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Slovenia: The art of loving in the family

Slovenia: The art of loving in the family

14 Jun 2017 | Non categorizzato

Škofja Loka

Škofja Loka

Damijan and Natalija live in Škofja Loka, a small town in North-West Slovenia, about 20 kilometres from Ljubljana, the capital. They have been married for 12 years and have 4 children aged 4 to 11. They spontaneously take it in turns to share their experience with us. “From the very beginning of our journey together, we wanted to put God in the first place in our daily life. This striving to choose forgiveness, to start again when we fail, to be the first to love, and to love everyone, even in difficult times such as when we’re tired. We try not to expect anything from each other, if not from ourselves, and consequently we can always count on one other.” “We have always tried to impart good values to our children,” explains Damijan. “This requires patience and perseverance in loving, and certainly not just the odd hug! There are times when our love for them compels us to set down the rules in black and white, something which has often led to dissatisfaction or even rebellion. It’s important to us that our children are as autonomous and independent as possible. For this reason, we include them in all the house chores (cooking, cleaning, ironing, sorting out the laundry, etc). Initially, they found it interesting but when the jobs had to be done often and with care, they got a bit fed up. It is in moments like these that we encourage one another to live the points of the art of loving, if we want harmony to reign among us. By now the children know that if we give each other a hand, we finish the work earlier and so have more time to play and do other things.” 03B62561_resized“About a year ago,” Natalija continues, “we were put to the test. In summer, the smallest of our children underwent some counselling, which is done routinely when infants reach the age of three. The psychologist’s diagnosis really surprised us: Attention Deficit Disorder. As an ex-teacher and pedagogue expert, I saw before my eyes all those children who had this type of problem and the difficulties parents had to face in dealing with it. Shocked and dazed, I went back to Ray of Sunshine kindergarten, where Damijan and I both worked. We talked things over for a long time and we realized that for our son to have the best care, one of us had to give up their job.” “We knew we had to devote all our time and energy,” says Damijan. “We were conscious of the fact that we still had a mortgage, that we were six in the family and that we were low-income earners. We explored all the financial possibilities and, despite the uncertainty, I left my job believing that God would not abandon us. We shared our situation, and consequent decision, with our work colleagues. We were grateful to each one for their understanding and support. In the following week, our choice proved to be the right one. On night, my mother, who lived with us, had a stroke and remained paralyzed. It was a shock for us all. For the first two months she was able to feed herself, but there was a subsequent stroke that led to blindness and then dementia. She therefore needed more and more care. Although challenging, we respected her desire to remain at home. In the meantime, our son’s condition improved considerably. In fact things were much calmer all round. When the children arrived home from school, there was always someone waiting for them with a meal on the table. And when Natalija arrived home from work, she was able to devote herself totally to the family. Throughout this time, though living on only one salary, we can say that we lack nothing. And even if we have to give up something, it’s not a deprivation. We are grateful to God for having supported us and for having taught us to live the art of loving, and also to reap the fruits which have won us over completely.”

Pope Francis says thanks

14 Jun 2017 | Non categorizzato

For your commitment to peace, promoting a series of initiatives to convert a weapons factory in the province of  Iglesias” (Sardinia, Italy). The missive, dated June 3 addressed the local community of the Focolare Movement, (New Humanities section), for all the endeavours undertaken with Amnesty International, Oxfam, Fondazione Banca Etica, Opal Brescia and Italian Disarmament Network, for the “RVM reconversion” (Multinational Arms-producing Company). The Holy Father said he was “happy to know that you are concretely involved in promoting a dignified employment, as an alternative to the manufacture of arms, in a territory that is still undergoing serious employment crises.” Lastly, he expressed his “solidarity for the commitment in spreading the culture of peace.”

