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13 Aug 2014 | Non categorizzato
“I had written a letter to Pope Francis at the start of his Pontificate […] Then I went to WYD in Rio de Janeiro with 350 young people from Korea: there the Pope invited the young people to go out into the world to serve their brothers and sisters. So I wrote another letter, to tell him how nice it would be to have him physically among us at the meeting for Asian youth. In April when I met him in Rome the Polpe told me that as he read my letter he heard a voice in his heart saying: we have to go to Korea.” These were the words of Bishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik during an interview with Vatican Insider. The bishop’s diocese of Daejeon will host the Asian Youth Day as well as the meeting of Pope Francis with the bishops of Asia. “The Holy Father’s visit to Korea is an extraordinary event for the Korean people that has raised great expectation also among non-ecclesial environments outside the Catholic Church,” say Alberto Kim and Maris Moon from the Focolare Movement in Korea. We also asked them to explain the Asian Youth Day (AYD), which is already underway (August 10-17) and whose highlight will be a meeting between the young people and the Pope. 
They write: “This week-long experience is meant to provide the young people with Catholic formation that can help them in planning their future spiritual lives. The meeting is also intended to provide opportunities to young Catholics to explore and deepen the faith so that they can share the Gospel with others including young people and other relgious groups.” The day has been titled “Asian youth, wake up! The glory of the Martyrs shines on you” presenting “the spirit and example of the martyrs to the young people of the current generation, which is living amidst many temptations and non-Christian values, so that they might gain the courage to live according to Gospel values.” The young people of the Focolare have been entrusted with preparing a two-hour prayer vigil for the conclusion of the second day of AYD. Alberto and Maris concluded by saying: “On August 16th we’ll be at the Kkottongnae Rehabilitation Centre for the meeting of the Holy Father with Korean Lay Leaders. Paolo Kwon from the Focolare and president of the Association of the Laity in Korea, will give the welcoming address on behalf of the Korean laity.” 
The Pope’s visit will focus attention on martyrdom, with the beatification of Paul Yun Ji-Chung and 123 of his companion martyrs and the Youth Day’s theme. “A third of the Korean martyrs came from my diocese,” declared Bishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik to Vatican Insider. “For them faith and life were the same thing. And they will forever remain a model for all. The young people who will come here from all Asia will redisover the gift that can make their own lives compelling and exciting as well.” What are expectations? “The Pope’s visit will last four days, and then it will end. What will remain with us is Jesus, and this is what is important. For Jesus and with Jesus I can go anywhere and meet anyone. Pope Francis is only pointing to this and,in doing so he throws us all off: he helps us to never become comfortable with our conventionalities. This is a stimulus to trust in God in all that we do.”
See also Rome Reports video
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12 Aug 2014 | Non categorizzato
Msgr Lazzaro You Heung-sik
This 38th meeting of bishops was based on the central theme, “The Eucharist, mystery of Communion”, about which Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement gave her reflection, starting from the experience and spiritual doctrine of Chiara Lubich. The development of the Movement was initially linked to the sacrament instituted by Christ in the Last Supper; it led Chiara to state more than once that the Work of Mary was born from this relationship “between her and Jesus in the Eucharist”. The power of the sacrament of unity appeared as the root and nourishment of the Church, leading to the communion amongst brothers within the family of the children of God, inspiring all towards a profound dialogue with everyone, believers and non believers. Through discussion with Maria Voce and co-president Giancarlo Falletti, the participants could deepen their understanding of the principle themes which will be the subject of the next General Assembly of the Focolari, during the coming September at Castelgandolofo (Rome). There was ample time for reflection and sharing about the present challenges of the Church and the various shades that these can take in the different continents. 
The 52 bishops then concelebrated the Eucharist in the Cathedral of Trent together with the Arhbishop of the place, Luigi Bressan, who said that their cathedral had never contained so many bishops and cardinals since the time of the conclusion of the Council of Trent on the 4th December 1563. The meeting was held as part of the initiative, started 38 years ago by Chiara Lubich and Mons. Klaus Hemmerle, Bishop of Aquisgrana. At present the moderator is Msgr Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij, Archbishop of Bangkok. The city chosen this time was Trent, where the founder of the Focolare Movement was born and during the turbulent years of the Second World War. In the dramatic scene of much conflict in the world, the return to the origins of the spirituality of unity has resulted in the participants from suffering regions finding a motive of hope and a confirmation that God never abandons his people.
