Et nous devons rendre grace à Dieu parce que Emer est devenu maintenant pour tant et tant de personnes un don d'Amour. P. Divo Barsotti

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Emer 17 Avril 1974 - 31 Mai 1992 Chantons Au Seigneur Et Benissons Son Saint Nom Salut Emer ,  Je t'ai rencontrè il y seulement quelques mois , mais c'est comme si nous ètions amis depuis tre longtemps car entre nous Scouts la premiere rencontre suffit pour nous connaitre et nous retrouver ensemble comme si nous connaissions depuis toujours. Comme il est beau de nous saluer avec les trois doigts , nous repellant l'un à l'autre la promesse que nous avions faite " sur notre honneur ", et vèrifier si avec l'aide de Dieu nous faisons loyalement de " notre mieux "... Emer , je te remercie pour ta courtoisie et ton sourire. Merci pour ton exemplaire fidèlitè à la loi. Tu es de ceux pour qui " le mieux " correspond à " l'excellence " et perfois allant au-delà: c'est ce que la Grace de Dieu t'a aidè à rèaliser sur l'autel de ton sacrifice lorsque , pour couronner tes huit ans dans le Scoutisme tu t'es consacrè au Seigneur en èmettant les voeux religieux dans la Communautè des Fils de Dieu. Tu n'aurais vraiment pu rien faire de mieux , mon cher Emer , avant de prendre le chemin pour retourner à la Maison du Père. Tu as conclu ta vie ici-bas en entrant dans la lumière du Cercle immense qui rassemble les Bienheureux autour du Feu de L'Eternel Amour. Te rappelles-tu la fin de la prière du soir que j'ai ècrite pour vous? " O combien d'etoiles! Dis-moi quelle est la mienne. Cependant , je ne dèsire pas les plus belles , mais que je vive seulment auprès de Toi et cela me suffit ". Maintenant tu l'as trouvèe , ton ètoile et tu nous as montrè comment la reconnaitre dans le firmament et la suivre dans son orbitre. Avec tous autres frères que tu as rejoinds dans la Maison du Père- et j'en connais dèsormais plusieurs - intercède pour nous et prèpare-nous une place dans le Cercle , tout près de toi. Merci Emer , mon cher ami depuis toujours. P. Tarcisio Beltrame Quattrocchi Le 6 Janvier 1995 Traduction:Romain Atekou  Sèminariste de Parakou à la F.T.I.C Consacrè CFD Les Chrètiens ne meurent pas. Nous sommes à la troisième èdition d'un petit livre de Tèmoignages. Ce livre dit ce qu'a ète Emer pour qui l'a connu et qui il est pour ceux qui ne l0ont connu qu' apres sa mort. Cette parole: les Chrètiens ne meurent pas ,vaut aussi bien pour lui. En effect , une fois dans le Règne de Dieu , les chrètiens ont une vie plus lumineuse et plus efficace. Ils sont plus vivants qu'ils l'aient ètè. Personne n'a fait de propagande , mais spontanèment , annèe après annèe , sa prèsence est devenue très manifeste parmi nous. Nous sentons qu'il est proche et qu'il nous aide. Son abandon a Dieu dans la souffrance veut enseigner , à nous aussi , à comprendre comment , les voies du Seigneur sont insondables et comment Dieu conduit chacun , qui s'abandonne à Lui , à la paix et à l'amour. Chaque annèe , la famille des frères de Emer s'accroit.Son souvenir de plus en plus vif dans les mèmories , le nombre toujours grandissant de ses frères qui vivent une vèritable communion avec lui nous èmerveillent. Et nous devons rendre grace à Dieu parce que Emer est devenu maintenant pour tant et tant de personnes un don d'Amour. P. Divo Barsotti Fondateur de la Communatè des Fils de Dieu Traduction:Romain Atekou Sèminariste de Parakou à la F.T.I.C. Consacrè CFD Les faits valent plus que les paroles. Dans lala vie les faits valents plus que les paroles. Quand les Apotres devraient choisir leur douzième compagnon , après la traihison de Judas , ils n'allèrent pas chercher un homme d'une grande culture , qui sache bien parler , mais plutot quelqu' un qui ait ètè avec eux depuis le dèbut et qui ait ètè tèmoin de la rèsurrection de Jèsus ( Ac 1,21-22 ). Et ce fut vraiment , d'un fait et non d'une idèe ou d'un système de vèritès conceptuelles. De fait , le monde a besoin de tèmoins et c'est cela meme la vie et expèrience des Saints: ils resplendissent d'une Prèsence qui va au-delà de leur propre vie; et les oeuvres qu'ils ont accomplies , quelqu'elles soient , devienment de simples signes d'une Prèsence qui les transcende infiniment: la Prèsence du Dieu Vivant et Saint. Comme dans le passè , nous pouvons nous aussi aujourd'hui espèrer un renouvellement du monde par le Christ rèssuscitè et Le laissent vivre en euxx , en s'abandonnant totalement à son action. Ceci est bien facile à dire! Mais difficile à vivre. Difficile? Non, impossible. Seule la grace divine rèalise cette oeuvre en l'homme, lequel devra simplement-mais un simplement qui coute notre foi-y rèpondre en s'abandonnant. Comme des feuilles portèes par le vent, et comme le dit St Paul: " ceux-là sont fils de Dieu qui sont conduits par l'Esprit de Dieu ". Et voici Emer, un jeune gaçon dont la vie intèrieure, secrète et profonde a ètè un permanent dialogue