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20 Dec 2011 | Focolare Worldwide
Now it’s up to us.” “It will be a great feast and an historic event as well.” “An important step in the formation of the new generations in Africa.” This is how some youths of the Focolare Movement describe the upcoming Pan-African Gen Congress which is scheduled to take place in a Focolare town in Kenya, known as Mariapolis Piero (27-31 December 2011.) At The Roots. “Pope Benedict XVI’s recent Apostolic Letter ‘Porta Fidei’ and the upcoming Synod of bishops on the New Evangelization,” the youths continue to explain, “were a strong call for us. We feel it vitally important to respond to the challenge already offered to us by John Paul II in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation ‘Ecclesia in Africa,’ that is, the need for inculturation and the priority he gave to this for a real rooting of the Gospel in Africa.” It is the first time that the Gen Movement promotes such an event on the African continent with youths arriving from 15 Sub-Saharan African countries, who are very involved in the Focolare as Gen. Some 200 youths between the ages of 19 and 30, will find themselves in a festive but also reflective climate in which they will enter more deeply into the heritage of Chiara Lubich, her spirituality of unity, the life of the Gospel. “Over here where we are, ask the Gen from Africa, “where the youths are more and more quickly being absorbed by the materialistic mentality, is it still possible to make powerful and radical choices?” The Objective.The over-all project, which includes the Pan-African Congress, will last for a year and include an on-site formation process and day meetings for proclaiming the Gospel life involving the greates number of youths. Then there will be a concluding seminar at the international headquarters of the Focolare, which will culminate at an audience with the Holy Father, a visit to the sites of the first Christian martyrs in Rome and an immersion into the heart of Catholicism. Finally there will be an on-site evaluation and local congresses for the enrichment of local the Christian communities with experiences of life and proposals for new projects. The Challenge. Gathering 200 youths from countries so far away from each other could seem like an impossible task. As James says: “Most of us are students and those who work have low pay jobs.” The Gen have been working since last year, gathering the monies necessary for travel expenses so that – through a great communion of goods – every geographic region can be represented at the Congress. 
Africae munus, which the Pope personally delivered to the peoples of Africa during his recent visit to Benin. There he invited the youths not to be discouraged and not to give up their ideals. “The future is in the hands of those who are able to find strong reasons to live and hope (. . .) it’s in your hands” (Benedict XVI, n.63 Apostolic Exhortation Africae munus). Focolare president Maria Voce also sent a message to the Gen in Africa: “If you always keep the presence of Jesus among you during the days of your congress, then you will see an explosion of new joy and new life among the Gen who will attend. Forward then, with courage and enthusiasm! Have love as the basis of all that you do, and then every small thing that you do will have profound meaning and will become another stone for the building and growth of the Gen Movement in Africa.” [nggallery id=80]
16 Dec 2011 | Focolare Worldwide
Those who wish to participate, even with a “one off” contribution can use the current account at: Associazione Azione per un Mondo Unito, presso Banca Popolare Etica, filiale di Roma. Code IBAN: IT16GO501803200000000120434 Code SWIFT/BIC CCRTIT2184D Cause: “Micro credit projects in Burundi”. Further information can be accessed in project form.
![Africa, “Now It’s Up To Us”]()
15 Dec 2011 | Focolare Worldwide
Radicalità, comunione e spiritualità.Radicalism, communion, and spirituality. This is what the young religious desire for their future consecrated life. This emerged from a survey carried out on the eve of the V Meeting on Consecrated Life held in Rome, on the 3rd December, on the initiative of the male and female consecrated religious of the Focolare Movement, in collaboration with the Institute of Theology Claretianum. Two points constituted the core of the survey: one positive and the other negative on Consecrated Life: “I would like the consecrated life I live to be more… I would like the consecrated life I live to be less…” Regarding the negative dimension, it emerged that they reject formality and denounce activism. Based on the results of the survey, the title of the meeting was-“Saints together”-and it proposed the spirituality of communion as the way to common sanctity. The interventions in the hall were various: the archbishop Joao Braz of Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for the Institutes of consecrated life and Societies on Apostolic Life, the Rector of the Pontifical University Urbaniana, Father Fabio Ciardi of the Missionaries Oblates of Mary Immaculate who was entrusted with the theme: “ The spirituality of communion, way to sanctity.” This was followed by a series of lived experiences related by male and female religious. And at the end Lucia Abignente from the Chiara Lubich Centre, presented a short historical “excursus” of the thoughts of Chiara Lubich on the sanctity of the people and she introduced two short films. 
