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15 Dec 2012 | Non categorizzato
‘In Syria’s situation – torn by conflict fuelled by ignorance, division and religious sectarianism – as a father and husband I had to decide whether to stay in the country I love or emigrate for the good of my family.
‘Several months ago I bought plane tickets and I began sorting things out for our departure, but, in my heart of hearts, I was not at peace, even though I had the chance of a job in Beirut. I felt I had a to do something for my people and my country.
‘In that moment things in Aleppo, the town where I live, weren’t so bad but everyone thought they would get worse. And, indeed, the situation quickly went down hill.
‘To begin with, I thought that my wife and children should go to Beirut and I would stay on my own in Aleppo. But my wife didn’t agree: “Either we all go together or we all stay!” In this way instead of leaving the country to be safe from chaos and death, together as a family we chose to stay.
‘I’m not the kind of person who prays much, but in that moment I felt God was asking something of me. I went to Church and I handed over my life and the life of my family to him: “Our future is in your hands.” I was filled with a tremendous inner peace despite the tension I felt.
‘Together with some Christian friends we tried to understand the needs of our community and we attempted to do what we could, even in little ways. One day, while I was doing some repairs on the Church, I found myself talking to the parish priest about the difficult circumstances many families were living in and the problems they had finding milk for their children. Straight away we started looking for this basic foodstuff, but there was none left in the markets. In the end we managed to get hold of four cartons. How could we ensure there was milk for the children of those middle class families who were now without income? Without any particular plan in mind we started making a record of the needs. To begin with, we had as many as 300 families on our list! We immediately asked for donations, and got only 300 Syrian pounds (equal to 4 US dollars). It was impossible to do anything with such a derisory sum, but it was at that very moment when someone, who had found out about the situation, stepped in to cover all the immediate needs through Caritas Syria!
One day I got together a food hamper. I did it as if it were for my own family. Then I took it to someone who, full of surprise, refused it. But when I said, ‘I prepared this hamper for myself and what is mine is yours,’ the person was deeply moved and accepted what I offered.
‘In the meantime, the needy families were on the increase, going from 300 to 1,500, so that we could no longer be certain of getting things even just to supply their primary needs. We thought, then, of asking for aid from the ‘Red Crescent’. When they asked whether we help people of all religious groups, by chance a person was present who knew the Centre for Deaf and Dumb Children that my wife and I run and this person knew that we care equally for Muslims and for Christians. That same person made a sign of acceptance to the one in charge of the Association who then gave us permission to have access to their warehouses. We’ve been incredibly surprised by the huge amount of help we’ve received!’
Jean – Aleppo
Source: Città Nuova online
![Syria: We decided to stay]()
14 Dec 2012 | Non categorizzato
When they make fun of us – “One day I received zero in Maths and my classmates made fun of me. My teacher punished me and I wept. On another day my friends received zeros in Geography and I received ten. I went up to them and comforted them. I began to play with them and this is how I consoled them.” (Rita, 9 years old, Central African Republic)
Ask and it will be given to you – “One Sunday at Mass, the parish priest asked money for something. When I returned home I asked my Mum what it was about because I hadn’t understood it well. She explained to me that he had asked everyone to contribute money towards enlarging the church building which was too small for all the faithful. I didn’t have any money but would have liked to help. I asked Jesus. A short time later I received my report card. I was the first in my class. My father was very happy that I was so good. He gave me 2000 francs and I placed them inside an envelope as my contribution for the church building.” (Raissa, 9 years old, Central African Republic)
If God is Love, then we should also love each other – “In my classroom there is a girl who never shares anything with others, even when she could. A few days ago she came to school with one of her books broken. She asked our classmates: “Does anyone have some scotch that I could use to repair my book?” My friends answered her saying: “The scotch we have, but we’re not going to give any to you because you never give us anything!” But I said: “I’ll give her my scotch just the same, because God is Love. He loves us. We should also love each other.” And I said to my friend: “Here is the scotch. Can I help you fix your book? And I felt joy inside my heart.” (Rainatou – 8 years old, Central African Republic)
You don’t need to fear – “We spend painful days amid clashes in the streets and the peace that is constantly being threatened. A few families have organized to spread signs of harmony and the children have joined in. Eight year old Magda has begun to put some of her things together to share them with the refugees. Her friend began to do the same. They placed their things in a big bundle, in order to distribute them with the help of some adults. When the moment arrived for the distribution the situation in the city worsened. Magda’s family didn’t flee for safety because Magda wanted to finish what she had set out to do. There were clashes taking place beneath their house when Magda said to her Mum: “You don’t need to fear. Perhaps God is making us live through this so that He can let us see a miracle.”
