15 Sep 2017 | Non categorizzato
“Mary stood at the foot of the cross in her heart-rending stabat, which transformed her soul into a bitter sea of anguish. She is the highest expression in a human creature of the heroism of every virtue. She lived meekness to perfection; she was poor to the point of losing her Son who was God; she was the embodiment of justice, not lamenting the loss of what was hers only because God chose her; she was pure in her emotional detachment from her Son, God… In Mary Desolate, we see the triumph of the virtues of faith and hope, through the love she nourished throughout her whole life. In that moment, this love blazed forth in her active sharing in the work of the Redemption. In her desolation, which adorns her with every virtue, Mary teaches us humility and patience, prudence and perseverance, simplicity and silence, so that on the background of the ‘darkness’ of ourselves, of all that is merely human within us, the light of God living in us may shine out for the world. Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, is the perfect saint, a monument of holiness towards whom all people may look in order to learn how to clothe themselves with the self-denial taught by the Church down the centuries, and which the saints, in different tones, have echoed throughout the ages. We do not think enough about Mary’s “passion,” about the swords that pierced her Heart, about the terrible forsakenness she felt on Golgotha when Jesus entrusted her to others… Perhaps the reason for this is that Mary knew all too well how to cover her living, anguished agony with sweetness, light and silence. Yet, there is no suffering similar to hers…. If one day our sufferings reach such depths that make everything in us rebel because the fruit of our “passion” seems to be taken out of our hands and even more so from our heart, let’s remember her. This ice coldness will make us a bit like her, and the reality of Mary will become clearer in our souls: the All-Beautiful, the Mother of all because by divine will she was detached from everyone, most of all, from her divine Son. Mary Desolate is the Saint par excellence. I would like to relive her in her mortification. I would like to be able to be alone with God like her, in the sense that, even when I am with others, I feel drawn to make the whole of my life an intimate dialogue between my soul and God. I must mortify words, thoughts, and actions that are outside the moment of God, to set them into the moment reserved for them. Mary Desolate is the certainty of holiness, a perennial source of union with God, a cup overflowing with joy.” Chiara Lubich, La Dottrina Spirituale, Città Nuova Editrice 2006 (Roma), pp.183 – 184
14 Sep 2017 | Focolare Worldwide
Born from the determination to redesign a new geography that targets the bringing down of personal and planetary limits and fences, the world march of the Gen and Youth for a United World towards the 11th edition of the GenFest will be held from 6 – 8 July 2018 in Manila (Philippines). The central program will be held at the Metro Manila World Trade Center, while all the workshops will be held at the De La Salle Universityand other universities. It will be entitled “BEYOND ALL BORDERS.” Asia will thus be the continent of the future and of the youth who will host this convention. According to the data of the U. S. Census Bureau, three billion youths in the world are below 25 years of age and 60% of these live in Asia. And so, almost half of the Asian population (over 4 billion people) are under 25. “It is clear that the event could not but be held in our continent,” explained Kiara Cariaso, a Filipino and member of the organizing team. “We want the world to see not only the network of projects, camps, solidarity actions, support to lawfulness, and “no” to war and armaments, but also the solitude, abandonment and superficial relationships which millions of youth scattered around the world are already engaged in.” Aleppo, Bethlehem, Turunga, Mumbai: Genfest 2018 has been launched in various cities around the world. “Also this time the Genfest will be a milestone, essential to the journey towards a united world,” Maria Guaita and Marco De Salvo of the United World Youth’s central secretariat explained, “to share the ongoing endeavours for unity and peace, and also to gain strength and courage from one another. Many of the youths live in territories of war, conflict and social distress. This is the frontline where many have chosen to start changing the world.” “We are working various fronts: we are in the peripheries, but we engage in education, sport and solidarity,” pointed out Rafael Tronquini, Brazilian, of the Genfest Marketing Team – who has been in Manila for 5 months now, “We want to be there where we see the needs and hear our people’s cries for help at all latitudes. We could summarise the Genfest logo with the motto: ‘less is more’. There are infinite challenges and barriers but what matters is to overcome them together and take one step ahead towards unity.” y4uw.org/ https://youtu.be/C8NvjNYgNEc
13 Sep 2017 | Senza categoria
https://vimeo.com/233854802 News items Breaking Rays: A worldwide network of communicators going back to school… together. India: The Rainbow Kids: One woman’s quest to offer opportunity where there was none. World camps to become global citizens: Youth giving their time for others. Philippines: Serafin’s dream: A dream changes course and a peacemaker is born. Nigeria – Mariapolis in Lagos and Abuja: Forgiveness and dialogue, true arms for unity in the country. Italy: Family in the digital age: Coping with technology in the house. Roberto Cipollone – Ciro, craftsman and artist: Breathing life, meaning and beauty into discarded items.
13 Sep 2017 | Focolare Worldwide
Foto: Jose-MIguel-Gomez – Conferenza Episcopale Colombiana
Cartagena de Indias, north of Colombia, is the home of the Shrine of St Peter Claver (1581-1654). He was declared a saint in 1888 and had been a Spanish Jesuit who dedicated himself to the tragic victims of slavery. At the suggestion of the Jesuits, after the peace accord between the government and the Farc which had put an end to the 50 years of conflict with 200 thousand dead and tens of thousands missing, it became the capital of human rights. The Pope visited the poorest neighbourhoods, stopping in at the house of 77 year old Lorenza Perez, who cooks and distributes meals to anyone in need. “I’m the poorest of the poor,” she says. “But the Pope chose my house to tell the world to have more love for those that are discarded. Susanna Nuin explains: “The Pope’s speeches had two dimensions: on conceptual, with strong and precise clarifications; and the other gestural, to express his closeness to a people that has suffered much. His departure left us with a sense of loss, but also a sense of fulfilment. His visit has instilled a new way of living in the hearts of the Colombian people, no longer from a passive stance, waiting for a peace that never comes, succumbing to a polarization that makes peaceful coexistence impossible. The young people played a fundamental role, who felt like they had been invested with a task. Yolima Martínez recalls the Pope’s appeal: “You young people have a special gift for recognizing the suffering of others.” Laura Isaza: “Peace is a process that engages all generations, but ours especially.” Manuel echoes her words: “The Pope’s visit has clarified to the Colombians that peace isn’t a political matter, but culture that needs to be built. As Focolare members we feel even more committed to listen to Pope Francis when he talks about a culture of encounter that we have to continue to build.”
