SEND ME!
In the days 5 - 7 July 2022 in the Provincial House in Limassol we lived particular moments that have emanated the passion for Christ and for the proclamation of the Gospel. Together with Fr. Alessandro Angelisanti and Fr. Roberto De Luca, ofm from the fraternity of Loreto, we have covered some fundamental challenges for youth-vocational ministry. The desire that has guided us in this sacred time is that of attention to young people. Young people who desire to know and love Christ in the journey of faith and in the discernment of their own choice of life. The presence of the young sisters of the Province involved in pastoral work was a favourable opportunity for the exchange of some experiences that reveal the inner determination and missionary fervour.
An essential task for us is to choose the criteria and the fundamental stages of youth-vocational animation within an educational-pastoral project. During our first meeting with Fr. Roberto De Luca, we had a discussion on the Final Document of the Synod of Young People in the 3 key words:
How to recognize, or dialog with young people;
How to interpret, then accompany and discern;
How to choose, that is, to walk with young people.
Formation is a matter of maturity. As a Church we are called to the synodal beauty in listening to young people. An empathic Church does not judge but connects herself. A discerning Church is attentive to the cry of the world. The novelty of the Synod also exhorts us FMSC to share, to plan paths for an integral accompaniment of the person. Looking at the contexts in which young people live, helps us to find strengths and new challenges. Young people, in fact, want to be "listened to, recognized and accompanied". They want their voice to be "considered interesting and useful in the social and ecclesial field". They are willing to give up life in the midst of persecution in order to remain faithful to the Gospel. This holiness of so many young people must also renew in us the spiritual ardour and apostolic vigour.
Finally, Fr. Roberto entrusts to us the pastoral points as an experience in Loreto:
- Not youth ministry or vocations but youth ministry and vocations. There is no youth ministry that is not vocational. All young people are called to the fullness of life.
- Not alone but in fraternity. The team is indispensable.
- United human and spiritual journey. Managing emotions like Jesus.
- Not events but paths. Affective and relational.
- Complete accompaniment of the young but also of the person. Always and at all stages.
- Not only care for vocations but also for family ministry. Investing in families.
Fr. Alessandro Angelisanti, engaged in the pastoral care of all vocations, offered us a series of reflections based on the Book of Genesis.
To introduce ourselves in the theme Called to be, we examined some questions: What face does the caller have? What are we called to? What path to take?
God said: «Let there be light!». And the light was. God saw that the light was good and separated the light from the darkness. (Gen. 1,3-4) God does not eliminate darkness. God never eliminates anything and anyone. The word used in creation brings light. We too are called to bring light with the word in the history of people because the word makes all things new.
And God said: Let us make man in our image, in our likeness..." (Gen. 1,6) God does not want to do anything without our response. The mandate to become children of God, face in the Face, has one goal: to become holy, in the likeness of God.
Then the Lord God said: «It is not good for man to be alone: I want to help him be similar to him» (Gen. 2,18) Man is "a very good thing". Nothing of him should be discarded and forgotten. All the dimensions of man (intellectual, spiritual, corporeal, affective, emotional) are gifts of God.
Fra Alessandro focused on the mandate that each of us receives and must realize: to become the image and likeness of God. The one who gives the mandate is the one who mandates. The one who receives the mandate is the agent, the one who connects with the “founding You”. The “founding You” has a gaze of love on us in a relationship of trust and mercy. This is God’s experience. With what eyes do I allow myself to be accompanied? How am I seen by the Lord?
Identity, gift of a relationship. The Lord God formed with the rib, which he had taken from the man, a woman and led her to the man. (Gen. 2,22) In the relationship with God man receives the identity of a son. The mandate is linked to relational identity. Who do I want to be? Which “founding You” do I want to be with?
To accompany is to give life to the person; it is to experience the link with the roots;
Some useful explanations that Fr. Alessandro proposed to us are:
- The line of the body and the evolutionary stages of growth.
- The line of the emotional world and the choices to be made.
- The line of identity. Evolving the mandate: to live as "children loved by God".
Identikit of the daughter of God:
- Owns nothing and no one;
- Accept that life changes;
- Accept that others change;
- Agree to grow old;
- Know to say Thank you;
- allow the “communion” to win;
- You feel desired and loved by the Lord;
- He says, send me!
At the end of these holy days, many questions have arisen in us about the experience of the Lord and the accompaniment of young people. Above all, the desire for attentive listening has blossomed, which leads to questions in the hearts of young people about the meaning of life and, in dialogue with the Lord, the discovery of God’s plan for their own lives. May this be the experience of faith that we want to live personally and as a community. A humble, simple and purposeful experience!
