Let me first thank the organizers of the Rimini Meeting: for their wonderful and challenging work and for giving me the opportunity to participate in an event so rich in content and reflections. Finding myself here, my present thoughts and my affection are turning to Don Giussani, founder of Communion and Liberation. I remember him with feelings of friendship and sincere gratitude for the contribution that the Christian movement deeply inspired by him continues to give to the society and the Church. I think of his exemplary loyalty to the Church and to the Pope; loyalty demonstrated even in difficult circumstances, when his spiritual message at times was not understood. I pray that his cause of beatification may come to fruition as soon as possible
1.The Meeting this year is inspired by the words: "Towards the margins of the world and existence." It is a recurring theme in the interventions of Pope Francis, who urges the Church to "go out" on the streets of the world to proclaim anew the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with the strength and boldness of the first evangelization. From the beginning, in fact, following in the footsteps of the Master, the early Church showed a special predilection for the poorest. Jesus shows his compassion for all men and women, especially for those most in need of his mercy. During its passage on earth, Christ was interested in the material needs of the people who followed him, the sick who approach us, sinners that He himself attracted to conversion by his grace. Retracing the Acts of the Apostles and the Letters of St. Paul we realize that the early Christians continued on the same road. Already in the first few moments the Apostles chose some in the Church to dedicate themselves to the care of orphans and widthows (cfr. Acts 6,1-6). And the same St. Paul attests that, in the early years, the Church was composed primarily of simple people, fulfilling, well, a divine plan: there are many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.

But God did chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world and what is nothing to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast before God (1 Cor 1: 26-29).

According to the model of the early Christians, the Church has always walked: Popes, bishops and priests, religious, and many lay faithful, were characterized by their dedication for the needy. It is in this climate of justice and charity, generated by Christianity, which over the centuries have arisen countless hospitals, housing for the homeless, providing shelter for the poor and orphans, schools and institutions to promote access to education of all levels, and of course churches and seminars open to all.
In the wake of this long tradition, St. Josemaria Escriva preached and taught to the faithful of Opus Dei that "a man or a society that does not react to suffering and injustice and makes no effort to alleviate, not a man or a company the height of the love of the Heart of Christ".(1)
The Church, as always, does not leave the men alone, but constantly meets their needs. A key feature of Christian, in the footsteps of the Master, is not limited only to alleviate poverty and social material of so many people, but to commit to open up to all the supernatural horizons to which God calls us.
This spiritual realm is obviously at odds with the material, but directs it and extends its meaning. Many times the urgent daily will focus primarily on the material needs of the people, because the Christian life is always built on the human foundation, but always with a look that surpasses him: "Go out to others to come to the suburbs human - wrote Pope Francesco -no mean running toward the world without direction and without direction. "(2)

