At times, material wealth fills our ‘heart’ and creates an anxiety to always have more, a real and true dependence. Instead sharing spiritual and material goods with those who are in need allows one to experience true freedom: this style of Christian living gives witness to trust in God the Father and puts down a solid foundation for the civilisation of love. A gift from God Our fifth child David, seemed a normal child at birth. However, after some time the doctors explained to us that he had Down Syndrome. In that moment my husband and I remembered that we had accepted David, from the moment of his conception, as a gift from God. His older sister, when she learnt about him, wrote in her diary: ‘I don’t just want to be a sister to David, I want to be his mother’. Surrounded by a great love David continues to make progress. He goes to school regularly and is very affectionate. He is full of joy. His joy is contagious. He truly showed he was a real gift from God. (Jacqueline – Scotland) In prison There was a boy in my cell who had no money to eat. He took a box from another inmate who threatened him making him pay three Naira. Then he began to ask other inmates for money. I had only five Naira which I needed to buy food. But I remembered the gospel and I understood that to love God I had to love my neighbour. So, I gave him my money. Later on, someone came to my cell and brought me food. (Sylvester – Nigeria) Supper This evening when I got back from the university I sat down in front of the television as usual expecting that my mother, who was watching her favourite programme, should get up and prepare my supper. Then a thought: a few days ago, I heard three medical students talking about the gospel and they emphasised the importance of doing the will of God during the day. So, I got up and went to the kitchen and prepared supper. It was my first conscious act of love. (T.C. – Italy) The foundation of our marriage After we married, despite the fact that we loved one another, each of us remained ‘as we were’, each of us with our own particular habits. One day there was a great difference of opinion on how to cook a particular Czech meal. The difference in opinion was so great that we took a decision: we would always accept one another as we were without wanting to change the other. Perhaps that was when we laid the foundation of our marriage. Now that we are grandparents, we try to share this experience with our grandchildren grateful to God for having opened our eyes. (J. e T. – Bohemia)

Edited by Chiara Favotti