Italy
The column “Witnesses of mercy” with the (browsable) book by Nino Savarino. This Monday, the verb “to narrate” and the work “to instruct the ignorant”.
One chapter at a time from the book by Nino Savarino, Governor of the Misericordia of Rosolini, friend of spazio + spadoni and collaborator on various projects and the blog.
From psalm 118 (117)
I shall not die, I shall live and recount the deeds of the Lord.
Let us always narrate the deeds of the Lord
Pope Francis said: “Man is a storytelling being. From an early age we hunger for stories just as we hunger for food. Whether in the form of fairy tales, novels, films, songs, or news…, stories influence our lives, even if we are not aware of it.
Man is a storytelling being because he is a being in becoming, who discovers and enriches himself within the fabric of his days. Sacred Scripture is a Story of stories. How many events, peoples, and persons it presents to us! It shows us from the very beginning a God who is both creator and narrator. Indeed, he speaks his Word and things come into being (cf. Gen 1). Through his narrating, God calls things into life and, at the pinnacle, creates man and woman as his free dialogue partners, co-creators of history alongside him.
In this sense, the Bible is the great love story between God and humanity. At the center is Jesus: his story brings to fulfillment God’s love for man and, at the same time, man’s love story for God. Man will thus be called, from generation to generation, to recount and fix in memory the most significant episodes of this Story of stories, those capable of communicating the meaning of what happened.”
Speaking about Jesus, about God, about the Church is not always easy for us. We are often afraid of the judgment of others. Speaking about it in church, with the catechism group, at certain specific moments, is fine; but when we are in other contexts, definitely not.
Yet our faith is made of accounts, stories, events. Jesus himself told parables, taught in the synagogues and wherever he went, spoke of the Kingdom of the Father, and taught us how to pray. We cannot remain silent or fear judgment. Narrating, telling is our very testimony. However, there is the risk of wordiness, of speaking without conviction, of preaching well and practicing poorly, of seeking applause. The account is testimony only if it is a lived and embodied story.
We are witnesses of mercy
Let us remember what Pope Francis said:
“How, then, can we be witnesses of mercy? Let us not think that it is about making great efforts or superhuman gestures. No, it is not like that. The Lord points us to a much simpler path, made of small gestures that nevertheless hold great value in his eyes, to the extent that he told us that on these we will be judged. Indeed, one of the most beautiful pages of the Gospel of Matthew brings us the teaching that we might consider in some way as the ‘testament of Jesus’ by the evangelist, who experienced firsthand the action of Mercy.”
Our journey will be beautiful and fruitful if we tell the great love story between God and humanity and bear witness to God’s Mercy.
What can we do concretely?
Instruct the ignorant
“Teaching the uncertain becomes the work of mercy of encouraging, confirming, and accompanying those who risk losing the great treasure of revelation they have received. This is the great battle of the Christian life, which needs courageous and enterprising witnesses of faith, to spur us out of our inertia and comfort us in situations where we have lost hope. Salvation is destined for all people, who need someone to proclaim the Gospel to them and, at the same time, require someone who witnesses consistency between proclaimed doctrine and concrete life.
The first form of teaching is the testimony of works. The witness of charity is true Christian teaching. The verb to teach has in its root the word sign. Christians leave a mark on the hearts of men not only with words, but above all with their gestures that become eloquent when they turn into good works that lead those who receive them to give glory to God.”
(Osvaldo Rinaldi, Teaching the Ignorant, October 17, 2016)
Points for reflection
For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting; an obligation is laid upon me, and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16).
Source and image: N. Savarino, “Witnesses of Mercy”, pp. 61-65
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