In 1984 in Lonigo (Vicenza) I lived my days in the Franciscan convent of San Daniele. Fra Massimo he always talked about his vocation: in Rome as a young man, in time of war, he was a waiter for a Nazi officer. At a reception, in the room from which St. Peter could be seen, he said: «I will destroy this cup like that dome». He threw the goblet against the wall and it didn’t break. The officer remained silent, the young man instead found the answer to his question: “Jesus, where are you?”. And he became a friar.
Antonio Rossi
God’s call often takes the most unpredictable paths. It does not always arrive in serene moments or in “perfect” places: sometimes it is born within the wounds of history, in the most painful questions, even in the darkness of war. That cup that doesn’t break becomes for that boy a sign capable of speaking to the heart more than many words. God calls in many ways, often the most unexpected: in the silence of prayer, in suffering, through a face or a casual gesture. But it always arises from a profound question: “Lord, where are you?”. When that question remains sincere, sooner or later an answer will come. Even in the most difficult times.
