Ave Generosa

A different way of living, or newness of life, consists in the fact that a man pursues his destiny in all things – pursues Christ, his destiny, in all things; once he has known Him, he pursues Christ, his destiny, in all things.
Hundreds of thousands, millions of people have lived in this way and created a new civilization. Pursuing destiny in all things – “Whether you eat or drink.” Was the monastery of Cluny (I take Cluny as just one example) with the hundreds of women and men who were in it, an environment that was scarcely bearable, arid, meaningless and uninspiring? No, for those men and women, it was emotively the source where they found most enrichment. When we listen to the songs of Hildegard of Bingen we hear the words and music of a woman who was closed within four walls. If we listen carefully, we have to admit with astonishment, “If we compare our so-called civilization, with that of Hildegard, ours is barbaric!” Civilization is not the discovery of new mechanisms, particularly suited for going to the moon or to Mars, or even for pulling out the roots of your whiskers instead of just the hair itself, so that you don’t have to shave again for three days …

(Excerpt from the introduction by Luigi Giussani to the booklet enclosed in the CD)