Assisi (Italy). From August 26 to 29 the 16th Edition of the National Days of Missionary Formation and Spirituality was held at the Domus Pacis (Assisi), an event promoted by the CEI Office for Missionary Cooperation between the Churches.
The theme of this year is Youth for the Gospel – Renewing all in the Word of Jesus, was born from two great events: World Mission Day (WMD) and the Synod on Youth.
The message of Pope Francis for the WYD 2018 makes an appeal to the whole Church because “Together with the young, we bring the Gospel to everyone”.
The days of Assisi always have as their central objective the beginning of the pastoral year for the Italian Church and the deepening of the theme of WYD.
220 people participated in the event among lay people, religious, and priests, representing different Dioceses of Italy, Missionary Centers, Religious Institutes, and individual parishes.
The FMA Institute was represented by three FMA from the Piedmont Province (IPI) and Sister Maike Loes, a collaborator of the Missions Sector.
The days centered on the Lectio Divina led by the biblical scholar Luca Moscatelli who highlighted how the theme of the meeting “has an enlightening ambiguity: it can indicate the young people who offer themselves for the proclamation of the Gospel; but it can also suggest that the proclamation of the Gospel asks to be “young” (and always restores a little youth). Here, we would like to keep these two dimensions together. ”
The journey made of reflections, prayer, conferences, dialog in assembly, and group work was punctuated by the words VOCATION, FUTURE, PROPHECY, and NEW EXODUSES: a sequence that well describes the dynamics of each encounter with others and with God.
The speakers were:
Fr. Riccardo Pascolini who developed the theme of “vocation” with a dialog among the participants entitled “Towards the Synod … with the young”.
Fr. Alberto Lolli presented a report entitled Future, will of God, vocation…Second thoughts needed.
The nun and Biblicist, Laura Gusella spoke about the “Biblical Revelation of Time” with particular attention to the “future”.
Fr. Gianni Criveller presented the situation of the Church in China to help participants understand the challenges of the future of Christianity in the Asian country.
A round table entitled ‘What steps for a young evangelization?’ saw the participation of two young people, Giovanni Rocca and Eleonora Borgia, of the Salesian Fr. Rossano Sala, and of Fr. Antonio Soffientini, a Combonian missionary.
A very special moment of the day was dedicated to “prophecy”: biblical characters, prophets of the Old Testament, which accompanied the participants in a dynamic of reflection and sharing. Each group had the presence of a young person, invited to share the Word of God. One young woman testified: “We cannot take for granted meeting adults willing to get involved with us young people. I thank you for this occasion and for asking us to be here. I believe, in fact, that we need to get out of a dynamic of confrontation that wears each other out, in order to embrace a dynamic of dialog, which is what we have done in these days between young people and adults”.
The conclusions of the Days were edited by Fr. Michele Autuoro, Director of the CEI Office and the Missio Foundation, who together with the Moderators of the meeting traced out the path for the “new exoduses” of the mission with a young heart.
