LETTERS

LETTERS

Californian
Adventures
Recently, I was asked to work for the Diocese of Sacramento, to work in the Department of Evangelization and Catechesis. After 21 years of teaching high school, I grumblingly told Giorgio Vittadini, “I don’t know anything about evangelizing and catechizing; I only know our charism.” His response was, “What more do you need?!” Thus, I began the adventure of being responsible for the education of the half million or so adult Catholics in a diocese that is spread over 42,000 square miles. Almost immediately, I was overwhelmed. My friend Olivetta told me that when she went to work in the Vatican over almost 30 years ago, Fr. Giussani told her, “Every day that you go there, know that you are the face of CL, the face of our Movement for them.” Thus, I started to go to work with this in mind, begging for this awareness, knowing that the bishops asked me to work with them because, ultimately, what we bear is extremely attractive. My debut in my new position was at the Religious Education Convention in our diocese, where I spoke on the topic, “To Teach is to Set Free,” using the introduction to The Risk of Education. At the end of the hour-and-a-half talk, which was filled to standing room only, the reaction was incredible. People came up to me asking how to find Giussani’s books, asking when it would be possible to continue the discussion, and asking if I would come to speak in their parishes. One woman wrote to me, saying, “I told my catechists last night at our meeting exactly what you told us at the conference about our responsibility of passing on a tradition–of helping our students see what we see.” The next day, I was traveling with the Vicar to a far-off parish and I began to tell her about the talk and the reaction of the audience. She proceeded to ask more about Giussani’s charism, his educational methodology, and about CL in the United States. After a three-hour ride, she proposed that I address the religious orders of the diocese on the charism of CL because, as she put it, “there is so little known about your Movement and it is evident that the Holy Spirit is moving.” Yesterday, I did just that, speaking to 65 members of different religious orders in our diocese and giving them each of copy of Traces. Again, a positive response, and we began planning to have a day of dialogue, as they did in Rome, for all of the movements present in the diocese. Subsequently, the Vicar has asked me to put together a five-part series of courses on Giussani’s methodology for educating for teachers of the Diocese of Sacramento, as well as to speak at the Annual Catholic Schools Teacher’s Convention on the very same topic. I have not yet been at work for two months, and the overwhelming feeling is now accompanied with immense gratitude for this friendship and for the many faces I encounter who hunger and thirst for Christ, whom Giussani has educated us to look at with such tenderness.
Holly, Sacramento

Experiencing
Destiny
Dear Fr. Carron: How can I deny my experience? I’ve majored in theology and philosophy; attended several Catholic conferences, talks, groups, and book clubs; taught high school; and I’ve had beautiful experiences of Christ and companionship. But never I have experienced what I have in the Movement–at the Exercises, the CLU vacation, and particularly in La Thuile. Father, you speak like no one I have ever heard before (I’ve heard many), because you speak so refreshingly from humanity… mine! Your words mirrored my heart. It’s no longer about “getting” the vision of a theologian or synthesizing one for myself, or living off of the perfect talk or spirituality or acting like a saint or simply keeping my devotions and morals. The arresting mountains of La Thuile made me want to cry; the arrival celebration, the food, the responsibles from 71(!) countries, the dialogues at the assemblies, the experience in the interventions, the lesson, your challenging us to verify everything ourselves, the conversations, the cigars, all ripped me out of my depressing humdrum, my yielding to a faith existence of drudgery… This is all for me! He’s present! At night, coming back to my room, I’d reel with joy. It all exceeded my greatest expectations, yet completely corresponded!
I always had deep expectations–wants–that I couldn’t even express, fearing whether they’d ever be given a chance, which I found being articulated, explained, judged, oriented, and lived right before my eyes! I see now life has a zest, an abundance I could only dream of before. It’s all there in reality. I must go to the depths of what I experienced there, as you said. What did I experience, then? My own destiny. My “I” cannot sleep again. My life is changed.
Jonathan, Denver

Flame of Happiness
Dear Fr. Carrón: Marco was born in Italy, but his family and culture are Chinese. With his intense attention and silence, he was a kind of enigma for me in the midst of his turbulent class of third-year middle schoolers entrusted to me by the Principal in September 2005. Foscolo, Manzoni, Leopardi, friendship, choices, destiny… During lessons, he never missed a word, but gave no indication as to whether what I was saying sparked any true interest in him, beyond the purely academic. Then, one day, on the school stairs, in front of all his classmates, he asked me, “Do you think life has meaning?” With this question, life with this class took on a new light for Marco, his classmates, and me. In every lesson, that question was present; we discovered that all the contents of study, like all aspects of reality and ourselves, incredibly, had to do with that question. In the meantime, the dialogue with Marco intensified. During lunch break he would tell me about Eastern traditions, Taoism, Buddhism, and martial arts, and ask me questions about Christianity. I finally told him that if he truly desired to begin to understand something about Christianity, the only road was to stay with those who are already living a deep friendship with Jesus. I proposed the experience of the Seekers of the Grail, and he immediately accepted. He participated in the meetings, bringing along two friends from school, and signed up for the vacation, even though, for one reason or another, none of the kids from our little group could participate. Day after day, I saw him forming friendships, scrambling up mountains (he’d never seen mountains before), taking soccer lessons, teaching kung-fu, engaging in gatherings, singing, dialoguing with the adults…and even performing a wild break-dance. This was his testimony at the assembly: “During this vacation, I’ve made new friends, and together with them I’ve been able to do everything, enlivening my flame of happiness. I have understood better what Christianity is. In fact, this vacation is based precisely on Christianity. Jesus is among us and it is He whom we have to find in the people surrounding us–rather, in everything around us. Naturally, this is different from the religion lessons at school: here, the ‘theories’ are in practice, and are manifested in reality and in the life of every day, hour, minute, and second.”
Manuela, Pesaro, Italy

