1amata dsempreForever Loved

4EditorialEven DMA is a Sign of Lovedi Giuseppina Teruggi

5

Forever Loved

13

14The LampOn the Threshold

17The Gospel of LifeThe Intriguing Words of a Story

18Dialogue

Rivista delle Figlie di Maria AusiliatriceVia Ateneo Salesiano, 81 - 00139 Roma RM

tel. 06/87.274.1fax 06/87.13.23.06

e-mail: dmariv2@cgfma.orgwww.cgfmanet.org

Direttrice responsabileMariagrazia Curti

RedazioneGiuseppina TeruggiAnna Rita Cristaino

CollaboratriciTonny Aldana • Julia Arciniegas • Mara Borsi

Piera Cavaglià • Maria Antonia ChinelloEmilia Di Massimo • Dora Eylenstein

Laura Gaeta • Bruna GrassiniMaria Pia Giudici • Palma Lionetti

Anna Mariani • Cristina MerliMarisa Montalbetti • Maria Helena Moreira

Concepción Muñoz • Adriana NepiMaria Luisa Nicastro • Louise Passero

Maria Perentaler • Loli Ruiz PerezRossella Raspanti

Lucia M. Roces • Maria Rossi

TraduttriciFrench • Anne Marie Baud

Japanese • Japanese ProvinceEnglishe• Louise Passero

Polish • Janina StankiewiczPortuguese • Elisabeth Pastl Montarroyos

Spanish • Amparo Contreras ÁlvarezGermano• Austrian German Provinces

EDIZIONE EXTRACOMMERCIALEIstituto Internazionale Maria Ausiliatrice

00139 Roma, Via Ateneo Salesiano, 81c.c.p. 47272000

Reg. Trib. Di Roma n. 13125 del 16-1-1970Sped. abb. post. art. 2, comma 20/c

Legge 662/96–Filiale di Roma

n. 1/2 Gennaio/Febbraio 2008

Tipografia Istituto Salesiano Pio XIVia Umbertide 11, 00181 Roma

RIVISTA DELLE FIGLIE DI MARIA AUSILIATRICEdma damihianimas

3

36Giovani.com

Second life. Your World,Your Imagination37The Point

Seeds of Peace

38Web Sites

l

39CamillaA New Pocket Calendar

20Arianna’s LineOptimism Can Be Learned

27Cooperation and DevelopmentFor Efficacious Solidarity

29Human Rights and Consecrated LifeLet My People Go Out of Egypt

31Photoclick

35PolisThe Meaning of Politics

ANNO LV • MENSILE / GENNAIO FEBBRAIO 2008

4

EditorialDMA is Also a Sign of Love

Our magazine continues its bi-monthlyappointment, attentive to notable eventsthat will accompany this year. TheGeneral Chapters of the SDB and FMAwill beat time with the life of the twoCongregations for an inculturated fidelityto the Charism today. The Synod ofBishopson the theme “The Word of God in the life and mission of the Church” constitutes an occasion for re-launching,especially for us as consecratedwomen, to meet, pray, and live theWord.An international event of greatsignificance is the World Youth Day thatwill be held in Sydney (Australia). Theeyes of people, especially the young,are focused on the Olympics to be heldin the People’s Republic of China.

We often say that we are living in afavorable time, aware of theopportunities offered by our time, eventhough we note the many signs ofdestruction present in this historicaltransition.The Magazine is attentive to today’s context and, through the Dossier, seeksto offer reasons for reflection on the fivefrontiers of the mission - the woman,migrants, ecology, the laity, inter-religious dialogue-that questionconsecrated life. And they challenge usas bearers of an educational charism.Last May, the International Assembly ofSuperiors General (UISG) identifiedthese 5 nuclei as so many threads to“weave a new spirituality that generates hope and life for humanity”. In line with the Chapter theme, the Dossier has as ahorizon the reality of “to love and feel oneself loved”, and as a transversal line, everyday spirituality, the cry for meaningfrom the young people, the evangelicalcounsels, and the view of hope.

This year, DMA hostsnew articles that touch today’s themes. Human Right and Consecrated Lifeseeks to focus on how that sameconsecrated life is called to thecommitment to the defense andadvancement of human rights. Thepace of the Lectio, in correspondencewith a few of the year’s liturgical times, contributes toward facilitating thepassage of the Gospel to life.Polis (the city-state form of government)is a study article on political themes of ageneral character: democracy, civilparticipation and responsibility, thecommon good, critical conscience.Cooperation and Development will seekto explore the reality of internationalcooperation and to present a fewprojects carried out in FMAcommunities.The Communication section is enrichedby articles that seek to help understandsome emerging phenomena.Youngpeople.com allows us to beintroduced to actual realities such asSecond Life, YouTube, Cyber Bullying,and Blogs. The Bookshelf offers areview of Internet sites inherent to themain themes offered by the Dossier.Photo-Click gathers the witness ofyoung people from photos which theythemselves have taken.Simply stated, our Magazine also wantsto be a sign of love for each FMA, foreach young person, for the wholeeducating community. May we continueto communicate this languageeffectively.

Giuseppina Teruggi

.

.

5

I

6

Dossier

Forever Loved

Emilia Di MassimoGiuseppina Teruggi

Love is the fundamental vocation towhich every person is called. It is a giftthat is given to us at the beginning ofour existence and it constitutes the mostimportant task of life: to discover beingcreatures who are loved and to learn theart of loving. God Himself calls us tolove so that we can be happy andbecome like Him, who is love. Ourvocation is that of loving because loverenders us persons who are fulfilled andbecause only love can give fullness andmeaning to life.

“No one loves me?”

From an educator’s diary: “When M confided to me ‘…and so I had an abortion’ tears ran down her cheeks. I tried to stop them in an embrace so thatthey would not continue to be likesplinters that would scar her heart”. The experience of a mistaken love, thebetrayal that strikes unexpectedly, like aslap to the face. “Lord, why does love make us suffer so much?”“L wants me to listen to her boyfriend. He said that he was converted when heheard the news of the death of JohnPaul II. ‘…I suddenly understood thatJesus has always loved me! L’s example, her witness as a believer,influenced me. She was the means ofmy conversion’. L waited for M for six years. She asked him simply to comeand pick her up at the end of theEucharistic Celebration. Total respectwas the main way of loving him.

“I have become aware that in class G ispresent only physically. I understandthat the girl with whom he is enamoredabsorbs him completely. The conflictsof the relationship are leading him toreact violently. I approach him. Speakto him. He listens to me and says only:‘Thanks for being interested in me.’ He lowers his cap covering his eyes to hidehis tears.”The brief notes presented here are onlya glimpse of the educational experiencethat each person lives and resonates inhis/her heart, an unexpected placewhere one becomes aware that eachday is one more day to love, to dream,to communicate the love that continuesto fascinate for what is there and whichone lives.“S confided to me that sorrow and pain were an integral part of her journey, butthey had made her understand thatnothing is more precious than a greatlove. ‘I must recognize the signs oftrue falling in love, even though Ifear that love will arrive too late…’‘No one loves me?’ this seems to be the cry that young people call out tous when we uncover their innerworld. There is no ready response;there is no glossary in which we canfind explanations. The desire ofyoung people to be loved and to lovecalls out to the analogous yearningpresent in every human heart; itchallenges us and provokes in usthe response: ‘ Can I say that I have

7

obtained what I desired,notwithstanding everything? That is,can I say that I am loved, that I feelloved?”“The truth”, said the Holy Father to the young people on a June eveningin Assisi, “is that finite things cangive glimmers of joy, but only theinfinite can fill our hearts.” It is toward the infinite that the hearts ofthe young people, of ourselves, isjourneying in the thirst for authenticlove, when one suffers and whenone is happy. It is a journey thatreaches deep into each person; it isworth the pain and struggle to followthe journey.

