1 Paghandog Sa Sarili

Alphabet for the mission prayers in our homes for Lent and Easter time

D I O C E S E O F B E R G A M O Testimonianza Entusiasmante Juanito Conversione Fiducia Aprire Happy Juanito Unità Incontro Ottimismo1 Novità Gratuito Kevin Libertà Entusiasmante Missionarietà Xanio Happy Qualità Entusiasmante Povertà Walter Gratuito Verità Sanità Responsabilità Incontro Zelo Conversione Dono Conversione Libertà Incontro Fiducia Unità Happy Benedizione Gratuito Kevin Juanito Dono Testimonianza Missionarietà Kevin Aprire Responsabilità Zelo Missionarietà Ottimismo Sanità Benedizione Conversione Ylenia Novità Happy Libertà Dono Fiducia Fiducia Gratuito Kevin Povertà Incontro Verità

Entusiasmante 2 I ring the doorbell of your home to ask for lodging.

Every day, I would like to share with you some time during this Lent. To listen together to the Word of God, letting it enter our hearts and by journeying with a simple reflection that make up our everyday life, will accompany us along the ways and throughout the day, with our questions, efforts and above all with our joys.

The joys are what make us look ahead, that plan the future, change our lives and the world, writing new words. Of this I am convinced!

For this we pray together. Togetherness is really a great gift, it makes us feel at home, allow me to be your friend and this helps me in being a Bishop. What I have described is a desire that I have not concealed from the first moment of my meeting with our church. It is a realizable dream in time while sharing our lives. You, in your homes, I too at home or where the ministry calls me. The words are the same, the same heart, the same goal.

And together let us walk towards Easter. I am counting on you!

+ Francesco Beschi

Bishop

3 Alphabet for the mission

The booklet you have in your hands is a collection of letters and words. It is an attempt to express thanks to the letters and words, a thought that can accompany a time of faith, precious and unique, time like that of Lent.

The letters are parts of the alphabet and the word is the result of a sensible and effective composition. In order to live faith it is necessary to compose letters, write words, and often it is necessary to engrave it in the heart, because those are words that matter, words that have power, that help us to change, sometimes, life itself. Words of conversion.

The word accompanies the journey of life that is easy to imagine as a long path along which we learn to talk, where we share words, deepen the significance of the word, implicit words that you cannot express because they have no resonance, but they are really important. Words that reveal emotions, moods, beliefs, fears and expectations. Words of prayer.

The word is an opportunity for relationships, because through the words that come out of man, he expresses himself, and allows a glimpse of his mystery. Then it becomes the voice of sentiments, good that embellish good words, bad are those spreading discomfort, sufferings, and at times hatred. Hiding a trap, the possibility of not understanding, but originally are the words that permit an encounter.

That word also lets you approach the mystery of life, to become familiar with the mystery of God who has chosen the word to be known, to manifest Himself to the understanding of man. Words of faith.

The cross is the ultimate and the definitive word of Jesus. On the cross He collected the whole alphabet, all the richness of the vocabulary. We cannot understand Jesus apart from the cross, we cannot appreciate His message by mitigating the mystery of the cross. 4 For this reason we would like to put it in the heart of our house and symbolically in the heart of our lives. The “journey of the cross”, the one that Jesus Himself underwent crushed through insults and hatred of many, today it is being evident in our streets. There are faces and expressions without a name, we can’t pass away unobserved. It has turbulent strength that it is not possible to anaesthetize with our superficiality and anger. It is rich with humanity that must be learnt and sustained. It is not important to establish prior reasons and strategies, it is indispensable to warm up the hearts, to listen again to the invitation of Jesus to the Apostles and to us today. To experience once more that mandate that we received in Baptism, making us heralds of the Gospel to every creature. This booklet therefore, offers a precious opportunity to pray, if possible together with the whole family, if it is not possible even alone in communion with your parish and the Diocese. It is a communitarian prayer that marks the hour of supper or in the evening and it will bloom here and there, a constant prayer.

The words of this path…. aprire, benedizione, conversione, dono, entusiasmante, fiducia, gratuito, happy, incontro, Juanito, Kevin, libertà, missionarietà, novità, ottimismo, povertà, qualità, responsabilità, santità, testimonianza. unità, verità, Walter, Xanadio, Ylenia, zelo. open, blessing, conversion, gift, exciting, trust, free, happy, meeting, Juanito, Kevin, liberty, mission, news, optimism, poverty, quality, accountability, holiness, witness. unity, truth, Walter, Xanadio, Ylenia, zeal. Are nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, proper names, are compositions of letters expressing the desire to live the mission. And there are many others that everyone can write in this time of Lent.

5 The Projects of Missionary Solidarity

The words of sobriety and communion need to become our choice and it must result in a lifestyle. The charity of our families and communities in this season of Lent is traditionally in favor of the commitment of our Church in our diocesan mission in Bolivia, Ivory Coast and in Cuba where there is a significant number of priests, nuns and lay people sent on behalf of our Church and as well as in other significant presence in Brazil, Uruguay, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar and Paraguay.

The ordinary and the extraordinary support is the commitment of the entire diocese, parishes, missionary groups and families themselves. The ordinariness involves the accompaniment in the work of evangelization and solidarity that refer to the missionary activities that the Diocese of Bergamo has committed itself to pursue. The extraordinary thing is the immense set of needs that arise and require an additional and generous gesture of attention and responsibility. They are often charity that are urgent.

We ask families to mature in both the gesture of solidarity through their daily commitment, sobriety in meals and needs, with the intention of opening the doors of their homes to those living in poverty. The projects are divided into proposals resulting from some keywords and referring to some areas of pastoral care in relation to different diocesan missions. It is possible to ask the Diocesan Mission Center for the projects suggested in detail or see the sites: www.cmdbergamo.org or www.websolidale.org

6 Words of hope ...

1.Children and teenagers who grow in faith. The primary commitment is essential to educate to faith in any Christian community. Commitment to share with the churches especially those poor of means and instruments. The text for catechesis, a personal notebook, the Bible, along with snacks, which often end up being dinners for many, are some valuable opportunities to offer to the missionary and to his ministry.

2. Communities that discover the call to charity. If it is true that the first form of poverty is the ignorance of the Gospel, all the efforts of the Christian community is a struggle against poverty. The formation of catechists, the meetings for parents, the catechumenate of adults are all proposals that ask for help so that the Gospel is proclaimed.

3. Structures to serve the community. A church, a parish hall, a playground structure may seem very normal for us, but for a young Christian community they are essential in order to have a place of identity, prayer, community. All these structures are also essential for the life of the community, this is also a way of sharing the missionary commitment.

Words of life ...

4. The simplest immunization. The precarious sanitary and hygiene conditions are further aggravating the health protection and prevention, this is why preventive and prophylactic antibiotic treatment are increasingly urgent. The health support is posed often next to the parish structure and provide medicine to the poor people of the parish.

5. Vaccines and vitamin supplements. Malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, diarrhea, are just some of the most mundane plight of people already weakened by hunger and poverty. A vaccination 7 campaign is the prospect of future life chances. Babies are the first recipients of this support.

6. Leprosy and aids. Are the two cases of special attention that unfortunately still affect the people in poor countries. A situation of a more dignified life, the ability to be relieved from suffering, the recovery of positive relationships and around these convictions revolve the commitments in favor of healing the wounds that have always affected the poor continents and have struck the weak.

Words of peace ...

7. Eating at least once a day. What seems so normal as to putting ones legs under the table "for lunch and dinner” is not so obvious in all parts of the world. Hunger is a terrible reality for two billion people, a sad companion for young and old. Mission places often trigger a school with free meals for all and, therefore, a possibility for life.

8. Free from violence. It is the tragedy of so many children living on the streets. They are content to beg, to clean windows, to look among the garbage scraps. And there are many other types of violence, including physical, that someone is forced to undergo. The possibility of a home, medical care, a training course to ensure a future: this is the bet.

9. Project for lay missionaries Not less are the lay people who share with the priests the missionary commitment to the ad gentes. Their projects are for the support of the children, the disabled, for instruction, and education in general. These are small projects that wish to enter everyday life to support the daily life of the families that have become more difficult.

8 Words of growth...

10. A school for all To take care of education is to look to the future with confidence. The school is always a problem in the countries in the Southern part of the world, but it is certainly a priority, that is why the missionaries work with passion.

11. School supplies Precious are the textbooks, notebooks and all that can be used for school attendance. Even pastel colours become important!

12. Scholarships To accompany a curriculum is a valuable asset. A diploma, the certificate of a profession, a certificate of training: an economic support for these opportunities are very important, it is to design a future.

