17 Mar 2023 | Non categorizzato
The Word of God, incarnate, lived concretely and in our own times, gives us the possibility of making our life a source of light capable of illuminating every darkness, bringing our contribution to every activity. A new look at things that paves a path of hope for us and for those around us. A peace that brings light It all started when my son had the first symptoms of muscular sclerosis. As a mother I had always dedicated myself to my children and to my grandchildren, but not being able to do anything to stem such a devious evil was terrible. One day I was in church, crying. On the high altar the sculptures of the crucifixion with John, Mary Magdalene and Our Lady at the feet of Jesus caught my gaze. Imagining how Mary felt in front of her Son reduced to such a state, I saw myself as she was, powerless and crushed by pain. I did not have the strength to pray but I remained there to contemplate, to think… and an unusual peace reassured me. From that day on, whenever anguish grips my heart, I return there and it seems that Mary repeats to me: “Stay with me, welcome the mystery and participate with me in the Redemption”. I try to give the peace I derive from this closeness to the family. One morning when my son was getting up, he noticed new limits on what he could do. He phoned me to say: “Mom, I don’t know what tomorrow will bring but supported by your strength I feel I can thank God for everything he has given me.” It was like a balm for me. (T.F. – Italy) The reins of the future A reunion among former students, fifty years after graduation. White hair or none at all, walking sticks, illnesses, disappointments… but also the great joy of being together again. How could we not remember those of us who had passed on to the next life? Then the speeches touched on hopes and projects, young people, children… and then came the punctum dolens from which the same serious question arose: “Where did we go wrong? What future have we built?” One of the group, who had consecrated his life to the service of the poor, speaking of the various solitudes encountered, said he was convinced that in this sick world, as Pope Francis says, young people are at risk because they breathe an air of indifference and no longer realize reality. And he concluded: “It is up to us to take charge of the reins of the future.” We said goodbye with the feeling (we later said to eachother) that that meeting had uncovered a new obligation for us, a task, according to the conditions and possibilities of each one. As for me, I am committed to communicating to my grandchildren what their own parents fail to convey. (L.A. – Spain)
by Maria Grazia Berretta
(taken from The Gospel of the Day, New City, year IX – n.1- March-April 2023)
28 Feb 2023 | Non categorizzato
On 1 February the International Centre of the Focolare Movement had the joy of welcoming Argentine Rabbi Silvina Chemen, a longtime friend committed to interreligious dialogue. In an open and fraternal dialogue, she spoke of her participation in R20, the forum of religious leaders in Indonesia held just before the G20, and her pilgrimage to the Holy Land with a group of Jews and Christians. “If I take a look at my life, my commitment to interreligious dialogue, I can say that all roads begin here, with the Focolare Movement.” 
These were the extremely happy words that Rabbi Silvina Chemen used to address a large gathering of people, eager to greet her and ask her a few questions, during her visit at the beginning of February to the International Centre of Rocca di Papa in Italy. She is Argentinean, from Buenos Aires, a professor at the Latin American Rabbinical Seminary, and serves in the Bet-El community founded by Rabbi Marshall Meyer. Her commitment to dialogue between faiths is a choice that radically pervades her life and that has led her to get to know Chiara Lubich’s charism deeply, sharing the profound desire of ‘ut omnes’ (‘all be one’) by working intensely in favour of peace and universal brotherhood. In November Chemen participated in R20, the forum of religions in Indonesia, a historic moment that, in the presence of so many religious leaders, proudly defined how religions can truly be partners and help build a more peaceful society. “We, the religious people of the world, are part of society and have so much to offer to such a wounded world,” said Chemen. It is true, at this moment in history, on an international, political and religious level, we are taking the first steps toward a common dialogue. Yet we must take another step: looking further into the problems of ordinary people. It is a long journey, but one that over time, patiently, can bear the most beautiful fruit: valuing each other’s differences, cherishing them, lending an ear with interest and together looking toward a single goal. This, Silvina recalls, is what happened in the early experiences of dialogue between people of different religions that she was able to have. “My tradition, the Jewish tradition, is not just a set of precepts, rituals or a liturgy, but it is mixed with everyday life, with every moment of human life – our behaviour, actions, with what we are. It is a worldview of real life, so Judaism is