Living the Gospel: “I’ll always be with you”
Trusting in God “At the news that I was expecting twins, we entrusted ourselves to God. We already had six children and my husband wasn’t earning much. One day, a friend of mine, also pregnant, was undergoing some economic difficulties. I gave her some of my children’s things. A few days after, I received a gift of two beautiful and valuable baby-care kits from my aunt. Furthermore, just after the birth of the twins, my husband got a promotion with a remarkable salary increase. This encouraged us to always trust in God.” A.M. – Brazil A small light “It is a confusing and problematic period at home. There are days when at times I experience moments of darkness and abandonment. But a mother like me should not give up: what matters is to love my family the way I am. I am not alone! I saw that only through detachment from ourselves, and taking Mary as a model can make us progress. I started to live this way and God sent me a small light. If I continue to be guided by love, this light will grow and God will make it shine for all”. Margrit – Switzerland From the diary of a terminally ill person “I am deeply convinced that the Lord loves us always whether he consoles us or puts us to the test, to fulfil His masterpiece in us in a short time. With the passing of time, many useless things have happened in my life, like dead leaves in autumn. And now between Him and me, there is a more direct relationship, without intermediaries. For some years now, new health trials have begun. Recently a more serious one came up, for which a remedy still has not been found. It seems that my life is entering into a narrow passage. But at the same time I feel that God is closer to me and that my days are in His hands.” Filippo – Italy An old paralysed religious “Ever since I was struck by a paralysis in my lower limbs a few years ago, I have had to fight the temptation of feeling that I have been left on a ‘dead-end track’. Now I depend on others for all my needs. The world for me has become a room, and I have to entrust myself to faith to give a meaning to my life and discover its value. It’s true that, given my conditions, I can no longer influence the near and far events. However, I have this marvellous adventure to live. All can be an occasion for praise, thanks, prayer, and offering. Also Jesus on the cross no longer worked miracles or announced the Kingdom, but continued to love, and on the other hand, manifested a greater and purer love. Being motionless does not signify stagnation.” Fr Vittorio – Italy
The eve of Run4Unity
The sports relay race promoted by the Teens for Unity of the Focolare Movement is about to start. It takes place every year, on the first Sunday of May, from 11 am to 12 noon (in the various time zones), during the United World Week. The baton is passed across the planet, with sports events, actions of solidarity and proactive citizens projects, especially in places marked by solitude, poverty, isolation. Important figures of the world of sports and culture, civil and religious authorities will participate. The web site will help in gathering in real time the social network contributions. In the previous editions, the relay race involved over 100,000 teenagers worldwide.
Maria Voce in Malta
Schedule of meetings 2 May: Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement, will be the guest of honour at a seminar organised by Communion & Law entitled “Law as a Tool for Integration in a Multicultural Society” at San Anton Palace, Attard, with the participation of experts from various fields of immigration, education and employment. 4 May: Meeting with the President of the Republic of Malta, Her Excellency Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca. 5 May: Meeting with the Archbishop of Malta, Monsignor C.J. Scicluna. Maria Voce was invited by the Diocese of Malta, through its Ecumenical Commission, on the 40th anniversary of its founding. In that context, she will hold a public conference entitled “Dialogue or Dialogues? A Way of Life”. 7 May: The opening ceremony of the State of Europe Forum entitled “Towards a Europe of Hope, Healing and Hospitality” will take place at the Anglican Cathedral of St. Paul, and will thereafter proceed in a procession to the Catholic Co-Cathedral of St John, where Maria Voce and the Archbishop of Malta, Monsignor C.J. Scicluna, will address those present.
Pope Francis in Egypt. New Paths of Peace Open
Photo: Roger Anis
The second invitation was offered by President Al-Sisi when he visited the Vatican in 2014. He’s trying to bring ahead a culture of peace, not without difficulty. But the pope went beyond the politics, in depth. The third invitation came from the Grand Imam of al-Azhar in 2016. On that occasion the pope gave the Encyclical Laudato sii in a gesture of seeking what unites us. In my opinion it was quite courageous of the Grand Imam to offer this invitation, given the precedents. The pope’s speech at al-Azhar University was important, perhaps a beginning. Now I think time will be needed and courage to face the more delicate questions and in order to delve more deeply into the history as well . . . Now it’s up to us Egyptians to get working and moving forward.” 
