17 Jan 2017 | Focolare Worldwide
«These were days of ‘fire’, with the three monk-friends coming from Thailand: Phramaha Thongrattana Thavorn, Ajarn Suchart Vitipanyaporn, Bhikkhu Jayabhinunto and Mr. Khamphorn who accompanied them», Marcella and Luigi, Christian friends recounted, about the second week of December spent with the Buddhist monks in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Our friends stressed how «the atmosphere we breathed in these days was one of great openness and new horizons.» And continued by saying: «it was like living in a fable, so to say.» Some historical notes. The meeting of the monk, Phramaha Thongrattana Thavorn with the spirituality of unity goes back to 1995. He had come to Rome to accompany his disciple, Somjit, who was living for a short period in the community of monks before his marriage, as is the tradition of young Buddhists. Phramaha Thongrattana, which means ‘fine gold,’ and on that occasion had met Chiara Lubich and was strongly impressed. She too was impressed by him and on his request gave him a new name: Ardent Light. From then on this monk did his best to live and announce forcefully and with enthusiasm the ideal of universal brotherhood, the ideal of “mummy Chiara” (as he still calls her today). At the funeral of Chiara Lubich, in 2008, Ardent Light declared his wish to tell the Buddhists «how much good Chiara did to my life as a monk. I feel that she continues to give me an interior drive and the strength to bring the ideal of fraternity to all. She no longer belongs to you Christians, but now, she and her ideal are the legacy of the entire humanity.» To go back to December 2016 in Ho Chi Min: «The first surprising fact – they said – was the bond of friendship that came about between Ardent Light and the Most Rev. Thich Thien Tam, monk in charge of the Pho Minh Pagoda, representative of both Theravada Buddhismo and of Mahayana in Vietnam. The latter is a personage who represents all aspects of Buddhism in Vietnam at international level. As a consequence of the trust and friendship generated between them, Rev. Thich Thien Tam had asked the competent authorities permission for the three monks to stay in the temple instead of a hotel as according to protocol. ». Various interreligious (and not only) events were held, such as their visit to two Christian communities, including lunch. The monks also took part in the Christmas feast, usually held for the local Christians, but they were welcomed with great joy by everyone. Then followed the two visits to social projects brought ahead by Christians inspired by the spirituality of unity. And then, the interreligious meeting at the Diocesan Pastoral Centre of Ho Chi Minh City, attended by representatives of five religions. On that occasion, Ardent Light spoke of his friendship with the Pope at that time, John Paul II and with Chiara Lubich. He explained about what she used to call “the art of loving”: a love that addresses everyone, and one that takes the initiative, that is able to be the other’s “neighbor,” that even goes to the point of loving and praying for one’s enemies… Marcella and Luigi recounted that «The eyes of some of the leaders present filled with tears – and to tell the truth, also those of our community.» The two hours of true dialogue concluded with the visit to the Archbishop emeritus, Cardinal J. Baptiste Phan Minh Man, who had so strongly worked for the creation of the interreligious dialogue at the Diocesan Pastoral Centre. The last day was dedicated to the visit to some temples, and acting as guide was Fr. Bao Loc, priest in charge of interreligious dialogue for the Diocese of Ho Chi Minh City. «Now new, unexpected horizons have opened before us, It is now up to us to continue the experience we have lived these days. Chiara’s legacy, of being always a family, is a reality that touches the hearts of everyone, when it is really lived.» By Gustavo Clariá
16 Jan 2017 | Non categorizzato
Over 40 seminarians and several priests from 17 countries on the 5 continents took an end-of-the-year holiday trip to Loppiano. “We chose the Focolare’s international town to have an experience of God in the communion among us,” they write, “and to go deeper into that radical choice of the Gospel that our heart burns for.” It was precisely the Gospel that they wanted to have as the basis of their stay in Loppiano, starting from the Golden Rule, that mandate which can also be found in the sacred writings of all the Great Religions: “So in everything, do to others as you would have them do to you” (Mt 7:12). The group stayed at Vinea Mea, the permanent residence of the School for Priests from different parts of the world who wish to be formed in the Focolare’s Spirituality of Unity and to experience a Church that St. John Paul II described as “Home and school of communion” (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 43). The seminarians were accompanied in their experience by the priests at Vinea Mea and by experts from Loppiano. The method used in presenting the topics – including some that were theologically quite dense – was dynamic and experiential and even included personal examples from their own lives, which helped the young men to come to terms with where they stood personally with Jesus’s message 
One of the seminarians writes: “I was very struck by one of the main points of the spirituality of Chiara Lubich, which was presented in the talk on ‘Jesus Forsaken, God’s window on the world and the world’s window on God’. I realized that his gaze of love opens the way for humankind toward God, but also opens God’s path toward humankind in a way that is ever new.” Another writes: “I understood that the Jesus who became a man out of love and expressed the culmination of that love in the abandonment on the cross, is not only a beautiful theological concept, but should become life in me, in love and service for whoever is near to me.” Their interaction with the citizens of Loppiano enhanced their understanding of how to build unity among themselves in spite of the many differences. Some impressions from at the concluding session: “In these days I discovered that even in our interpersonal relationships the key is being able to make myself nothing in front of the other person, as Jesus Forsaken did, burning the difficulties involved in the life of unity in Him.” “What struck me the most was the joy with which the inhabitants of the Mariapolis [Loppiano] face weariness and service, and transmit God to everyone else.” Compiled by the Gens Centre