not only lived inside the synagogue, but outside. “Being a cohesive community and witnessing with our lives: this is what I believe applies to everyone. It is often thought that we of various religions are not an integral part of society and that we must live within the walls of our communities. “Instead, I think we cannot miss this opportunity to speak to the world and to talk about dialogue, about what we have learnt from our experience, not to convince anyone, but to plant seeds of good, to have an impact on reality. “I am in love with this possibility of reading a religion through the eyes of current events. We are here to discomfort the comfortable and to support the uncomfortable. When one is too comfortable, it means one is completely disconnected from reality, which by nature is uncomfortable. Here, our mission is to be uncomfortable.” Silvina recently completed a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the fruit of a journey that began in her city Buenos Aires some seven years ago, called ‘shared readings’. “Every first Monday of the month we met, Jews and Christians, to study the texts of the Bible,” she says. “It was a space of truth and knowledge, and also saw the participation of a Catholic theologian, José Luis D’Amico, from the Order of the Sisters of Sion, a Bible centre in Buenos Aires. “Other times we also had the joy of having Muslim brothers with us, and we were able to read together the Torah, the Gospel and some passages from the Quran. This experience led each of us to have a dream: a pilgrimage to the Holy Land together to revive the texts in their context.” That is how 45 people, including Jews and Catholic Christians, accompanied by an Israeli guide, had a truly intense experience from 9 to 22 January. They shared each other’s emotions in those places that were of value to each of them, understanding the ultimate message of the texts that were read. “We went between Jericho and Jerusalem,” Silvina says, “to the place where the Good Samaritan is said to have come upon the dying man. It is a text that is somewhat problematic for us Jews, since it could portray Jews as people without pity, as the Levite and the priest of the parable are described. “It was important to take on this text there, to give it another reading and understand that mercy was the key to that Word, as we also read in Ecclesiastes: better two than one, for if one falls, the other helps him (Ecc 4:9–10). “Immediately afterwards we did an exercise, that of talking to someone with whom we had not yet spoken during the trip. It was a truly unique moment: to have the opportunity to listen to each other, compare with each other and find a common message. “We were not a separate ‘we’ and ‘you’, but we were together. It was a precious moment – I would even say prophetic – of a truly united world.”
Maria Grazia Berretta
25 Feb 2023 | Non categorizzato
Give to safeguard. By tracking daily action, the new APP teaches young people and adults, how to take care of the planet and of communities afflicted by climate change Track your consumption, on your own or in groups, learn small-large daily actions to save water and energy and not waste food, and provide concrete help to the poorest countries. These are the goals of EcoGive – Dare to Safeguard, a new App which is available on AppleStore and GooglePlay. It was born thanks to the support of the New Ways for a United World Association linked to the Focolare Movement. Our world is now digitally contained in our mobile phones. Being able to see our daily behaviours reflected in the digital dimension helps us to become aware of how much we really need to consume and how much we waste. This App allows us to track any of the following actions, from the reuse of water used to wash fruit and vegetables to switching off unnecessary lights, to the recycling of used clothes or less wasting of food. Each participant can register their “green deeds”, committing to carry out at least 200 for each school year. There are five thematic areas: electricity, water, gas, recycling/reuse and reduction of food waste. You can then follow the tally of your own deeds and those of your group or school class. You can also see the impact of the project measured in CO2, MWh and water saved. Marco Livia, president of the New Ways for a United World Association (APS), which supported the project and brought it onto an international level, said, “It is a very important project, a contribution to a real cultural change towards a sustainable lifestyle. We are aware of our generation’s great responsibility to the environment and we strongly believe in the power of change that we can transmit to children, and that they can imprint on their peers and in their own contexts.” The idea started in 2008 in Palermo (Italy) on the initiative of Elena Pace, a teacher. The aim is to combine environmental protection and solidarity. The experience then developed over the years thanks to the commitment of the students of various Italian schools. In the 2021-2022 school year, the initiative involved 50 schools worldwide and reached more than 10,000 students. In 2023 its international scope continues to grow. Schools from 12 countries now