Deepening our spirituality in Faith and Light. Deepening. Our spirituality In Faith and Light

Transcription

1 Deepening Our spirituality In Faith and Light

2 Contents Page Introduction Father Isaac Martinez 3 Thanks to you Denis 4 Incarnation spirituality Jean Vanier 5 A real friend Richard 12 The fruits of a visit Marie-Hélène Mathieu 13 Growing in Holiness Bsp Marcel Gaudillière 16 Living prayer Bob Brooke 20 Praying with Laurent Laurent s mother 21 Brother, like Simon de Cyrène Nanni Bertolini 22 The Faith and Light prayer 24 Cover : Arcabas, The Meal (detail), polyptych of the Pilgrims of Emmaus (Bergamo, Italy). With the kind permission of the Artist". Illustrations : Arcabas, contemporary French painter and sculptor. Faith and Light international 3, rue du Laos Paris, France - T foi.lumiere@wanadoo.fr Edition : June 2013 Page 2

3 INTRODUCTION D ear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. This is what we experience in Faith and Light: love. Love of the weakest, the smallest, those who have been chosen by God to confuse the wise and powerful. It is a love of relationship that Jesus identifies with, the poor: whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. This relationship deepens in the life of sharing, prayer and celebration experienced in every community. In other words, in Faith and Light you experience a spirituality of communion with disabled people as well as with their parents and friends. This spirituality requires eating at the same table as the poor, the crippled, the ill and the blind, that is to say that it is experienced, amongst other things, in friendship, trust, listening and humility. And above all in hope and joy. In this booklet, you are going to find other characteristics of the spirituality of Faith and Light. Each witness deepens one or another facet of this life experience that leads us to an invigorating, private, personal and community meeting with Jesus and his Gospel. Father Isaac International Chaplain Page 3

4 Thanks to you On June 27th 1968 I was in Lourdes feeling very low - really down in the dumps. A lot of us had been at the Cité Secours and it was when we split up that I began to feel really bad. I went back to the hospital, had a meal and went to the swimming pool. I went into the water and I still felt dreadful. So 1 went down to the grotto to see if I could get any help from God. But God did not give me anything at the grotto. There was too much talking round the grotto so we went over to the other side of the River Gave to pray. Of course, we remained silent and prayed but we still felt dreadful. At 3.00 pm we had to be at the Basilica for the Blessed Sacrament procession which is quite an event. When I saw the Blessed Sacrament being carried towards me I said "Lord, have mercy" but the Lord did not say a word. That evening the priest came up to the third floor. I said "Come over here, Father" and when he came I said "Why have I been feeling so dreadful since we split up after Laurette's baptism?" He said "Denis, Christ on the cross felt dreadful. You felt the same in your wheelchair. Today I met people who have found peace again and it may be because of what you have been going through." The next day I said thank you to the Lord because He had allowed me to feel bad just like He did and He could have used that to help sick people, but not necessarily people in Lourdes. Denis Page 4

5 The Weddings of Cana Deepening our spirituality in Faith and Light Incarnation Spirituality Jean Vanier T he word "spirituality" seems to have many connotations nowadays. When we talk of a "spiritual person" we tend to think of someone a bit "up in the air", not very efficient or competent; someone quiet, prayerful and interior. The spiritual person is different to the person immersed in the physical, liking sport, good food, games and parties. In many ways we are all a bit conditioned by a dualistic vision of the world: soul and body. The soul is for the things of the Spirit, the body for things that are material. This rather dualistic vision of spirituality is perhaps necessary for those who are too immersed in the needs of their bodies, but it is only a beginning. Is there not the danger of assimilating spirituality to dreaming and even to fear the body and reality? The spirituality of a disciple of Jesus is a spirituality of incarnation, the Word made flesh. Jesus came to teach us to love. "As the Father loves me, I love you... and my commandment is that you love one another as I love you." Page 5

