This beautiful book by Father Giuliano Palizzi, current director of Borgomanero Salesian College, is an invitation to rediscover the beauty and fruitfulness of the Christian message, going back to the evangelical roots and freeing the later tradition from scale, which ultimately deepen. To tie together the parts that make up, which refer to four key words - faith, God, church and joy - is the proposal of an adult Christianity, which feeds on a solid and simple faith and which is embodied in daily life through the exercise of charity.
Don Giuliano, who gathers in the book, revising them and rearranging them, a series of articles published over five years in the journal "Mary Help of Christians" (hence some unavoidable repetition) is not lacking in the first place to focus on the difficulties currently encountered in 'gospel ad. Individualism and consumerism, relativism and exaggerated deification of technology are all factors that make waterproof consciences to values such as generosity and solidarity, sharing and compassion, the sense of mystery and expectation, values that are essential preconditions for the faith.
This does not mean that the religious man needs still exists. It is knowing it properly cultivate, proposing a vision of faith, which can not be reduced to adherence to doctrinal formulas or observance of a catalog of rules, but you meet a person, that of Jesus; It is to trust in him and surrender him. A belief that, far from basking in security is constantly contend with uncertainty and doubt; which it places especially in the center as a lifestyle choice the following of the Master, inspiring his conduct to the commandment.
This presupposes the ability to decisively distance themselves from a false conception of God and idolatry, God Almighty, be perfect and strict judge, to make room for a weak and poor God, the God of Jesus, who was born in a hut and dies on the cross. A God, then - as pointed insistently Don Julian - who draws near to the poor and sinners, who prefers the repentant publican the Pharisee who claims to be their right, the younger brother who returns home to the greater that there is always remained without grasping the real meaning, the Samaritan considered heretical to the Levite and the priest observed the law.
And 'This is the specificity of the faith, which differs from all forms of religion, in which lies the temptation to construct a God of convenience, a measure of one's desire. This image of God is to be the bearer of the church, which must then become of freedom and love, welcoming place where the Christian community gathers to celebrate the feast of the Risen. The good news of the coming Kingdom, despite the pressures of a life still crossed by the suffering and death, can only be reflected in the joy of being together to walk towards the Lord.
The book by Father Giuliano Palizzi, which relies on the contribution of Mario Place, president of Mamre, which, with its provocative questions ago by significant counterpoint to the author's work, is an important tool to approach a free vision together demanding the Gospel proposal. The loose and lively language and the clarity of the arguments makes the combination extremely pleasant, and makes it a text intended for a wide range of readers.
GIANNINO PIANA