Guidelines 2015 - Faith and Light

Transcription

Missionaries of Joy!
Guidelines 2014-2015
Faith and Light international
Summary
Introduction, Ghislain du Chéné
To you, members of the coordinating team, Corinne Chatain
3
6
September Come, follow me (Alexander Men)
October Come, you that are blessed by my Father
(Sister Emmanuelle)
November Announce the reign of God (Jerzy Popiełuszko)
December A Saviour is born for you! (Takashi Nagai)
January
That they may be one (Charles Lwanga)
February The spirit sent me out to bear the Good News
(Pier Giorgio Frassati)
March
Take up your cross and follow me (Marthe Robin)
April
He is risen indeed! (Baudoin de Belgique)
May
You will be my witnesses (Lúcie dos Santos)
June
It is me, do not be afraid anymore (Cicely Saunders)
July
Happy are the meek (Óscar Romero)
August
Love one another (Martin Luther King)
8
16
Box of treasures
 Bringing the Word of God to life
 The prayer of a poor person
 Priorities 2013-2018
 Evaluate the year to progress
 Artists'workshop
 Marko Ivan Rupnik
 The little bookshop of Faith and Light
 The Faith and Light prayer
Cover: "The pilgrims of Emmaus", Father Marko Ivan Rupnik
2
24
31
38
44
50
57
64
71
78
85
92
95
96
99
101
108
109
112
Introduction
L
ast year’s guidelines helped us relive the first steps of the
Faith and Light adventure and we were invited to start
writing the second volume of these adventures and to
ignite the second stage of the Faith and Light rocket!
This "big bang", which resulted in the creation of
communities all over the world, must not be allowed to fizzle
out! Also, as we embark on our “mission” this year, we will be
accompanied by some great witnesses of this joy that we want
to continue announcing, this treasure that we don’t want to
keep just for ourselves… The main tool at our disposal will be
a net, the net that Peter and Andrew, James and John left on
the shore so that they could follow Jesus, using a different type
of net, a net to help them become fishermen of people! Over
the course of the three years when they were following Jesus
on his travels through Galilee, Samaria and Judea, the nets
filled up well. However, after Easter, after Jesus' death and
resurrection, the same apostles recast their nets, but they
caught nothing and were discouraged to find their nets empty!
It was then that a man on the shore told them: “Cast the net
to the right of the boat and there you’ll find some”. And the
nets filled up with 153 large fish!
Are we continuing to cast out our nets? Or are we saying to
ourselves: “It’s not worth it! It won’t work?!” It’s very
discouraging to make an effort and then to see that the fruits
just aren’t there… However, there are still many families that
are waiting for Faith and Light! The apostles have caught 153
big fish, so why not imagine 153 Faith and Light countries?
Nowadays there are only 80…
3
With the help of our twelve great witnesses, it’s time to
cast out our nets again; these people have never been
discouraged, so with them our mission will be fruitful!
In September, together with Father Alexander Men, we will
find the right words to speak about Faith and Light to
everyone, young and old, to call upon them to follow Jesus.
In October, together with Sister Emmanuelle, we will see
that there is no right age to start being a missionary and for
doing good around you.
In November, together with Father Jerzy Popiełuszko, we
will not be afraid of announcing God’s reign, of proclaiming
the Gospel and tending to wounded hearts.
In December, together with Takashi Nagai, we can
transform lives with very little things, changing the world, one
heart at a time.
In January, together with Charles Lwanga, we will be unified
by offering our hands to the littlest ones amongst us to give
them courage.
In February, together with Pier Giorgio Frassati, we’ll know
that young people’s enthusiasm and subtle imaginativeness
can radiate in an extraordinary way, bringing the Good News
to others.
In March, together with Marthe Robin, we will understand
that the world can be changed without leaving your little
village; we just need to take up your cross and follow Jesus.
In April, together with King Baudouin, we will build a better
society by welcoming the most fragile amongst us.
In May, together with Sister Lucia, we will be witnesses of
the wonders of God for those whom God has chosen, the
simple and the weak.
In June, together with Cicely Saunders, we will take care of
the weakest and won’t be afraid of all sharing our joy in the
Lord.
4
In July, together with Archbishop Oscar Romero, we will
listen to the real law of God, the Beatitudes.
In August, together with Martin Luther King, we will joyfully
share the feast of the freshly grilled fish with everybody, on
the banks of the Sea of Galilee.
These twelve characters will become increasingly familiar to us
over the course of this year. They are all very different: Catholic,
Orthodox, Anglican or Baptist. Their lives have varied in length
(from 21 to 99), there is a king and a shepherd, five were
married, six were priests/monks… But they all had in common a
love for Jesus, which made them achieve extraordinary things!
Let’s follow behind them into the deep waters and cast out our
nets! Let’s not be afraid!
GHISLAIN DU CHÉNÉ
International Coordinator
5
To you, members of the coordinating team
W
ell, here we are at the start of another year! It’s a year
that looks like it will be full of adventures… First of all,
however, I wanted to offer heartfelt thanks to the
wonderful Slovenian team who have created these guidelines with
us: Rozi Ternik (former national leader), Father Franc Kejžar
(former provincial Chaplain), Vesna Knuplez (former viceprovincial coordinator), Helena Furar (Mum), Edo Dolinar (friend)
and Ghislain du Chéné for the monthly meditations. For a few days
in January, we formed a real little community of sharing, prayer and
celebration in snowy Slovenia!
 It’s a good thing that the coordinating team meets at the
beginning of the year for a weekend, if possible, so that they have
the time to experience the three times of every meeting….and to
plan the year of course! They can start by evaluating the previous
year and setting priorities for the year to come. They can plan the
schedule for meetings and external events: the Announcing and
Sharing Day, the Feast of Light, a weekend away with the
community or a pilgrimage to the religious community we are
twinned with, a holiday camp, retreat…
 This year, each month, we will propose an extract from the Joy
of the Gospel, Pope Francis’s Apostolic Exhortation published
in 2013. Francis himself invites us to be missionaries of joy: "The
joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. With
Christ joy is constantly born anew. In this Exhortation I wish to encourage
the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelisation,
marked by this joy".
It would be a good idea to have a sharing time in teams, focused
on the text that has been proposed to you.
 We are called to cast out our nets, following on from the great
witnesses whom you read about in the introduction! That’s why
the fisherman’s net will be there accompanying each of our
meetings. We could ask one of the Mums to crochet one (see
6
page 101), or buy one cheaply1. Each month, we will attach the
symbol of the meeting to the net, and it can decorate our prayer
corner at the meetings.
 This year, we suggest a new prayer approach similar to that of
the Poor Person’s prayer. Our Slovenian friends are very fond of
it. However, as with everything in these guidelines, this is of
course just a suggestion.
 Becoming a missionary of joy is about announcing the good
news of Faith and Light! We need to open our hearts and our
communities to new members. Never stop inviting people…
For example, one good way of “casting out our nets” is to
concentrate on organising the Feast of Light together with the
parish in order to make ourselves visible; asking each member of
the community to come along with a friend; and organising the
Announcing and Sharing Day at the beginning of the year in the
parish so that the parishioners can get to know us and we can
invite them on a regular basis…
 It’s a good idea for everyone to return home with a small object
or a card… made during the meeting or prepared in advance by
the coordinating team. This is a way of remaining connected and
deepening what was experienced during the day.
 Finally, you can find all the illustrations and download them in
high definition from our website, via this link : http://
www.faithandlight.org/rubriques/haut/album_photo
Have a wonderful year of mission and joy in each of your
communities.
Let’s set out into the deep!
CORINNE CHATAIN
General secretary
1
Less than 10 € on site: www.decor-evasion.fr/divers-marins-23/filet-de-peche-avecflotteurs-337.html
7
Peter's boat, chapel of the Nonciature, Paris
September
Come, follow me
8
The word of the month
Our great witness
Alexander Men
A
lexander Vladimirovich Men was born
on 22 January 1935 in Moscow to nonbelieving Jewish parents. His mother,
Helen, converted to Christianity and was
secretly baptised in the Orthodox Church at
the same time as her son, who was only seven
months old at the time.
From a young age, Alexander demonstrated a deeply religious
spirit, and felt the call to the priesthood very early on. After
finishing his studies, he was ordained on 1st September 1960. He
served in several parishes in the outskirts of Moscow, and the last
one was in the small town of Semkhoz. With his unique
combination of a formidable intellect, his openness to modern
culture, to science, to other Christian traditions and other religions,
he swiftly became one of the most renowned Christian preachers.
He was extremely popular and could address intellectuals or
theologians just as well as his most humble parishioners; he would
speak of Jesus tirelessly and used all possible means to ensure that
Christ’s message could reach the greatest possible number of
people. He wrote many books, whose manuscripts were sent to
Belgium to be printed; he taught catechism by walking around the
church and using the external paintings to illustrate his words; he
wrote plays… He organised meetings of families, young people and
children’s parties; thus creating a real Christian community and,
within a society that was atheist and hostile to religion, he was able
to show through his life what the Church represents.
Whilst remaining faithful to the Orthodox Church, Father
Alexander Men was at the same time open to dialogue with all the
other Christian churches, and demonstrated this by establishing
deep friendships with the Taizé brothers, the little sisters of Charles
de Foucauld, and of course a certain Jean Vanier!
9
On the eve of the perestroika, he was the first Orthodox priest
to be admitted to a state secondary school to give religious studies
lessons. However, he also upset many with the strength of his
message that reached many people, and at dawn on 9th September
1990, he was hacked to death by an axe.
His memory remains very much alive for those who knew him
and those who had access to his books, including “Jesus, the Master
of Nazareth”. In Semkhoz, his office-library is still open to those
who ring the doorbell of the wooden house where his wife still
lives. Ten years after his death, a church has been built in his
honour, surrounded by trees and several metres away from the
place where he was murdered, which is marked with a simple cross
surrounded by flowers.
At Faith and Light, we want Jesus’ message to reach as many
people as possible, and in our communities we are all messengers of
joy! Our own wonderful way of bringing the Good News to life
consists in performing Gospel mimes where every participant is
both an actor and a spectator: an actor in bringing a particular
Gospel character to life; a spectator when this community action
brings us all nearer to Jesus and helps bring us closer and to enter
the secret of God’s love.
“Persons with an intellectual disability, by the very radiance of their poverty,
lead Christians of different denominations into the beatitude of poverty of heart
and thus allow them to rediscover the spirit of God." (Charter I. 5)
Father Alexander Men would certainly have been an excellent
mimes producer in our communities; but we can also say that our
mimes pay a very special homage to him, spasiba dear Father
Alexander!
Focus on the theme of the month
 Jesus calls upon us to leave everything behind, to go and
announce the good news throughout the year.
 We are called to be missionaries of joy.
10
The Joy of the Gospel
Realities are greater than ideas (N°233)
This principle impels us to put the word into practice, to perform works of
justice and charity which make that word fruitful. Not to put the word
into practice, not to make it reality, is to build on sand, to remain in the
realm of pure ideas and to end up in a lifeless and unfruitful selfcentredness and gnosticism.
Welcome and reunion
On arrival, each person receives a replica of
the mosaic of the month, inscribed with the
words: "I will make you fishers of men". We can
take this back home for our prayer corners.
Sharing
 Together
After the "weather bulletin", the leader or
organiser reads or recounts Alexander
Men’s life in this/her own words.
Jesus called on Alexander to leave
everything behind in order to follow him.
Up until his martyrdom, he announced
Jesus to everyone and by all means.
Jesus is calling on us today, as he called upon Alexander and as he
called his first disciples. To hear better, to internalise Jesus' call to
follow him and announce him, we are reliving the scene where
Jesus calls Peter and Andrew.
 Bringing the Word of God to life
Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men (Mt 4, 18-25)
Characters: Simon, Andrew, James, John, Zebedee, Jesus
11
Materials: a blue cloth, a net, the boat (an upturned table will do
the job)
First scene
While the narrator starts the story, Jesus is walking beside the lake.
 Narrator: As Jesus was walking beside the sea of Galilee, he saw two
brothers, Simon, called Peter, and his brother, Andrew, who were casting
their nets into the sea for they were fishermen.
 Jesus: Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.
 Simon turns towards Andrew and says: Let’s leave this net and go
with Jesus.
 Andrew: Yes, let’s go with Jesus.
Straightaway, Simon and Andrew get up and leave with Jesus.
Second scene
 Narrator: A bit further on, he sees James, the son of Zebedee, and his
brother John, who were in the boat with their father, repairing their nets.
 Jesus calls them: Come and follow me as well !
 Narrator: James and John look at each other and turn to their father.
 James and John: Father, we’re going with Jesus.
 Zebedee : Go my children, and may God bless you !
As all five gradually move away, waving goodbye …
 Narrator: Jesus travelled around the whole of Galilee; he taught in
synagogues, proclaimed the Kingdom’s Gospel, cured every sickness and
infirmity the people had. His fame spread throughout Syria. All those who
were suffering were brought to him, people suffering from illnesses and all
kinds of torments: the possessed, the epileptic or the paralysed. And he cured
them. Huge crowds followed him around, who had come from Galilee,
Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the other side of Jordan.
 In small groups
His fame spread throughout Syria… The disciples needed to speak
about Jesus with conviction in order for people to flock to Jesus
from all around. All those who were suffering, the poorest ones
and the sick flocked towards him and he cured them. In turn,
they too became missionaries and testified to this Good News.
Alexander, like the disciples, would announce Jesus up until his
12
own martyrdom. The disciple is the one who models himself or
herself on Jesus and wants to be like him.
 Jesus has called upon me to follow him in the community.
What do I like in the community?
 Jesus calls me to be his witness.
When you experience great joy, you feel like telling everyone
about it. How do I testify about what I experience in the
community? And to whom? Can I tell the story of one time
when I have invited someone to come and “see”?
Do I have doubts or fears that prevent me from talking about
Jesus? Who can help me?
 What do I need so that I can be more like him: patience,
gentleness, strength, ability to listen?...
On a little piece of card, we write: Jesus, make patience or
gentleness grow in me, or… Put them all in the prayer corner.
Praying
Celebration of commitment
We place the net in the prayer corner. There is
a cross and an icon there and a large candle is
lit. Besides this we spread the community
banner.
After an introduction, the community coordinator or chaplain will
ask the following questions inspired by the prayer of Faith and
Light (of course, you can also choose others):
 Do you want to follow Jesus in our community and to become his witness ?
All those who want to respond: Yes
 Do you want to commit to faithfully participate in meetings with all your
heart?
All those who want to respond: Yes.
13
 Do you want to be the friend of everyone in the community?
All those who want to respond: Yes
Then, with a song, one after the other we approach the prayer
corner and we light the little tea-light that the chaplain gives us, as
we say: Jesus, to be your disciple, give me more patience, or gentleness, or…
We can end with this prayer, all together:
You have called me to be part of a Faith and Light community.
With a heart that is poor, but full of confidence,
I commit to keeping each of its members in my prayers and in my heart.
I commit to do all that is in my power to ensure that in Faith and Light,
They meet a real community of friends
With whom they can welcome the light of faith,
Grow in confidence and hope, radiate peace and joy.
God, our Father, help me to remain faithful to your love
In the mission that you give me within my community.
May Mary, your mother, strengthen me through her example
of love and of service.
Amen!
Song: "Come and go with me"1
Prayer of a poor person
I remain in the net of your love.
Celebrating
Game: the fisherman’s net
This game is played in two groups. The first
group will be the net; the second group the
fish. The net group secretly choose a number
(or a word of a song), which will be the signal.
1
http://foietlumiere.ca/Chap101/Chants/Chants-2a-10.htm
14
When the “net” is ready, the net players get into a circle and raise
their arms so that the fish players can pass underneath into the
middle of the circle.
The fish players keep going back and forth through the mesh of the
net while the net players count (or sing).
When they hear the signal (the chosen number or word), the fish
players lower their arms and the fish that are within the circle at that
moment are prisoners. This means that they have to join the net
group which, once again, chooses the signal word.
The game continues until there is only one free fish left.
We can play again and swap over the roles.
 Artists’ workshop
Make a large envelope to hold our prayers and written requests
during the sharing time.
The fisherman’s net
You can make it yourself by knitting or
crocheting (net point, see page 101) or get
hold of a cheap, decorative fishing net (see
page 7). Each month, we will attach a symbol
of the meeting to the net. Today, during the
sharing time, we will put our written requests
for prayer in it, all together in the big
envelope on which we write: Jesus, we want to be
missionaries of joy.
15
"I was thirsty and you gave me drink" ,Church of All Saints, Ljubljana
October
Come, you that are blessed
by my Father
16
Our great witness
Sister Emmanuelle
M
adeleine Cinquin was born in 1908
in Brussels, Belgium, to a well-off
family. Her father was French and
her mother Belgian, but after living for nearly
a hundred years, she died with three
nationalities: Belgian, French and Egyptian!
At the age of 6, she witnessed her father’s accidental drowning.
She was deeply shocked by this and later said that, subconsciously,
her religious vocation dated from that sad day. In 1931 she gave her
vows in the congregation of Notre-Dame de Sion and chose the
name of Sister Emmanuelle.
For a long time, Sister Emmanuelle taught philosophy in Turkey,
in Tunisia and in Egypt. She would have preferred to care for the
poor people she met in these countries, but every time she asked,
her requests were refused and she had to continue her teaching
work for young girls from well-to-do backgrounds. She found them
very superficial and it was only in Egypt that she was able to start
looking after poor girls from the Bacos district in Alexandria. It was
at this point that she fell in love with the large and beautiful country
that is Egypt.
After reaching retirement age, she went to settle in one of the
poorest shanty towns in Cairo, at Ezbet-Al-Nakhl, amongst a
predominantly Coptic Zabbaleen community nicknamed “the
ragmen of Cairo”. The alleys were narrow and strewn with piles of
filth, there were wooden carts pulled by donkeys, trucks were
overflowing with rubbish and ragmen of all ages were carrying
heavy bags on their backs. It was here that she went on to achieve
everything she had dreamt of for so long: setting up a community,
launching projects in health (free clinics), education (schools,
children’s gardens) and social protection in order to improve living
conditions for the poorest of the poor. Tirelessly, she continued her
17
work in other districts and designed shelters so that families could
have housing away from the places where the rubbish is sorted.
Thanks to her own charisma, she collected donations and mobilized
political intervention for the families she had come to aid.
At the age of 85 she had to leave Egypt, at the request of her
congregation. However, she continued to fight from France for
more solidarity in the world. Up until the last of her strength, she
put all her energy into writing books, giving talks and taking part in
radio and television programs to raise public awareness of this
commitment. Her cry of “Yalla” has become famous.
“We have a duty to seek amidst the most terrible of events,
through the darkest of skies, a little corner of blueness. In stormy
skies there is always a tiny sunny spell. Make sure that you always
see the light side in everything”. These words from Sister
Emmanuelle are echoed in Marie-Hélène Mathieu’s book called
“Mieux vaut allumer une lampe que maudire l’obscurité”1.
In our communities, whatever our economic situation, we always
share the same joy, this joy for which we want to be messengers!
Sister Emmanuelle’s heart was always overflowing with joy and she
would have appreciated everything that is written in our Charter,
and especially: “Faith and Light communities across the world form the
branches of one big international family. Within each province, each country, we
carry one another’s burdens, sufferings and joys. Solidarity is expressed by
sharing financial support for the life of Faith and Light but also by sharing the
benefits of their particular gifts, their friendship, the wisdom of their experience,
and their faithfulness in prayer. As members of a single family, communities
