Taize prayer

[Yearning]

My parish is starting a Taize prayer service for the first time this lent. I’m going to go, but I’m not sure if I should be suspicious.

We have a new pastor, and this is the first lent that we’ve been without Holy Water, and he’s just closed the cry room this week. We are now to use the narthex as needed for situations with children, but are all expected to sit in the main body of the church for the most part. I’ve also seen him holding hands with the altar servers for the Our Father. Because of these other changes, I am now extremely suspicious of anything that he is instituting.

However, if Taize prayer is an acceptable, orthodox form of Catholic prayer, then by all means, please tell me…

Oh, and if I’ve chosen the wrong forum for this thread, would a moderator please place it where it belongs? Thank you!

 

[SMHW]

A Taize prayer service should be a legitimate form of prayer.

It may just be a simple service with singing of simple phases like, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

But like many other things, the way your parish implements a Taize service is the important issue.

 

[Brendan]

Yearning:

We have a new pastor, and this is the first lent that we’ve been without Holy Water,

Hi Yearning

You might also want to check out this thread

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=102017

 

[puzzleannie]

Taize is a beautiful form of sung prayer, and as in the original Taize community, is one time when we can be ecumenical as it is appropriate for Christians of all denominations to sing together.

 

[Shoshana]

puzzleannie:

Taize is a beautiful form of sung prayer, and as in the original Taize community, is one time when we can be ecumenical as it is appropriate for Christians of all denominations to sing together.

I will second this, as my spriitual director offers these services on a regular basis. He also used to read Brother Roger’s letters (a part of them). It iskosher, it is very holy amd contemplative. Enjoy! It also is very amenable to the youth…

 

[MulusChristi]

Greetings,
My only exposure to Taize was at a campus ministry which used it regurlarly. The ministry was extremely heterodox and dissident (this was in the late '80s with all the attendant confusion, except clowns). They really hated JPII. Every mass and ministry activity required internal parsing to figure out whether what was being advanced was Catholic at all. I think they liked Taize because it sounded new agey.
Later, I found that Taize was a legitimate ecumenical faith community and apparently not necessarily a hotbed for dissent. I still cannot listen to a Taize chant without associating it with rabid dissent. This is probably unfair on my part, but I still can’t stomach it. Thank you liberal church! It does seem to be favored more by the liturgical liberals. I don’t know why. Is it their answer to the TLM?

 

[MarthaMartha]

Shoshana:

I will second this, as my spriitual director offers these services on a regular basis. He also used to read Brother Roger’s letters (a part of them). It iskosher, it is very holy amd contemplative. Enjoy! It also is very amenable to the youth…

True – our music director is very pro-Taize, and since he joined our parish two years ago, we’ve had Taize services during Advent. They do not take the place of Masses, but they are beautiful and the young people (and their families) do indeed enjoy them.