Page 49 - Emailing SANTITA FAMIGLIE_ENG

2. “makinG oneselF a servant”
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Feeling that they were each other’s Servants went against the
Renaissance idea of freedom, but Luigi and Maria were not afraid to
go against the tide: their love was more important than their youthful
ideals. Their love was not of mutual submission, but the conscious
choice of dedicating a lot of attention to one another, as well as care
and thoughtfulness, so that the other would be fulfilled and happy.

With these words Maria described love: «The desire to gladden,
relieve, make someone happy - to please them with constant attention
and delicate care [...] when all this becomes almost a prayer in the
devotion to a very dear and worthy person – who is your spouse, father,
friend, sweetest son – this is love» .
18
«Give him/her the joy of feeling loved, surrounded, covered with
every constant and most loving kindness» .
19
«Their life as a couple was a true contest of respect, dedication,
loving dependence and mutual obedience, in a common search for the
“best” for each other» .
20

«Love is a gift: I give love and it comes back to me twice as much. EVERYDAY LIFE OF THE BELTRAME QUATTROCCHI FAMILY
And so it was for them: it was a game of loving each other more, of
taking the other’s position. If one liked something, the other really liked
it. And if there was an argument, it was because he wanted to do what
she liked and she wanted to do what he liked. If there was discussion...
but there was such an understanding. And we grew up in that kind of
environment» . (their son, Fr. Tarcisio)
21

ideas For reFlection

• Do I really want every member of my family to feel accomplished
and happy?
• What care, attention, kindness did I receive in my family? Did
I give thanks?
• What care, attention and consideration was I able to give in my
family? Did I do this without expecting anything in return?

18 Ivi, p. 15.
19 Ibidem.
20 Erminia Catapano, Vincenzo Angrisani, Mistica Coniugale, op. cit., p. 29.
21 Cf. Beati Maria e Luigi Beltrame Quattrocchi <www.caritas-ticino.ch>.