Leinì (Turin), Italy, 1/1/2009 – by Ramia Roberto Conte
Despite the hard snow and the cold evening many devotees came to our ashram from abroad to begin the New Year together.
The celebration of the prayer for “The Mission of One”, led by Ramia Mauro, had a special intensity and ended with the procession of the devotees in the magic atmosphere of a snow-whitened landscape. Like “modern” Kings of Orient, they put incense sticks at the feet of the Divine Infant.
Some of those present decided to spend the rest of the evening together in the spirit of sharing and brotherhood. They had a joyful supper in the decorated canteen, where they also had lunch together on New Year’s day.
At 11pm we all gathered in the church, where we celebrated the “Great Silence” by raising our personal, silent prayer to God against the uproar of violence and wars that torture our world.
All of a sudden Swami Roberto arrived. His coming was unexpected and was welcomed by a resounding applause, which he immediately stopped inviting us to continue our prayer.
We began the New Year together by calling upon Ruah, the Holy Spirit.
Then Swami gave us a great surprise by hugging each one like a father, brother, friend.
Commotion, surprise, serenity, thankfulness, hope… you should have seen those happy faces overflowing with so many feelings while waiting to be hugged by their spiritual Master!
“It was a great moment for me and I felt blessed. As well as getting my personal hug, my personal Darshan, which filled my heart with Joy and Love, I have also seen all the hugs given by Swami Roberto! He hugged everyone with the same intensity, but every hug was different… unique. Unique and precious like you feel every time Swami looks at you, smiles at you, speaks to you!”.
That was the “secret” a lady told me, as did many others… and it is exactly the case! Meeting Swami is always a new experience: unique and unrepeatable… even to me, a Ramirian monk who has known Swami for thirteen years now!
On New Year’s morning Swami Roberto enfolded us in his light and we felt “overwhelmed” by the energy of his Love.
He delivered an extraordinary speech, one which I would never have missed. Therefore I am reporting here the heart of that speech for those who could not be there to listen:
«Most beloved children of Light,
From Eternity Christ has been blowing a flame within your spirit that never flickers or fades. On the contrary, if you really want it, this divine flame makes you ever new because you were born to shine.
Incarnations of the Divine Love, you were born to be right here, in this time, which is made of serious difficulties and tortured by human evilness.
You all have a mission to accomplish: you are here to bring the Light in the darkness; you are here to bring hope, peace and joy to the desperate ones and Love to the humiliated. You are thus called to bring the Word of Life where inner death rules because of spiritual ignorance.
When sincerity exists… I say it again: when sincerity exists, nobody enters the gates at Anima Universale (‘Universal Soul’) by chance. Many good-willing people who are sincerely striving to better themselves come here, because in their past incarnations they have sought Revelation. And those people do find Revelation! And little by little they will get it, according to what they need.
You were born in this time to build the foundations of the Religion of Love and leave it as your legacy to those who are preparing to born, those who will build a better future together with many children already born.
It doesn’t matter if you have studied or not. What really counts is that nobody is useless and you are all precious and special in God’s eyes. You are able to generate goodness; You are able to fight evil forces with good; You are able to cooperate with the Divine Plan by your prayer and sacrifice.
To build the Religion of Love does not mean to build specifically Anima Universale. It rather means “to build” God’s Kingdom.
Our slogan is not “Yes, we can!”.
I would like our slogan to be “Yes, we could!”.
Yes, you could! You are here to help your fellow! You changed yourself. You are born again within your ego, your heart, within the whole of your being.
You have a new mentality, which is true, alive!
You have built in Christ, with Christ and for Christ a coming year that is already better because you exist.
Yes you could to a great extent since you are here with sincerity!
“Yes, we could!”, we have been able to do that which other people, either in old or new religions, still have to understand.
There is a big difference, you know, between saying “we can, but we needn’t do” and “we could!”.
Well, these are my New Year wishes to all of you. This is my message!»