6 The beginning and the end of the message of Jesus is love. Jesus came to open our hearts so that we may become a source of love for others. He came to teach us to receive life, to give life and to give our lives. Love is very realistic. It is to be in contact with people, their needs, their cry and their wounds. Christian spirituality is not hidden in a world of ideas, theories, dreams and illusions; it is not a refuge from reality because of a fear of people and of suffering. Christian spirituality is a concrete reality. It is a power or a spirit that will help us make certain transitions, transforming us in the love of Jesus, making us other Christs, bringing us closer to the Father and to others. Here are some of the transitions that followers of Jesus are called to experience more deeply: from a world of dreams, illusions, prejudice, and fear; to truth, reality and wisdom, from being closed up in self, self-centred, selfish, to openness, vulnerability, caring, universal heart welcoming people who are different, flight from pain and poverty to compassion, welcoming people in pain, from a fragmented heart, filled with divisions and barriers to a unified heart, comforting. These transitions or growth to a very real love imply an encounter with the Word made flesh, Jesus. It is this relationship of love, this communion, with Jesus, this trust in Him, which opens our hearts and sets us on the road to growth towards wholeness and the maturity of love. It is Jesus who unlocks the door of our hearts and gives us his Spirit. The spirituality of the Gospels is not dualistic; it is not a flight from the body; it is an incarnation. It is the Spirit of Jesus which penetrates all the recesses of our being, purifies, illuminates and unites us to the Father. Thus spirituality does not separate us from our bodies but rather gives us a new and deeper consciousness that our bodies are the Temple of the Spirit; they are holy and sacred. They are precious instruments of the love of God. Page 6

7 The pilgrims of Emmaus Deepening our spirituality in Faith and Light Different spiritualities Spirituality comes from the word "spiritus", wind, breath, blowing. It implies movement. This spirituality is movement towards the maturity of love. It implies a struggle because to move from self- centeredness to Christ- centeredness and "other centeredness" implies conflict, death of self, loss and grieving. It is never easy to die to selfishness and to rise in love. In this struggle we need to find strength and nourishment. This movement or transition from selfishness to love is the way of every follower of Jesus. We are all called to this transformation in Him: we are ail called to become like Jesus, lovers of the Father and of others, particularly of the poor, the weak and the lonely. For this, we need to be nourished by the Word of God that illuminates our minds and hearts, and by the sacraments. It is the bread of the Word and the bread of the Body of Christ that brings us to a continual communion with Jesus - which is prayer - and through Him, with the Father. "Without Me you can do nothing". With Jesus everything is possible. To be transformed into Jesus is to love others and to give ourselves to them: it is to bear much fruit. The spirituality of all followers of Jesus is, then, essentially the same. It is the transformation in Jesus through the Word and through the sacraments. But in the Body of Christ which is the Church, there are many Page 7

8 parts, many members; there are different gifts, there are different sacraments, if we take this word in its larger meaning as being the place where God resides and where we can meet Him and live in communion with Him. There are different spiritualities: of St Francis which accentuated poverty, joy, simplicity, abandonment to Providence of St Benedict which accentuated the reciting of the Divine Office, long hours of singing the Prayer of the Church, stability; of St John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila which accentuates contemplative prayer; of marriage which accentuates the love and tenderness between man and wife and the love of children. Seven characteristics What are the essential elements of the spirituality of Faith and Light over and above all that is implied in the spirituality for every disciple of Jesus? 1. The heart of this spirituality in Faith and Light is linked to a meeting with Jesus hidden in the hearts of those who are weak, poor, lonely and suffering. Spirituality is always for love; it is growth in love. And this growth in Faith and Light comes through the bonding with the poor person who in a particular way is chosen and loved by God. For God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, the weak, to shame the strong, those who are the lowest, the most despised (I Cor 2). This love is not just doing things for people; it is not just generosity and giving time and gifts, but it is to be in communion with the weak person, it is friendship, it is the "to and fro" of love and fellowship. This "to and fro" of love is receiving and giving; it is bonding. But it is an experience, in faith, of the Trinity, for through this communion we are in communion with Jesus and with the Father. In this way the poor person is sacrament: he or she is a presence of Jesus who opens up our hearts, calls us to conversion and brings us to the heart of the Trinity. But this acceptance and love of the other is sometimes terribly painful. Page 8

9 Washing of the feet Deepening our spirituality in Faith and Light The poor can be filled with anguish, aggression and depression. T he poor are calling us to change and to a love we do not always want to give. Frequently the poor are those with a handicap but they can also be parents or friends. Each one of us at different moments are poor, weak and in pain. 2. The spirituality of Faith and Light is essentially compassion. It is a call to descend the ladder of promotion; it is to be close to those who have the last place: it is the very opposite of seeking power (even to do good). It is to serve and to discover the beatitude of washing people's feet. In Faith and Light we of course need competent leaders and people who animate celebrations, but these roles are always for compassion and to help people, particularly the poorest, to feel at ease, to find peace, to grow humanly, to discover and live the Good News of Jesus. Faith and Light is founded and grounded on people in pain and anguish. That is why our communities will always be suffering communities. But it is through this suffering that we discover the joy of resurrection. Page 9

