After hitting rock bottom...

A 20-year-old Italian young man finds the strength to persevere against all odds. He recounted his story in Argentina, at a meeting with hundreds of young people

I grew up in a family that was committed in instilling in me Christian values based on respect and love for our neighbour, without any discrimination.

As a child I dedicated myself to live according to these values: with my soccer team, at school, and with my friends. I always tried to swim against the tide without allowing myself to be dragged down by all that a consumer society offers. In fact, in Europe materialism is predominant and what you have and your appearance count more than what you are.

However, at a certain moment of my life, pleasures and things of this world made me lose my way. In reality, I sold myself to the world. I wanted to experience all that, up till then, I had considered out of bounds. As a consequence, I felt more and more empty. So I began a new phase of my life, where respect for people and for God no longer had any value.

I began to experience things that would satisfy me for a short while, and immediately afterwards I would feel a great emptiness in my soul, followed by loneliness and sadness.

After being knocked to the ground more than once, I decided to start all over again and return to my beginnings. I started searching for those values that were always present within me, even though they were buried under so many useless things.

Since I have come to this community in Mariapolis Lia (it is a little town of the Focolare Movement in O’Higgins, Argentina - http://www.mariapolis.org.ar/mariapolis/index.htm) where I live with young people from all over the world, I am living a beautiful experience. I am discovering many things that I didn’t know, thanks to the people who are around me. For instance, I have discovered that in my brother or sister, there is a way to grow and mature. It is like a mirror in which I can see my reflection. I am experiencing selfless love: a love that gives life to the soul, without prejudices.

This love has its roots in the Gospel and it has helped me break free from worldly things, thus making way to true freedom, a path that carries me to God together with my brothers and sisters.

(J. – Italia)

Testimony given at the “Fiesta de los Jovenes”, O’Higgins, Argentina, September 27, 2009