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Nov 6, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
“The show communicated so much, it was direct and filled with joy and energy. The performers are happy people who share a genuine relationship of mutual love.” “This performance was fresh and spontaneous and the instrumental and voice quality was quite good. The dynamic and rhythm of the show kept you on the edge of your chair.” “The show transformed me without my realizing it. At the end I was different.” These are a few of the impressions that were shared by some of the spectators of the show when the concert ended. It is one of the most recent shows to come from the Gen Verde Musical Group.
Start Now! took off on October 11th when it was first performed in little town Loppiano before an international audience of 300 people at Gen Verde’s permanent theatre. The band took stage together with 67 young people from both the local area and abroad.
During the three-days of rehearsing for the show – with song, dance, theater and music – the young people were encouraged to practice their talents and discover new ones. Throughout this creative exercise that was guided by respect and transparency, the artists from Gen Verde and the participants in the workshop worked side by side as members of the same team and concluded with a pop-up performance on the Loppiano stage.
“The educational objectives of the project,” Gen Verde explains “are to promote the arts as a means of educating toward peace, intercultural dialogue, human dignity and the creation of interpersonal relationships that promote human development.”
These goals are achieved through multidisciplinary artistic workshops. “This educational method is based on an experiential approach in which workshop participants share in the group’s growth by working not only as students, but also as protagonists on stage with us,” the artists affirmed.
“First I thought it would be helpful to be a bit egocentric in order to perform,” says one of the young people, “but now I realize that being on stage doesn’t mean thinking about me, but about the other.” “While we were on stage,” another girl adds, “I felt like there was no difference between us and Gen Verde.”
This project seeks to help young people discover art as a universal language that transcends every type of barrier, instilling skills that can be applied in every area of daily life.
Start Now! is intended for schools, universities and youth groups, and can be adapted to the target age and artistic experience of the participants.
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Nov 5, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
“Existential peripheries”: these two words had particular significance during the two-day seminar held during 21-24 October in Brazil. The seminar was attended by participants from 12 Latin American countries representing 40 social welfare organisations inspired by the Focolare’s charism of unity. From the exchange of experiences it appeared that the encounter with those on the peripheries, for whom Pope Francis has appealed, seems to have been underway for many years: where drug dealers were sewing death, very often among young people; where children of tender age were spending their lives on the streets; where farmers were being forced to migrate to cities for lack of work, increasing the number of favelas. The stories were deeply moving of those working in many different social organizations under great hardship because of a scarcity of human and material resources. This led to the need for a permanent network, for an ongoing exchange of experiences, problems and resources. The social organisations from Spanish-speaking lands launched the website www.sumafraternidad.org so this network could spread more widely; also in other expressions of the Focolare that have begun in the fields of economy, politics, education, law, family and youth. Sumafraternidad.org is far more than a simple crowd funding platform, say the creators of the digital support; what we are really aiming at is generating connections that are transformational. The fraterntiy in action: basis for social cohesion in the 21st century seminar addressed the socio-political landscape of the continent that even until now is plagued with a lack of social cohesion, resulting in exclusion and profound inequality, claims Argentine political scientist Juan Esteban Belderrain. With Uruguayan Susana Nuin from the Communications Commission of the Bishops Conference of Latin America (CELAM), elements of the Church’s social doctrine were examined inasmuch as they relate to the problematic situation of Latin America. 
The transformational potential of the charism of unity rooted in the thinking of Chiara Lubich, refocused on making yourself one, and was described by Brazilian sociologist Vera Araujo. She defined this as the indispensable evangelical method for building relationships; the horizons of fraternity that imposes a removal of inequality; Jesus crucified and forsaken, “who became identified with all the crucifixes of the world and opened new areas of resurrection.” “It is this cry,” said Father Vilson Groh, who has been involved for many years in helping children on the peripheries of society, “that makes us enter into the abandonment of those who are excluded, makes us capable of entering into communion with them, and prevents us from becoming accustomed to social injustices.” Some disturbing questions emerged from the chorus of voices: “Do we take it to be normal that strong social imbalances continue to exist? Have we silenced our own consciences, because others are already directly involved in finding solutions to these dramatic situations? There was a strong call for collectively assuming social responsibility.
