Almost a month has passed since our return to the novitiate. This Lent was truly special: together with my co-novice Piero we were sent to Naples in a Jesuit community, to discover and enjoy their apostolic work. For six weeks we have been working in the parish church of the “Gesù Nuovo”, a lot more than a traditional parish. From social work to catechesis for children, from concerts of sacred music to the Caritas counseling center, from the devotion to St. Joseph Moscati to the family counseling, from the evening spiritual exercises to the choir rehearsals, we met a multifaceted and fascinating reality.

It has been six weeks of grace, meeting many people in different contexts under the roof of the “Gesù Nuovo”. To be more specific, I would like to talk about the music experience in Naples and how this language has put me in relation with the chorus of young people. Why? Together with Piero we responded to the invitation of Fr. Vincenzo – the parish priest of the “Gesù Nuovo” – to participate in the rehearsals of the youth choir, for “the 8 pm Mass” on Sunday evening. The singers with their songs full of enthusiasm immediately conquered me; they were amusing for their strong and clear message: “it’s nice to be together singing to the Lord”. The following words of a frequently played song summarize well the everlasting desire and hope of a friendship with him:

«I met you Jesus

and everything in me has changed

all of my life now belongs to you

I entrust all of my past to you Jesus,

King of glory, my Lord.»

The true harmony that appealed to me was not merely “putting the sounds together”, but the attitude of serving others through songs. This makes the most beautiful musical chord that touches the heart and immediately challenges you when you listen to it.

Singing with them I opened myself, not only to musical pieces, but also to friendship with many of them, to be amazed at their service at Mass. One of the most beautiful moments of our experience was during the evening of Holy Thursday, when the choir animated the Eucharistic adoration. In front of the Altar of Reposition a table was prepared with chairs, recalling the Last Supper. The choristers sat on the chairs around the table, to give the rhythms of prayer with the song. In addition to the musical chords, I perceived a sonority of voices and hearts, a “consonance” in serving the Lord and the others together, as they evoke the words of a beautiful Spanish song:

«Amarte a ti, Señor

en todas las cosas

y a todas en Ti.

En todo amar y servir,

En todo amar y servir.»