More than 500 gathered at St Ignatius’Chapel, Wah Yan College for Taizé Prayer
Uniting the Taizé Community, the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui, and the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, a ‘Taizé meeting for East Asian Youth at Hong Kong’ was held at All Saints’ Cathedral, Wah Yan College (Kowloon), and St Ignatius Chapel on the evenings of 2 May till 5 May. The theme was set to be ‘Hope beyond all hope’, and the 500-plus teenage participants gathered for their journey as ‘pilgrims of hope’, walking from the unknown present towards a future of unity.
The first evening began with an evening prayer, where the Most Revd Andrew Chan and the Most Revd Joseph Ha both gave welcome speeches on behalf of the Anglicans and the Catholics. Archbishop Andrew made the observation that 2025 is a particularly notable year for the Taizé Community, since it is the 110th anniversary for Brother Roger’s birthday, the 20th anniversary for his death, and also the 85th anniversary of his arrival at the town of Taizé, where the Community began. On top of all this, it is also a Jubilee Year for the Catholic Church.
Archbishop Andrew Chan thanked the Taizé brothers for remembering Hong Kong in this meaningful year, and for taking the time to visit us and pray with us. The Archbishop also addressed the gathered youth, noting that the theme of ‘Hope beyond all hope’ is call for us all to become pilgrims with hope in our hearts, in the same way as Brother Matthew, Prior of the Taizé Community, has written in this year’s Annual Taizé Letter, reminding us how Jesus taught us to remain hopeful.
Faced with a large crowd of hungry people, Jesus ‘had compassion’ on them, or literally, ‘his heart went out’ to them. And he found a way to satisfy their needs: by refusing to bow his head in face of difficulty. By persevering and remaining hopeful in times of difficulty, Jesus Christ will fill our hearts in his own way, and in doing so, we receive the hope that comes from our Lord. The Archbishop then blessed this Taizé Meeting of East Asian Youth, wishing that their yearning from hope will lead them into that supreme hope of God that surpasses all human understanding.
Archbishop Andrew Chan delivering the welcome address on 2 May
Bishop Joseph Ha led a bible sharing session on 6 May
Bishop Joseph Ha recalled how the first time he visited Taizé was 30 years ago. The Bishop also noted that the formation of the Taizé Community is a direct result of Brother Roger responding to a calling from God, that youths from all corners of the world can come together in prayer. This meeting in 2025 mirrors that fateful day, and all participants now are similarly responding to the call of God. The Bishop wished for the many young Christians coming from different countries to find Jesus in each other, and that they can continue to respond to this call from God after they have returned to their home country, continually discovering God’s presence in their lives – for life itself is such a call.
Discovering hope in prayer
Just like the prayerful life at Taizé, this meeting of East Asian youth is similarly modeled: three prayer sessions each day, and multiple workshops throughout the hours. On Sunday, participants join their host families in attending church service. After the morning prayer of Saturday and Monday, there were bible sharing sessions held by the Very Revd Samson Fan from the Anglican Church and the Most Revd Joseph Ha from the Catholic Church.
The Very Revd Samson Fan selected James 1:19-27 as the scripture in response to the theme of ‘Hope beyond all hope’. Brother Matthew has called for Christians to become pilgrims of hope in his Annual Letter, and Dean Samson noted that as soon as we can discern the difference between sincere prayer and a personal wish list of desires, we can then surpass the human limitations of hope and desire, and discover within our prayers that boundless hope that comes from our God.
‘Let everyone be quick to listen to the Holy Word, slow to speak, and taking our time to patiently listen to what anger tells us, not acting rashly nor lashing out, for the honest words that anger affords us may in turn teach us of our true circumstances.
Such a way of listening to the Word grants us a mirror to learn of our own shortcomings. It also reflects to us a way of following Christ, that via our actions, we may take the steps needed to become that version of ourselves who God wants from us. Listening to the Gospel requires us to take action, and in the same way, praying also requires us to take action.’ The prayerful life Brother Roger instituted at Taizé reminded him of his experience of receiving Jewish refugees and the poor during WWII. In receiving the youth and in acting upon his prayers, Brother Roger brought hope to the world. Dean Samson wished that everyone can also find the appropriate response to God, transforming their prayers to action, and become a pilgrim of hope in their own place in time, bringing God’s radiant hope to those around us.
Prayer around the cross