14 Jan 2017 | Non categorizzato
[…] When God created humankind, he formed a family. When the Word of God came on earth, he chose to be born in a family. Jesus began his public life during the celebration of a new family. God had the family so much at heart; he considered it to be of such importance that he impressed on it his own image. In fact, the family reflects God’s very own life, the life of the Holy Trinity. […] So what was God’s plan for the family? God who is love, thought of the family as an intertwining of relationships of love: nuptial love between the couple, maternal and paternal love towards the children, filial love toward the parents, the love of grandparents for their grandchildren, of the grandchildren for their grandparents, for their uncles and aunts and vice versa. The family is therefore a treasure chest, a jewel, a mystery of love. This is how God thought of and created the family. Moreover, his Son, in redeeming the world, turned this natural love, which permeates the members of a family, into something sublime through the divine love he brought on earth, through the fire he wants to set alight everywhere. Through him, the family has become not only the primary cell of humanity created by God, but also the basic cell of the Church founded by his Son. Because of the supernatural love that the members of the family have for one another ‑ through baptism and the other sacraments, particularly the sacrament of matrimony ‑ they are called individually and collectively to the sublime heights of making the family a small church, an “ecclesiola”. […] Jesus wants the husband to see and love in his wife, not only the person with whom he shares his life, but to see and love Christ himself in her. In fact, Jesus considers done to him the way the husband treats his wife and vice versa. Furthermore, Jesus in the husband or wife must be loved in the measure that Jesus requires, as he expressed with the words, “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). They must love one another to the point of being ready to give their lives for one another. If parents keep this in mind throughout the day, whether they are praying, working or sharing a meal, whether they are resting or studying, laughing or playing with their children… every moment will be an opportunity for bearing witness to God. Morer: The Family and Prayer From Chiara Lubich’s talk to the international congress “Family and Society: The Family Centred on God is Open to all Humanity”, Castel Gandolfo, 8 April 1989.
13 Jan 2017 | Focolare Worldwide
One of my acquaintances, years ago said: “wherever there are the poor, money also abounds.” I was young then and didn’t believe in those words: after 26 years in Asia, I realised to my dismay, that this is true also in Mae Sot. Notwithstanding any type of sustainable development or minimum respect for man and nature, paths are paved, and projects are springing up to bring the big industries, relocating them from where they find difficulty in being productive or are kicked out because it is illicit and dangerous for people’s health. All this is because there is a “work force” at low cost, very low, if not at zero cost; and on the other hand, there are the very wealthy people, ready to exploit the situation. The poor cross the border from Myanmar to Thailand, to escape from hunger and the discomforts of a country that is still struggling to reach social equality and protect the less fortunate classes or those of other religions. People are continuously expelled at the checkpoint and there are shooting incidents, with the children bearing the brunt of it all. There is a growing number of orphans, disabled and abandoned children, or those left alone at home while their parents are at work in the plantations. It is really sad to see children suffering! And Mae Sot is full of them. This is why we are trying to do something for them through our project. Every time we go to that area, we find our “special spots”: the orphanages, isolated homes in the countryside, and our little school Goccia dopo Goccia (Drop by Drop) with about 60 students: the places where you see so many of those kids with big black eyes that mark your soul indelibly. Our project is now in its 6th year (even if we have been helping the Karen people for decades) and reaches about 250 people in three countries (Thailand, Laos and Vietnam). All are direct and concrete micro projects for families often living below the minimum subsistence threshold. Their needs? Certainly food, clothes, but above all, love which means care, a smile, a bit of attention, in short: someone who says “how are you?” That means meeting people who know how to share the sufferings of a migrant population that is worth very little in the eyes of the rich, and is thus exploited. This is what we are trying to do: helping them, staying by their side, and giving relief, hope and warmth. Through our local contact person our aid reaches them monthly. Every three months we do the rounds of our projects, visiting them to make them feel that they have not been abandoned. They often say, “The fact that you travel so far to come and visit, gives us the strength and determination to go on living.” Those black eyes and unsmiling faces say more than a thousand words. They remind us of the works of Chiara Lubich who inspired our project: “Bring to me all the lonely people.” And we feel that these lonely people are all “ours” because they are images of the face of Jesus who continues to cry out on the Cross asking for all the love we can give. This is the sense of our project, but even more, it is our intimate joy. By: Luigi Butori For those who wish to join in the project: Banca Cantonale dei Grigioni, 7002 Coira IBAN-Nr: CH19 0077 4010 2957 6490 0 Goccia dopo Goccia Residenza Ragazzi 196a CH 7742 Poschiavo, Svizzera e mail: gica.ceccarelli@bluewin.ch oppure gocciadopogoccia.ms@gmail.com Association recognised by the tax administration of the Grigione district. Donations can be detracted from taxes..
12 Jan 2017 | Non categorizzato
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