A thousand splendid signs ofGod’s love

Today we feel that we have everless certainty, that we are immersedin a growing confusion andprecariousness. “What can we holdon to?” people frequently ask. But there is a certainty that we can affirmin an absolute way: I am loved,therefore, I live. Love is thesubstance of my being. Love calledme into existence and gives meevery moment of life. That lovewhich God has revealed to us bysending His own Son. The love thatJesus showed us in the supreme giftof self and that continues in time asa living presence in the Eucharistand in the sacrament ofreconciliation.An efficacious exercise to which wededicate ourselves at times andwhich is frequently suggested on

8

days of spiritual retreat , is that ofgoing over our history and making ita wisdom reading. Developing, thatis, the chronology of our life not somuch by registering events, butrather by dialoguing with God-love inthe light of His Word. Interpretingthe facts, the circumstances as signsby which He has always loved us.By this view we find a response tothe doubt that anguishes manypeople: Is there someone who lovesme? Each of us can discover thathis/hers is a unique story ofsalvation, unrepeatable, run throughby the red thread called love. Evenwhen we scan the fabric of ourexistence, we find times of struggle,heavy situations, failure, and evenexperiences of sin. I am alwaysloved, and if I have a clear glance, Ican discover thousands of splendidsigns of the love of God each day!“Every person is a sacred story” is the title of a well-known book writtenby Jean Vanier, who was defined as“a disciple of Jesus who sought to live his life in the light of the Gospel.” He himself tells us that human life iscriss-crossed by different phases,“from initial weakness, to final weakness, from the maternal womb,to the womb of the earth, passingthough phases of activity and lightand phases of loss of light andtherefore of suffering”(p.180).It is still Jean Vanier who recalls tous the biblical text , illuminating uswith a positive reading of our realityenfolded in love. He observes thatHosea, in his book, transmits thismessage of God: “I will allure her…I will speak to her heart…I will give her the vineyards she had and the

valley of Achor as a door of hope(Hosea 2, 16-17). The Valley ofAchor, situated near Jericho, is animpervious and dangerous zone.People keep their distance from itand go around it because it isinfested by brigands and ferociousanimals. Hosea says that God, afteran encounter of love, will speak tothe heart of the person and willtransform the dangerous valley intoa door of hope and no longer anaccursed place to be avoided.The certainty that God encountersand visits our history with His loveallows us to penetrate fearlessly intothe world of our darkness, our failureand the world of suffering and ofpoverty that exists outside of us, thevalley of Achor. Thus a miracle willcome about : the transformation ascenario of doubt and fear into lifeand hope.

Allowing ourselves to besurprised by love

“There is a great treasure that can be found in every corner of theworld. It is something that can becalled the fulfillment of existence.The great treasure is allowing Godto enter into the present. It is theplace in which we find this treasure…it is where you are now” (Martin Buber).Buber’s affirmation holds in itself the fragrance of home. How can wehelp but think of the wealth of our“everyday spirituality”? Even though existence moves to the rhythm ofour calendar, our watch, thecomputer or the cell phone, itfrequently fluctuates and slips away

9

from us. When our heart is orientedtoward its cardinal point, it retiresinto its personal hermitage, it asksthe Spirit to give its dynamism to ouractions. We become aware of theneed to entrust to love all of theactions of our day, to becomecapable of savoring its significance.We believe that each day has beenthought of and prepared bySomeone; it is not merely a date anda month.When the eyes of our heart look intothe depth of daily life that we havebeen allowed to live, we discoverwithin it marvel and gratitude. Weare surprised at having been a signof love wherever we are, and it doesnot matter if it is poor or humble.We are aware of having set inmotion unsuspected resources andof having traveled a good piece ofthe road, even if it was not alwayspaved. We are in condition torecognize the sparks of love presentunder an apparent skin of what wecall “ordinary”; we render ourselves aware of love, be it given orreceived.Allowing ourselves to be surprisedby love…a person whom we meet every morning and whom we greet .The smile freely given to someone tobrighten their day. The gesture ofreconciliation and the glass of wateroffered.Allowing ourselves to be surprisedby love…the Sisters with whom I live, a new gift, unique andunexpected. The food prepared andthe clothes ironed. Prayer togetherand the passion for the young. Theanxiety of a love that we would liketo have explode in whomever we

meet and the serene acceptance ofreciprocal limitations…Allowing ourselves to be surprisedby love…the good seed sown in the mission that matures and flourishesin the young people who thank us forwhat we do not even remember tohave given. The laity who considerus to be a reference point and whoturn to us because they are certainthat they will be welcomed.The one who loves life reaches usthrough the most ordinary andsimple events, through what wewould call routine, apparently banaland humble. He Himself, throughthe circumstances of each day,wants to surprise us with His loveand guard us in His tenderness andbenevolence.“What does my Beloved want fromme? What would be pleasing to theGod of love today?” asked Sr. Teresa Valsè Pantellini. From herewe see the training that led her to“bring God everywhere”, to pass from real struggle to surprise, so thatwhat one lives, imbued with warmhumanity, will not have a merelyearthly horizon.Allowing ourselves to be surprisedby love each day, aware that thepresent moment is the only onegiven to us to love and to acceptlove. It is an irreversible instant,forever thought of…it has its origins in eternity and will return to it. Howcan we ignore it, how can we nottake into account that “all that I have lived, now I know Lord, speaks tome of you. All that I live today, I livewith You?”

The manifestation of love

10

“To educate first by example,because what is taught by exampleremains much more impressed inthe heart and does much more goodthat that which we preach withwords” “” (Mary DomenicaMazzarello, Letter 17).“We gain more with a charitable glance, with a word ofencouragement that gives more trustto the heart than with manyscoldings, which only serve todisturb” (Don Bosco, PreventiveSystem, 255).These are simple but incisiveexpressions that our saints use toremind us. Substantially, ourcharism asks us to become love sothat Jesus can love through ourlives; it provokes us to find prioritystrategies so that in loving what theyoung people love, the young peoplecan encounter the unfailing sourceof Love. The educational difficultieslead us to ask ourselves how this,today, can be carried out.Undoubtedly, the age that we live inrequires professionalism andcompetence to be used in service indifferent fields, but perhaps neverlike today have we been called moreto witness to the art of human,Christian and religious relationships.In a society that lives in affectivearidity and sentimental loss, in whichthe wealth of encounter is frequentlysubstituted by various displays , thehuman heart, and in particular theheart of the young, needs the balmof love that is materialized in theglance, non-verbal language thattransmits attention to the person andwhat they live; in the “word whispered in the ear”, expressed

with tenderness and benevolencelike an SMS that has, however, aface and a voice; in listening withone’s whole being that becomes a womb that welcomes and givescompassion.Young people manifest differentfragilities, but they are still open,available and generous. They aresensitive to those who trust them inadvance, signing a blank check.They aspire to authenticrelationships; they are seekers of thetruth. They avoid individualism ifthey encounter educators who knowhow to mature in them their inneryearnings. The spiritual dimensionin young people is present,notwithstanding a few contexts thatdo not help them to develop it. Theyare ready to commit themselves togreat ideals if someone points out tothem, the “precious pearl” involved in their life.They are also in search of thereasons for a life on which to buildtheir own history and have animmense desire to be loved freely,by someone who gives their owntime for them, not considering it tobe “time wasted”.Today’s young people are like those of preceding generations: capable ofgenerosity, solidarity and dedicationif they are motivated by a cause. Itis true that “in every young person there is an accessible point of good”, and this emerges and reachescompletion when the perspectivefrom which we look at them is “…it is enough for me that you are young…”Don Bosco and Mary DomenicaMazzarello did not write treatises.Their educational success was

11

founded on the root of being capableof loving and of allowing themselvesto be loved by the Spirit,and they thus became a livingmanifesto of the love of God, somuch so that the young people ofValdocco and Mornese used to saythat what they saw of beauty waswhat they saw in their educators. Soit was that each of us can say to theyoung people: “My dear ones, you will have a hard time finding anyonewho loves you in Jesus Christ morethan me, and who wants your truehappiness” (Preventive System 79). This is a wish, a challenge, aprovocation , a reality that is alreadyin our hearts, and in our houses andthat always needs to grow.

Five threads that need to beinterwovenThe Chapter deliberations thataccompany our journey towardGCXXII ask that each FMA involvesherself in a “process of vital renewal, in the context of seeking in thereligious life in act in the Church”(Acts GC XXI 43).In the light of this commitment, asthe editors of the DMA magazine,we have chosen to take intoconsideration the reflection of UISG(International Union of SuperiorsGeneral) on religious life today.In the general assembly of May,2007, in which La Madre, MotherAntonia Colombo, also participated,there were brought out 5 preferentialnuclei inherent to the reality thatchallenges the commitment ofconsecrated persons. To expressthem, the approximately 800

participants at the assembly werereminded of the image of 5 threadswith which to weave a newspirituality that generates life andhope in humanity: women, migrants,the sacredness of the earth, thelaity, inter-religious dialogue. Wehave, therefore, assumed the fivethreads as so many spaces in whichto commit ourselves to be signs ofthe gratuitous and all foreseeing loveof God.

