«We are an underground aqueduct, which invisibly brings water to the thirsty». To speak, behind a wrought-iron grating, are the cloistered nuns of the Order of the Visitation. Their monastery is on the hills of Brescia, hidden among the ash trees of Costalunga, two minutes from the Spedali Civili. From the windows the nuns see the lights of the Castle and the headlights of the cars in the queue, but here the traffic in the world seems to subside. In a very exceptional way they decided to tell each other, to open the doors of their monastery, so far and yet so close to the souls of the city that hosts them.
“God be blessed” – a voice responds to the intercom. A few moments and the solid wood door opens. There is no one behind the door, an empty corridor welcomes the visitor, and a woman’s voice, hidden by a wooden screen, invites us to come forward: “Take a seat in the parlor”. The parlor is a small, bare room furnished with only a few chairs and the books of St. Francis de Sales, founder of the Order. However, it is the wrought-iron grating that divides the space into two. That is the boundary between the external world and the cloistered life. On the other side of the grille there are 17 chairs, but at the moment we have not seen any of the nuns yet. The silence continues to be master of the house, at least until the door, on the other side of the parlor creaks timidly.
The first to come forward is the prioress, a woman with a sunny face, a radiant smile and a curious look. After her, slowly the parlor begins to populate with black clothes and crucifixes. In all there are 14. “Two of us – says the sister who was elected by her sisters – are indisposed. While the eldest, who is 95 years old, has preferred to remain in the church to pray “. Here they are, therefore. The last cloistered nuns. Women who have given their lives to the God of prayer. The faces are serene, the attentive looks and the smiles light up the black robes. «God be blessed» they say in chorus «This is our greeting» says one of the nuns.
The reasons for a choice
They speak with disarming humanity of their choice and their life. “For years I tried to oppose this choice – reveals one of the visiting women – I also dreamed of a normal life, but the voice of God has never stopped talking to me. In the end, his call was inevitable. ” Call. All agree on this word. In spite of the different paths that led them up to here the voice that is unanimously clear is clear: “God has called us, we have answered”. To the question “why?” Each one responds in his own way. And it is the prioress to indicate the common thread that unites them: “Each of us weaves a unique dialogue with God, but what unites us is prayer”. For the women who live in this monastery, prayer means intercession, mediation between the souls on the other side of the grate and God. “We cultivate the relationship with the Lord for all”. A rigorous exercise, to be rediscovered every day, forever. It is precisely the temporal dimension that impresses the most.
A life in seclusion
A whole life in seclusion. Yet the sisters’ response is disarming: “It is essential that we understand the great freedom we live. What moves us in the first instance is a tension of love towards God. This is the fundamental push that has brought us here, and that every moment allows us to overcome ourselves “. The sisters with equal sincerity do not hide the difficulty of their mission. “There are those who understood that this was not his way, and he left the enclosure”. Yet in the silence, which is made here, every day they rediscover the meaning of their choice. And it is precisely in their daily life that the secret of their strength is hidden. A life made of rigor, prayer and discipline.
The day at the monastery
But how does a day take place inside the monastery? The alarm clock is at 5.30. Please up until 8. The frugal breakfast, then another common prayer. After the work begins, in silence, until noon. At lunch one in turn, first reads the newspaper for all (L’Osservatore Romano). “For some time – the nuns added with amusement – we decided to listen to some classical music too. It’s beautiful”. After half an hour’s pause, one returns to pray before returning to work in the monastery. There are those who cook, those who work in the tailor’s workshop, who cleans. Silence, necessary for dialogue with God, is interrupted only by supper, and by the fraternity that follows. Then, when it is now 9P a last common prayer, before returning to their cell. At 10P, the lights go out. So every day, forever. To interrupt the custom of the enclosure, there are visits. Besides the relatives of the nuns (meetings once a month), the common people, not necessarily faithful, also arrive at the monastery. The world, these women, look at him through the eyes of chi comes to see them. Yet their judgment on the present is precise: “The world has changed. In the eyes of those who pass through here we see more pain and we feel that there is less and less serenity, less spirituality of the past. They ask us to pray for them. People often come back to thank us, because something has improved in their lives ». The meeting closes with a confidence: “We were undecided whether to accept this invitation to tell us. But we believe and trust in providence and nothing happens by chance. Furthermore, the founder of our order, St. Francis de Sales, is also the protector of journalists. He will want to say something “. The doors close: outside the lights of the city, the hurried lives of many. But inside, in a cell, there are those who pray for everyone.