Oct 5, 2020 | Non categorizzato
On May 8, 2004 in Stuttgart, Germany, Chiara had about 9000 people in front of her at the first “Together for Europe” event. It was a historic moment, in which she offered the key to build peace in the mosaic continent that is Europe and in the whole world: to build pieces of universal brotherhood. Universal fraternity is and has been one of humankind’s deepest aspirations, and has been present in many great souls. Martin Luther King, Jr. proclaimed, “I have a dream that one day people (…) will come to see that they are made to live together as brothers and sisters (…) and brotherhood will be (…) the first order of business on every legislative agenda.”[1] And Mahatma Gandhi, said of himself: “My mission is not merely the brotherhood of Indian humanity (…) but through achieving India’s freedom I hope to achieve and progress the mission of the brotherhood of man.”[2] Universal fraternity has also been the aim of people whose motives were not inspired by religion. The motto of the French Revolution was: “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.” Although many countries have formed democratic governments and have been able to establish, at least in part, freedom and equality, they have not yet achieved fraternity, which is more talked about than lived. The person who proclaimed universal fraternity and showed us how to bring it about was Jesus. By revealing God as our Father he broke down the walls separating people who are the “same” from those who are “different”, the walls separating friends from enemies. He freed every person from a thousand types of exploitation and slavery and from every unjust relationship, bringing about an authentic revolution, one that is existential, cultural and political. Many currents of spirituality down through the centuries have sought to carry out this revolution. A truly brotherly and sisterly life became, for example, the bold and tenacious dream of St. Francis of Assisi and his first companions[3]. His life was an admirable witness to fraternity that embraces all things, not only men and women, but the entire cosmos, including Brother Sun, Sister Moon and the stars. The tool Jesus gave us to bring about a sense of family in the world is love, a great love, a new type of love that’s different from what we usually understand by that word. In fact, Jesus transplanted on earth the way love is lived in heaven. This love requires us to love everyone, and not just our family and friends; it asks us to love people we like and those we don’t, to love our fellow citizens and foreigners, Europeans and immigrants, people from our own church and those of other churches, people of our own faith and those of other religions. This kind of love asks us to love even our enemies and to forgive them if they have done us wrong. What I am talking about is, therefore, a type of love that doesn’t differentiate among people. It considers those who are physically close to us, but also those we speak or hear about, those whom we serve each day with our work, the ones we read about in the papers or see on television. Because this is how God our Father loves. He sends sun and rain on all his children – the good and the bad, the just and the unjust (Cf Mt. 5:45). A second characteristic of this love is to be the first to love. The love that Jesus brought to earth is, in fact, a disinterested love. It doesn’t expect other people to love us, but always takes the initiative, just as Jesus himself did when he gave his life for us while we were still sinners, and therefore, not loving. … The love that Jesus brought on earth is not platonic, sentimental love, or just words. It is a concrete love that calls for action. This is possible if we make ourselves all things to all people – to be sick with the sick, happy with those who are happy, and be worried, insecure, hungry or poor with others. By feeling what they feel, we then do something for them. When this love is lived by more than one person, it becomes reciprocal. This is what Jesus emphasized the most. He said, “Love one another as I have loved you” (cf. Jn. 13:34). This is the commandment he called his own and “new”. It’s not only individuals who are called to live reciprocal love, but also entire groups, movements, cities, regions and states. Our modern times demand that the disciples of Jesus acquire a Christian social conscience. It is more than ever necessary to love other countries as our own. This love, that reaches perfection when it is mutual, reveals the true power of Christianity because it brings about the very presence of Jesus among us here on earth. Didn’t Jesus say, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt. 18:20)? Isn’t this promise a guarantee that fraternity can become a reality? If he, our brother par excellence, is with us, how can we not feel that we are brothers and sisters to one another? May the Holy Spirit help us all to form in the world, wherever we are, zones of universal fraternity, that grow and grow by living the love that Jesus brought down from heaven.