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11 Aug 2014 | Non categorizzato
When we were young like you, like the majority of you, we were always greatly struck by a phrase that Saint Clare told St Francis when the latter practically drew her to follow his way. St Francis asked her: “My child, what do you want?” One could expect all kinds of answers, like: “I would like to follow you in the way of poverty, I want to become a nun, I want to enter a convent,” and so on. Instead she truly got it right. “My child, what do you want?” and she answered: “God”. She wanted God because she was choosing God as God had chosen her. It’s the same choice that we also made at the beginning of the Movement, we made only one choice: God! Beyond the bombings and everything else, God emerged. We believed in God and we made God the ideal of our life. We see that this choice is always new because this choice of God makes us put aside nearly all those riches that we perhaps accumulate even without realizing it. Perhaps we are rich of the focolare, we are rich with things, we are rich in intelligence, of our studies, we are rich, I don’t know, of our relatives. We are perhaps rich of our priesthood, or perhaps of something more. Our ideal which is Jesus Forsaken, who is nothing, who made himself nothing, makes us put all of this aside so as to have God first and do all the rest as the will of God. This is what Saint Clare reminds us again today. She did it by choosing the way of poverty; we do it by choosing the way of unity, always having Jesus in our midst, the Risen One and Jesus in us through our love for Jesus Forsaken.
Chiara Lubich Mollens (Switzerland), 11 August 1987
Source: www.centrochiaralubich.org
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9 Aug 2014 | Non categorizzato
The youth of the Focolare Movement are mobilizing their contacts around the world to work for peace through the launch of an appeal which affirms the need to practice dialogue as a way to find a solution for conflicts, and it encourages each person to start practicing this on a personal level while proclaiming the message to governments and policy makers. 
The initiative, which starts on August 15, aims at involving people from all over the world who would like to adhere to this idea, wherever they are, through a page on Facebook where they can sign their membership by posting messages, clips and photos wearing something white. This initiative fits in the various peace campaigns that are being held in individual countries during this time. “Dialogue to unlock” will continue during the coming months while it collaborates with other peace initiatives. “We appeal to governments on all sides of the conflict to end the use of violent means,” the young people write. They intend to take action locally by inviting everyone to be “promoters of dialogue in everyday life”. A current account has been opened for contributions towards the many emergency situations caused by the current conflicts. Its details are the following: C/bank account no. 120434, payable to: Associazione “Azione per un Mondo Unito – Onlus” Via Frascati, 342 – 00040 Rocca di Papa (Rome, Italy) Banca Popolare Etica – Filiale di Roma
IBAN: IT16 G050 1803 2000 0000 0120 434 – SWIFT/BIC CCRTIT2184D Description: Emergency Middle East
Tax deduction is possible for European donors.
29 Jul 2014 | Non categorizzato, Word of
Because God is mother and father, he is not satisfied with just loving and forgiving his sons and daughters. He ardently desires that they treat one another as brothers and sisters, that they get along with one another, that they love one another. This is God’s great plan for humanity: universal brotherhood. Such a brotherhood is stronger than the inevitable divisions, tensions, and hard feelings that so easily creep into relationships due to misunderstandings and mistakes. Families often break up because people don’t know how to forgive. Past hatreds are handed down only to perpetuate divisions between relatives, social groups, peoples. Some people even teach others not to forget the wrongs suffered, to cultivate sentiments of revenge … Such deep resentment can only poison the soul and corrupt the heart. Someone might think that forgiveness is a sign of weakness. No, it’s an expression of great courage; it’s authentic love, the most genuine, because it’s the most selfless. “If you love those who love you, what reward do you have?” says Jesus (Mt. 5:46). Everyone knows how to do that. Jesus asks for more: “Love your enemies” (Mt 5:44). We are asked to learn from him and to have the love of a father, of a mother, a merciful love toward all those who come our way, especially those who do something wrong. Moreover, for those who are called to live a spirituality of communion, that is, the Christian spirituality, the New Testament asks for something more: “Bear with one another … forgive” (Col 3:13). We could almost say that mutual love requires that we make a pact with one another: to be ready to forgive one another always. This is the only way we can contribute to universal brotherhood. “Forgive your neighbor the wrong done to you, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.” These words not only invite us to forgive, but they remind us that forgiving others is the necessary condition for receiving forgiveness. God listens to us and forgives us in the measure in which we forgive others. Jesus himself warns us: “The measure you give will be the measure you get” (Mt 7:2). “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” (Mt 5:7). Actually, a heart hardened by hatred is not even capable of recognizing and accepting the merciful love of God. How can we live these words of life? First of all, by immediately forgiving anyone with whom we have not yet been reconciled. But this is not enough. We need to search the innermost recesses of our heart and eliminate even a feeling of indifference, a lack of kindness, an attitude of superiority, of neglect toward anyone we meet. Furthermore, we need to take some precautionary measures. So every morning I look at the people around me, at home, at school, at work, in the store, ready to overlook anything that I don’t like about their way of doing things, not judging them, but trusting them, always hoping, always believing. I approach every person with this total amnesty in my heart, with this universal pardon. I do not remember their faults at all, I cover everything with love. And throughout the day I try to make up for having been unkind, for a fit of impatience, by apologizing or by some gesture of friendship. I replace an instinctive rejection toward someone with an attitude of total openness, of boundless mercy, of complete forgiveness, of sharing, of being attentive to his or her needs. Then when I pray to the Father, especially when I ask him to forgive my mistakes, I am confident that my prayer will be granted. I’ll be able to say with total trust: [L1] Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us (see Mt 6:12).