10 The pilgrims of Emmaus, detail Deepening our spirituality in Faith and Light 3. The spirituality of love and of relationship with the broken person is lived in community. Faith and Light is community, it is not a movement oriented towards doing things, organising schools, workshops or even catechetical activities. It is a community where people are bonded together in love and are called to care for each other, pray for each other and together be a sign of the resurrection. "They will know you are my disciples by the love you have for one another." Community life is demanding and thus painful. It is not easy to love people, to listen and to be attentive to each one, to help each one exercise their particular gift and find their place. The community life is a continual process of death and resurrection. But it is also a place of celebration, a sign of the Kingdom; it is to be one Body reborn in the Spirit where we can live in faith, an experience of that love which unites the Father to the Son in the Holy Spirit. And in the Body each person, whether they be parents, people with disabilities, or friends, is precious and important. 4. Faith and Light communities are communities of lay people, men and women. Priests and pastors are not the community leaders; they have an important role, but as people of God, people of prayer, people who bring the Word of God and the sacraments, people of compassion, of reconciliation and of peace who help build communities of faith. 5. These communities are called to be well integrated into the local parish and church. We do not want Faith and Light to be a highly Page 10

11 centralized movement cut off from the local church. People with disabilities and their parents are frequently already part of a parish. They need the support of their parish community. In this way they are called to live a spirituality which is communion with their bishop or their own church authorities. 6. Faith and Light communities are called to be well integrated into their own culture, and here I am thinking of Faith and Light in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Faith and Light does not want to transpose a European culture or to colonize in any way. That means that each community is called to live the essential of Faith and Light in its own culture with all what that culture offers. 7. All Faith and Light communities are called to be ecumenical, that is to say, all must yearn and work for the unity of all Christians. Divisions are a scandal and bring pain to people with disabilities. There is only one Father of all, only one Saviour of all, only one Spirit living in all, only one baptism, only one Word of God, source of life for all. Some communities will belong to one particular denomination; others will be inter denominational; all will belong to the one family of Faith and Light which offers a spirituality where we are truly open to the gift of the Spirit in others. These are seven distinctive features of the spirituality of Faith and Light, but of course, they are all intertwined. We are called to grow in love and in commitment to people where we give and receive, where our covenant of love is a sign. And we grow in love with our family, our community, with our neighbours in the parish and with other Christians living nearby. Our hearts are called to become like the heart of Jesus, filled with love for each person. Jean Vanier Page 11

12 Nativity Deepening our spirituality in Faith and Light As friend, you are precious As friends in Faith and Light we try to get closer to parents. I am always surprised when a parent says: "What are you doing here? I have to be here because of my child but I cannot understand why you want to be with him." Parents in our communities often have such a lot of pain to deal with. They suffer because they are the parents of a child who is different. Maybe they feel guilty or that God has forgotten them. Some have given up hope and so it is difficult for them to understand that anybody else should be interested in their child. You might be a sign of hope. Think about it. You are a sign of hope. Perhaps this is your calling. Richard (From a letter to a friend) Page 12

13 Visitation Deepening our spirituality in Faith and Light The fruits of a visit Marie-Hélène Mathieu A fter the Annunciation, Saint Luke tells us that Mary hurried away to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth had been despised because of her sterility and the angel had told Mary that her cousin had conceived a child in her old age. "Nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1, 37) the angel said. One can dwell on the extraordinary aspects of the meeting between a woman carrying the Son of God within her and her cousin carrying a child which had been miraculously conceived but I want to consider the Visitation more through its "ordinariness", visiting someone, going off to help somebody in need, sharing comfort and joy. Visiting Any visit can have very great significance if it stems from belief in the love of God: the smallest gesture, a look or a word can change somebody's life. Page 13

