On December 17 we met in Bologna, Italy, to prepare for Christmas, to be surprised by a baby who is born – being surprised by seeing God who turns into an infant out of love for us.
We wanted to live as a group a gathering that would have the flavor of this marvelous waiting. It is a waiting that holds our attention, an announcement leading to love and a love leading to God.
We listened to the Word in the Gospel of Luke (Lk 2:8-20) and together we built the crib. Each one of us took a shepherd and we placed ourselves near the baby Jesus, reading this prayer and making it our own:
You are Christmas, when you decide to be born again every day and let God enter your soul.
You are Christmas, when you sing to the world a message of peace, justice and love.
Christmas is when you lead someone to meet the Lord.
You, too, are one of the Magi when you give of the best of what you have, independently of who the recipient is.
You are the Christmas music, when you achieve internal harmony.
You are the Christmas wishes, when you forgive and bring about peace, even as you suffer.
Endurace is a new member of our group: a young Nigerian who shared with us his difficulties as an immigrant and the agonies he underwent in order to get to Italy.
In our intentions we remember the tragedy of immigration and the many deaths shrouded by our indifference and our silence.
To accept all this and to make ourselves small is the Christmas that challenges us every day, not just on December 25.
Emma also took part in our meeting. She has just return from three years of mission in Brazil.
She told us her story, her missionary journey from the CLM of Bologna and those of Brazil.
She showed us visuals of her service in prison ministry, in the peripheries of Contagem, her experience with the homeless in Salvador. Her words and the witness of her mission ad gentes were beautiful and powerful. Welcome back to the group to resume the journey with us!
The gathering ended with a community supper to which every member contributes something and where we mention important events:
The midnight Mass celebrated with the homeless at the station, and the march for peace on December 31 in Bologna.
We are very happy with these two initiatives that see us involved together with other social and missionary organizations, something that implies the participation of all since it is only by working together that we build and change the world.
Merry Christmas to all… no one excluded!
CLM of Bologna
