Dec 9, 2016 | Non categorizzato
Lying at the outskirts of Lima is a district that takes its name from the pre-Inca Sanctuary built in Pachacamac (in the quecha language meaning ”god who created the earth”). «We got here with the objective of starting up a business run according to the practices of the Economy of Communion (EoC), the profits of which are able to support a rehab center for children saved from the streets and with drug addiction problems, » recounted Germán Jorge of the EoC Argentina. The Mundo Libre Institute is the only one of its kind existing in Perù today. It has been awarded international recognition for the professionalism with which it has performed its activities, but despite the possibility to host 100 children, today it supports only 40 due to lack of resources. Its foundress, Marilú Gonzalez Posada, has lived for 32 years with this objective. Her great concern regards the Institute’s sustainability, a problem common to all the social organizations that are unable to survive only on the generosity of people and international cooperation. One of the laboratories of Mundo Libre produces typical Peruvian sweets: the “chocotejas.” «The business plan we are working on, specifically involves this project to be implemented at the end of 2017, together with Solidarpole (which promotes different solidarity business projects and has proposed that the Economy of Communion be the choice) and AMU Luxembourg (that offered finances for the renovation of a barn and purchase of machinery). We now have to coordinate the resources. It is a challenge to EoC that has a lot to offer, and a communion which is not “imposed” but “generated” in response to a first free decision. This is what we have tried to do with each person we encounter along the way this week.». When the armed Spanish arrived on horseback in these lands to conquer the Pachacamac Totem – the indios who had never seen horses before, believed they were the gods who had come to replace their god, and did not counter with any resistance. History has left its mark on their culture. «We could see this in the relational difficulties. So our main commitment was to give room to all, in the effort to break the logic of the “European conquistador” (or the descendants of these), and of passive and underdog aborigines. As the days passed, and on the basis of relationships of trust which slowly developed, we started to overcome these relational dynamics and build new rapports of reciprocity.» The «Formulation of the “Business administration guidelines” helped in setting the person at the core of economic activities, without foregoing professionalism and the efficiency necessary to reach the targets. After passing days together, our interlocutors at the Mundo Libre Institute said that they already felt part of the Economy of Communion project, which in a sense, they had already unconsciously put into practice and which they now want to propose to their own employees and also educate the youth in these principles. ‘This is our challenge in 2017’». «The horses not originating from Perù, had to develop the capacity to walk on sand in these desert zones. Throughout these 500 years an equine breed has developed with the characteristic concentric-circles gait which allows them to move freely in these environments. We are like the first horses and are making a big effort to learn how to live the “culture of giving” in communion. But if we develop these abilities, many others will slowly follow in many parts of the globe. They will carry this new culture in their blood, and will succeed in changing the world.» Gustavo Clariá
Dec 7, 2016 | Non categorizzato
“I was 19 years old and had a great thirst for God.” Her thirst was so strong that every time she met a priest she would tell him: “Talk to me about God.” Urged by that thirst she intended to study at the Catholic University, but since her family did not have the financial means, she participated in a lottery to obtain a scholarship, but she was one point short. “I remember the cry I had, because I was thinking that at the Catholic University they would talk about God. And I recall that in the midst of that cry as I sat in the lounge with my mother, I heard someone inside me say: “I will be your Teacher.” A few months later she went to Loreto with a young women’s group that she belonged to. There is a very large shrine located there in central Italy which is said to contain the little house of Nazareth where the Holy Family lived. Chiara recounts that when she stepped into that little house, something extraordinary happened within her. “I was overcome with emotion, such great emotion that it seemed like was being crushed by the Divine that I contemplated all around me. The idea had come alive inside me that Jesus had perhaps walked over there, that those walls had listened to the echo of Mary’s songs, Joseph, the Annunciation, the angel…. the feeling was so alive that all I could do was cry.” That cry was provoked “by the weight of the Divine that crushed down on me.” She said that during the days in Loreto, “whenever I could, I escaped” to the little house and experienced the same strong sensation that God was opening a new path that had to do with that sacred place with the Holy Family that dwelled there. On the day before her departure, Chiara went to the Shrine and found it filled with people. She stood in the back of the church and, in that moment she heard the voice of God in her heart: “A host of virgins will follow you.” Over the years, she would realize that these were the first signs of the new path that the Lord was preparing: the focolare. Four years later, in 1943, something else happened, a simple but decisive event. Her mother asked Chiara’s younger sisters to fetch some milk, but it was cold outside and they didn’t want to go. She didn’t ask Chiara because she wanted her to study, but Chiara felt urged to love, and offered to go get the milk. “Along the way,” she says, “I felt as if God was saying to me; Give yourself to me, give your whole self to me.” I stopped surprised. I went to get the milk, then returned home and wrote a very fiery letter to a priest,” in which I recounted to him what I was feeling in my soul. At that time, when someone wanted to consecrate themself to God, they were advised to do it for a certain period of time and then renew each year until it became a more and more certain commitment. Chiara was so determined in that letter and so taken by God’s love, that she managed to convince the priest to give her permission to consecrate herself to God for life. It was December 7, 1943 when she went alone to early morning Mass, as a “big storm was raging.” “I had the impression that the world was against me,” Chiara would recall. “A small pew had been prepared for me near to the altar, and I had a small missal in my hand. They made me recite the formula that I give myself totally to God forever. I was so happy, I didn’t realize what I was doing, because I was young. Only after pronouncing the formula I had the impression that a bridge had fallen behind, that I could never turn back because now I belonged all to God. And there one tear fell on the small missal. But the happiness was just immense!” Chiara concluded her recount of that December 7, 1943, which marks the beginning of the Focolare Movement: “I marry God, so I expect everything possible good thing. It will be a divine adventure. I marry God! And later we saw that it had really been just that.” Gustavo Clariá
