![Algeria: An Opportunity to See Beyond]()
2 Dec 2011 | Focolare Worldwide
Oran, Algeria’s second city, overlooks the Mediterranean. It is also one of the major commercial and cultural centers of North Africa. One group of mostly Muslims are engaged in living out the values of brotherhood as they are presented by the Focolare Movement. Scheherezad has been part of it since 1990. They have been involved in an ongoing experience with the blind: “In 1977,”she recounts, “I met a Catholic nun who was looking for someone who could teach French to a group of blind people from the city. I didn’t feel equipped for such a task, I’m a housewife and it seemed beyond my abilities. But in agreement with my husband, I decided to accept the work, thinking that there might be a plan of God in this.” 
“As time went by we began to see that our attitude of openness towards the other gave a special quality to our teaching: it turned into an opportunity to offer support to the people. Some needed to find employment, others needed some simple help or a comforting word.” To better meet the needs of their students, Fouzia and Sheherezad learned Braille. This did not go unnoticed: “One of our friends, seeing how we were giving out time so freely, decided to help us and join with us in this effort.” They tried to help some of the young men and women to begin jobs. One girl, for example, looked for work as a switchboard operator. They found a company: “We noticed the director’s willingness to help us in finding a way. And he was struck by our effort and decided to hire the young woman indefinitely.” All the community of Orano shares in the projects and in reaching the goals. We have organized open houses to acquaint people with the rich life that can be found in this world of the blind. “The theme of the open house is always “the other” and, in the end, there are no longer those who are blind and those who see; the Muslim and the Christian: we are all brothers and sisters sharing the same situation.” The national press became interested in these activities, recognizing the right of the blind to live like everyone else. It is also a work of sensitizing that has involved many people in the efforts of Sheherazad and Fouzia. Overcoming administrative and legal difficulties, an association has been formed for professional integration of the blind, which is very active and is working for the construction of a school. City institutions have also become involved and this training project has now been officially recognized by the department for professional training of Orano. “There is still a lot to do,” Sheherazad concludes, “but doing things for others, notwithstanding our limitations, is beautiful and thrilling! It gives everyone that strength to carry on which throws us open to new surprises.” Compiled by the Community of Orano – Algeria
1 Dec 2011 | Focolare Worldwide
The situation following the worst flooding that Thailand has experienced in the past fifty years is slowly improving. Here are some of the latest figures:
- Of the 10 million people in Bangkok, million have been affected and 700 died.
- 80% of the city was flooded. Only 9 of Bangkok’s districts remained dry; the others received 20 to 200 cm of water. 17 provinces were affected.
- The dollar damage is estimated to be 37 billion.
- 60 million tons of crop (mainly rice) have been lost.
- 8 of the largest industrial parks were flooded producing a job loss of approximately 1,200,000 jobs, with further consequences for Thailand’s industry and that of other countries (Japan has about 40% of its factories in 8 of the flooded parks.)
It all began – Elena and Chun write – in the month of June. The rains were a month late this year, but they made up for lost time by doubling the amount of rain that fell in 2010. In September things looked bad, but in October it became dangerously serious. Bangkok is called the “Venice of the East” because of its nearly 2000 km of canals, which make it one of the world’s most equipped cities against flood rains, but not of such volume. Many people fled from Bangkok. It was like watching a film. We decided to stay together with some others, in order to stand by the people who remained behind. Then people began to help each other even those they didn’t know because of their previous indifference. Who was it that saved the country from a disaster of such large proportions? It was the people who loved and went beyond themselves to offer help; the people with houses flooded to the north of the old airport, who sacrificed themselves so that at least some of Bangkok’s other neighborhoods could be salvaged; the people who were able to have a heart for others, and there were many. Also the wealthy, actors and television journalists went around on boats distributing foodstuffs. Lives in the city were saved by the ordinary people who showed that “together we can do it.” The military also contributed, along with many government workers who worked over 15 hours each day bringing help. Even the elderly were involved cooking in the kitchens at the shelters. Buddhist monks welcomed thousands of elderly, infirm, mothers and children into their monasteries. Priests opened their parish school buildings and went out by boat to bring the people who were left stranded on the rooftops of their homes. This was the real Thailand that teaches to live, rejoice and suffer with those who suffer. It is the miracle of life and of love that overcomes death. Those of us from the Focolare also did what we could. Many of our families were hit by the flooding, some have had water in their homes for weeks. Some of us went to ask for help at the bus stops, or went to the welcoming centers to offer assistance. We opened our homes to any who were asking for help; telephoned people every day so that they would feel loved, offering encouragement and consolidating the unity among us. In this tragic moment, we witnessed the most beautiful side of the Thai people emerging. It went beyond the political differences that a year ago had divided the country, it prevailed in the form of a great love for