Chiara Lubich
[1]Cf Martin Luther King, Jr., Discorso della Vigilia di Natale 1967 [A Christmas Sermon on Peace 1967], Atlanta, cit. in Il fronte della coscienza [The trumpet of conscience], Torino 1968. [2]M.K. Gandhi, Antichi come le montagne [Ancient like the mountains], Milano 1970, p.162. [3]Cf card. R. Etchegaray, Omelia in occasione del Giubileo della Famiglia francescana [Homily on the occasion of the Jubilee of the Franciscan Family], in «L’Osservatore Romano», 12 aprile 2000, p.8. https://vimeo.com/465376766
Oct 2, 2020 | Non categorizzato
Ten years of war, an embargo and the coronavirus pandemic have imposed living conditions on the Syrian population that are on the edge of poverty, leading to the re-emergence of child labour and exploitation. “After almost a week of quarantine, I was surprised to see one of our students selling vegetables from his car.” Thanks to one of the teachers in the “Generation of Hope” afterschool programme in Homs, Syria – part of Syrian emergency efforts – attention has turned to the growing phenomenon of child labour exploitation. According to workers there, in the past there had been some cases where adolescents were employed in manual labour. Today, however, the average age of young people employed for the sale of vegetables at markets, or as workers, barbers, waiters, working in fast food or in factories, has fallen. When parents are questioned, their answers stress how child labour is almost inevitable given the economic conditions and the uncertainty about the future. Some believe today that it is more important to learn a job instead of sheltering at home from the pandemic. Or they explain how these activities are necessary to help family budgets, which are no longer sustainable when parents’ work becomes less available. During the quarantine to cope with Covid-19, afterschool workers and teachers in Homs committed to look after the children even from a distance, although it has not always been easy. Many live in crowded houses, and the availability of digital devices and the internet is not within reach for everyone. This exclusion has fuelled children’s fragility, as well as their parents’ choice to send them to work these jobs. Because of this, during the short period of recovery in July, the Homs afterschool programme organized some meetings to investigate the phenomenon. They aimed to help people understand how important it is to choose education over child labour, even during serious economic difficulties. Those meetings showed that children, even if they do not want to work, feel a responsibility to contribute to family finances. They also fear that if they refuse to work, employers could harm their parents. The afterschool centre has been closed due to coronavirus cases climbing again, but as soon as possible, workers and teachers will resume their work. They will be well aware of how it can help to combat the practice of child labour and ensure that children in Homs receive the support and the appropriate education to build their future.
From the Amu website – Action for a United World
Sep 30, 2020 | Non categorizzato
Her smile, her joie de vivre, her commitment towards justice and peace are words that come to mind when one recalls Myriam Dessaivre, 26 years old, who lost her life on Sunday, August 9 in Niger. Myriam and five other French youth were killed, together with the Nigerian driver and guide who accompanied them when they were visiting the Kouré giraffe reserve, 60 km southeast of the capital Niamey. These youth were on a humanitarian mission, with the NGO Acted, in a country that faces multiple crises and ranks at the bottom of the human development index. Myriam, a martyr for peace, obtained a first degree in communication and information at the Catholic Institute of Toulouse and then a Master’s degree in peace studies at the Paris-Dauphine University. She specialized in political conflict resolution and the title of her thesis was: “The Colombian State and the FARC: is reconciliation possible?” She furthered her studies in this field through work in Colombia, Tunisia and Chad. During a Peace Movement national council meeting held on June 18, 2016, Myriam spoke about the choice of her studies. She was then 21 years old. Today, her strong and meaningful words impress us even more. We quote what she said at the end of her talk: “I have the impression that there is a growth in the number of young people of our generation who want to promote peace. I think that social networks are contributing towards this, not only through the abandunce of bad news, but also because of the increase in some sort of “global solidarity”. Anger caused by horrible happenings, such as terrorist attacks, wars in the Middle East and famine, is transmitted instantly through social networks, and we are directly affected. We come to the point of asking ourselves: “When do I go there?” So, I’m not surprised that more young people seek professions that engage in work for peace. May be, we are simply looking for the means to live in a better world”. Myriam learnt more about building this better world through the Focolare spirituality and her commitment as a member of the Focolare Youth Movement. Her father, Jean-Marie, who died in 2014, was a volunteer. Her friend Sophie, who was very upset, said: “She was my best friend. I met her during a Mariapolis in Lourdes, when I was 13. With her, you could have a good laugh about anything”. And she continued to testify: “She had strong convictions and defended the values of peace and justice. Her work was not easy, but she was passionate about it and it fulfilled her. It warms my heart to think that however unfair, terrible and violent her death was, it was not without meaning. She gave her life for what she believed was right.” Carl, another friend of hers, described Myriam “as a radiant, humble and beautiful person who gave her life to serve life, peace and others”. Speaking about what her death meant to him, he said: “I realize that the message she composed through her life is being delivered to us thanks to her departure to heaven. In one way or another, each one of us gets a daily provision of bad deeds and/or the lack of doing something about them; this is the marytrdom of evil”. Anne-Marie, a focolarina who knew her said: “Myriam fulfilled her dream, she satisfied her passion by joining her experience to her commitment in this field”. And she continued: “For the 120 Gen representatives from all over the world, who met for an online congress from August 7 to 14, it was evident that Miriam had to be the precious guardian angel for their Project #Daretocare, aimed at promoting initiatives on active citizenship in the fields of social justice, politics and economics”. Anne-Marie remarked: “It seems as if now Myriam is telling us: ‘Move on! Don’t waste time on useless things!”