The goal of the Church must always be that of offering a living witness of the Gospel, with all its consequences, natural and supernatural for each person. We must, therefore, "get out of their comfort and have the courage to reach all the suburbs that need the light of the Gospel." (3)
The universal Church is present and active in particular Churches, equipped with all the instruments of salvation given by Christ. or this reason, "the joy of communicating Jesus Christ is expressed both in its concern to announce it in other places most in need, as in a constant output to the suburbs of its territory or to the new social-cultural contexts" (4).
We must not forget that very often the "existential suburbs" which we hear about the Pope, are not far off, but next to each of us in our cities, in our work environment, among our friends, our families ... everywhere we can meet people in need of our help, our understanding, our Christian witness. In relations with every closer person, the Lord calls us to be bearers of his comfort, his peace and his joy. And this same evangelizing spirit that we want to live and show in our society, in our everyday environment, then we will witness even in the distant "suburbs" , as the Church has always taught.
I remember many conversations with bishops, priests, religious and lay people also who, driven by zeal for souls, have gone in countries of the five continents to bring the Gospel of Christ; They told me their experiences without any personal protagonism, but only with affection for the many initiatives taking place in favor of the needy. These men of God knew seeing humanity as a family, in which we are all brothers, and told wonderful adventures, true epics that often remain hidden from the eyes of men, but shine in the sight of God, as examples of heroic charity that falls of sky on the earth every day. I could dwell on these stories, feeling every time a holy pride, because the Church's holinessi emerges at the forefront. Where people grow, grows also the Church, advancing on its way. For this we rely on the treasure of many saints and martyrs who are the wealth of Catholicism and, ultimately, of the mankind itself. When I was invited to attend this Meeting, it was suggested to me to talk about my personal experience of faith. I would like to do this, however, but not talking about me, but through some events that I had the immense good fortune to contemplate the life of two giants in Faith,St.Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, and his first successor, the Servant of God Alvaro del Portillo, who will be beatified in a month. I lived for many years alongside with them and my testimony of faith is part of their memory and their example.
Thank God, every day, in every part of the world, the majority of the faithful of Opus Dei are dedicated to service to people of every condition and provenance: do not do it as a favor, but as a response of their faithful souls to Jesus Christ, who for the love of God experiences the desire and responsibility to serve his brothers.
This journey of service to souls, in the Prelature of Opus Dei was opened by St. Josemaria in person; he encouraged so many men and women to follow this call. I remember with joy, among the Gospels that he favored, that the meeting of Christ with the disciples of Emmaus. In his preaching, he dwelt with pleasure to describe that wonderful scene. Insisted that Jesus, unable to bear the loss of some disciples, decided to set out to go and look for them.
Disappointed and saddened by recent events, they returned dejected to their previous life, from which the Lord did torn them putting before their eyes supernatural wonderful adventure. Here's what words St. Josemaría retraced those moments "Jesus along the way. Lord, you are always so great! But I'm disquieted when you deign to follow us, to look for us, in the midst of our daily comings and goings. Lord, grant me the freshness of spirit, the pure look, mind clear, to be able to recognize when you come without any outward sign of your glory "(5)

2. In 1928, the year of the founding of Opus Dei, the suburbs of the capital as Madrid, in a rapid growth phase, were populated by large crowds of people who lived in miserable shacks, from long lines of suffering people welcomed in public hospitals, and many poor people who hide their poverty behind dignified appearance. He remembered well, the same St. Josemaria, just days before leaving this earth, thanking God to be his was always near the very beginning of that divine adventure. "What do people do when they want something? Using all human means. What resources are available to me? (...). I went to look fortress in the poorest neighborhoods of Madrid. Hours upon hours from everywhere, every day, walking from side to side, amidst poor with decorum and poor wretches, who did not have anything at all; among children with the snot in his mouth, dirty, but children, that souls pleasing to God (...). I spent many hours at that job, and I'm sorry that there have not been more. And then in the hospitals, in homes where there were sick, if you can call those shacks houses ... there was abandoned and sick people; some, with a disease,then incurable tuberculosis. And then, I went to look for the means to do the work of God, in all those places. Meanwhile, I worked and gave training to the first beside me. There was a nearly complete representation of classes: university, workers, small business owners, artists ... They were intense years, during which Opus Dei was growing inside without realizing it. But I wanted to tell you (...) that the human fortress of Opus Dei were the sick in hospitals in Madrid: the most miserable; those living in their homes, having lost the last human hope; the most ignorant of those extreme villages "(6)

