Creating unity in the seminary and everywhere

 Until a few years ago our seminary was situated in a traditional type structure, with bare walls and long hallways.  Maybe it was also for this reason that each of us was running the risk of remaining closed in his own world.  Some of us seminarians came in contact with the spirituality of unity.  It was a great discovery to realize that the Gospel could be lived in such a concrete manner and especially with a sense of community.  So we immediately started living the “Word of Life” with poise and enthusiasm – it is a phrase from the Gospel that everyone in the Focolare Movement commits to translate to practice during an entire month – and it wasn’t long before we too began living our first experiences.  Soon other seminarians joined us, attracted by this novelty of life.

In the meantime, the number of students had grown sensibly and there wasn’t enough space for everyone in the seminary building.  The counselors then decided to turn a big living room area into a room for twelve seminarians.

But no one wanted to move, as everyone preferred having their own room.  We understood that it was an opportunity to love in a concrete way and to throw ourselves into a stronger life of communion.  So we offered to move.
The following year there was still a problem with the lack of rooms and the counselors suggested we continue our experience in a house near the seminary.

We began this new adventure trusting that it was something that God was suggesting.  We put everything in common:  clothes, books, money, and even our many needs.  To support ourselves, we started different activities, among which raising chicks.  Curious about this activity, many people would offer their help and would bring us food for them.  Everything was an opportunity to be a testimony to our ideal of unity and so our house became a meeting place and a big family grew around us.

In the meantime, the diocese decided to build a new seminary.  The experience of our “little house” inspired the idea to project it not like a big building, but an assembly of various homes with a chapel at the center.  There have been many episodes since then and the hardships accompanied us as well.  But whenever faced with difficulties we always told each other that only living and being a testimony to reciprocal love is what counts.

One day one of us needed a pair of slippers and I needed a pair of shoes for a celebration.  We renewed the pact of mutual love between us, convinced that the first thing to search for is the Kingdom of God and the rest would be given to us in surplus, and we newly began loving everyone – superiors and fellow students – in the small things, trying to see Jesus in everyone.  Come night time, a fellow student asked me if I needed a pair of shoes because he had received two pairs; a lady offered us a sum of money, the exact amount needed to buy a pair of slippers.  We felt God’s concrete love.

One of the weak points in our seminary life was sports.  Inevitably, every soccer game ended in contrast and discussion.  So we planned a tournament that had as a rule that everyone rejoice for the success of others as his own.  It went extremely well!  Our spiritual guide was the happiest.  And many seminarians thanked us for giving them the opportunity to discover that the Gospel can be lived in sports too.

We tried to transmit this life outside of the seminary as well, especially in pastoral activities.  One day, with a fellow student, we went to a female prison.  Before going in, we told each other that we would stay solid in mutual love and see Jesus in each of the prisoners.  At first they were quite indifferent, each of them concentrated on her own work. Then we tried to sing something for them and they slowly all came closer.  Once the relationship was established, we were able to talk to them about some experiences we lived through the “Word of Life”.

They were extremely happy and they made peace with each other.  We could not understand how Jesus could act so quickly.  One of them said she understood that she had to live by loving, even in prison, and that was the only way she could be free, maybe even more so than many that live in actual “freedom”.  Another one brought us to the door of her cell to tell us how that same night she was planning on killing herself, but that the love we brought gave her the joy to live again.  It was obvious that we weren’t the ones who had done these things, but Jesus present among us through mutual love.

(N. U. A. Q. – Columbia)