Emilie Tévané, for Nouvelle Cité
Sep 28, 2020 | Non categorizzato
The way to overcome divergences of any kind and create fellowship and unity is – as Chiara Lubich proposed – the path of dialogue. We can dialogue even when we have to think of ourselves. We are all called to reflect in our lives the Blessed Trinity, where the three divine Persons are in eternal dialogue, eternally one and eternally distinct. In practice, for all of us this means that whenever we have something to do with one or more brothers or sisters, directly or indirectly – on the phone, in writing, or because the work we do or the prayers we say are for them, we all feel we are in an never-ending dialogue, we are called to dialogue. How? By being open to each neighbour, emptying our soul to hear what they want, what they say, what worries them and what they desire. And, after having done that, we too share and give what we desire and what we feel is appropriate. And if there are times when I must think of myself (in order to eat, to rest, to get dressed, and so on), I continue to do everything in view of my brothers and sisters, keeping in mind what others expect of me. In this way and only in this way, by continually living the “spirituality of unity” or of “communion-fellowship”, can I effectively contribute to making my church “a home and a school of communion”, Together with the faithful of other churches or ecclesial communities, we can contribute to Church unity. And with people of other religions and cultures, we can create spaces of universal fraternity.
Chiara Lubich
Sep 25, 2020 | Non categorizzato
Jesus freely announces his message to men and women of different nationalities and cultures who are willing to listen to him; it is a universal message, addressed to all and which everyone can welcome to be fulfilled as people, created by God Love in his image. A shared tragedy Several years ago we moved with our four daughters from war-torn Lebanon to Tasmania where we struggled to integrate into a world that was so different to ours: the people here are very reserved and the “nuclear” family is in stark contrast to the “extended” family of our country. Not long after our arrival, one of my husband’s colleagues lost his two-year-old son in a fire. Thereafter, he and his wife refused to receive visitors and meet people, and remained almost segregated at home. We could not understand this attitude because in our culture tragedies are shared. We wondered how to love them, taking that pain on us too. So, for a few weeks, I cooked for them every day, leaving the food outside the door with a note, without disturbing them. One day the door finally opened and since then a friendly relationship has been born between us and them. Over time we have made other friends who enrich us with their culture. And now in our house there is always someone who comes to visit us, a bit like in Lebanon. (Carole – Australia) Inculturation They say that to get under someone else’s skin you need to speak their language but this is not always necessary. I have witnessed this with the many people I have treated (I am a doctor) and with whom I have built a relationship, a message has passed. Once, in Cameroon, I asked a local elder for advice about how to identify with his people. He said: “If you love with your heart, others will understand. It’s enough to love.” He brought me back to the essentials of the Gospel which was confirmation that sharing others’ sufferings and joys comes before everything else. If I also manage to go into depth with the local language and customs, all the better… Wherever we find ourselves, love is the most eloquent word to express God’s paternity. (Ciro – Italy) The support not to let go After our divorce I continued to meet with my children. But over time, my ex-wife’s blackmail, demands and accusations increased… I was afraid she had advisors who were not really helping her. The most painful ordeal was when even the children, especially the oldest, began to accuse me of having ruined their lives. I did not know what to do anymore. Every time we met, it became hell. A priest friend helped me greatly when he suggested I should love without expecting anything. I decided to try and follow his words for a few months. When my mother-in-law fell ill and became bedridden, I took care not only to visit her frequently but also to make things as light as possible for her. One day, as I was keeping her company my daughter arrived. She found her grandmother serene and amused as we were arranging old photo albums. Something must have changed in her because that same evening she called me to ask my forgiveness. It’s a difficult mountain to climb but every time I try to love I find the support I need not to give up. (V.J. – Switzerland) Coloured My husband Baldwyn and I are coloured, a mestizo race that often suffers from serious marginalisation. My mother was African, my father Indian. He died after I was born so my mother and I went to live with her black relatives whose traditions I was familiar with. But as the years went by, I realised that I was different and was often laughed at. When Baldwyn and I decided to get married, it came as a real blow to discover that I was not registered anywhere and so did not exist in the eyes of the state: once again I felt rejected! During that difficult period, circumstances led us to meet different Christian families, black and white: they belonged to the New Families Movement and treated everyone equally. In that environment I felt at ease for the first time, welcomed for what I was. The attention I received from those people made me discover that God loved me. I was able to accept myself with my differences and others as well. I became free. (Gloria – South Africa)