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Nov 3, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
Margaret Karram (centre) and Yisca Harani (right).
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Nov 2, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
Singing of the hope and desire in the new generations to roll up their sleeves and become involved in building the future while not falling short of their ideals has been the main work of MariTè, a young “Soul and Afro-pop” singer and self-taught guitarist. She is Italian, born of Congolese parents and the music section winner of the Saint Vincente 2013 Beauty and Voice Prize. She responds to some interview questions by Africa News: Tell us something about your music. The musical trio that I sing with offers a blend of Soul and African music, Afro-Soul. Now I’m moving toward Gospel music. I direct a thirty-voice choir, and I’ve returned to my old love Rhythm and Blues, but the African influence is always there. Is there something in particular that inspires you? I draw inspiration from everything around me. I’m a song writer and my lyrics express the things I live. But I also gather inspiration from everyday life: a news headline that has struck me, meeting someone, etc. What are the most common obstacles that you encounter in your musical career? It’s not always easy being a woman. You can find worthwhile opportunities for more visibility, but often for something in return. Refusing on the grounds of my personal values is always a challenge. At times it’s painful, but I also see these moments as moments of strength: showing that it is possible to sing, play and dance while not making compromises. 
What is your message to other young people born in Italy of immigrant families? I deeply believe that the second generation is the bridge between their country of origin and that of their birth. It’s important to study and grow in order to give a valid contribution to the land of our origins as well as the land of our birth, and to open ourselves to the second generation, who are an integral and vibrant part of the country. When I think about this and the fact that I am part of the second generation, I feel so proud. I love both my countries, and I feel honoured to wave the flag of both cultures. On behalf of the Focolare Website, we asked MariTe another question: How does living the spirituality of unity influence your understanding of art and how it is expressed? I’ve known Chiara Lubich and the Focolare Movement since I was a child. When I was 20 years old I attended a convention for artists at the Mariapolis Centre in Castel Gandolfo, which was very illuminating for me. I wrote to Chiara to thank her, because I felt that I had understood my mission. My music and my life are a gift given to me by God, and I would like to place this gift at His service in spreading the message of unity. I sing loudly about the hope that seems to be hidden by superficiality today. We young people cannot allow ourselves to crumple; we are the ones who will create our own future. We have to roll up our sleeves and get it done.Watch video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooCiwDvV2ss
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Oct 31, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
On October 31, 1517 in the university city of Wittenberg, Germany, theology professor Martin Luther presents 95 theses on indulgences “out of love and concern for the truth, and with the object of eliciting it.” This date marks the beginning of the Protestant Reform and the division within the Christian Church of the West.
500 years have passed and that moment in history is no longer considered simply a dark moment. On the contrary, we now celebrate this anniversary with 50 years’ experience of theological dialogue among Lutherans and Catholics. On October 21, 2013 a delegation from the Lutheran World Federation was received by the Pope, to whom they handed over the latest results of that theological dialogue with the meaningful title: From Conflict to Communion. The Lutheran-Catholic Interpretation of the Reform in 2017. The Holy Father underscored the commitment to progress in spiritual ecumenism that constitutes “the soul of our journey towards full communion,” and “it permits us to have a foretaste of some of that fruit already now, even though imperfectly.”
How can we transmit this necessary something for a life with God, for which it is worthwhile to struggle and fight? How can we transmit to our contemporaries the traditions that they might be the supports of an intense Christian life, without digging ourselves into new trenches? These are some of the questions posed by the document From Conflict to Communion. We begin with Heike Vesper, Lutheran focolarina from Germany, now residing in Italy where she works with Centro Uno, the Focolare Movement’s secretariat for ecumenism.