14 And sometimes the people we visit can bring us unexpected peace and hope and help us to see the real meaning of the Magnificat. I want to tell you about something of the sort which happened to Mariangela Bertolini a friend from Rome during a Faith and Light meeting. The beginning Mariangela went to Lourdes with her husband and daughter because she had to "go along with the family". Since the birth of her daughter Maria- Francesca, Mariangela's heart had been tightly shut. When she got to the grotto she prayed to Mary like Job reproaching God (Job 10, 17) "You cannot understand because it never happened to you. And anyway you are too far away and you cannot help." But looking at the statue, she added: "Do something if you can." Not that she believed anything could be done. Just at that moment somebody who had noticed Mariangela and her daughter gave her a piece of paper. Mariangela slipped it into her pocket. Back at the hotel she read: "Would you like to come to the pilgrim s house this evening to a meeting for parents of disabled children?" Mariangela did not want to go at all and she dreaded it. But her husband begged her to go along so she went to please him but her heart was still so dry. When she arrived the place was full of parents and severely disabled children. The meeting The parents talked about their difficulties and the ways that they could help one another. Some went as far as to say that their children had brought greater meaning to their lives. They loved their children just as they were. One mother, Marie-Françoise Heyndrickx, said that she would never have been able to open up to other people if it had not been for this "special" child. And she spoke of secret joy of love she experienced through pain. Mariangela listened to it but she did not understand a word. Page 14

15 Pour approfondir la spiritualité de Foi et Lumière At the end, they all started to sing the "Magnificat". Mariangela found herself joining in, in spite of herself. When she got to "the Almighty does marvels for me" her heart was mysteriously touched. She sang: He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lonely, He has filled the starving with good things and sent the rich away empty. (Luke 1, 52-53) His Mercy Mariangela stopped singing because she understood and she wept for the first time since Maria- Francesca's birth. She had rediscovered her faith: God had "lifted up the lowly" and Mariangela knew that His mercy is from age to age (Luke 1, 50) because it had been poured out on her. She looked at Maria-Francesca and saw the face of Jesus for the first time. Maria-Francesca had brought Mariangela the mystery of the Redemption: she had become presence of God and source of life: the gateway to the kingdom of the Beatitudes. Marie-Hélène Mathieu From a conference on Mary, Mother of Mercy Page 15

16 Supper Deepening our spirituality in Faith and Light Growing in Holiness Bishop Marcel Gaudillière F or people with a disability as much as for everybody else spiritual life is their particular path to holiness. They are called to holiness in the same way that they are called to life and they certainly are not outcasts or people to be treated differently. When the Pope tells us that we have an inescapable obligation to grow in holiness that applies just as much to our brothers and sisters with disabilities. If they are called to grow in holiness that means that they are not saints yet, they are on the way like the rest of us. We have to clarify our thinking about that: to canonize them is to abandon them. People with disabilities are tempted and fall into sin like the rest of us. They can make progress and they can have a relationship with God. It may not be very obvious - but in a mysterious way it can also be very much deeper than we think. At times, a person with a disability can come out with a word or phrase of incredible depth. Page 16

17 Pour approfondir la spiritualité de Foi et Lumière People with disabilities do not develop spiritually on their own. They certainly have a contribution to make - but so do we. A child is given to us in order that he may fulfill his spiritual destiny. He needs us if he is going to do this and that is why God gave him parents and friends. "I was hungry and you did not give Me food." Did I and how can give my child with a disability the right spiritual nourishment? The first step is to help him to see the wonder of God and that is not difficult because people with a disability usually have a much more highly developed sense of "wonder" than the rest of us. Use that to help them to see the wonderful things in the world around. For instance we can tell them Look at how beautiful nature is, these little birds... We can use everything to develop the gift of admiration in them. Try and create a Christian atmosphere. Pray with your child however profoundly handicapped he may be. Something will get through because people with a disability are extremely intuitive. A prayerful atmosphere is as important as food and clothing. L'Arche in Trosly Breuil has this sort of atmosphere and wonderful things happen because of it. Mass there can be extraordinary with some people taken very deeply into prayer. And the sacraments! There is no difficulty over people with a disability having the right to be baptized. When it comes to the Eucharist they have the right to Holy Communion in proportion to their need of the sacrament. People sometimes ask what "attitude" we should take over the question of people with a disability and the Eucharist. I tell them it is a matter of need, not of attitude. You might as well say: "He does not know how to eat with a spoon - he just makes a mess". He does not stop you feeding him! The person with a disability cannot give a definition of the Eucharist - but he needs to receive Holy Communion. Confirmation is called the sacrament of commitment. People wonder what sort of commitment a person with a disability can make but Page 17