Family Prayer This book is linked to an icon three antecedents that open is a kind of domestic altar around which to assemble for prayer. The icon has the merit to guide the eye to an image that helps meditation and calls to remember the Lord Jesus, in telling his story. Especially in Lent, the images presented are from a beautiful "Via Christi Ugo Riva, that is to say, a journey that tells the story of Jesus, under the model of more traditional" Stations of the Cross , which is in the votive temple of peace in Bergamo. This work has been preselected moments of passion, death and resurrection of the Lord. "The way of the cross, becomes the accompaniment to prayer every Sunday we will present a stage where they stop.

9 February 17, Ash Wednesday

In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. To live the way of mission ...

FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JOEL. (2,15.17) Blow the trumpet in Zion! proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the people, notify the congregation; Assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants at the breast; Let the bridegroom quit his room, and the bride her chamber. Between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep, And say, "Spare, O LORD, your people, and make not your heritage a reproach, with the nations ruling over them! Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?’ Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land and took pity on his people.

Aprire… To open the eyes, to fix the gaze, to scan the horizon. Where is our God? We ask this often, both big and small. Sometimes we find it hard because the world seems to collapse on us. Other times we prefer to pretend, disguise, and to distort the reality. Open your eyes is a provocation for this Lent. And the road is long ...

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Walk with us, Lord. In this time of Lent ... When we struggle to recognize you ... If we feel tired ... And you hold us by hand in these days of faith. Amen.

10 Just because you walk on our streets. Thank you, Lord Jesus. February 18, Thursday after the ashes

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. To live the way of mission ...

FROM THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY (30,19-20) I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land which the LORD swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

Accogliere… Accepting God's proposal is certainly not easy. Looking for shortcuts is our favorite passion but then we realize that we cannot abandon the truth, we cannot deny freedom, it is impossible to unlearn love. And God's proposal outlines a way ...

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Walk with us, Lord. In the experience of good ... When we try the worse ... If we resist with force ... And we will be credible signs of your presence. Amen.

11 Just because you walk on our streets. Thank you, Lord Jesus. February 19, Friday after the ashes

FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH (58,6-7) This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own.

Ascoltare… Listen to a word that is an alternative to the world, a word that has the power to change lives, making life its deeper reasons. Listening in the depths of the heart to overcome those barriers that separate people, to write with the force of testimony pages of charity. This today is the way marked by the cross.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Walk with us Lord. In the streets of life ... When we feel alone ... If we are tempted to give to charity ... And we feel we are never alone. Amen.

12 Just because you walk on our streets. Thank you, Lord Jesus. February 20, Saturday after the ashes

FROM THE GOSPEL OF LUKE (5,27 – 28) After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.

Amare… To love is the infinitive form of a possible lifestyle. And to follow Jesus by frequenting the school of love is essential. Be careful not to take no fireflies for lanterns, because when you love with Jesus half-measures are not possible, there is no possibility of compromise. Everything is synonymous with the word love in the Christian message. Thus our fears. Climb the road, let us experience the climb, but even with the panting breath, we do not back out. We want to follow Jesus!

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Walk with us, Lord. In the struggles of love ... When we feel the fragility of the heart ... If we doubt your presence ... And with joy we will follow your call. Amen.

13 Just because you walk on our streets. Thank you, Lord Jesus. February 21, first Sunday of Lent

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Witnesses of the Absolute

FROM THE GOSPEL OF LUKE (4,1-4) Filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"

Mother Gina is a nun who gave her life for the security of the poor. She never had the courage to withdraw. she always faced misery by trying to see something that would suggest the possibility of a future. Her mission on African soil has all the flavor of the witness, because her every gesture is a reminder that proposed freedom, only with an encounter with the one who truly frees us from all limits, makes life possible. And this despite everything! A nun who was the living witness of the Absolute, because, beyond the drama of hunger, misery and poverty, there is a horizon of freedom.

14 LET US LISTEN TO TONINO BELLO: My dear brothers and sisters, Lent requires us to urgently regain the contemplative dimension of life. It is a matter of life or death. We cannot go on like this. The noise overwhelms us. Things overwhelm us. We have become like pebbles in a dry riverbed, dried by the August sun. We have to reserve long stretches of silence. You will not remain empty: God will fill you with his presence. Give our restless spirit the pastures of prayer, of contemplation, and of abandonment in God. It is not only a problem of spiritual hygiene It is above all, a search for an authenticity that we have lost. Let us return to the sources. Or, if you wish, let us go back to the desert. It is the same thing.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Fill us with You, our Creator. When we feel alone ... In the effort to grow ... If we resign ourselves to defeat ... And forever we will become witnesses of the Absolute. Amen.

Look at the icon

He began washing the disciples’ feet The Via Christi that we are contemplating this Lent does not include the stations of the Way of the Cross as we know it. This wants to invite us to have another look: less distracted, more curious and more capable of being amazed. Let us look at the washing of the feet: Jesus is lying, not kneeling, in a position of profound accessibility and care. Peter is seated and with his right hand talks about his hesitance in letting his Master perform the gesture of a slave. He still did not know what he would learn from the events of the following hours. A woman behind seemed to personify the grace of dedication that has always been maternal wisdom. THE WAY OF THE CROSS

15 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. February 22, first Monday of Lent

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Witnesses of the Absolute

FROM THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW (16,13-16) When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Benedizione… Jesus will not be measly with blessing for the apostle Peter. He will be called to be the absolute witness through the experience of martyrdom. A sign of predilection, difficult to understand outside the logic of faith. He will give an account of his faith and with him many others who, in the course of history, have not given up any opportunity to proclaim the Gospel. An announcement of blessing that helps man to discover his beauty, to live in mutual witness of Him who is the source of every blessing. An announcement that makes us bearers of beauty, because we can no longer content ourselves of appearances.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Fill us with you, our Creator. In the slowness of our progress ... When we fear ... If we forget your presence ... And we shall give reason for faith. Amen.

16 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. February 23, first Tuesday of Lent

FROM THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW (6,14-15) If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.

Conversione… Conversion is not something that is improvised and is not reduced to some good action. Too limiting. On the horizon of forgiveness we can move through sincere steps of conversion. Forgiveness means to return dignity, it is to recognize the precious and unique value that lives inside every human experience. Forgiving is something that goes deeper and changes, contorts, re-creating spaces of authenticity and encounter. To forgive is to accept a proposal for a radical conversion. That is why it is so difficult, so far from appearances and so intimate with truth. Let us try the profoundness of truth and we will be forgiven.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Fill us with you, our Creator. In the danger of loneliness ... When we wish to have reason by force ... If we are not seeking peace ... And we will be a sign of your forgiveness. Amen.

17 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. February 24, first Wednesday of Lent

FROM THE BOOK OF JONAH (3,5-6) when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes.

Dono… Gift, a real gift, God's proposal to life! A gift to share, preserve, to nourish. A gift that makes every relationship and every experience even more precious. A gift believed, even in the struggles of coherency and concreteness, a gift with which to measure ourselves and ultimately allowing ourselves to be involved. Every course of faith asks to wear the style of essentialism, because where there is everything and more, discovering the value of the fragile gift that appeals to the heart becomes very difficult. And then it would be good to learn to tell each other about faith, to share this gift, to entrust it to the younger generation. This is the essential mission of every true believer, of every credible witness.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Fill us with you, our Creator. In the experience of faith ... When we are burdened with trials ... When we lose enthusiasm ... And the Lord transforms us as a gift. Amen.

18 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. February 25, first Thursday of Lent

FROM THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW (7,11-12) If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets.

Entusiasmante… Exciting is the proposal of the Gospel: to wish goodness always. The mission to accomplish is certainly not easy, but it is indispensable if we want to give a different image to the world in which we live. Volunteers, associations, parish, oratory, many different situations, so that goodness becomes a reality. And there are many people who spend all their effort and passion, time and expertise to this. Jesus’ command through these 'angels' for the weak, for the poor, for the least, is a charity without measure is a concrete sign of a greater good. Jesus will place a little one in the middle of us by indicating to us that it is the privileged moment to meet God, and to live fully.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Fill us with you, our Creator. In response to your call ... When we experience the hardships ... If we feel empty ... And You will make us your witnesses. Amen.

19 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. February 26, first Friday of Lent

FROM THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW (5,23 – 24) At that time Jesus said: “therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

Father Carlo chose to live in the heart of Muslim Bangladesh, as a credible witness. He can be defined as a very special missionary: witness of the Absolute. He doesn’t make special sermons, doesn’t construct anything, doesn’t do works of charity, but lives among his people and shares their toil, hardships and expectations. Not doing much but bringing everything to God through a continuous prayer of his heart. Everything prays around him and in him. Everything calls the Absolute, who have been made fragile, but a solid sign and presence. This silence narrates the words of the Gospel. We are so chaotic that the words of Gospel have become so familiar to us, too accustomed. Let us now choose a bit 'of silence to discover the One who constantly accompanies us.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Fill us with you, our Creator. In the silence of the heart ... When we are stunned ... If we delude ourselves ... And we shall be filled with you. Amen.

20 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. February 27, first Saturday of Lent

FROM THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW (5,43 - 45) At that time, Jesus told his disciples:"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.”

