are going to ask me a question, which I will try to reply to, but before that I would like to share a few thoughts about the Bible reading we heard from John’s Gospel this evening. Some of you might like to look again at the text

Brother Matthew was invited to speak at a meeting which brought together experts and practitioners from various European backgrounds who are involved in formation within the Catholic Church, for an in-depth reflection on pastoral and synodal formation in the future. It took place from May 11 to 14, 2025 at Villa Cagnola, near Milan (Italy). Here is the text of what he shared , in English and in French.

Christ is risen! What a joy it is to welcome you during this time when we are celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus together! You have come from Romania, Lithuania, Sweden, France and various parts of Germany to join us in Taizé for a week of prayer and sharing, an experience of human communion that is also an experience of the Church, this mystery of communion that is the Body of Christ. And this week we are marked by the death of Pope Francis. I've received so many messages over the last

Welcome to all of you who have come to Taizé this week, especially from France and Germany, but also from other countries. It’s a great joy to have volunteers with us from Indonesia, Colombia, China, Japan, USA.... Without perhaps realising it, you are a sign of a communion that knows no limits in Christ, that does not abolish our persons, our cultures and our languages, but that goes beyond them to make us understand that we are all loved by God. We are at the beginning of Holy Week, duri