Thus was born the Opus Dei and in this way it has developed, with the help of the Lord and his Blessed Mother. So even now continues to grow, thanks to the efforts of so many faithful of the Prelature who, following the example of St. Josemaria, living the "suburbs", close and distant, with the sole desire to serve the people, so that they grow in their dignity of men and Christians, as children of God. This commitment they share it with their friends, with work colleagues, and find that in service to their neighbors in need are always the first to draw a huge spiritual benefit. They learn to see the sick and the poor, the marginalized, a special presence of Christ. This is why the founder of Opus Dei had an unshakeable confidence in their prayers and offering to God of their illnesses and their pain. In this regard, I can think of some incidents that occurred in the early years of Opus Dei.
The first was often reminded by St. Josemaria. The protagonist was a woman, mentally retarded, to which he was giving spiritual direction, confident that no disease could prevent familiarity with God, indeed. At that time, in Madrid, was published a newspaper rabidly anti-Catholic, which got great harm to souls. San Josemaria, trusting in the power of God, working through disproportionate tools, asked the woman to pray without ceasing for its intention, which was precisely the closure of the newspaper.
Years later, in a letter of 1950, he wrote: "A short time later it was accomplished once again what the Scripture says: "stulta quae sunt mundi elegit Deus, ut confundat sapientes (1 Cor 1, 27); God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. The newspaper in question collapsed thanks to the prayers of a poor mentally retarded, which continued to pray for the same intention; and similarly collapsed a second and a third newspaper, which had succeeded the first and they too were taking serious harm to souls "(7).

The second episode that I wish to share with you, it was very personal and for this reason St. Josemaría did not tell it in public, to avoid showing off himself. It was an event to which only hinted a few times in fronf of a small number of people, leaving his memories to run.
They ran the first 30s of the last century. San Josemaria went every day to celebrate the Mass in the church of St. Elizabeth, where he was rector. Every morning he met in the same place a beggar on the road. One day he came over and said, "My daughter, I can not give you neither gold nor silver; I, a poor priest of God, I give you what I have: the blessing of God the Almighty Father. And I ask you to recommend a much my intention, that will be for the glory of God and for the good of souls. Give the Lord all that you can."
St. Josemaria told that shortly after, he realized that the usual beggar venue was gone. Later, during a visit to the sick ppeople in a hospital, he found her there seriously ill. "My daughter, what are you doing here, what's wrong?" He asked. The beggar smiled and St. Josemaria assured her that it would offer the Mass for her asking the Lord to restore her health. The woman replied: "Father, but how? You told me to recommend something that was for the greater glory of God and that I offered to the Lord everything I could: I offered everything I have, my life. "I tell you - commented the founder - who, since that poor beggar went to heaven, our Opus began to walk faster" (8).

There is another biographical memory of St. Josemaria I want to tell you, about the "existential suburbs" where God calls us to serve and accompany our brothers. In particular, this episode leaves out the subtlety of charity of the saints, who are able to take charge of the loneliness of the people around them. Saint Josemaria was preaching a retreat for priests: during those days of prayer he was trying to talk face to face with each of the participants, so to listen to them and help them in their personal struggle. He noticed that only a priest had not yet come forward to talk to him, and, after a few days, he approached him and encouraged him to confide. He found that he was suffering a lot for a tough slander of which he was falsely accused. He asked him why his brothers did not support him, and he replied: "I'm company to myself." San Josemaria suffered much in seeing the loneliness of that his brother, a priest, and told this some years later. "It made me a great pity that frost. I was young. I took and kissed his hands. She burst into tears. I think that when he left, he did not feel alone, no more."(9)
His final comment on this experience were the words that remind us of our responsibilities as Christians, the duty to serve others for the love of God: "I treated that priest as I thought that Jesus Christ would have done."

