Rivista DMA
Go forward Without Fear
Go forward Without Fear
In one of her circular letters Mother Antonia Colombo noted that “Holy students require holy educators, capable of honestly living evangelical freedom of speech and of overcoming timidity to propose to young people goals of beauty, truth, and goodness, made attractive by the transparency of their witness” (Circ.854).
These are appropriate words in line with the times in which we are living, as we approach the Feast of All Saints and close to the reflection that commits us during this pre-chapter time. Mother Yvonne reminds us that “only a life that knows how to take a risk for love in daily life, as Jesus did, and is open to daring with regard to the situation of youth poverty…becomes a sacrament of God’s presence”, and therefore evangelizes! She emphasizes that “the house we want to build together always has an open door to allow the light of the Word to enter along with the merciful and gratuitous love of God to be spread courageously, even going against the tide and paying in person” (Circ. 934).
Daring, courage, the capacity to make choices that are against the current…these are attitudes that express the need for the daring asked of us today. They imply a demanding journey of leaving behind security, the comforts of a life that reeks of a middle class existence, the fear of expressing ourselves, for the gift of a radical life. It is the way that Pope Francis is proposing to us by a credible example. We feel in ourselves the echo of the words that he spoke on June 23 in the Sunday Angelus: “I see that there are many young people among you. I say to you ‘Don’t be afraid to go against the current; when others want to rob you of hope, when they propose values that are as rotten as a meal gone bad, you need to go against the current and be proud of doing so”.
In this issue the theme of evangelical daring is defined from diverse angles and points of view. It seems to us that every path is a way forward, as it was for whoever has made it the fabric of personal life. So it was for Fr. Riccardo Tonelli, who died a month ago, and is missed by many. He was brother, friend, father, teacher and wise counselor. He was a sure, courageous guide who knew how to “appreciate the feminine intuition, to appreciate the human, the place of encounter with God, and to focus decisively on education and the educational processes to proclaim the saving Truth within them and make the human being more of a person”.
To him we dedicate a profound thought and our deep gratitude also for having been the director of our magazine Da Mihi Animas from 1982-1990. He helped us to be courageous and coherent to the guidelines spelled out in Institute Plan of Youth Ministry Fr. Riccardo was a wise man with the heart of the “poor in spirit”.
gteruggi@cgfma.org