Among the novelties, the long-awaited section entitled LOVE, which regards the spirituality that Chiara Luce lived, some updates about the projects that are being brought ahead by the Chiara Badano Foundation, the section on “At Sassello” regarding the Centre of Spirituality at La Maddalena, a small hamlet in Sassello, which was the birthplace of Chiara Luce. The “Publications” link provides news editorials, CDs and DVDs. The languages have also increased with the addition of Portuguese. The common denominator of the site is the desire to spread the message of this young witness of the Gospel to “make her bright light shine on the lampstand.”

Chiara Luce is also on Facebook . Her Facebook page is widely appreciated with over 54,000 contacts. But beyond the numbers, the life and depth of Chiara Luce continues to uplift and to spread: “I’m feeling a bit down,” one person writes, “and then you appear with that candid expression on your face and that genuine smile of yours, your eyes filled with love. And like magic my heart is calmed. Thanks.”

So, while some Christians emphasize the apostolic mandate to go out and preach to all nations, baptizing them, Lubich emphasized John’s mandate for those who came to be part of the Focolare Movement (the ecclesial movement that grew up around Lubich): “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

The excerpts from Chiara Lubich’s writings that are collected here reflect the deep union with God that she experienced individually and as part of the Body of Christ as she put this “pearl” of the Gospel into practice.

Available from: New City Press (NY)

(1) Recognize the need;

(2) Start from being united;

(3) Proceed one person at a time, with love;

(4) Don’t make yourself the measure of truth. Truth is a person. It is Jesus;

(5) embrace the cross, and let Jesus’ love transform division.

His observations come from years of experience with ecumenists, and his optimism that unity is inevitable is evidence that faith and hope undergird the challenges that abide our daily choice to build Christian unity by the way we love one another.

Available from New City Press (NY)

“In the rural areas of Bujumbura, in the Commune of Mutimbuzi, there is a camp for displaced people called ‘Maramvya’ where one of our projects is underway that provides assistance to families. The displaced families have been forced to move two times in the course of a month, settling first in an area on the outskirts of Bujumbura – a swamp – then on land near to the airport in the Commune of Butirere. The new settlement, however, is farther from the city and more difficult to reach.

For around four months families have been assigned lots upon which they can build their houses. I was able to see that some have already begun to put up a few simple little houses made of mud and straw. But many are lacking the necessary means and the land will be sold at a low price to speculators who are interested in building large Real Estate.

At the time of my arrival a session was being held beneath a large tent, the collection of personal information by a young woman from CASOBU so that families and children could be registered in the Commune and have access to health and educational services.

This registration process is rather complicated because the people passed under the administration of two previous communes. So each individual has to be checked again in order to see if they had been registered previously or not, and the eventual changes made to their documents. This is all done manually and is therefore very tedious and time-consuming.

The water situation, there is only one public distribution point, with only one fountain about half a kilometer from the settlement, I saw a small crowd of women and children there. From what they say, it seems that the queues begin early in the morning at around three o’clock and go on for many hours. We spoke with the mayor and learned that there is a study underway on a project for the entire north region of the city, with adequate pipe diameter and flow rate, and a tank for collecting water right next to the field. Nevertheless, while awaiting the project to be realized, CASOBU will examine other possible short-term solutions that will alleviate at least some of the difficulty of the local population to provide water for itself.

Source: Action for a United World online

Project overview

How to help: Burundi, Campo sfollati Maramvya

Reddy had arrived in Italy from the southeastern state of Andra Pradesh, India through the help of some missionaries who had brought Christianity to his lands. Many young people from India had begun to ‘flee’ to the West in order to become rich, but Reddy promised that he would return as a medical missionary once he had completed his studies.

Fascinated by the concrete love of the focolarini, he desired to go to Fontem, Africa, where many focolarini were working as medical doctors for the nearly extinct Bangwa tribe. “I began to feel an overwhelming fascination for that experience of service,” he would later recount. However, through his contact with the focolarini, Reddy began to realize that his path was different than theirs. He would follow the tradition of his fathers and marry Gertrude, a young woman who had been chosen for him by his parents. He would return to India and serve his own people there.

When he arrived in Suryapet where he had been born, he began to work at a local hospital in 1975. The work was quite intense, as he confided to Chiara Lubich in a letter: “I’d like to be like the grain of wheat that is buried, so that it can bear much fruit.”

And this is exactly what happened. In 1980 a focolare was opened in Bombay and in the following year the first Indian Mariapolis was held. Reddy’s contribution was substantial, sharing some of his experiences on living the Word at work, at home and in the parish. It was quite a novelty for those listening to hear an Indian, a professional a man from the village talking like that, and many were deeply touched. Many became interested in the Movement and followed his example.

He gave of himself in many ways to the first focolarini who went to India. Being an Indian, he knew how to help them fit into the culture of his people. “During a period of great tension between Hindus and Muslims,” one of them recalls, “during one gathering, I felt like I was going to faint from exhaustion. I managed to make it to my room and went to bed. Shortly afterwards, Reddy arrived. He sat by my bedside and remained there in silence. It was like having a father or brother nearby.”

