Jerusalem (Israel). From 1 June to 10 July, at St. John Bosco House in Jerusalem, Jesus Adolescent Province (MOR), 18 Daughters of Mary Help of Christians from 12 Provinces around the world participated in the 24th Project Jerusalem.
Promoted by the Formation Sector of the FMA Institute, Project Jerusalem is an experience of listening to and confronting the Word of God for authentic personal and community discernment. It is a privileged opportunity to meet the Lord in the places where the mystery of salvation has taken place and the possibility of deepening the biblical roots of the Salesian charism, also with a view to accompanying young people in their encounter with the Word of God.
Accompanied and guided by the coordinator of the project, Sr. Mercedes Martin Leon, and by Sr. Maria Ko, Professor Emeritus of Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences “Auxilium” in Rome, the participants lived these 40 days as an international community and, as disciples of the Word, sought to cultivate an attitude of listening and welcoming diversity, allowing themselves to be touched by Jesus-Word who asks to make room for an encounter with the Word made flesh in this land.
“A Land, a History, a People, a Book, and a Charism” was the leitmotif of the experience, starting from the invitation to allow oneself to be challenged by the Word of God in the Gospel of John. “Jesus said to them: ‘What are you looking for?’ They answered Him, ‘Rabbi – which translated means Teacher – ‘where do you live?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ “So, they went and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day” (Jn 1:38-39).
The study that preceded each visit to the holy places and the pilgrimage, enriched by pauses of silence and prayer, were the two perspectives of the days. Studying and walking on the geography of the Holy Land, on its rich history, and on that of its people, the participants re-read the biblical stories in the holy places of redemption. By living the historicity of the Word of God, following in the footsteps of Jesus, breathing the air that He breathed, looking at the sky, the ground, the sea that He saw and which tell the story, they sought to grasp God’s action in it.
The stages and places visited were various: from Jerusalem to the Jordan Valley, Tabor, Nain, Nazareth, Galilee, Cana, Banias, Caesarea Philippi, Capernaum, Tabga, Mount of Beatitudes, Lake Tiberias, Muhraga, Mount Carmel, Haifa Caesarea Maritima, Yaffo, Bethany, Jericho, Desert of Judah, Qumran, Dead Sea, Bethlehem, Cremisan, Ain Karen, Yad Vashen, Abu Ghosh, Beit Jamal, Emmaus and Nicopolis.
Encounter with the Word
The participants recount, “We walked on these places with our hearts, souls, and minds listening to prepare ourselves for an encounter with the Word. “We found the places of Revelation, the places of the incarnation, the places of the Lord’s preaching, and the places of His passion, death, and resurrection. We read the Word of God where it was revealed and incarnated, and where He performed many signs. It was not a two-dimensional, linear, and paper reading, but a three-dimensional one, because we read it in context, and this helped us to integrate, unify, and broaden our biblical knowledge, to have a more concrete vision of the Scriptures”.
Re-reading one’s life as the history of salvation
“In the land of the Bible, guided by the Word heard, touched, and experienced in the places where it was proclaimed. Listening to the noises, seeing the colors, and tasting the flavors, experiencing the heat, and immersing ourselves in the landscape of the Holy Land, we had the opportunity to re-read our life as a true history of salvation, and the deep desire to continue to revisit the facts that constitute the foundation of our faith has grown in each of us”.
Experience of human fraternity
“The visits to the FMA and SDB communities in the Holy Land were enriching, as were the meetings with the other religions present in this land. We met numerous pilgrims who, with their faith, made us immerse ourselves in the living tradition of faith of the thousands of pilgrims who have left their testimony in these places throughout history. At the same time, it made us feel the closeness of a God who has wanted to be born and live among His people”.
The biblical roots of the Salesian charism
In this framework, so rooted in the heart of the Church and of the Institute, in this journey of rediscovery of Sacred Scripture and its message of life, the possibility of deepening the biblical roots of our Charism and its vital impact was much appreciated in the life and mission of our holy Founders. This strengthened in us the inner decision to want to respond ever better to the call of the Spirit, as disciples of Jesus and true listeners of His Word.
The testimony of a missionary
Among the participants, there was also Sr. Alice Lucia Razanatoany, a new missionary from Madagascar destined for Tunisia, who expressed her gratitude thus:
“For me, it is a great gift from the Institute to be able to participate in this project in the year in which I celebrate the 25th anniversary of my religious profession and the beginning of my missionary life in Tunisia. Just as in the culture of a part of Madagascar, before getting married, the girl gets to know the place of her husband ‘mizaha tany’ for insertion into the new family. Thus, at the beginning of my mission, I felt that Jesus wanted me to know more about the His life, His reality, His history, and His feelings in fulfilling the will of God. What we have experienced is not a simple pilgrimage, but an encounter with a Land, a History, a Book, the Word of God who is a person, Jesus”.
The gratitude of the participants delle
“At the end of this rich experience we could, therefore, make our own the words of the psalmist, ‘What joy when they said to me: We will go to the house of the Lord! And now our feet are standing at your gates Jerusalem!’ (Psalm 122). And with this joy, we thank God, Mother and her Council, our Provinces and our Communities to which we belong, who have given us this precious gift that constitutes a valid means of vital renewal for each of us and for our Provinces”.
