28 Jan 2014 | Non categorizzato, Word of
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
First of all, Jesus points out the very best way to be purified: ‘You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you.’ (Jn 15:3) His Word, more than the practice of religious rites, is what purifies our inner self. The Word of Jesus is not like human words. Christ is present in his Word, as he is present, in a different way, in the Eucharist. Through his Word Christ enters within us and, provided we allow him to act, he makes us free from sin and therefore pure in heart.
Thus purity is the fruit of living the Word, of living all the Words of Jesus which free us from our so-called attachments, which we inevitably fall into if our hearts are not in God and in his teachings. These can be attachments to things, to people, to ourselves. But if our heart is focused on God alone, all the rest falls away.
To succeed in doing this, it can be useful at different times during the day to say to Jesus, to God: ‘You, Lord, are my only good!’ (see Ps. 16: 2) Let’s try to say it often, especially when various attachments seek to pull our heart towards those images, feelings and passions that can blur our vision of what is good and take away our freedom.
Are we inclined to look at certain types of posters or television programs? Let’s stop and say to him: ‘You, Lord, are my only good’ and this will be the first step that will take us beyond self, by re-declaring our love for God. In this way we will grow in purity.
Do we realize sometimes that someone, or something we do, has got in the way, like an obstacle, between us and God, spoiling our relationship with him? That is the moment to say to him: ‘You, Lord, are my only good.’ It will help us purify our intentions and regain inner freedom.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Living the Word makes us free and pure because the Word is love. It is love, with its divine fire, that purifies our intentions and the whole of our inner self, because our ‘heart’, according to the Bible, is the deepest seat of our intelligence and our will. But there is a type of love that Jesus commands us to practise and that enables us to live this beatitude. It is mutual love, being ready to give our life for others, following the example of Jesus. This love creates a current, an exchange, an atmosphere characterized above all by transparency and purity, because of the presence of God who alone can create a pure heart in us (see Ps. 50:12). It is by living mutual love that the Word acts with its purifying and sanctifying effects.
As isolated individuals we are incapable of resisting the world’s temptations for long, but in mutual love there is a healthy environment that can protect purity and all other aspects of a true Christian life.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
So, then, the fruit of this constantly re-acquired purity is that we can ‘see’ God, which means we can understand his work in our lives and in history, hear his voice in our hearts, and recognize him where he is: in the poor, in the Eucharist, in his Word, in our communion with others, in the Church.
It is a foretaste of the presence of God which already begins in this life, as we ‘walk by faith, not by sight’ (2 Cor. 5:7), until the time when, ‘we will see face to face’ (1 Cor. 13:12) forever.
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 November 1999.
This monthly leaflet is a supplement to Living City, the Focolare magazine (livingcitymagazine.com). People’s life experiences as they put the monthly sentence into practice can be read in Living City or in books published by New City Press (newcitypress.com).
For information and to subscribe to this leaflet or to the magazine, write to: Living City, 202 Comforter Blvd, Hyde Park, New York 12538; tel: 845-229-0496; e-mail: livingcity@livingcitymagazine.com. Visit focolare.org (international); focolare.us (U.S.). © 2014 by Living City of the Focolare Movement, Inc.
Read more on this topic:
- Leahy, Brendan. “Living the Word Together,” Going to God Together, New City Press, 2013.
- Lubich, Chiara. “Enlarge our heart,” Essential Writings, New City Press, 2007, p.81.
- Lubich, Chiara. “Until love is mutual,” The Art of Loving, New City Press, 2005, p.87.
Next month: March 2014
“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” (Jn 15:10)
![Latin America Without Borders]()
27 Jan 2014 | Non categorizzato
Seventy one students showed up atMariapolis Liain Argentina: from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, Italy and Argentina. It was an opportunity to spend nine days together and explore answers to some challenging questions.
The academic approach of Summer School 2014, promoted by Sophia University Institute and the help of some Latin American professors, examined several disciplines from a new viewpoint.
Biblical Theology. Exploration of the authenticity of Gospel texts brought out the revolutionary and transforming message of Jesus’ words.
Economic Sciences. Trust and reciprocity were shown to be helpfully important to economic performance.
Sociology. The human person and society in the historical sociological context, and in the Magisterial documents of the Church, beginning with the idea of gift and interculturalism.
Latin America is calling for deep change: a return to its roots; a recognition of its wealth and the cultures of its first peoples; the challenge of social inequality; finding ways to transform its contrasting diversity into gift.
The Arts were celebrated as a valid way for promoting interculturalism, in a display of works from several countries and the concert Music of Hope: the world opening of the opera “Hablata Oblata Opus 265 by Costa Rican composer Mario Alfaguel. It is a combination of contemporary music with texts by Latin-American thinkers that delighted the audience. Students from the first Summer School presented 29 papers in seven academic areas, and 12 projects that demonstrated that it is possible to begin from a new paradigm: the culture of brotherhood.
Daniela from Chile presented a project titled: “The new look of knowledge in the field of health care: what the same and what is different in Mapuche medicine and traditional medicine. Comparing traditional medicine and indigenous peoples.”
Christopher from Mexico presented his work titled: “Brotherhood between the lines: an approach for its use in Mexican political discourse”. He explains: “This project’s goal is to develop an analysis of the concept of brotherhood as an element of the present system of political discourse in Mexico.”
Carlos from Argentina: “We’re many, but we’re one. Today I feel as if Central America has become a land without borders, united from north to south by a single dream: universal brotherhood.”
They leave with great challenges ahead of them: to bring forward socially transforming projects in individual regions of the continent, which will be presented at the next Summer School in 2015.
