Page 28 - Michael Journal 2019 August
P. 28

We Live to Love                                                          “We are not angry at


                                                                                                                             God, since we know

                                                             and to Be Loved                                                 that it is He who is in
                                                                                                                             charge of everything.

                                                                                                                             And to understand
                                                        The  story of  28-year-old Italian  Chiara                           that God is in charge
                                                    Petrillo, who died in 2012, can be summed                                of everything is
                                                    up in two words: love and death. She and her                             one of the most

                                                    beloved husband Enrico lost their first two                              wonderful things
                                                    children soon after their births. This was bal-                          in the world.”
                                                    anced by joy when their third child was born                             (Enrico Petrillo)

                                                    and with heartbreak as Chiara prepared for
                                                    death. Nonetheless, in Chiara’s life, it was                             the pregnancy”. However, as Chi-        One month before her death, Chiara, accompanied by her husbamd En-
                                                                                                                             ara admitted: “Each time that Ma-
                                                    love that was to have the last word.                                     ria kicked, it was a gift. She truly so   rico and her son Francesco, met with Pope Benedict on St. Peter’s Square,
                                                                                                                             wanted for me to feel her… It was   at the end of the general audience, Wedneday, May 2, 2012.
                                                                                                                             as though she wanted to remind us
                                                    thing  about  them,  and  to  be  opened our hearts. Open the            that she was there for us.”        “I would like to tell                      How to love again?
                                                    ready to change and to sacri-  doors  and  grace  will  enter;               Maria  Grazia  Letizia  came  into                                    Half a year later,  Chiara and
                                                    fice; to give something up for  true  love,  eternity,  and  the         the world on June 10, 2009, and in   mothers who have                 Enrico became  expectant  parents
                                                    them.”                         sense of living will enter. This          the half hour of her earthly life she   lost children that we         again. This time they were expect-
                                                        How Can One Sustain        is  exactly  what  Maria  Grazia          managed  to delight  her parents   became mothers,                    ing a son - David Giovanni. Like his
                                                          Vulnerable Love?         Letizia accomplished. God                 and the others who met her. She                                       sister, he was also an invitation to
                                                       God very quickly blessed    commanded us to proceed                   received the sacrament of Baptism   receiving the gift of             his parents to greater love. During
                                                                                                                                                                                                   a  prenatal  examination,  it  became
                                                                                                                             which  Chiara  called  “the  greatest
                                                                                   step by step, and slowly ev-
        by Maria Zboralska                          the Petrillos’ marriage with   erything became clearer for               gift that God could have given us.”   children. It doesn’t            evident that the little boy was miss-
                                                    pregnancy.  However,  during   us. And when we discover                  Later the young mother said: “I will                                  ing  one leg  and  had  only a  stub
              hiara Corbella,  born  January  9,    a check-up in the 14th week    God’s true presence, we man-              never  forget the  moment when  I   matter how long                   of the  other.   Chiara  explained:
              1984,  was  18  years  old  when  she   of Chiara’s pregnancy, it was   age to love even more.”                saw her for the first time. I under-  they were given to              “The first time God asked us: ‘Are
        C met 23 year old Enrico Petrillo. The      discovered that the child – a                                            stood then that we would be united                                    you ready to accompany the child
        young couple fell in love immediately, but   girl – suffered from anenceph-   “During the subsequent                 forever. I was not thinking that she   us for.” (Chiara Petrillo)     to the place where I am leading
        up to the time of their marriage the rela-  aly, that is, her skull and brain   months of the pregnancy,             would only be with us for a  short   hours. The only thing that matters   you?’ We consented, and it turned
        tionship was not easy. They quarreled       had not fully developed. This   the young couple loved their             time.  It was an  unforgettable  half   is that we received them as gifts   out to be beautiful. A second time
        frequently, split up, and got back together   meant that she would not sur-  daughter in a way that con-             hour. If I had terminated the preg-  and this we can never forget.”   God asked: ‘Are you ready to wel-
        again. The character of the Petrillo’s rela-  vive long after birth. The doc-  founded those around them.            nancy, to ‘alleviate  the problem’, I   Nor was it possible to forget the   come a handicapped child, even if
        tionship changed into a mature one be-      tors alluded to the possibility   They were not embarrassed              certainly wouldn’t have thought of   little girl’s funeral. People in atten-  he will have  serious disabilities?’
        cause of two things: the marriage prepa-    of an abortion but Chiara was   by their daughter’s condition,           the day of my abortion as a happy   dance were amazed that the girl’s   Once again, our answer was ‘yes’.
        ration they received under the guidance of   appalled by the suggestion.   and spoke of her with the                 one. I would have wanted to for-   parents were dressed in white for   We were ready to accept the gift of
                                                                                   pride possessed by all expect-
        Fr. Vita D’Amat, and the sacrament of mat-  She understood that even       ant parents. For them her life            get about the day because it would   the  ceremony.  To praise God for   grace.”
        rimony, which they entered into on August   though her child would not     was not a mistake, and they               have  been one of great  suffering.   Maria Grazia Letizia, Chiara played   The  gift  of grace  appeared  in
        21, 2008 in Assisi.  It was then that Enrico   survive long after birth, it was   did not believe it would be        Instead, I will be able to remember   her  violin,  and Enrico,  his guitar.   a new guise.  Due  to a deficiency
        came to understand that “life is worth-     up to her to ensure the baby’s   better if their daughter were           the  day  of Maria’s  birth  as  one  of   They had prepared a picture of Our   of amniotic fluid in  his mother’s
        while only if you are ready to truly love”   best development throughout   different.  The  happiness  and           the most beautiful days of my life,   Lady, on the  back of which they   womb, David’s internal organs did
        ,and Chiara learned to put her faith in God,   pregnancy. She would sup-   joy evident in the faces of the           and I will be able to tell my future   had written  an emotional  letter  to   not  fully  develop.  This meant  he
        accepting that the other people in her life   port her as best as she could   baby’s parents embarrassed             children that God wanted for them   their daughter, saying: “We can get   would not live long after his birth.
        were gifts from God and not objects that    and not deprive her of her life.   not only the doctors, but             to have  a unique  little  sister who   along without everything else. We   In St. Anastasia Church, where the
        belonged to her. From that point forward    Enrico was of the same mind    also many of Chiara and En-               would be praying for them in heav-  need only to know the Father and   parents went after the doctor’s visit,
                                                                                                                             en. I would like to tell mothers who
        the spouses would repeat the words of St.   which was a great support for   rico’s friends who had heard             have lost children that we became   prepare ourselves to meet Him.    Chiara repeated once again: “I don’t
        Francis that love must be purified above    the young wife and mother.     the diagnosis and were sur-               mothers and received the gift of   You were born ready for this meet-  understand, but I consent.” Enrico
        all from the temptation of possession. Chi-  He recounted: “Maria Grazia   prised that the young couple              children. It doesn’t matter how long   ing, and we can not find the words   thought the same: “We should not
        ara wrote that: “To love someone means      Letizia  [the  name  they  had   had decided not to “terminate           they were given to us for, whether   to tell  you how proud we are  of   expect  to own anyone.  We have
        to accept that you can’t understand every-  chosen for their daughter]                                               it was a month or two, or just a few   you.”                          no right to the life of another, and  u


        28     MICHAEL  August/September 2019                                           www.michaeljournal.org               www.michaeljournal.org                                            MICHAEL  August/September 2019     29
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