Mime — A Prayer Moment at Faith and Light
We find this form of dramatization as the very first language humans possessed. Before developing verbal speech sophisticated enough to express their needs, feelings, and desires, people communicated through the language of the body — through mime itself.
The Greeks and Romans knew silent spectacles where performers expressed themselves purely through gesture. In the sixteenth century, actors used pantomime as a dangerous tool for political satire.
Modern mime developed chiefly in France in the 1930s as an art in which content is expressed exclusively through bodily movement, facial expressions, and gestures — in absolute silence or accompanied by music. But then a new idea took hold: mime should not simply reproduce human actions through gesture, but rather express the character's inner state through a kind of figurative sublimation of their bearing. We see, then, how teaching our young people—and ourselves—self-control, how giving power to our gestures, to our facial expressions, to the movements of our bodies, becomes a genuine art form. Through it, all of us, without being great actors, without memorizing long speeches (impossible for our young people anyway), can communicate. We give and receive far more effectively than through words—exactly as a mother communicates with her newborn: facial expression is their first language.
When we fill this medium with the teachings of Jesus, we have found the most powerful way to make the word of our Lord accessible to everyone.
It is one of our most effective moments of spiritual deepening. It is a prayer, even if we do not realize it. Not the contemplative prayer we are used to, but prayer that happens through vibrations between people. Imagine the word of Jesus penetrating our thoughts as we try to give it life. His teachings pervade us, take on form, translate into simple, almost everyday gestures. We live His word, we make it our own, we take it into ourselves. It is a choral participation through non-verbal elements, through gestures that hold meaning in themselves. And so there arises an atmosphere of harmony, simplicity, peace.
To immerse ourselves in the scenes of a parable, to relive them through gesture and bodily movement, means to penetrate their meaning and understand it in a way that no amount of words could ever reach.
Jesus raising his hand as he speaks the words read aloud. Jesus caressing, embracing, blessing—these moments are so moving that I often find myself, and I am not alone, with tears in my eyes, deeply shaken.
The silence around us is complete. Every mime-actor is attentive, serious as never before, trying to express himself with all his ability—and he succeeds, because the word carries such power that it draws everyone in.
The carnet de route tells us that many now think the word "mime" is outdated, since it calls to mind actors and spectators, a story being translated into gesture. They propose calling this essential moment of our gathering "Reliving the Gospel." But we who have come to understand that "mime" is a simple means, accessible to all—especially to our young people—of expressing our lived experience while reliving the word of Jesus, will call this moment "Reliving the Gospel" through mime.
This moment has several aspects:
- to live the word of Jesus with our whole being during the mime;
- after the mime, to share in our own words what we experienced while interpreting Jesus's word, and to communicate this with others;
- after the gathering, to live the message of love concretely, with our brothers and sisters.
- Vittoria Episcopello - Community "Spirit of Love" - Bari, 1998
Sister Margherita: A Gift
A simple life devoted to love and service. Those who knew her and worked alongside her were truly blessed.
She believed in Jesus and understood that following him meant walking in his direction, with the same light in her eyes, hands open, heart always offered.
In her gaze—always smiling—you could read her love for the Father. That love moved her to welcome and treat all people as equals, recognizing the human and divine dignity even in those who were not beautiful or perfect.
In Mazara, it was she who planted the seed of the first Faith and Light community back in 1983. Since then the community has grown, and other seeds have sprouted in other corners of Sicily.
The memory of Sister Margherita Fortuna will remain in the hearts of all. A woman who gave herself as a gift out of love.
Our First Real Camp
The first time we went to Faith and Light, we were so small we don't even remember it. We went to so many camps where everyone spoiled us and made a fuss over us, and we were very happy. But this year we got older, and we did our first REAL camp: alone without Mom and Dad. Mom explained that we had to be "responsible" for ourselves and for everyone's peace of mind. We had to work, not fight, obey the adults, and make friends with two children our age: Piero and Dafne. It was the most beautiful vacation of our lives.
We wanted to tell you about the camp's theme, all the games, all the adventures, and the wonderful friendships we made with everyone, especially Piero and Dafne. But Piero flew to Heaven, and it makes us too sad to talk about it. We know the sickness he had is gone now, but Piero—he's gone too.
- Irene and Laura (ages 10 and 9) - Don Orione Community - Rome
===FINE===