Dec 7, 2018 | Non categorizzato
With her unconditional “yes” to God, Chiara Lubich carried out a simple, transformative act that continues to generate life, organizations and culture. On December 7, 1943 Chiara gave her life to God for always. In 2002 she told some Focolare kids about that cold morning 75 years ago, when she had no intention at all of founding anything. “I had married God! I expected everything of him.” Today more than 2 million people have embraced her spirituality, which has gone beyond geographic and cultural borders worldwide. What happens when someone’s life path comes across Chiara Lubich’s spirituality? We asked Maria Celeste Mancuso and Arthur Ngoy – she’s from Argentina, he’s from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Maria Celeste (teacher): “I got to know about Focolare during the military dictatorship in my country. My 24-year-old brother had been taken and executed, and my family was destroyed by the pain. That was when I met a group of young people from the Focolare who spoke to me about Jesus’ cry of anguish on the cross, and how I could unite my own pain to his. I found the strength to forgive my brother’s killers, and I chose to respond to the call to love everyone, just as Jesus had. Professionally I dedicated myself to teaching young people with disabilities, not just to offer them cultural foundations, but to restore their dignity and respect. Today I no longer feel Argentinian or even South American; I belong to a new culture that views someone else, someone different, as a sibling and that reads history as a journey towards fulfilling universal fraternity.” Arthur (doctor): “I had recently lost some friends in an accident that I had been in. I was at rock bottom, and it was during that time that I heard about Chiara, how she had discovered God’s love during the absurdity of World War II. I understood that my life could also be guided by the Gospel. So I decided to not give in to extortion and corruption, which is so common in my country, and to carry out my profession as a doctor, putting the good of patients above all else. One of the most difficult times of my life was in 2007: my oldest son was killed after an accident. It was an episode that, in African culture, was open to a number of interpretations. There were those who advised that I get a divorce, quit work or even leave my country. Only certainty in what Chiara had taught me – keep loving – helped me to overcome this ordeal and once again find peace at home. I want to thank Chiara for having brought the spirituality of unity to the African continent.”
Stefania Tanesini
Nov 28, 2018 | Non categorizzato
We asked the President of the Focolare to tell us something about Eli Folonari and her specific contribution to the Movement, over the many years she spent alongside Chiara Lubich. “I got to know Eli better when I was asked to join Chiara’s Secretariat, which she was responsible for. I was struck by her serious and balanced approach and, I would say, by the tenderness that I discovered beneath what sometimes seemed a rather severe exterior. Eli did all that Chiara asked her to do with heroic faithfulness. Chiara had entrusted her with the aspect of fellowship and communion, which translates directly into communications. This meant ensuring that everyone could be informed of everything at any time. She did this to the utmost. I saw always near Chiara, supporting her, being her friend, her sister and an adviser too in the many things that needed to be done. At the same time, I never saw her taking over from Chiara. All she did was done so that Chiara and the charism she was conveying could reach everyone without any hindrance. This, I feel, was the full achievement of her ‘design’: she enabled all those who came to Chiara to become one heart and one soul”.
Sep 15, 2014 | Non categorizzato
“Some asked me if I managed to sleep at all last night. I answered “yes” but this will probably not be so after the match of “my” Real Madrid team against the Atletico team!” On 13 September 2014, Jesús Morán Cepedano, newly elected Co-President of the Focolare for the next six years remarked on his election with this joke. The joy of the entire Assembly was evident, while Maria Voce thanked him for having accepted to share with her the responsibility for the Movement. Also the Holy See, as required by the Focolare Statutes, confirmed the new Co-President in a letter signed by Bishop Rylko in which he encouraged the Co-President to «carry out faithfully and generously his mandate, in deep unity with the President, for the benefit of the entire Work of Mary.» And of course Maria Voce did not fail to thank also Giancarlo Faletti, outgoing Co-President, «for having so generously shared this responsibility for six years,» words that were followed by a standing ovation by the whole assembly. In the Focolari Movement, the figure of the Co-President upholds the aspect of unity, as based on the words of Jesus «Wherever two or three are reunited in my name, I am there in their midst» (Mt 18,20). According to the Focolari Statutes, the first task of the Co-President is «to be always in deep unity with the President, » symbol of the unity of the Movement, «which, together with her or her delegate, he will also have to serve.»