Besides these important events Pope Francis also met with Catholic men and women Religious, priests and seminarians. “He spoke to them about how a pastor should act. The Catholic community in Egypt is a minority (less than 1%), yet it’s an important reference point when it comes to interreligious dialogue, often because of the Religious: with their lifestyle, their openness to dialogue. Then it is our specific with the ‘dialogue of life’ and the help of the spirituality of unity. The week before the pope arrived, the parents of Blessed Chiara Luce Badano were here. Chiara Luce was a young person from the Focolare Movement who died at the age of 19 because of a tumor. The Catholic Church has held her up as an example of holiness for young people. Her parents travelled around the country presenting the life of their daughter who is now a Blessed. Their visit concluded with a meeting of 1500 young people who were preparing the Mass with the Holy Father. The most powerful moment of the night was getting to know the life of Chiara Luce.” In your opinion, what can change because of this brief but intense visit? I think new inroads were opened for us to follow, especially in interreligious and ecumenical dialogue. Now there’s more faith in the pope and in the Church. So I think it will be easier to move forward. We need to remain open, even though, I think, we’ll need time to ‘digest’ and understand deeply what the pope said in his various speeches. During the mass, in the homily on the disciples of Emmaus, the pope himself underscored how they spent in understanding the Risen Lord event. After this event we also feel like those disciples whose ‘hearts were burning’ because of their great joy.”
Chiara Lubich to young people: aim high!
“My dear young people … God calls in different ways: he calls many persons and gives them special tasks and missions to accomplish. For example, he calls young men to the sublime vocation of the priesthood, to be other Christs. He calls men and women to the families of Religious Orders, which are like multicolored flowerbeds in the garden of the Church, constantly adorning the Bride of Christ with the most splendid virtues. He calls men and women to the modern ecclesial movements, to give themselves to God individually and in community, or to form model families that are like many little churches. Remember: God’s calling can come at any age. He calls adolescents and children too; he calls people all over the world. How can we recognize our vocation? It is my experience that generally we need to have a particular attitude. Since God’s call is an act of love on his part, if he finds love in people he is freer to call them. What should we do in order to hear God’s voice? We need to love with an authentic love. By doing that, we make God’s task easier and if we already know what our vocation is, then it is by loving that we find the best way to fulfill it. As I said, we need authentic love. Authentic love is so important that if you live it, you start a revolution in the world, which is the Christian revolution. Authentic love has four qualities: it loves everyone, because Jesus died for everyone; Mary is the mother of everyone. Therefore, someone who has an authentic love doesn’t look at whether people are pleasant or unpleasant, whether they are young or old, white or black, German or Italian, a member of one religion or another, if they are friends or enemies. Authentic love is directed toward everyone. Try to live it. Try to live it. Usually, we love our friends, our parents and relatives, and this is wonderful. But do we have love for all in our hearts? Try it, try it. It is a revolution. Because people do not understand and after a while, they ask, “Why are you doing this for me? Why do you love me? Why did you give me that pen? Why did you help me with my homework? Why?” “Why? Because I want to love everyone,” and this opens a dialogue with other Catholics, with people of other Churches or of other religions. A dialogue begins because we start taking an interest in other people. Therefore, especially you young people remember that the first point of authentic love is to love everyone. The second point: be the first to love. When Jesus came on earth we weren’t loving him, we were all sinners. He loved us first. We must be ready to make the first move, not expecting to be loved. Do we love because we are loved? No! we must take the initiative in loving. The Holy Spirit has poured this love into our hearts. It is the same love as in the Holy Trinity and in which we share; but we must put it into practice. Then we need to see Jesus in everyone, because he said that at the final judgment we would be examined on this: you did it to me. This means whatever good we do and, unfortunately, whatever evil we do. So three qualities: love everyone, be the first to love, see Jesus in every neighbor. But this love should not be idealistic or sentimental; it should be a concrete love and to be concrete, as St Paul says, we should make ourselves all things to all people. We need to make ourselves one with those who suffer, make ourselves one with those who are happy, and to share joys, sufferings and needs. We must share. So love everyone, be the first to love, see Jesus, and love concretely. This is what we can do, putting authentic love in our hearts. The calling is his part, it is his task.… Dear young people, God never stops calling especially if we love. It’s up to us to respond and during our life we’ll weave the divine, wonderful design that God has for each one of us for the good of all. Do you know what it means to put God in the first place in your life? Whether he calls you to consecrate yourself to him or to form a beautiful family, putting God in the first place in life means finding happiness already here on earth. This is what I wish for all of you! Aim high, young people, we have only one life, there won’t be another, it’s worthwhile spending it well.”