Women. This is an area thatinvolves the recognition of thedignity of each and every womanand her advancement, to thedevelopment of reciprocity betweenman and woman as a paradigm forother personal or group relationshipsin contexts marked by diversity.Being signs of the all foreseeing loveof God also requires condemningsituations of exploitation, of abuse,of oppression of women’s rights. It means accompanying the journeysrescued from many forms of povertyand offering a witness of womenwho live their vocation in love and inmaking Jesus the center of theirheart.

Migrants and refugees. The injusticethat we see in various forms createdin us bewilderment and at timesfrustration because of theimpossibility of uprooting it. Ourprophecy of consecrated womenurges us to be open and in the frontlines in discovering the numeroussituations of injustice in the placewere we find ourselves. In manyplaces, the Institute seeks to be aneffective and concrete response to

12

situations, especially that of themigrants, and in many of our workswe network with other organizationsworking on similar fronts.

The sacredness of the earth. Theearth belongs to all and it is unjust tohoard resources to possess, exploit,and pollute in an indiscriminatemanner. Educating ourselves andothers to critical consumerism,being attentive to ecologicalproblems, committing ourselves tosustainable development, areaspects that we can develop in theera of globalization where thenetworks of interdependence ofpeoples and nations must be able torender accessible all the resourcesof the planet.

The Laity. “How are we signs and expressions of the love of God in ourrelationships with the laity?” This is the fundamental question that thedossier will seek to answer. We areever more aware that the laity are anintegral part of the charism of theInstitute. Through them we succeedin having an efficacy ofcommunication and of reachingspecific objectives. The journeytogether with the laity can help usreciprocally in living the evangelicalcouncils according to the vocation ofeach one and in reinforcing one’s proper identity.

Dialogue with the religions of theworld. The diversity of cultures andreligions is to be considered as arichness and not an obstacle, ajourney that allows us to discover indepth what we seek. It invites us to

witness to our own faith with respectto other beliefs and to proclaim theshared conviction of values as thefreedom, recognition of the dignity ofeach human being, peace andreciprocity in relationships. For thisreason is necessary to overcomeprejudices and stereotypes to growin the capacity for dialogue that isclear and detached fromfundamentalism.Weaving these threads together meansgenerating life and hope, giving colorand meaning to our shared journeys andshowing that love can truly continue tosurprise us.

- The need to be loved is presentin every person. The certaintyof being loved is the source ofpeace and of profoundhappiness . Personally or in agroup, find the motives thatsupport these affirmations andillustrate them with actualexperience.

- Take time to travel againthrough your personal history,certain of being a creature whohas always been loved.

- Whoever feels loved, loves.However, loving and expressingone’s own love is difficult. Why ?

- Why do people reach the pointof saying “I don’t feel it” ? What blocks us from within and doesnot allow us to be free to love?(mistrust, fear, timidity, lack ofconfidence, indifference,pride…)

- Which steps are necessary tolearn to truly love?

13

14

The Lamp

On the thresholdGraziella Curti

The first step of the journey towardthe Lectio .

SummaryVatican Council II led to the greatrediscovery of the Word of God, a giftthat this year will be celebrated withthe World Synod on the Bible.Also in the Institute and in personallife, each of us drew closer, day afterday, to this long letter of love thatGod wrote for His people. However,from recent surveys it seems thatthere is still far to go, even amongreligious, to correctly interpret andfully live thelectio divina “that isreading prayed, word prayed, prayermeditated”.In this article we will follow the tracesof the lectio presented by EnzoBianchi in his book Praying theWord, so that we may enter moredeeply into the experience of God, tosavor His presence in order totransmit it with transparency andsimply to others.

Therefore, when you want to immerseyourself in this reading, seek first ofall a place of solitude and silence,where you can pray in secret to theFather until you reach the point ofcontemplating Him.

Usually, we do our lectio in the chapel, aplace of silence that helps us to

penetrate deeply into the text. At times,for various reasons, it is not possible forus to remain in chapel, but our room oranother place that invites us to peaceand solitude are also good, as long aswe feel comfortable, far fromdistractions, in order and possibly with asign (candle, flowers, icon) that favorsprayer.That place becomes sacred because itis there that we encounter God, theLord. We hear his voice; we areeducated by His Word. Possibly, attimes, we will be tempted to go out fromthat solitude, even if only with ourimagination, or we feel the burden ofsilence and reflection. We ask theSpirit’s help so that we may receive firmness and stability, so that we will behelped to conquer the superficiality thatcomes from the Adversary.

A timeSeek the place of the lectio divinaand the time of day that allow forexterior silence, a necessarypreliminary for inner silence.

Usually, morning is the time we dedicateto prayer. It is free from noise andactivity, like a blank space of the soul onwhich the Word of God is more easilywritten. At the hour of dawn, the newday begins. The heart is not yetweighed down with preoccupations andit allows itself to be fascinated by the

15

messages

froma God who wants to speak with Hiscreatures and manifest Himself to them.Let us remember that time is an innerdimension, not a reality unto itself. Itdepends, therefore, on our disposition ofsoul whether we live it more or lessintensely.Fidelity to the chosen time is important.Putting it off until later, or thinking ofshortening it, allowing ourselves to betempted by haste, are alibis thatimpoverish an encounter with theDivine.This indescribable encounter sets thetone for our day.

In silenceSo that God can speak, it isnecessary that everything else keepssilent. The Teacher is here and callsyou.

External silence is not enough. It isnecessary to create a silent area in thesoul. To hear the voice we must silenceother voices, to listen to the Word wemust lower the tone of other words.It has been said that silence is thenovitiate of prayer. All otherpreoccupations remain in thebackground and while they cannot becompletely cancelled, they receive light,and hope for a solution from the Word.Gradually, creating a climate of inner

dwelling, we remain in expectation ofthe silence of the night, bringingthe good news that forms life.

Mary Domenica also….With regard to the biblical lines inthe epistolary correspondence ofMary Mazzarello, Sr. Maria PiaGiudici writes: “You do not see the yeast in good, home-baked bread,yet, it is the reason why the breadis what it should be: genuinenourishment that nurtures us andhelps us to grow. So it is with the

Word of God in the letters of MaryMazzarello”. Something vital, metabolized even though at the time theBible was not a book that was easilyaccessible.”

Why the lectio?In the time of formation to the religiouslife they speak of meditation and all ofus, from our very early years, havelearned to do so with texts that were notalways biblical.The Council led us to the rediscovery ofthe word of God as a gift for allbelievers. In particular it has helped usto rediscover the method of the lectiodivina that is: “- more than reading, a term that is toosuperficial;- less than study, a term that is toointellectual;- different from meditation, a term thatis, at times, too pietistic ”Lectio divina signifies the Wordprayed, a type of drawing close to theBible, that helps us to encounter Christ.“ In our approaching Scripture we must not, in fact, seek the manifestation of anidea or of a growth of awareness, butrather a commitment between ourselvesand God, between the One who speaksto us and we who listen to Him. Wemust, therefore, draw near to form analliance.

16

The Gospel in life

To exemplify thelectio divina, i.e., aWord that enters into life, in thisarticle we will report homilies ofAngelo Casati, pastor of a church inMilan.

The intriguing words of anarration

Every year his parents would goto Jerusalem for the Passovercelebration. When he was twelveyears of age, they went upaccording to their custom andhaving spent the time ofcelebration, they decided toreturn. The child Jesus remainedin Jerusalem without theirknowledge. They thought that hewas with the group so theytraveled a whole day then startedlooking for him among theirrelatives and friends. They didnot find him, so they went back toJerusalem to look for him. (Luke2, 41-45)

The family of Nazareth.Each year in the liturgy we hear theselection from Luke, a selection thatspeaks of loss and discovery.Perhaps someone would suggest achange because the family does notcome off looking very well. A fatherand mother lose their son and thenwhen they find him his answer issomewhat impertinent according toour idea. It is a family far from thecolored holy cards and luckily, quiteclose to the color of life. Therefore,

we may mirror ourselves andcompare.If you allow me, reading over theselection again and running the riskof being partial, I allowed myself towonder a bit about the words of thisnarration.