The second part of the meeting was introduced by an exceptional witness, Chiara Luce Badano, proclaimed blessed on the 25th September, of the past year. She was presented by the Gen, the youths of the Focolare Movement. Born in 1971 Chiara Luce is a contemporary person: “ through her life- explains Tiziana Longhitano sfp– she told us that sanctity is possible even today, that it is possible also for us. Chiara Luce seems to us to be the expression of a shared way. She did not become a saint alone; her parents accompanied her. Other friends also took part in her way, and they became involved in the reciprocity of Trinitarian Love.” “You are a true sign of God to the world and to us consecrated persons- said one of the participants at the end of the meeting-. Your witness infects youths and all those that have the opportunity to know you.”
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14 Dec 2011 | Senza categoria
«Since Christmas is regarded by so many as one great celebration among many, more sumptuous than sacred, it is good to look back on some of the authentic sides of the event. There is an abysmal difference between the birth of a mighty earthly potentate of which the ancient world dreamt and the hidden and unnoticed birth of Jesus. And it is this contrast that marks with infinite and unforeseen originality the birth of Christ the King, born of a poor maiden in a stable cold and bare. He really didn’t look like a God. The start of his revolution in this way provides no prideful aspect, but only humility, for drawing the sons of God to Heaven, beginning with those who slept in the dirt – the slaves, the unemployed, the outsiders: the scum. With this tiny infant, love and freedom were born. This is the endless discovery. The universal love which he teaches will annihilate the system of co-existence largely comprised of political arrogance, abuse of authority, idle usury, contempt for work, degradation of women, corrosive envy as the basis of a system which is imposed on millions of slaves, people without rights, truly the living dead. Of course, for those who are grafted into this system, proclaiming such a tiny infant, is total madness, inconceivable and it could cost you your head: “You will be hated by all nations because of me.” Blessed are the poor. And blessed are those who become poor in order to help the poor. Blessed are you who are now hungry. . . but woe to you rich.” Imagine the rage, the scandal of those for whom money was the supreme good and a blessing from God. They went on killing each other only to possess a few more acres than the ones they already owned. They unleashed riots and created demagogic uprisings and were taken by swollen livers and heart attacks in order to puff up their profits. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. . . To those who strike you on the right cheek, offer the other as well. . . Give to those who ask, and ask nothing in return. . . Your ancient ancestors said: Do not murder: whoever murders will be brought before the judge. . . But I say to you: whoever grows angry with his brother will be brought before the judge. . .” The greatness of this tiny infant appeared threatening to the honor of the soldiers and the war industries; whereas not hating your brother is equivalent to putting an end to fighting, faction and violence. This greatness would turn society – poor us! – into a peaceful coexistence. Living in peace would allow us to make every day Christmas. And this is the revolution of Christ: opposed to the curse of death; continually making us to be reborn. And so the greatest commandment – he said – is to love the human person, and it is the way to love God. Love others to the point of giving our lives for them, not to the point of killing them. This, briefly, is the meaning of Christmas for humankind, granted to us in order to raise us to divinity. It changes our past way of life with the end of wars, ugly passions and greed. It is the beginning of universal love, which makes “all one” and allows for no division of caste, class, or politic. With his life and death Jesus preaches and teaches life. But evildoers don’t want life; they want death. And so they have been working with united effort today, with atomic weapons, the poisoning of the environment, anarchy in the fields of the distribution of oil and food supplies, a fitting end for humankind. Many delude themselves playing with mythologies. They love peace and come up with war treaties; they seek economic equality, as with class hatred they enliven conflict and trigger disorder and unnecessary strikes that bring harm to ordinary citizens. They awaken (. . .) the desire for a supposedly “strong” regime, believing that this will enable them to live in peace. In keeping with Christmas we celebrate with cake if it helps to inspire love; but above all we celebrate reconciliation, which puts an end to diseases of the spirit and brings you more health. We celebrate in gratitude to the Lord and to Mary who have suffered in order to teach us and help us to put an end to our suffering». In: «Città Nuova», 1974, n.24.