“For 35 years I have been living the spirituality of unitytogether with Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran friends. This has brought me into contact with other Churches and their life with God. It’s been extraordinarily enriching. I am surprised by the greatness of God and the action of the Holy Spirit that my Church alone could never fully express. I was around twenty years old and had known the Focolare Movement for several years when I felt that God was calling me to give witness to the unity that was possible, precisely in the diversity that went along with community. Despite the fears and differences I saw with respect to Catholics, I felt the courage to respond to God’s call and entered the focolare community in Leipzig. The experience of these twenty years was exactly what the Pope underscored on October 21st when he met with Lutherans: “In the measure to which we humbly draw near in spirit to the Our Lord Jesus Christ, we are sure to draw nearer to one another also; and to the measure in which we invoke from the Lord the gift of unity, he will surely take us by the hand and be our Guide.”
There were also difficulties, perplexity concerning some forms of Catholic traditions that were unfamiliar to me. As I began again, I always felt that I had to look at what we had in common and I often discovered this in the most unexpected places. This would encourage me and allow me to be guided by Jesus, by Jesus in the midst [see Mt 18:20].
The first of Luther’s 95 thesis on indulgences states: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” (Mt 4:17 ), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” This means being able to forgive. God continually gives me a new chance, because on the Cross, Jesus also takes on all of my failures and those of every person. That’s my penance: being able to forget, to be reconciled!
The document From Conflict to Communion concludes with 5 ecumenical imperitives that invite Catholics and Lutherans to reflect on prospectives of unity, to give visibility to the Body of Christ. This confirms my experience in the Focolare Movement:
- The first imperative: “Catholics and Lutherans should always begin from the perspective of unity and not from the point of view of division in order to strengthen what is held in common even though the differences are more easily seen and experienced.”
- “The second imperative: “Lutherans and Catholics must let themselves continuously be transformed by the encounter with the other and by the mutual witness of faith.”
- The third imperative: “Catholics and Lutherans should again commit themselves to seek visible unity, to elaborate together what this means in concrete steps, and to strive repeatedly toward this goal.”
- “The fourth imperative: “Catholics and Lutherans jointly should rediscover the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for our time.”
- “The fifth imperative: Lutherans and Catholics should witness together to the mercy of God in proclamation and service to the world.”
Drawing closer to the Word of God I’d like to be able to experience and affirm with Martin Luther: “Then I felt literally reborn and brought through the thrown-open gate of Heaven itself. The entire Scripture suddenly acquired a new face for me. Later I read The Spirit and the letter by St. Augustine, where, against every hope, I discovered he also interpreted God’s justice in a similar way, as the justice with which God clothes us when he justifies.”
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Oct 30, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
Fr Joseph Kentenich
One session entitled Schoenstatt in dialogue focused on paths for the future while keeping in mind the primary objectives: reviving missionary joy for the evangelisation and bringing the light of the Covenant of Love to the world. Ample space was given for several Movements of various Churches to share the testimonies of their involvement in the Together for Europe network to which Schoenstatt has belonged since the start. The 1999 visit of Chiara Lubich, Andrea Riccardi and several leaders of the Focolare and Saint Egidio Community was remembered. On that occasion the two founders, along with Schoenstatt Father Michael Marmann and Sister Doria made a pact in the name of their respective Movements, to love and esteem one another. 
Longstanding friendship between Focolare and Schoenstatt. One of the most memorable moments of this friendship was in 2001, in Swizterland when a group of Schoenstatt priests, along with Father Kentenich’s successor, Father Marmann, posed a series of questions to Chiara about one of the main points of the spirituality of communion, Jesus forsaken, and about the “crisis in the ministerial priesthood.” How do we get out of this crisis? “Priests must become better Christians,” Chiara suggested, “because being a Christian means living the Gospel, and because this is how the Holy Spirit works. . . With the Gospel, the Church is revived. It is revived in the laity, in the priests, in the bishops and in the popes. Therefore, the Holy Spirit’s way to emerge from this crisis is to begin living the Gospel authentically and completely.”
