Feelings
Flavia is 25 years old. Her poems and reflections enrich the gatherings of her Faith and Light community in Rome, Il Girasole.
I like being in your company because you show not only such joy but also such wonderful love for us. Even though I cannot express my feelings with my voice, I can do it through writing. I find you all so dear.
Joy arrives unexpectedly, allowing us to honor deeply the Lord who extraordinarily gives us his eternal love. I cannot find adequate words to express my gratitude for the beautiful weekend we spent together.
Dear Norina, you bring sunshine and joy with your smile, remaining unshaken even when unexpected things happen, like the bus breaking down and the luggage mix-up. Since I started going to Faith and Light gatherings, your smile has helped me accept my disability better.
I like to remember the words of our incomparable Master, when he calls us the "little ones" or the "last ones," incapable as we are of becoming tools for foolish men seeking wealth, honor, and prestige.
I wanted to write you the motto that my heart suggested: "Together we can go out into the world, freeing ourselves from fear, freeing ourselves from the oppression that wounds our fragile way of being."
Sweetness, come to nourish my bitter existence,
Silence, still my tormented soul,
Night, cover me with your cloak when I feel defenseless,
Light, always illuminate my dark path,
Skies, open yourselves when someone touches my face,
Accept me as I am, and I too shall be happy.
Flavia Castoldi, Rome - Kimata
Seeing the Sun Again
In 1981, I had the good fortune to meet this beautiful and great family called Faith and Light. From that day on, I can honestly say that my life and that of my son Pino changed. I was going through a deeply sad period, trapped in severe depression. I came to Faith and Light only out of curiosity, but soon I realized it was something God had arranged for me, as he always does.
I was losing faith in everything and everyone. I had three children—Pino with Down syndrome and another with a physical handicap—and I thought God had abandoned me, even though both were wonderful, exceptional children. But families dealing with such challenges go through ups and downs.
That period was terrible for me. I couldn't even hope for anything beautiful anymore. Fortunately, Faith and Light came into my life—this great family that immediately changed my perspective, the way I saw things. With all these friends around me and my son, with their gentle smiles and their care, I saw the sun again. Pino became happier whenever Faith and Light was mentioned, and I cannot tell you how happy he was at our meetings! His joy was written all over his face. We received the monthly bulletin by mail, and almost every evening Pino would check it to see if there was something we could attend.
He worked on Corso Sempione, and by chance several Faith and Light families lived nearby. Many evenings, before catching the bus home, he would stop by their places, ring the doorbell just to say "Hi, it's Pino, see you," or he would show up punctually every month to help Geppo with the bulletin.
I'll tell you something else: in 1985 Pino was very ill and hospitalized. Friends of ours who were still studying medicine took turns visiting him. When they arrived on the ward, they put on white coats as if to show they worked there, to make him feel secure and reassured by their presence. These moments stayed in my heart, and they happened again when Pino was hospitalized for the last time.
Pino left us on March 30, two years ago. I will continue, as long as I am able, to do what he loved—to be part of Faith and Light. I am grateful to Faith and Light, especially to all those who were by his side in those final days, and I bless the people who created this great family.
Olga Rocca, Milan - A River of Peace
Love at First Sight
It was January 2nd:
- What's your name?
- Maria.
- Can I wish you happy new year?
- No. Go away.
First bolt of lightning.
Your priest takes you to a party full of strangers and leaves you there with a promise to pick you up later. You watch a show with dancers in costumes and beach sandals, along with a scarecrow and the wizard of Oz.
Second bolt of lightning.
A buffet that could have fed an entire city.
Third bolt of lightning.
From that January 2nd, Maria has been part of my life. That party became my Faith and Light community, and that buffet is the same one that makes me gain a kilo every day during our August retreat.
I wish my words could capture the "mixture of peace and chaos" that exists in Faith and Light. It's one of the most beautiful descriptions I know of our communities, written by our friend Bruno Brundisini.
Maria had an extraordinary gift for delivering exactly the right insult to each person—a true sharpshooter! We miss her greatly.
But her most beautiful image lives in the community that grew up around her and has continued to exist.
We are a community still finding our way. The name we chose—or perhaps it chose us—is 'Hand in Hand.'
Marcella Potenza, Fasano - Seas and Volcanoes