![Latin America Without Borders]()
26 Jan 2014 | Non categorizzato
Chiara Lubich always saw Pasquale Foresi as someone with a unique design in the development of theFocolare Movement: the design of incarnating the charism of unity in concrete ways. For this reason she considered him, together with Igino Giordani, a co-founder of the Movement. In 1949 when he met Chiara and the Movement, Pasquale Foresi was a young man looking for his way in life. He felt called to priesthood and attended seminary in Pistoia, Italy, and the Almo Collegio Capranica in Rome. He recalls: “I was happy and satisfied with my choice, but at a certain moment I had second thoughts (. . .) I began to doubt that I could move toward priesthood with these thoughts in my heart, so I suspended my studies at least for the moment. It was then that I came to know the Focolare Movement (. . .) In the members of the Movement I found an absolute faith in the Catholic Church and, at the same time, a radically evangelical way of life. It made me see that this was my place and soon the idea of the priesthood returned.” He was the first focolarino to be ordained to the priesthood, followed by others who also felt called to serve the Movement in that way. Pasquale saw in the first steps of Chiara Lubich and her companions “an evangelical spring gushing forth in the Church” and he began a partnership with them that would lead him as a priest to make a fundamental contribution to the Movement’s development, as a very close associate of Chiara Lubich. 
He wrote about some of his basic tasks in the Movement: “As a priest I was in charge of relations with the Holy See. I also worked for the Movement’s growth and development throughout the world. I assisted Chiara in drafting the Statutes of the Work of Mary. I also helped in starting up some of the permanent fixtures in the Movement such as the “Mariapolis Centres” that provide courses for the members; the town of Loppiano in Italy; and Citta Nuova publishing house.” But there is one area of Fr Foresi’s life that perhaps represents his specific contribution to the development of the Movement. He explains: “It’s in the logic of such things that these new spiritual currents or charisms in the Church contain implications for culture as well. If you study history you’ll find that this has always been the case: the development of architecture, the arts, ecclesial and social structures, the fields of human knowledge and especially theology.” Fr Foresi has spoken and published numerous articles and books on the novelty of the spiritual and social dimension of the theology that emerges from Chiara’s charism. His words contain a keenness of analysis, breadth of vision and optimism for the future that is made possible by the wisdom that comes from a strong charismatic experience, as well as the abysses of light and love, humility and loyalty that can only be created in a person’s life by God.
![Latin America Without Borders]()
22 Jan 2014 | Non categorizzato
«Today I am 46 years old. It’s twice the age I had when I started living the Ideal [the spirituality that radiates from the charism of unity, ed.]. I’m happy because from now on the period I have lived the Ideal will be more than without it.
But, my God, once more I need to throw my life into your heart. I need to burn my being in the ardent flames of the Holy Spirit, whom we have to thank for all eternity and from this moment for having indicated this way of love to us: to love, to love always, to love all. At the end of each day, to be able to say: I have always loved.» (Diary of 22 January 1966)
«Speaking of Jesus, St Paul writes: ‘… and he gave his life for me.’ (Gal 2:20).
Each of us can repeat those words of the Apostle: for me.
My Jesus, if you have died for me – for me – how can I doubt your mercy? And if I can believe in that mercy with faith which teaches me that a God has died for me, how can I not risk everything to return this love?
For me. Here is the formula which wipes out the solitude of the most lonely; raises into God every poor man belittled by the whole world; fills every heart to the brim and makes it spill over onto those who either do not know or do not remember the Good News.
For me. For me, Jesus, all those sufferings? For me that cry?
Oh! You will certainly not let my poor soul be lost nor many others, but you will do everything… if only because we have cost you too much.
You gave birth to me for Heaven, as my mother did for earth. You are always thinking of me, only of me, as you do of each and every person.
You give me more courage to live my Christian life than if I had the whole universe at my back to spur me on.
For me. Yes, for me.
And so, Lord, let me also say especially for the years that remain: for You.» ( Chiara Lubich, Knowing How to Lose, New City, London 1981, pp.3-4).
![Latin America Without Borders]()
20 Jan 2014 | Non categorizzato
Gen Verde
Music Made To Be Played
New Year, New Release! It’ s 66th album.
These 14 original songs plus an instrumental take a fresh look at the challenges and choices facing individuals and society today. The album offers a clear and positive perspective on building relationships in a multicultural but divided world in order to go together towards a hope-filled future where all can live in dignity and peace.
![Latin America Without Borders]()
20 Jan 2014 | Non categorizzato
Nancy from USA: Music Made To Be Played” began to take shape during evenings spent with thousands of people, most of them young, who visited our studio in Loppiano, Italy during the past two years. 
Alessandra from Italy: “The songs speak of today’s challenges; the desire to lift up the world; the power of love that lies in each one of us and is capable of changing lives and history.” Colomba from Korea: “This new album includes the concert we are currently using on tour, along with new pieces that have emerged from the enriching encounters we have had with so many people over the past two years.” “The challenges of today are given centre stage,” says Adriana from Brazil. “They’re presented in a clear and positive light. We focus on human relations, integration, suffering and fear of diversity, hope for a peaceful future. In other words: daily life.”
Gen Verde Band: 21 artists and professionals from 13 countries, each with her own cultural diversity that contributes to the band’s unique message. Over the past 47 years they have given more than 1400 shows, between workshops, concerts and educational workshops in hundreds of tours in Europe, Asia and North and South America. What is the purpose of the band? Raiveth from Panama answered: “To contribute to a global culture of peace, dialogue and unity through art.”
