From July 23rd to 31st, the Krijtberg welcomes a group of young people from ‘Living Stones’. The richness of the content and the artistic beauty of our church allowed this group to carry out its apostolic activity. VISITING HOURS HERE >>
Living Stones is a community of young people that was created out of the desire to announce the Gospel by offering free guided tours on locations with Christian art. The service is carried out as a Christian community based on prayer inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. The activity in Amsterdam is considered as
a real-life Spiritual Exercise that begins with prayer and leads to prayer.
Their service always begins with waiting. The waiting time is meant to be a moment of petition for grace where the volunteer asks the Lord: “Lord, what do you want me to say to the person who is coming?” This moment of preparation for the visitor is followed by welcoming the visitor and giving the actual tour.
At the end of each visit, the volunteer invited the tourist to stop in silence at a prayer corner that was especially set up for them. In this corner the tourist could rest in adoration of the eucharist accompanied by the voice of a Living Stone singing. The volunteer himself reflected on the experience asking the Lord, “Lord, what did you say to me through this person?’’. He also prayed for the person who was entrusted to him for that short time by handing them back to the Lord.
We are very grateful for this time in Amsterdam where we experience how the heart of this city – very much like the heart of every man – has a deep desire for beauty that needs to be nourished. We also experience how the encounter with beauty moves one’s heart to the point of childlike astonishment. By showing people beauty, we allowed people to return, even if just for a small moment, to their childhood. “If you do not convert and become like children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven’’.
Rita Prota (Living Stones Rome)