Like the first Christians – “We are living through dangerous times, but in spite of this, a group of children, who have the children of Syria very much at heart, wanted to do something to help them. One idea was to bake biscuits and cakes that could be sold. When the parish priest heard of it he said: “You little ones, you are like the first Christians who helped each other when anyone was in need.” On the day of the sale they won over the hearts of all: from the lady who had prepared a cake at the bakery that had a Syrian flag, to the couple that sent 1.000 € even though they couldn’t buy a cake because they had all been sold after the first Mass. In Egypt the children have been the pioneers in the Focolare community at offering assistance to Syria.”
You are my sisters – “At the beach we met a lady who was carrying so many bags. She was tired. We invited her to sit on our deckchair. She was thristy and asked for some natural water. My mother only had carbonated water. So I asked some from our neighbour beneath the beach umbrella. The lady thanked us saying: “Thank you for everything! You are my sisters!” I looked up at my mother and said: “Mummy, remember that song? The person passing by us is Jesus. . .and one day He will say ‘thank you for when you smiled at me and took care of me!’?” And so I remembered that Jesus was inside that lady.” (Benedetta, Italy)
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13 Dec 2012 | Non categorizzato
‘On 7 December 1943 Chiara Lubich had no intention of starting a Movement. All she wished to do was “marry God” and she consecrated herself to him; he was everything for her. Only later on was this act seen as the symbolic beginning of the Focolare Movement. Nonetheless, as Chiara wrote at a later date, on that day her “inner joy was inexplicable, secret, but contagious.”’
In Brasilia 7 December 2012 the Federal Senate met in a plenary session for a solemn ceremony to commemorate the Movement’s beginning and its founder, Chiara Lubich. Important politicians from Brazil were present.
The event, held in the Senate Hall, was presided over by Senator Wellington Dias. Among those present were Luiza Erundina, a member of Congress, Senator Pedro Simon, Deputy for the State of Amazonas, José Ricardo Wendling, of the federal judiciary, Reinaldo Fonseca, and Nilson Mourao, the Secretary for Justice and Human Rights. Mgr Marcony, parish Priest of Brasilia Cathedral gave a greeting.
Deputy Luiza Erundina (Brazilian Socialist Party, Deputy for São Paulo)
Guliana Fonseca, on behalf of the Focolare Movement, read a message from the Movement’s President, Maria Voce, who thanked ‘those who have organized, supported and run the event.’ She mentioned, among the Movement’s various activities in Brazil, the three little towns and their witness to the spirituality of unity and, with special emphasis, the Economy of Communion project ‘which in 1991 began in the social context of Brazil and which is currently taking off in many other parts of the world.’
The message concludes by saying, ‘I take this opportunity to renew our commitment to work with many “men and women of good will” so that society may be guided by robust ethical principles, such as justice, equality, liberty, solidarity, the common good, peace.… For the construction of a civilization that seeks to bring humanity into one large family, with full respect for our diverse cultures and religious traditions.’
Among those who spoke were Sergio Previdi, President of the Brazilian Movement for Unity in Politics, and André Rodrigues Pereira who, on behalf of the Focolare’s young people, presented the United World Project launched at Genfest 2012.
Source/photo gallery: www.focolares.org.br
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8 Dec 2012 | Non categorizzato
VIDEO IN ITALIAN: Chiara Lubich’s talk on “Mary in the Experience of the Focolare Movement”.
«Your Eminences and Your Excellencies, the fundamental point of our spirituality that I have been invited to present this year is Mary.