Jesús Morán Cepedano
Sep 10, 2014 | Non categorizzato
It has been a really warm summer with regard to the initiatives undertaken by the Economy of Communion and Civil Economy organisations. The latest in order of time was the recently concluded workshop in Arny, France. This was an international Summer School of the Economy of Communion (EoC) held from 26 to 31 August. Forty young people from Europe, Asia and Africa participated. The lessons, held by four EoC “experts” – Professors Luigino Bruni, Benedetto Gui, Vittorio Pelligra and Anouk Grevin – focused on themes related to social business, employment, development, poverty, reciprocity, and happiness in light of the new paradigms underpinned by the Economy of Communion. Hope and communion in economy were the keywords of this workshop, one of the participants explained: «The challenge we are facing is not held on a battlefield, but on the university chairs, and the desks of multinationals, or as leaders of a company, this is where we are called to build a more righteous world.» The next EoC appointment will be the Workshop programmed at the Business Park Lionello Bonfanti (Loppiano – Italy) from 1 to 3 October. 
“Regenerating Institutions, Common Good, Employment” was instead the title of the 5th Summer School of the Civic Economy (SEC) held in Taranto (Italy) last July. Forty-five young people took part, in search of a people-oriented, environmental-friendly economy and employment, an entrepreneurial style which takes into account civic economy that can create a homo oeconomicus model – in the words of the economist, Stefano Zamagni – and which is based also on relationships, incentives, and trust, oriented more toward the common good than the quest for individual satisfaction. These are concepts which the entire world is focusing on more and more, and which resounded in the words repeated several times by Pope Francis on the tyranny of money as highlighted by this financial crisis, characterized by the rejection of ethics and solidarity, and by the negation of the primacy of man. To conclude the experience, the young participants declared that they were more than convinced that carrying out a business through the principles of a Civic Economy would mean undertaking a courageous path to contribute to bringing relief to difficult situations of the southern part of the country. The next appointment for the followers of Civil Economy will be in Siracusa (Italy) from 11 to 14 September, with the workshop “Civil entrepreneuring: nature, incentives and perspectives for the development of a new welfare state.”
Sep 9, 2014 | Non categorizzato
“It was bound to happen to us. In today’s Italy with its crisis, and where the media records a rise of thefts in the streets, in homes and in cars, our case goes to add itself to the list of thousands of people who find that their homes or cars have been burgled with such mastery. Upon returning from a beautiful outing in an aquatic park with our little girls, we noticed that someone in the parking lot had sneaked into our car. A quick check and our summary of losses was done: key lock was forced, the house keys were gone including all the documents. Furthermore, the thieves – evidently professionals – to make sure that we would notice the theft as late as possible, had forced the left door and left the sat-navigator in the dashboard drawer, after they had moved it to take the documents that were below. We immediately followed the usual procedure: called the police first of all, then called the neighbours to keep their eyes open for strange movements around our house, and the next day, started changing all the door locks of the house, which was quite an economically painful process which we were able to face, however, thanks to an unexpected extra help we had received just the day before: an unexpected reimbursement from the school where my wife, Sonia works. The sum spent for the substitution of the door locks practically amounted to the same sum deposited on our account. Of course the girls also took part in all this hustle and bustle, and so we decided to discuss it with them. Remembering a phrase of the Our Father,“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,” the discussion naturally focused on the theme of forgiveness. We said to one another that this was our occasion to forgive not only with words, but with our hearts and without keeping any grudges. Also the Word of Life of the month was a big help. We recited a prayer together for “our” thieves, leaving the girls free to participate or not. The girls immediately accepted. We prayed that these people be converted. It was a strong and intense moment of unity for the family, and a good dialogue then arose regarding justice and the sense of forgiveness. For us, as parents, it was the occasion to be credible witnesses. A few days later, after noon, while the girls were praying for peace, one of them asked us: “Can we still pray for the thieves?” Source: New City online