seek to live in love and unity.” (Charter III. 4).
We are called to announce the Good News to everyone,
starting with the smallest ones, with patience, perseverance
and enthusiasm.
“It is better to light a lamp than to curse the darkness”. The book exists only in
French.
1
18
The whole is greater than the part (N°237)
The good news is the joy of the Father who desires that none of his little ones
be lost, the joy of the Good Shepherd who finds the lost sheep and brings it
back to the flock. The Gospel is the leaven which causes the dough to rise
and the city on the hill whose light illumines all peoples. The Gospel has an
intrinsic principle of totality: it will always remain good news until it has
been proclaimed to all people, until it has healed and strengthened every
aspect of humanity, until it has brought all men and women together at table
in God’s kingdom. The whole is greater than the part.
To deepen our reflection
"The culture of waste", General audience with Pope Francis, 5
June 20131.
Welcome and reunion
On arrival, everyone is welcomed with tea or a
soft drink… or…
Sharing
 Together
After the "weather bulletin”, the leader or
organiser reads or recounts Sister
Emmanuelle’s story in his/her own words.
Jesus calls us, like Sister Emmanuelle, to
become missionaries of joy amongst the
littlest ones.
1
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2013/documents/papafrancesco_20130605_udienza-generale.html
19
She liked the Arabic word "Yalla", which means a joyful "let’s go"!
Following Sister Emmanuelle, we are called to communicate this
joy to everyone, to soothe their sufferings, starting with the littlest
ones. Jesus tells us in the Gospel: What you have done to one of the
youngest of my brothers, you did to me. We will relive that passage from
the Gospel so that we can absorb the word of Jesus.
Come, you that are blessed by my Father (Mt 25, 34-40)
Characters: Jesus, 5 righteous ones, the foreigner, the thirsty
person, the person on the blanket.
Materials: two loaves of bread, one glass, a pilgrim’s staff, a
cape (or a piece of fabric).
First scene
Jesus is in the centre of the room, with the five righteous ones
on his right.
 Jesus calls the righteous ones: Come, you that are blessed by my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world.
The righteous ones come nearer and Jesus hugs them.
 Jesus speaks to the first righteous one: I was hungry and you gave
me something to eat. Then, he hugs him/her.
 The righteous one: When did I give you something to eat?
The foreigner approaches. Jesus speaks, as if in a flashback.
 Jesus: A foreigner was a long way from home, he had travelled a long
way on foot and had nothing to eat. He knocked on your door.
 The foreigner: I’m hungry, please could you give me a loaf of bread?
 The righteous one: Here you are, my friend, here are two.
Second scene
 Jesus addresses the second righteous one: I was thirsty and you
gave me something to drink. Then, he hugs him/her.
 The righteous one : When did I give you something to drink?
The thirsty person approaches.
 Jesus: After a long walk under a burning sun, a thirsty man knocked
on your door.
20
 The man: I’m thirsty, can you give me something to drink?
 The righteous one: Come in my friend, I have a good pitcher of fresh
water for you.
Third scene
 Jesus addresses the third righteous one: I was naked and you clothed
me. Then he hugs him/her.
 The righteous one: When did I clothe you?
The person wrapped in a blanket approaches.
 Jesus: A man had been attacked on the road by bandits who had taken
everything from him, even his clothes, and he knocked on your door.
 The righteous one: Come in my friend, I have some clothes for you.
The same scene can be repeated for the sick person, the person in
prison…
Fourth scene
 Jesus addresses everyone: every time you did this to one of the littlest of
my brothers, you did it to me.
Song: "Oh let all who thirst, let them come to the water"1
 In small groups
In the face of suffering, poverty, war… It’s tempting to shrug
our shoulders, to believe that our little gestures will not do any
good, and to resign ourselves to sadness. The prayer of Sister
Emmanuelle was: "Lord, give myself as a rule to see the bright side of
everything ".
 When I see someone suffer, what do I feel? What do I do?
 When my life is too hard, how do I re-find strength?
 Can I tell you about when a righteous person came to me?
What did he/she do?
 When have I also been a "righteous one", a little light?
1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJJVrZKqKNE
21
Celebrating
 Game: tenderness
Against some background music, everyone
walks around the room calmly, we cross
each other’s paths without really looking at
one another.
At the game leader’s signal (cymbal clash, music stopping…), we
turn to the person closest to us and exchange a gesture of
tenderness, we hug each other and say something kind to each
other, or we make the sign of the cross on their forehead as we say:
May you be blessed. At the game leader’s signal, we start walking again
and we find another “brother” to whom we can demonstrate our
friendship…
 The artists’ workshop
We can make candles to decorate or light our prayer corner: a
candle to colour, or made using a mandarin (see page 101) that
you can take home with you.
Praying
We slowly and peacefully re-read the text
from Matthew 25, 34-40. We close our eyes
and in the silence of our hearts, we listen to
Jesus as he says to us: Come, you that are blessed
by my Father...
The prayer leader repeats: Lord, when did we see you...? So you were
hungry, and we fed you? You were thirsty and we gave you something to
drink?...
Lord, when did I see you in another person, when did I come to
help them? Lord, when and how have I met you in a person or in
our Faith and Light community?
22
Amen, I say to you: each time that you did this to one of the smallest of my
brothers, it is to me that you did this.
In the silence of their hearts, each person thinks about the people
that they have met, one after the other; and the events, one after
the other, that have been a light… Allowing Jesus to take over our
soul.
I remain in the light of your love.
We attach a picture of a candle to it, on
which we write Sister Emmanuelle’s words:
Lord, let me see the bright side of everything.
23
"The Good Shepherd" church Madonna della Via, Caltagirone
November
Announce the reign of God
24
Our great witness
Jerzy Popiełuszko
J
erzy Popiełuszko was born on 14
September 1947 in a small village in
North-East Poland, where his
parents managed a farm. At 18 he joined
the Warsaw High Seminary.
Then he spent two years of military service in a special
seminarian unit which aimed to remove individuals from their
environment in order to persuade them to abandon their vocation.
Throughout this period, Jerzy demonstrated great courage in
defending his convictions, but this meant that he suffered
punishments, humiliation and bullying, which only reinforced his
desire to become a priest.
On 28 May 1972, he was ordained by Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski.
On the images distributed for his first mass, you could read the
words: “God has sent me to preach the Gospel and dress the wounds of broken
hearts.”
In May 1980 he was appointed to the parish of Saint Stanisław
Kostka, in the suburbs of Warsaw and, the following summer,
Cardinal Wyszynski asked him to become the Chaplain for the city’s
steelworks. Every Sunday, he held mass for the members of the
Solidarnosc trade union, which was born during this period at the
time of the Gdansk Accords. He had also organised a kind of
“laboratory” for workers, in which he led the catechesis, but also
helped them to acquire knowledge in various fields through a series
of lectures: on history, literature, the social doctrine of the church,
law, economics and even negotiation techniques.
After the coup d’état at the end of 1981, Father Jerzy
Popiełuszko came to the defence of the Solidarnosc trade union,
which had been brutally outlawed. Every month, starting from that
25
fateful day, he held a Mass “for the homeland” in his parish. He
gave lively homilies arguing for social justice and respect for
individual freedoms. The words of his courageous addresses were
recorded and shared on cassettes throughout Poland. Suffice it to
say that the regime considered the young priest a dangerous
agitator.
On many occasions, the young priest was summoned by the
militia and held in custody. Then, at 10pm on Friday 19 October
1984, three police officers stopped Father Jerzy Popiełuszko’s car
in the middle of nowhere, on the pretext of a drink-driving test. His
body was found a few days later in an artificial lake about one
hundred kilometers North of Warsaw. The news had a profound
impact, but the Polish people responded to it without surrendering
to anger or violence, remembering those words that Father Jerzy
liked to repeat: “Zło dobrem zwyciężaj”, “Defeat evil through good”.
I still remember with emotion the time when I was in his parish
in July 1994. Almost ten years after his martyrdom, a crowd was
gathered to watch videos in which you could see Father Jerzy
Popiełuszko preaching or images of his funeral mass attended by
hundreds of thousands of Poles, in which many were crying! In
June 1987, his tomb outside the parish church was visited by Saint
Jean-Paul II. Since then, almost nothing has changed save for some
even more brilliant letters that were added in 2010 above his name:
“błogosławiony”, “blessed”!
For Faith and Light, the Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko, who was in
the tradition of the great witnesses of Truth, is a role model to
encourage us to reveal the beauty and vocation of people with an
intellectual disability, at a time when attempts are made to eliminate
them, hide or silence them…
“Faith and Light was born of a desire to help people with an intellectual
disability and their families find their place within the Church and
society.” (Beginning of the Charter) “He/she [the person with the intellectual
disability] is called to be a source of grace and peace for the whole community
and also for the Churches and for all humanity” (Charter II. 1).
Following the intercession of the blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko, we
will no longer be afraid of testifying to the truth and dressing the
wounds of broken hearts!
26
 We are celebrating All Saints Day.
 We are called to announce the Gospel in spite of difficulties
or persecution.
 We are called to defeat evil through good so that we too can
become saints.
The spiritual savour of being a people (N°271)
in our dealings with the world, we are told to give reasons for our hope, but not
as an enemy who critiques and condemns. We are told quite clearly: “do so with
gentleness and reverence” and “if possible, so far as it depends upon you, live
peaceably with all”. We are also told to overcome “evil with good” and to
“work for the good of all”. Far from trying to appear better than others, we
should “in humility count others better” than ourselves. The Lord’s apostles
themselves enjoyed “favour with all the people”. Clearly Jesus does not want us
to be grandees who look down upon others, but men and women of the
people. By so doing we will know the missionary joy of sharing life with God’s
faithful people as we strive to light a fire in the heart of the world.
Welcome and reunion
On arrival, each person receives a small lamb
which they will wear around their necks
throughout the meeting (see page 102).
Sharing
 Together
After the "weather bulletin”, the leader or
organiser will read or summarise the life of
Father Jerzy Popiełuszko in his/her own
words. We can pass a photo round the
whole group.
27
I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves (Lc 10, 1-11)
First the leader will read the Gospel, and then we will all relive it
together.
Characters: Jesus, two disciples, the blind person, a mum, the
son.
Materials: a blanket to symbolise a bed.
First scene
Narrator: Jesus calls the disciples.
 Jesus : Go on your way! See, I am sending you out like lambs into the
midst of wolves. Go two by two before me and travel to all the towns that
I will be visiting. Cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The
kingdom of God has come near to you.’
The disciples leave.
Second scene
 Narrator: two disciples are walking, and on the road they meet a blind
person.
 Blind person: Have pity, I’m hungry and I don’t have any money. He
opens his hands to receive alms.
 The two disciples: We don’t have any money, but what we do have we
give to you: Lord, make him see. They place their hands on the
blind man’s head, close their eyes and pray.
 Blind man (very happy): I can see… I can see… thank you!
 The two disciples: It’s the Lord Jesus who has cured you and not us.
 The blind man jumps up in joy and proclaims: Glory to God,
hallelujah!!!
Third scene
 Narrator: On the road, the two disciples meet a small group of people. A
mum approaches from amongst them.
 The mum: My son cannot walk, come and cure him.
 The two disciples: Where is he? Take us to him.
 Narrator: The disciples go into the house. A young man is lying on a
bed. They come closer and place their hands on his legs.
 The disciples: In the name of Jesus, get up and walk!
28
 Narrator: The young man gets up slowly, then he starts running and
praising God.
 The two disciples : Today it is God’s realm that has approached you.
Do you believe in Jesus, the son of God?
All in unison: Yes, we believe in Jesus and we want to follow him.
Song: "Our God reigns"1
 In small groups
Like these characters in the Gospel, Father Jerzy followed
Jesus. He was sent out like a lamb into the midst of wolves
and devoted his life to announcing the reign of God and to
fighting injustice.
 What is most important to me? God, love, justice or
happiness?
 What is it that gives me the strength to follow Jesus and to
announce him without being frightened? A prayer? A
song? A person?
 Can I talk about someone who has left to join the Lord
and who was important in my life?
Everyone receives a star on which we write the name of that
person. We put these in our prayer corner.
Praying
We can pray as a litany for the deceased whose
names are written on the stars: Saint Peter, pray
for us… Saint Kathryn, pray for us…
Jesus you tell us: "The harvest is plentiful, but the
labourers are few".
There are many Faith and Light communities,
but a few friends are missing here and there.
People with an intellectual disability in this world are like lambs in the
midst of wolves without a purse, or a bag for their journey, or sandals.
Peace in this house, this is the message that we will bring to the parish
and to the parishioners…. And even if people are sometimes
1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lQRmFXNA2Q
29
distrustful when they receive us, we are the witness that the reign
of God has approached you.
Dear Jesus, that is our prayer. This is how we want to follow you in
our Faith and Light community. We love You and You love us.
 Prayer of a poor person
I remain in the peace of your love.
Celebrating
 Game: Who’s scared of the wolf?
We draw two lines on the ground in chalk,
quite far apart so we can run. Behind one
line is the wolf, and behind the other the
rest of the community. When the wolf
shouts: "Who’s scared of the wolf?” we start
running from one line to the other.
When the wolf catches someone, they have to hold hands and run
together and catch a third person, and so it goes on, running in a
three, four… Until everyone is caught!
Paper mosaic (see page 102).
Fisherman’s net
We can join all the stars from the sharing time
into a paper chain and hang this in the net.
30
"Nativity", chapel Casa Incontri Cristiani, Capagio
December
A Saviour is born for you!
31
Our great witness
Takashi Nagai
T
akashi Nagai was born on 3rd
February 1908 in Matsue (Japan), to a
family of doctors who raised him
according to the teachings of Confucius and
of the Shinto religion. In 1928 he went up to
the University of Nagasaki to study medicine,
but changed to radiology due to an ear
disorder that left him partially deaf.
Throughout this period, he had started on a spiritual path which
would lead him to Christianity. Before witnessing his mother’s
death from a brain haemorrhage, he was overwhelmed by her
intense expression, which made him believe in the existence of the
soul. Spending time as a lodger with the Moriyama family also
influenced him: this family had, for seven generations, been
amongst the main descendants of a group of secret Christians, who
were heirs to the evangelization of Saint François-Xavier. In 1934,
he married their daughter, Midori, who had accompanied him on
his development: inviting him to a Christmas mass on the evening
of 24th December one year, or sending a parcel containing gloves
and a catechism when he was on military service in Manchuria! He
was baptised two months before his marriage, choosing the
Christian first name of Paul. He then became a member of the Saint
Vincent de Paul society. Takashi met Maximilien Kolbe several
times in the district of Nagasaki where he had founded a monastery.
In 1937, war was declared between Japan and China and Takashi
was mobilized as a surgeon up until 1940. Thereafter he resumed
his research and teaching at the university.
On 26th April 1945, an air raid on Nagasaki left many casualties.
The hospital was overwhelmed and Takashi spent his days and
nights looking after the wounded in his radiology service. At the
time, safety procedures were poorly understood and in June 1945,
he learnt that he was suffering from leukaemia: he was only
expected to survive a few years.
32
On 9th August 1945, an atomic bomb struck Nagasaki. At the
moment of the bombing, Takashi was working at the hospital. He
joined up with the surviving members of the medical personnel to
care for the victims. On 11th August, Takashi found the site of his
home and, amongst a heap of ash, the charred bones of Midori
with her rosary close beside her.
He returned to live in the Urakami district where the bomb had
fallen. He built a small hut which he called Nyokodo (after Jesus'
words: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”) and stayed there
with the other members of his family. The hut only covered about
10 square metres. Later, he made himself a second hut that looked
like a hermitage, where he spent the remainder of his life in prayer
and contemplation.
On 3rd December 1949, he was made an honorary citizen of the
city of Nagasaki, and received a visit there from Emperor Hirohito
and Cardinal Gilroy, the Pope’s emissary.
He died in 1951 at the age of 43. 20,000 people attended his
funeral in front of the cathedral. The city of Nagasaki observed a
minute of silence which began the moment when all the city’s
church bells rang out.
I am very touched by the life of this man and the radiance of his
influence! His life was profoundly changed by so many little things
which allowed him to have extraordinary radiance! Are we thinking
of calling, inviting or going out to meet other people? We can have
no idea what the consequences of all these small gestures will be!
“Friendship deepens through time and presence. Between the monthly gatherings
the members of the community choose to spend time together in smaller groups or
just meeting one-to-one. They share stories, fears, dreams, hope, prayer, fun,
service with others, a meal, and other activities which nurture friendship: it is
'the time of fidelity', also called the 'fourth time'.” (Charter 1.4)
These times when we experience friendship are the times when
we can introduce our communities to the people we meet! The
Announcing and Sharing Days are perfect opportunities for this: we
can bump into a Dad while singing Carols, or introduce a Polish
lady to Faith and Light during a Christmas sale in Portugal!
33
At the crib, we discover that it is really Jesus who has offered
himself as a gift and who allows us to change the world one
heart at a time.
Unity prevails over conflict (N°229)
Peace is possible because the Lord has overcome the world and its constant
conflict “by making peace through the blood of his cross” (Col 1:20). But if we
look more closely at these biblical texts, we find that the locus of this
reconciliation of differences is within ourselves, in our own lives, ever threatened
as they are by fragmentation and breakdown. If hearts are shattered in
thousands of pieces, it is not easy to create authentic peace in society.
Welcome and reunion
When everyone has arrived, we can start the
meeting with a lovely Christmas carol, or learn
the angels’ song that comes from Slovenia1.
Sharing
 Together
organiser reads or recounts the life of
Takashi Nagai in his/her own words. We
can pass a photo round the whole group.
1
Sea video on: www.faithandlight.org/rubriques/haut/video
34
The birth of Jesus (Luke 2, 1-20)
Characters: Joseph, Mary, two shepherds, an angel.
Materials: a Jesus doll, a bundle, a pilgrim’s staff.
First scene
 Narrator: In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that
all the world should be registered. All went to their own towns to be
registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to
Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended
from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with
Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While
they were there…
 Mary: Joseph, the child is going to be born. Where shall we go?
 Joseph: There’s no place for us at the inn, let’s move in to this stable.
 Narrator: Mary brings her child into the world; she wraps him up and
lays him in a manger.
Second scene
 Narrator: In that region there were shepherds living in the fields,
keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood
before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were
terrified.
 Angel: But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see - I am
bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this
day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. You
will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.
 Narrator: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the
heavenly host, praising God and saying: "“Glory to God in the highest
heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!”
 Shepherds: Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has
taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.
 Narrator: So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and
the child lying in the manger.
Third scene
 Mary: Come in, do not be afraid!
35
 Shepherds: The angels appeared to tell us that Jesus is Christ, the
saviour of the world…. And we have come to adore him.
 Narrator: Mary, meanwhile, retained all these events and meditated on
them in her heart. The shepherds left: they praised and glorified God for all
that they had heard and seen.
 In small groups
Changing the world, one heart at a time. Yes, with Jesus, it’s
possible. We can read Mirna’s letter, former viceinternational coordinator from Syria, or Fathers Hans’s
letter, former Sudanese chaplain, who tell us about peace and
forgiveness.