Fiducia… It is said that the trust should be deserved and it is partly true. Many great people have experienced it on their own skin and young people realize this, sometimes painfully. God has never been stingy with trust throughout sacred history, He has never left the people, even when a single person or as a people, committed all sorts of sin. A God who is truly faithful. unconditional and, above all, unlimited ... with the bad and the good. It is a gift that we must learn to exchange reciprocally, not by building walls that separate and by digging pits that will fool. For a different world, this is an essential exercise.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Fill us with you, our Creator. At the time of growth ... When we feel vulnerable ... If the heart is panting ... And we will have the joy of being with you. Amen.

21 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. February 28, second Sunday of Lent

Witnesses of the encounter

FROM THE GOSPEL OF LUKE (9,29-31) While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.

Sister Mary has already dedicated her life to the poor of a metropolis of India. The years do not matter and the forces are not less, because every meeting is a fragment of testimony, every smile is a possibility of future, every tear dried is a redemption of life. She really believes that the world can change and the transfiguration of flesh shows once again, that desire of Justice, which springs from the seriousness of faith. It is a shame to fall asleep wasting time because the cry of the impoverished is continuously growing and our responsibilities are palpable. Even our family in its littleness is called to witness the encounter that each of us received in the sacraments and in the sacred bond of marriage of the spouses, revealing to the world that a different future is possible.

22 PRAY WITH MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA Help me to spread everywhere your perfume, o my Jesus Wherever I go. Flood my soul with your Spirit and your life. Be the master of my being so completely that my whole life is an irradiation of yours. So that every soul I meet can feel your presence within me. That seeing me they do not see me but you in me. Remain in me. thus shine your own glory It may be light for others.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Stay with us, Lord Jesus. In everyday ... When we are in the dark ... If we feel insecure ... And we shall be in the light. Amen.

Look at the icon

One of you shall betray me In fact more than one of the disciples sitting at the table of the Upper Room betrayed the Master. Certainly the traitor is Judas, but also Peter – and all those who have fled - were not any less. Thus we see a scene of the two disciples in the garden of olive trees. Judas accuses Peter: "He will also betray You!" he seemed to reiterate. But Jesus puts Himself in the middle and toned them down: the accusation of one’s brother is a carrier of violence and death, Cain and Abel had already shown this to us.

THE WAY OF THE CROSS

23 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 1, second Monday of Lent

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Witnesses of the encounter

FROM THE GOSPEL OF LUKE (6, 36 – 38) At that time, Jesus told his disciples: “Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful. "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."

Gratuito… It seems so discounted, but what is gratuitous is often not appreciated. also for the faith it is a risk. We always believed to acquire merits before the Lord, we are convinced that the amount of prayer makes the difference with respect to our fragility, as if God was a capricious person that has to be satisfied, or one in need of affection and tenderness. But mercy is quite another thing! No measure of things, it’s a proposal of a heart that is merciful, completely free, just like that of God A proposal that can also do our hearts good, it can allow us to meet others in their finest gratuity.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Stay with us, Lord Jesus. In the mystery of life ... When we wish to do things by ourselves ... If we do not struggle to be gratuitous ... And we shall write pages of solidarity. Amen

24 Just because you walk on our streets. Thank you, Lord Jesus. March 2, second Tuesday of Lent

FROM THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW (23, 9 – 12) Jesus turned to the crowd and to his disciples: “Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

"Happy birthday to you" loudly sang the children in the school. It’s the birthday of Sister Graziella, the nun who accompanies them along the path of human and Christian growth. And she grows up with them thanks to the wealth of experience and dialogue that mature during the warm African days. Really only one is the Master and we are all called to his school. Only if we are available, if we wish to be his disciples, we can travel the road that leads to an encounter with Jesus. we will not remain unsatisfied!

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Stay with us, Lord Jesus. In the commitment of every day ... When we want to do alone ... if we are not committed with passion ... And discover that you are our master. Amen.

25 Just because you walk on our streets. Thank you, Lord Jesus. March 3, second Wednesday of Lent

FROM THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW (20,17 – 19) As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve (disciples) aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day."

Incontro… Encounter the mystery through the incredible reality of the cross: this is the route of Jesus that very often He associated himself with several people, as if the cross was really reserved for everyone. A deep loneliness reaches the heart at the moment of grief. The experience is that of feeling incapable, and that of actually touching fragility, inconsistency of surrendering oneself to fate. This is not so when we allow the surfacing of a glimmer of faith amidst so much hard work, like a hand reaching out to lift us up after a bad fall. The encounter has the strength of putting us back on our feet, of returning us to life and to the community.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Stay with us, Lord Jesus. In the heart of all suffering ... When the labors sadden us ... If the cross is too heavy ... And we will be friends forever. Amen.

26 Just because you walk on our streets. Thank you, Lord Jesus. March 4, second Thursday of Lent

FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH (17, 5 – 6) Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season, But stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth.

Juanito is a little inhabitant of Mozambique. He from birth has been living at the mission of Sr. Mary. He never had a family: his mother died while he came to life and his father had never wanted to know him. His house is the mission. Many times the sister tried to explain life and he, with eyes full of expectation, was always asking about his mother: what happened to her? And his eyes were looking for a smile. Growing in trust towards life for him was not easy, but the discovery of Jesus made him enthusiastic. What about us, where do we place our trust? Who are we waiting for in our lives?

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Stay with us, Lord Jesus. In the search for good ... When we feel alone ... If we turn away from our hope ... And we shall have a heart full of joy. Amen.

27 Just because you walk on our streets. Thank you, Lord Jesus. March 5, second Friday of Lent

FROM THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW (21,42 – 43) Jesus said to them: "Did you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes'? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”

Kevin is a small resident of Bangkok in Thailand. He lives in a slums of the metropolis, at the cross roads quickly cleaning the windows of the vehicles just to provide for his day. The future is very uncertain. The words of the Gospel fill with responsibility those who have received much, so that nothing is wasted, and that everyone can give their best. Poverty arises from imbalances, the arrogance of someone, exploitation of others. Only a great responsibility, a deep conviction to do good can help to make the world more beautiful, more livable for everyone.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Stay with us, Lord Jesus. In the joy of meeting ... When we escape from our responsibilities ... If we neglect those around us ... And we will carry a message of hope. Amen.

28 Just because you walk on our streets. Thank you, Lord Jesus. March 6, second Saturday of Lent

FROM THE BOOK OF PSALMS (102, 3 – 4. 9 – 10) Who pardons all your sins, heals all your ills, delivers your life from the pit, surrounds you with love and compassion, God does not always rebuke, nurses no lasting anger, Has not dealt with us as our sins merit, nor requited us as our deeds deserve.

When you zap the program of the news broadcast during rush hour a river of endless violence is pumped into your house. Unfortunately, there are no more surprises. Violence is at home. The temptation to be violent ourselves is very strong in order to exert our rights, to cut out for ourselves a space of wealthy profit, to avenge the hurts received. And the measure of all things seems to be revenge, the redemption. God is not like this. Scripture says that He has deep rooted mercy, it means He cannot but have a big heart, a passion without limit for man and for his little story. God loves us so much ...

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Stay with us, Lord Jesus. In the temptation of violence ... When we close our hearts ... If we tend to use revenge ... And we build around us a time of serenity. Amen.

29 Just because you walk on our streets. Thank you, Lord Jesus. March 7, third Sunday of Lent

Witnesses to the patience of God

FROM THE GOSPEL OF LUKE (13, 6 – 9) And he told them this parable: "There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, 'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. (So) cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?' He said to him in reply, 'Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.'"

The parable of the Gospel is not a threat, but rather an invitation to realistically look qt the way of life. All of us are called to bear fruit, each according to his abilities and according to the gifts he received. No one is asked the impossible by the Lord the impossible, because everything is possible with him. Therefore, the measure in which we engage ourselves, let us risk our lives, we cannot miss fruit. God patiently waits for us, providing for our daily lives, respecting our pace and continuing to till the soil. God is full of hope and it is precisely this hope that permits us to perceive the greatness of his heart.

30 LET US MEDITATE THE WORDS OF P. DAVID MARIA TUROLDO Send again Lord, the prophets of God, men with inflamed hearts. Speak from their bushes in the rubbish of our words, in the desert of temples to tell the poor to hope again. That only your voice, voice of God within the thunderbolt voice that shatters the rock.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Teach us your patience, Father of life. In the journey of faith ... When we want everything at once ... If we are gripped by the temptation to give up ... And we will become instruments of your action. Amen.

Look at the icon

So, are You a king? The three powerful men of the Passion - Caiphas, Herod and Pilate share the same throne. They are allies in wanting to end the issue regarding Jesus of Nazareth. Very inconvenient, very destabilizing. They share the throne, but certainly not the responsibility of what happens after: power has always washed its hands with innocent blood that is shed in order to maintain itself. Three powerful men at the end of Jesus' life, unlike the three kings who had come to worship Him upon birth by following the light of a star.

