1 Oct 2025 | Idea of the Month, Non categorizzato
Who, at one point or another during their life time, has not felt that they simply could not cope?
These are times of confusion and great vulnerability when we become aware of our own limitations and it seems clear that we cannot face all of life’s challenges alone.
When we feel like this, we need to lift our gaze, shift our focus away from our difficulties and open up to a broader reality. By making this subtle yet decisive change from within, we become aware of an invisible “web”. This is like a delicate fabric of intertwining people, experiences, and circumstances that envelop, accompany, sustain and fill us with understanding.
This help does not always manifest explicitly; it comes from life itself with its mysterious ability to regenerate, heal, and set us on our way once again. This happens not through spectacular events but through discreet actions that are filled with human and symbolic meaning. They may be a silent presence in times of mourning, healing hands, an attentive gaze, a kind word, an unexpected phone call that breaks into our isolation or a gesture of trust when self-esteem falters.
How many people around us have believed in us before we ourselves had the courage to do so? And how often did we find the strength to resume our journey thanks to the faith and trust we have encountered?
Even our inner self that is so often worn down by doubt, despondency or fatigue can be renewed thanks to a meaningful encounter or a gratuitous gesture that makes us feel welcomed, recognized, and loved.
Then, driven by deep and sincere gratitude, we want to reciprocate and tell others about our transformative experience. And so, what we have received becomes a gift and, in a very humble way, we can become a gift for others.
Photo: ©Marcin Chilli Minio – Unsplash
THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of Non religious Beliefs”. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities. www. dialogue4unity.focolare.org
1 Sep 2025 | Idea of the Month
A teacher recounts, “A group of pupils often tended to skip lessons. When I was free, I used to go to the market near the school hoping to see them because I had heard that several of them worked there to earn money. One day, I finally found them: they were amazed that I, personally, had gone looking for them. They were really struck by what I had done and this helped them understand how important they were to the whole school community. They began attending school regularly and this brought a sense of joy to everyone.”
This experience expresses the inalienable value of every human being. It speaks to us of unconditional acceptance, of never ceasing to hope and of the joy that everyone experiences when someone is reintegrated into a community because this restores their dignity and acknowledges their unique value as a person.
There are times when we cannot all “walk” through life at the same pace. Our own frailty, or that of others, may prevent us from always moving forward along side those who accompany us. On our journey. There are many different reasons why this may happen such as tiredness, confusion or suffering… But it is precisely in these moments that a profoundly human and radically communitarian form of love can emerge: this love is attentive to other people and knows how to stop and look towards those who can no longer keep up. It is seen in behaviour that demonstrates closeness and faithfulness. It protects, gathers up and accompanies just as a parent does with their child. It is patient, understanding, respectful and trusting. It is seen in the way we carry each other’s burdens, not as a duty, but on account of our freely committing to a love that seeks to maintain unity in the community, family and society even if this means moving slowly.
This type of love – the kind that cares, that seeks, that includes other people – makes no distinction between good and bad or between “worthy” and “unworthy.” It reminds us that at some point in our lives, we may all find ourselves “lost “and that the collective joy of being “found”again is stronger than any judgment or separation.
This Idea is an invitation to see the other person not for what he or she has done, but for the fact that they are unique and worthy of being loved. It invites us to make an ethical choice to care, to avoid leaving anyone behind or abandoned and to restore bonds wherever they are broken. It also encourages us to celebrate all our efforts to increase the presence of human values wherever we are.
Martin Buber, a Jewish philosopher, regarded deep relationships as a source of truth, and said that authenticity is not found in what we do alone, but in the respectful and gratuitous encounter with other people.
Photo: © Sabine van Erp en Pixabay
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THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of Non religious Beliefs”. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities. www. dialogue4unity.focolare.org
1 Aug 2025 | Idea of the Month
The ‘heart’ is the unifying centre of the person that gives meaning to everything he or she lives; it is where there is sincerity and no deception or pretence. It usually indicates one’s true intentions, what one really thinks, believes and wants.
This Idea invites us to ask ourselves what we think is most important? Where does each one of us put our hope, our energy, our lives and our hearts? The answer may have many different nuances: it may be love or giving, or relationships with others, but it may also be economic status, fame, success, power or our own security.
True freedom starts first of all from the heart. Accumulating material goods can lead to a sense of frustration as we encounter the many changes that life brings. Detachment from them can help us live with more transparent commitment to work and engagement in society thus overcoming anxiety, restlessness and fear for the future.
