“Universal brotherhood: a necessity for Europe”

29 Nov 2014 | Focolare Worldwide

We recall a thought from Chiara Lubich about Europe, part of her address to the first “Together for Europe” meeting in May 2004. Ten thousand people gathered in Stuttgart, Germany and more than 100,000 were linked up for simultaneous events in various European capitals. The gathering was supported by over 150 movements and ecclesial communities from various churches, from all over the continent.  «Universal brotherhood was also the project of people who were not motivated by religious motives, but simply by the desire to benefit humanity. The French Revolution’s motto: “liberty, equality, fraternity”, summarizes the great political project of modernity, a project which, in part, has been disregarded. While numerous countries have built democratic systems of government and have succeeded in achieving some degree of liberty and equality, the same cannot be said of fraternity which has been proclaimed more than it has been lived. But the one who brought fraternity as the essential gift to humanity was above all Jesus. In revealing the fatherhood of God, He broke down the walls which separate those who are “the same” from those who are “different”, friends from enemies. He loosened all people from the bonds that imprison them, from all forms of slavery and subordination, from every unjust relationship, thus carrying out an authentic existential, cultural and political revolution. (…) The instrument that Jesus offered to us in order to accomplish this universal fraternity was love, a great love, a new love, different from the one we usually know. In fact, He transplanted the way of loving of heaven here on earth. This love requires first of all that we love everyone, therefore, not only relatives and friends. It asks that we love the pleasant and the unpleasant, our fellow-countryman and the stranger, the European and the immigrant, those of our Church and of another, of our religion and of another. Today it asks the countries of Western Europe to love those of Central and Eastern Europe – and vice versa – and it asks everyone to be open to those of other continents. In the vision of its founders, in fact, Europe is a family of sister nations, not closed in itself, but open to a universal mission: Europe wants its unity to contribute, then, to the unity of the human family. This love asks that we love our enemies as well and that we forgive them if they have offended us. After the wars which stained our continent with blood, many Europeans were exemplary in loving their enemies and promoting reconciliation. Therefore, the love I am speaking of makes no distinctions and takes into consideration all those we meet in any moment, directly or indirectly: those who are next to us physically, but also those about whom we or others are speaking; those who will receive the work we do day by day, those we come to know about through the newspapers or television…. Because this is the way God our Father loves, making the sun rise on the bad and the good, and causing the rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike (cf Mt 5:45). (…) Furthermore, the love that Jesus brought is not an idealistic, sentimental love, made up of words. It is a concrete love. It needs to be expressed with deeds. And this is possible if we make ourselves all things to all people: sick with those who are sick; joyful with those who are joyful; worried, insecure, hungry, poor with others, feeling in ourselves what they feel and acting accordingly».

Argentina: YouthFest 2014 “double the madness”

27 Nov 2014 | Focolare Worldwide

Every year in September in the Citadel Lia, in Argentina, the YouthFest is held; this time it was entitled: “Let’s live this madness” which was expressed through a show wherein, in the midst of the celebration of Carnival, it showed how many people, by wearing masks, lose their identity, and become part of an unruly and faceless crowd.

The performance showed, through workshops, theatre, experiences, music and choreographies, the importance of the choice of a lifestyle that goes against the current, based on evangelical love.

The day was so beautiful and involving that it impressed and took in the 120 participants from Mendoza, a city at the foot of the Argentinian Andes, who left the Citadel Lia with the desire in ther heart to repeat the YouthFest in their city.

So as to transform this dream into reality they needed to work a lot: just imagine that they had to bring the almost 100 youth actors who formed part of the show in the Citadel Lia to Mendoza, a trip of more than 900 kilometers, and also to house them for three days.

The first show took place on November 10, in front of 500 people, among which were various class sections of a school, but also youth from the peripheries of the city. «We see many problems in our world – began the young actors on the stage – and some expect the others to find the solutions. Here, we are 90 youth from 20 Countries who have decided not to wait any longer. We want to be the protagonists of this change, and we have discovered the recipe: to work in building the unity of the human family».