31 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 8, third Monday of Lent

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Witnesses to the patience of God

FROM THE GOSPEL OF LUKE (4, 24 – 27) And he said, "Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." Libertà… God is in love with freedom! The journey in which he has always sought to involve man is a path of freedom, where in the horizon man himself can glimpse the deeper meaning of his life, his days. Where man can discover the positivity of his choices, the greatness of his ability to love, because with the power of freedom every fear vanishes and every burden becomes light. We often confuse liberty with some of its small reduction: I do what I want, what I like, what I feel… we need God to overturn this selfishness that reduces our gaze towards our little world. We need God to remind us that his freedom is really providence.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Teach us your patience, Father of life. In our journey towards freedom ... When we deceive ourselves by following vain things... If we allow ourselves to be allured by comfort ... And you take us by the hand in these days of faith. Amen.

32 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You've saved the world. March 9, third Tuesday of Lent

FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET DANIEL (3,25.41 – 43) In the fire Azariah stood up and prayed aloud: “And now we follow you with our whole heart, we fear you and we pray to you. Do not let us be put to shame, but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy. Deliver us by your wonders, and bring glory to your name, O Lord.”

Missionarietà… Missionary is not a magic word. We can say that it is God’s way of acting. Man is present everywhere, in every part of the world he is writing the history of his existence, creates relationships and lives feelings, there God moves his feet to bring to light the design of creation. Let us inhabit the world with responsibility of transforming every moment into a piece of eternity: this is the testimony that is asked of us. It is God who, almost jealously guards this story of humanity because He is naturally good to each and everyone. Therefore we too are missionaries in everyday life. Are we not?

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Teach us your patience, Father of life. In the mission of every day ... When we are called to proclaim the Gospel ... If we find it hard to follow ... And we will be missionaries everywhere. Amen.

33 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 10, third Wednesday of Lent

FROM THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY (4,1. 7 – 9) Moses spoke to the people and said: "Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you”. For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today? However, take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children's children. Novità… The NOVELTY that the Scriptures never fails to emphasize and confirm is that faith is a gift to be passed on from generation to generation. A gift that asks the totality of life, because it does not mean memorizing rules, repeating gestures and words, but getting involved. Faith is nurtured by deep relationships with God and with those around us. These are not two different paths, but a single path that each person brings to life. Behold, we believe in order to live well, to achieve goodness even through our little story. This aspect lies on our willingness to accept the proposal. Our Father ... Repeat at every invocation: Teach us your patience, Father of life. In our meeting with the brothers ... When we live the prayer ... If we are closed in ourselves ... And we will become more credible every day. Amen.

34 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 11, third Thursday of Lent

FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH (7,23) Thus said the Lord: “This rather is what I commanded them: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper.”

Ottimismo… How difficult it is to follow the paths of the world. We need a lot of optimism. There are missionaries who daily wear out the paths of testimonies in inaccessible and remote places. There are volunteers, on our streets, they go to meet the least, those who are alone and those who have no reason to live. And then there are our steps, those that bring us to the daily commitment, which gather the family, which remind us of the responsibility of goodness that we have chosen to share by embracing the faith. A street where many and different expectations, where the witness of the Gospel cannot lack. We ask strength for these steps!

Our Father ... Repeat at every invocation: Teach us your patience, Father of life. In the streets of life ... When we wish to go back ... If we slow down the pace ... And we will be bearers of hope. Amen.

35 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You've saved the world. March 12, third Friday of Lent

FROM THE LETTER OF ST. PAUL TO THE ROMANS (4,16.18.22) For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us. He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become "the father of many nations," according to what was said, "Thus shall your descendants be." That is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."

Povertà… Poverty is not the fruit of imagination. For this reason God has put the world in our hands. He trusts us, has spent everything he had for us: His Son Jesus is the greatest gift! Just him, teaching us to face the insecurity, to share our struggles, to relieve suffering and to take care of all life, has marked us forever for a path of solidarity from mystery of God leading us to the presence of the mystery of man. And while it releases the fantasy of love to the world it is being transformed and redesigns the justice of God who is an expression that is profound.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Teach us your patience, Father of life. In the choice of poverty ... When we allow ourselves to be taken by the things ... If we delude our self value by relying on what we have ... And once again we shall talk about charity. Amen.

36 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You've saved the world. March 13, third Saturday of Lent

FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET HOSEA (6,1-3) In their affliction, they shall look for me: "Come, let us return to the LORD, For it is he who has rent, but he will heal us; he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds. He will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up, to live in his presence. Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD; as certain as the dawn is his coming, and his judgment shines forth like the light of day! He will come to us like the rain, like spring rain that waters the earth."

Father Alberto spent his life in Mali. Every day is a new discovery, each day is the certainty of a step forward, a victory for the dignity of each of its poor. From one village to another, with a heart always ready for listening, comforting, inviting to hope. And between one word and another, a smile and a handshake, the announcement of the Gospel is never lacking, because this is the reason for his mission. For us it seems to be inevitable, perhaps unnecessary, but rain is the possibility of life for these people, the rain makes the earth fertile. So the word is an opportunity for hope and a nourishment of patience, it is the light of awareness, that life is worth living. What hope dwells in our hearts?

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Teach us your patience, Father of life. In word and in smile ... When we are called to take care of life ... If we spend time for others ... And the world in You will be different. Amen.

37 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You've saved the world. March 14, fourth Sunday of Lent

Witnesses of God's mercy

FROM THE GOSPEL OF LUKE ( 15,20b.22-24 ) While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' Then the celebration began.

A dress for a feast, a sheer joy: the father's heart rejoices in this son. A heart that is not able to curb paternity, even before the disappointment of expectations. A son born out of the traits of our own life. A father of that kind draws the experience of a possible and convincing God. The doubts that assail us in relation to God are not few: How will it be? What will He say of us? How will He behave? What will be asked of us? Legitimate questions, which vanish in front of what we can intuit about God: a hug, a stroke, a kiss, a party. God waits for us, God does not miss the appointment, God sees us from afar and his mercy has already preceded. Who wouldn’t want a God like this!

38 MAKE THE WORDS OF MARTIN LUTHER KING OURS I still have a dream. I have a dream that one day men will stand up and realize that they are created to live together as brothers. This morning I still dream that one day every black person in our country, every colored man around the world, will be judged on the basis of his character rather than on the color of his skin, and every man will respect the dignity and worth of the human personality. I still dream that one day justice will flow like water and righteousness like a mighty current. I still dream that one day the war will cease, that men will change their swords into plows and that nations will no longer rise against nations and will not even be investigated. I still dream that every valley shall be raised and every mountain will be leveled. With this faith we will be able to hasten the day where there will be peace on earth.

Our Father ... Repeat at every invocation: Fill us with mercy, Father of love. In the experience of our sin ... When we move away from you ... If we do not have the courage of faith ... And we will be full of life. Amen.

Look at the icon

Someone was compelled to carry the cross To bring the scaffold of the condemned, a stranger who came from Africa, Cyrene was chosen. As we all know, even then lowly work was better done by those who had nothing to lose: when one is away from home he is more fragile, more vulnerable. The stranger picks up and carries the wood, and accompanies Jesus to Calvary: an occasional walking companion has taken the place of the disciples, men of discipleship.

39 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 15, fourth Monday of Lent

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Witnesses of God's mercy

FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH (65, 17.20-21) Thus says the Lord: “Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; The things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. No longer shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime; He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years, and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed. They shall live in the houses they build, and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant”.

Qualità… The quality of life is something that should be dear to all of us. Today 10% of children living in the southern countries of the world die before the age of five years and famine and wars cause just 10% of the deaths from starvation which are mainly due to chronic malnutrition. Families cannot have even the minimum to live due to extreme poverty. Therefore the word of God is not real? Is it just a dream? No, it is an explicit invitation to change life, to take charge of a way of sharing, participation, communion. And we, Christians, precisely because of faith, must respond with passion to this invitation.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Fill us with mercy, Father of love. The choices of every day ... When we meet the poor ... If we struggle in separating from what we have ... And we will live the way of faith intensely. Amen.

40 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You've saved the world. March 16, fourth Tuesday of Lent

FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL (47,1.8-9.12) Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the facade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple, south of the altar. He said to me, "This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine." Responsabilità… God has entrusted the responsibility for creation to us, has involved us in the care of all that exists, so that all things work for what is good. That is why Father Alberto has never been afraid of anyone. Together with his people he defended, sometimes with life, the beauty of creation, his positivity, his service for the least, for the poor, such was his love for the Ecuadorean soil. And like a torrent is this testimony, full of compassion, infected his community. Today father Alberto finished his race, but many courageous and tenacious men and women who learned the Gospel from him continue in his steps in setting choices, Do we, here and now, live this commitment? Our Father ... Repeat at every invocation: Fill us with mercy, Father of love. During this Lenten period ... When we struggle to recognize You ... If we feel tired ... And You shall take us by the hand. Amen. 41 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 17, fourth Wednesday of Lent

FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH (49,13-15) Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, break forth into song, you mountains. For the Lord comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted. But Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me." Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.

