12 Sep 2022 | Non categorizzato
Just as she loved and cared for her son Jesus, Mary wants the good of every person. She, a human being, is the model for every Christian, and by mirroring the stages of her life we can make our contribution to a new world. Even though our planet is beset with many tensions, Mary leads us in various ways to unity, and she desires this for all. She wants families united, different generations united; she asks for unity among different ethnic groups, races, and peoples; unity among Christians and unity, as far as it is possible, with the faithful of other religions and even with those who have no specific religious affiliation but seek the welfare of humankind. She reaches out to everyone, and she desires universal brotherhood. (…) May Mary, who made God the ideal of her life, help us make him our ideal as well. May Mary, who embraced the will of God in the incarnation and in her whole life, help us to fulfill his will to perfection. May she, who loved her neighbor as demonstrated in her visit to Elizabeth and at the wedding at Cana, fill our hearts with this same love. May Mary, who lived mutual love fully in the family at Nazareth, help us to practice it as well. May Mary, who was able to offer all her suffering at the foot of the cross, strengthen our hearts when we are besieged by suffering. May Mary, who is the universal mother, open our hearts to all humankind.
Chiara Lubich
(Chiara Lubich, Talk given in the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, 30-11-1987, in Mary, The Transparency of God, New City Press, New York, 2003, p 81-82)
7 Sep 2022 | Senza categoria
“Giving’ is like a breeze that opens so many doors. Here is the story of some Youth for Unity who supported a family in need on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina.The friendship that developed led to them sharing in experiences they could never have imagined. The work begun a few months ago by Youth for Unity, together with New Youth and other members of the community, in the cities of Rodríguez and Luján in the province of Buenos Aires, has developed in an unexpected and providential way. It all started at Christmas 2021, when some Youth for Unity thought of the fact that some families would not have anything special to eat during the festive season and they decided to take concrete action. . The first thing they did was was to contact Titian and his parents. Titan was five years old and lived with his family in difficult circumstances in a very poor area. They prepared a beautiful hamper for them, full of delicious things they could eat at such a special time: these included a chicken, a salad, good wine, cider, panettone, pudding and some fizzy drinks. They also thought of some presents. But the joy they created did not end there. When the Youth for Unity took the Christmas hamper to the family, they began to understand first-hand the reality in which these people were living. Having decent housing, even if only to avoid being left in the cold during the winter, seemed utopian. “It was shocking,” one representative from New Youth said, “but, at the same time, it was also a moment of real joy. In addition, chatting with Titian’s parents, the child’s enthusiasm to start the first year of primary school emerged and our concrete response was unanimous: ‘let’s support him!’” “We decided to buy him everything he needed for school. This meant shoes, socks, t-shirts, trousers, apron, backpack, exercise book, pencils,” say the Youth for Unity, who also received financial help from other young people, friends from Mendoza in Argentina and Guatemala. They still remember Titian’s first day at school: “Mum sent us photos of the child with his new things, they were really very happy.” 
But there is more. Some time later, volunteers and other adults who knew the Movement – many of them housewives linked to New Humanity – told them that they had providentially obtained money to buy materials to build a house for the family. Ricardo, the father, was an accomplished builder and also had some sand and building materials. In this way, the financial help was transformed into bricks and cement and within 20 days, the house was standing. Winter was approaching and it was very important for them to have shelter. A voice message from Titian on WhatsApp confirmed this: ‘Thank you for donating the bricks for my room.’
(from Ciudad Nueva magazine, Cono Sud)
25 Aug 2022 | Focolare Worldwide
Mariapolis Ginetta celebrated its golden jubilee on August 15. The dream of its pioneers is now reality: it is a beacon of unity, dialogue and a new society for all. Since its genesis, the Catholic Church has sought in various ways to live out Jesus’ mandate in his priestly prayer, “Father, may they be one, as we are one” (Jn 17–21). Unity and dialogue are, even today, the basis of many ecclesial activities and thought. It was during World War II, in the city of Trent, Italy, that 21-year-old Chiara Lubich realized she wanted to live and spread unity among all peoples of the world, believers and non-believers alike. In Brazil, through Mariapolis Ginetta, this mission has been fruitful for 50 years now. City on the hill 
In founding the Focolare Movement, and taking a cue from her own experiences, Chiara thought it would be good to give rise to cities placed on the hill – visible and luminous, true beacons for society, where people could live the Gospel, in communion and mutual love, and experiencing the constant presence of God. Around the world today, there are 35 permanent Mariapolises, little towns started by the Focolare. Three in Brazil: Mariapolis Santa Maria near Recife, Mariapolis Gloria near Belem, and Mariapolis Ginetta, in the state of São Paulo at Vargem Grande Paulista, which on the Feast of the Assumption, August 15, celebrated its golden jubilee. Mariapolis Ginetta Fruit of God’s providence, and witness to much activity, the Mariapolis has been a place of spiritual and social gatherings for thousands of people all over the world. Inhabited by families, consecrated lay people, priests, and people of other religious denominations, this flagship little city is a space where each visitor can experience God. Karina Gonçalves Sobral, who lives with her husband and two daughters in the community, stresses the importance of the spirituality of unity and the values contained in the local culture. “The Mariapolis has as its mission to be a gathering place, an open house open for everyone. And it is truly for everyone. Those who come here feel welcomed. It is part of our charism, welcoming.” “Looking at various pieces of land that were proposed 50 years ago, this one in Vargem Grande really seemed to have the right characteristics to be a fruitful space where we could visibly embody the ideal of unity,” says Maria do Socorro Pimentel, a focolarina who has lived in the little city for more than 40 years. “We settled here, and today we celebrate an important milestone.” The founder’s presence 
