Towards the Promised Land
Biblical quotations are reproduced with permission from The New Community Bible, International Edition, © The Bombay St Paul Society, 2008. Published in Australia by St Pauls Publications, Strathfield. All rights reserved. Inspirational quotes are from: The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (1923) A Cosmic Walk produced by St Clement’s Retreat & Conference Centre, Galong, NSW, Australia.
LIST OF BIBLICAL ABBEVIATIONS OLD TESTAMENT Gen Genesis Ps Psalms Isa Isaiah Jer Jeremiah
NEW TESTAMENT Mt Matthew Mk Mark Lk Luke Jn John Acts Acts of the Apostles 1 Cor 1 Corinthians Rom Romans Eph Ephesians Phil Philippians Col Colossians 2 Tim 2 Timothy Heb Hebrews James James
TOWARDS THE PROMISED LAND Enza Di Franco Russo
ST PAULS
TOWARDS THE PROMISED LAND © Enza Di Franco Russo, 2019 ISBN 978-1-925494-42-6 (print edition) 978-1-925494-43-3 (eBook)
First published, October 2019 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by ST PAULS PUBLICATIONS – Society of St Paul P O Box 906 Strathfield NSW 2135 Australia www.stpauls.com.au Cover design and internal layout by Kylie Maxwell, ePrintDesign.com
ST PAULS PUBLICATIONS is an activity of the priests and brothers of the Society of St Paul who place at the centre of their lives the mission of evangelisation through the modern means of communication.
Acknowledgements Sincere thanks to all who have contributed to the realisation of Towards the Promised Land: Fr Michael Goonan SSP and St Pauls Publications for accepting to publish my book and making my task an easy one; my husband, children, grandchildren, sister, my friends Kathleen Fernandes, Antoinette Collins and members of the Discovery Writers who have graciously listened to my stories; my niece Stephanie Russo for important feedback and advice; my granddaughter Isabella for her patience and assistance with the computer; my daughter for encouraging me to write; and the Author of life: for the gift of life! Enza Di Franco Russo
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Foreword In the 25 years following the devastation of the Second World War, some 1.25 million people migrated to Australia from Europe. Of these, 250,000 came from Italy. Their numbers were exceeded only by migrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland. Most arrived with few personal belongings, perhaps with only a suitcase containing some clothes and a few precious photographs and heirlooms. But while they brought so little in material terms, they brought much else as well. They brought their memories, their cultural heritage and their great Christian faith, and these they planted in the new soil of Australia. These would sustain them as they forged a new life in “the promised land�. One such immigrant is the author of this book, Enza Di Franco Russo, who left Casamicciola, a town on the Italian island of Ischia, for Australia with her mother and siblings in 1956. Arriving in Sydney, they were greeted by their father who had migrated some time earlier to prepare the way for his family. In this book, Enza shares a collection of stories from her life, some from her childhood in Italy and others from her years in Australia. Essentially, she is writing her spiritual story, the story of her faithfilled engagement with her Creator and Saviour throughout her life. Perhaps it is the poems in this book that, in a few words, best express her sustaining faith. Enza’s story, while personal, has parallels with the stories of many who migrated to Australia in the post-war years. This book is
Foreword
7
a significant social document. In giving a first-hand account of one migrant’s journey, it captures something of the experience of many migrants. It is a work that will interest not only Enza’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but also historians and social commentators as they reflect on the changing face of Australia during the post-war period. Underlying Enza’s stories is the sense that the journey is continuing. While in some ways Australia may have seemed the promised land and while it is a land of many blessings, ultimately, the promised land lies in the future. Only in the arms of God will every tear be wiped away and the communion of saints be fully realised. We are all on a journey to that promised land. In telling her story, Enza Di Franco Russo, helps us to see something of the way.
Fr Michael Goonan SSP Publisher, St Pauls Publications
CONTENTS Introduction 10 1.
Embracing the past with remembrance
12
2.
From a catastrophic event came a blessing
14
3.
Childhood memories
18
4.
The smell and flavour of distant times
21
5.
Celebrating Christmas in my childhood
23
6.
My First Communion
26
7.
Towards the Promised Land
29
Life’s journey
32
8.
The power of prayer
33
Good Friday
35
9.
Forgiveness and healing
36
10. Are marriages made in heaven?
38
11. Christmas night
41
12. A potentially dangerous situation
43
13. The miracle of life
45
14. Dreams: a doorway to heaven
48
15. Our Guardian Angels
51
16. The journey to ‘Emmaus’
53
17. The heavens declare the glory of God
55
58
Homeless
18. The calm after the storm
59
19. A healing presence
62
Epiphany
65
20. Prayer becomes action
66
21. A time for everything
69
22. Prayer is for real
72
23. God provides for the birds
75
24. The power of the Word
78
25. The dog and the hare
80
26. St Rita’s rose
82
27. Protecting our heritage
86
28. Save our planet
89
29. The day my heart stopped
91
94
The final journey
Conclusion 95
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Introduction Towards the Promised Land is a collection of short stories, poems and personal reflections based on real-life experience, my own and that of people who have shared my journey. They mirror the spiritual journey of the people of God, as recounted in the Scriptures. Faith is the milieu and the underlining common thread. It is a gift from God to the believer which needs to be nurtured, so it can develop and come to maturity. Faith is a journey which runs throughout our life and gives hope and meaning to our days. We live our days differently, when we have faith! I was the first born of Benigno and Maria Di Franco. I was named Vincenza, after my paternal grandmother, but have always been called Enza. I became Russo by marriage. For those, like me, born into a Catholic family, the faith journey starts at baptism and continues through life. It is nourished by the Scriptures, the sacraments and prayer, and is inspired by our Christian models in the Church and in the home. (Rom 10:14-15) At first, the believer walks “with God” in hope and trust, then when faith is interiorised, the believer is guided by the indwelling of the Spirit. Through prayer we experience God’s loving support and mercy. However, there are times when God seems distant and our prayers seemingly remain unanswered. These are times of trials and suffering, which the mystics describe as “the dark night”. They are in fact opportunities for spiritual growth and purification. Here believers find an inner strength which carries them along.