To go upThe first word that holds a certainattraction for me is that of “to go up”.“Having gone up according to custom to the celebration inJerusalem…” Certainly, the word speaks of a material going up. Thecity is on high and the pilgrims whogo to visit it, the holy city, intoned thepsalms of ascension, of climbing up.But this word is intriguing becausealong with the physical desire ofgoing up, it evokes a spiritual desireof rising. And I think that this waswhat urged Mary and Joseph to setthemselves out toward Jerusalem,and I think that this is the desire thaturges many of us each Sunday, togo with our families toward the HolySupper that is celebrated. It is adesire to rise! To go higher, and tolook at life from on high, as Godlooks at it. Shaking off the contagionof our poor vision, of our courtyardsquabbles, of our breathless acts.We go to breathe. To breathesomething different, somethinggreat. We go to breathe God.

To ReturnAnd ‘returning’…Another word of thenarration. They returned. And Ithink that they had prayedwell…Mary and Joseph and even that son! Then, too, it was not anextemporaneous act for them…there

17

was a continuity. “Each year ...” it is written. And perhaps it was likelythat for them and all the pilgrims thepriest would have opened wide hisarms in blessing. He might havesaid: “May God let His face shine upon you and give you His peace!” We all know what happened on thatreturn trip. Yet, they had beenblessed. This means that havinggone up did not save you fromanything. Life is life. No one cantake from you days of loss, ofstorm…

To seekAnd there is another word… “to seek…” that son. This is also an important word in our life; to seek.Life as seeking…andwhat makes itmore important is what you seek.Whether you seek things or persons.More things or more persons?Because seeking persons is thegreatest. But also with regard toseeking and seeking persons,something disconcerting happens.Did they or did they not know thatson? How was it possible that fordays they looked for him in mistakenplaces? A family of saints! Yet, themystery of another person alwaysexceeds. Always goes beyond, isalways there where, at first glance,you do not imagine it to be. It is to be

sought after and respected. Andfinding Jesus, they stopped. Theymoved with bated breath. He wasthere, paused, within, within thetemple, and better yet, within aninner place, where he had to remain:“Did you not know that I must beabout my Father’s business?” And this, you see (I am saying somethingthat seems obvious but is, in reality,revolutionary) this decides whetherwe are “within” or “outside of”. Whether we are or are not in thethings of God, in God’s Will. To go downThe last word of this, my reflection,is an allusion. Our translation says:“He returned with them to Nazareth.” The Greek text says: “He went down with them toNazareth.” It is the descent of the Incarnation.Descending within humanity alsosignifies descending to the limits thatdescribe all humanity. Your parentsare not perfect. Neither are Maryand Joseph. He went down withthem. Loving nother persons asthey were. It means loving illusions,our illusions. This son, this Son ofGod, teaches us. He teaches alsoby His descending.

18

dialogueWitnesses to ReconciliationBruna Grassini

Taizé house of dialogue.“A formidable cry for love ” without limits or calculations,without a lessening the truth, withoutdiscrimination. The Church must beready to support dialogue with all peopleof good will because no one isextraneous to its heart; no one is itsenemy.We allude to children worthy of ourrespect : the Jewish people, our elderbrothers in the faith. To the faithfulMuslims and the believers of differentreligions, worthy of esteem for whatthey, in their worship of God have ofgood and true.”

Pope Paolo VI

August 1940. Frère Roger is twenty-fiveyears old. He arrives at Taizé alone,after having overcome the long illnessthat had stricken him at the age of 16. Itwas pulmonary tuberculosis and he hadvarious relapses. This had allowed himto read much , to pray and to discoverhis vocation.“ Those years of illness”, he wrote,“allowed me to understand that the source of happiness does not lie inhaving many gifts or of being one forwhom everything is easy, but in thehumble gift of self to understand otherswith goodness of heart.” These were the war years. Hewelcomed the refugees, particularly theJews. He dreamed of creating acommunity that would be like a“parabola of communion”.After two years he met the first brotherswho wanted to live with him. Today theyare far more than the hundredfold,spread throughout twenty-five countriesof the world. They make promises ofpoverty, and hospitality and they live insmall fraternal communities.They are an authentic symbol forthousands of young people. They pray,work, cultivate values of peace, and ofsolidarity and they are witnesses to“unity” in the Lord.Meanwhile the consequences of the warwere ever heavier. Many refugeesreached the little community of Taizé;others were prisoners in two Germanconcentration camps. The war leftmany orphans and Frère Roger calledhis sister Genevieve to assist thechildren.The secret of the acceptance of somany people coming from the wholeworld is an essential, evangelicalChristian message, one of trust, one ofpassion for the Church.The young people who come to Taizéfind peace of heart. It is a peace that

19

unites and has an echo not only in them,but also in others.Frère Roger wrote “ Frequently the young people tell me: ‘I do not know how to pray’ I want to respond to all of them ‘If you have within yourself the humble desire to love God, the simpledesire for God is already a beginning ofthe faith…’”

An ecumenical vocation1958. Cardinal Gerlier, Archbishop ofLyons presents Frère Roger to PapaGiovanni XXIII.It was a decisive encounter that markeda turning point in the future of the historyof Taizé.The “Good Pope” invited him to participate in Vatican Council II. Fromthat time on many young people ofdifferent nationalities and religionsbegan to spend time at the hilltop.“From the very first encounter”, wrote Frère Roger, “we had the certainty of feeling loved and understood. JohnXXIII impressed an indelible sign on us.Because of him we left our solitude, andspringtime entered into our community.Without knowing it, the Pope had raisedfor us part of the veil of the mystery ofthe Church.” Azish is a young Indian Hindu with avolcano of ideas. He is generous. Heasks only a word for his heart. And the“father” gives him the WORD: “I love you with an unending love.” It is the message to be brought to all, especiallythose far away, those who are mostalone.Vienna Cathedral: The young peoplewelcome Frère Roger on the vigil of his

longest journey, one that will bring himto China. Along with the young peoplehe asks God for peace and brotherhoodfor all people. In the desert of the heartof the world there is an unspokenquestion: “How can we overcome the divisions, the lack of understanding, tostrengthen bonds of friendship betweenChristians and Muslims united by faith inthe one God of Abraham? The wallseparating the East and the West, theChristian and Islamic world, the Northand South of the world is too high.”

The ecumenical journey is made up ofpatience, charity and trust and requiresthe humble witness of a united Church,one that is prayerful and visiblywelcoming.The way is still long, but we need to“stretch” our steps. “What counts”, said a young cloistered Sister, “is the journey, not the arrival. The waybecomes a life-experience. We need tolook one another in the eye.”Christ came for all, wrote Edith Steinbefore dying in the concentration campat Auschwitz.At the crossroads of a civilization thatadvances toward us, Christians findthemselves without defenses,weakened, because of divisions. Wemust rediscover unity so that the life ofGod will illumine the world.In August, 2005, young people gatheredin the meadow at Marienfeld. Theycame from all parts of the world andthey sang the songs of Taizé with PopeBenedict XVI. These were simplemelodies, canons that in their repetitionguarded a secret: they were one wayof listening to God.