18 Outrage Jesus King Deepening our spirituality in Faith and Light that is not the issue. If the presence of people with a disability is a source of evangelization for the rest of us there is no question about their right to be confirmed. I have never heard of a bishop refusing to confirm one of our children. It can sometimes be difficult for a priest to "hear" the confession of a person with a disability. But something always happens because the Holy Spirit can achieve things that are beyond the priest. St Paul tells us that the Sprit prays within us using words we cannot understand. So it is not surprising that I do not always understand what is being said. The Spirit is working through my brother. To hear confession of a person with a disability can be a very moving and humbling experience. Their relationship with God is so much more direct and they go straight to the point. It makes me ask myself whether I do anything like as well when I go to confession. Acting out gospel stories or emphasising offerings can be very important but it is vital to explain their real spiritual meaning and that we are doing this for Jesus. I sometimes wonder whether we do not organize these things to "show off' people with a disability at their best - it is not a matter of "showing them off" but of bringing them into relationship. When Annie took the part of Mary, I wondered if she realized that she really was taking the place of the Blessed Virgin. There seemed to be a marvellous "understanding" between Our Lady and Annie. It was wonderful. The Word of God can "live" through our brothers with disabilities. You lend your voice to Jesus so that He can preach the Good News to your brothers. Do we make enough use of the Passion narratives to bring our children into relationship with Jesus? It is easy to say "you must not upset them!" but there is a way of making them understand how much God loves us, how much Jesus loves His brothers and the Good Thief. The Passion is the best way to show the relationship between Jesus and the Father and that Jesus went through all this in order to bring us into relationship with the Father. Page 18

19 Being concerned for others is not just a matter of "good manners". "When you are hungry think of other people and do not throw yourself on the food" can be developed into "think about other people because of Jesus." Every aspect of a good upbringing can be linked to a relationship with Jesus. People with a disability are not proof against pride and vanity... As they grow in self confidence they obviously want to put themselves in the limelight and that can create a number of problems, such as a lack of trust and a feeling of insecurity. Pray for them. Their silence means that we cannot be privy to their inner life but we do know that deep within they are playing for eternal stakes. They are being asked to say "yes" to God and we must not leave them without the benefits of our prayers."i was imprisoned - within my handicap - and you did not visit me in prayer." We are delighted at the least sign of progress in daily life so that we can say "he put his shoes on for the first time" or "he can almost eat by himself." We should be much more delighted about our special brother's deepening relationship with Jesus, at the signs of the Holy Spirit working within him and calling him forth. It is for us to work with the Spirit instead of saying "the dear little things are so handicapped that they will obviously go straight to heaven" this would sadden the Spirit. People with d isa bilities are capable of holiness - they have to say "yes" too: an increasing and total "yes" to God. Bishop Marcel Gaudillière Monsignor Marcel Gaudillière died in his hundredth year, in July "Father Marcel," as we called him, was the chaplain of the national team Faith and Light France from 1976 to 1992 until he returned to his home diocese in Dijon. He was a friend, a spiritual and theological counselor, a comforter and above all a priest of Jesus. He easily handled both solid reasoning and pungent humor. He has done so much for Faith and Light that we thank the Lord for having given us as a father, as a brother, as a friend. Page 19

20 Abbey Fresco of Tamié, France Deepening our spirituality in Faith and Light Living prayer Bob Brooke W hen we hear a person with a learning disability praying in a natural and direct way, we are perhaps most aware of his or her genuine relationship with God. At our Faith and Light Masses there is always a queue of people who want to pray, who want to share with their Father in heaven those things they are concerned about, their joys, their sorrows. At our Faith and Light meetings in Leeds we pass a lighted candle around the circle and as each one takes it, the rest of us hold him or her in our prayers before God and that person has the opportunity, if he wishes to say his own prayers. Sometimes we know what to expect, David always says the Lord's Prayer in full, Muriel always asks God to care for her dead father in heaven. But often we are surprised by the perception, the sensitivity and the simple trust that some of our friends with a learning disability have in God. Their way of using prayer may be unconventional at times, but there is a real, living quality about such prayer. For many of us, our religion and our life can become two separate compartments. For people with a mental handicap that is rarely the case. God and prayer (speaking to God) become a natural part of everyday life. "Everywhere. Not see him. Talk to him." Every week John makes his statement of faith and adds "Can say a prayer, you know". Sometimes he says it in a traffic jam on a busy main road and as often as not he will then add "Green light, Amen", asking for God's help to make sure he gets where he is going on time. People with an intellectual disability have often a great deal to teach us about joy. The joy of being with God and of knowing that He loves us in Page 20

