 |
| Gathered around the Easter fire |
Our first visitors always arrive at Easter and yesterday while I was explaining to our new gite guests that the Easter morning service was at 10.00 and that they had to be well in time or the church would be barred, they told me that there was to be a fire on Saturday evening and the evening service was being held in a field. Intrigued, I went on to the Taizé website to discover that there was to be an all-night vigil around a fire and then the Eucharist was to be held at 06.30 and not at the usual 10.00.
Me and mornings do not go together, but even so this fire and early service intrigued me enough to get up at 05.00 (yes that is five o’clock in the morning!) and head up the hill. I knew where the field would be as there have been more open-air services in Taizé and so after parking amazingly close to the church (third parking space on the left would you believe) I walked to the field. As I turned the corner I could hear quiet singing voices and I could see the bonfire and two icons which had been lit. As I got closer I saw at least 200 youngsters sitting or lying on the grass, I am sure there would have been more had it not been drizzling with rain.
 |
| Lighting the lamp |
After several songs and some Bible readings in English and French, one of the brothers announced that as dawn was at hand they would light a lantern from the fire to take to the church to light the Pascal candle and we were to lead the way. So off we went in procession to the church. The front doors of the church were already barred as that section was full and judging by the huge queues at the other doors, I wasn’t at all convinced that we would all get in. In fact in view of previous years’ overcrowding, I wasn’t at all sure I wanted to get in. But in I did get and there was quite a lot of space still available. Even though the flow of people kept coming right up to the start of the service, the church didn’t get to a dangerously overfull state and I decided to stay. I didn’t manage to lay my hands on a candle or a song book, but I know most of the songs anyway, so that wasn’t any hardship.
 |
|
The service started in a normal sort of way, songs, Bible readings, more songs and then there was a lot of talking in French and I suddenly realised that a novice was taking his vows and being accepted into the community as a brother. This is something I have wanted to witness for a long time and here it was happening right in front of me! Just at the end of his vows I heard the sound of car tires on the gravel at the side of the church where no cars should be and, call me a wimp if you like, I got very nervous. The service was long from over, we hadn’t even got to the silence and the consecration of the bread and wine hadn’t been done, let alone handing out the communion, but I decided, as everyone stood up to applaud the new brother, it was time for my departure. Back at the car I saw that it was 07.30 so I had been there for more than two hours. After going to the baker, I headed for home and as I write this I can hear the bells ringing out to wish the world a happy Easter, it is now 08.30, so I am glad I left early, I don’t think I could have coped with another hour on the floor.
All in all it was a very interesting experience and it has solved the overcrowding problem of the 10.00 service, either many people didn’t know about the time change or 06.30 is too early for most. So a big well done to the brothers for this innovation and a happy Easter to everyone.