avec la Seigneur. Il a fait siennes ces paroles de Jean le Baptiste " il faut que moi je diminue et que Lui il grandisse ", et sa mort en a ètè la brillante rèalisation. Dans le vie d' Emer - plutot dans sa dernièr annèe - on a notè un point, un tournant très important: le Seigneur Jèsus est devenu son unique rèfèrence, la seule raison de sa vie. Il s'abandonna totalement à Lui dans la prìere avec l'ardent dèsir de Dieu, et consèquemment sa vie avait changè: il veut poursuivre le bien avec plus de fermetè et de conviction, il veut communiquer à tous ses frères et amis sa foi, non seulement par les paroles mais aussi par son comportement qui devenait de plus en plus irrèprochable. Le rapport fort discret et intèrieur entre Emer et Jèsus devient au jour le jour, plus vrai et dècisif. " Il commence par faire pènitence ", tèmoigne un document que j'ai ici entre les mains et qui est ècrit par celui qui l'accompagna pendant son aspiranat, bien avant que se manifesta ce mal incurable. Mais pènitence pour quelle raison? Faisat-il cela pour lui-meme ou pour les autres? Personne n'a jamais su la raison et c'est bien là un secret que Emer a emportè avec lui. A la phase finale de la maladie, qui l'arracha de cette terre, alors qu' il n'avait que dix huit ans, la parole fit place à un vrai tèmoignage, il devint plus silencieux, ferme et serein. Emer meurt dans un ètat d'abandon totale au Père. C'est un " fiat " qui a laissè tout le monde stupèfait, car bien qu'ayant gardè l'usage de la parole et une parfaite luciditè jusqu'au dernier souffle, durant les trois derniers mois de sa viemois de grande èpreuve et de soufference qu' on ne saurait exprimer-jamais il n'a eu à profèrer paroles de peur ni de rèvolte. De plus: pas une parole de lamentation, pas meme un signe de dècouragement. Tout " allait bien " comme lui-meme me le confiait peu de jours avant de mourir. Quand bien meme il avait perdu la vue avec la tumeur qui lui avait pris tout le visage, il ètait demeurè serein et tranquille; " il ressemblait à un agneau innocent qu'on conduisait à l'abattoire ", comme le soulignent pluieurs tèmoignages. En effect, il y quelque chose de plus dans le mystère de cette mort, qui nous surprend, quelque chose qui est advenu au beau milieu de sa maladie et que nous pouvons dèfinir comme un vrai et particulier " virage ". Quand le mal s'est rèvèlè, on remarqua une certaine confusion-sans qu' il n'ait jamais perdu bien sur la sèrènitè et la maitrise de soi-face l'èpreuve qui le menace et qu' il va devoir affronter. P. Serafino Tognetti  Supèrieur Gènèral de la Communautè des Fils de Dieu Traduction: Romain Atekou Sèminariste de Parakou à la F.T.I.C Consacrè CFD English Translation English Translation Hello, Emer! I met you only a few months ago but, it felt as if we had been friends for a very long time. When Scouts meet for the first time, it feels more as if we have always been friends and we are just finding each other again. It’s nice to greet one another by using the Scout three-finger salute, reminding each other of the Promise that we made “on our honor” and see if, with God’s help “we are loyally doing our best”. I thank you , Emer, for your salute, for your smile, for your example of faithfulness to the Law. You are one of those people who identify “better” with “the best” and sometimes overcome it: the Grace of God helped you in doing that on the altar of your sacrifice, in devoting yourself to the Lord with the solemn vows of “God’s Sons”. That had to be the crowning achievement of your eight years of being a Scout. You couldn’t do anything better, dearest Emer, before your departure to return to the Father’s house. You have concluded your Route and you have entered the light of the immense Circle that tightens the Blessed around the fire of the everlasting Love. Do you remember the ending of the Evening Prayer that I wrote for all of you many years ago? “So many stars, oh, so many stars! Tell me which one is mine! I don’t aspire to the most beautiful ones, it’s enough for me to be the one next to You. Now You have found your star, and you have shown us the coordinates to identify it in the firmament and to follow its orbit. Along with our beloved-departed ones, all those who have gone to our “Father’s House” and I have so many by now, intercede and prepare for us a place in the Circle, next to you. Thank you, Emer, my beloved friend always. Don Tarcisio Beltrame Quattrocchi Jan.6th.1995 Traduzione di Mimi e Angelo Rosi **** We have a booklet of testimonies at its third edition. It tells you what Emer's life meant to those who got to Know him in person as well as to those who got to know him after his death. The saying CRISTIANS NEVER DIE applies to him too; once they are in God's Kingdon the Cristians live a brighter life, they are more alive than ever. Nobody ever advertised him, nonetheless his presenceamongst us has grown wider and wider