Responsibles

A New Beginning

Notes from Fr Giussani’s remarks to the Assembly of CL Responsibles on March 12, 2002

I am very impressed by all the remarks you have made, because they have touched, in one way or another, the real point of the question. The real point of the question–I was impressed when, among others, Sciumè talked about it–is when you talked about a “new beginning.” There is a need for a new beginning, as I said in the letter to the Fraternity!

But “new beginning” does not mean something new that we do, something that we invent, that has not yet been said or given. The new beginning is the replication of the Presence, of a Presence: it is a Presence that imposes itself, that touches us.

But this is not so much the point about which I wanted to speak, that concerns me for you. It is that, since this new beginning is made up of things, of a thing that we could never think of ourselves, imagine ourselves, fantasize ourselves, then what composes our attitude in terms of will, striving, and new attempt, as a result in our heart, is a begging.

The new beginning is the object of an entreaty, of a begging. We said it in Rome, in the great assembly at the end of the days in Rome, on May 30th four years ago, in front of the Pope. The purpose of the world and of life is to seek Christ in man, in man’s heart. Man’s heart seeks Christ, just as Christ’s heart seeks my heart, your heart.

A great clarity is only, can only be, in this openness. May our life be and make evident what it is, fundamentally, as its beginning and as its destiny! Therefore, I beg you not to let any day pass without your prayer fulfilling and completing mine, and that of the others who are with me now, for the offering that is made to God.

What has to happen, in order for the new encounter to be the “new encounter”–in accordance with the terms the Pope used, in all the substantial interest in us that he has always shown in what he says–is to become again what we were. What were we? Nothing! Therefore, we must become again what we were, illuminated by a light that no one could build, could build for himself, on his own.

Let us pray every day for each other. Every day! You for me and I for you. Only in this way will we be able to oppose, slowly or finally, the evil workings of those who hate what is human.

Thank you.

Cesana: Thank you, Fr Gius

If it is a new beginning, to say thank you is always right. This is precisely why, allow me, please, there is another thing coming to my mind, because the most important thing is the development that our thinking must be prompted to receive from the Lord. It is truly crucial both for you and for us that we fully appreciate whatever, verbatim, our ongoing religious instruction will tell us.