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Buenos Aires, Sunday, August 6, 2006

Father Oscar Pezzarini

Hearts must be changed

It is amazing how many very faithful believers who follow Jesus and the Gospel think that the best way in order to achieve changes in Mankind resides in some kind of fighting, conflict, actions related to externalities without first searching for a deep change which has its seeds in the heart. This is what we call “conversion”, which comes from the inside of life, that what we sum up as a “change of heart”. Violence, hate, sector struggle can only be overcome if there is a conviction inside people from the “heart”, which is the place, as Jesus states in the Gospel “where good and bad intentions of human beings meet each other”. Those of us who have Faith must be the first ones in persuading ourselves, in order to later persuade others, that the “change which comes from the heart” is the surest way to follow in order to later be able to change structures and systems.

It is amazing how many very faithful believers who follow Jesus and the Gospel think that the best way in order to achieve changes in Mankind resides in some kind of fighting, conflict, actions related to externalities without first searching for a deep change which has its seeds in the heart. This is what we call “conversion”, which comes from the inside of life, that what we sum up as a “change of heart”.

There's no doubt that in order to achieve efficient changes things must run first through a personal attitude of conviction and full dedication, of believing that by means of “love” everything is possible, but this Love must be true and spelled out in capital letters, and when faced with many situations it must operate at first a change in attitude in personal matters.

Of course this takes time, it is a slow path. In appearance conflicts, violence, “structural changes” achieve changes more quickly. It seems to be widely accepted that the best methods achieve the quickest results. However, in most cases this is just something “external” and “apparent”. True “essential solutions” must have their origin in much deeper attitudes, in changes which begin “inside” the human being.

Violence, hate, sector struggle can only be overcome if there is a conviction inside people from the “heart”, which is the place, as Jesus states in the Gospel “where good and bad intentions of human beings meet each other”.

Jesus himself proclaimed that “love is the way” and that this way may take a long time, that not always things are achieved readily and with the efficience pretended by a world which is ruled not just by results, but by “results at once”.

The true and permanent changes we demand for this world which is so much in need will neither arrive due to violent imposition, nor to confrontations among men, nor from wars which try to convince others which is the best way to follow, but they will come from a change “in the heart”, which will make us understand that the true path starts from Love, from this wonderful gift God shared with Man, which enables Man to find true alternatives when faced with those painful situations he must go through.

Those of us who have Faith must be the first ones in persuading ourselves, in order to later persuade others, that the “change which comes from the heart” is the surest way to follow in order to later be able to change structures and systems.

Father Oscar Pezzarini
Provincial Superior of the Work of Don Orione in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Mexico

Father Oscar Pezzarini together with Fr. Leonardo Abregú makes us reflect on Saturdays from 8 to 12 AM (GMT-03:00)with "VENTANA A LA VIDA", the Don Orione radio program he conducts on FM PROVIDENCIA, 90.3 MHz together with some residents of the Claypole Cottolengo (Raúl Romero, María Laura Andrada, Alberto Zoroch, Américo Torres), with the production of Roberto Beluzzo and Ignacio Cavalli as technical operator. You can also listen to FM PROVIDENCIA by clicking here.

Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione 0800-333-6746 in Argentina, or +54 (11) 4268-7722 from abroad.

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