Santità… Holiness seems to be a distant goal and an achievement of the past. Yet it is the result of everyday Christian life. Yes, becoming saints must be our goal, precisely because God is holy. We go to the Christian community, we participate in the life of the parish because it helps us walk in the path of holiness, helps us to never forget that God preserves our steps and, from afar, watches over our way. Thus the horizon of mission and charity matures and we can realize God’s plan for us . A great vocation, a disproportionate proposal!

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Fill us with mercy, Father of love. In charity and in communion ... When we are entrusted with a commitment ... If we forget you ... And we will be a living memory of your presence. Amen.

42 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 18, fourth Thursday of Lent

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Witnesses of God's mercy FROM THE BOOK OF PSALMS (106/105, 19-22) They made a young ox in Horeb, and gave worship to an image of gold. And their glory was changed into the image of an ox, whose food is grass. They had no memory of God their savior, who had done great things in Egypt; Works of wonder in the land of Ham, and things of fear by the Red Sea.

Testimonianza… We are called to witness, but with a lot of effort! Each of us has hidden somewhere more or less secretly in a corner, our little altar where we offer incense to ourselves, to our pride, to arrogance. And with a heart full of ourselves there is unlikely any room for God, not even any feeling of a need for Him. Only being a witness strips us of self-sufficiency and propels us to "someone" that goes beyond us, gives us the time and space to talk about God. Putting in away our small altars let us strive to discover in God He who really has the real strength to renew our lives.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Fill us with mercy, Father of love. In the freedom of faith ... When we try to become self-sufficient ... If we think to be self-sufficient ... And we will walk in freedom. Amen.

43 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 19, fourth Friday of Lent

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Witnesses of God's mercy FROM THE GOSPEL OF LUKE ( 2,46-50 ) After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety." And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he said to them.

Unità… In a dispersed and superficial world we wish unity, we would like to find that red thread that leads to life. The Gospel can really help us. The search for God, the concrete experience of its proximity, the daily response to his proposal: in these situations the awareness of what is around the mystery of God matures. The unity of human experience allows one to express the best of what we are. Each of us is truly a treasure finally, a positive resource that should be made available, a precious treasure that God offers to humanity.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Fill us with mercy, Father of love. In the commitment of every day ... When we feel scattered ... If we feel like isolating ourselves from others ... And we will know how to safeguard unity. Amen.

44 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 20, fourth Saturday of Lent

FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN (7,40-42) Some in the crowd who heard these words said, "This is truly the Prophet." Others said, "This is the Messiah." But others said, "The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he? Does not scripture say that the Messiah will be of David's family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?

Discovering who Jesus is really, is not an indifferent commitment. Even those who deny the divinity in Him is committed to demonstrate their beliefs. There has always been a concern about Jesus involving great thinkers, common people, the powerful and the poor. It drags us too. You cannot have a ready pre-packaged answer, it is not a matter of putting the conscience at peace. Each one matures his response that interacts with life, an itinerary that calls us to enter the field, to take a position, to get our hands dirty. And if faith is mixed with life then it becomes really believable.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Fill us with mercy, Father of love. In the fatigue of searching ... When we entrust life to you ... If we do not know how to acknowledge you... And we shall announce your name throughout the earth. Amen.

45 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world.

March 21, fifth Sunday of Lent

Witnesses of the new life

FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN ( 8,9b-11 ) So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She replied, "No one, sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin anymore."

The greatest gift is to recapture life in ones hands after having experienced its limit, its fragility, its littleness. Like this the woman in the Gospel, as every small one who before God is ready to welcome the novelty of the proposal after having personally experienced the incapacity of doing things alone. It is God who recreates man, his relationships, his feelings, his inner self. A journey that brings within ourselves the search for a truth that is capable of giving light to every fragment of humanity. As we approach Easter the invitation to a new life that originates from the true and deep encounter with our Lord Jesus becomes more intense.

46 PRAY WITH EDITH STEIN Who are you, sweet light, which fills me and illuminates the darkness of my heart? You guide me as a mother's hand and if you leave me I wouldn’t know how to make any step. You are the space that surrounds and encompasses my being. Left by you, I would fall into the abyss of nothingness, from which you've raised to the Light. You, nearer to me than myself, and more intimate than my intimacy, and yet elusive and incomprehensible that goes beyond any name: Holy Spirit, eternal love.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Renew us in You, Lord Jesus. In response to your call ... When we proclaim the Gospel ... If we run away from our responsibilities ... And we shall bring the world the news of the Gospel. Amen.

Look at the icon

Woman, behold your son! The woman who had welcomed Him in life sees Him carry away a cross, condemned to death. The pain of the Mother becomes the grief of all mothers, of all persons who, moving for life, see it denied. Jesus on the cross has the ability to hear this other pain and to accept it, to direct it towards new life. John, the beloved disciple, the image of all the faithful, thus becomes child of the Mother, a participant in the mystery of the Incarnation that he embraces with faith.

47 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 22, fifth Monday of Lent

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Witnesses of the new life

FROM THE BOOK OF PSALMS (23,1-3.6) A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. you restore my strength. You guide me along the right path for the sake of your name. Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage. You set a table before me as my enemies watch; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and love will pursue me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.

Verità… The truth of God is something that accompanies all our lives. Our steps are always guarded by the Lord. He does not deceive us, does not make fun of us, does not exploit our lives. For this reason we have no fear, This leaves us with the desire to witness. The Lord is always faithful ! He knows our labors, He reads our eyes, listens to the sighs of our hearts and gathers our every step of fatigue, any possible delays. We are asked to have great confidence because the task ahead is immense and it begins within the walls of our house.

Our Father ... Repeat at every invocation: Renew us in You, Lord Jesus.

In the frenzy of life ... When we find it hard to wish goodness ... If we are slow to believe ... And in truth we shall bear witness. Amen.

48 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 23, fifth Tuesday of Lent

FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN (8,28-30) So Jesus said (to them), "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him." Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.

Walter is one of many who attends the mission of Fr. Mario. His history is marked by that of his people. He received baptism, then brought away from the faith by the choice of the atheist state; Today he is able to hold within his hands the Bible. He reads it with passion, he is captured by it more and more, because he wants to know the mystery of novelty through the story of God and is convinced that it can do good for his life! Faith is to be nourished, otherwise we can’t grow and the Word of God is an indispensable help. How much do we dedicate to listening to the Word?

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Renew us in You, Lord Jesus. In listening to the Word ... When we are saddened by the sin ... If we feel abandoned ... And we shall regain the joy of the heart. Amen.

49 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 24, fifth Wednesday of Lent

FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET DANIEL (3,14-15) King Nebuchadnezzar questioned them: "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you will not serve my god, or worship the golden statue that I set up? Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made, whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and all the other musical instruments; otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white- hot furnace; and who is the God that can deliver you out of my hands?"

Faith is always threatened by the strength. Xanadio was a catechist of a small Christian community in a Colombian village. But his faith was bothering others, because his truth was pungent, his presence was creating discomfort. They thought of stopping him with a pistol, but they failed to stop his speech. Today he lives in his community and with increased force bears witnesses to the newness of life which springs from the Gospel. Today we wish to remember him and many martyred missionaries by commemorating the anniversary of the death of Bishop Oscar Romero, who was killed during the celebration of the Eucharist in El Salvador March 24 1980. These martyrs give strength to our faith!

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Renew us in You, Lord Jesus.

In the decision to follow you forever ... When you call us to bear witness ... If we lack the strength ... And we will be missionaries everywhere. Amen.

50 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 25, fifth Thursday of Lent

FROM THE GOSPEL OF LUKE ( 1,29-33 ) But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

Ylenia is a girl from a place battered by war, she was taken away from her family and was forced to embrace the weapons of war. It has taught her only hatred taking away from her heart every sentiment of pity and goodness. She ended up abandoned, deprived of all strength, crushed by violence. Today, she is in a house of Sr. Teresa finding hospitality and serenity, wanting to re-educate her heart with the words of tenderness and trust that can build a new life. An incredible effort, but love for her is so much, that time will prove that Sister Teresa and her staff are right. In Ylenia already beats a mother's heart.

Our Father ... Repeat at every invocation: Renew us in You, Lord Jesus. In accepting your announcement ... When we propose to change ... If we feel embarrassed to talk about you ... And we will share the gift of faith. Amen.

51 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 26, fifth Friday of Lent

FROM THE BOOK OF PSALMS (18,1-4) For the leader. Of David, the servant of the LORD, who sang to the LORD the words of this song after the LORD had rescued him from the clutches of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love you, LORD, my strength, LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, my saving horn, my stronghold! Praised be the LORD, I exclaim! I have been delivered from my enemies.