Can each of us tell the story of the event, the word or
the little thing that happened to us and that changed
something in our heart?

How can I too change the world, one heart at a time?
Praying
Do not be afraid - I am bringing you good news of
great joy…You will find a child wrapped in bands of
cloth and lying in a manger.
Joy, joy, joy of the tiny little child lying in the
manger,
Joy at a God so small, little human baby.
Joy of the Saviour, joy of the child, joy of the family, joy of
childhood, joy of life, joy of the soul.
Let’s rejoice together, let’s welcome this joy and celebrate it in the
community.
Let’s share the joy, the great joy of the crib.
Song: "O Holy night"1
I remain in the protection of your love.
1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjkvbTfjNpg
36
Celebrating
 Game: the angel and the child
We get into pairs (or threes if someone has
trouble walking). One is the angel and the
other a child. The child is walking on a
dangerous path and the angel is there to
protect him or her.
The child needs to tread on the card leaves that the angel places in
front of him or her, and not tread directly on the ground. In front,
the angel lays the first leaf and then the child takes one step, and
then another….. Until they have crossed the whole room…. For
those in a wheelchair we will use two large leaves. We will savour
the tender concern of the angel….
 Song or gift socks
Materials: as many coloured children’s socks as there are people
in the community, a length of string and some washing pegs.
Stretch the string across the room. In each sock place a piece of
paper with a word linked to Christmas written on it: crib, tree,
star, night… and we hang them on the string. One by one, go
and pull out a word and you have to strike up a song that
includes this word…. And we all join in, in chorus.
We can also use little gifts instead of songs….
We can make angels with scraps of wool (see page 102). We’ll
create one large one for the fisherman’s net.