20

ARIANNA’S LINECan optimism be learned?Maria Rossi

Under a style of optimism1 and joy thatcharacterizes the FMA communities,lately there seems to be a certainpessimistic tendency that is infiltrating.This is especially true in reference to thefuture. The reasons, both internal andexternal to the Institute, are not lacking.Almost on a daily basis the means ofcommunication present situations ofwar, warfare and assassinations,exploitation of children, of women, of theearth and atmospheric pollution, politicalcorruption, unlawful experimentation onembryonic stem cells and human life,robberies, suicides and homicides…In the Institute we are doing much tocounteract these destructive currentsand to offer positive responses toemerging problems. There are notlacking, however, a few tendencies thatoffer a pessimistic reading, such as thenumerous deaths and some departuresthat influence the diminution of numberand the advancing age of the Sistersthat lead us to increase retirementcenters and reduce those in the activelife, and to adapt environments,initiatives, and the rhythm of work, andto occupy time in assisting Sisters indifficulty.Closing active houses with the passingto lay management is borne with a long

1 Anyone who wants to know more aboutthe situation can refer to an interesting bookby SELIGMAN E. P. Martin, Learnedoptimism. How to change your mind andyour life, Pocket Books, New York, 1990.The Italian translation is from 1996 and2005 by Editrice Giunti di Firenze with thetitle: Imparare l’ottimismo. Come cambiarela vita cambiando il pensiero. In this bookyou will also find tests and exercises tomeasure your optimism and/or pessimism.

trail of suffering. At times, caring forelderly and infirm Sisters is felt to betime taken away from the educationalactivity and not, therefore, according tothe charism. For the young Sisters it isnot easy to live enthusiastically and tocontain a step that would like to movefaster. For those who find themselvesbearing the burden of authority,counseling the needs of others andmaintaining a high educationalcommitment that becomes more andmore demanding and that constitutesthe charism of the Institute, is not aneasy task.In observing the situation especially insome countries, some shake their headsand recite a somewhat pessimisticlitany: “Things are getting worse and worse!”The daily commitment of the educationalcommitment becomes more and more ofa struggle.The obedient, respectful, studious,grateful young people who love thehouse are becoming rarer. So it is withunited families, those founded on thesacrament of matrimony andcollaboration are becoming theexception rather than the norm.In the face of this picture, is it possibleto cultivate positive thought, to be reallyoptimistic?

Between optimism and pessimism

Life reserves for everyone withoutdistinction adversities and tragedies, butwhen faced with these, not everyonereacts in the same manner. Pessimists,having a dark picture of themselves, ofthe future and of the world, tend towardtragic and catastrophic interpretations,feelings of impotence, giving up andgiving in to passivity. Optimists ,instead, tend to look at time and spacerelatively with regard to the negative andsee the positive aspects present in

21

events, and they do not allowthemselves to be overwhelmed by theanguish that immobilizes a person.They tend to reawaken creativity andwork to repair or improve situations.We stand in the great Cemetery ofPadua, before the tombs of manySisters from various Institutes who diedduring recent years. One Sister says:“Look at the tragedy. Shortly there will not be any more Sisters”. Another observes : “How many Sisters celebrated their fidelity to God andthemselves.” In community, while observing a Sister moving slowly as sheleans on a cane a Sister speaks withanguish in her voice and says : “We are really a community of old people.” And another responds: “Yes, its true, but many still competently carry out work inimportant sectors with dignity. Andthen, there are some youngSisters.”

Why is it that some people almostalways emphasize tragic and negativeaspects while others see and bring outthe positive?Some psychological theories that oncehad much success, such as thebehaviorism of Skinner and Freudianpsychoanalysis, have attempted toexplain the phenomenon throughdifferent mechanisms of conditioning.Actually, even though it has beenbypassed by later studies, they stillutilize the Western way of thinking. Itfrequently happens that they attributethe way of a person’s acting to the environment in which he/she lived, or anaffective lack and unresolved infantileconflicts, or heredity.With this type of attribute, there is adominant idea that if the person is ill-tempered, aggressive, incapable, it isbecause they had been conditioned to itand therefore they could not change.Whoever believes that they are the fruitof this conditioning, feeling impotent, will

never do anything, thus demonstratingthe truth of this theory.A family I knew attributed the capriciousbehavior of a grown child (10 years ofage) to the fact that she had beenpremature and lived in an incubator for amonth. The child, believing that it wastrue for the same reason and hearingherself criticized, but also justified, madeno effort to improve her now unsuitablebehavior. The gradual conviction on thepart of the parents and the girl, that theincubator did not determine the behaviorand that this could change by setting inmotion a few strategies and a certaincommitment, led them to overcome thealibi of the incubator and led to suitablebehavior.Changing the way we think, as a title ofthe author indicated at the beginningsuggests and to which we refer, we canchange our life.The pessimistic person, believing thatthey are totally conditioned andtherefore impotent, gives in tocomplaining and therefore does notchange. The optimist knows that theyare conditioned by the environment, bytheir way of life and relationships, butbelieving and feeling that they are nottotally so nor only negatively, usessuitable strategies to overcome theobstacle or to improve an alreadypositive situation. Generally whoeverfeels responsible for his/her life andfuture is not a puppet, nor the fruit ofenvironment or chance, feels betterphysically, has greater success andsatisfaction in work, in relationships andeven in sports.

Optimism can be learnedOptimism can be cultivated and learnedat any age. It does not sprout like amushroom overnight. It requiresattention and a certain commitment.Given the sense of well-being that itbrings, even if a person believes to be

22

pessimistic by nature, they can attemptthe venture.The pessimistic lifestyle can berecognized by the habit of thinking ofnegative events in the terms always andnever. A Sister says to a friend :”The Sister in charge of …always scolds me.I can never please her”. And another: “Our community always gets worse andworse. The Sisters are neverpunctual.”By preference the optimist uses theterms sometimes, recently, when she istired, and never generalizes time, butsees it in a relative way. Instead of:”She never greets”, she says to her friend, “Lately you pass by withoutgreeting. Perhaps you are tired orpreoccupied.” Or “When she is tired,the person in charge tends to scold me.Sometimesit is not easy to please her.”The behavior of difficult people isevaluated by the terms always andnever. Even the most optimistic peoplehave moments of anguish, ofdiscomfort, of pessimism. Knowing howto put it in perspective, aside from bettercorresponding to reality, it makes lifemore serene and livable. If then onesucceeds seeing the situation and timesthat make us and others cranky, sad,aggressive, creating ill-feeling anddiscomfort, one can seek to prevent orhandle the problem in a better way.The pessimist, in addition to giving thegeneralizing response of time as alwaysand never, also tends to generalizespace. Faced with a mistaken responsethat reduces the possibility ofprogressing in one’s career, one speaks in anguish saying: “I’m a total failure, I’m stupid.́ the optimist instead thinks : “I gave a stupid answer. Next time I’ll be more careful”. Stupidity is thus attributed to the mistaken response, notto the person.Pervasive negative responses are verydangerous if used in the educationalenvironment or even against oneself.

Frequently we hear a teacher, who, afterhaving given explanations and exercisesstill finds errors in the student’s work, say “You’re a donkey. You don’t understand anything.” A teacher, precisely because she is such, mustnote and correct student errors, but thiscan be done in a non-invasive manner.One can always say: “You made three stupid mistakes” and not “You are stupid or you are a donkey”. And also: “You’re not that great in sports, but foreverything else you’re a champion!” So it is that a teacher who forgetssomething important during anexplanation can always say: “I have to check my sources better next time”. And not “I have no more memory. I’m not good for anything. I shouldn’t even be teaching”.The child who frequently hears : “You’re stupid”, might convince themselves that they are and they will no longer try to dotheir best. Luckily, beyond those who,believing this, give in to conditioning,there are also those who, havingfinished school, even challengethemselves, and succeed in expressingtalents that had been previously buried.Einstein is a classic example.It is necessary not to mistake optimismfor that superficial way of acting thatdoes not take into account difficultiesand negative aspects, thinking that all isgoing well. A pinch of pessimism,especially when there are in playchoices that involve persons or thatinterfere in complex situations, couldserve to tone down excessive optimismand made it wary and prudent.Cultivating wise, prudent optimism,beyond a human ideal, is a help torender life in the community moreserene and livable and to facilitate thecommitment to manifest to the world“the all-foreseeing love of the Father”.

23

Mozambique (MOZ).

The province of “St,John Bosco”ofMozambique was canonicallyerected on January 24, 1992.The first Sisters arrived in 1952 andoccupied themselves with boardingschools, primary and secondaryschools, the formation of the girls formarriage, health centers andpastoral activity.In the beginning, the first housesbelonged to Spain and then toPortugal.With the independence ofMozambique in 1975, the FMApresence became a Delegation,directly dependent on the Center. In1984 it became a pre-province andin 1992, combined the houses ofMozambique and Angola. InJanuary2004 thehouses ofAngolawere

separated.

THE FMAToday, the Sisterspresent in 10communitiesnumber 52. 24 are

missionaries, 28 Mozambiquenatives and 4 are novices.