participate: Italy, Burundi, Benin, Madagascar, South Africa, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Brazil, Colombia, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The project is inspired by the United Nations 2030 Agenda Goals, focusing in particular on three of them: 13 (fight against climate change), 4 (promote quality education) and 2 (defeat hunger). Support for developing countries The energy-saving measures can also be transformed into concrete support for the populations of the countries most affected by adverse climate-related events. How? Parents, relatives, friends and sponsors are invited to donate. The resources generated will allow the implementation of solidarity actions in developing countries. These actions are chosen by the students, who will learn in this way to give to safeguard the environment. Solidarity projects chosen include the construction of a social vegetable garden in Nairobi, Kenya, the planting of trees in a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Mumbai (India) and the promotion of plant nurseries in the city of Carice (Haiti). The project has been supported by several institutions including the Italian Ministry of Education, the Ministry of the Environment of the Dominican Republic, the Sapienza University of Rome, the Italian Space Agency and the Municipalities of Rome and Priverno. The EcoGive App was created thanks to the support of Mauro Atturo, CEO & Founder of Problem Solving S.R.L. and of Carlo La Mattina, Sole Director of Innovation Lab S.R.L.
Lorenzo Russo
20 Feb 2023 | Non categorizzato
God chose to convey the grace that saves people through people themselves. That is, he chose to save us through our love for one another, through the charity and care we have for our neighbours. Just when it seems that we have nothing to offer, that we are of no use, he shows us a way to knock on his door as children, to ask and trust. Special request By chance, I had become aware of a patient admitted to hospital in a desperate condition. To save her, a specific blood type was needed, but it could not be found. I did my best to search for it, both among my acquaintances and in my work environment (I am a nurse in the outpatient clinic of a charitable organisation). But nothing could be found. I was about to surrender my arms, heavy in defeat, when a heartfelt prayer to the almighty rose from my soul, a request. My ward duty hours were over, and the specialist doctor I was assisting said goodbye and left. Just a few moments later, a young woman came in for an examination. I asked the lady for her ID and she handed me her Avis card. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes – what if she had that blood type? If he was available? I rushed to call the doctor back and, unlike other times, found him willing to return to surgery. That’s right! That same afternoon, the woman was at the sick woman’s bedside for the direct transfusion. A. M. M., Italy Behind a door Starting with the idea of halving my personal belongings, giving them away to those who might need them, I established new relationships. I began with two expensive jackets that I seldom wear, offering them to my Moroccan neighbour, whose daughter or daughter-in-law might be interested. She liked them, and in turn begged me to accept a new, never-worn beige coat. For me this brought a lot of work to find out whom to give it to, but it served to get to know my neighbours. Two hours later I met a friend who happily accepted the coat for her sister, who only wears beige! The day continued, marked by the phrase, ‘Give and it shall be given to you’. In fact, I happened to receive furniture, dishes, linen for the flat I have recently moved into. For us Swiss, it is difficult to cross the threshold of a neighbour’s house – we are always afraid of disturbing. But how much humanity is hidden behind doors! It only takes a few minutes of entertainment over a coffee and the filters of prejudice fall away, the heart expands and the family space grows. Isabelle, Switzerland
Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta.
From “Il Vangelo del Giorno,” Città Nuova, year IX, no. 1, January–February 2023.
16 Feb 2023 | Non categorizzato
Diana, Argia and Jane donate their time every day to help other women escape the repulsive phenomenon of human trafficking and slavery. Their stories were told for this year’s International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking. Each year, 8 February marks the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking. The Talitha Kum international network – which has more than 3,000 members and is supported by the Vatican and many associations, including the Focolare Movement – organised an online pilgrimage this year, “Walking for Dignity.” It included experiences from various parts of the world, and two in particular are linked to the Focolare Movement. Diana and Argia, from Naples, Italy, have been involved for years in a women’s association called “Donne Meridiane,” which works in social work and cultural education.
Blessing Degree
Lorenzo Russo
VIDEO: St. Peter’s Square, Rome, flash mob against human trafficking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUPDp1PaaHc
