Professor Andrea RICCARDI, founder of Saint Egidio’s commuty offered us two images: the burning  Cathedral of Notre Dame and the crowd fleeing Afghanistan at Kabul’s airport, in order to escape from the Talebans’ violence.

As our society is wounded by war, injustice and indifference, Professor RICCARDI invited us to live within our world, keeping in our hands both the Bible and the newspapers so that we may live our vocation among the people, journeying with them.

He  also invited us to look at the world through our feminine tenderness, in order to be sisters and mothers able to reject violence and bring about change. We are called to prevent war by weaving peaceful relationships, and get over all walls in order to build a universal fraternity attentive to the poor and able to relieve the pain of our wounded humanity.

He invited us to believe in the power of prayer, as prayer can enlighten and protect the world, and never be contented with doing the MINIMUM needed or required but always go for that «SOMETHING MORE» which shall make us experts in humanity.

According to Fr ZANOTELLI, Combonian, the flame of charity cannot be kept alight if we are not passionate for the Word of God. If Saint Vincent de Paul lived today he would tell us that the poor and marginalized are our Masters and Christ’s Vicars.

We should have the courage to counteract an economy that takes advantage from the production of weapons which caused 80 million of people to migrate and a billion of people to die of starvation.

Can we change mentality and life-style not to be part of that 13% of people consuming the 90% of goods available on our planet?

Are we able to work in favour of the poor and the persecuted with whom Christ identified himself?

We should choose a word able to bring about a change and involve these suffering members of Christ.