Silvia's hand grips mine tightly as her mother Paola and father Claudio speak of her fragility and, alongside it, the discovery of her beauty. Tears stream down the faces of Gianfranco and Daniela, who have made the leap from feeling tested by God to embracing their son Luca with open hearts.
Silvia and Enrico smile—young newlyweds who recognize in Fede e Luce a school for life's choices. Stefano radiates strength, his affection capable of overturning what the world believes about disability.
The morning of testimonies held the most powerful emotions of our gathering at Pianezza on March 24–25. "Un fiume di pace" had organized these formation days near Turin to draw closer our two young communities born in Vigliano Biellese and Valle Mosso. Strong moments, celebrated amid tender embraces and the sense of receiving a grace—the grace of witnessing, present and tangible before our eyes, God's faithfulness made real through faithful family bonds and friendships.
We were 107 in all. A good number. We had worried about the cold, but instead we were blessed with fine sun that let us enjoy the beauty of Villa Lascaris's park during the regional potluck and Saturday's small-group exchanges. Our theme was "Loyalty That Restores Joy." Several assistants from Piedmont came to guide us, including don Mario, recently with us, and our dear friend Father Klaus.
Don Claudio from Cuneo began with words from Isaiah (49:14–16a), reminding us that while the people look backward, all God's words point forward: Against the resigned belief that nothing more can be done stands God's promise: "I will not forget you!" A promise that asks us to trust in one another.
It is beautiful to rediscover that God does not place a solution before us—he asks for trust. We are invited to entrust ourselves to him, to keep walking, to live in hope rather than despair. God holds us drawn upon the palm of his hand. He is a mother full of tenderness, one who allows you to become happy because you discover yourself loved—deeply, profoundly loved.
What should we thank don Eugenio of Turin for? His honesty. Drawing on everyday life, work, all the difficult people we encounter, he made us reflect on how Fede e Luce teaches us not to fear the other: What does it mean to say "You are mine"? It is the experience of caring for someone. Sometimes we run away, but it is not so dangerous to let yourself belong to someone else.
Fede e Luce is a gymnasium of bonds, because it contains great teachers within itself. We do not fear being a special family. We do not fear knowing that God has chosen us. His vision of loyalty? It is a gift. It is the measure of God's eyes. Things do not go right when we insist on seeing with God's sight instead of letting him see through us.
What can we say? So many precious pearls. We entrusted some of them to the vigil prepared by our friends from Veneto—a simple prayer that allowed us to build together a boat of light, our boat. We tasted others again in our groups, seeking symbols to represent loyalty and joy. One has stayed with me: a pen, "because You continue to write your will in our lives." Our names are tattooed on the palm of God's hand. He forgets none of us.
Many gifts emerged from our exchanges. Loyalty perceived as a calling. The awareness that Fede e Luce has been faithful to me. The feeling that, as in a marriage, there is not always sunshine, but the joy of seeing one another again always remains.
And then came the testimonies. Uphill paths, journeys that leave room for God's unpredictability. Much suffering, sometimes tied to old friends' betrayal, to solid relationships shattered by the mystery of disability. But also beautiful discoveries—parents grateful to be accepted for who they are, not for how their child is. Friends who arrive full of enthusiasm, ready to give, only to discover that it is loyalty to our relationships that restores the enthusiasm that sometimes threatens to fade.
Friendship is the salt of everything, rooted in God's love for each of us. And so Rosa's mime during Mass reminded us of something important: I wish people would greet me as a "normal" person. The friends of Fede e Luce do!
Angela Grassi, 2012