Dec 6, 2016 | Non categorizzato
I attended for the first time, a classical music concert in the midst of a battle. It happened in Aleppo, where, surrounded by death, a voice of peace arose among many others that announced war, to comfort the hearts of the people and make them momentarily forget the cold and death. It was like a chapter of a modern tragedy that resembled Greek mythology. In a fully packed Church and with very few tools, Father Elias Janji with the Naregatsi choir and the pianist played some pieces of Verdi, Mozart, Vivaldi and Karl Orf, elevating our spirits to another horizon, despite the polar chill that has invaded Aleppo these days.. And to think that not too far away, the tragedy continues with missiles launched from Eastern Aleppo over the Western zone, killing school children and innocent people, while in the Eastern part of the city, the Syrian army continues to attack. Thousands of people (an estimated 60,000 up to today) managed to escape from East Aleppo and take refuge in the Western zone. They tell of how many have been taken as hostages and that some of those who were shot in their backs while escaping, were killed. Others escaped amid the gunfire, carrying their grandmas or other elderly relatives on their shoulders. The people were relieved since they could finally return to their own homes that were liberated in these days while the army took hold of the city’s water pumping station, even if it was mined. Water is forecasted to return to the city in a month’s time, after the technicians have completed their work. Thus a chapter of the tragedy will end, though there will surely be many more. December 4 is the feast of St. Barbara, the young girl martyred in the first centuries of Christianity, pierced with a sword by her father since, as a follower of Jesus, she had refused to adore another God. It is a great feast for the Christians of the East, adults and children who, despite the war, gathered together to honour her in a masquerade and recount her story in song – a story which despite the centuries passed – has not changed very much. We can’t help but wonder, what has remained of man and his dignity? What will happen now? Will the war in Aleppo end, and bring back serenity to the people who have suffered so much, even if they will find a great part of the city destroyed? The population is weary and wants the conflict to end. But the armed groups refuse to accept defeat and want to fight to the last, despite the appeal of the UN special envoy, Staffan De Mistura, to all the groups to leave the city and spare the lives of the people, who would otherwise pay a heavy price, according to the logic of war! How can we forget that in the end, it is Man since each one, whether good or bad, is an image of God, though this image is buried under a thousand vices and wickedness. With Christmas now at our doorstep, let us therefore remind ourselves that this feast should not only be a remembrance of a past fact celebrated with the usual festivity. The arrival of the “Prince of Peace” should also change the hearts and gestures of all of us, because these become tiny stones in the construction of a better world we all dream of. From Aleppo, Pascal Bedros
Dec 3, 2016 | Non categorizzato
From left: Jorge López e Alberto García (Regnum Chisti), Jesús Morán (Focolari)
From left: D. Edoardo Robles Gil, General Director of the Legionaries of Christ- Regnum Christi with Jesús Morán and Archbishop Vincenzo Zani.
Dec 1, 2016 | Non categorizzato
In Coroado on the outskirts of the capital of the State of Amazonas, the wall that separates and protects the centre from the harsh realities of violence and drugs that consume the neighborhood, had begun to deteriorate because of recent rains. Begun in the early 1990s through the efforts of some people from the Focolare Movement, the centre began its work in favour of social inclusion, with a nursery and primary school, but soon turned into a real social agency that was open morning until night. It was begun as an attempt to ensure children and adolescents of the area the right to a harmonious and wholesome development, through educational and recreational activities and support for their families. It is financially supoorted by the generosity of so many people, especially by distance support from the New Families Non Profit Organisation which, in addition to education also provides nutrition and preventive medical care. Several activities followed, such as a study in collaboration with the School of Educational Psychology at the Federal University of Amazonas to identify and overcome the learning problems of some of the young people. There was also also a project carried out and presented by the Pharmacy students to provide the children and their families with a basic knowledge of hygiene, nutrition and personal care. The School of Pharmacy did research project on infectious diseases with blood samples, and provided treatments. There are drug prevention programmes and programmes that combat child labour while parents are offered vocational training courses in collaboration with the Centre of Technology Education of the State of Amazonas. Jeanne and Carlos who work full time for the project recount: “Over the years we came up with Literature and Theatre workshops. We also managed to come up with a programme on emotions and sexuality for teenagers and young adults.” The latest win was described by Janine and Carlos: “The economic crisis is making the situation of our country more and more difficult. For example, one institution that offered a computer course for more than ten years, had to stop collaborating with us. Some of the children’s parents are losing their jobs. And the financial resources for repairing our protective wall that had assumed a gloomy and even threatening appearance often defaced by vandals, were just not available. Then we had the idea of appealing to the Manaus Court of Justice and proposing a partnership called “Let’s paint the wall.” The proposal, which was subsequently passed, would portray in images the experience and the values that we live with the children at the Social Centre and to give an air of joy and harmony to our neighborhood. We wanted the boys and girls to be engaged in this project, so we collected their drawings so that they could be reproduced on the wall.” The newly restored and painted wall was unvieled on October 27th. “It was a very joful event for us,” say Janine and Carlos, “because this recognition from the Court of Justice not only comforts the centre and its efforts, but it allows us to bring ahead the project in the best way we can. We especially thank the many people who generously support us in giving the boys and girls the opportunity to gain knowledge and training that will allow them to take their life in their own hands and become new women and new men.” Giovanna Pieroni
Nov 29, 2016 | Non categorizzato