A Barbarian Age
In the last year and a half, living reality and utilizing it as criterion of the heart, and hence seeking in everything the true call to Christ, my life has changed. Now, in verifying by living what Fr. Giussani transmitted, I happened into a fellow, the husband of a dear friend, in a bar, an ex-Scientologist who’s returned to Christianity, and we began to talk about the faith. I told him about the miracles that had happened in my life and, at a certain point, he said, “Do you want to see a miracle? Stare at that cloud in the sky for a minute!” I said, “Exactly. The cloud in the sky is a miracle because it is a gift of God.” But he said, “No, with the power of my mind I can break it apart; in fact, in a minute it’ll be gone.” I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. Reaffirming my position, I told him that the power of your mind couldn’t even grow one hair on your head, because we are He who makes us, that is, Christ. He was left speechless but, sincerely, his exclamation made me see the position of falsehood many Christians are in, and how much ideologies are truly just the fruit of something evil that, through the proposal of ideas to impose on reality, make man fall back into the ancient temptation of “you can be like God, you can be creators, you can break apart clouds”…what madness! The craving for power that leads to false possession entraps those who, not knowing what the heart is made of, let themselves be bamboozled into these tomfooleries typical of a barbarian age.
Alessandro,
Milan, Italy

The Pope’s Apology
One morning, arriving at our high school, we were particularly struck by a commentary of our physical education teacher about the silence of many Catholics in the recent controversy between the Pope and the Islamic world. This is what he wrote: “Dear Holy Father: We owe you an apology, because we have left you alone in this storm. We adult Catholics, drunk on pacifism, integration, and inter-religious dialogue, have remained silent. The only exception was Communion and Liberation (oh, but these guys hit the target on all the issues!) who, through Fr. Carrón, unequivocally asserted, ‘We stand by the Pope.’ No ifs, ands, or buts. Instead, we stayed silent and listened to the reasoning (?) of those who want to ‘spread their faith with the sword,’ today as yesterday. In my heart, which is neither adult nor one of a CL member, I pray for you and with you, that Christians may once again find the courage and the pride to testify to the one beauty: that of Christ.”
Two high school students, Seregno, Italy

Close to the Pope
I am particularly grateful for what you are doing for the Pope. Living here in the Philippines, it is even more pitiful to see how Christianity finds it difficult to gather together in unity around its Pastor, who is risking everything for the faith. Living here, one understands even better that Europe has abandoned us and that, instead, we need it to continue to witness to the centrality of the faith. The Pope’s words are a great support for the precision and truth they communicate. Thank you, friends of the Movement; I express gratitude to you personally. Be assured of our constant prayers for you and for the Pope.
Sister Giovanna, Prioress of the Trappestine Convent in the Philippines

Giovanni’s
Homework
I’m writing to tell you about my experience of the Solidarity Counter(an outreach center that donates food and supplies to the needy), which I share most closely with the GS students Federica, Annalisa and Benedetto. How true it is that “we go to do charitable work in order to satisfy our own natural need to be concerned for and involved with others.” Through this I have discovered Giovanni, a seven-year-old boy. Up to a few months ago, when we brought the grocery package to his family, they only allowed us to drop off the bag with food and exchange a few appropriate words, and everything ended there. One afternoon, the mother paused, and very directly asked us for help, because Giovanni’s teacher feared he was dyslexic. Returning home, I wondered how we could respond to this need. I spoke about it with my family, the GS kids, and our closest friends. We decided to help Giovanni by inviting him to our home after school to work on his homework together. So, I found myself with a child who didn’t know me, and who had no self-confidence, because he could neither read nor write. With Giovanni, it was all a process of discovery; we became friends, and he began to learn, bit by bit becoming aware of his own abilities. A few months later, the child can now read correctly and is able to write. Through the presence of Giovanni, I have rediscovered love for a person who is not part of my family and I have rediscovered prayer as entreaty, because when I pray, I also ask for him. All this concerning myself with others serves to increase my humanity.
Mariagiovanna, Syracuse, Italy

