Unity in diversity

06 Dec 2019

#community, #friendship

Beginning with the phrase „unity in diversity”, with which I want to intitle this article, I would like to describe our daily life here, at „Villa San Ignazio” in Genova.

It may seem impossible that people from so different cultural backgrounds might have a common horizon. We come from six different cultures: Italians, Hungarians, Danes, Malteez, Romanians and together we have a common purpose: to know Him and to live together with the Savior. He is our common horizon, who is the center that determines the balance in our community, whose coming on earth we will celebrate soon, when it is Christmas.

The novitiate is a time when we can get to know each other, observe the values that each person has received from the good Lord, put them together to form a community and at the same time get to know ourselves, working on our spiritual and cultural growth and listen to the voice of the Creator who invited each of us to that. Our day begins with the community liturgy preceded by a moment of personal prayer, but of course accompanied by others daily community prayers. Studies are not missing in our novitiate life and are one of the tools that will always be helpful in the commitments that we will then take and which are not missing from the life of a Jesuit. All these are accompanied by moments of entertainment, moments spent together as sports, movie evenings, games and one special day called „giovedì di villa” which is dedicated especially to visiting different places of the city and its surroundings, or to mountain walks or even a relaxing day on the beach when time permits. It is also worth mentioning that we are very connected with the life of people around us, especially the young people, so that each of us works in a diverse group such as MEG, SCOUTS, parish groups or others, doing an apostolate activity.

Jesus being the pole that offers the balance and whose greatness encompasses all the diversity generates the unity betwen us. With this confidence that he is in our midst, we continue to move on.

Raul P. Ciocani, novice of the first year

Sullo stesso argomento

All in the field…for a full life!

by Daniele Angiuli

Community life is like a big soccer game. That’s the image that flashed through my mind while playing on the field with my teammates, amidst the running and the shortness of breath, the falls and the sweat. Each in his own position and at the same time in close relationship with the others: those in attack, ready to run toward the goal and score for the team; those in midfield to retrieve balls and act as “bridges” between players; those in defense to prevent opponents from advancing; those in goal to catch the ball and avoid the net.

There is no one role more eminent than another but all are necessary for the success of the game, just as in the community everyone is important and everyone can contribute. It is essential that each person does his part without declining to others, knowing, however, that he can count on the help of teammates. All called, as Luciano Ligabue says in “Una vita da mediano,”” to cover certain areas, to play generous” to be “there in the middle” of life.

I believe that in the field the only valid personal pronoun subject is “We.” Even in community life it is necessary to move from the ‘individualism of the “I” to the communion of the “we,” to think and act in the plural as Pope Francis often reminds us. If every player on the field started to go it alone, to run like a loose cannon, he would fail in his goal and even if he managed to score a goal, he would not achieve the real “goal”: teamwork, full communion with his teammates. So too in community life in the novitiate: it is necessary to look beyond the tip of one’s nose, to notice who is beside us, his need, to have the courage to step back and pass the ball to the other, always for the true good of all.

Every team has its own coach: he is responsible for preparation and game strategies. He is the first one who cheers for his team, trusts each person and insists that they give their best, according to their abilities. I like to think of the figure of Jesus as the real coach, as Carlo Nesti had already guessed in his book “My Coach’s Name is Jesus.” He encourages, spurs, believes, hopes in each of us and in the work of the whole team; he wants our “joy to be full” (Jn. 15:11).

It is difficult at times to live according to the demanding proposal of this great Coach, but not impossible. We need to put ourselves in the school of the Gospel, which prepares us to be athletes as the apostle Paul tells us: “Do you not know that in the stadium races all run, but only one wins the prize? You also run so as to conquer it! However, every athlete is disciplined in everything; they do so in order to obtain a crown that withers away, we, on the other hand, one that lasts forever. ” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).

By living on “Jesus’ team,” our community, like every Christian community, will truly experience, in the midst of difficulties, the taste of a full existence, the flavor of true communion.