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Gymnastic Trials: Looking Good?

Aug 2, 2012

In the month when the Word of Life invites us to live and give witness to our faith we offer the experience of a young girl during the end-of-the year gymnastic trials.

Her mother writes: “A. was performing her piece at the end-of-the-year gymnastic trials and many people had come to watch. At one point one of her companions dropped her hoop. A. immediately gave her own to her companion and went to fetch the one that was dropped. Then she re-joined the choreography.

The trainers were open-mouthed with surprise. One of them said to me: “In all my years of training, I’ve never seen anything like this: an athlete who leaves her place in order to cover the mistake of another.” I responded: “It’s love that urges you to go beyond looking good; thinking of others makes you capable of things like this.”

The trainers all congratulated her. Then when were alone my daughter said to me; “Mamma, I didn’t care about looking good. My friend was in trouble and I had to help her.” It made me see how the Gospel that is slowly entering into her is making her a witness of her yes to Jesus. This episode occurred shortly after her return from the Gen4 congress that was entitled: “Love that embraces the whole world”.

(A. F. –Italy)

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