Zelo… Great must be the zeal of the man of faith. Everything he does, his commitment, his passion, he surrenders to the will of the Lord. He acknowledges that everything comes from Him and to Him all is due. That’s Why the course of faith is not a set of rules and one cannot prescribe it like a doctor's prescription, but it calls for dedication and passion. The great missionaries of the story, it is suffice to remember just a few: Daniele Comboni, Guido Conforti, Matteo Ricci have devoted their lifetime to the Gospel. But also so many of our contemporaries, many people who live by our sides have chosen to live the Gospel in its fullness without any reservations and limits. For them it is really the words of life. And how about us? Our Father ... Repeat at every invocation: Renew us in You, Lord Jesus. In our effort to bear witness ... When we are asked to give reason for the faith ... If we wish to be more credible ... And we will be bearers of hope. Amen.

52 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 27, fifth Saturday of Lent

FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL (37,21-23) Thus speaks the Lord GOD: “I will take the Israelites from among the nations to which they have come, and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land. I will make them one nation upon the land, in the mountains of Israel, and there shall be one prince for them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms. No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols, their abominations, and all their transgressions. I will deliver them from all their sins of apostasy, and cleanse them so that they may be my people and I may be their God”.

The heart of the missionary commitment is to proclaim the Gospel. Today, Fr. Matteo lives in a particular reality that welcomes Bolivia's abandoned children, often violated or have suffered violence. The school and the community are at the service of the growth of these children for a different future, for healing the wounds and traumas that can mark their lives forever. The strength of this commitment springs from the Gospel, the reasons for hope are anchored in the experience of faith. The climate created around these little ones express respect for the conviction that everyone is precious in the eyes of God. When looking at those beside us, are we able to grasp this value?

Our Father ... Repeat at every invocation: Renew us in You, Lord Jesus. In our desire to grow well ... When we entrust us to hope ... If we are selfish ... And we shall educate the heart to life. Amen.

53 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 28, Holy Week, Palm Sunday

Witnesses of the gift of the cross

FROM THE BOOK OF PAUL TO THE PHILIPPIANS (2,6-7) Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance.

The course of prayer that we have experienced leads us to this week that we call Holy Week. It is the time to compose with the alphabet of the mission, an experience that will lead us to the celebration of Easter rituals. The words of Jesus and His silence will lead us almost by hand, to profoundly live the gift of God. The prayers of the Church, the songs and the gestures of tradition to dig within us a sacred place where to depose the mystery and to preserve it for the Easter night. When the dawn breaks we cannot silence this prayer because l within the twenty-four hours of the day the announcement will follow us in every Christian community scattered in the world. May sobriety and participation be the commitments of these days. Prayer and contemplation is the form. And the heart remains in expectation …

54 LET US LISTEN THE WORDS OF DOM HELDER CAMARA Whatever is your standard of living, think of yourself and your loved ones, But do not let yourself be imprisoned by the anguished circle of your little family. Once and for all adopt the whole human family! Be careful not to feel like a stranger in any place in the world. Be a man among others. No problem of any people will not be indifferent to you. Vibrate with the joys and hopes of every human group . Make the sufferings and humiliation of your brothers in humanity yours. Live on a world scale or better still, on a universal scale. Delete from your vocabulary the words: enemy, enmity, hatred, resentment, bitterness ...In your thoughts, in your desires and in your actions, strive to be, to be really generous!

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: We want to be with you, Lord Jesus. While going to Jerusalem ... When you embrace the poor ... If you feel the weight of the Passion ... And we will carry each other’s cross. Amen.

Look at the icon

I am thirsty The Crucifix begs the mercy of its tormentors, seeking the compassionate gesture of some water. Faced by the pain of others the soldiers on Calvary ridiculed and laughed at Him, feeling a perverse and ferocious pleasure and behaving with scornful sarcasm, gave him something to drink, not water of course, but vinegar, wine gone bad. Here is what wine-blood offered in sacrifice is for them, this is what it becomes for us when we are not able to feel like those who are suffering and we keep a long stick distance from them. THE WAY OF THE CROSS

55 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 29, Holy Monday

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Witnesses of the gift of the cross

FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH (42,6-7) Thus said the Lord: “I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness”.

An announcement of liberation, so that, every chain be broken. Perhaps, we do not know and may not realize it, that in the world there are many and different kinds of slavery. Some are obvious: exploitation, violence, theft ... Some are hidden: investment, exports of capital, blackmail, ransom... The crime news, hidden violence, the impoverishment of the least are all situations that make news, but then things are left as they are, they do not affect our way of life maybe they create a little angry reaction. But what we can do? If we do not fix our eyes on the cross we will not rediscover the dignity of man on the crucifix who continually offers himself. It will really be hard to promote a true path of liberation.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: We want to be with You, Lord Jesus. In the heart of those who suffer ... When we are not capable of friendship ... If we close ourselves to the world ... And we will live the freedom of faith. Amen.

56 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world.

March 30, Holy Tuesday

FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH (49,1-3) Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth, from my mother's womb he gave me my name. He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory.

Looking at the world, running the finger on the map we can imagine a dialogue with all men. Cultures, ethnicities, different lifestyles, language, through which people express themselves and their lives. The man who awaits the announcement which makes him capable of expressing his personal wealth better, the man who is called to cooperate in order to do good, the man who is the guardian of the mystery of God and materializes in his choices. This is the mission. With this responsibility, following the course of the Holy Week, let us share with the poor, with the least, the path of every daily cross wherever it may be.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: We want to be with You, Lord Jesus . In the universal brotherhood ... When we serve our brothers ... If we experience our limits ... And we will cherish the world within us. Amen.

57 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. March 31, Holy Wednesday

FROM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH (50,7-9) The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let him confront me. See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong? Lo, they will all wear out like cloth, the moth will eat them up.

How many times Father Angelo has lived the drama of his helplessness. Too great is the misery. In the mission medicine is need for the sick, company for the lonely, food for the hungry, money to support the family, and then trust, security, hope ... Something can be provided for, but for everything becomes impossible. But the heart of the missionary arrives everywhere, for this reason it is sometimes in cardiac distress. Even being here, within the walls of the house or along the streets of everyday we can respond to these expectations, with a life of sobriety and commitment to the mission. It is from the cross that the Lord teaches us.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: We want to be with You, Lord Jesus . In the course of these days ... When we feel helpless ... If we feel without the possibility of helping those around us ... And we will live in the heart of the Gospel. Amen.

58 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. April 1, Holy Thursday

FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN (13,12-15) So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet.

It is the day of the Eucharist. Jesus, at table with His, realizes forever the sign of His presence. The bread, wine, water, basin, and towel travel with us on the paths of time and are relived in the testimonies of Christians. These are the instruments that tell about the way of being the Church, everything else is one too many, but all the rest find their synthesis in them. Therefore, it is the day of the Church and of our community. The fatigue of His presence, the preciousness of His action; of His commitment to generate faith, His determination to show love. The Eucharist and the Church become indispensable so that our faith does not flee to one’s privacy and be content enough for itself.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: We want to be with You, Lord Jesus. In the mystery of the Eucharist ... When we live the experience of the Church ... If we neglect our obligations ... And we shall break the bread in communion. Amen.

59 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. April 2, Holy Friday

FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN (19,25-27) Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

It is the day of the cross. The eyes are immersed in the contemplation of this amazing and solemn mystery. The words are silent like when something surprises and overwhelms us. They are no longer able to say all that they would like to, throats muffled and leaving room for sentiments. Confused but profound. The thoughts embrace the numerous crosses of the world, the glance meets the eyes terrified by the war and caresses the stomachs of poverty. The cross continues to walk through history. Meeting different kinds of wood, stands out on many landscapes, marks situations of precariousness, but none of all this is lost, because the cross is planted firmly outside the city, where the man is pierced always, remains a sign of hope and goes beyond every violence.

Our Father ... Repeat at every invocation: We want to be with You, Lord Jesus. During the hour of the cross ... When man is abandoned ... when violence and evil surround us ... The gift of love will mature within us. Amen.

60 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. April 3, Holy Saturday

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Witnesses of the gift of the cross FROM EASTER ANNOUNCEMENT This is the night when you triumph over the darkness of sin with the splendor of the column of fire. This is the night that saves all believers of Christ on earth from the darkness of sin and the corruption of the world, consecrates them to the love of the Father and unites them in the communion of saints. This is the night when Christ, breaking the bonds of death, rises victorious from the sepulcher.

It is the day of mystery. Many would like even today, a declaration of an unconditional surrender: God has made fun of you, it is not true at all! Everything ends in a tomb. We know that it is not so, we cannot find life without experiencing death. Jesus dies on the cross, totally consumes his life in obedience to the will of the Father. It makes every single death precious. No one passes the scene of this world in vain, but every life belongs to the mystery of God and in Him finds light and fulfillment. This day one creates a space for silence ... and God tells us about Himself.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: We want to be with You, Lord Jesus. In the silence of suffering ... When we feel alone ... If we are overcome by anguish ... And we will make our steps firm. Amen.

