April 2011
But in the end he submits completely to the Father’s will:
“Not what I will, but what you will.”
Jesus knows that his passion is not a chance event, nor simply a decision taken by men, but rather, a design of God. He will be taken to trial and rejected by men, but the “cup” comes from the hands of God. Jesus teaches us that the Father has a design of love for each one of us, that he loves us personally, and if we believe in this love and reciprocate with our love — this is the condition — he directs all things toward good. For Jesus nothing happens by chance, not even his passion and death. And this was followed by the Resurrection, whose solemn feast we are celebrating this month. The example of the risen Jesus should be a light for our life. We should interpret all that happens to us, all that takes place, all that is around us and even all that makes us suffer as something that God wills or that he permits, because he loves us. So then everything will have meaning in life, everything will be extremely useful, even what might seem in that moment to be incomprehensible and absurd, even what might plunge us into mortal anguish, as happened to Jesus. With him we need only to repeat, with an act of total trust in the Father’s love:
“Not what I will, but what you will.”
His will is that we live, that we joyfully thank him for the gifts of our life. His will is not, as we might sometimes think, something that we must resign ourselves to, especially when we encounter suffering. Nor is it merely a sequence of monotonous acts that we carry out in our lifetime.It is his voice that continues to make itself heard within, inviting us. It is his way of expressing his love and bringing us to the fullness of his life. We could depict it with the image of the sun, whose rays are like his will for each one of us. Each one walks along a ray, distinct from the ray of the person next to us, but always along a ray of the sun, that is, the will of God. So we all do only one will, that of God, but it is different for each one of us. Furthermore, the closer the rays come to the sun, the closer they come to one another. For us too, the closer we come to God, by carrying out the divine will more and more perfectly, the closer we draw to one another … until we are one. By living in this way, everything changes in our life. Instead of associating only with people we like and just loving them, we seek the company of whomever God wills us to be with. Instead of preferring the things that please us the most, we look after those that the will of God suggests to us, and we give preference to them. Being completely intent on doing the divine will in each moment (“what you will”) will lead to our being detached from everything else, and from ourselves as well (“not what I will”). This detachment is not something deliberately sought after — we seek God alone — but in actual fact it is attained. Then our joy will be full. We need only to immerse ourselves entirely in each fleeting moment and in that instant carry out the will of God, repeating:
“Not what I will, but what you will.”
The past no longer exists; the future is not yet here. Just as someone traveling by train would never think of walking up and down the aisle to reach his destination sooner but remains seated, so we should remain in the present. The train of time moves ahead on its own. We can love God only in the present moment given to us by saying our own “yes” — a vigorous, total, very active “yes” to his will. So let us be happy to give that smile, carry out that job, drive that car, prepare that meal, organize that activity. Let us love all those who are suffering around us.Not even trials or sufferings should frighten us if, with Jesus, we recognize God’s will in them, that is, his love for each one of us. Indeed, we could pray in this way:“Lord, help me not to fear anything, because all that will happen will be nothing other than your will! Lord, help me not to desire anything, because nothing is more desirable than your will. What matters in life? What matters is doing your will. Grant that nothing may depress me or exalt me, because in everything I find your will.” Chiara Lubich
[:it]Messaggio di Maria Voce a Nichiko Niwano e alla Risshō Kōsei Kai
[:it]Giappone/5 [:de]Japan/5: Solidarität und Freundschaft mit der Rissho Kosei kai
Maria Voce in the USA
Here in Luminosa, the Focolare town for North America, the welcome was second to none. For the visit of Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti it was as if the unusually long winter had been prearranged, so that the snow on the ground would enhance the appearance of the buildings surrounded by woods and grassy banks. While the two important guests were visiting the offices of Living City and New City Press, a group of agile deer passed by just 10 meters away from the surprised visitors. “It never happened before’, the residents exclaimed. “Its the presence of the media” was the thought of others.
After Montreal, the president of the Focolare had arrived in Luminosa, the first step of her ‘discovery’ of the USA after a day’s journey by car, which included the usual border procedures of digital photos and electronic fingerprints. It is the first time that the President and the Co-President visit the USA. Their arrival in the Focolare town – located in the Hyde Park area, two hours by car from New York, where President Roosevelt used to spend Christmas – was met by scenes of celebration. At the entrance to the town, a colorful banner festooned with balloons began the festive welcome, below the US flag of stars and stripes and the focolare flag, a big golden star on a blue background, designed by Chiara when she was here in 1990.
The focolare founder, Chiara Lubich, had visited the town in 1990 and 1997, a sign of her closeness and participation in a project which was dear to her heart for this immense and important nation. Chiara’s first inspiration for this project goes back to October 1984. The search began for the most suitable location, and fund raising started, sustained by the generosity of many and by the arrival of Providence. At first some land in Pennsylvania was considered, then in other areas, until the discovery of this place. That was in May 1985, but it took six months for the contract to be signed, because the local authorities were initially not in favour of it.
The inauguration was on September 14, 1986, even though Chiara, at the last moment, could not come because of her health. But her absence added prophetic value to the message she sent for the occasion. “It will have its own beauty and its own vocation,” she said, and at the same time asked, “Will it be ecumenical and will people from other religions take part?” “Everything makes us think so, because above all it must represent these people, and just as the Americans knew how to put together people and ethnic groups coming from different countries and different continents, so the little town in the USA will be an exemplary model of the unity of peoples, the social aspect of what Jesus prayed for, “That All May Be One.”
Twenty five years later, the 33 hectares contain 22 buildings, an outdoor swimming pool and a sports field. There are 50 residents from different parts of the world, and during the summer many people come to live the experience of a cosmopolitan fraternity. There are houses for families, youth, priests, religious sisters side by side with the focolare houses. At the centre of the town is the church dedicated to Our Lady of the Light. The various halls have meeting space for 500 people, be they youth, families, or bishops. A lake and a little stream complete the landscape, which is home to a variety of animals, including friendly squirrels.
In this setting, Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti met for two days with those responsible for the Movement in Canada, USA, the Dominican Republic and Oceania. Then on Tuesday March 29th a retreat began, for 260 men and women from the focolares all over North America.
From our correspondent Paolo Loriga