I will, however, not set out to speak of Mary as perhaps one should when speaking of the world’s most exalted being, since only the Church itself is capable of doing such a vast and demanding task throughout the centuries. Instead, in the spirit of our Movement, I intend to briefly discuss what we have understood about her, all the richness to be found in her as it has emerged in our experience.
The subject of my talk, therefore, is “Mary in the Experience of the Focolare Movement”.
Mary has been a part of our lives ever since the beginnings of the Focolare Movement, even before it officially existed. My earliest awareness of what was about to be born reaches way back to 1939 in Loreto, Italy, there in the house of Our Lady. There I realized that the Lord was creating a new lifestyle—we called this the “fourth way”—for what would be a new spiritual family in the Church: the focolare community. I had the intuition that a company of virgins would follow this path.
So yes, Mary has been with us, ever since Loreto, silently waiting for all those who would follow her in her Movement.
See full text
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6 Dec 2012 | Non categorizzato
This testimony was shared on 25 November 2012 during the “Common pathways for the family” gathering that involved Muslim and Christian families from Northern Italy. Marisa: “I intended to go back to work as soon as the children (1 and 3 years old) were old enough. But then my mother, a very sweet and active 60 year old came down with Alzheimer’s. Very soon she was no longer self-sufficient. We decided with my father to care for her at home without knowing what we were going to encounter. My husband, Francesco never hesitated either. But right from the start the implications of the disease began to test our relationiship and the equilibrium of the whole family.” Francesco: “As a boy I had to share my mother’s affection with her job and with my grandparents who were living with us. And so when I married Marisa it seemed logical to me that she would be all for me and would have smothered me with attention. But in reality I found myself with many problems that had to be faced. Then when I had to begin to care for the members of her family, our marriage went into crisis. I felt like running away and, seeing that my job required me to travel great distances to visit clients, I often slept outside the house, leaving Marisa with the burden of two families.” Marisa: “It wasn’t easy for me to accept seeing such a great change in the person who was my anchor in life, to see that in some moments she didn’t recognize me anymore, and at times it was also an effort for me to recognize her. When my father’s mind and body began to fail, my relationship with Francesco also seemed to waver. I found support in the Gospel: “But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God” (Jn. 1:12). But I had to continually overcome myself. Precisely during those days a couple we knew invited us to a day meeting organised by the Focolare. We were conquered by the love that we saw being lived and we embarked on a journey with other families who were engaged in living the spirituality of the Focolare.” Francesco: “Suddenly I came down with a grave illness and was admitted to hospital. I was angry with the whole world! Then, these words of Chiara Lubich returned to my mind: “Our health (is) ‘being a family’ . . . Are there any among you that are suffering physically? . . . Suffer with them.” I tried to put this into practice with the person in the next bed, then with an old woman whom everyone seemed to ignore. . . Little by little I began to understand Marisa’s way of loving who, after the children and her mother to care for, always found the time to visit me two times a day. I found myself at peace with her and with my life. And from then on I shared every choice and decision with her, especially the ones that cost me the most. Now I was no longer frightened by the illness. I became peaceful. Six months later the illness disappeared.” Marisa: “Now we feel that any illness is given to us so that we can grow as persons by growing in love. I loved my mother, but now I love her in a new way that gives new significance and dignity to each of my actions. And love heals. Even when she seemed to everyone to be nothing more than a vegetable, unable to be engaged, a more intensely loving gesture would brighten her eyes and show that she was more present than we thought. She would mutter words of ackowledgement, liberating tears that I would then share. And this gave me such strength and joy that no one will be able to erase it from my soul. So it was for ten years.” Francesco: This undertaking has not prevented us from being open to others, offering hospitality, for example, to a sick relative, sharing her joys and suffering. We also open our home to family groups and engaged couples for formation meetings.For three years we’ve had Marisa’s 98 year old father with us in our house. At times we almost have the idea of finding another solution for him so that we can have some autonomy. But we know that he would suffer much if we did this and we’re convinced that his life and dignity are what’s most important”.
