An August Personage

Long have I painted him in my memory This great man who speaks volumes about faith. Bishop John Scalabrini whose name rings now a bell, Becoming God’s grace to be revered and called blessed. Mirrored in the reality of migration experience His on-going dialogue to a marginal existence That seeks salvation, liberation and integration In expressing the gift of being with the poor. In vivid and concrete ways, show many faces The human sufferings linked with structures and cruelty Disputed aspects worked out with care and thoroughness, To identify them and be swept along our compassion. Such a hard and complex life indeed, That made Scalabrini unite his missionaries To cross borders and be prepared to cope With proper attitude, conversion, and hope. Seeing how we today honour him In the midst of indifference and scepticism But we claim him with great pride and commitment To spread his splendid meaning to the church. Like other people who sowed the seeds of foundation He transcended and lived in his vocabulary of service. Beyond reason, gave himself totally to serve This raison d’etre of concern to migrant people. As a way to see more and more A close relationship with God demands Maybe creative and largely consistent To allow perfection sketched in human interactions. While we define Scalabrini ever in the world His singularity goes beyond private exaltation His glory however is a church proclamation] That stresses totality typified in redemption.