Introduction
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At some stage of the journey we may be confronted by the same question Jesus asked his disciples: Who do you say, I am? Then Peter answered: You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God! (Mt 16:15-16) Jesus affirmed Peter and acknowledged that his answer came from the Spirit dwelling within and was not something that he had learned from others. Peter’s response revealed his spiritual maturity. All believers have the same opportunity to grow in their faith life. In the short stories shared in this book, the reader will recognise faith, in its different developmental stages, running through them all and hopefully be inspired by them. I dedicate this book to my children and grandchildren, in the hope that they will search for God and walk with him in their life’s journey, towards the Promised Land. Enza Di Franco Russo
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1
Embracing the past with remembrance The timeless in you is aware of life’s timelessness and knows that yesterday is but today’s memory and tomorrow is today’s dream. (Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet)
I have lived a full and active life. I have a large treasure chest filled with memories: some from a distant past lived in Italy, the land of my birth; others from my life here in Australia. They say: happy memories brighten quiet hours. I am lucky to have many of those. However, in the mix, there are also memories of painful events which have been important cornerstones and have expanded my vision and consciousness. The apostle Matthew (13:52) says: a disciple of the kingdom is like a householder who takes out of his storeroom things both new and old. Over many decades, I have stored up wisdom and self-knowledge acquired in the “laboratory of life”. Whenever I need inspiration, I go to my treasure chest and pull out old and recent memories. They are vital to what I have become. They make me feel grounded and secure and allow me to look beyond the present challenges without fear and see new possibilities. They remind me that life has its own pulsating rhythm, its changing seasons and tides, all equally essential to personal growth.
Embracing the Past with Remembrance
13
We feel secure even in sufferings, knowing that sufferings produce endurance, endurance produces character and character produces hope and hope does not disappoint us …. (Rom 5:3-4)
I rejoice in the memories of happy moments. I value the knowledge and wisdom acquired through painful times: when the hand of life, like that of a skilled craftsman, chiselled away at the “stuff ” of my life to fashion a new “being”. As I look back now, from the vantage point of time, God’s hand at work stands out clearly. I hope to maintain a clear remembrance of the past, so that I can embrace the future with hope and trust, no matter what it may hold.
14
2
From a catastrophic event came a blessing
1
The earthquake which struck Casamicciola – a town on the Italian island of Ischia – on 21 August, 2017 at 20.57 brought to mind the previous one of 1883, which hit the same location and devastated the whole township. In the 1883 quake, my grandmother remained buried under the rubble of the family home for 48 hours. This time we could see the devastation on television and follow the rescue operation of a family of five buried under the rubble of their own home. Seeing a seven-month-old baby being brought to safety, with his mother and father, was very emotional. Much more complicated and breathtaking was the rescue of the eldest of the three children, who was vital in providing the necessary information to save his younger brother. Though he remained trapped for many more hours, the eleven-year-old continued to cooperate with his rescuers and showed a maturity beyond his years. When he was finally pulled out, he was bruised and injured but in good spirits as he said: my first thought went to God and I said to myself: He really exists! His mother (five months-pregnant) looking at all her children safe around her confessed: In that terrible night I realised that God’s hand had intervened to save us and now I have a greater appreciation of life! These statements of faith are not uncommon 1 This reflection was originally published under the title A Blessing in Disguise in the December 2018 issue of “FreeXpression”.
From a Catastrophic Event came a Blessing
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among believers, who feel the presence of God, sustaining them in moments of great difficulty and hardship. I had heard my grandmother’s story many times, growing up. Her name was Concetta Monti and she lived with her family in a very modest dwelling in Casamicciola, a municipality on the island of Ischia, also known as the Green Island. She was a nineteen-yearold young lady and her folks were peasants who lived simply. It was 28 July, 1883, a hot summer’s evening. After dinner the male members of the family were outside in the courtyard, while the women were inside doing needle work and recounting the events of the day. There was no television in those days and people enjoyed spending time in each other’s company and storytelling. At 21.30, a booming sound like a blast was heard and immediately the earth started shaking violently. The house crumbled and those who were inside were buried in it. Those out in the open escaped with minor injuries. Historical records tell us that nearly 80 per cent of the houses in the town of Casamicciola were flattened. The earthquake was felt throughout the whole Island and the neighbouring towns also suffered loss of lives and properties. Casamicciola, however, was the hardest hit. The force of the earthquake measured 5.8 on the Richter scale. It took just ten seconds to reduce the township to a heap of rubble. 1784 people lost their lives, at a time when the whole town’s population amounted to only 4.300. As it was summer, there would have been many tourists as well among the victims. Some members of Concetta’s family were rescued first, but she remained unaccounted for. The search continued and Fido, the family dog, kept rampaging through the ruins tirelessly. It was nearing the end of the following day when his excited barks, attracted the rescuers’ attention to the spot where he had sensed a