edited by Stefania Tanesini
(taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year VI, no.5, September-October 2020)
Sep 24, 2020 | Non categorizzato
Speaking to a group of Focolarini on 19 September, Maria Voce shared what is closest to her heart at this time. Some highlights of this spontaneous reflection: Defining it as “a new step”, Maria Voce is reaching out to Focolare communities worldwide. What is closest to President of the Focolare Movement, Maria Voce’s heart can be summed up in one word: “relationships”. This new invitation seems to complete a trajectory launched 12 years ago, in the early days of her appointment as Focolare President, when she invited everyone to take on a “culture of trust”, building relationships capable of generating peaceful social co-existence respecting diversity. As her second term draws to a close, with the Movement’s General Assembly just a few months away, the world is deeply affected by this long pandemic and economic crisis. In this context, Maria Voce returns to one of the key themes of her presidency: the centrality of relationships, as seen from the perspective of Chiara Lubich’s charism. It is an invitation once more to act as part of a network and in fraternal communion with all those individuals, communities and organizations who are pointing in the same direction, towards fraternity. “I was deeply struck by the thought that Chiara, in 1943, found herself in a devastated world, where everything around her was collapsing. And God said to her heart, ‘It’s not true that everything is collapsing. There’s something that does not collapse. It’s God and God alone!’ And what did Chiara do? She went out with the message: God is, God loves us, this God exists beyond the war. This is what was needed at that time. Jesus came on earth, and He certainly didn’t come alone, because where Jesus – the Son of God – is, the whole Trinity is present. So God the Trinity came on earth to show us the way, to teach us how to live according to the Trinity. To do what? To transform the world. But what does it mean? It means relationships, it means connections, it means equality, it means listening to one another, it means being for one another, in a certain sense knowing how to ‘lose’ oneself in another. This morning I was thinking about this and I asked myself, Jesus came on earth and what did He do? He walked along the roads of Galilea, and what did He find? An official, most probably involved in corrupt tax-collecting practices; a young man fascinated by the words He spoke; a small businessman, Peter, who owned a boat. And He called them. He had the courage to transform them into His apostles, which means into people sent out to continue carrying His message to the furthest corners of the earth. What else did He find? He found people of all types. He found sinners, the dead, those who were hungry. And what did He do? He multiplied the bread, He raised the dead … He got involved in meeting the needs of others, staying among them. He even managed to draw the crowd following Him. What does it mean? He created community. He formed a community capable of listening to one another, to recognize that someone spoke a different language and to listen to them in their own language. What does it mean? It means they were capable of really accepting one another, of understanding each other even when someone speaks differently, they were really capable of accepting each other. He transformed these people into His fraternity, His community. And He got them living solidarity between themselves. You see, when they were hungry, he said, ‘Give them something to eat’; when he cured the woman with a fever, she then got up and started to serve them; He gave the child whom He raised up back to her family so that they could look after her. You see, He did not destroy anything that was already there, but rather He transformed it! So what should we do? We must transform the world by ‘being’ this Jesus. We must bring these Trinitarian relationships. And there’s no other way except by choosing Jesus Forsaken, which means knowing how to lose oneself in the other, knowing how to let the other emerge. Then God the Father will continue to create new things, and the Holy Spirit will continue to illuminate us”.
edited by Stefania Tanesini