Pope Francis, says, “In a world where everything is bought and sold, people’s sense of their worth appears increasingly to depend on what they can accumulate with the power of money. We are constantly being pushed to keep buying, consuming and distracting ourselves, held captive to a demeaning system that prevents us from looking beyond our immediate and petty needs.” [1]
Experience tells us that we need to continually bring ourselves back to real life which is the best “investment” for which we can strive. Thinking not of ourselves but of others enables us to experience true freedom.
Philosopher and humanist, Erich Fromm, reminds us of this when he states, ” Giving is the highest expression of potency. In the very act of giving, I experience my strength, my wealth, my power. This experience of heightened vitality and potency fills me with joy.”[2]
Before whatever we do, let’s ask ourselves what is the motive for our actions: why are we acting in this way? And if we see that we need to reorient the intention, let us do so decisively. We will see that our hearts will be free from limitations and conditioning.
[1]Pope Francis “Dilexit Nos” no. 218
[2]Erich Fromm The Art of Loving (1956)
Photo: © Alejandra-Ezquerro-Unsplash
1 Jul 2025 | Idea of the Month
Every day we see a great deal of suffering all around us and this can make us feel
overwhelmed and helpless if we do not draw upon deep human values. Sometimes, however,
the answer arrives on WhatsApp. This is whath appened to a community that tries to build
unity in a small town in Italy: “…In the hospital where I work there is a young man, a foreigner,
who is completely alone and dying. Maybe someone could spend a few minutes with him, to bring
some dignity to this situation?” This request was a shock: the responses followed quickly. The
messages from those who were with the man in his last few hours said, “At his bedside we
immediately saw that he was receiving care at the right time and that it was attentive and loving.
Really there was nothing for us to to do except be there: he was in a coma and could not benefit
from our presence.”
Was staying at the man’s bedside unnecessary and a waste of time? In those few
hours a small community, inside and outside the hospital, accompanied and brought
meaning to that situation. Who knows if a mother will be able to mourn that son in his own
country. Surely his “passing” was not in vain for those who could love that young man who
was no longer unknown. Compassion is a feeling that comes from within, from the depths
of the human heart. It makes us capable of interrupting our busy daily routine of schedules
and appointments and take the initiative to approach others and gaze at them with care,
unafraid to “touch” their wounds.
Chiara Lubich explains it with striking simplicity: “Let us imagine that we are in their
situation and treat them as we would like to be treated in their place. Are they hungry? We think – I
am hungry too. And let’s feed them. Is that person experiencing injustice? I am suffering injustice
too! And let us offer words of comfort and share their sorrows: let’s persevere until they feel
enlightened and uplifted. We will slowly see the world around us change.“ 1.
African wisdom also confirms this in a proverb from the Ivory Coast: “The person who
welcomes a stranger hosts a messenger.”
This Idea offers us a method of living out true humanism: it makes us aware of our
common humanity in which the dignity inherent in every man and woman is reflected. It
also teaches us to courageously go beyond the understanding that “closeness” is
determined by physical and cultural contexts. Thinking in this way, it is possible to expand
the boundaries of “us” to the horizon of “all” and rediscover the very foundations of social
life. When we feel we are succumbing to the impact of the suffering all around us, it is
important to draw upon the help of friends who share our views and accompany us through
life and so allow ourselves to be healed. Let’s remember, as psychiatrist-psychotherapist
Roberto Almada says, “If the good people give up the battle because of fatigue, our common
humanity will run the greatest of risks: value impoverishment.”2.
1. Chiara Lubich, The Art of Loving
2. R. Almada, Il burnout del buon samaritano, Effatà editrice, 2016
Photo: © Alexandra_Koch en Pixabay
THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of Non religious Beliefs”. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities. dialogue4unity.focolare.org
1 Jun 2025 | Idea of the Month
Every day terrible things are happening all around us and sometimes they are on such a scale that they overwhelm us and make us feel helpless: migrants are losing their lives as they undertake journeys in desperate conditions, people are experiencing the daily tragedy of war and dramatic social injustices continue to plague the planet.
“What can I do?” This question may leave us feeling paralyzed and tempt us to close in on ourselves in an attitude of resigned individualism. The first hurdle to overcome is to allow ourselves to be cross-examined by that very question. “What can I do?”