We will attach the big angel to it.
37
"Washing of the Feet" Redemptoris Mater Chapel, Vatican
January
That they may be one
38
C
Our great witness
Charles Lwanga
harles Lwanga was responsible for the
pages at the court of King Mwanga II
in the Kingdom of Buganda (in the
South of what is now Uganda). On 3 June
1886 he was 21 years old when he was
martyred for his faith at Namuyongo, along
with twelve of his companions.
He had been baptised at the Mission of the White Fathers several
months earlier (November 1885) and had secretly taught catechism
to his pages, baptising five of them himself. After refusing to offer
sacrifices to the traditional Gods and protecting the pages from the
dangerous influences at the King’s court, he was condemned to be
burned alive along with twenty-five other Christians, including ten
Anglicans.
Whilst walking to the place of execution, Kizito, the youngest of
the group (13), asked Charles Lwanga: “Give me your hand; I will be less
frightened”. Both were proclaimed patron saints of African young
people.
This was not an isolated event as massacres continued from 1885
to 1887. Forty-five Christians were killed, twenty-two Catholics and
twenty-three Anglicans.
The missionaries had arrived in 1877, sent by the “Church
Missionary Society” in London (Anglicans and Protestants). They
were followed two years later by the White Fathers. The
missionaries did not just aim to spread the Good News of the
Gospel to the far ends of the earth: there was definitely also some
political manoeuvring, the fruit of Franco-British rivalry, in order to
garner influence in the local community. The Holy Spirit put things
right, because the converted young people were model examples of
faith and unity: all of them, irrespective of whether they were
Catholic or Anglican, confessed the same faith in Jesus Christ and
went to their martyrdom with the same determination and hope.
39
During the week of prayer for Christian unity, let us remember
that in times of trial and suffering, we must be united and gathered
together.
The Charter of Faith and Light is very clear on this subject:
“Faith and Light believes that the person who is weak and disabled can become
a source of unity in society and in each Church and also between Churches and
nations.” (Charter I.5)
It is the smallest and the weakest, those whom God has chosen
to confuse the wise and the strong, who as rallying persons, will
guide us on this path of unity. All our communities must be signs
of the unity of our human family: “In a society based on usefulness and
power, people with disabilities may not be efficient but they are nonetheless in the
area of the heart and of tenderness, and in what is essential in the human
person. And so those who are poor evangelize the rest of us.” (Charter II. 2)
In his homily at the canonisation mass for the martyrs of
Uganda, Pope Paul VI said these words (which were quoted almost
in extenso in Pope Francis’s message for the Leeds meeting!) “And
all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a
mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to
another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” (2 Co 3, 18)
I hope that Faith and Light can restart in this beautiful country
of Uganda; until 2002 there were some wonderful communities
there…
We find ourselves in times of persecution and suffering… Even
though we come from different Christian traditions, by moving
forward hand in hand, united, we will not be afraid, we will be
stronger.
40
Unity prevails over conflict (N°230)
The message of peace is not about a negotiated settlement but rather the
conviction that the unity brought by the Spirit can harmonize every diversity. It
overcomes every conflict by creating a new and promising synthesis. Diversity is
a beautiful thing when it can constantly enter into a process of reconciliation
and seal a sort of cultural covenant resulting in a “reconciled diversity”. As the
bishops of the Congo have put it: “Our ethnic diversity is our wealth… It is
only in unity, through conversion of hearts and reconciliation, that we will be
able to help our country to develop on all levels”.
Welcome and reunion
The members of the coordinating team
welcome everyone and take each person by the
hand to lead them to their place.
Sharing
 Together
Charles Lwanga in his/her own words. We
can pass a picture of him around the group.
So that they may be one, as we are one (Jn 17, 20-26)
Characters: Jesus and Peter
 Narrator: Jesus is seated with his disciples, and he is speaking to
them…
 Jesus: My Father, I pray to you so that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me.
41
Peter: What does that mean to be one?
 Jesus: That you love one another.
 Peter: Of course we love one another.
Peter gets up and goes to hug each of the disciples.
 Jesus: My Father, I pray to you also for all those who will believe in me
because of their word.
 Peter: Who are you speaking of?
 Jesus: Of all those who you will tell that God sent me and that he has
loved them like he has loved me.
 Peter addresses the other disciples: Let us pray with all our hearts,
that we may always be one, just as Jesus and his Father are one, and that
we announce it to the world.
 In small groups
We are one when we love one another. We are one when we
proclaim our faith in Jesus, even if we are of different religious
traditions, such as Charles and his friends.
 What do I do when I’m frightened?
 Who should I ask to hold my hand? Why?
 Sometimes am I afraid or ashamed to proclaim my faith? Why?
 In a family or a community, we are all different. What makes
us unified? How can we deepen this unity?
Praying
Jesus is praying. Jesus is praying to his Father
for me, for us, so that we may be one.
In the silence of the heart, I hear Jesus’ prayer,
his conversation with his Father. His great
desire that we may be one also becomes my great
desire.
Together with Jesus, I hope and pray to the Father that we may be one.
I’m remembering many people, friends from Faith and Light and
elsewhere… And I pray with Jesus that we may all be one so that we
remain friends and that we love each other. I’m thinking of people
who belong to different denominations and I pray with Jesus that
all may be one in God.
42
We end with the common prayer for all Christians, the Our Father,
as we join hands.
Song: "Companion on the journey"1
The Prayer of a poor person
I remain with my brothers, united in your love.
Celebrating
 Game: We are all one
We get into pairs. So that we are all one, we
join our right hand to the left hand of our
friend and attach our right leg to their left
leg. In our linked hands, we hold a glass of
water. We need to carry this as quickly and
carefully as possible to the other end of the
room, without spilling it.
 Hands-hearts on which everybody can write their first name

or
and that we can link together (see page 103).
Friendship bracelet
A little Brazilian bracelet that is very easy to make and that
you can swap and wear until the next meeting, as a sign of our
desire for unity (see page 103).
We’ll attach a "hand-heart" to it.
1 http://foietlumiere.ca/Chap101/Chants/Chants-2a-9.htm
43
"Presentation of Jesus at the Temple," infirmary chapel of Conpagnie Jesus, Rome
February
The Spirit sent me out
to bear the Good News
44
Our great witness
Pier Giorgio Frassati
P
ier Giorgio Frassati was born to a welloff family in Turin, right at the
beginning of the 20th century. His
father had founded the prestigious newspaper
“La Stampa” and his mother was a painter.
His imagination tended to triumph over his studies, which
meant that he often failed in his exams, and his father was very
disappointed not to find in his son the worthy successor he had
hoped for his newspaper! As a result, at the age of twelve he was
sent to a private school run by Jesuits. This was a fortuitous
decision, because it marked the start of a life of intense spirituality
and many charitable activities: the Apostleship of prayer in 1914,
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul after the war to soldiers left
destitute following the end of hostilities and then the Dominican
Third Order. For seven years, he helped many poor people, on
whom he lavished much of his fearless generosity and shared his
joie de vivre!
He shared this joy and imagination with many restless and
boisterous friends, with whom he founded "The Company of
shady characters"! They often went on excursions in the mountains
together. "To the top" was one of their slogans.
In 1925, when he was just twenty-four years old, he felt a sharp
pain in the muscles of his back. Then came the fatal diagnosis of
acute infectious polio. A few days later, as he died he said: “Let me
die in peace, in your saintly company”.
His funeral was an exceptional experience, with the streets of
Turin full of crowds of people with no links to his family: his many
friends, but also all the poor of Turin who he had helped during
the final years of his life and who were there to pay him a fitting
homage, which had a profound impact on the entire city…
45
Pier Giorgio was beatified by Jean-Paul II in 1990. In his
radiance and joy, he is a role model for the whole of the world’s
youth (he was one of the patrons of the World Youth Days in
Sydney in 2008) – a true messenger of joy! At that time, Faith and
Light did not exist, but he would certainly have performed wonders
in the Turin communities: his joy that he communicated so well, his
boundless enthusiasm and the solidness of his faith rooted in
prayer, the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary would have made him an
excellent coordinator! Everyone with an intellectual disability would
have been proud to be his friend!
It is stated in our Charter that Faith and Light communities are
places of parties and celebration: “Meetings are characterized by moments
of joy when we sing or dance or share a meal. From time to time a day of
celebration enables us to invite guests who are moved by the discovery of the
capacity of someone with an intellectual disability to create this joyful
atmosphere.” There is also an important clarification: “But in the
community we must not forget those who are not able to enter into the
celebration and shut in with their sadness and their fears. They also have their
place at the heart of Faith and Light. They need to receive special attention so
that gradually they may know the joy and peace that Jesus came to bring us,
even when the difficulties and pains remain”. (Charter I. 2) In this extract I
see a close link with the apostolate of Pier Giorgio Frassati. In fact,
he himself said: “Sadness must be banished from hearts, which are moved by
faith. Pain is not sadness, which is the worst of afflictions. While faith gives me
strength, I will always be happy.”
I would like the young people of our communities to be
unafraid of taking this missionary of joy, Pier Giorgio Frassati, as a
role model. Let us not be afraid of tirelessly calling for young
people, I am sure that amongst them there will be some for whom
Faith and Light can reveal their vocation as missionaries of joy!
It’s the Feast of Light. Let’s invite some young people to come
and have a party with us, let them communicate their joy and let’s
invite them to stay.
46
Other ecclesiastical challenges (N°106)
Even if it is not always easy to approach young people, progress has been made
in two areas: the awareness that the entire community is called to evangelize
and educate the young, and the urgent need for the young to exercise greater
leadership. We should recognize that despite the present crisis of commitment
and communal relationships, many young people are making common cause
before the problems of our world and are taking up various forms of activism
and volunteer work. Some take part in the life of the Church as members of
service groups and various missionary initiatives in their own dioceses and in
other places. How beautiful it is to see that young people are “street preachers”,
joyfully bringing Jesus to every street, every town square and every corner of the
earth!
The Feast of Light
We will ask each member of the community to come with a young
friend. The Feast of Light is the time to make ourselves known to
the outside world. We will choose to participate in the parish mass
and to lead a part of it so that others can find out more about us.
Welcome and reunion
The chaplain blesses everyone on arrival by
tracing the sign of the cross on their forehead
in a little splash of oil and saying: I anoint you.
Sharing
 Together
After the “weather bulletin” the leader or
organiser reads or summarises the life of
Pier Giorgio Frassati in his/her own words.
We can pass his photo around the group.
47
Jesus teaching in the temple (Luke 4, 16-21)
Characters: Jesus, the servant, the man, the people.
Materials: Book.
 Narrator: When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up,