spontaneously. We feel him near us, helping us. Giving himself up to God in his sufferings, he helped us to understand Lord's misterious ways through which He guides everyone of us to peace and love. Emer's family grows bigger and bigger every year. His expanding memory is astonishing although we have had the chance to know him in person. We must thank God for he has become a gift of love for many. . Sac.Divo Barsotti Founder and Superior  of the" Community of the sons of God" May 1995 Traduzione di Mimi e Angelo Rosi **** In life facts more than words count. When the Apostles had to choose a mate to replace Iudas the traitor, they did not picked on a well learned person, but on one who had been living with them and had shared with them the testimony of Jesus's resurrection.(cfr Att.1,21-22) That is: what counts is that the apostle should talk about an encounter, an event, more than about a concept or an idea. In fact our world needs witnesses; the life of the Saints is exactly this: they testify by their life a Presence that goes way bejond their life;their works, either big or little, become simple "SIGNS" of a Presence that go far bejond any work: God living with His Holiness in our hearts. Like in the past, we can hope today for a renewal of our world only from the Saints, who let themselves be possessed by the risen Christ, let HIM live within themselves, totally abandoned to His action. Easier said than done, one would say. More than difficult, that is impossible. The Divine Grace only can do this work in men; they simply have to give their consent, to abandon themselves (but that "simply" is worth all our faith). Like leaves flying in the wind, "those who are guided by the Holy Spirit, as Saint Paul says, those are God's sons" (Rom 8,14) We see Emer in that way, a teenager whose life is a secret dialoge growing stronger and stronger with the Lord. "HE must rise, I must decrease" Saint John Baptist says. Such a saying depicts Emer's life, and more dramatically does his death. In Emer's life one notices a turning point, in the last year I would say: the Lord becomes his point of reference, the God for whom to live. The abandon to His action, his prayer, his desire of God intensify, his life consquently changes: he pursues the good things more firmly, he wants to communicate his faith to his brothers and friends, non only by words but also by an irreproachable behavior. His secret relationship with Jesus becomes steadily purer, more authentic, more decisive. "He beguins to do penance" I read in a handy book written by Emer's tutor when he was aspiring to his membership in God's sons Community, several months before he would be found affected by incurable desease. What penance anyway? Did he do it for himself of for the others? Nobody has ever known that; Emer took its secret away with himself. In the final stages of his illness, that killed him when he was 18, the words give way to a pure testimony that gets silent, firm, serene. Emer dies in a complete state of abandon to his Father. It is that "let your will be accomplished" (fiat in Latin) that astonishes everyone of us, because he never sounded dismayed or rebel, while he was going through extreme suffering for months, although he was able to talk and understand untill the very last moment. Even more, he never complained; "everything is fine" he told me a few days before dying.  .....In spite of being blind, due to the tumor devastating his face, he was calm, he seemed an innocent lamb brought to the slaughterhouse. At one point, in the middle of his illness, something new and stunning happened, as if he had come to a "turning point". We saw a fair amount of bewilderment in his face as the cancer was discovered, but he never lost his calmness during the impending trial. Emer loved his life, perhaps he thought unacceptable to leave his family, his friends, his loved ones so early; that's why he stubbornly attended his school in spite of excruciating headaches. Later on instead, during his staying in hospital, things changed unespectedly. A few days before surgery, scheduled for the Holy Thursday , he seemed already trusting more in God than in men; he sweetly pronounced Jesus's name twice before undergoing the operation, but after that a decisive change is noticeable in him. He begins a sort of secluded life, intimately absorbed in himself, always calm and without complaining; he wants silence around him, he does not want anybody read the nwespaper for him; he's not interested anymore in that, he doesn't answer the questions, he doesn't even want to hold hands with those who would like to; there is a silent atmosphere that strikes his visitors: they simply stand up praying. There is a feeling that he and the Lord have come to an agreement from which everybody else is kept aside. He prays. He is not dazed nor absent, he is blind but is alert. Every once in a while he whispers, he