I BELIEVE LORD, INCREASE MY FAITH

November began with a horizon of light and hope: the solemnity of All Saints. We celebrate Christ’s victory in the lives of so many brothers and sisters who, faithful in small things and persevering in faith, now enjoy the fullness of divine love. This feast reminds us that our common vocation is holiness - the universal call to live ordinary life with an extraordinarily believing heart. Faith is the very foundation of our human identity; it is the natural response to the voice of the Creator who dwells deep within the soul. In a world tempted by skepticism and self-sufficiency, the believer becomes a trustworthy witness: someone who, by believing, rediscovers the meaning and joy of life.

November is also a time of remembrance and hope. The commemoration of the faithful departed invites us to look with serenity at the mystery of death and teaches us to pray with gratitude for those who have gone before us. Christian faith transforms sorrow into hope: it reminds us that death does not have the final word, that love never fades, and that we are called to eternal life in Christ. Contemplating our destiny of salvation urges us to live the present moment with deeper faith, love, and purpose - and to commit ourselves to making the realities of the Kingdom of God more tangible through the Gospel of Jesus, through concrete actions of change, conversion, truth, and justice in our communities and society.

On this journey of faith, Mary Help of Christians shines as a model believer and teacher of holiness. She believed when everything seemed impossible, trusted when she did not understand, and persevered at the foot of the cross when everything invited surrender. In her maternal heart, we find the most human and divine way of believing: allowing God to act, even amid darkness, being an instrument of His saving will, and accompanying the fragile faith of the suffering Church - especially in our poorest and most needy brothers and sisters. Through her witness and powerful intercession, we grow in a faith that becomes life.

As the Association of Mary Help of Christians and the Salesian Family, we find in the Eucharist the true nourishment that strengthens us as missionary disciples - men and women who believe with the heart, proclaim with their lives, and serve with joy, who look at the world through the eyes of a Mother who trusts in God’s promises.

We also approach the climax of the liturgical year with the solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. In Him, all human history culminates: the believers reach fullness when they recognize Christ as Lord of their life and center of all creation. In His Kingdom, there is no power or domination, but love that serves, forgives and saves. And as the sacred calendar slowly draws to a close, the Church opens the doors to Advent - a time of active waiting, vigilant faith, and blossoming hope. Mary, the believing woman, becomes the star that guides our steps toward Bethlehem, where the God we believe in becomes a child and teaches us once again that true faith always generates life.

May Mary Help of Christians accompany us on the path toward daily holiness and, as we approach the end of the liturgical year, may we say with joy and conviction: “I believe, Lord, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).

P. Luis Eugenio Vargas Isaza, SDB (Spiritual Animator, ADMA Valdocco)

Giuseppe Tufano (President, ADMA Valdocco)