he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He
stood up to read.
Jesus opened the book and read: The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me, because he has anointed me to bring the Good News to the poor. He
has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the
blind, to let the oppressed go free.
Narrator: Jesus closed the book again, returned it to the servant and sat
down.
A man asks Jesus: Can you explain these words to us?
Jesus: Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.
Narrator: Jesus means that he is the son of God. The one who was sent
to bring the good news to the poor… Announce the joy of Love to
everybody.
 In small groups
Jesus has come to announce the joy of Love to everybody.
That is what Pier Giorgio wanted to do, who said: As long as
faith gives me the strength for it, I will always be happy.
 What brings me joy and makes me happy in my
community? What do I love at Faith and Light?
 Can I tell you about a moment when I really felt happy?
 What can I do when I see people who remain on the
sidelines of the party, who are sad?
Praying
Jesus brought a piece of Good News to the
poor – the joy of love – as announced by the
Prophet Isaiah. It happened a bit like that in
Lourdes, when Faith and Light was born.
May our prayer be of sincere joy, love and
hope.
48
May our prayer radiate with the joy of people with a disability. May
it radiate with the presence of parents at our meetings. May it serve
as a testimony amongst new, young friends. May it give thanks for
our chaplains. May it bring each of us the joy of Love!
Song: "Messengers of all joys"1
I remain in the warmth of your love.
Celebrating
 Game: with the balloons
We blow up little coloured balloons. Each
person has a balloon attached to their
ankle. We dance to some rousing music.
The aim of the game is to dance as long as
possible without bursting our balloon.
Or
We get into small groups, each group has a balloon. We throw the
balloon into the air and try to ensure that it never touches the
ground….. With such light balloons it’s not such an easy task! Once
we are used to it, we can make things trickier by using two or even
three balloons.
We write the names of people who have come for the first time
today on a sun (see page 104). Each person can leave with the
name of a new person so that they can pray for them until the
next meeting, and also pray that they return…
We attach the sun of names to it.
1
49
"Crucifixion", Chapel Casa Incontri Cristiani, Rome
March
Take up your cross
and follow me
50
Word of the month
Our great witness
Marthe Robin
M
arthe Robin was born on 13th
March 1902 in Châteauneuf-deGalaure (France), the youngest in a
family of six children. She attended classes at
school until she was thirteen. She was often
unwell, and could not take the exams for her
end of primary school certificate.
She spent her time helping on the family farm and participating
in village life. She was described as a young girl with a joyful, open
and helpful personality. At the age of sixteen, Marthe fell ill with a
fulminating disease. For ten years, hopes of recovery were
interspersed with relapses. Then, from 1927 onwards, she became
unable to move, with no hope of an improvement to her
condition.
The following year, when she was twenty-six, her life suddenly
changed. Suddenly she understood that her suffering, experienced
openly with God, could be fruitful. From that moment, her
spiritual life flowed not just alongside her illness, but through it.
The mysticism of Marthe’s life was such that she was linked to
Christ’s suffering in his Passion and she relived this each week in
her own flesh. Through prayer, Eucharist communion and an
intense union with God she drew an inexplicable strength and a
radiance which struck all who approached her. She was profoundly
human and welcoming to everybody.
On 10th February 1936, there was a decisive meeting between
Marthe and Father Finet. At Marthe’s request, it was he who
founded the first Foyer de Charité. Now present in more than forty
countries, these communities offer the experience of a spiritual
retreat and an internal renaissance.
Up until her death on 6th February 1981, Marthe Robin
welcomed more than 100,000 people to her small bedroom in the
family farm, plunged into darkness to protect her eyes from the
51
slightest chink of light. Marthe supported everyone through her
faith, her welcome, her offering and her compassion.
With her feet on the ground, blessed with good sense, humour
and worldly intelligence, Marthe knew how to ask the right
questions. For many years, she worked tirelessly for the renewal of
the Church by encouraging new vocations and communities to
spring forth.
Marthe Robin’s house has not changed. Her bedroom remains a
place of contemplation and of peace, where you can go to pray.
Thank you Marthe for supporting the beginnings of Faith and
Light, as described by Marie-Hélène Mathieu in her book : "On
March 21st [1968], I had the joy of having a conversation with her about the
project of Faith and Light. Her agreement was total: 'It must go on. I will pray
for you...' She knew the weight that parents of children with disabilities carry.
She was the godmother of a little Canadian boy, Georges-Michel, born with
Down syndrome and called by God when he was three years old. She saw that
he, and other children like him, were rejected, and therefore close to the heart of
Jesus. I met with Marthe each year. How can we, today, not think about how
much we owe her for the profusion of graces that we received in Lourdes in
1971, as well as for the spreading of the movement throughout the world, well
beyond what we could ever have imagined.”
Thank you, Marthe, for ensuring that Jean Vanier could preach
at the retreats in the Foyers de Charité, thereby touching many
hearts !
The international dimension of the Foyers de Charité is very
significant and the Faith and Light communities are never very far
away from one of these places of rejuvenation and prayer. Marthe’s
prayer continues to lavish grace upon us and I am convinced that
there is potential for work with the Foyers for mutual
encouragement, accompaniment and support..
“A soul can be ignorant in many things yet capable of loving God
magnificently”.
52
 With Marthe we discover that even if the horizon is dark, we
can still bear fruit.
 Marthe calls us to a spiritual renewal, to conversion and to
fertility.
Personal accompaniment of processes of growth (N°171)
Today more than ever we need men and women who, on the basis of their
experience of accompanying others, are familiar with processes which call for
prudence, understanding, patience and docility to the Spirit, so that they can
protect the sheep from wolves who would scatter the flock. We need to practice
the art of listening, which is more than simply hearing. Only through such
respectful and compassionate listening can we enter on the paths of true growth
and awaken a yearning for the Christian ideal: the desire to respond fully to
God’s love and to bring to fruition what he has sown in our lives.
For those that wish to, we could suggest that we gather together
before the Easter meeting for a time of shared prayer, a Way of the
Cross or a veneration of the Cross. Or we could go and pray with a
religious community that we are twinned with…
Welcome and reunion
On arriving, each person receives a simple
wooden cross that they wear around their
neck throughout the meeting.
53
Sharing
 Together
Marthe Robin in his/her own words. We
can pass a photo of her around the group.
Jesus dies on the cross (Luc 23, 35-46)
Characters: Jesus, the two criminals, the chiefs, the soldiers.
First scene
 Narrator: Jesus is crucified between the two criminals. The people stood by,
watching.
 The leaders mock Jesus: “He saved others, let him save himself if he is
the Messiah of God, his chosen one!”
 The soldiers: “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
 Narrator: the crowd insults Jesus…
 Jesus looks to the sky: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know
what they are doing.”
Second scene
 The criminal on the left turns to Jesus: Are you not the Messiah?
Save yourself and us!”
 The criminal on the right: Do you not fear God, since you are under
the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned
justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has
done nothing wrong. He turns to Jesus:“Jesus, remember me when you
come into your kingdom.”
 Jesus: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
 Narrator: It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed.
 Narrator: Jesus, cried out with a loud voice:
 Jesus: Father, into your hands I commend my spirit
 Narrator: Having said this, he breathed his last.
We can end with a meditative song, such as: "Jesus, remember
me"1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpsZNrdO7Xk
54
 In small groups
Marthe knew that her suffering, offered and experienced along
with God, could be fruitful. Without leaving her small bedroom,
she restored life to so many people through the creation of
homes, through her ability to listen and her precious advice.
- What is it that makes me suffer?
- What is it that restores my zest for life?
- The good criminal is able to recognise his faults and Jesus
forgives him straightaway. As for me, how can I recognise my
faults and ask for forgiveness?
- What would I like to say to Jesus today?
Celebrating
 The fire of love
If possible, we could light a small fire
outside and everyone sits around it. We
could ask a community member or
someone from outside to come and give a
testimony on their meeting with Jesus or
with Faith and Light….. Then we sing softly
around the fire.
 A bowl of rice
We can transform our meal into a bowl of rice and, by doing so,
contribute to international solidarity.
God’s fire of love
Create mini campfires like the Scouts or Indians do (see page
104). They can decorate our prayer corner.
55
Praying
In our prayer corner, we put up a big cross.
Next to it, we put a big board and two rubbish
bins. In the left one, we put big black circles;
in the right big yellow circles. We light a candle
and sit down in a semi-circle.
The chaplain or the prayer leader introduces
the celebration by explaining that our sins are
like these round circles.
For example, if I get angry, if I say something cruel, this is like this
black circle that brings shadows with it. Someone sticks the black
circle to the board. When I deceive or when I lie, it’s like this black
circle. Someone sticks the black circle…
However, when we regret the harm that we have done, when we
ask for forgiveness, when we have the desire to make amends,
when we want to cure the hurt we have caused, then light shines
forth! The chaplain or host lists the opposite of each fault in the
same order, while someone sticks a yellow circle onto the black
circle and is given a small candle that he/she lights from the altar
candle and then places by the cross.
Then we can lead a forgiveness ceremony. The community is often
the only place where people with a disability have the opportunity
to confess or to make a step towards reconciliation.
We can conclude with this prayer:
Jesus, forgive us for the harm that we have done. We want to banish the
darkness from our hearts and light a light there. We would like to become little
flames that shine brightly in the world. And, with the great light of your heart,
we want to bring beauty and warmth to all those around us.
I remain in the power of your love.
We attach the fire of God’s love to it (see page
104).
56
"Resurrection" Chapel of Saint Stanislaus College, Ljubljana
April
He is risen indeed!
57
Our great witness
Baudouin of Belgium
B
audouin of Belgium was born on 7th
September 1930, the second of
Leopold III and Astrid of Sweden’s
three children. His childhood was marked by
the accidental death of his mother when he
was only five years old.
The accident provoked considerable emotion because she had
had a profound impact on the country during the eighteen months
when she was Queen of the Belgians.
A particular example of this is when, at a time of serious
economic crisis, she launched a fundraising campaign, the famous
“Queen’s appeal”. In a letter published in the press, the Queen
appealed to the “spirit of solidarity which is still so much alive in our
country” in aid of children, adults and older people “who are suffering
the most cruelly from impoverishment.”
Following his father’s abdication, on 17th July 1951 Baudouin
became the fifth King of the Belgians, at the age of almost twentyone. In 1960, he married Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón, who
became "Queen Fabiola", but they were unfortunately unable to
have children.
King Baudouin was known as a profoundly religious man. In
1990 he refused to sign the law introducing a conditional
decriminalization of abortion. He wrote to the Prime Minister:
“This bill raises a serious problem of conscience for me. (…) So you will
understand why I do not wish to be associated with this law. By signing this
bill and by marking (…) my agreement with the project, I believe that I would
be assuming a certain amount of the responsibility for it. I cannot do this, for
the reasons mentioned above”. The Council of Ministers said that the
King was “unable to rule”, which meant that the Ministers present
in the Council could sign the Law. Two days later, the King
resumed his functions. The King’s stance led to a sharp increase in
58
his popularity, to such an extent that he was proclaimed “man of
the year” by the media.
King Baudouin died on 31 July 1993 in Spain. His funeral was
broadcast on television and attracted large crowds for a final
homage worthy of the great King. The ceremony was full of hope,
in accordance with the wishes of Queen Fabiola, who dressed in
white for the occasion. Cardinal Godfried Daneels’s homily
stressed that the King was a shepherd for his people. There were
several interventions at the end of the celebration, including one
from a young woman from the Philippines, who had managed to
escape from the hellish experience of prostitution and whom the
King had personally supported. In 1976, the King-Baudouin
Foundation was founded to help improve living conditions for the
Belgian people. Nowadays this Foundation distributes funds
through its mission to “work together for a better society".
We are also trying to create this better society, through building
friendships with the most fragile amongst us. King Baudouin may
have read our Charter and I imagine that he found his own values
reflected there in these lines: “To create a real and liberating relationship
with people with intellectual disabilities, our ‘hearts of stone must be changed
into hearts of flesh’. Jesus and his Holy Spirit can transform our hearts to
enable us to welcome the poor and rejected person, and to recognize them in all
their human reality and spiritual depth. This transformation of love will lead
us to recognize the face of Jesus in ourselves and in the other.” (Charter II. 2)
“According to your will, my JESUS, let the veil fall,
Show me your beauty, hold me in your arms,
Where the sky obscured shields each star: me, I do not count.”
(King Baudouin’s prayer)
 We are celebrating Jesus’ resurrection. We are celebrating life.
 Life is precious. Each new life is the beginning of a sacred story.
59
Concern for the vulnerable (N°213)
Among the vulnerable for whom the Church wishes to care with particular love
and concern are unborn children, the most defenceless and innocent among us.
Nowadays efforts are made to deny them their human dignity and to do with
them whatever one pleases, taking their lives and passing laws preventing
anyone from standing in the way of this (...)this defence of unborn life involves
the conviction that a human being is always sacred and inviolable, in any
situation and at every stage of development. Human beings are ends in
themselves and never a means of resolving other problems.(…) Reason alone is
sufficient to recognize the inviolable value of each single human life, but if we
also look at the issue from the standpoint of faith, “every violation of the
personal dignity of the human being cries out in vengeance to God and is an
offence against the creator of the individual.
Welcome and reunion
On arrival, everyone receives a white flower to
pin in their buttonholes. The team will also
have prepared a larger one for the fisherman’s
net (see page 105).
Sharing
 Together
organiser reads or recounts the life of King
Baudouin of Belgium in his/her own words.
We can pass his photo around the group.
Let’s rejoice together! (Lc 14, 16-24)
Characters: Jesus, the servant, the master, the guests, and those
that came…
Materials: A big table is covered with a tablecloth... We can also
recreate a field, a cow...
60
First scene
 Jesus: A man gave a grand dinner, and he had invited many people. He









says to the servant:
The master: Go and tell my guests that the dinner is ready.
The servant: Straightaway, master.
The servant, addressing the first guest: Come, everything is ready.
The guest: I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it;
please accept my regrets.
The servant is sad. He goes to find the second guest: Come; for
everything is ready now, let’s celebrate together.
The guest: I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them
out; please accept my regrets.
The servant is even sadder and goes to find the third guest:
Come, everything is ready. There will be musicians and dances.
The guest holding his wife by the hand: I have just been married,
and therefore I cannot come.
Jesus: The servant returns, sad and alone, to his master.
Second scene
 The servant: My Lord and Master, nobody wanted to come!
 The master is furious, waves his arms about and cries: Go out at
once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled,
the blind, and the lame.... And bring them here.
 Narrator: the servant went out again and he invited many people.
 The servant goes to look for each member of the community in
turn and says to them: My master has invited you to dinner.
 Each person who is invited responds: Thank you, with pleasure!
The servant leads them to their place at table.
 Jesus: The servant has seated everyone at table.
 The servant: Master, I’ve done everything that you asked and your guests
are waiting for you.
 The master: You’ve done well! Let’s eat, drink and rejoice together.
We can end with a joyful Hallelujah!
61
 In small groups
Today we are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, we are
celebrating new life! Jesus wants to change our hearts of stone
into hearts of flesh. Jesus wants to give us joy; he wants us to
rejoice with him and all together.
 I too, am often like the guests at the party. What important
things can I have to do that prevents me from responding to
Jesus’ invitation?
 What’s stopping me being joyful or being happy?
 Or am I perhaps like the poor people or the crippled…. Who
Jesus calls and who say yes straightaway?
 When? How?
Praying
Yes Lord, we come to your banquet with
great joy!
Thank you, Master, for having invited us:
Happy is the one who will take his meal in the
Kingdom of God.
Thank you for this great dinner,
Thank you for Easter and the resurrection,
Thank you for the feast of joy and of hope.
Thank you for the new life.
Thank you for the meetings and pilgrimages.
Thank you for your dinner tables...
We can end with the song: "He lives!"1
I remain in the kingdom of your love.
1
http://www.deezer.com/search/easter%20song
62
Celebrating
We can make crowns for this time of
celebration (see page 105).
Let’s organise a celebratory banquet. Everyone
will bring something good to share. Let’s
decorate the room. Let’s be happy! Let’s sing
and dance…
 Game: the feast
Materials: a cake, a towel, a hat, some gloves, a fork and a knife,
a dice.
We put a cake in the middle of the table. The players take it in
turns to roll the dice. The person who gets a six has to put on
the hat and gloves, unfold the towel and start to eat the cake
with the knife and fork. Meanwhile, the others continue to roll
the dice until another player gets a six. Then, the one who is
eating must quickly remove the accessories and give them to the
other player. And so on…
The one who eats the last piece will be king of the feast!
We attach a big, white flower to it.
63
"Pentecost", the Episcopal chapel, Tenerife
May
You will be my witnesses
64
Our great witness
Lúcia dos Santos
L
úcia dos Santos was born in 1907 in a
village close to Fátima, the last of
seven children. Her hard-working and
generous father was the one who first taught
her how to make the sign of the cross.
Her mother taught catechism to her own and her neighbour’s
children at siesta time during the summer and around the fire at teatime during winter. The children all liked Lúcia very much and she
had the gift of being able to tell wonderful stories.
Lúcia took her first communion at the age of six, although ten
was the minimum age at the time. At first the Parish curate refused,
but a Missionary Jesuit, who had come from Lisbon to assist the
curate, questioned the girl and concluded that “this girl knows
catechism better than many others who will be taking communion tomorrow”.
Her first communion profoundly changed her: “Worldly things had
lost their taste and attraction for me, and I only felt at home in solitary places,
where I could be alone and remember the delights of my first communion”.
Between May and October 1917, on the 13th of each month
(with the exception of August, when it occurred on the 19th), Lúcia
and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco saw the Virgin Mary. The
first time, they were looking after the ewes and goats when a
woman completely clothed in white appeared in a holm oak tree
and spoke to Lúcia to invite them to return at the same time in the
coming months. She then added: “Recite the rosary every day to have
peace in the world and to bring war to an end”. From that moment, the
children prayed to Mary every day using their rosaries, and tried to
introduce small loving gestures into their lives. During her
apparition in July, Mary told them three secrets which were only
revealed much later, in 1941 in the case of the first two and in 2000
for the third one.
65
The final apparition took place on 13th October: a crowd of
around 50,000 people were reciting the rosary in the midst of
torrential rain. At midday, Mary announced that the war would
soon be over and called on sinners to convert themselves. As she
rose towards the Heavens, the rain stopped and the sun came out
in a blue sky. For ten minutes, the people who were there could see
the sun rotating upon itself.
Francesco died quite soon afterwards, in 1919, followed by
Jacinta in 1920. They were beatified by Pope John-Paul II on 13th
May 2000.
Lúcia became a nun, first in Spain and then in Portugal at the
Carmelite convent of Saint Teresa in Coimbra, where she lived
until her death in 2005. She returned to Fátima four times, always
on 13th May. In 1982, she accompanied John-Paul II, who had
come to give thanks a year after the assassination attempt at Saint
Peter’s square on 13th May 1981. He had seen a sign that day and
had declared: “One hand fired the shot; another deflected it”. The bullet
was set in the crown of Our Lady of Fátima. This attack was the
element that prompted the revelation of the third secret which
announced this terrible event.
Fátima became a significant pilgrimage site and many Faith and
Light communities came to meet there and to give thanks to Mary.
The pilgrimages form part of the identity of our movement:
everything started in 1971 with the very improbable pilgrimage that
was like a challenge, and ever since then we have particularly
enjoyed going on pilgrimages. Through them we re-find our
origins, whether at Lourdes, Fátima, Aparecida, Częstochowa or
Walsingham… Wherever a spark has set hearts ablaze, wherever a
community has been born, it is important to remember this and to
go out and keep bearing fruit!
“The communities may have many activities other than the regular meetings.
They arise according to the needs and creativity of individuals and the
inspiration from God. Among these initiatives are holiday camps, retreats and
pilgrimages, etc.” (Charter III. 2)
One of the priorities agreed upon at Leeds encourages us
to “organise events in each province: meetings, festivals, pilgrimages and so on
to equip people, energize them and enable them to make new contacts”.
66
 We are celebrating Pentecost. Jesus wants to make us his
witnesses.
 Together with Mary, we are contemplating God’s mystery.
Star of the new evangelisation (N°288)
Whenever we look to Mary, we come to believe once again in the revolutionary
nature of love and tenderness . (…) Mary is able to recognize the traces of
God’s Spirit in events great and small. She constantly contemplates the mystery
of God in our world, in human history and in our daily lives. (…)This
interplay of justice and tenderness, of contemplation and concern for others, is
what makes the ecclesial community look to Mary as a model of evangelization.
Welcome and reunion
On arrival, each person is welcomed with
these words: The Holy Spirit will come upon you
and you will be my witness throughout the world!
Sharing
 Together
After the "weather bulletin", the leader or organiser reads or recounts the life of Lúcia do
Santos in his/her own words. We can pass a
photo of her round the whole group.
From the Ascension to Pentecost (Ac 1, 9-14)
Characters: Jesus, two angels, Peter, James, Mary, the disciples.
Materials: Chairs placed in a circle.
67
First scene
Narrator: The resurrected Jesus appears to his disciples.
Jesus: You will receive a power of God.
Peter: How will this happen?
Jesus: The Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will be my witnesses
throughout the world.
 Narrator: When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up,
and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were
gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.
 The angels: Why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who
has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you
saw him go into heaven.




