The Spirituality of Taize
by Patrick J. Burke
“TAIZE, a little village in the heart of the Burgundy region of France, is the home of an ecumenical community of Brothers. They are monks and contemplatives, yet they are missionary and apostolic. Their way of life embodies much of what is rich and central from the great Christian tradition, and yet there is a sense of freshness and newness in their approach.”
“The Taize community is a microcosm of the Church and within itself reiterates the realities of the whole Church. Their life together is to be a sign of hope to the world and especially to those who have grown despondent in the face of so much unrest and division among humankind. Their life together is to be a parable, something which an isolated group of committed people could not achieve. In living a common life, have we any other end than to unify men committed to following Christ into a living sign of the unity of the Church. Above all else this visible sign is possibly what attracts so many thousands of people to Taize each year.”