The Main WorksThe Sisters work in various fields.They work for the integral educationof childrend and young people in themost disadvantaged communities,including that of the children of thestreets. They conduct nurseryschools, primary, secondary, pre-university, professional schools andboarding schools.They provide welcome centers andhelp for children in situations at riskby developing their capacity,favoring basic hygiene courses, childculture, culinary arts, literacycourses and other. They promotecultural and sports activity,implementing strategies to integrate

children of thestreets intothe family,society andwork.

24

If you want to arrivefirst, run alone.If you want to go far,walk together.(African Proverb)

Our presence

Chiúre–Casa Mary MazzarelloNursery school, literacy courses foradults, teaching in the state school,library open to the public. ,

Pemba–Casa Mary Help ofChristians6 nursery schools, literacy andformation centers, direction of thediocesan primary school.

Nampula–Casa Sr. EusebiaPalominoResidence for university students,literacy courses for adults, nurseryschools, collaboration in the public andCatholic Universities, catechesis andyouth ministry, welcome center for girlsin vocational discernment.

Moatize–Casa Vera OcchienaAdministration of the District hospital,care for malnourished children,professional education in a privateschool, welcome center for youngstudents, free time animation.

Inharrime–Casa Laura VicuñaWelcome center for children at risk,literacy school for adults, secondaryschoolMaputo: Casa S. John Bosco

Province activities, hospitality fortransient Sisters, support for thetheological seminary, parish catechism,welcome center for Sister students.

Maputo Jardim–Casa MotherRosetta MarcheseTwo nursery schools, literacy school,direction of the Don Bosco School andprofessional center, primary. Secondary,pre-university school for girls.

Maputo InfuleneBoarding school and promotionalactivities for girls of the street,elementary school, oratory and parishcatechesis .

Namaacha–Mary Help of ChristiansSchoolNursery school, complete primaryeducation, secondary school,professional courses, free timeeducation.

Namaacha–Casa St. John Bosco–NovitiateFMA formation, assistance to theMacuacua community, youth ministry..

25

26

Cooperation and Development

For Efficacious Solidarity

Mara Borsi

The increased awareness of thesuffering of persons and peoplesforced to live in miserynotwithstanding the great progressof science and technology, invitesthe Institute to coordinate withtransparency its service to theintegral development in solidarity ofhuman life.This section intends to explore thereality of international cooperationand at the same time to present someprojects carried out on differentcontinents by FMA communitiescommitted tof making solidarityconcrete.

In only a few years the reality of thecooperation to development in theInstitute has grown notably and hasmotivated the drawing up of thedocument Cooperation forDevelopment. Guidelines for the FMAInstitute. The text, recently published indifferent languages, has re-affirmed thateducation is the key to the developmentof the person and of peoples and hasrenewed the dedication of the FMAcommunities in meeting with the poorestamong us, the commitment for justiceand the appreciation of culture inharmony with the journey of the Churchand religious life, more and morecharacterized by the dimension ofjustice and peace. The Institutepromotes networks of solidarity amongthe educatingcommunities, the Salesian Family andother educational forces in the territoryto restore dignity and hope to the

younger generations and in particular togirls and young women.International cooperation and solidarityare seen today as the litmus test for thatwhich might be defined as internationaljustice.In confronting the existing model fordevelopment, the Institute proposes avision of cooperationfor the development that is inscribed inthe view of anthropology in solidarity,inspired by Christianhumanism and the social Magisterium ofthe Church.During the official presentation of thedocument, La Madre said that theinspiring criteria for our acting in thissector is the love of Christ that rendersus daring and at the same time humblein service, that prevents the temptationof falling into generalizing ideologies orof taking refuge in inertia because ourstrength is not equal to the proportions

27

of the need and to the causes thatnourish it.

The different faces of thecommitment

In the Institute there is a rich and diversifiedreality. On all continents there are:

-Non-governmental organizations(NGO), foundations, associationsand cooperatives which, underdifferent titles, interest themselveswith advancement and developmentthrough international cooperationprojects in different sectors;

- Micro-projects for development thatsupport micro-economies,especially in Asia, Africa and LatinAmerica, frequently linked toprofessional schools, groups ofwomen, and families. In someplaces they are being transformedinto pre-cooperatives or formallyconstituted cooperatives.

- Micro-credit experiences;responses to emergencies.

The attention of the FMA communitiesworking in this field is focused on putting intoaction choices and decisions to safeguardthe respect of the rights of each person, nomatter where they live in the world. Fromhere there flows the care and defense of thatwhich is defined as the common good, notsubject to privatization, not available for thegreater world market. Water, food,education, health and freedom areexpressions of a right for all.

The person at the center

During recent years and on the basis ofmany experiences, there has emerged inthe Institute the awareness that cooperationfor development could become the startingpoint for global change of politics, economyand culture if we would know how to be moreattentive to people than to structures andinfrastructures.

Fr. Louis Lebret, one of the persons whoinspired the encyclical PopulorumProgressio, during a dinner with politicians,bankers and entrepreneurs, asked them todefine development. The responses wentfrom per capita income, to the number ofhospital beds, from km of paved roads perinhabitant, to capital invested ininfrastructures. At the conclusion of theconversation Fr. Lebret said: “Development means guaranteeing the happiness ofpeople.” The variegated reality in which oneexpresses the commitment of the educatingcommunity for cooperation is a sign of theforeseeing love that seeks to offer to themost disadvantaged young peopleconditions for human growth that open tohorizons of hope.The poor, those excluded from socialopportunities are not “a problem”, but persons capable of building for themselvesand for others a new, more humane future.A young African Sister wrote: “When I see the determination of young Africans whoface even death in order to get to Europe, Ithink that the commitment to micro-economies, to micro-credit is in vain. Theirleaving is one way of fighting. Fighting tolive, to be able to dream. For many youngpeople leaving has become a life project. Itis not easy to stop anyone who is readyto die. An African proverb says: ‘Whenants get together, they can move anelephant.’ We are like little ants, calledto build the story of our world. One isnever alone when he/she holds a dreamto be realized”.Through the document Cooperation toDevelopment the Institute intends toguide the educating communities to therecognition of the means andpossibilities to contribute, even in asmall way, toward the building of a storythat is more just. A bit more human.

28

Consecrated Life and HumanRights

Let my people go out of Egypt (Ex3, 7-10)

Julia Arciniegas

Today, as in the times of Moses, Godlistens to the cry of the oppressed, ofthe victims of the new slavery. To freethem He chooses to send men andwomen who, according to a multiplicityof charisms, dedicate themselvesradically to the cause of His Kingdom.From the passion of God there flows acommitment to human rights...

Moses, pastor and prophet, friend ofGod, spoke with Him face to face. In hisdefense of the oppressed Moses wentthrough a profound spiritual crisis: theinjustice and exploitation that his peoplesuffered was not erased from hismemory. God called him at this pointand revealed to him His own name,making him understand once and for allthat He was close to man to save him.Then Moses humbly and withunshakable faith accepted theexhausting task of freeing his people.

A cry that rises to God

“The Israelites wailed in their slaveryand their cry arose to God, He listenedto their lament and reminded them ofHisAlliance…

God“observed” the oppression thatweighed upon His people, He“heard” their cry and knew the suffering of Hisown, those who lived in poverty andhumiliation. For this reason He“descended” and entered into their storyof pain to intervene in it. To this aim He“chose” His name,“sent”, “accompanied” “sustained”. “I will be with you”.

God is not insensitive to the needs ofmen and women of all times. Heconstantly raises up persons who, inlove, take on the cause of those who arecrushed by life’s difficulties. God does not tolerate His image to be profaned byoppression, or human rights to betrodden underfoot with impunity.

Passion for God, passion forhumanity

The theme of the Congress onConsecrated Life (2004) is still alivetoday not only in the hearts of those whoparticipated, but especially in thecommitment that each day urges manyconsecrated persons to take it on, innew and old frontiers, for thosedisenfranchised throughout history.Communion with God is much moreprofound; the dedication with which theyserve the cause of His Kingdom is muchgreater. For this reason, from the verybeginning of His prophetic ministry,Jesus declared His mission: to proclaimthe good news to the poor, to proclaimfreedom to prisoners, to give sight to theblind, to free those who areoppressed… (Cfr Lk 4, 14-21). In Hiswords and in His work there is presentthe strength of God who wants to savemankind and who comes to save it.Entering into the drama of countlessmiseries, Jesus bends down to all Hiscreatures, beginning from the neediestand those poor in love. He indicateswhere the freedom and dignity of theperson stand: not in possessing, but inbeing the images of God (cfr PF 21).

