Living Gospel: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” (Mt 5:7)
The merciful are those who are able to forgive others and often even themselves. However, mercy is not just an inner disposition, it is the way that unites us with God. His immense love for us is not a feeling but an action; the act through which each of us is ‘reborn’. Living in peace It was not the first time I had noticed trespassing on my land. I had never had any enemies and my father had taught me how to build good relationships, but on this occasion I wanted to see clearly what was going on. I asked Our Lady for help and one night I went into the orchard with another farmer. As I suspected, at a certain hour I saw my neighbour arrive with two sons armed with fruit boxes. The plan was to photograph them in the act: bewildered by the flashes, the three of them immediately ran off, leaving the harvested fruit on the ground. The next day, towards evening, our neighbour’s wife asked my wife if she would kindly destroy the photos and not press charges against her husband. As agreed, my wife replied: “I don’t know what photos you are talking about, my husband has been away for two days”. From that day on, things started to change with unusual kindness and a willingness to help with the picking… During one of the breaks, the neighbour admitted he had come to get some apples ‘to try them’ and had seen flashes. I replied: “Strange things have been happening in the village for some time. What’s important for us is to live in peace”. (V.S.E. – Italy) A real change When I retired and looked back on my life all I could see was a total failure! I never got married because my parents were against my choice of a guy who was good but not one of our ‘rank’. My relationship with my brothers and sister had almost completely broken down because of an inheritance that according to them had been unfairly divided. I could call myself rich but what a void has been created in and around me! While I was in hospital a niece came to visit me who said something that really troubled me: “The trouble with you Aunty is that you are possessed by evil. Every trace of goodness in you has disappeared”. When I was finally discharged, I looked for a priest in whom I could confide what was distressing me. When he had finished listening to me, it seemed to him that I somehow wanted to take revenge on life, on family, on everyone, so he urged me to start thinking more of other people by celebrating relatives’ birthdays with gifts, taking an interest in the neighbours’ news, writing to former students. They were small gestures but steps towards the light. In desperation I put his suggestion into practice. It is hard but I really feel something is changing. (G.I. – Spain) Friends in sickness While my mother was in hospital I got to know her roommate, Klari who was at the same stage of cancer and undergoing the same series of chemotherapies. They had become friends, but something was dividing them. As a young woman, Klari had been a communist activist and did not accept the Catholic faith my mother professed. They did not argue, but you could feel that neither of them wanted to let go of their own beliefs. Nevertheless, my mother was always available and to help Klari who had no relatives she had involved us in the family with her needs – just little things, like dealing with some paperwork for her, phoning friends, etc. When their health started to deteriorate for both of them, each reacted differently to the illness. A great peace shone out from my mother, who always remained attentive to her friend. Klari, on the other hand, became impatient and aggressive, but before she went into a coma, she thanked my mother for the way she had always been by her side. She had now become one of our family. (P.F.H. – Germany)
Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta (taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year VIII, no.2, November-December 2022)
The event took place on 8th November in the Altiero Spinelli building with the presence of 40 people from 9 countries of the Union and others who followed the streaming. The presentation of the position paper, “In search of a common future in solidarity” was supported by the Left Group of the European Parliament, in collaboration with the Movement for Politics for Unity Movement and New Humanity, The document, on common positions in Socialist Christian dialogue, was written by Prof. Michael Brie, President of the Scientific Committee of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and by the Belgian sociologist, Prof. Bennie Callebaut of the Sophia University Institute. It analyses how, as antagonists in the past, Christianity and Marxism are faced with another wall to break down, that of wild capitalism and how they find surprising affinities in the present. In the message and in the person of Pope Francis they also find a figure who unites, a leader and a traveling companion. The paper states, “We are working on projects guided by shared visions in common struggles“. The document declines what these projects are, indicating some topics being explored: “an economy of life; a caring community; a policy of transformation in solidarity; a world in which there is room for many worlds; the dignity of every individual in a world rich in common goods; and together for peace”. The inevitable question of how, when it comes to discussion, these are expressed in practice, was formulated by Prof. Léonce Bekemans (Jean Monnet Chair, University of Padua). Walter Baier, from Transform!Europe, one of the initiators and coordinators of Dialop responded: “We work on three levels: dialogue as a cultural initiative in order to become a think tank; involving people in the work for solidarity, as happened with initiatives for migrants and refugees; arousing political involvement especially for building peace”. Marisa Matjas, Portuguese MEP of the Bloco de Esquerda, vice-president of the Party of the European Left in the European Parliament, was the hostess. She vividly remembered the words of Pope Francis to the members of the European Parliament in 2014, which were “said when we needed to hear them most”. “He spoke to us about keeping democracy alive in Europe, about employment and workers’ rights, about education, about migration, at a time when the EU was ignoring the massive movements of people coming from Syria; he also spoke about the dignity of human rights, we have many things in common that we need to work on together.” 
The impact with the charism led him to make an even greater commitment to God and to wish to base his life on living the Gospel. Anna Maria, his fiancée shared this choice. Around them the first community of Parma was born. They were greatly attracted by the innovative vocation of married focolarini pioneered by Igino Giordani. They decided to leave the promising career of an engineer and the privileges of a comfortable life to move with their then four children, as a family-focolare to Rome and devote themselves full time to the Focolare Movement. One of Danilo’s first assignments was the completion of the building in Rocca di Papa destined to become the Mariapolis Centre and, later, the international headquarters of the Movement. He then went to work for Città Nuova publishing house. 
He worked closely with Chiara and played a major part in the formation of generations of married couples from different continents who, like him, wanted to follow in the footsteps of Giordani. In 1980, Anna Maria and he were invited as auditors to the Synod on the Family and in 1981 Chiara Lubich asked them to be part of the Central Council of the Movement, with the role of coordinators of 
Danilo received many talents which he rendered abundantly fruitful. His long life is a hymn of glory to God stretched out in time. The entire Focolare Movement, in particular the host of married focolarini and the myriad of families from all over the world, for which he was an example, a confidant, a lovable and secure point of reference, are deeply grateful to him with a gratitude that pays homage to his humanity. He was a giant of righteousness, tenderness, simplicity and wisdom. Thank you Danilo for continuing to be that evangelical child which shone through your very being, your words, your exquisite humour, your paintings, the countless cartoons that you improvised (often on paper napkins) and which gave joy to all of us.