21 Jesus. Bill always comes forward to receive the bread and wine of Holy Communion with a radiant smile on his face, he bows his head and then offers the priest a sweet as a way of saying thank you. Janet as she receives the sacrament always responds with a loud "Thank you God" whilst Marjorie who is unable to move opens her arms to welcome the priest bringing her the Eucharist. These people may not be able to communicate or express themselves in the usual way, their ability to respond in words is very limited, but their sincerity and joy are beyond doubt. Bob Brooke Anglican Pastor Praying with Laurent Laurent is ten and he cannot speak. The only movement he can make unaided is a loving little gesture when he puts out his right arm and slowly opens his hand to stroke the face of whoever is beside him. It is his way of saying "I love you" and it is a very special moment. The tenderness of Laurent is often expressed in a moment of magical communication where eyes and hearts really do meet. Lately it has been more difficult to go to the chapel with Laurent because he would not lie in my arms and look at the icon of Jesus and Mary a few feet away. In the end I realized that Laurent wanted to go up to the icon and stroke it. And I realized that Jesus and Mary were truly present to him through the wood of the icon. Stroking and loving and praying were all one. I was filled with deep joy. Little ones know you, Lord, in the secret of their hearts. Laurent s mother Laurent's mother Laurent returned to the Father's House on November 15 th 2012, after several months of increasing frailty. He went to the end of his way among us and bravely gave the best of himself to communicate his joy and his strength to everyone. Somehow, everything was done for him, his time, God's time had come... Page 21

22 A brother like Simon of Cyrene Nanni Bertolini T he difference between friends and parents in Faith and Light is that friends choose to come and be with the person with a disability. Hence the story of Simon of Cyrene. "Then they led him out to crucify Him. They met a man named Simon, who was coming into the city from the country, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross. Simon was from Cyrene and was the father of Alexander and Rufus" (Matthew 15, 20-21). Simon of Cyrene had no choice about whether or not he would carry Jesus' cross. He came from the country and I expect he was tired after a day's work. It is the mystery of innocent suffering that the soldiers just took him and forced him to carry the Lord's cross. Jesus needed Simon and I think Simon was totally changed by the cross of Jesus. Mark's gospel tells us that "Simon from Cyrene was the father of Alexander and Rufus." If Mark mentions them by name it is because they were members of the Christian community at the time he was writing. So Simon's sons were also transformed by the cross that their father did not choose to carry. The Jesus who fell under the weight of the cross really needed Simon. Jean Vanier says that the fact that Jesus did not have the strength to carry His cross shows us His frailty. We say that Jesus received his cross and we know that He needed somebody: it is a mystery that He did not want Peter or John. He wanted to be helped by someone who was forced to do it. My father says: "We do not understand. Jesus never explained the mystery of the cross to me. He never said that suffering meant something. He just took up his cross. Page 22

23 Crucifixion Deepening our spirituality in Faith and Light Pour approfondir la spiritualité de Foi et Lumière If I understand him correctly this means that we should not make too many demands or ask too many questions about suffering. It is a mystery and it is what Jesus chose. It was the chosen way for Simon of Cyrene and that makes me think of brothers and sisters I have known. I think that we have had a lot of help in Faith and Light - especially from friends. Nanni Bertolini During a retreat Page 23

24 Prayer of Faith and Light Jesus, you came into our world to reveal the Father to us, your Father and our Father. You came to teach us to love one another. Give us the Holy Spirit, according to your promise, so that he will make us instruments of peace and unity, in this world of war and division. Jesus you have called us to follow you in a community of Faith and Light, We want to say «yes» to you. We want to live in a covenant of love in this big family you have given us, where we can share our sufferings and difficulties, our joys and our hope. Teach us to accept our wounds,our weakness so that your power may be revealed. Teach us to find you in all our brothers and sisters especially in those who are the weakest. Teach us to follow you in the ways of the Gospel. Jesus come and live in us and in our communities as you first lived in Mary. She was the first to welcome you. Help us to be faithfully present, with her, at the foot of the cross, near the crucified of the world. Help us to live your Resurrection. Amen!