"It is the year to revalue the beauty of marriage and the Christian family."Ana, from "Madre no hay más que una": "I do not realize myself: I am in relation to others".Silvana is 46 years old and has been married to Francisco for 13 years. This Peruvian couple has three children, who are their greatest adventure. Silvana is an engineer, but the marriage and the family are the place where she does most of her work. A few years ago, she completed a Master's Degree in Marriage and the Family at the University of Navarra (Spain), which, she tells us, gave her a new perspective. She is in charge of Marriage and Family in two schools in Lima, called Villa Caritas and San Pedro.
Silvana remembers her childhood as a time filled with God, although, by her own admission, it did not last long. Although her mother "made an effort to be there every Sunday at Mass, whether she wanted to be or not," Silvana's adolescence and youth were marked by her religious coldness. It was around her thirties when she "rediscovered her faith and God, who in reality was always there".
The trigger was the decision of one of her brothers who "in the prime of his adolescence, decided to leave home to consecrate his life to Christ". Silvana tried to understand what had made her brother make that choice and "in that journey of understanding my brother and making him 'come to his senses', I was the one who came to my senses!
A "full risk" marriage
One of Silvana's passions is her marriage. She recalls how, due to her parents' separation, "I didn't know any married couples who told me that marriage was a beautiful thing. When we decided to get married, not many people were happy. They suggested that we should live together first, that we should get married with separate property..., in short. It was like preparing for disaster instead of for a life of love together". It was then that Silvana decided with her husband, a man of faith, to prepare themselves "conscientiously to understand more about the sacrament". They began a life of prayer, naturally: "We try to make the subject of faith a natural part of our talks, stories and histories. Now that I have two children in their teens, these talks have become much more interesting and challenging. It's no longer just about telling and explaining, but above all about answering their questions, listening twice as carefully to what they have inside, giving them space, and being as consistent as possible in our life of faith".
This family prayer life has evolved over time, but it maintains some practices that are now traditional: "Morning prayer, which we do together in the car; it is just an ejaculatory prayer and a brief reflection of the Gospel that lasts no more than 10 minutes on the way to school. We bless the food (and in the most unusual ways sometimes), and without fail we pray together every night. I thank God that it is my children who, every time we send them to bed, find as an excuse to earn a few extra minutes awake the phrase, 'We haven't prayed yet!'" Along with this, charity and solidarity are also part of his family's life of faith.
New challenges
The challenges of this new phase are also accompanied by the family's rhythm. mother She is currently finishing a specialization in accompaniment for love and affectivity. She is currently finishing a specialization in accompaniment for love and affectivity.
In addition to this, through training projects, "which include parenting, family, couple, sports, cultural, solidarity and even environmental topics, I seek to positively impact the bond between parents and children".
"I repeat to my children that the greatest legacy I can leave them is my life of faith. And although it sounds simple, it is quite a challenging undertaking," Silvana says of the future.
"It is not a matter of leading a perfect life, nor of showing oneself to be immaculate, that would be impossible. I believe that a life of faith implies knowing oneself to be fragile, vulnerable, in need of others, but above all of God," he says.
Silvana is very clear about what she wants to show her children and the world: "That my children know, because they have seen it, that darkness is overcome with light, and that battles are never won alone. If one wants to go far, it is better to do it accompanied, and what better company than that of God, who shows himself through those who love us the most".