The mission of those who are called tofollow Jesus more closely is, therefore,a service to the dignity of the person in adehumanized society, because the firstand most serious poverty of our times isthat of indifferently trodding humanrights underfoot. With the dynamism oflove, of forgiveness and reconciliation

29

they choose to build in justice a worldthat offers new and better possibilitiesfor life and the development of personsand peoples.

So that this mission may be realized inharmony with the style inaugurated byJesus it is necessary to have the spirit ofthe poor, purified of egoism, ready tocarry out a service of peace and non-violence, in an attitude of solidarity andfull of compassion for the suffering ofothers (cfr RdC, 35). It is necessary tohave a new imagination in charity (NMI,50), rooted in contemplation, in abelieving reading of reality, to be able tohelp the poor and impoverished to gainreal recognition, that of human rights.

This is the experience of so manyconsecrated persons who leave thesecurity of the known to launchthemselves toward unknownenvironments and occupations. Withthe courage of love and trust in the Lordof life they are free to intervenewherever there are critical situations, ashas been shown by recent foundationsin Countries that present particularchallenges. Thus there are spreadingexamples and experiences of fraternalcommunities in solidarity, prayerful anddaring, constant in good and vigilant incompassion, prophetic in initiatives andjoyful in hope (cfr RdC, 36; VC, 108).One of the aims of this article is that ofbringing to light in the Word of God theface of a Samaritan consecrated life andsharing the actual possibilities that we,FMA, have to make heard our voice todefend the rights of the human person,particularly the young. The prophecy ofthe charism urges us to undertakenetworking with groups of the SalesianFamily, with other religious Institutesand inter-congregational organizationsto offer meaningful responses.

After a quarter of a century spent inhelping those who have beencondemned to death, Sr. Helen Prejeanis still convinced that only the encounterwith persons “ready” for execution changes the heart. “As long as we judge them as monsters, the deathpenalty will continue. However, if weenter into the arms of death andencounter those men and women, thenwe will understand that it is no longerpossible to allow a State to kill itscitizens”. When she was asked about her commitment to those condemned todeath, Sr. Helen, a member of theInstitute of the Sisters of St. Joseph ofMedaille, thinks back: It was April 5,1984. After the execution of PatrickSonnier (the prisoner played by SeanPenn in the film Dead Man Walking) mymission started. I wanted to show to thecondemned a face of God’s love, explaining to the people that assassinswere also people and for this reason thedeath penalty was mistaken. The centerof my commitment is that all questionslinked to life are connected and downdeep there is the dignity of the person”. (From L’Avvenire, 19.09.07)

“Give us eyes to see the needs and sufferings of others; infuse in us thelight of your word to comfort theweary and the oppressed, grant thatwe may honestly commit ourselvesto the service of the poor and thesuffering.(From the Eucharistic Prayer VC)

30

Photo Click

Your Most BeautifulPhotos…

This section is a space forthe expressions of youngpeople through photographyand a few short reflectionson the theme of life andhappiness, of friendship, ofhuman rights.

This section is where thephotos of those whoparticipate in the contest willbe published …those we print now are onlyexamples…

For contest information writeto:dmanews1@cgfma.org

Life:“Today say to the created ‘Speak to me of your Creator’. In the future world God will tell you ‘Speak to me of my created” (Sha’rani)

Friendship“How empty this worldwould be if we only showedmountains, rivers and cities! Butknowing that out there also existssomeone who is in harmony with us,someone with whom, even insilence, continues to live…this alone transforms the earth into aninhabited garden”. (Goethe)

31

Beauty:“Youth is happy because it has the capacity to see beauty.Whoever is in condition to maintainthe capacity to see beauty will nevergrow old” (Franz Kafka)

Human Rights:“I have always known that I have been guided andin times of darkness I have turned toGod to show me the way. Thoughwe are a small community, we areconvinced that we have greatstrength, the strength of a little seedthat pushes through rocks” (BrunoHussar)

Friendship: “If you want to be a friend, tame me! You must bevery patient. In the beginning sitat a distance from me, there onthe grass. I will look at you fromthe corner of my eye, and you willnot say anything. Words are asource of misunderstanding. Buteach day, you may come a little bitcloser…” (A. de Saint-Exupéry,The Little Prince)

32

The Meaning of PoliticsAnna Rita Cristaino

The word Polis that gives its name toour article comes from the Greek andit means city. It is the term chosen tobe able to deal with the main themesthat concern us as citizens of ourCountries.Let us begin with a question on themeaning of politics.The term “politics” that is “the art of governing society” seems to have lost its deepest meaning and is oftenused with negative accents. Butpolitics rediscovers its meaningwhen it is at the service of thecommon good and is not merely thesum of the individual good ofpersons. It is “that harmonious whole of conditions of social life thatallow the collective and singlemembers to reach their ownperfection more fully andrapidly(…)The person cannot find fulfillment only in self and leaveaside others, but being “with” and “more” for others (Compendium ofthe Social Doctrine of the Church,n° 164-165).Therefore, the horizon of politics isthe integral person and therelationship with all that allows all tobe and to live in full dignity.John Paul II, at the EcclesialCongress of Palermo in 1995, saidthat the Church must not and doesnot want to involve itself with a fewchoices of public or party alliances,but this does not mean renouncingthe cultural and critical support of

Catholics on themes dear to thesocial doctrine of the Church, suchas respect for persons and humanlife, the family, scholastic freedom,solidarity, and the promotion ofjustice and peace. In the encyclicalof Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas est,we find written in N. 29 that theimmediate task of the faithful laity is“to work for a just order in society”.It is important, therefore, to considerthe socio-political commitment to beintrinsic to the Christian vocationbecause all that belongs to thehuman being calls out to theChristian.As FMA we are called to look at theprofound meaning of politics, asproposed by the social doctrine ofthe Church. The ethics of livingtogether and the seeking of thecommon good will be much moresolid if we entrust them especially tothe formation of persons who arestrong on the level of the ethics ofsensitivity. It is important to supportyoung people in giving themselves areason for their existence in theworld and in the meaning of sociallife. The dominant culture proposesto young people that they exoneratethemselves from responsibility, butthis type of citizenship tends to makethem available only for the exchangeof goods, to relationships mediatedby money and to an incorrect use oftime, to a sad consumption of life.The interest for politics, instead,calls upon young people to assumeresponsibility for their own time,giving them a direction, a style, asense of existence that cannot bedeprived of the gift of gratuity.

33

34

youngpeople. com

Second Life. Your world, yourimagination.Maria Antonia ChinelloLucy Roces

An imaginary three-dimensional onlineworld,created by and the property of itsinhabitants...It is not a role-playing game,but a true and proper online life on theNet...It is a virtual world similar to the realone, where one may find work to life,study, go out into the city with friends,shop, frequent places, swim in a pooland much, much more…

Virtual worlds are not a novelty. Fromthe time of childhood each of us has hadimaginary friends and we played at“make believe that…” Today, television allows us to have other representativeexperiences, without speaking ofvideogames, science fiction films withtheir “other” dimensions…this is why Second Life is not completely new.Second Life (abbreviated as SL) is avirtual world on the Internet that wasdeveloped by Linden Research, Inc(also known as Linden Labs) andlaunched on the Net in 2003. Thewidespread aspect, however, cameabout toward the end of 2006 and thebeginning of 2007 when the softwareThe Second Life Viewer allowed forinteraction between users, allowingthem to converse, participateindividually or in groups and activitiesand events, create and exchangeobjects and services. From thatmoment on, Second Life became animmense social space.In October of 2007, Second Life counted10,215.849 members. The growth was

estimated to be 500,000 users a month.The role playing was changed into asystem of communication for real lifecompanies: Adidas, Nike, MercedesBenz, IBM, and Apple are only a few ofthe “important” names that strategically use Second Life for their diffusion.Even cities and public corporations havedecided to land on this virtual reality:Milan, Assisi, New York, Dublin, andLondon. So have approximately 125schools and universities. Whoever isinterested in sharing and communicationon educational topics can register at thisaddress: http://lists.secondlife.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/educators.According to researchers. Second Lifewill become an actual extension of webspaces, integrating it and in many casessurpassing its potential. The means ofcommunicating are the same as thoseof real life: signs, posters, street signs,organization of events in addition to theadvantages of virtuality (low cost,measurable results in real time).