neighbor who was suffering. One CNN reporter described this wave of solidarity that seemed to invest Thai society as “an extraordinary social phenomenon.” We also lived the saying that is going around these days: “Don’t give up”. Love made us all Thai, even if we were born in different parts of the world. No one knows when things will be normal again. But we carry on, overcoming many difficulties. Elena Oum and Chun Boc Tay _______________________________________________ THAILAND EMERGENCY FUND BANK ACCOUNT DETAILS OF YOUTH FOR A UNITED WORLD SECRETARIAT Please indicate that donation is for Thailand Emergency Fund. Bank Account Name: PIA ASSOCIAZIONE MASCHILE OPERA DI MARIA Via Frascati 306, Rocca di Papa, 00040 Roma, Italia. Bank Name: INTESA SAN PAOLO Bank Address: FILIALE DI GROTTAFERRATA VIA DELLE SORGENTI, 128 00046 GROTTAFERRATA (ROMA) ITALIA IBAN CODE FOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS IBAN: IT04 M030 6939 1401 0000 0640 100 BIC: BCITITMM
30 Nov 2011 | Non categorizzato, Word of
“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths” While this Word of Life is an expression of joy, it is also an invitation to a complete and radical change of direction in our life. John the Baptist invites us to prepare the way of the Lord — but what can be the way? Jesus’ coming was proclaimed by John the Baptist, but before entering public life to begin his ministry Jesus spent some time in the desert. That was his way. In the desert he found profound union with God, but he also encountered temptation, and by experiencing that he made himself one with all of us. He came out victorious. We see Jesus follow this way again in his death and resurrection. Since Jesus followed his way to the end, he himself has become “the way” for us who are still on the road. He is the way we must follow in order to fulfill our calling as human beings to enter into full communion with God. Each of us is called to prepare the way of the Lord who wants to enter into our life; and we must make the paths of our life straight so that he can come in. We have to prepare the way for him, removing every obstacle one by one, such as those arising from our limited way of seeing things, from our weak will. We need courage to choose between our way and his way for us, between our will and his will, between a program we have thought of (which may or may not turn out) and the one created by his all-powerful love. Once we have made the decision, we have to work at conforming our own stubborn will to his. How? Those who have become fulfilled Christians, the saints, teach us a good, practical, intelligent method: do it right now. Moment by moment, let us try to remove the obstacles that keep us from doing his will so that it will be no longer our will living in us, but his. In this way we will have lived the Word of Life: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths”
Chiara Lubich
![Algeria: An Opportunity to See Beyond]()
30 Nov 2011 | Non categorizzato
Maria Voce greets the Holy Father. Photo: Vatican Photographic Service
The World Youth Day in Madrid was also discussed during the Assembly. “An extraordinary cascade of light, joy and hope,” said Pope Benedict XVI when he met with the participants, “has illuminated Madrid, but also old Europe and the entire world, clearly reproposing the relevancy of the search for God today. No one was able to remain indifferent, no one was able to think that the question of God was irrelevant to the person of today.” The president of the Focolare Movement personally greeted Benedict XVI, who said to her: “The focolarini cannot be missing.” And Maria Voce: “Holy Father, this year the entire Movement is committed to living the Word of God, and so we are preparing for the Synod.” And the Holy Father replied: “Thank you.” .
29 Nov 2011 | Cultura, Focolari nel Mondo, Non categorizzato, Spiritualità
Now, thanks to the work of the young Brazilian, Guilherme Moura, the daily password can arrive directly to your pocket through a new App that can be downloaded for free at: http://itunes.apple.com/it/app/passa-parola/id478614030?mt=8 Live the present moment without haste; Begin again to live the present moment; Don’t let the present moment slip away… or Take the will of God to heart in the present moment; Identify yourself with the will of God in the present moment; Let yourself be purified by the Word; Make an effort to live the Word… These are some examples of the Password that we have been sharing for ten years. It was 2001 when Chiara Lubich was in Austria that she shared an experience with us, the fruit of her discovery of the importance of living the “present moment,” the only moment that we hold in our hands: “the past no longer exists, and the future has yet to arrive.” And from this discovery came the daily motto, a spiritual micro-thought which encapsulated and called our attention back to the present moment and especially to concrete love for the neighbor near to us. Twitter, a social network that allows you to send brief messages – tweets – of no more than 140 characters, is characterized by brevity and – Spadaro recalls – “it has been the wisdom of religious reflection that for centuries has accompanied Western man in this need for wisdom that is essential and concise.” He mentions a few examples in his article, from Japanese haiku, to the antiphons of the psalms, all the way to the “Word of Life, thought up by Chiara Lubich and all other similar initiatives that draw periodically on a sentence of the Gospel to concentrate the attention of Christians to the entire Gospel, but beginning with a precise point.” Is the Password a tweet ahead of its time? Perhaps, but it is certainly an approach that goes well with the new technologies. This worldwide password – it is translated into at least 14 languages – already travels via SMS, email. Thousands of people follow it each day. The new App it is now available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod. The daily password is now available through a simple download, in all the languages of the world. Let’s pass on the word!