On June 17, 1999 he died when he was hit by an automobile.

His wife and children found a way to keep his memory alive. On a piece of land that belonged to the family, they opened an orphanage that bears his name. Thus Reddy who put aside his dreams of a brilliant career and of being a missionary to the world, will continue to be remembered in the place where he chose to remain and practice the Gospel.

This forgetfulness is summed up in our forgetfulness of God. If we recognize God, we become free with respect to the people of this earth. These people then become our brothers and sisters, and the only attitude we owe them is love. Rediscovering the human person, we come back to seeing the person’s dignity. In a person’s limitations we see the greatness, even while realizing the wretchedness. He or she may collapse, but will remain God’s offspring. The wretchedness belongs to the individual, but the greatness of the individual is conferred by One who is greater. This One wants us in our trials to grow as ourselves, to use misfortune to exercise the great virtues, justice, charity, piety; to value death as giving life, financial poverty as giving spiritual richness, to such a point that our heritage should be the heritage of the spirit, and that our dignity does not depend upon our financial condition, but upon our strength of character, our heroic resignation, our victory where, for us and in us, evil leads back to good.

If we pass through wretchedness and become wretched also in our souls, if we react to the negative and become ugly, if we collapse prostrate in despair and utter exhaustion, we foolishly squander our efforts, soiling our tears without dignity, starving our soul. Heroic love transforms pain into joy, our sufferings into tools for spiritual exercises: misfortunes place before each of us the demand for holiness, and, that is, for perfect humanity, made perfect by grace.

Excerpt from Igino Giordani, La rivolta morale [The Moral Revolt], (Rome: Capriotti, 1945)

www.iginogiordani.info

Level zero in which the members of both religions meet and come to know one another. Level one is a further step in which there is mutual respect and understanding. Fear of being interpolated by the “other” no longer exists.

Dialogue at the second level proposes that the persons involved are disposed that the other – Christian or Jew – has a genuine influence with their own religious convictions and is prepared to allow them* to be positively transformed.

This, of course, does not mean to question the religious identity of each person and even less “syncretism.” This proposal consists in allowing each party to use a spiritual language that allows everyone to come together.

“I must say that I have attended many such interreligious events over the years, but never have I taken part in one like this. It has been rare in my life to see together (as I have seen here) 4 rabbis from different currents of Judaism and a large group of lay experts discussing common themes of dialogue (30 from Argentina, USA, Italy and Uruguay), working with a totally unique methodology.

Usually each participant speaks of one’s own religion, comments on one’s own texts, and cites one’s own authors. Here the Christians commented on Hebrew texts and Hebrews commented on Christian texts. They did not draw on the wealth of ideas of philosophers or theologians who are famous in their fields, but they were rather examinations that focused on the impact these documents had produced on the readers themselves, a spiritual impact, in particular, and of deep substance.

The texts of Hebrew spirituality and texts of the spiritual patrimony that have been left to us by founder of the Focolare Movement, Chiara Lubich, were examined through a different lens than usual.

I use a metaphor from the world of cybernetics. It is now known that the web 2.0 will soon open new forms of communication through internet. Dialogue 2.0 is also a step forward. This will mean giving up the securities we’ve acquired until now in order to integrate the same elements as always, but in a new way. This will be more adapted to the building up of newer and deeper forms of interreligious encounter and, ultimately, a more fraternal society. We’ve experienced it during these days.

By Francisco Canzani

The project began in Budapest in 2006 during the Volunteersfest, an international event that gathered thousands at the Hungarian capital. The title of the event was “The world is but one country. We are waves upon the same sea, leaves of the same tree, flowers of the same garden.” There a project was launched for promoting academic scholarships for African students from different areas, along with an idea of making one’s own city a place in which the culture of brotherhood shines. One group of volunteers that attended from Aljucer decided to act on the proposal.

“We felt called upon, and in 2007 began to obtain legal status for an association that would help achieve our goal: making Aljucer a place that promotes a culture of brotherhood. Many activities followed, even with other associations, but our main project continues to be the “Brotherhood with Africa” project.” Every year we put up posters. Local businesses help to spread the project by donating products that can be raffled off at the benefit dinner. The monies collected are added to the scholarship fund.    

“The benefit dinner is a yearly event that everyone looks forward to. We are joined by new people every year. We never had more than 90 dinner guests before, but this year we had 125 – quite a number for a country like ours which has been hit by so many crises.” During the evening there was a presentation of the project: the number of scholarships thus far, the amount of money that has been collected, the academic areas in which the scholarships have been applied and the experiences of students. Following the presentation there was the gift drawing and conclusion with some local performing artists. Among the artists, for the first time, was Carlos Pinana di Cartagena, a ‘flamenco’ guitarist and professor at the Conservatory of Murcia. Together with four of his students he offered us a fine concert of ‘flamenco’ guitar music.”

“We were happy,” the animators of the event say, “because we believe that these events served a bit in promoting a culture of brotherhood. A culture that makes us equals, that makes us feel that we are brothers and sisters, which is a sufficient reason to work for each other, with each other.”