61 Thank you, Lord Jesus. With your cross, You have saved the world. April 4, Easter Sunday

Witnesses of Easter

FROM THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE COLOSSIANS (3,1-4) If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.

It is the day of life. It is the triumph of life. From that cross, the scandal of fragility, an uncontrollable force is unleashed. Confuses all the words, ruffles letters and reassembles them in the heart God's plan: man is made for Him. Along the streets of the world this announcement brings solidity to every missionary commitment, which produces segments of charity, and opens possibilities for the future. Even where everything seems doomed to destruction, where evil seems to be master, where you feel the breath of the least fragile, the fire of the resurrection frees and involves, purifies and renews. Even our little story participates in this vortex and hears the call to the mission again.

62 LET US LISTEN TO DAVID MARIA TUROLDO For Easter morning I would like to donate something to the Lord, I do not know what. I will go around the streets and I will stop above all with the children playing in the suburbs, and then I will leave a flower on every window of the poor and greet anyone whom I meet along the way. And then I will ring the tower bells with my hands. I will go into the woods tonight and embrace the trees and listen to the nightingales, that nightingale that always sings alone from midnight until dawn. And then I'll go to wash myself in the river and at dawn I will pass by the doors of all my brothers and I l say at each house, "Peace!"

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Christ has risen, he has truly risen. He lives forever ... He is in our midst ... He renews the world ... And Easter is eternal. Amen.

Look at the icon

He is not here The sepulcher is not a tomb, but a treasure chest. Its task is to guard a treasure and the treasure is the proclamation of the Resurrection. The treasure of Easter are the words brought by the testimony of the women who stood awake and watched over the dead and at dawn, had no longer found it . The scented oils contained in the basket are now useless: the absence of the Risen Christ is the promise of His presence in every time and everyplace. Let us contemplate the golden value of the announcement and allow ourselves to be enveloped by it. THE WAY OF THE CROSS

63 The world lives Easter. And the Cross shines glorious

After Easter - until Pentecost

Witnesses of Easter

FROM THE GOSPEL OF LUKE ( 24,32-35 ) Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?" So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!" Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Now the words are clear, now the alphabet has composed a trail of missions involving men and women over time. It drags us too! Calling for testimonies involving us in proclaiming the Gospel, pilgrims along roads of every day, holding in His hands to throw seeds of hope, here and there without reservation and with great availability: this is the vocation of a Christian! Along the road from the disaster of Jerusalem leads us home, between the temptation to abandon everything and the desolation of defeat, infiltrates a ray of light: that Word that we again listen to in the vortex of the resurrection and unravels before us the great mystery that God has Risen Today, He is the Living! He walks with us on the streets of the world and makes us more and more each day, missionaries of His Gospel!

64 LET US LISTEN TO DON PRIMO MAZZOLARI We commit ourselves, without bothering to see what others are doing; only us, without counting in the pockets of the other; neither who is up nor who is down; nor those who believe, nor who do not believe. We are committed, without expecting that others commit with us or for themselves, with us or otherwise. We pledge not to judge who is not committed, without blaming those who do exert themselves, without condemning who is not committed, without stopping because the other is not committed. The world moves when we move, it will change if we change, it will renew if someone changes, if one becomes a new creature. Spring begins with the first flower, the night with the first star, the river with the first drop of water, love with the first sign. We are committed because we believe in Christ's love, The only certainty beyond comparison, which alone is enough to strive for ever.

Our Father ...

Repeat at every invocation: Christ has risen, he has truly risen. In the heart of every man ... On the streets of the world ... At the center of our lives ... And there will be truly a new world. Amen.

Look at the icon

At the end of these holydays repeat aloud the words announcing Easter delivered by angels to the women and to all of us. "Why look among the dead He who is alive? He is not here, he has risen. Remember how He spoke to you saying that it was necessary that the Son of Man be handed to the hands of sinners, be crucified and be raised on the third day. "

65 The world lives Easter. And the Cross shines glorious.

Christ has risen!

Christ died and rose for us, you are the foundation of our hope! We want to make ours the testimony of Peter and that of many brothers and sisters throughout the centuries, to present it again at the threshold of the new millennium. Today you, the Risen One, want to meet with us, in all places of the earth as yesterday you met with the apostles in Galilee. By virtue of this meeting we too repeat "Scimus Christum surrexisse to mortuis true: tu nobis, victor Rex, miserere. " "Yes, we are certain: Christ has risen indeed: You, victorious King, bring us your salvation. "

JOHN PAUL II

66 per i più piccoli

In questo fascicolo per la preghiera della famiglia durante il tempo di Quaresima-Pasqua c’è uno spazio riservato ai bambini. Si tratta di una particolare attenzione che la Diocesi di Bergamo ha nei confronti dei più piccoli che hanno bisogno di essere inseriti gradualmente nel mistero della rivelazione cristiana e delle sue prassi. Accanto alla preghiera degli adulti, alla quale i bambini sono invitati a partecipare compiendo gesti semplici, come preparare l’icona de “La strada della croce” o introdurre il segno di croce, c’è un percorso tutto per loro che si svolge tra narrazione e piccoli compiti da fare ogni giorno. L’intero itinerario di Quaresima è accompagnato da una storia intitolata: “ È la strada giusta?”. In questo racconto illustrato è presentata la “Via Christi”: un’opera d’arte che racconta in bassorilievo la storia di Gesù, in particolare la sua passione, morte e resurrezione. La storia, in una cornice fantastica, presenta ai ragazzi il tema della strada da percorrere con i propri amici alla sequela di Gesù. Ogni settimana ci sarà un capitolo della storia da leggere. Insieme alla storia c’è “La bussola della Quaresima”, si tratta di tre cartoncini montati insieme da un bottone di plastica che offre, giorno per giorno, delle attività da compiere. Agli adulti che aiutano i bambini a essere fedeli al loro impegno di Quaresima chiediamo di dare particolare attenzione alla freccia che ogni giorno chiede ai bambini di fare un esame di coscienza. È importante che i bambini possano esprimere un proprio metro di giudizio: gli adulti non si devono sostituire, ma

67 aiutarli, con delle domande, a fare memoria della giornata appena trascorsa.

17 FEBBRAIO - MERCOLEDÌ DELLE CENERI

Leggi la parte introduttiva della storia “È LA STRADA GIUSTA?”. Oggi scegli il tuo proposito e scrivilo nel bollo UNO sul retro della base della bussola chiedendo aiuto a Gesù.

18 FEBBRAIO - GIOVEDÌ DOPO LE CENERI

Segui le istruzioni e monta la BUSSOLA della Quaresima, guarda come funziona, quante parti girano. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato con la mamma.

19 FEBBRAIO - VENERDÌ DOPO LE CENERI

Disegna te stesso nel riquadro bianco sotto la scritta “IL MIO RITRATTO” sulla base della bussola. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato a tavola.

20 FEBBRAIO - SABATO DOPO LE CENERI

Sul retro della base della bussola nel bollo DUE scrivi una preghiera di ringraziamento per tutte le persone che ti vogliono bene. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato a giocare.

21 FEBBRAIO – PRIMA DOMENICA DI QURESIMA

Leggi la prima parte della storia “È LA STRADA GIUSTA?”. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato a messa. 68 22 FEBBRAIO – PRIMO LUNEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Ruota la bussola sulla sua base e fai coincidere la freccia bianca con la scritta “QUESTA SETTIMANA È LA” con il triangolo viola della prima settimana. Osserva l’immagine del vangelo di domenica che ti appare: scrivi accanto il titolo che preferisci. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato a scuola.

23 FEBBRAIO - PRIMO MARTEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

A PAG 6 della storia “È LA STRADA GIUSTA?” compila la frase: “LA MIA PROMESSA D’IMPEGNO…”. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato coi tuoi genitori.

24 FEBBRAIO - PRIMO MERCOLEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Leggi le parole che sono apparse nella FINESTRA DELLA FRASE della bussola: cercale tra le parole bianche sotto la bussola e colorale. Traccia una strada che collega il tuo ritratto a queste parole. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato coi tuoi amici.

25 FEBBRAIO - PRIMO GIOVEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Che colore ha la TENTAZIONE? Riempi di questo colore la FINESTRA DEL COLORE della bussola. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato nell’obbedire. 69 26 FEBBRAIO – PRIMO VENERDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Oggi rileggi il proposito che hai scritto all’inizio della Quaresima sul retro della base della bussola e accanto scrivi col pennarello viola quanto ti sei impegnato. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato a tavola.

27 FEBBRAIO – PRIMO SABATO DI QUARESIMA

Sul retro della base della bussola nel bollo TRE scrivi una preghiera per chiedere a Gesù il dono della pace. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato nel gioco.