The fishermen on the shores of Lampedusa in Italy asked themselves this and then connected with generous people in the area forming a network that was able to reach out to others. They began by saving one, then ten, then a hundred and then thousands of desperate castaways who were abandoned to the waves of the Mediterranean Sea. There are also communities living in areas that border on war zones (in Europe, Africa, Asia…) who have asked themselves the same question. They welcomed people into their homes not on the basis of political or economic calculation, but because of natural human compassion. It’s in situations like this that you can see small or large daily “miracles” which are not utopian dreams but are the actions upon which the society of the future is built.
Professor Russell Pearce [1] of Fordham School of Law in New York emphasised that it is important to seek for hope and not wait for it to come to us. He conducted interviews with people from two organizations that promote dialogue and peace between Israelis and Palestinians – Parents Circle and Combatants for Peace – and sought to understand how their members managed to maintain relationships with each other in the aftermath of 7 October 2023 and during the subsequent war in Gaza.
Why have these groups sustained their ties with one another? Why have these ties even become stronger? Both Palestinians and Israelis reported that their dialogue has been transformative and described it as a dialogue of love. A Palestinian participant observed, “The change we experienced was a very “sacred journey” for each of us and left an impact and a deep bond in our souls. It was a process that transformed the other person into a brother or sister.”
An Israeli member also commented, “We worked to build trust and become a family, years of sacred work with all the challenges, dynamics and doubts.” Pearce concluded by saying that the Jewish sages teach that “if you save one life, you save the whole world”; a Palestinian who leads the Parents Circle youth programme explained, “If you change one person, you change a whole world.”
Chiara Lubich wrote, “The most visible aspect of unity is fraternity. This certainly seems the best way to counteract the prevailing norms of society (…) to reach greater freedom and equality. (…) It is a sound way for those who hold the fate of humanity in their hands but also for mothers of families, for volunteers who work for solidarity in the world, for those who share their company’s profits to help eliminate poverty and for those who oppose war. Thus, fraternity “from above” and fraternity “from below” will meet in peace.” [2]
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THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of Non religious Beliefs”. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities. dialogue4unity.focolare.org
[1] R. Pearce: “Dialogo e Pace sostenibili” [Ekklesia-Sentieri di Comunione e Dialogo- n.4 Octtober December 2024].
[2] C. Lubich, No alla sconfitta della pace, in «Città Nuova» n. 24/2003
©Photo: Rineshkumar Ghirao – Unsplash
1 May 2025 | Idea of the Month
Often life presents us with situations which lead us to slowly and unintentionally close in on ourselves: this may be the result of an disagreement or because of our views or ego or even due toour fears.
But sometimes it is enough to stop and just ask ourselves a simple question, made up of simple words, and, unexpectedly, we become aware that change is possible. The questionis: “Who are you to me?” or, in other words, “Who am I to you?” Questions that, as Margaret Karram says, pave the way to taking concrete action: “take the first step, listen, spare no time, let yourself be ‘wounded’ by others.”[1] It is obvious: if we think about others, we do not think of ourselves, nor of our weaknesses, failures or emotional scars that others have inflicted. Thinking about the other person helps us put ourselves in their shoes, in an attitude of reciprocity: “how would I feel if the other person told me what I am telling him or her?” or “what can I do for him or her?”
lf our actions stem from a desire to put the well-being of those around us first, everything can acquire a greater dimension, to the point where we can tell the other person that we love them gratuitously and without expecting anything in return.
However, sometimes we are overwhelmed by discouragement, frustration, and tiredness. The American doctor, Ira Robert Byock, says that the times of greatest despair arise when we feel imprisoned in “a well of fear, anger and distrust”. [2] In those moments, let us surrender to the power of love that can do anything, can free us from all that holds us back and encourages us to begin again without fear. The music group “Gen Rosso” expresses this idea in one of its songs by saying, “Starting anew is like saying yes to life again, and then breaking free and flying to boundless horizons, where thoughtsare free from fear. Your home becomes as big as the world. To begin again is to believe in love and to feel that even in times of pain, the soul can sing and never stop.”
Such an attitude can bring about personal change, but can also make an impact upon the community when we share our difficulties with other people in sincere and constructive dialogue. An atmosphere of true friendship rebuilds relationships in the community enabling anger to be replaced by reflection, fear by the discovery of new pathways and distrust by hope. We will then become a sign of a different way of creating society.
Sometimes simple words really are enough:
“You matter to me…because you are you!”
Photo: © Pixabay
[1] M. Karram: “Prossimità” – 2024
[2] in: The Economist – The 2015 Quality of Death Index. Ranking palliative care acrosstheworld
THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of Non religious Beliefs”. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities. dialogue4unity.focolare.org