Source: www.amu-it.eu

The week began with a celebration of unity, called “Bridge”. Everyone, linked up with Jerusalem and with the Youth for a United World from other Philippine cities, then set out for the various projects around the city: from nutrition programs to environmental projects, from hospital visits to projects in favor of the less fortunate. 379 young people signed up from Manila alone.  

They went to Sulyap ng Pag-asa, a residential center served by the Focolare in the crowded and deprived areas of Quezon City. The Youth for a United World carry out regular activities in favor of nutritional assistance.

At the Sinag Hospital, which desires to respond to the invitation of Jesus to love the poorest, they have experienced that by spending their time with the patients, their own problems seemed small.

Another activity took place at Boys Town, a home for hundreds of street children, run by the Department of Welfare. There they met children between the ages of 8 and 17. They spent time together, caring, singing and dancing. The Youth for a United World were also invited to share their secret, “the art of loving.” The children in turn offered some of their own songs and dances. The Munting tahanan ng Nazareth is a centre for the physically and mentally handicapped. One Youth for a United World explained: “With our visit, we wanted to share God’s love that is present in all of our hearts, no matter who we are.” Young women who have been victims of abuse live at Marillacc Hills where, for some time, young women of the Focolare have been going to visit them. Because of the trust that has been built, the centre also allowed the young men to take part in the activity.

Then there were the ongoing projects in the Bukas Palad (open hands) centres, social projects of the Focolare that were begun to respond to the widespread poverty. With their motto, ‘Freely you have been given, freely must you give,’ they are providing services in the fields of health, education and community building. The young people went to both the Social Centre in Tramo, Pasay and Tambo, Paranaque, and in La Union in the north. In the first centre they took part in an ecological project to clean up a creek, which involved many of the local youths who were also happy to make their quarter a more clean and livable place to live. In the second center in the north of the Philippines they created six workshops, from kitchens to basketball matches involving 55 children. Other activities in the north included an ecological project for cleaning Pagudpud, a popular tourist destination. There was also Fazenda U-Day in Masbate, where people were invited to come with their friends for a few hours of music and experiences on how to live and promote brotherhood.    

At the conclusion of the week, the young people met again for a day entitled, “Bridge 2.0, a project for unity.” It was the moment, now that the activities were over, to make a commitment for the future. By adding their signatures to a large bulletin board, each one could commit him or herself to be a bridge for a united world.

The Philippine Youth for a United world underscored it, borrowing some words from Focolare president, Maria Voce when she spoke to some youths gathered in Loppiano, Italy, on May 1^st : “Once you’ve built a bridge, if no one walks over it, it’s useless. The purpose of a bridge is to unite. It’s there inviting you to cross it and meet. Don’t become weary. The bridge is there for this reason. Taking the first step means turning toward the young people around you, those next to you, saying or showing that you are truly disposed to do something for them and with them.”

I learned very early on in life to participate in the transformation of the society I live in. Thus one of the objectives of my life has been to create a new and just society in which the human person is the focus and there is concern for all members of the community. I decided to become a doctor in order to put myself at the service of my brothers and sisters.

When I finished my studies in medicine, I found myself having to face a tremendous challenge: working conditions were increasingly degrading, earnings were negligible. The material earnings for a doctor did not lead to professional conscientiousness and honesty. The only way to survive was to work in international organizations or in private clinics.

Many of my medical colleagues emigrated to Europe or to the United States. At one point I was tempted to do the same. After talking it over with my wife, we decided to stay in our country and accept the situation: poor patients, difficult working conditions, lack of materials and at times, insidious corruption.

I found courage in working together with doctors of the Focolare Movement and others who, like me, had the patient’s well-being at heart.In the beginning we were frightened by the possibility of being infected by the virus: poor hygienic conditions and inadequate healthcare structures did not offer any guarantee. During that period, our country was immersed in a socio-economic and political crisis. We no longer received any international aid. Then the war broke out with the load of dramas that every conflict brings. It was very difficult to treat the patients with AIDS, but we continued and it was really an opportunity to live love in a concrete way.

Our activities concretely focused on the treatment and prevention of AIDS.

With regard to the treatment of AIDS patients, with the help of AMU, we were able to build a complete healthcare facility with a lab for analyses. Furthermore, a treatment program began based on specific medicines, finally available also in Africa and guaranteed to everyone, including the poorest. Everything was the result of recent choices made by the UN to implement strategies aimed at defeating AIDS.

With regard to prevention, a systematic formation program began for educators and advertisement specialists aimed at intervening on the psychological, sociological and moral levels with young people and families, so as to bring about a change of behaviour in the population. The main content of the courses consists in giving complete and correct information on the transmission and prevention of the virus.

In fact, some think that it comes from manipulations of lab tests; others see it as coming from God because of sin, almost like a sort of punishment. These ideas, often linked to the African culture, are very difficult to weed out. This is why we try to go more deeply into the origin of the illness, the effects of the virus on the immune system and the means for preventing AIDS.

Besides the development of productive activities to improve basic nutrition, we also tried to guarantee psycho-social support for the patients and their families».

 (M.M. Congo)