28 FEBBRAIO – SECONDA DOMENICA DI QUARESIMA

Leggi la seconda parte della storia “È LA STRADA GIUSTA?”. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato a messa.

1 MARZO – SECONDO LUNEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Ruota la bussola sulla sua base e fai coincidere la freccia bianca con la scritta “QUESTA SETTIMANA È LA” con il triangolo blu della seconda settimana. Osserva l’immagine del vangelo di domenica che ti appare: scrivi accanto il titolo che preferisci. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato a scuola. 2 MARZO – SECONDO MARTEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

A PAG 9 della storia “È LA STRADA70 GIUSTA?” compila la frase: “UN MIO GESTO D’AMICIZIA…”. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato coi tuoi genitori. 3 MARZO – SECONDO MERCOLEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Leggi le parole che sono apparse nella FINESTRA DELLA FRASE della bussola: cercale tra le parole bianche sotto la bussola e colorale. Continua la strada collegando le parole della settimana scorsa con le nuove. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato coi tuoi amici. 4 MARZO – SECONDO GIOVEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Che colore ha lo STUPORE? Riempi di questo colore la FINESTRA DEL COLORE della bussola. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato nell’ascoltare gli altri. 5 MARZO – SECONDA VENERDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Oggi rileggi il proposito che hai scritto all’inizio della Quaresima sul retro della base della bussola e accanto scrivi col pennarello blu quanto ti sei impegnato. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato nel fare i compiti. 6 MARZO – SECONDO SABATO DI QUARESIMA

Sul retro della base della bussola nel bollo QUATTRO scrivi una preghiera per ringraziare Gesù per tutti i tuoi amici. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato nel gioco.

7 MARZO – TERZA DOMENICA DI QUARESIMA

Leggi la terza parte della storia71 “È LA STRADA GIUSTA?”. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato a messa. 8 MARZO – TERZO LUNEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Ruota la bussola sulla sua base e fai coincidere la freccia bianca con la scritta “QUESTA SETTIMANA È LA” con il triangolo verde della terza settimana. Osserva l’immagine del vangelo di domenica che ti appare: scrivi accanto il titolo che preferisci. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato coi compagni di scuola.ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato coi compagni di scuola.

9 MARZO – TERZO MARTEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

A PAG 12 della storia “È LA STRADA GIUSTA?” compila la frase: “UN MIO PENSIERO BENEVOLO…”. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato con il papà. 10 MARZO – TERZO MERCOLEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Leggi le parole che sono apparse nella FINESTRA DELLA FRASE della bussola: cercale tra le parole bianche sotto la bussola e colorale. Continua la strada collegando le parole della settimana scorsa con le nuove. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato coi tuoi amici.

11 MARZO – TERZO GIOVEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Che colore ha la CONVERSIONE? Riempi di questo colore la FINESTRA DEL COLORE della 72 bussola. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato nell’aiutare gli altri. 12 MARZO – TERZO VENERDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Oggi rileggi il proposito che hai scritto all’inizio della Quaresima sul retro della base della bussola e accanto scrivi col pennarello verde quanto ti sei impegnato. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato nel doposcuola.

13 MARZO – TERZO SABATO DI QUARESIMA

Sul retro della base della bussola nel bollo CINQUE scrivi una preghiera per chiedere a Gesù di aiutare tutti i bambini poveri. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato nel14 guardare MARZO la – tv. QUARTA DOMENICA DI QUARESIMA

Leggi la quarta parte della storia “È LA STRADA GIUSTA?”. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato a messa.

15 MARZO – QUARTO LUNEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Ruota la bussola sulla sua base e fai coincidere la freccia bianca con la scritta “QUESTA SETTIMANA È LA” con il triangolo rosa della quarta settimana. Osserva l’immagine del vangelo di domenica che ti appare: scrivi 73accanto il titolo che preferisci. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato con le maestre a scuola. 16 MARZO – QUARTO MARTEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

A PAG 15 della storia “È LA STRADA GIUSTA?” compila la frase: “UNA MIA SPERANZA VIVA…”. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato in famiglia.

17 MARZO – QUARTO MERCOLEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Leggi le parole che sono apparse nella FINESTRA DELLA FRASE della bussola: cercale tra le parole bianche sotto la bussola e colorale. Continua la strada collegando le parole della settimana scorsa con le nuove. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato con il tuo amico-amica del cuore.

18 MARZO – QUARTO GIOVEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Che colore ha l’ACCOGLIENZA? Riempi di questo colore la FINESTRA DEL COLORE della bussola. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato nel condividere ciò che hai.

19 MARZO – QUARTO VENERDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Oggi rileggi il proposito che hai scritto all’inizio della Quaresima sul retro della base della bussola74 e accanto scrivi col pennarello rosa quanto ti sei impegnato. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato nel tuo tempo libero. 20 MARZO – QUARTO SABATO DI QUARESIMA

Sul retro della base della bussola nel bollo SEI scrivi una preghiera per ringraziare Gesù di tutti i suoi doni. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato nel gioco.

21 MARZO – QUINTA DOMENICA DI QUARESIMA

Leggi la quinta parte della storia “È LA STRADA GIUSTA?”. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato a messa.

22 MARZO – QUINTO LUNEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Ruota la bussola sulla sua base e fai coincidere la freccia bianca con la scritta “QUESTA SETTIMANA È LA” con il triangolo azzurro della quinta settimana. Osserva l’immagine del vangelo di domenica che ti appare: scrivi accanto il titolo che preferisci. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato a scuola.

23 MARZO – QUINTO MARTEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

A PAG 18 della storia “È LA STRADA GIUSTA?” compila la frase: “UNA MIA AZIONE BUONA…”75. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato coi tuoi genitori. 24 MARZO – QUINTO MERCOLEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Leggi le parole che sono apparse nella FINESTRA DELLA FRASE della bussola: cercale tra le parole bianche sotto la bussola e colorale. Continua la strada collegando le parole della settimana scorsa con le nuove. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato con gli altri ragazzi a scuola..

25 MARZO – QUINTO GIOVEDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Che colore ha il PERDONO? Riempi di questo colore la FINESTRA DEL COLORE della bussola. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato obbediente.

26 MARZO – QUINTO VENERDÌ DI QUARESIMA

Oggi rileggi il proposito che hai scritto all’inizio della Quaresima sul retro della base della bussola e accanto scrivi col pennarello azzurro quanto ti sei impegnato. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato nel fare i compiti.

27 MARZO – QUINTO SABATO DI QUARESIMA

Sul retro della base della bussola nel bollo SETTE scrivi una preghiera per chiedere a Gesù76 la giustizia nel mondo. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato nell’aiutare a casa. 28 MARZO – DOMENICA DELLE PALME DELLA PASSIONE

Leggi la sesta parte della storia “È LA STRADA GIUSTA?”. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato a messa.

29 MARZO – LUNEDÌ SANTO

Ruota la bussola sulla sua base e fai coincidere la freccia bianca con la scritta “QUESTA SETTIMANA È LA” con il triangolo rosso scuro della Settimana Santa. Osserva l’immagine del vangelo di domenica che ti appare: scrivi accanto il titolo che preferisci. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato in classe.

30 MARZO – MARTEDÌ SANTO

A PAG 21 della storia “È LA STRADA GIUSTA?” compila la frase: “UNA MIA OFFERTA GENEROSA…”. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato in famiglia.

31 MARZO – MERCOLEDÌ SANTO

Leggi le parole che sono apparse nella FINESTRA DELLA FRASE della bussola: cercale tra le parole bianche sotto la bussola e colorale. Continua la strada collegando le parole della settimana 77 scorsa con le nuove. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato con i tuoi amici. 1 APRILE – GIOVEDÌ SANTO

Che colore ha il SACRIFICIO? Riempi di questo colore la FINESTRA DEL COLORE della bussola. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato nella preghiera.

2 APRILE – VENERDÌ SANTO

Oggi rileggi il proposito che hai scritto all’inizio della Quaresima sul retro della base della bussola e accanto scrivi col pennarello azzurro quanto ti sei impegnato: oggi Gesù muore per tutti noi in croce. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato per tutta la giornata.

3 APRILE – SABATO SANTO

Sul retro della base della bussola nel bollo OTTO scrivi una preghiera per ringraziare Gesù del suo sacrificio sulla croce. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato nel gioco.

4 APRILE – DOMENICA DI PASQUA

Leggi la settima e ultima parte della storia “È LA STRADA GIUSTA?”. Completa la strada tracciata tra le parole e disegnala fino al disegno di PASQUA sulla base della bussola. Alla fine della giornata ruota la freccia per indicare come sei stato a messa. Continua a segnare ogni giorno come ti sei comportato con la freccia della bussola. Il giorno78 di Pentecoste, sul retro della base della bussola nel bollo NOVE, scrivi una preghiera a Gesù per chiedere la sua benedizione per te e la tua famiglia. 79