3. I would still have many memories that tell the charity and holiness of St. Josemaria in the relationship with the people closer to him or away; but I think the episodes recalled so far are simply a manifestation of this "go to the suburbs of existence", impersonating Jesus on the road to Emmaus.
The commitment lived by St. Josemaria in service to others, manifested in his constant apostolic thrust, might not have started many projects to promote social and human in the poorest countries and in poor areas of large cities. And along this path of human and professional development, it continued to engage today's men and women of the Prelature, with the help of many friends and co-operating Catholics and even non-Christians, eager to contribute to the good of the people.
That same spirit of service, the urge to reach out to others in the "existential suburbs", has been a key feature in the life of Msgr. Alvaro del Portillo, the first successor of St. Josemaría. He himself remembered as the visits to the poor and sick of the suburbs of Madrid, which carried by young with some friends and university's colleagues, prepared him for his decisive encounter with Opus Dei and the divine call to follow the Lord.
"Some colleagues in the School of Engineering took me to visit the poor, for a few months. The contact with the misery, with the abandonment, produces an enormous spiritual shock. One has to see how many times we worry about nonsenses, that are nothing more than our selfishness, meanness. We see people who suffer serious reasons - poverty, abandonment, loneliness, illness - and who are happy, because they have the grace of God. This shakes, and prepared me at the time that I have been presented to our Father "(10) [ie, St. Josemaría].
During the nearly two decades as head of Opus Dei, the Bishop Alvaro del Portillo sparked numerous initiatives of educational and vocational training. They are fruits of the priestly soul that all Christians - "priests and lay people," repeated Don Alvaro - should practice, as implementation of the character received in Baptism.
Without claiming to make an exhaustive list, I would like to recall some structures and projects that the faithfuls of the Prelature advanced with the help of many other people.
In health I would like to mention two initiatives. The first, built in 1988, is the University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, with the hospital and medical school, nursing and biomedical engineering. In 2008 was completed the construction of the current premises; the hospital is able to accommodate 400 patients and has 18 operating rooms. Next to this building today there are a research center and another for the health of the elderly. And as great detail the City of Rome has dedicated a road near to the Campus to Msgr. del Portillo. Now the University offers eight degree courses, has more than 1,000 students and the general hospital assists thousands of people.
The second initiative brings us in Africa: is the Centre Hospitalier Monkole, built on the Kinshasa's outskirts during a trip of Msgr. Alvaro del Portillo in Congo, in 1989. During his stay in the country, Don Alvaro heard the desire of Card. Laurent Monsengwo - at that time President of the Episcopal Conference of Congo - which was aware of the need to have a well equipped hospital to serve the people and also to the many priests, religious and missionaries, etc., who worked in the country.
Msgr. Del Portillo proposed to some faithful of the Opus Dei to start a project in the health sector. Today the hospital Monkole provides specialized medical care (in gynecology, surgery, internal medicine and pediatrics) in outpatient or hospitalization and promotes health education, especially in matters concerning particularly widthespread diseases. Three satellites hospital clinics provide health care in poor neighborhoods. Are also associated with the hospital a school that every year form 50 new nurses, and a center for continuing education for physicians. We produce more than 50,000 annual health checks.
Among the educational projects undertaken by Msgr. Portillo in the developing countries, I would like to recall the Pedreira Educational and Welfare Center, located in a neighborhood near San Paulo. The social conditions of the area were among the most deteriorated in the city and many young people were in danger of yielding to the real crime, violence and drugs. Msgr. Alvaro del Portillo encouraged the birth of that initiative. Now, every year, the center Pedreira receives hundreds of pupils. It also organizes courses in basic training, for children from 10 to 14 years, and professional courses in the field of computer networks, administration and telecommunications, for young people between 15 and 17 years.
Within thas work, in Guatemala City arose El Instituto para la promoción de la responsabilidad social empresarial. It is a center of study and research, which aims to disseminate the principles of ethics and social responsibility within the business. It was founded in 1991 at the suggestion of Msgr. Alvaro del Portillo was studied in depth so that the study and practice of the encyclical Centesimus Annus of St. John Paul II. "We do everything possible - wrote in a pastoral letter - that the principles of the social doctrine of the Church are known and put into practice." In Uruguay there's the Asociación Uruguaya de Escuelas Familiares Agrarias, whose purpose is to raise the quality of work in the fields, giving more dignity to farmers, helping them to improve their living conditions and that of their families. The first center was opened in 1980; in addition to refresher permanent courses, it imparts basic secondary education to 68 pupils. In March of 1999 the activities have started the second center which houses about 50 pupils. Msgr. Alvaro del Portillo gave an important impetus to the work of the association, in particular in the course of an interview in Rome, in 1987, with one of its leaders. To date, the institution has provided 485 of the rural people the skills they need to develop their own career plan. In the eighties, a group of women from different professions, as the result of the training received in the Prelature, began to carry out vocational education in Brixton, a multiethnic area of ​​south London. In addition to encouraging people who carried out the initiative, Msgr. del Portillo, during a trip to London in 1987, blessed the structure. In 1992, the civil authorities of the area decided to take action to expand the buildings. Now more than 500 women from 48 countries participate in the courses of Baytree and, through the Homework Club, he worked in the study and in the education of 900 children. Meanwhile it provides vocational training to many mothers and try to ensure that they themselves can help the children in the study.
Projects such as those described above are present in sixty countries where the Prelature of Opus Dei plays stably its apostolates: from the Philippines to Bolivia, from the US to Nigeria or Cameroon, Lithuania and Sweden to Australia or New Zealand. Some are large-scale projects , others are obviously less; but, as often Don Alvaro said , "everything is great if you do it with love"; and "God wants to use little things to put on them the lever of his mercy and lift the world".
Faith and the decision of Msgr. Alvaro del Portillo in promoting all these initiatives came from the example and teaching of St. Josemaria, who always considered that God had inspired the opera to serve the Church and therefore all mankind. In 1957, by order of Pope Pius XII, was asked to the Founder of Opus Dei to take charge of the pastoral care of one of the territorial prelature of Peru. When he was asked to choose one, St. Josemaria said Msgr. Samore, Secretary of the Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs (now the second Section of the Secretariat of State): "Say to the Holy Father that offers these prelatures to other institutions of the Church; you can leave us those who do not want others." Then he took the priests who would make up the presbytery, and handed them some tips derived from his pastoral practice. Among others told them to always remember that in the world there is only one race, the race of the children of God. From that territorial prelature, where there was not even a native priest, after that was erected the minor seminary there have been formed 52% of the incardinated priests, faithful to the Church, the Pope, at their Ordinary.

