Davide Prosperi. The words Jesus addresses to the Father in the hour in which the Son is glorified, in John’s Gospel, remind us of the deep reason we are here today to begin the year together: “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are. […] Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth. I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.”1 Let us invoke the Holy Spirit, who alone can make us continually hear the voice of Christ in our life.

Come Holy Spirit



Francesco Cassese. Welcome, everyone. Thank you for being here. I’d like to greet those of you here in Milan and also those following us by satellite link from many cities in the Lombardy Region. We’d like to begin our day with two brief premises. The first is that today’s content draws upon Davide’s Introduction and Summary at the International Leader’s Assembly in La Thuile, a month ago. Today’s lesson is the fruit of a long work we did with some leaders last year–for which we are grateful–the fulcrum of which was “Christian experience.” The dimension of experience in general and of Christian experience in particular is highly meaningful in Fr. Giussani’s original approach to life and faith, and he devoted great attention to it from the very beginning of our Movement. The second thing I’d like to say is that today and in the coming days there will be other Beginning Days in the other Italian regions and countries where we are present. Some leaders will draw on what Davide will propose today, and will involve people in their respective communities for a moment of testimony [...]

Continue reading. Download the pdf or epub