Second scene
 Narrator: So they left the Olivet mount to return to Jerusalem.
 Peter: Let’s go and visit Mary.
 Narrator: Mary and the disciples were together in the upper chamber where
they prayed regularly. Mary held out her hand to everyone:
 Mary: Good morning Peter, good morning James…. Come in and join us to
pray.
 Peter: Yes, let’s give thanks to God. Let’s pray to God that he sends us the
strength of his spirit!
All of us sing: "The joy of the Holy Spirit"1
 In small groups
 When have I received the Holy Spirit?
 When are we witnesses of Jesus? (When we go off on pil-
grimage? When we take part in or lead parish liturgies?) Jesus
gave us Mary for a mother. Her only desire is to lead us to
her Son.
 What place does Mary occupy in my life?
1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUJv4q4sr_4
68
Celebrating
Today, we could celebrate mums in a very
special way by offering them a flower or a
homemade cake, or simply by singing them a
song. Let’s show them all our joy and
gratefulness!
Artists’ workshop
Create a Pentecost fresco to decorate our prayer corner (see page
105). We can cut out a tongue of fire for the fisherman’s net.
Praying
“All these were constantly devoting themselves to
prayer, together with certain women, including Mary
the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers."
(Ac 1, 9-14)
Let us be devoted in our prayer.
Let us persevere, move forward step by step,
Day after day.
Let’s move forward in Faith, in light
with Mary, mother of Jesus.
From 1971 in Lourdes until today, we will continue.
Let’s move forward when everything is going well and when
everything is going badly.
Let’s persevere in love.
Let’s persevere in prayer.
With Mary, mother of Jesus: Hail, Mary...
I remain in the prayer of love.
69
Fisherman’s net
We attach a tongue of fire to it.
70
"Jesus walks on water," Chapel of the Sisters of Saint Vincent de Paul, Fiume
June
It is me,
do not be afraid anymore
71
Our great witness
Cicely Saunders
C
icely Saunders was born in 1918 in
England. Her parents did not get on well
with each other and her mother was very
cold and distant. This led her to withdraw into
herself where she forged a strong character,
becoming more interested in the problems of
others rather than succumbing to self-pity.
She interrupted her studies because of the war and started
nursing training at St. Thomas’ hospital, London, where she
obtained her diploma in 1944. She thoroughly enjoyed caring for
the sick, but crippling back pain forced her to change vocation and
she became a social assistant before returning to St. Thomas’
hospital. It was then that she discovered the Bible and re-joined
prayer groups, after her adolescence which had been marked by her
agnosticism.
In 1948, she met a Polish Jewish refugee who had escaped from
the Warsaw ghetto. He was dying from cancer, and bequeathed his
entire fortune of £500 to her, which she used to lay the foundation
stones for a palliative care centre, Saint Christopher, which opened
around twenty years later.
Throughout all these years, she worked on controlling pain at
the Saint Joseph hospital, run by the Sisters of Charity. At thirtynine years old, she became a Doctor, still with the same desire to
relieve the pain which she saw as encompassing so many
dimensions: physical, social, psychological and spiritual. She aimed
to relieve her patients of all their various pains, whilst also caring
for their family and friends.
The project was properly launched in 1961, with Psalm 36 (v 3-5)
acting as a trigger: "Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the
land, and enjoy security. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the
desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will
act". At this time, euthanasia was already considered to be the only
72
possible response for those who were suffering from cancer, and
she had to fight several difficult battles: over fundraising, resistance
of the medical world….. Then, in 1967, the Saint Christopher
centre opened its doors. It was at this centre that Thérèse Vanier
worked with Cicely!
In 1980, Cicely married another Pole, the painter Marian
Bohusz-Szyszko. She was so moved by his paintings that she
bought one depicting Jesus calming the storm; then she wrote to
him, he replied and she covered the walls of Saint Christopher with
his paintings and then they married. She was sixty-one and he was
seventy-nine!
Her reputation grew substantially, and she influenced the
emergence of palliative care centres in other countries. She was
awarded an honorary doctorate in medicine by the Archbishop of
Canterbury and received the title of Dame Commander of the
British Empire from Queen Elizabeth II.
In 2005, Dame Cicely Saunders died of cancer in the centre that
she had created. At that time, there were already 220 palliative care
centres in the United Kingdom and more than 8000 in the world.
Dame Cicely believed strongly in the words of a theologian
whom she liked very much: “Jesus crucified is the only accurate image of
God that the world has never seen, and the hands that keep us alive are pierced
with unimaginable nails". Her watchword was undoubtedly "I am loved,
therefore I am”.
There are many aspects of Cicely’s life that can touch us: her
accompanying of people whose lives were considered by many as
unworthy; her concern to take the needs of individuals, their loved
ones, parents and friends into account: “In this way, we seek to 'be
with', carrying one another’s burdens, to encourage and support each other and
to respond to the needs of each one. Through friendship, made up of tenderness
and fidelity, we become signs of the love of God for one another.” (Charter I. 1)
“At the heart of these communities are people with a more or less serious
intellectual disability: children, adolescents or adults. They are surrounded by
members of their family and friends, particularly young people.” (Charter I.)
73
 We have toiled, we were tossed by storms. Jesus comes to tell
us: "I am here, do not be afraid".
 Jesus comes to give us his peace.
Time is greater than space (N°223)
This principle enables us to work slowly but surely, without being obsessed with
immediate results. It helps us patiently to endure difficult and adverse
situations, or inevitable changes in our plans. It invites us to accept the tension
between fullness and limitation, and to give a priority to time. (...) Time
governs spaces, illumines them and makes them links in a constantly
expanding chain, with no possibility of return. What we need, then, is to give
priority to actions which generate new processes in society and engage other
persons and groups who can develop them to the point where they bear fruit in
significant historical events. Without anxiety, but with clear convictions and
tenacity.
Welcome and reunion
On arrival, everyone receives a small card with
the mosaic of the month, with the following
words written on it: It’s me, do not be afraid!
Sharing
 Together
organiser reads or recounts the life of Cicely
Saunders in his/her own words. We can
pass a photo round the whole group.
74
Jesus walks on water (Jn 6, 16-21)
Characters: Jesus, Peter, James, John, Judas.
Materials: blue cloth, the boat (an upside-down table)
First scene
 Narrator: When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea.
 Peter: My friends, let’s go to the other bank.
 James: Let’s get into this boat and leave.
 Narrator: They got into a boat, and started across the sea to
Capernaum, on the other bank. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet
come to them.
Second scene
 Narrator: The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.
When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking
on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified.
 James: Help, what are we going to do? We’re going to die!
 John: I’m frightened.
 Judas: I had warned you that a storm was coming, we should have
waited!
Peter points at a person who is approaching slowly, walking on
the water…
 James: It’s a ghost…
 Jesus approaches but the disciples cannot make out his face
yet: It is me; do not be afraid.
 Peter: How do we know if it’s true, if it’s really you, Jesus?
 Jesus: Keep your faith and your confidence.
 Peter, recognising Jesus: Get into the boat and save us.
 Narrator: Jesus gets into the boat but straightaway, it touches the ground
at the place they were heading to…
 In small groups
When Jesus isn’t there, we are in the shadows and the storm.
Jesus wants to bring us light so that we reach our destination,
so that our little boat reaches dry land.
75
 Can I tell you about a time when I was in a storm?
 What can I do to ask for help?
 How did I let Jesus come to me to give me peace again?
Celebrating
 Game: rain
Jesus and his apostles must have often been
caught in storms and rain. What do we feel
like when we’re in the rain?
We make little circles of around ten people.
The first player stands in the middle.
He closes his eyes. The ten people surrounding him tap with their
fingertips on his head, shoulders and back, like raindrops. We
remain silent so that we can hear the rain fall…. One by one we
can try out this little experience!
Create a cross "Jesus loves me" or a mosaic heart (see page 106).
Praying
I close my eyes and in the silence of my heart
I slowly repeat Jesus’ words: It is me; do not be
afraid.
I repeat these words in silence, until I’m no
longer uttering them but can hear them: It is
me: do not be afraid…
It is Jesus who tells me: Do not be afraid… Do not be afraid… Do not
be afraid!
Song: "Jesus loves me"1
1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzzzeHl6kpk
76
I remain in the heart of your love.
We can attach one of the crosses or one of
the hearts made during the artists’ workshop.
77
"Transfiguration", Lourdes
July
Happy are the meek
78
Our great witness
Óscar Romero
Ó
scar Romero was born in El Salvador in
1917. In 1937, he joined the national
seminary in San Salvador and then
continued his studies in Rome, where he was
ordained a priest in 1942. He started preparing
to study for a doctorate in theology, but in
1943, he had to return to his country because
of the situation in Italy.
He became editor-in-chief of a conservative newspaper, under
the traditional stewardship of the Catholic Church. In 1977, he was
appointed archbishop of San Salvador by Paul VI. His appointment
was well-received by the authorities, but the more progressive clergy
feared that he would oppose commitments towards the poorest in
society. A few weeks later, the murder of Rutilio Grande, a Jesuit
priest (and personal friend) in his diocese at the hands of a death
squadron, profoundly shocked the new archbishop, who remarked
that “the death of Grande had converted him". Later he said: "When I saw
Rutilio, lying there dead, I thought that if they had killed him for what he had
achieved, well I too should move forward on the same path”.
From that moment on, he was always fearless in openly
denouncing social injustice, murders and acts of torture. In 1979,
when a junta seized power, he denounced the military support
provided to the new regime by the United States. For him, the
Church’s raison d’être was to show solidarity with the poorest in
society.
During a visit to Europe, he met Pope Jean-Paul II and shared
his concerns about the situation in his country: “In less than three
years, more than fifty priests have been attacked, threatened or slandered. Six of
those were murdered, and should be seen as martyrs [...] Once again, the key
factor behind the persecution of the Church was the poor.” He was swiftly
viewed as a dangerous agitator in the eyes of the incumbent powers.
On 23th March 1980, Archbishop Óscar Romero launched an
appeal to soldiers in a sermon: “No soldier is obliged to obey an order
79
against the law of God. No one has to fulfil an immoral law. It is time to take
back consciences and to obey your consciences rather than the orders of sin. In
the name of God, and in the name of this suffering people, whose laments rise to
heaven each day more tumultuous, I beg you, I beseech you, and I order you in
the name of God: stop the repression!”
The following day, as Archbishop Óscar Romero was giving a
homily during mass, he was hit by gunshot right in the chest and
died a few minutes later. When his funeral mass began, a bomb
exploded and shots provoked panic amongst the crowd. Around
fifty people died in a stampede and around ten other bodies were
recovered, killed by gunshot.
Archbishop Óscar Romero was also honoured by other Christian
churches, including the Church of England: he is one of the
ten twentieth century martyrs to feature amongst the statues above
the great West door of London’s Westminster Abbey.
At Faith and Light it is our conviction that “each person with an
intellectual disability is fully a person with all the rights of a human being […]
Faith and Light believes that every person, even the most disabled, is called to
deepen his or her life in Jesus, to receive all the spiritual richness from his/her
church, sacraments, liturgical tradition…” (Charter II. 1). These weakest
people are still too often victims of a desire for omnipotence on the
part of the powers that be in our society. We can entrust this prayer
from the Gospel of Life to Óscar Romero and to Mary:
“We entrust the cause of life to you: look down […] upon the vast
numbers of babies not allowed to be born, of the poor whose lives are made
difficult, of men and women who are victims of brutal violence, of the elderly and
the sick killed by indifference or out of misguided mercy. Grant that all who
believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life with honesty and love to the
people of our time.”
80
We are facing struggles. However, by putting ourselves at the
service of the littlest ones, we will become blessed with the poor
in spirit.
The special place of the poor in God’s people (N°199)
True love is always contemplative, and permits us to serve the other not out of
necessity or vanity, but rather because he or she is beautiful above and beyond
mere appearances: “The love by which we find the other pleasing leads us to
offer him something freely”. The poor person, when loved, “is esteemed as of
great value”, and this is what makes the authentic option for the poor differ
from any other ideology, from any attempt to exploit the poor for one’s own
personal or political interest.
Welcome and reunion
On arrival, everyone receives a little card with
a Beatitude written on it.
Sharing
 Together
Archbishop Óscar Romero in his/her own
words. We can pass his photo around the
group.
The Beatitudes (Mt 5, 1-12)
Before reliving a few scenes from the Beatitudes, we will slowly reread the Gospel text in its entirety.
81
Here we suggest two scenes, but you could think up some others…
Characters: Jesus, a disciple, Tom, the captain, Francis, Jane, the
passer-by.
Materials: a ball, bag of marbles (or any other toy)
First scene
 Narrator: When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after
he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught
them, saying.
 Jesus: Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
 A disciple: How can we be merciful?
 Jesus: I’m going to tell you a story. The one who is merciful is the one who
forgives the other person who has hurt him/her and who prays for this
person.
Some teenagers are playing football… One of them, Tom, is not
very skilful. Despite his efforts, he’s always losing the ball and
making his team lose. The captain goes to call him names.
 Captain: Tom, you’re really useless, you’re so clumsy… I don’t want you in
my team anymore!
Tom is very sad and goes away, his head bowed.
 Tom: My God, help me to forgive my captain… I pray to you with all my
heart for him. Bless him Lord!
Second scene
 Narrator: Jesus continues to teach…
 Jesus: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
 A disciple: How can we be a peacemaker?
 Jesus: I’m going to tell you a story. Jane and Francis are playing in the
road. Suddenly it gets out of hand. A passer-by witnesses the scene…
 Francis: Give me this bag of marbles.
 Jane: No, it’s mine.
 Francis tears the bag out of her hands: Now it’s mine!
 Jane starts crying: Give it back, it’s mine...
 The passer-by: Francis, give the bag of marbles back to Jane and ask her
forgiveness. You know very well that those marbles aren’t yours.
 Francis: Sorry, Jane, here’s your bag of marbles.
 Jane: That’s OK. Thank you, Francis.
 Jesus: And they hugged one another.
82
Final scene
 Jesus: Happy are you if you are insulted, persecuted, or if any sort of ill is
spoken of you because of me. Rejoice; be happy in your hearts, as your
rewards are great in the Heavens!
 In small groups
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. This beatitude is indeed the one that Mgr.
Óscar Romero experienced and up until his death.
Each of us in turn can recite the Beatitude that we were given at
the beginning of the meeting.
 What does this Beatitude mean for me?
 Am I living by this Beatitude? How?
 Which Beatitude should I focus on in my life, so that I can be
fully content together with Jesus?
Celebrating
 Games
 Who am I?
One player has his/her eyes blindfolded.
He/she must recognise the person in
front of he/she, simply by touching his/
her face, his/her shoulders etc.
The latter must avoid speaking so that his/her voice can’t be
recognised…
 What am I doing?
A player receives a little card with a chore to mime written on it.
For example: doing the washing up, the washing, cutting down a
tree or changing a car tyre… The person who guesses first is the
next one to mime a chore.
The Mountain of the Beatitudes that can decorate our prayer
corner (see page 106).
83
Praying
We can re-read Jesus’ Beatitudes several times
until we feel that we’ve absorbed the
gentleness and promise of the word
“Beatitude” deep into our hearts.
Why did Jesus utter these Beatitudes? Who is
the gentleness of the Beatitudes aimed at? Are
these not the words of his heart?
Through these words, Jesus blesses Faith and Light and each of its
members.
Song: "blessed are they" 1
I remain under the look of your love.
We attach the mountain of the Beatitudes to it.
1
84
August
"Risen Christ", Lourdes
Love one another
85
Our great witness
Martin Luther King Jr
M
artin Luther King was born in
Atlanta (USA) on 15th January
1929. His father, Martin Luther
King Senior, was a Baptist pastor. The young
Martin was a brilliant student.
He thought of becoming a doctor or lawyer, despite his father’s
wish for him to become a pastor in turn.
However ultimately he embraced this vocation and was ordained
in his father’s Atlanta temple in 1947. He continued with his studies
in parallel, obtaining a doctorate in theology in Boston in 1955.
In 1953, he married Coretta Scott and, the following year, they
settled in Montgomery (Alabama), where Martin Luther King
became pastor.
On 1st December 1955, a black seamstress, Rosa Parks, refused
to give up her seat on the bus to a white person, as she was required
to do under Alabama law. The police questioned her and she would
have ended up in prison if a witness had not paid for her bail. Then
Martin Luther King organised a boycott of buses along with his
friend, the pastor Ralph Abernathy. This action lasted over a year!
The authorities often put pressure on him to end the boycott.
However, on the brink of bankruptcy, the bus company was finally
obliged to accept an end to the discriminatory measures. The
triumph did not end there: from November 1956, the Supreme
Court declared laws imposing segregation on public transport
unconstitutional. From 21st December, Blacks could travel on buses
under the same conditions as Whites, protected by the antisegregation law.
Those were the beginnings of a life of non-violent struggle to
recognise the right of the Afro-American minority. Martin Luther
86
King gave his famous “I have a dream”1 speech on
28th August 1963 in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington
DC : it is considered one of the greatest and most impactful
speeches of the 20th century. Other laws continued the progress
and confirmed the justification behind the struggle, but at the same
time widespread rioting by blacks broke out in the main Northern
American cities…. The young people from the ghettos had gone
beyond their limits of despair. Believing themselves to have no past
or future, they threw themselves blindly into violence. And yet, on
10th December 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.
And then on 4th April 1968, he was assassinated in Memphis,
Tennessee.
Martin Luther King often referred to the notion of the “beloved
community”. This is what Jean Vanier said on the subject : “When
you come to the community, there is a link between us. Because something is
born between us. There is a communion, and this communion is a sign. The
communion is a sign of what could exist, a sign of the kingdom of love. Martin
Luther King experienced this with those who called ‘his people’. He held his
hand out to everyone, but there needs to be a centre, and this centre is the
beloved community. How can we say that this notion refers to us? What is
interesting is that our community is founded on experience and not on
knowledge. When I say that we are cured by people with a disability, people
cannot understand. They need to experience it. The beginning of John’s Gospel
reads: 'We have found the Messiah’. Christendom is the meeting point with the
person. It is the faith in a person, in you and in me. That is the secret. You
and me. Not me and an ideal of changing the world. Changing the world, one
heart at a time. This heart reveals who I am, it reveals who you are. When
they are revealed together, we can speak of a beloved community. And this
community grows outwards in concentric circles.”
“Each person can be important, because each of us can serve a larger
purpose.”
Text of speech: http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/documents/1951-/martin-luther-kings-ihave-a-dream-speech-august-28-1963.php
2 At the L’Arche General Assembly in Atlanta, June 2012.
1
87
 The year ends with a grand banquet with our new friends, to
taste the fruits of the whole year.
 Our communities are more open; we have opened our doors
and built bridges.
Challenges from urban cultures (N°74)
Cities create a sort of permanent ambivalence because, while they offer their
residents countless possibilities, they also present many people with any number
of obstacles to the full development of their lives. This contrast causes painful
suffering. In many parts of the world, cities are the scene of mass protests where
thousands of people call for freedom, a voice in public life, justice and a variety
of other demands which, if not properly understood, will not be silenced by
force.
Welcome and reunion
On arrival, each person receives the list of
community members with their addresses and
telephone numbers. This will help us to stay in
touch easily over the holidays.
Sharing
 Together
organiser reads or recounts the life of Martin
Luther King in his/her own words. We can
pass his photo round the whole group.
88
I do not call you servants any longer, but friends (John 15, 12-17)
Characters: Jesus, Peter, the master, the pilgrim
Materials: a table and some chairs
First scene
 Narrator: Jesus is sitting down with his disciples. He is teaching them...
 Jesus: Love one another as I have loved you.
 Peter: Tell us how we can love one another.
 Jesus: A pilgrim was walking from Galilee to Jerusalem. As dusk came,
he stopped and knocked at the door of a house.
 The master opens the door: Good evening, my friend. What can I do
for you?
 The pilgrim: I am a pilgrim and I’m going to Jerusalem. Please could
you give me a meal and somewhere to stay for the night?
 The master: Come in, my wife will prepare you something to eat. You
can also have a wash and sleep in a good bed!
 The pilgrim: Thank you, master, you are very good. May the Lord bless
you, you and all your family.
 Jesus: Peter, did you see and listen to this story? To love one another, you
need to be and behave like this master.
Second scene
 Jesus: You are my friends if you do as I command.
 Peter: Yes, Jesus, we want to do God’s will.
 Jesus: It is not you who have chosen me, it is I who have chosen you and
established you, so that you can go forth, bear fruit and that this fruit
shall endure. Be my witnesses.
 Peter: Yes, we will be your witnesses, missionaries of joy everywhere in
the world.
 In small groups
Jesus wants us to love one another. Jesus has chosen us so that
we can bear fruit and be witnesses.
 How do we see that we love one another?
 What have I enjoyed the most in community meetings this
year?
89