The next day, the second performance was held, in a Convention Center 40 km. from Mendoza. Here too the tickets were all sold out, with 500 fully occupied seats and some people standing and also some teens who came precisely for this event from a school that is 250 km. away.

The young people who watched the show were positively surprised in seeing about a hundred young people their age coming from 20 different nations who, with great artistic talent, presented their way of life which was totally different from that imposed by society today.

In both shows the proposal of a lifestyle based on love that becomes concrete service towards the others, was welcomed and everyone left withtheir heart full of joy.

But also for the “actors” themselves, the teens that spend a period of their life in the Citadel Lia, this tour was important because it showed that it’s possible to live the “madness of love” if each one does his or her own part, without looking at what has been done or what is yet to come, but only aiming at the present, using it well.

One among the many messages received through WhatsApp: «EVERYTHING WAS VERY BEAUTIFUL! It was truly a moment to live the title of the day: “Let’s live this madness”, because these 3 days were unforgettable. Even my friends who came were enthusiastic and very much moved! It was special for me in that I was able to get to know the young people who came from Citadel Lia. Let’s continue to live this madness together!».

Read also: Argentina, a thousand youth for a folly

Giordani. Europe’s Roots

23 Nov 2014 | Focolare Worldwide

«Christopher Dawson, in The Making of Europe, scrive: “The influence of Christianity on the formation of the European Unity is a striking example of the way in which the course of historical develompment is modified and determined by new spiritual influences. […] Thus in the case of the ancient world we can see that the artificial material civilisation of the Roman Empire stood in need of some religious inspiration of a more profound kind than was contained in the official cults.” That need was met by Christianity.

It could be said that the religious divisions sanctioned by the cuius regio eius religio norm, were devised to permit political divisions, national isolation and, as a corollary, wars. Within the unity of religion wars and battles were considered fratricidal and there was an effort to avoid them. Then, when Christianity was divided, contflicts became signs of national glory. Yet, since the Christian conscience of Europe never died, to the spirits of many people those wars appeared as nothing more than infighting, and that the conscience of the Europen community never wavered.

A common beauraucracy is not enough.

The Russian, Soloviov, once wrote that just as the Church had at one time unified Europe, first with the French and then the Saxons, now it would reuinte it with social justice, bypassing the divisions of race, caste and class; that is, by eliminating the major cause of conflicts.

By social justice which according to the Christian meaning is contained in that communion of spiritual and material goods that sees all people as children of the same Father, equal to one another, and this is the view the Church awakens in view of peace in wellbing and in freedom. Hoping to obtain this rational order only with class war would be equivalent to repeating the mistake of Germanic and Slavic militarism. . . that claimed to unite Europe by the sole use of arms.  .Christianity represents a unification in freedom and in peace with the elimination of wars and motives for friction. The contribution of religion in this sense is not directed towards the structuring of institutions, as it is to the formation of spirits.

In religion today we see two unifying thrusts in motion: 1) the improving sense of the Mystical Body; 2) the rebirth of ecumenism by which the unity of the Church triggers the unity of the peoples. Two thrusts which, as they correct the direction of the currents and eliminate the passions from whence the vivisection of Europe happened, they also arouse spiritual energies capable of giving a soul to this political union; of infusing a supernatural inspiration into this human project; of popularising the application of unity. If this were left only to economic, political and military factors it would fail.

It is not enough to make Europe a common army or a common beuraucracy. It is not by chance that men of politics tend to incorporate ideologies; that is, giving the body a soul. Europe already has its soul: Christianity, its substance and its genesis.

Igino Giordani

(Rome: Città Nuova no. 5, 1972), p.23.

Josef Lux, a peacemaker politician

21 Nov 2014 | Focolare Worldwide

“I’ll never forget his smile when he would greet me as he returned home tired from work. . . Even though he would never get more than only a few hours of sleep, he never missed the early morning Mass. . . He never brought political problems into our focolare, although there were times when he would ask for our opinions. Actually, he had to go against the current quite often, but I never saw in him any hatred towards his opponents.” As he went off to work each morning, he would tell us goodbye saying: ‘Always, immediately, with joy!'” It was a way of telling us he was prepared to accept any situation, even the difficult ones that the day would be holding in store for him. This attitude was probably the secret behind his life, which made dialogue possible with everyone, often in very difficult situations.” This is how the two focolarini who lived in the same focolare as Josef Lux remember him.

