WITH MARIA, LET US LOOK FORWARD TO THE COMING OF THE LORD

My dear friends,

Here we are, step by step, at the start of a new liturgical year, at the door of Advent which precedes the Christmas of Our Lord Jesus. We are also at the centre of this year's formation itinerary, oriented towards rediscovering the beauty and importance of prayer, of listening to the Word, of daily dialogue with the Lord, in a filial, simple and direct relationship with God the Father.

Advent is truly a special time to put into practice the teachings received on prayer, enhancing the Marian dimension of our charism.

What better time indeed to fill with prayer, the silent suffering world, which still awaits the coming of the Lord! Yes, because in the heart of man dwells the hope of a new world, humanity still awaits the Saviour. There is still need of Jesus to heal the wounds caused by war, hatred, poverty and loneliness.

God entered history and transformed it forever. He transformed the history of yesterday, today and tomorrow, he made all things new. It is only in prayer and listening, like Mary, that we can contemplate the infinite greatness of God's plan and his infinite love, and let it enter into the tiny space of our daily lives: our littleness, our humanity, our flesh, our strengths and weaknesses, our desires, our wounds are the crib where God wants to dwell.

The infinite God made himself small and humble and wants us to be small and humble like him: he wants us to be attentive and capable of grasping his love for us in our daily lives, so that we too can become capable of loving our neighbour in the small things, in the concrete and silent gestures, in the blessing glances, in the warm embraces, in the mercy of the heart.

Mary Immaculate and Help of Christians, Virgin in Listening, Mother of Hope is the door through which we can enter and live Advent. She was able to humbly accept the Father's will, carry Jesus in her womb and ‘keep everything in her heart’, until the death and resurrection of her Son.

May she teach us too, as she taught Don Bosco, to live this dimension of prayer well. May she teach us to look at our lives with new eyes, welcoming what the Lord has planned for us: God speaks to us through events, through circumstances, encounters, difficulties, joys and fatigues. Imitating Mary means entrusting, trusting and living up to everything that happens even when we do not understand, saying our humble ‘yes’.

Thus, in prayer we will be able to breathe in God's infinite love and transform it into oxygen for our brothers and sisters, so that the world will still be able to rejoice and hope and do so a little through us.

I offer you all, our best wishes for a peaceful Christmas and a happy New Year 2025.

Don Gabriel Cruz Trejo, SDB 

Animatore Spirituale ADMA Valdocco. 

Renato Valera, 

Presidente ADMA Valdocco.