“DO WHAT HE TELLS YOU”

Following Christ in joy and sorrow, guided by the hand of Mary Help of Christians

We are Andrea and Elena.

We have been able to recall memories during these days of how much Our Lady has accompanied us step by step in every moment of our lives and how many gifts she has given us.

FAITH

Elena: the gift of faith. We have received it personally since we were children, through different paths, through the Salesian family in schools, oratory and youth experiences, and so as Don Bosco taught us, we have lived, and still live, the figure of Mary as a simple and constant presence in our daily lives.

MEETING and WEDDING.

Andrew: Another gift we received was our meeting and then marriage.

We met each other on a Marian pilgrimage. The first time I saw Elena was in a church dedicated to Mary.

In the engagement, besides the joy of being together, some wounds that we carried in our hearts also emerged. For me, the fear of losing affections, because my parents were separated when I was 11 years old, and therefore the risk of living everything as a "carpe diem," the risk of taking everything and now for the fear of losing. While for Elena, the fear of getting married and giving herself completely in this sacrament. We understand well that these are two fears that clashed, that with our strength alone, it would be impossible to get married. So, we had to rely on Mary from the very beginning, who reminded us that nothing is impossible to God. So, day after day, one Hail Mary after another, the Lord healed our hearts and led us all the way to marriage.

We got married in Valdocco 7 years ago, and the gift within the gift was to see Mary Help of Christians and Don Bosco open their doors to us. Our celebration was planned right in their home. It was really exciting.

The Holy Spirit suggested to us as the Gospel for that day "The Wedding at Cana" where we saw our story summed up: a certain presence Mary who told us, "Do what He tells you." We, in our small way, with daily commitment as Don Bosco wanted, tried to fill the jars certain that the miracle of turning water into wine would be performed by the Lord.

Out of our love, 4-year-old Anna and 2-year-old Beatrice were born.

ADMA

Elena: One of the greatest gifts we received from Mary was the gift of ADMA, the Association of Mary Help of Christians.

We started attending this path soon after we got married on the advice of the priest who celebrated our wedding and some friends.

Right from the start, we felt like we were at home, like we were with family. We met fellow travelers with whom we could share joys, support each other in our daily lives. We also found that Salesian spirituality made of cheerfulness and commitment that we had already known as children and that, we feel, belongs to us completely now.

Two years ago, we also felt the call and the need to be part of this family, and so we started attending the aspirant’s course that prepared us to make the commitment to join the Association last October.

DISEASE

Andrea: Around this same time, as we were maturing the choice to join ADMA, we found out that Elena had malignant breast cancer. Nothing happens by accident. It was an opportunity to mature a greater reliance on Mary and to surrender our lives completely into her hands. It seemed to us that it is easy to receive the blue scarf and membership card but more difficult it is to surrender to God's will. During these days, however, we never lacked joy, the fruit not of our own prowess but of the graces that Mary lavished abundantly on our family. The fear of being widowed with two little girls to raise, or for Elena to be the last time she could put the girls to sleep in the evening, touched our hearts but never disturbed us. On the very day of the promise after the beautiful ritual photos, with the indescribable joy in our hearts of belonging totally to Christ through Mary Help of Christians and Don Bosco, on the way home in the evening all of Elena's hair fell out, a sign that we had to undress the old man and woman, as St. Paul reminds us, because the Lord was preparing us for a new life. After six months of invasive treatment, on Maundy Thursday, Elena was operated on and the first ‘thank you’ was expressed right in the Basilica on Holy Saturday, all four of us together, participating in the Easter Vigil.

After about a week, we got a call from the hospital and the oncologist told us that Elena was completely cured. There will still be years of preventive care, but the healing was complete. Back in the Basilica, at the feet of Mary Help of Christians, we rendered our heartfelt thanks. I remember, that same evening, at our home, in front of the ‘Capelita,’ that is, the small portable statue of Mary Help of Christians that goes around every home, we knelt down with our daughters and told them the good news with the addition of sushi and crodino, to celebrate the feast. Their joy was a gift that we will always carry with us.

The prayer for us, from the whole Salesian family, ADMA in particular, and the Church in general, moved us and filled our hearts with gratitude. We received messages from Africa, from Spain, from America, the world in communion with us. The friends of ADMA gave us constant affection, prayer and closeness. Even among relatives, sometimes, one cannot experience such deep care made up of a smile or a simple WhatsApp message with folded hands.

To all goes our heartfelt thanks!

Andrea and Elena: we experienced that in the Basilica, there is not only the statue of Mary but Her living presence.

It moves one to think that an infinity of graces has departed from this Basilica. With the same feelings, we too can tell ours because we are part of this wonderful story.

We are grateful and certain that we are with you in the heart of Jesus, Mary Help of Christians and Don Bosco.