There is always profound joy in witnessing the birth of new life, in watching a seedling break through the soil. This was the gift we received at the end of June, within the great and blessed reality of Fede e Luce, high in the Apennines between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, in the tiny village of Scorcetoli.
Welcomed by brilliant sunshine, we from the flatlands of Parma gathered in genuine celebration and authentic joy with our friends from Avenza by the sea and the new mountain friends of Scorcetoli.
Once again, the miracle unfolded: hope, trust, faith in the possibility of planting a small but essential seed—a new way of seeing "the little ones" who so rarely find a place in our everyday lives.
A small flame has been lit, one that will surely need much oil to keep burning. Yet I believe that like the wise virgins in the parable, these new friends—parents and young people alike—have discovered where and how to find that oil. The rest of us are called to walk with them, to hold them in constant prayer.•
In Scorcetoli, a tiny village near Pontremoli in Massa-Carrara, something beautiful emerged from apparent emptiness. From a few simple meetings, a Fede e Luce community was born.
When our bus arrived that morning, we seemed so few. The place felt almost empty at first. But then people began arriving—so many, eager to be together, to give of themselves, to share every moment. Each brought their own gifts and their own fragility to this place that seemed frozen in time, decades behind the rest of the world. We were welcomed under an enormous tent. For lunch, two long white tables were set in the meadow, shaded by cool trees. After the meal, we gathered in the church. Before Mass, the friends from Avenza offered us a beautiful mime of the Gospel parable about the wedding banquet (Luke 14:16-24).
I had the distinct sense that the wedding feast the Gospel spoke of could be compared to the meal we had just shared in love and warmth. I thanked God for being part of it.•
That day in Scorcetoli, welcomed by the new Fede e Luce community, I felt at home. Once more, it was their gift for welcome—the way they make you feel waited for and beloved—that won me over and changed me.
This was true from the very beginning, when an icebreaker game placed us side by side, strangers becoming acquainted. At table, sharing food became a natural and joyful way to share parts of our lives. Everything spoke of celebration and communion. You felt woven into the whole. By day's end I was overflowing with that simple joy that fills your life and moves you to give thanks for those special gifts God calls "the little ones."
What I remember most from that day are the faces: Anita, Francesca, Luca, and all his friends. From these faces I learned once again to look ahead with hope and trust, certain that our strength lies in staying united. "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34–35).
I can only give thanks to the "small" community of Scorcetoli for their beautiful welcome. But above all, I thank them for the courage and enthusiasm with which they have begun this long journey of rediscovering those true and essential values that make us happy: love and the sharing of life.
The Lord is at work, and through "the little ones" he grants us days of fullness and joy.
by Elisabetta Cantarelli and Mariangela Dodi, Comunità Condivisione di Fidenza, 2016