It may help, especially for those new to us, to answer this question that we have asked ourselves—and that we are asked often.
It is hard to define a spirit. Most of it, perhaps all of it, cannot be put into words, because what matters is not to talk about it or debate it but to live it. And that is not always easy.
In these two words lies the spirit that must guide every Faith and Light gathering.
Each of us should reflect on what follows, but above all, we should let these words become deeds—gestures, attitudes, kindnesses, and examinations of conscience. In short, they should become part of our lives.
FAITH—to believe
- that every person, disabled or not, possesses a human and divine dignity that must be respected and nurtured.
- that the worth of a person must be sought beyond what we see.
- that the value of a life is not tied to independence or productivity.
- that our way of understanding the world does not rule out other ways of seeing.
- that nothing helps a person give their best more than love.
- that parents, however strong and brave, need others.
- that all of us, without exception, need to love and to be loved.
- that we are all loved by God, exactly as we are.
- that this Love gives meaning to our lives.
LIGHT—to discover, through faith in the "other":
- that the "little ones" kindle in us a light that reveals who we truly are, rather than the person we thought we were.
- that this light, received from the smallest among us, calls us to see things rightly and to question the values we live by.
- that their presence in the Church is a constant call to conversion—to live the spirit of the Beatitudes and witness to the world
- the words of Jesus: "Blessed are the poor"…
- that the little ones require us to meet them in their simplicity, in their clarity.
- that they are, therefore, a bridge of truth and unity among all people.
With the hope that these words will become more than words.
Mariangela Bertolini, 1979