What would I have liked to have done more of – or better
What do I suggest for next year?
Celebrating
Friendship garlands can be used to decorate
our prayer corner and the dinner or tea table
(see page 106).
 Games
 The twigs
Materials: little twigs or matches, cord.
We get into small groups so we can all see. Everyone gets a
twig or a match. We try and snap it and it’s very easy to do….
Then, the host will bind together as many twigs or matches as
possible into a very tight bunch. We pass it round the group,
we try to snap it, but it’s impossible. Isn’t this like a community? Together, we are stronger!
Or
 Who am I?
We can print the quiz game on great witnesses who have accompanied us throughout the year, and try to put the right person in the right place. Download via the site: http://
www.faithandlight.org/rubriques/haut/downloads
Praying
Jesus, you love us, make it so that we love each
other as well.
You gave your life for us; make us also full of
goodness towards one another.
You called us your friends, make us your
friends in truth.
90
You have chosen us so that we can bear fruit, what fruit have we
borne?
You told us: “All that you ask the Father in my name, he will give to you.”
Father, make it so that we love one another, as your Son asked of
us.
Song: "What a friend we have in Jesus"1
I remain in the arms of your love.
We will attach one of the friendship
garlands to it.
1
http://foietlumiere.ca/Chap101/Musique/What%20a%20Friend.mp3
91
Box of treasures
Bringing the Word of God to life
I
n bringing the Gospel to life, we want to
make present the words and gestures of
Jesus as he conveyed them to us. He has
entrusted them to us to nourish all of our life.
It is a time of prayer, a sacred time to pass on
the Good News.
"Bringing the Word of God to life" in Faith and Light has two
dimensions:
 During the meeting, it is about experiencing with all our being
and our words what Jesus experienced and taught.
 After the meeting, we will try to live this message of love and
humility from Jesus.
We often find it difficult to really experience this time. There
isn’t always the time to prepare for it properly: people don’t know
exactly what they are depicting, what they should be doing or
saying. There are bursts of laughter, it is fun. However, through all
the flaws, something essential is being conveyed, the presence of
the living Jesus.
Here are a few suggestions to help us to truly “bring the Gospel to
life”.
Preparation
1. During the Coordinating Team meeting
After having read the meditation of the month together, the
suggested reference passage from the Gospel is read. We can
choose another one if it seems to us to be more apt for the
community. The important thing is to have just one in order to
immerse ourselves in it without dissipating our efforts. Take a
92
few moments to meditate on this text, to reflect on the essence
of it and how to re-convey it in its simplicity and its depth.
Then two members of the team can be entrusted with the
mission of seeing how to physically bring to life the passage
from the Gospel during the meeting and organise it.
2. Practical preparation before the meeting
 Who will coordinate it?
 Who will be the reader? (Someone who proclaims the Gospel
simply and convincingly). Occasionally, there will not be any
reading during this gospel mime. The participants will use their
own words.
 At what time will the Word itself be read? Before or during the
action?
 Who will be the main characters? Be mindful of the people with
disability who will be there as well as the parents and friends. It
is a service that is requested, not an opportunity to demonstrate
your worth or impress so and so.
 Who is taking part? As many as possible in some way or another.
It is advisable to have a few props, very simple symbols (a white
robe for Jesus, some candles, a beautiful Bible for the reading…).
3. During the meeting
 The small group responsible for organising this time will take
care to dampen down the excitement by emphasising the
importance of what is going to be experienced. We are
responsible for bringing to life the words and gestures of Jesus
so that they will gradually become our words and gestures, so
that we act like him with his heart.
 The process will be repeated. It will end with a few moments of
prayer to ask Jesus for his Spirit and his heart so that he can act
and speak through us.
The atmosphere
Calmness and silence will emerge from a very simple and repeated
song, from the peace of the leader, from the lighting, from a
93
certain order in the room, from well positioned chairs and from
having a table where a candle, an icon, flowers, the Bible … will be
placed in the meditation.
The execution
After a few words of introduction, the reader proclaims the
Gospel before or at the same time the action takes place. If it is
being spoken at the same time, it will closely follow the movement
of each person. If there are mistakes, the reader will very simply
and naturally rectify them. The action can be punctuated with
acclamations, for example, “Hosanna!” or a very simple chorus.
Occasionally, the participants will use their own words.
If the group is very shy or reticent, five or six people can “bring
the Gospel to life”, then invite the whole community to do the
same scene together.
Most often, the people who bring the Word of God to life don’t
speak or only have a few simple words to say, but they try to pay
attention to the words that they are hearing so that there is
harmony between the text, the gestures and the movements. The
atmosphere to create is one of love, peace, respect and especially
prayer.
To end
The scene from the Gospel usually ends with a community song
that corresponds to the passage being experienced: thanksgiving,
joy, reflection…
Most often, this time will be followed by the time of sharing where
each person will express what has touched them the most, helped
them the most and how they would like to try to live this each day.
A gesture that has particularly struck us can be repeated.
94
The prayer of a poor person
W
e can experience this together when
we do the community prayer during
the meeting, or in small groups
between two meetings, or at our own home
and also of course in the coordinating team
meeting...
“The prayer of a poor person” was given to us by Father Joseph
Larsen, former International Chaplain. It is a prayer of the body
which says: “I am there because I love you. I am there because you are
precious to me. I have put aside all other things, for you, you are more
important than anything”. Our presence becomes a sign, a word, a
word without words. It is the way friends show their friendship: “I
am happy to be with you”.
It is not easy to persevere in a blatantly useless situation,
without a result to be proud of. It isn’t only “being with”. However,
at Faith and Light we know that it is a sign of love, a school of
love. Gradually the heart changes. We are no longer focussed on
ourselves but on the Beloved.
Sit on a chair in a well-balanced position which lets you remain
still, without losing concentration. We put our open hands on our
knees and close our eyes, thus creating an inner space that nothing
can enter. The back is straight. We breathe slowly and calmly. We
can help ourselves with a word of love that we repeat inwardly, for
example, “I am there for you Jesus”, or simply the name “Jesus”. We
remain there, trusting, in the silence of the heart, for at least ten
minutes, letting Jesus love and transform us. At the start, we will
have a lot of distractions. The peace only comes after a while,
perhaps only towards the end. We should not worry, it is our
poverty. Peacefully, let us return to our little word of love. The
prayer of a poor man is going to change us. It is going to bear a lot
of fruit, fruit of an astonishing quality, Faith and Light quality.
95
Priorities 2013-2018
These priorities were adopted during the general assembly of Faith and Light
international in Leeds, july 2013
S
ince 1971, the context in which Faith and
Light works has drastically changed. In
some Western countries, the majority of
our communities are getting older. Some will
even cease to exist. Few new communities are
being created and it is difficult to attract young
people and families. In some countries, distance
is a problem which makes communication and
community support more difficult.
Provinces have been established, but have faced obstacles linked
to language and culture differences.
The time has come to renew the modus operandi of our
communities and foster greater openness in order to cope with the
changes in our societies. We must use the identity and mission of
Faith and Light as a starting-point from which to develop. This
means engaging communities in a discussion process, which will
help us to achieve the aim of summarising the movement’s
fundamental values in a few sentences.
Between 2008 and 2013, our time has mainly been spent
establishing and consolidating provinces. Now, we need to
emphasise supporting and caring for communities and their desires
for renewal and growth. Although the Regional level of authority is
no longer provided for by the Constitution, that does not mean that
this support will diminish.
The Constitution, which was approved in 2008, has been
gradually extended to the whole of Faith and Light.
Different interpretations have been made of the text in relation
to authority and responsibilities at international level, which has
96
resulted in weak leadership. We have also noticed that certain areas
grouped together as provinces do not reflect the geographical,
cultural and economic contexts which they cover.
We need to plan for future adjustments and consider how to
adapt the Constitution in 2018.
The pilgrimages organised by the provinces for the 40th
anniversary of Faith and Light lifted our spirits. We must continue
to plan times for celebrating, meeting and equipping to give us
momentum.
Renewal
 Establish a process to help communities reconfirm, based on
their experiences, the principles upon which the identity and
mission of Faith and Light is based.
 Encourage communities to review their way of working and adapt
it to the expectations of people with disability, their families and
young people today, taking the identity and mission of Faith and
Light as a starting point.
 Identify strategies to attract young families and friends, and create
new communities. Make an effort to invite them and find new
ways to involve them.
 Develop a sense of belonging to the movement amongst the
communities as a whole and a sense of responsibility that
communities should participate and contribute to its funds.
Openness
 Build or strengthen links with other associations working with
people with disabilities and youth movements.
 Develop our cooperation with L’Arche.
 Encourage ecumenical dialogue and review our documents to
identify any elements which could inhibit us from accepting other
confessions.
 Encourage initiatives inspired by Faith and Light in non-Christian
areas.
97
Community support
 Boost the frequency and quality of support (accompaniment) for
communities with provincial vice-coordinators and make sure
they understand, when they are appointed, that support is an
important part of their role.
 Continue to develop training on the roles of coordinators and
coordinating teams and on the accompaniment they can expect
from the provincial team, particularly with the communities on a
regional level.
 Encourage communities in close geographical proximity to build
relationships and potentially group them by local area.
Leadership
 Clarify the roles and responsibilities of the Board of directors and
the International Coordinating team so as to make their roles
clear, and strengthen the leadership, in order to improve their
service to the movement and to its mission.
 Adapt the functioning of provinces in some areas of the world to
take into account cultural or economic obstacles.
 Appoint a Constitution Project Team to review the entire text
with a view to adapting and simplifying it accordingly and
explaining the hierarchy more clearly.
Flagship events
 Organise events in each province: meetings, festivals, pilgrimages
and so on to equip people, energize them and enable them to
make new contacts.
98
Evaluate the year to progress
A
t the beginning or end of the year, together or as a
coordinating team, let us take the time to evaluate the life of
the community. On that day, let us invite the vice coordinator who
accompanies us. The small booklet “Day for a renewal” can help
us1.
Here are some tips that have been taken from it. Each person
answers these questions:










