From February 3 to 7, Tinnah, Amity, and I joined around 3,500 young people in the Manila Meeting of the Taizé Pilgrimage of Trust on Earth. Young people from all over Asia and other continents attended, to pray and share about their faith and life experiences with others. It was really an experience—praying for an hour or even more three times a day, being in silence with thousands of people, conversing with different people about one God, and listening to the reflections of the Taizé Brothers.

Tinnah conducting the choir during the pilgrimage

The three of us often joked that we had such a big delegation. Tinnah would say, “Ok kids, stay in line, single file!” Well, what’s funnier is that we were just three, yet we didn’t have a single picture together. I thought about the reason why we didn’t have a picture, and it didn’t take me too long to find the answer. It was a valid one too—we didn’t have a picture because the three of us were very involved in the meeting. Tinnah was one of the conductors of the choir (on top of everything else she did for the meeting!), Amity facilitated small groups during the workshops, and I sang in the choir and handled workshops, too. The five days were tiring, yet very fulfilling.

Amity with her workshop group

We were just three, but I could proudly say that we were able to touch more than three thousand people. That is God at work in us. Just like in one of the songs from Taizé:

Diyos ang bukal ng buhay, ang apoy at pagmamahal.
O halina, halina, Diyos Espiritu Santo.

That is the Holy Spirit moving us, giving us strength to do more. As I look back at the things that we’ve done, I am but amazed that we were able to accomplish those. I remember how I was asked suddenly to assist Fr. Mark Raper with his workshop of around 120 participants. After that session, the pilgrims’ reactions and feedbacks were heartwarming. I also remember Tinnah’s post on her Facebook wall saying:

The "Friendship Image"–an icon the Taize community loves so much.

“The Lord has done great things for me!’ I’m amazed at how God has stretched me in all directions these 5 days of the Pilgrimage of Trust. Today at the final mass presided by Cardinal Rosales I conducted, played piano, prepared the liturgy, taught songs and sang a responsorial psalm without fear for 3,500 young people….”

Exactly. That is God at work in us. He is the source of life—“ang bukal ng buhay”—that moves us to do more. He is the source of strength and of everything good.

On the last day of the pilgrimage, Bro. Alois, the prior of the Taizé Community, told us that the next step would be to share to our communities what we’ve received from the meeting. The entire experience was truly filled with graces—the grace of knowing our desires, the grace of sharing, the grace of peace, the grace of faith, and the grace of unity and love. These graces nourish us and enable us to share Christ’s peace to everyone. With the conclusion of the pilgrimage comes the greater challenge of loving more, and of keeping the fire of faith and peace alive in our daily lives.

The choir after an evening prayer (I’m at the back, fourth from right! Tinnah’s in front, second from left)

Ubi caritas et amor, ubi caritas Deus ibi est. (Where there is charity and love, God is to be found.)
 

Contributor: Jaymee Duran
24 February 2010

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