In the past, I would never have said that I would have had the chance to see, even to live, in the city of Christopher Columbus and Fabrizio di André. From our hill where the novitiate is positioned a beautiful panorama is revealed to one’s eyes, with the city and the sea on the left, and the mountains of Liguria on the right. Between different days the wonder of the eyes is hidden by the veil of night, while the multitudes of lights remain seen as living candles.

Closing your eyes, you immediately notice a diversity of sounds. And with eyes closed and ears open, you can hear, among the sounds of machines and other sounds, the ardent and enthusiastic orchestra of some birds. The harmony and the sweet sound of these little birds invite you to enter their musical dance, welcoming you with love and embracing you with confidence. Almost every evening, our friends teach us to listen and welcome their musical stories, touching our hearts and guiding us with confidence on the path of our formation.

We have experienced similar emotions, we of the second year, in a workshop on the theme: “listen and welcome: the heart of relationship”. I realize how none of the little birds in our garden has a musical instrument to create this relational harmony, but that they are musical instruments in themselves.

This experience in the workshop made us aware that we are like these birds: we do not have the musical instruments to play and sing, but we ourselves are the “living instruments” that listen to others to welcome their song with our hearts. And the more often we put ourselves in the harmony of others, the more we can become an edifying and brilliant orchestra.