The Scientists
and the Housewife
Dear friends: I didn’t go to the Meeting, but I followed it in the media. My daughter brought back the Euresis 2007 calendar, among other things. I was dumbfounded, fascinated, enraptured by the beauty of those clusters of galaxies. My miserable concept of “infinite” suddenly and stunningly grew out of all proportion.
God and Father, Creator and coordinator of all that beauty; Christ, the Word without whom none of all this would have been created; the infinite smallness of the Earth, an invisible little point in one of those infinite and immense galaxies…and man. What is man, that You think of him? And yet Christ humbled Himself to the point of becoming one of us! How infinitely great is God’s love for us, His solicitude, and His mercy! During summer vacations, in the woods, I would ask my son if there were more leaves or more stars. His invariable response would be, “More stars.” I wasn’t sure. Those photographs took away all doubt and I am still thrilled before the multitude of leaves and stars. A “thank you” to the scientists who share science in such an enjoyable way, from an old housewife with little book learning.
Piera, Sesto San Giovanni, Italy

The Gift of Lucia
Dear Fr. Carrón: We have been married for almost 6 years. We have a son, Andrea, born in 2003. At the end of 2004, Lucia was born. At the Fraternity Exercises last year we were enormously struck by the theme and by what you said to us: “Hope does not disappoint.” When we returned from the Exercises, we discovered that Lucia, who was only a month old at the time, had a malignant tumor. Desperation immediately gripped our hearts. How could God want to take back our little girl? How can hope not disappoint in all this? The first thing we did was to tell all our friends of the Fraternity and School of Community. Instinctively, we began to ask. We asked our friends to be close to us, and to pray with us to ask God for a grace. Hope does not disappoint. Well, we thought, let’s verify whether this is so in this circumstance. You spoke to us of desire; our desire was for the immediate, complete, and permanent healing of our daughter. Friends organized pilgrimages to Our Lady of San Luca, and brought us with them to the Macerata-Loreto pilgrimage. Those on outings or vacation never forgot to visit the nearest sanctuary to commend Lucia and our family to heaven’s intervention. The Rosary became our daily bread. When a friend delivered a letter of ours to him, Cardinal Caffarra called us by cell phone to assure us of his prayers, and from that moment on, never abandoned us; he was always present, like an affectionate father. The day before Lucia’s surgery was the anniversary of our friend Enzo’s death, and it was the day that the doctors told us effectively all the implications and risks that the operation entailed. These possible consequences covered everything we thought we’d never have to face! We prayed so much that Enzo would hold by the hand those who would do the surgery, and in the end we gave our assent. All day long during the operation we were surrounded by friends. All the weary effort asked of us became that of the entire people, and this is something exceptional. The surgery was technically successful. They were able to remove 95% of the tumor, but it caused a great delay in Lucia’s motor skills. At the end of June last year she began chemotherapy. She began to improve, moving her hands and arms, and playing. In the ward, we formed friendships with the parents whose children had similar problems. In that setting, it was obvious to us how hope is truly what everyone wants, but often the foundation for it is missing. People who are living through this suffering lack the presence that can bring hope to their circumstances. In these months, too, our friends never left us alone. In December, we discovered that we are expecting our third child. In March, the CAT scan revealed that the tumor was practically gone. We could do maintenance therapy at home. Those were serene days. Then there were this year’s Exercises and again, it was as if the theme anticipated events: “You live for the love of something that is happening now.” On May 16, 2006, Lucia had another CAT scan, which revealed that the tumor had started again, and brutally. At the Mass for the anniversary of Enzo’s death, we asked for a sign–and the entire Mass was centered on embracing the will of the Father. The doctors told us that the tumor was no longer treatable. We chose to bring Lucia home and let her live her last months with us, her brother, and the people who love her, to let her see the beauty there is in the world, thanks to God. Lucia slowly, slowly began to lose her functions. Even so, when she would see our friends, she would try to smile, but her body couldn’t comply any more. We didn’t even know what to ask, but our friends did. “You need a presence to help you face the little everyday things. We’ll take care of it.” From that moment on, the house was open to an orderly and discrete flow of people, women friends who regularly, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, came to help us, to play with Andrea, to do the shopping, to give Lucia a bath, or simply to chat with us or with the grandparents. Little Lucia went to Our Lady’s embrace on Sunday, July 23rd, while she was in her father’s arms. The farewell Mass–it couldn’t be called a funeral Mass–seemed like a party with a procession of children holding lilies and a throng of people you wouldn’t have imagined (there were even people who hadn’t gone to church for years). The pain of loss, which was enormous, suddenly was transformed into a moved gratitude for what we saw happening around us. Our pain was embraced, loved, and not left just to us, but was sustained by the Only One who could sustain it and who has the face of all of our friends! As Fr. Carlo said during the homily, Lucia did nothing other than ask: this little girl, who never took a step and never said a word, only asked, with her movements and with her cries, only entreated and, entreating, moved the world. She let herself be embraced in everything and for everything; she let herself be loved.
Gianluca and Elena, Bologna, Italy