What have I liked the most this year in the community?
What I have like least?
How do we pray together as a community?
How do we celebrate together as a community?
How do we get to know one another and share our faith when
we meet?
How do we deepen our friendship between our meetings?
Do we have almost equal numbers of persons with intellectual
disabilities, family members and friends? Do we have a chaplain
who participates in our community?
Do we have a coordinating team that prepares and evaluate our
meetings?
How much importance do we give to using the Guidelines?
How can we be more creative in our coordinating team?
1 Available
from the international secretariat.
99
 How do we pray for/contribute to the unity of all Christians?







How do we try to get to know people from different
denominations?
How do we experience our belonging to the international family
of Faith and Light and how do we express this belonging?
How would we describe the atmosphere of our community?
How is our community a part of the parish/local church?
How often do we meet as a whole community?
How open and welcoming is our community to new members?
How many members do we have?
If we are more than forty, are we praying and considering about
giving birth to a new community?
If we choose to do this evaluation as a community, we form small
groups. The leaders will note what each person has said. The
evaluations will be looked at in the coordinating team meeting with
a view to preparing for the next year.
Some communities take a weekend, or a day outside, often in the
religious community with which they are twinned, in order to have
the whole time for reflecting together in relaxation and friendship.
100
Artist's workshop
 Fisherman's net
It can be easily hooked:
 Make a necklace of the width which
you want to give to your net.
 1st row: crochet 7 chain stitches,
crochet one double crochet in 5th
stitch on row, then make 7 chain
stitches. Repeat until end of row.
 2nd row: *crochet 7 chain stitches, double crochet in 4th
stitch of first row (middle stitch of 7 stitches in first row)*
repeat from * to * end of row.
 Repeat 2nd row until you reach required size.
 Finally crochet 5 stitches (instead of 7), double crochet in the
4th stitch , repeat to end.
 Candles to colour in or paint
 Mandarin candles
Materials: a mandarin, a knife, a little bit of oil and a box of
matches
 Split the mandarin skin in two.
 Separate the top part of the skin.
 Delicately take out the mandarin quarters by taking great care
to not break the white stem in the middle because this will be
the wick.
101
 Place the mandarin on a saucer.
 Pour a little oil on the stem and at the bottom
of the mandarin and light it!
 A lamb
Copy the image onto a small piece of card, cut it
out, make a hole in the top and thread a string
through it.
 A paper mosaic
Materials: boxes, coloured paper (or photos from magazines),
scissors, glue.
 Glue the copied drawing on a box.
 Cut out the small squares of approx.
one centimetre and sort them by
colour.
 Paste on the first part of the drawing
and stick the squares, starting with
the edges, fill up…
 An angel
Materials: wool or cotton, card, scissors. This
angel is just as easy to make as a pompom.
 Cut out a piece of card 15cm high and 5cm
wide.
 Wrap the wool around the card about 100
times and remove the card. Make the head
by squeezing a strand of wool of around
2.5cm high.
 Create the arms. Squeeze at about 1cm for the hands.
 Cut to adjust the bottom of the dress. You can brush the
wool to give it a blurrier look.
 You can make a strand for the crown and also wings in
concertinaed gold paper. Add gold thread to the dress or
stars…
 Pass a thread through the top of the head to attach it.
The angel is ready to sing the glory of God!
102
 The "hands-hearts"
Materials: basic sheets of paper, pencil, scissors.
 Fold the sheet in half.
 Trace around your hand, thumb and index finger against the
fold.
 Cut out the shape except the end of the thumb and the index
finger.
 Unfold it and the heart appears!
 The friendship bracelet
Materials: cotton or wool threads in three colours, sticky tape,
scissors.
 Cut three threads of around 70cm in length, one in each
colour.
 Knot the threads together 2cm from the top.
 Attach the threads to a table with a piece of sticky tape.
 Pass the purple thread over the green and orange thread.
Thread it through underneath and back through. Pull to
secure the knot.
 Repeat around ten times.
 Continue the same knots but this time with the green thread,
then with the orange one.
103
 The sun of names
Materials: card, paper, scissors, glue, pencil.
Copy the sun on a piece of card, and cut out
and stick as many rays as there are members
in the community and guests at the Feast of
Light, so that the names of everyone can be
written on the rays. In the centre, we can stick
the Faith and Light boat or write the name of
our community.
 The fire of God’s love
The Scouts’ way
Materials: old CD or any other round, quite
solid support; glue, handful of soil or sand,
pebbles, little dead twigs, tissue or crêpe
paper.
 Stick the pebbles all around the CD. In the
centre, scatter over the soil or sand. Wedge
the sticks well.
 Tear the paper in the shape of flames (yellows, oranges and reds),
and stick them between the logs using a toothpick.
Or the Indian
Materials: for the tepee, three little twigs,
some string, a white tissue. For the fire,
pebbles, sticks, cotton dyed orange, glue.
 Fix the three sticks in a triangle and fix the
tissue to them to make the tepee.
 Beside this, put the pebbles and the logs,
stick the cotton on top of this.
And... for the fisherman’s net, copy the fire
image onto a thick sheet of paper.
104
 Some crowns
Materials: Thick, coloured paper, scissors, glue.
 Reproduce the pattern twice for a child and three times for an
adult.
 Stick some strips one on top of the other.
 Cut out and stick the stars on the crown.
 Close the crown by adjusting it to the size of the head.
 The Easter flower
Materials: 3 sheets of toilet paper, wire, a safety pin.
 Place the three sheets on top of one another and
fold them in a concertina. Fix the middle with a
small wire.
 Separate the petals very carefully. Fix them in
place with a small safety pin.
 The Pentecost Fresco
Materials: big board, as many figures as there are members in the
community, glue, paint or felt-tips.
 Reproduce the figures in different sizes, colour them in and stick
them on the bottom of the board.
 Stick a tongue of fire above each figure and add the sun and the
bird.
105
 A "Jesus loves me" cross
Materials: card, coloured paper, scissors, glue.
 Print the pattern on an A4 sheet of paper.
 Cut out the 4cm coloured squares and the hearts. Stick.
 A mosaic heart
Materials: carton, giant confetti, or little
circles or cut-out coloured squares, glue.
 Cut out a big heart and stick the
confetti to it, allowing them to overlap
one another.
 The mountain of Beatitudes
Materials: coloured paper, scissors, glue.
 Copy the image of Galilee or the drawing of Jesus and write
phrases from the Beatitudes all around the coloured paper,
"the pure in heart", "the peacemakers"…
 Friendship garlands
Materials: A4 coloured paper, pinking
or normal scissors, and stapler.
Chain garland
Cut strips of 3cm in the direction of the
width of the page. Staple.
106
 Feed a second strip through the circle and
staple…
The heart garland
 Cut some 2cm wide strips. Bend them in
half and ensure that the fold is obvious.
 Refold the two ends towards the inside
and staple one outside to the other
outside….
107
Marko Ivan Rupnik
A warm thank you goes to Father
Marko for allowing us to reproduce in
this guidelines several of his works.
M
arko Ivan Rupnik was born in
1954 in Zadlog, Slovenia. He
joined the Society of Jesus in 1973.
After studying philosophy, he enrolled
at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome,
and then studied at the Gregorian
University. He was ordained Priest in
1985, and in 2001 was awarded his
doctorate on the theological and
missionary significance of art. Ever
since, he has been working at the Ezio
Eletti research institute in Rome, of
which he is the Director. As an artist,
the Pope Jean-Paul II entrusted him
with the renovation of the Redemptoris
Mater chapel mosaics, which he
completed in 1999 along with the Aletti
Centre workshop. His mosaics bring
together tradition and modernity,
helping modern art regain its former
prestige in serving the liturgy.
All the works of Father Rupnik on the
site: www.centroaletti.com/ita/opere/
italia/111.htm
108
The little bookshop of Faith and Light
Never again alone, the adventure of Faith and Light
Marie-Hélène Mathieu (To be released end of 2014)
For community building
 Charter and Constitution
 Annual Guidelines
 Leader's handbook
 Our first guidelines
 Identity and mission of Faith and Light
 Sharing our responsibility
 General rules of financial management
 A few easy recipes to raise funds
For deepening our life together
 Day for a renewal in the community
 Spirituality of Faith and Light
 Letters to my brothers and sisters, Fr Joseph Larsen
 The Mysteries of Faith and Light, Ghislain du Chéné
 How to prepare and live a retreat
 Retreats in Faith and Light
 Ecumenism in Faith and Light
 Fioretti, Fr Joseph Larsen
Getting to know us better
 Messages of the Churches to Faith and Light
 Leaflets
 Faith and Light posters
"Up Sails!", the Faith and Light international letter
(via internet)
109
Free
2€
3€
5,50 €
2,50 €
3€
Free
1€
Free
3€
2€
0,50 €
3€
3€
3€
2€
3€
Free
0,08 €
Free
Notes
110
Notes
Faith and Light international
3, rue du Laos 75015 Paris, France T + 33 1 53 69 44 30
[email protected] - www.faithandlight.org
111
Faith and Light prayer
Jesus, you came into our world
to reveal the Father to us, your Father and our Father.
You came to teach us to love one another.
Give us the Holy Spirit, according to your promise,
so that he will make us instruments of peace and unity,
in this world of war and division.
Jesus you have called us to follow you
in a community of Faith and Light,
We want to say « yes » to you.
We want to live in a covenant of love
in this big family you have given us,
where we can share our sufferings and difficulties,
our joys and our hope.
Teach us to accept our wounds, our weakness
so that your power may be revealed.
Teach us to find you in all our brothers and sisters
especially in those who are the weakest.
Teach us to follow you in the ways of the Gospel.
Jesus come and live in us
and in our communities as you first lived in Mary.
She was the first to welcome you.
Help us to be faithfully present, with her, at the foot of the cross,
near the crucified of the world.
Help us to live your Resurrection.
Amen !
112

Guidelines 2015 - Faith and Light

Transcription

Similar documents

PRAYER CARE SHARE GET`M THERE

Sales Sheet

Through the Fifth Gospel - Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies

A. His Word is True

Reaching The Unreached - Valley Baptist Church

Open PDF

Different ways to God

What About . . . Jesus Rising From The Dead?

True North News 5

Balinteer Parish PPio Novena.cdr