wants the Holy Communion, he recites the Rosary, the prayer of simple souls. We don't know what the Lord told him but it seems as if the time for the "FIAT" has arrived. "No one takes my life away, I give my life away freely" said Jesus as his time approached. Did this phrase resound in Emer's innermost heart? Did the Lord let him understand that He will call him back to Heaven? Does Emer freely accept that? If the answer to these questions is YES, as we may perceive from his behavior, then we must say he switches from a state of "suffered trial" to a state of "conscious self-giving". As a matter of fact, from that moment he does live indeed waiting for the last moment, not dramatically but peacefully. Everybody prays for his recovery, but he seems far away, not interested, as if he had said "I'm not mine anymore, and my place to be is not here any longer" Emer had devoted himself to God on April 24th, in his hospital bed, and he had become familiar with Charles de Foucauld's prayer: "My Father, I abandon myself to you; do whatever you want upon me, I put my soul in your hands, with all my heart, because the need of donating myself, putting myself in your hands with infinite confidence is a necessity of my love.Because you are my Father". He had his life to give, and he did it. Emer's magnanimity is there. He died the next month, silently, peacefully, as if he had said to us: "Everything has been accomplished". .....Emer's life ending is a Paschal cycle that lasts exactly 80 days. 40 days of LENT, before; 40 days of Easter time, after, ending exactly on the Ascension Day. His cancer was diagnosed on the Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent; the operation is performed on the Holy Thursday; he celebrates his birthday on the Holy Friday, he passed away to the everlasting lifeon the Ascension Day of Jesus Christ Our Lord. On Sunday May 31st, 1992 the Ascension of Christ is celebrated in Bologna, where Emer is, the Holy image of the Virgin Mary of Saint Luc being carried up to the hill of the Guard. In that day, at that time, Emer's Paschal cycle ends, mind you, begins in the morning that never becomes evening. Are these coincidences? I'd call it Emer's "liturgical calendar". We, as a Community, have elected him PATRON of the youthand we are certain he has taken this task seriously. We are going to ask him to help us in our life, to get for us the same abandon to the Father, to show us the way, to turn ourselves towards GOD and choose HIM, because HE, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST is and will be the only way, the only truth, the only life forever. The path towards God is open and outlined in our hearts; Emer will help us in going through it, if we want to. P.Claude said that "great truths are well communicated only in the silence". Emer did so. In his last great silence Emer has told us the secret of life. It's up to us to follow him.  Sac. Serafino Tognetti of " the Community of the Sons of God " May 1993 Traduzione di Mimi e Angelo Rosi **** My dearest friends, reading Emer's story these days, through many pages I have recalled and seen Benedetta's story. The Gospel of this third Sunday get us to remember that the good shepherd gives his life away for his sheep. I believe there is a deep affinity between Benedetta's, Emer's and many other examples of anonimous sanctity that are testimony, in our time, of Jesus's sacrifice. "he, giving himself freely" as the liturgy says,...and again, "He humbled himself to death" so that we could carry our life at its fullness, fullness that we don't appreciate entirely yet. We were lucky to live (often unworthily) near them. They are the true witnesses of the Resurrection, and continue to help us in our life. These sons of ours teach us how to believe and testify God's paternity towards those who still live in the darkness, while a great joy is being announced. That's why I feel close to you in my prayers. ELSA BIANCHI PORRO **** Dear Emer's parents, I'va just finished reading the book of Emer's story. I didn't know anything about it. Somebody had told me a while ago that it was an interesting book but I had no time to consider it untill now. Emer's spiritual adventure is greatly enlightened. One can perceive ythe marvelous action of the Grace and stands in adoration. You can sing "Alleluja" forever . When Emer entered Heaven "he heard the saint trumpets play" because he had pronounced his YES. Floods of Grace will pour from his consacration. Praise to the Lord. Now your creature is contemplating God's face in its fullness. "the saints are a perennial revelation of God" wrote Benedetta Bianchi Porro. THank you, thanks to you, Emer, for the eloquent lliturgy of your life. Thanks to God for this striking revelation. Along with Benedetta, I'll stay near you. ANNA CAPPELLI National Resp. for "gli Amici di Benedetta" Association.  Traduzione di Mimi e Angelo Rosi