Christ and His Church

Starting from an excerpt from "Morality: Memory and Desire," Matteo reflects on his relationship with his clients and what allows him to truly engage with them.

I was struck by the following excerpt from Morality: Memory & Desire.

"Christ and the Church are the deep inspiration that even touches the structure of my actions, of everything I do.

And so, the encounter is an "event" that stretches to influence all of my relationships, my relationships with things and with people, and even the way I look at my sins
." (Giussani 6)

It strikes me because of the repetition of the words even and influence.

It's part of my own experience to realize that He is everything because there is no moment in my life that is not touched by His Presence, even if I am not fully aware of it. For example, my job calls me to encounter many new people to sell my company's products. Often I notice that my actions are not limited by my assigned task in dealing with these clients, but I truly carry a desire to know them, to look at who they are, the way they are and what kind of business the run, how they run it, the aesthetic of their stores, the faces of their staff members, their menus, etc. And they point out that I treat them differently compared to most sales-people. Why? Because my approach to them is influenced by the coexistence of two realities that I have been encountering and following since I was fourteen: Christ and His Church.

Christ is present through His Church, which for me now is the faces of the people of our community here in Miami. So my freedom is called to this New Morality, which does not found itself on how good I can be, but rather on how much I lean on the idea, the possibility, and more often the Fact that everything I do or any relationship I have is influenced by this exceptional as well as tangible Presence. Every move I make is inside the living memory of the Friendship (Familiarity) I have with the Mystery through those very faces.

If it wasn't for His unmistakable gaze upon my life, offered by the unity of our community, I wouldn't be able even to understand what is good or bad for me and for the things and people I care about.

Every time I am simple hearted, all of the above is very easy to understand and follow, so a new morality in me is possible, despite of the limits that we all carry.

Matteo, Florida, USA