The dialogue wanted by God

The dialogue wanted by God

13 Jun 2017 | Non categorizzato

SEcum20170513-104205_1Patriarch Athenagoras and Chiara Lubich, protagonists of unity. Beginning again is never and never has been easy, especially if deep trenches have been dug over time, if certain differences have become cultural, if – to complicate matters – there is even the certainty of being in the right. It wouldn’t be far from the truth to say that this was the situation in the mid-1900s between the Catholic and the Orthodox Church, after centuries, an entire millennium, the separation was nurtured and cultivated. Then…the historic turning point. The celebrated and unforgettable and glorious memories of the initiators of the ‘dialogue of Love’, the great inventors of the dialogue of the people: Athenagoras, Ecumenical Patriarch, and Chiara Lubich, foundress of the Movement of unity. With their humble, serious and willingness, with dedication, love and prayer they were the initiators of a new ecumenical Era; they instructed the peoples, giving them courage, strength, patience, faithfulness, willingness, love and unity. Deep down the solution was simple, and the Patriarch expressed it with the following words: “We lived alone, without brothers, without having sisters for many centuries, like orphans. Why? The brother and sister are the door. There lies the secret!”    The unforgettable protagonists of the ‘dialogue of love’, the great inventors of the dialogue of the people met a good 27 times, between 1967 and 1972 when the Patriarch died. There first encounter goes back to June 13th, 1967 when Lubich visited the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, even though, until this day, that moment has never been adequately appreciated for its full value. The Patriarch approved and lovingly embraced the seriousness of the charism of Chiara, her mystical spirituality that is a spirituality of the Church, to the point that their encounter was even considered ‘an ecstasy’, and the conviction grew more and more in him that by living the words of Jesus’s Testament could lead us to the same chalice. With these touching words he remarked: ‘For me it would be a day of Paradise.’ 20120704-01Not much time was needed before the Patriarch declared himself to be a “focolarino” and began to call Lubich by the name of “Tecla,” having discerned in her the same zeal as the isapostolo [equal to the Apostles]. He went on to say: ‘We are thirsty for this spirituality.’ Meanwhile, Chiara was equally touched and to her the Patriarch ‘appeared as an Archangel that struggles and fights to the end for his ideal: a man of God, proven in heroic love and heroic patience’. With her spirituality and marvellous personality, Chiara not only prepared the two principle and most important Bridges: Paul VI and Athenagoras, but she also managed to unite those two Bridges. Through encounters between Orthodox and Catholics, the bond of mutual love mitigated the sorrow of not being able to share the Eucharist; indeed, it made this cross loveable as a contribution of the Christian People to that One Chalice. “The Pope is our leader,” the Patriarch confided to Chiara. “…sometimes I see the Pope ‘in agony,’ because he knows everything that there is of negative in the world. This is why I placed myself one hundred percent at his service. I follow him, I understand him, I love him, I respect him, I admire him.” As a follow-up of this fifty-year journey, I personally proposed to  Msgr Piero Coda, president of Sophia University Institute (SUI), the institution of an Ecumenical Chair in recognition of these two extraordinary protagonists of brotherhood among the Orthodox and Catholic Church. My proposal received magnanimous and cordial approval, along with the blessing of Patriarch Bartholomew and the enthusiastic support of Focolare president, Maria Voce. Let us offer from our hearts one great ‘thank you’ like beautiful flowers to Athenagoras and to Chiara who were sent by God, who gave their life above all else to the realization of God’s will: ‘Tthat all be one’, for it will given as a gift of the Holy Spirit.

Metropolitan Gennadios Zervos,

Archbishop of Italy and Malta of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople

World Blood Donor Day

13 Jun 2017 | Non categorizzato

What can you do? Donate blood. Donate often. This is the slogan chosen by the World Health Organisation for the celebration of the World Blood Donor Day on 14 June. Some of the objectives of the campaign:  to encourage all citizens to reinforce the efficiency of healthcare services; involve the authorities in the creation of National programmes to respond to the growing needs; favour the inclusion of transfusion services in emergency situations; guarantee the supply and reach self-sufficiency nationwide; thank the people who donate blood regularly; promote international cooperation; ensure voluntary donation and enhance security and availability of blood.