Born on February 1, 1956, in the late 1970s he became acquainted with the spirituality of Chiara Lubich, in Cocen, Eastern Bohemia where he worked as a zoo technician in an agricultural cooperative. In 1986 he married Vera and felt the call to follow Jesus in the focolare. Chiara assigned him a sentence from the Gospel that gave direction to his life: “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Mt 22: 21).

Josef Lux with his wife Vera

The events of November 1989, followed by the fall of Communism, changed his life. Right from the start of the political changes he was among the main organisers of the demonstrations in the square, and in 1990 he was elected to the National Parliament for the People’s Party. His decision to enter into politics was the result of deep reflection. He was strongly convinced that politics could be purified by people who were ready to make the personal sacrifice. He enthroned a large portrait of Jesus on the Cross, on the wall of his study. He wanted to have Him always in front of him, especially during the intense negotiations, and in the demanding work.

In September 1990, after a brilliant speech in front of the People’s Party convention, he was elected president. He worked for the transformation of this political group into a modern party with a Christian orientation.

In 1992 he was re-elected to Parliament and became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture of the Czech Government until 1998. For many people he was a sign of contradiction: esteemed by the people who shared his choices and rejected by political opponents.

Vera and his six children were of great support to him.

Josepf Lex with Vaclav Havel

In 1998 he was informed that he had a serious illness: leukaemia. That news gave rise to a chain of support: many Czech citizens as well as many others, offered bone marrow transplants. Although it was proving difficult to find the right fit, Josef was still pleased because that allowed the data base of possible donors to expand. Finally, an anonymous donor was found in Italy and the decision was made to have the surgery in Seattle, USA. The surgery went well, but during his recovery he developed an infection that worsened.

His children arrived in Seattle, accompanied by a focolarino priest who celebrated Mass in his hospital room. Josef continued to repeat that he offered his pain for the spreading of God’s Kingdom and for young people. Chiara Lubich followed him closely, assuring him of her daily prayers.

Vera and the children held hands as they sang Josef’s favourite psalm: “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust” (Ps 91:2). Well aware of the gravity of his condition, he was serene and continued to ask for prayers. Then he said some words that have become his testament: “Smile, don’t cry.”

In announcing his death on November 21, 1999, Chiara asked that Josef Lux be the protector of the Movement for Unity in Politics along with Igino Giordani.

His first little “miracle” following his death was a day of unity for the whole nation, a unity never seen since before the Velvet Revolution: on the radio, in newspapers, on television – everyone including his political opponents openly expressed their esteem for him and for the values he defended and spread during his time in public office. Many said they found in him not only a “statesman” but also a Christian who drew from his faith in God the strength and the courage to work in favour of his country.

Sicily. A Culture of Gift and the Common Good

20 Nov 2014 | Focolare Worldwide

Kheit Abdelhafid couldn’t find the words to bring the event to a conclusion: “Believe me, I’m speechless, I can’t find the words to bring this beautiful day to a conclusion. Last year, before the meeting on the topic of the family, we wondered if we would be capable to conduct a meeting together. And now that we’re concluding this second meeting, I realise that we are more than able and this day has demonstrated that. When I see our children together I know the future will be better than what we see now in the world.”

Niether was it easy for the Imam, who is very accustomed to large crowds, to find the words to conclude the second meeting promoted by the Focolare Movement and the Islamic Community of Sicily, on November 16th in Catania (Italy), titled A Culture of Gift and the Common Good. 450 people from several east Sicilian cities filled the meeting hall with an odd-sounding interweaving of languages and dialects.

A great contribution was given by the speakers at the round-table discussion that was moderated by the director of Citta Nuova, Michele Zanzucchi. Msgr Gaetano Zito, Episcopal Vicar for Culture in the Diocese of Catania, underscored the importance of a culture of friendliness and being together. Samia Chouchane, delegate at the interreligious dialogue of the Union of Islamic Communities in Italy (UCOII), highlighted the motivation behind everything: “Motivations are at the heart of everything: Imagine, then, if the motivation is love for God. And this leads us not to be indifferent to what happens in the world right beside us.”