Chiara Lubich visited the Mariapolis Ginetta several times, and it was on one of her trips, in 1991, when she came face to face with the great social inequality of the Brazilian population. She was particularly inspired, and it was here that she created the Economy of Communion, whose main goal is to develop a network of businesses that share their profits, contrasting the culture of having with the culture of giving. The Mariapolis is named after one of Chiara Lubich’s earliest friends, Servant of God Ginetta Calliari, one of the greatest supporters of building this “city on the hill” who started the Focolare Movement in Brazil. Her body is buried in the cemetery there, where many faithful go to ask for graces. Recognition Starting in May 2022, the city of Vargem Grande Paulista recognized the social and spiritual work carried out by the Focolare Movement there and the importance not only of Mariapolis Ginetta, but all the work that supports children, adolescents and young people. Not to be forgotten is the work of establishing shelters for the homeless and a communication system, which has attracted investment, partnerships and lifted the profile of the municipality. For the mass celebrated on August 15, by Don João Bosco, Bishop of Osasco, Pope Francis sent an apostolic blessing, written in gratitude for this mission carried out by the Focolare Movement in the city, the state of São Paulo and throughout Brazil.
Ronnaldh Oliveira (From cancaonova.com)
19 Aug 2022 | Non categorizzato
Love urges us to avoid being closed in ourselves but to do good for others. It leads us to take the initiative and overcome indifference. By showing commitment and getting our hands dirty, so to speak, we are reminded how much God has loved us and how great is the dream he has placed in our hearts. Seventeen hundredweight of books When we spoke to friends about the crisis in Argentina, we learned about the serious shortage of school books in Pease. Hence the idea emerged of making a collection and we circulated the idea among families we knew. The response was immediate and generous. There was no lack of initiative: advertisements in newspapers, appeals on the radio, talks in parishes and to various parents’ associations. Many people from a number of different cities became personally involved. We collected seventeen hundredweight of books for all school levels and sent them to Argentina by sea. Then, within a month, there were other groups of people who collected another two hundredweight of books and the money for their transport. Due to lack of experience, it was sometimes difficult to keep in mind all the practical details (e.g. suitable boxes for transport, customs procedures, etc.) But a solution was found for everything. We were also able to tell many people that we were motivated by the ideal of contributing to building a more united world. (S.A. – Spain)
Serving other people together I am a nurse and work in a social service centre. A couple with a nine-month-old baby who were in considerable need approached me for support. They didn’t even have money for their bus fare, the wife had injured her hand and the baby needed to complete his vaccinations. I could have turned them away because of the very strict referral requirements but inside I felt the urge to do something for these neighbours. I sanctioned access to emergency services and made sure I met all the family’s needs so that they would not have to buy bus tickets for another appointment. At one point, another nurse spontaneously volunteered to take care of them in my place: she treated the lady’s hand, provided her with further dressings and medication and also vaccinated the child. She was happy that she was able to help them and so was I. (Maina – Canada)
Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta
(taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, VIII, no.2, July – August 2022)
15 Aug 2022 | Non categorizzato
In 1976, in the Italian Cittá Nuova magazine’s column “Open Dialogue”, a reader asked Chiara Lubich the following question: “Every now and again I feel guilty for not having loved Mary enough, for thinking very little about her. What do you think I need to do so as to have a true devotion to Mary?” Mary is closer to God than to human beings, and yet she is a creature like us, and stands as such before her Creator. This means that she can be a kind of inclined plane, which reaches from heaven down to earth. With regard to having a true devotion to her – down through the centuries many devotions have flourished among the Christian people, giving them a definite idea of Mary’s maternal love through all the big and small trials of life. However, I would advise you to follow a way that brings to birth in your heart a love for Mary similar to the love Jesus has for her. The fact is that, even though Mary has all those magnificent and extraordinary qualities of which you are aware, she is also ‘the perfect Christian.’ And that’s because, as you can see from the Gospel, she didn’t live her own life, but allowed the law of God to live in her. She, more than anyone else, can say: ‘It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me’ (Gal 2:20). Mary is the word of God fully lived out. So, if you really want to love her, ‘imitate her.’ You too should be the word of God lived out! And since you can’t live the whole of the Gospel all at once, re-evangelize your life by taking seriously and living every day one of the ‘Words of Life’ that it contains.
Chiara Lubich
(Chiara Lubich, Mary, Flower of Humanity, New City UK, 2017, pp. 181-82)