4.I would not say any more. But, before ending, I want to mention two projects. The first is an initiative founded in 2002, after the canonization of St. Josemaria, called Africa Harambee, which initiated programs of human and social development in a dozen countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Finally, in recent months, not far from Jerusalem, started the project of construction of Saxum, an initiative in memory of Don Alvaro. This Latin word, "saxum" - rock - was the family nickname that our Father had given to his son that in the early days, when he realized that the Lord had put his side because he was a strong support, as safe as a rock, in the task of building the Opus that God had given him. I ask you all to pray for the speedy implementation of this project. Saxum aims to make aware people that travel to the Holy Land for religious reasons or tourism, the great spiritual riches of the places sanctified by the physical presence of our Lord. We want to be a tool to ensure that the pilgrims, tourists, etc., may have in their lives an opportunity for a spiritual conversion. Providence has meant that buildings under construction arise just down the road to Emmaus; the same that Jesus walked on the day of resurrection, in search of two disciples who were discouraged and were returning to the "periphery" from which were redeemed from the Lord's call. I think it's time to stop now. Thank you for your patience and attention. Please pray for me and for these apostolates of the faithful of the Prelature of Opus Dei; but especially I ask you to always pray for the person and intentions of the Holy Father. Thank You.

references
1) Christ is Passing By, n. 167.
2) Evangelii gaudium, n. 46.
3) Ibid., N. 20.
4) Ibid., N. 30.
5) Friends of God, no. 313.
6) Notes of a meditation in Rome, 19-III-1975. See. Salvador Bernal, Msgr. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer. Notes for a profile of the founder of Opus Dei, Milan, Ares 1985, pp. 192-193.
7) Letter 7-X-1950, n. 12.
8) See José Miguel Cejas, beating your paces. José María Somoano and the beginnings of Opus Dei, Milan, Ares 1997, p. 119. 9) See. Andrés Vázquez de Prada, The Founder of Opus Dei, vol. II, Leonardo International 2003, p. 424.
10) Álvaro del Portillo, Words spoken in a family meeting, March 4, 1988; in Javier Medina, Alvaro del Portillo. The first successor of St. Josemaría as head of Opus Dei. Ares, Milan, 2014, p. 59. The expression "our Father" refers to St. Josemaría Escrivá.