Chiara Lubich
Each month a Scripture passage is offered as a guide and inspiration for daily living. This commentary, translated into 96 different languages and dialects, reaches several million people worldwide through print, radio, television and the Internet. Ever since the Focolare’s beginnings, founder Chiara Lubich (1920–2008) wrote her commentaries each month. This one was originally published in September 2002.
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21 Jul 2014 | Non categorizzato
An open discussion among “alternative” economists, the world of finance and transnational societies. Among the 50 participants, Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus (Banker to the Poor); Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis, Michel Roy; and Juan Grabois (Argentine founder of the Movement of Excluded Workers); but also Jose Angel Gurria, Secretary general of the OSCE; and the highest ranking representatives of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, Goldman Sachs Investment Bank and multinational companies such as Nestle and Ferrero. Also in attendance as supporters of the event were economists Stefano Zamagni, Leonardo Becchetti and Luigino Bruni (Coordinator of the Economy of Communion Project). The conference was titled “The Global Common Good: Towards A More Inclusive Economy” following after Evangelii Gaudium with its attention to social issues, particularly the global economy it accuses it of being an economy of exclusion. In collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, these experts held a two-day conference at the Vatican on July 11-12, 2014 to deepen the dialogue that then led to the signing of a document calling for an economy that places the human person at the centre, signed by the participants, and titled “Beyond the globalisation of indifference, for a more inclusive economy.” The document stresses the importance of the market being inclusive and creating work and wealth. It invites those in charge of institutions to more decisive action against tax shelters; to safeguarding the biodiversity in economic and financial forms which are threatened by a single way of thinking that threatens local and territorial organisational forms; and of supporting the development of new financial institutions include the poor; of overhauling economic theory bsing it on more humane and realistic hypotheses; of combatting discrimination against women; human trafficking, international criminality, corruption and money-laundering. The conference gained the attention of the Wall Street Journal which, in one article underscored states: The debate matters beyond the church. Catholics constitute about 17% of the world’s population and a greater proportion in Latin America and swaths of Europe, so the church’s teachings on business can affect commerce world-wide. 
The Pope invited the attendees to reflect on reality, but to reflect without fear, to reflect with intelligence. He also focused attention on the heart of the problem that has been brought out by the economic crisis: “anthropological reductionism.” Man loses his humanity and becomes “an instrument of the system, the social system, economic system, a system where imbalance reigns. When man loses his humanity, what can we expect? What happens is what I would call in common parlance: a policy, a sociology, a throwaway attitude. One discards what is not needed, because man is not at the centre.” And when man is not at the centre, another thing is and man is at the service of this other thing. “Many of Pope Francis’ statements struck me,” says Luigino Bruni, “especially his way of listening, as if he were there just for us, even forgetting to eat the meal in front of him. Then his gratitude: the words most spoken by the Pope were ‘thank you’.” “There is no one in the world today with more moral authority than the Pope,” said Mr Carney, Governor of the Bank of England. It is true, and in this ‘Davos of the poor’ the Pope has taught us to choose the point from which the world is to be observed. He has chosen that of the Lazaruses of today. I’ve proposed at the end to make this ‘Davos of the poor’ a biannual event, an invitation that I think has a good chance of being accepted.”