Kamel Layachi from the Scientific Committee of the Interreligious Dialogue Department of the UCOII challenged both communities to not only to interreligious dialogue, but also intrarreligious dialogue, in order to launch a reflection also within each of their individual religious experiences. Margareth Karram from the Focolare Movement in the Holy Land shared her personal experience as a Christian Palestinian who had been raised in a predominantly Jewish environment. She was literally born and grew in a world of dialogue, although it was often wearying and marked by setbacks. Nonetheless, it is always important to know one another, to know our differences, history and culture: “We need to know one another deeply, friendship isn’t enough, a deeper knowledge is necessary. It’s our ignorance of each other that produces the fear.” Giusy Brogna who is in charge of interreligious dialogue on behalf of the Focolare in Sicily expressed great satisfaction with the meeting: “That journey we began several years ago is bearing fruit. I am quite hopeful certain that both communities – that of the focolarini and that of the Muslims – will bring dialogue ahead not only in Catania but in other Sicilian cities as well.”

At the end of the meeting it was decided to contribute economically to the completion of a well in Cameroon, which is being promoted by one of the projects in the Action for a United World. “Water is life,” Kheit Abdelhafid remarked, “and that well we are building together will be the sign of the life that is here among us.”

The Tree of Emotions

17 Nov 2014 | Focolare Worldwide

“This has been an unbelievable experience. Now I’ve seen it all! Should I become a teacher in 20 years time, I’ll be telling my students: “I created this program with my former classmates.” And I’ll also tell them that it wouldn’t have been possible without those classmates or the great artist, Antonio”.

4,700 glass tiles were the raw materials that made it possible for a creative workshop to be held over 12 sessions. All the students described the experience as a “memorable” one, allowing them to unleash their imagination and to have respect for others by working alongside them. The workshop, inspired by the spirituality of the Focolare Movement, and designed by the Alessandro Mammucari Association – a partner of the “Let’s unBully ourselves” initiative promoted by the Latina municipality – used art as a medium to transmit the message.

Antonio Casarin, a glass artist, together with Patrizia Sarallo, his right-hand person, and Tatiana Falsini, coordinator and art history teacher, involved 120 young people in this creative project that lasted 2 days.

Delight, sadness, anger, fear: these are the basic feelings for our survival, chosen as the main theme for the workshop. It started off with an abstract introduction to art, stressing its connection with the world of emotions. How does it work? Tatiana, the coordinator explains: “The students are asked to study Antonio Casarin’s artworks in glass through the senses of sight and touch, in order for them to grasp their deeper meaning. We proceed from one bench to the other, while listening to a narration, after which we ask the kids to anonymously write on a piece of paper the emotions they have experienced; they are then asked to listen once again, but this time within themselves, in order to recognise their own emotions”.

The students are subsequently asked to experience making glass art in a creative workshop during which a panel is made for each class, two per school, which depicts a tree in its four seasons, symbolising the four emotions.

“Everyone receives a transparent glass tile,” Antonio Casarin explains, “and the kids have to paint the surface, arrange them in an interlocking fashion and glue them together, after which they are baked in a kiln. We ask them to do it in teams because it is a joint endeavour, and it helps everyone to work better, sharing both materials and abilities”.

One of the students wrote: “When we started to make the tiles I was terrified something would go wrong or that I may not even find the missing piece. But when they were brought back after being baked in the oven, I was so happy!”

The students were enthusiastic and entirely focused on their task. They worked non-stop even during recess and once their tiles were done, they immediately asked for more. The ones who finished heeded the instructions to go and help their companions who were still busy. Once the tiles were all baked, we came together to assemble the mosaic of the trees. When the panel was raised, there was a burst of applause. Everyone agreed that its beauty was a result of a collective effort which bore the characteristics and diversity of each one making it even more unique.

In conclusion the experts asked the students to write what the workshop meant for them. Together they were even able to come up with an anti-bullying rhyme!