The Passover lived as TA community, which for years had been celebrated in Sicily, this year took us to Carini, a Franciscan oasis with a wonderful view of the sea, a few kilometers from Palermo.
The atmosphere, the participants aged between 3 months and 91 years old, Don Oscar, a Colombian priest, the animators, Juani Romera, member of the TA who lives in Brussels, and Paola Palagi, director of the sector of the Teresian Association in Italy, helped us to live intensely the mystery of the Death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, foundation of our faith, in a climate of true fraternity and sharing what we are and what faith calls us to.
From the newness of Incarnation
We wanted to place as the basis for what we have lived in these days the constant request of Pedro Poveda "The Incarnation well understood" which is also the theme that will continue to challenge us through the year and throughout the whole life since it is something so fundamental: "The novelty of the Incarnation involves our whole being and doing".
On Holy Thursday we wanted to live the aspect of the GIFT in the Incarnation: promise, friendship, service, the Body and Blood of Jesus, food for our life.
Paola Palagi reminded us how the advent of Easter indicates what the Church is and what She is called to be: community of saved people, witness of victory over evil and death, bearer of hope, and new energy of the Risen Lord in the world.
To celebrate the institution of the Eucharist remembering the Last Supper is to live the gift of the life of Christ who becomes one of us, shares our limited human condition, speaks to us, helps us, heals us… He comes to assume our ills; he remains with us under the sign of bread and wine.
On Good Friday we pondered the meaning, value and forms of prayer. Juani reminded us that it is important to ask ourselves: what is our relationship with Christ?
Because prayer “is nothing other than friendly interaction, and frequent solitary dialogue, with Him who we know loves us,” as Santa Teresa said.
The day was ended with a Via Crucis prepared by all the participants who had commented on and transformed the content of each season into a prayer.
Holy Saturday, the day of great silence, Juani Romera helped us to reflect on the need to move from what we believe into what we live, and she helped us to look at two of the human groups that in our current society need attention: young people and families.
As a conclusion, we were asked to see what each of us can contribute to the construction of a more human world, which we represented symbolically with colorful bricks.
All this, together with the liturgical celebrations in which Don Oscar repeatedly invited us to live the incarnation, helped us to let the life of Christ become flesh in each of our lives.
Easter Joy explosion
Everything culminated the Eve and Easter Day in an explosion of joy and also shared songs with many family members who, although they had not been able to be with us all the time, came on Saturday night or Easter Sunday.
We want to mention the presence of quite a few small children of five, four, three years, three months… a mirror of the presence of God's love who, in their own way, participated and encouraged our hope by opening us to the future.
Text: Annamaria Sartarell, Palermo.
Translation: C.Zabalegui and R. Cameron.
Here is the link to TA web, Italy with the story in Italian and more photos.