Vita in Second Life

What do you do in Second Life? Wefound the answer in the Guide to VirtualLife (http://www.secondlife.com): “One can be in SL without having a precise

35

aim. You do not collect points, there isno obligatory way, each playerestablishes his/her own strategy, goingfrom business to poetry, moving along inany way that comes to mind, and all ispossible or at least almost so. Money,though useful, is not necessary. Onedoes not die, does not get tired, doesnot eat or drink. The only limits aredictated by respect for the other players.For many aspects, SL is similar to reallife (RL) and depends on what you feellike doing or what you want from it. Youmay look at the richness or simply be atourist (and it definitely costs less thanRL). Pack your suitcase, visit placeswhere you find free stuff, made byfriends, learn to move about, usegestures to emphasize conversations inchat, try to learn quickly how tocommunicate with others, and see howothers communicate among themselves.Commit yourself, if you like, to learn therudiments to build, to color and toprogram!”Why does DMA speak of Second Life?Because we believe that this, too, is aneducational resource to get to know andto visit. Have a good journey with us.

Second Life DiaryI finally did it. Here I am in SL! It wasnot difficult to get here. I onlyneeded a handful of clicks and then Ihad to pay attention to theinstructions. First of all I went to theofficial Second Life site(http://www.secondlife.com), and clickedon JOIN NOW for the registration.

1. First Name refers to the nameof your avatar and this will beyour future identity in the game.The Last Name will be offeredto you. You can choose onefrom a list.

2. Insert your birth date. SL isvery strict on this point. If youare a minor, use

Teen Second Life.3. Indicate your e-mail.4. If all information is correct, you

will be offered 12 types ofavatars. Choose your genderand your initial aspect. There’s nothing definite; you can alwayschange it.

5. Indicate your name, surname,gender and nationality.

6. Choose a password.7. Insert your anti-spam code.8. Choose your type of

registration: premium or free.9. We are at the final point. You

will receive an e-mail with yourregistration confirmation and thewebsite where you candownload the program.

10. Install the program and wait afew seconds. You will seeinstructions telling you to insertyour name and password. Doso. Click on connect: Welcometo a new world!

By the way…my name is AdelphiePastorelli

36

THE POINT

The Seeds of PeaceAnna Rita Cristaino

This article proposes to focus attentionon a few actual facts of general interest.Let us begin with Peace. There aremany events that invite us to do so.First of all, there was the World Day ofPeace that was recently celebrated, onthe theme: The Human Family,Community of Peace, in which the Popetells us that all people are called to liveand feel that theyt are part of the humanfamily conceived by God as acommunity of peace.Another important event was theInternational Meeting For a WorldWithout Violence: religions and culturein dialogue among representatives ofdifferent religions. It took place lastOctober and the opening message fromBenedict XVI sustained that: In therespect for the differences of the variousreligions, we are all called to work forpeace and have a real commitment topromote reconciliation among people.Before a world lacerated by conflict,where, at times, violence is justified inGod’s name, it is more than important than ever that religions can never bevehicles for hatred(…)On the contrary, religions can and must offer preciousresources to build a peaceful humanityso that they speak of peace to the heartof mankind”.From a few journalistic surveys it hasemerged than since September 11,2001, there has been a serious re-arming. Wealthy nations spendapproximately 707 billion dollars a yearin comparison with 107 for publicassistance for development.Multinational arms companies, working

in the shadows and in silence, supportgovernments, institutions, financeuniversities and technologicalresearchers.The Dalai Lama, leader of non-violentresistance in Tibet, instead, proposed anon-violent practice that is based on thepromotion of ethical values: “If we put others before ourselves, each of us willdraw the benefit. Because our neighborneeds happiness as much as we do, wemust never exploit him/her to serve ourown egoistical ends. Aside from anymaterial advantage we might derive, ifwe must share this planet from our birthto death, if we lose the respect, love,friendship and solidarity with oneanother, our lives will be devoid ofmeaning”.The religious leader hopes thatforgiveness will reach the point of beingconsidered as something enormouslyefficacious not only in the private life ofeach individual, but also in the space ofpublic relationships and in the sector ofinternational relationships.Having the good of another at heart isnot a question limited to the interactionbetween individuals. Compassion, likeforgiveness and tolerance to which itgives life, belongs to every sphere ofactivity. Insofar as inner and exteriorpeace existing at the same time, theseare fundamental values for the long termsurvival of humanity. These are thevalues proper to non-violence, but theyare also values that restore meaningand allow us to be authenticallyconstructive.

37

Bookshelf of SitesAnna Mariani

Interesting sites

www.comunitaindialogo.itThe site contains the experience of a“community in dialogue “constituted to say to young people:“You will not die” “Love is the first healing. ”.“Community in dialogue”is anexperience of acceptance and lovefor young people in need. Eachperson has his/her wounds and eachwound shows where love wasmissing. On the site, the Communityproposes to cure these wounds onlywith great love and with theavailability of taking on, at least inpart, the sufferings they bring.

www.ecpat.net

From slaves to children - ECPATInternational is an internationalnetwork of organizations committedin the struggle against every form ofcommercial sexual exploitation ofminors. ECPAT works throughoutthe world and is present in morethan 70 countries. The site containsall the necessary information, tells ofthe children that ECPAT works withand represents an important meansof communication with the rest of theworld. One can read and navigate iteasily.

The whole site can be seen correctlywith any type of existing browser.

www.peacereporter.net

This is an online newspaperthat deals with internationalthemes and a press agencyand editorial service, bornfrom an idea of thejournalistic agency Misna(Missionary Service News

Agency) and thehumanitarian organizationEmergency. Peace Reporteris a particular project in whicheach person puts his/herprofessionalism at thedisposition of an idea: that ofabolishing war. This is donethrough the narration of lifeand death of those whosuffer war and conflict.It is a direct narration withoutideological prejudice. It is anarration to help tounderstand the reality of theworld even for those whohave never occupiedthemselves with war andconflict. It connects realityand persons that the newstends to present as beingdistant and different.

38

A New Pocket Calendar

I saw the surprised, somewhat ironicglance of a young Sister whom Iencountered yesterday. I was quitepleased as I showed her the newpocket calendar that someone hadgiven me. I said: “Look at how nice it is! A new year, a new life”.Perhaps the irony wasmerely…collateral. I believe, instead, that the wonderment wasperhaps motivated by a simple,obvious consideration: “What can you expect of ‘new’, you who have already seen so many New Year’s celebrations?The Sister limited herself to smilinglywished me “Happy New Year” and our encounter was over, because wewere both in a hurry.Later, however, looking at my newlittle calendar (it is a flaming redone!) I said to myself: “Hey, Camilla, move along”. Finally, I said to myself, it is not the case of restingon a mountain of past years when anew one is open before you, withmany blank pages, empty, waiting inexpectation. The space for eachday is, in reality, not much, but mycommitments-those to be jotteddown-are no longer that many.There are many more that occupythe space of my thought and myheart

Like what? With a General Chapterin view on the theme of the all-foreseeing love I can expect a non-

stop commitment for myself and foreveryone else. And it is a task to bepresented to the Lord, even withouta lot of means of information, tocollaborate in the Institute, to write apage that continues the marvelousones written by our Saints (those onthe altar), and many holysisters…those who for 136 years have lived that same spirit under allthe heavens among children andyoung people of every social origin.If I think that all have been “forever loved” by God, by that God who created me and continually watchesover my life, I must also give thislove. It is a commitment that knowsno retirement age and that is carriedout in the little situations of mysimple story, daily enriched by theGift of the Eucharist.What a wonder!My little story becomes a page in thehistory of the Institute: a year ofhistory to be written all new is herebefore me.This is why I am happy about mynew pocket calendar…in addition to the fact that it is also red!And it is with this joy that I wish youa HAPPY NEW YEAR, dear Sisters,so loved by God.

39

a

40

41