What Is a Jubilee?
Dear Pope Francis, I am Eleonora, and I have been part of the Faith and Light movement for 28 years.
I followed with joy the two days, June 11 and 12, dedicated to the Jubilee for the sick and disabled. I could not come to Rome, so I experienced it from home.
Dear Pope, it was wonderful to see you and hear you embrace all those people. Everything you said is true: we all—without exception—belong to the Church as children of God, no one left out, and a smile is important to give to others.
I was so deeply moved.
Many of us stayed home for various reasons, but we too lived through this beautiful experience.
We will surely carry this jubilee year in our hearts. My friends were so happy for a long time because they had the chance to meet you.
Dear Pope, I admire you so much: it was wonderful to see those children come close to you. It was a great honor that you received us.
Thank you! The world needs you.
May Jesus and Mary assist you as we pray for peace, and we will always be at your side in any moment.
Eleonora Buccherai
Dear Cristina...
I want to know something that matters to me: how do you behave when you are 46 years old? What can you do, when can I make love, have sex with a girl, is it possible, when you are in Faith and Light, can I have a wife or not, or would it bother someone if a little girl was born I would like to have one, to love and be the father myself, I want it, I bought two hamsters because I feel too alone, I want lots of friends, who talk to me, and tell me things, who really understand me.
Answer and publish it in Shadows and Light.
Hi from
Giovanni Grossi
Dear Giovanni,
You have told us pieces of your life many times with long letters that we have published: your friends, your work, your family, your desires. I think it is important to have the chance to speak your mind, to ask yourself questions, to share with people close to you. Giovanni, you give voice to what many probably think but cannot say so clearly. That is why, Giovanni, I thank you for trusting us so much and letting us be part of your thoughts.
The desires you express show how much heart you have. A few years ago we asked our readers to try to give you the answers you were looking for, but it is not easy to give answers without knowing you well and without understanding your situation. But for those who know you, it will be easier to answer you face to face.
You already know that my answers cannot be complete or precise like the questions you ask. The fact that you are asking them tells me you are not looking for just anyone: you want to be the main character in a love story just as, probably, in your community you feel you are the main character in the friendships you have built over these years.
But the truth is, it would be wonderful if you had a real conversation—or a few—with one of your friends (you say you want many, maybe you already have some? Is there a Faith and Light friend or someone from another organization you spend time with, someone you would enjoy talking to about these things?), someone you trust, and ask him the same questions. A friend who is wise, grown-up, who knows and cares about the Faith and Light world.
Writing is something, it is true, but do not settle for letters or Facebook posts. Just like love, these questions deserve to be talked through face to face, not just in front of a computer screen. For now, I can tell you that I will try to ask someone I trust, someone very wise, because I do not want to leave you without an answer. Do you agree?
Cristina Tersigni
Cool, Awesome, Everyone. Come On.
When I arrived at community gatherings, Giacomo was always the first to come toward me, arms outstretched, ready to squeeze me in a bear hug. He would not wait for me to enter the room—he would come and grab me, dragging me along with an enthusiasm that left no room for argument. "Cool, awesome, everyone... come on!" was his favorite slogan, his trademark. There was no space for the fog you carried in from home, for that "out of place" feeling some of us get when we first arrive. There was no chance to hang back, to warm up slowly. Giacomo was a perfect pusher, and his slogan was the thing that got the party started.
His happiness was pervasive, contagious. It could pull you out of your shell, clear your sky of any cloud, and open you to meeting others.
How many times did we steal that slogan from him, to draw out someone shy, to get past one last hesitation. Or to make someone sing who would have preferred to stay quiet, to get someone dancing who wanted to stay seated, to get someone to say out loud a prayer that otherwise would have stayed on the tip of their tongue.
Just a few words that hold all the meaning of welcome. No—more than that: they hold the very essence of what Faith and Light is.
Because Faith and Light is "cool." What we do is cool and we are cool. Our faces are cool, our hands are cool, and even more cool is what only the eyes of the heart know how to see. Our stories are cool, sometimes twisted and painful like olive branches, but one day they wove themselves together without regard for where they came from or what abilities we had.
And we are not just cool, sensitive, and deep like a black-and-white French film. We are also "awesome": colorful, loud, and sometimes irreverent like the best Italian comedy. At Faith and Light we have fun and share the joy that is in us. And my joy is not full if it is not also a little bit yours, his, ours. Because in that "everyone" lies the true community dimension of Faith and Light. Not you and me, but "everyone" together. Faith and Light is with everyone and for everyone. Because only when we are all together, when no one is left alone, does true community exist.
Giacomo probably never thought about the depth of meaning in that slogan. And I only just noticed it now. But noticing it means also, in a way, accepting an inheritance, taking on a responsibility.
Because now that Giacomo has suddenly left us, it falls to me, it falls to us who understood him, to run toward those who are closed in their shell of pain, of sadness, or of simple shyness, to open our arms and our hearts to welcome as you, Giacomino, taught us: "Come with me, do not be afraid, leave behind the sad thoughts and worries, open yourself to joy. It is cool. It is awesome. It is for everyone... Come on!"
Stefano Marchetti
Our Rays of Sunshine at the Jubilee
On the occasion of this extraordinary Jubilee, Pope Francis opened many "Holy Doors" so that everyone could experience the Father's mercy, know forgiveness, and find peace. We also answered the call from our coordinators to participate in the Jubilee for the Sick and Disabled with our community. We arrived in Rome on Friday afternoon and prepared for the Pilgrimage to the Holy Door. On Saturday, some participated in the Catechesis on Mercy held at the Church of Sant'Andrea della Valle, while Angelo and I attended the Conference of the National Catechetical Office, disability sector, hosted by its director Sister Veronica Donatello. After hearing some of the stories gathered from across Italy, Pope Francis arrived. He chose to give an improvised catechesis, thanks to the simplicity of the sick and disabled people present. No formality, just the feeling of embracing a good father who wants the best for his children. I share some of his words: "We are all different, but many times we are afraid of difference because differences are challenges and every challenge frightens us. Differences are riches, because I have one thing and you have another, and with these we make something more beautiful and greater. The path that leads us to all this is putting things in common." Within the Church, he called us all to avoid discrimination; in the parish, at Mass, in the Sacraments, all are equal, because all have the same Lord Jesus and the same mother, Mary. If a priest does not welcome everyone? The Pope's advice: "close the Church doors, please! Either everyone or no one." And then one more thing: "In the Church's pastoral work, we do many beautiful things, many good things. But one thing we must do more: the apostolate of listening: hear! Welcome and listen to everyone." The jubilee day continued with a visit to Rome, a celebration at Castel Sant'Angelo, and dinner with all the Italian communities present.
Sunday, we woke at dawn to prepare for Holy Mass in St. Peter's Square. We arrived in the square in rain that left only just before the Mass began. It was the first time that St. Peter's featured a mimed dramatization of the Gospel text. Some participated as altar servers. After Mass, Angelo and I were able to greet Pope Francis personally, outside the program. (Editor's note: And this is where the photo came from that appeared on the cover of our last issue…)
Happy Jubilee of Mercy to all!
Roberto Bertin, Faith and Light Community "Rays of Sunshine" of Conselve