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| Who,
among those who really knew Father Simon, did not dream of building
with him something dear to his heart?? |
| Who,
in fact, did not see in him a builder who was able to
carve himself an important part in the life of all? A
good father, a big brother and a friend in whom we liked
to confide, to let ourselves be touched by his intense
listening |
| quality,his
kindness, his enthusiasm and the solidity of his faith? |
| With
his death, some will see the collapse of their dream.
Other will content themselves with an unfinished project.
. |
| Which
is the case of this recording. |
| |
| When
hearing of the throes of his sickness, and stricken by
the intensity of faith and hope that Father Simon put
in the acceptance of his sufferings, we asked him to express
himself through singing. |
| As
incensed as this might have seemed, he accepted with no
hesitation. |
| Not
only did our friend priest venerate singing, he also believed
hard that “singing is to pray twice”. Everything
that could reinforce his prayer, allow him to share it
with others, was no doubt good. |
| |
| He
even went above our expectations, revealing once more
his preacher’s charisma. He told us of his desire
not only to |
| record
one CD, but three, illustrating the three mysteries of
the Rosary, and that will include meditations and prayers:
|
| this
was Father Simon’s ”. way to translate into
music a project very dear to his heart, the one of Darbessama.
As if by |
| analogy,
these numbers three and seven, and this the “priest
happy to be”, thrived to bend more to the divine
|
| perfection
towards his meeting with the “one who calls him
to be a Saint". |
| The
realisation of this project will unfortunately not be
in absolute conformity with the wish of the one who wanted
it. |
| The
seven meditations, Father Simon was never able to record
them. We had to draw into the archives. |
| This
is a blessing nonetheless: the two songs that he was able
in extremis to sing with a feeble voice, when his will |
 |
sickness
reached its peak, a few days before his |
| death,remain
like the poor’s cry: |
| “Lord
you probe my depth and know me. |
| Whether
I stand up or sit down, you know it. |
| You
are ahead of me, you chase me, you clasp me in your arms.
You lay your hand on me”. |
| |
| What
is more authentic and more touching |
| than
Father Simon singing this psalm? |
| This
is already the first CD. |
| May
it enter the houses of all those who knew and |
| and
loved this “good priest”. |
| It
is a privileged way to preserve his memory alive |
| but
also to enter into his most profound prayer |
| while
repeating incessantly, thanks to these |
| beautiful
songs of Taizé, that whatever our |
| problems
are, our doubts and our lack of |
| understanding,
with the Lord,“Day as night is light” |
| and
that in the end, “every thing is grace”. |
| |
| |
| We
don’t know yet when and how the two |
| other
CDs will be recorded. What is certain |
| though
is that this project will remain one of |
| the
last desires of Father Simon, that we, his |
| friends,
who have given the best of ourselves |
| to
realise but a part of it, will preciously, |
| keep
in our memory and our hearts. |
| |
| Kamal
Chémali |
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