by Emanuele Ruggeri
«If a man has forgotten or censored his fundamental ‘whys’ and the longing of his heart, the fact of speaking to him about God proves to be an abstract, esoteric discourse, or a push toward a devotion with no bearing on life. One cannot begin a discourse about God without first blowing away the ashes that suffocate the burning embers of the fundamental ‘whys.’ The first step is to create the sense of those questions that are hidden, buried, perhaps suffering, but that exist» (J. M. Bergoglio). These are words spoken, many years ago, by a priest who is now our Pope Francis, and they are words that tell the way I try to live my way of being a Missionary of the Precious Blood.
My name is Emanuele Ruggeri, I am 39 years old and I am a cpps priest of the Italian Province. After a brief period in the parish, I have been asked to accompany the formative and discernmental journey, firstly of the youth within our Welcoming Community (propaedeutic year/first formation) and today as Rector of the Major Seminary. In these seven years of accompaniment – especially of vocations – I have touched with my own hands how the quality of a proclamation and the depth of a faith life pass through that “burning embers”, those hidden and buried, but fundamental questions, without which not only the Gospel does not take root, but also life itself is at risk of not having much flavor.
That is why I live the spirituality of the Blood of Christ mainly in the key of redemption and freedom. For me, in fact, the Precious Blood that sets free and saves is linked to the personal journey of growth, to the human and spiritual maturation of the people entrusted to me. Thus, the service that I try to carry out in the Seminary and in the USC “Seven Signs”, is a service of listening to and accompanying the fundamental questions that are present in the personal story of each person; questions that arise not just on the rational level, but even more in the emotional dimension, which asks to be known and accompanied not only to a greater awareness, but above all to the freedom of the Gospel and the person of Jesus: He is the answer that every heart deserves to encounter.