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9 Jun 2012 | Non categorizzato
“It was a pilgrimage of Truth,” as Benedict XVI described the 2012 event in Assisi” commented one of the organizers of the event from the Focolare Movement. It brought together a hundred people – both Buddhists and Christians – from several parts of the world.
The Buddhists who came from Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Korea represented different strands of Buddhism: Therevada with a group of Thai monks, Mahayana from Japan, besides the Rissho Kosei-Kai, a Buddhist association that for more than thirty years has been collaborating with the Focolare Movement. Present also were followers of the traditional schools such as Tendai-shu, the Nichiren-shu, and the Hosso-shu and the Chines Buddhism represented by the nuns who travelled from Taiwan, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, who belonged to two new associations: the Dharma Drum Mountain and the Fo Guang Shan. From Korea, there was one representative Won Buddhism.
The Christian representatives – forty in all – were from Thailand, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the United States, Austria, Switzerland, England and Italy, with the presence of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, as well as the president of the Focolare, Maria Voce.
“Not only discover the common points, but build together a world full of love and of compassion, staying faithful to the identity of each religion. This is the extraordinary aspect of this syposium which is difficult to find anywhere else,” wrote Nichiko Niwano, president of the Rissho Kosei-kai in a message in which he summarized very well the atmosphere of deep trust that has been built over the years, and that enveloped all the newcomers.
The title of the gathering (“Understanding and living Scriptures as a way to universal harmony and peace”) was invented by the group of scholars who gave the presentations. Already in the preparation stages there was much collaboration both in choosing the content of the presentations and in preapring the translations in four languages. All this work permitted that after each presentation there was more time for open dialogue, which was expressed more as personal communion by each of the participants.
The differences, not only between Christianity and Buddhism but also among the various strains of Buddhism, in this special setting of deep spirituality, did not create difficulty or tension. On the contrary, they became a precious reciprocal gift, rienforcing each one’s own faith.
“As I listened to the Scriptures of each relgion, I saw that there are some common points and some divergent ones, but this symposium was a growth of wisdom for each one of us, reciprocally,” said Phrakhru Suphan, master of Vippassana meditation and abbot of the Wat Ram Poeng Temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Significant was the interest of monks from the traditional schools, in the modern Buddhist movements. Greatly appreciated was the presence among the Christians of one Anglican priest, a pastor from the Reformed Church and a Lutheran lay woman.
Throughout the gathering many spoke about the “special atmosphere” that they sensed, even recalling the words of John Paul II in 1986 with leaders of non-Christian religions in Madras, India: “May God be present in our midst, for when we open up to each other in dialogue, we open ourselves also to God.”
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2 Jun 2012 | Non categorizzato
Saturday morning, 2 June 2012. Sesto San Giovanni in Milan welcomes 4,000 people from Lombardy and the neighbouring areas, family members who are actively involved in the Focolare Movement. Among the presentations as well as that of president Maria Voce and co-president Giancarlo Faletti.
“Over the next few days in which you will be focusing on the family,” Maria Voce began, “the question will arise: What is God’s design on the family?” She answers by quoting Chiara Lubich at the Familyfest in Rome 1981: “God created the family, he formed a family. When he was incarnated, he wanted to be surrounded by a family. When Jesus began his mission and manifested his glory, he was celebrating at a marriage feast, he was celebrating a family.”
Referring to the theme of he event: The Family: Work and Celebration, Maria Voce underscored the importance of work for its foundation and sustenance.
“In turn,” the president affirmed, “the family is important to work. As it educates us to be laborious and to absorb values that are typically instilled by the family, the spirit of cooperation and solidarity which are so proper to the family, the importance given to free giving, reciprocity and being a gift for each other – it helps in giving a solid base to society,” she affirmed stongly. “The human person is not only designed for work.
And so work should be arranged and carried out in such as way as to takes into account not only the economic needs of the people, but their total wellbeing. And so it is important that the time at work be harmonized with time in the family”.
At this point the president of the Focolare recalled that even Jesus worked (as did Mary and Joseph) and, that “besides being perfect workers, they were also a perfect example of celebration.” She mentioned their pilgrimage to Jerusalem. . . the wedding feast at Cana “where, with Mary his Mother, they went to celebrate the marriage of two newlyweds. (. . . ) In the Holy Family there was both work and celebration, which means to say a time for rest, for relating to others.”
Referring once more to Chiara Lubich, Maria Voce concluded by underscoring that “In a certain sense (Chiara) had anticipated this topic: Work and Celebration. That is, if we live the values found in the family, then even work and celebration will be imbued with such values. And we will become true witnesses and builders of a society according to the heart of God.”
Full text of Maria Voce’s talk
31 May 2012 | Non categorizzato, Word of
The ‘food that endures’ is the person of Jesus himself and it is also his teaching, since Jesus’ teaching is one and the same with his person. When we read Jesus’ other words later on, we see that this ‘bread that endures’ is also identified with Jesus’ Eucharistic body. So, we can say the ‘bread that endures’ is Jesus in person, who gives himself to us in his Word and in the Eucharist.
Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
The image of bread is often used in the Bible, as is the image of water. Bread and water represent the basic foods indispensable for human life. Now, by applying the image of bread to himself, Jesus means that his person, his teaching are indispensable for the spiritual life of human beings, just as bread is for the life of the body. Material bread is certainly necessary. Jesus himself provides it miraculously for the crowds. But on its own it is not enough. Human beings bear in themselves, perhaps without fully knowing it, a hunger for truth, justice, goodness, love, purity, light, peace, joy, infinity, eternity, that nothing in the world can satisfy. Jesus offers himself as the only one capable of satisfying the inner hunger of humanity.
Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
In presenting himself as the ‘bread of life’, however, Jesus is not limiting himself to affirming the need to feed on him, and so believe in his word, in order to have eternal life. But he wants to encourage us to have an experience of him. Indeed, when he says, ‘work for the food that does not perish,’ he gives us an urgent invitation. He means that we must be involved seriously, do every possible thing needed to have this food. Jesus does not impose himself, but he wants to be discovered, he wants to be experienced.
Certainly by their own strength alone human beings cannot reach Jesus. They can do it as a gift from God. Nonetheless, Jesus continually invites people to put themselves in a position to receive the gift of himself, which he wishes to give. And it is precisely by striving to put the Word into practice that human beings come to full faith in him, to taste his Word as one would taste sweet-smelling and flavoursome bread.
Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
The Word of Life is not about a specific point of Jesus’ teaching (such as forgiving offences, detachment from riches and so on), but it brings us back to the very root of Christian life, which is our personal relationship with Jesus.
I think that those who have started living the Word with commitment, and especially the commandment of love for our neighbour (the summary of all the words of God and of all the commandments) sense at least in some small way that Jesus is the ‘bread’ of their lives, able to satisfy the desires of their hearts, the source of their joy, of their light. By putting the Word into practice they have at least begun to taste it as the true answer to the problems of humanity and of the world. And, since Jesus, the ‘bread of life’, gives the supreme gift of himself in the Eucharist, they go spontaneously to receive the Eucharist with love, and it has an important place in their lives.
Those of us who have had this amazing experience must not keep it for ourselves. With the same concern that Jesus urges us to work for the ‘bread of life’, we should communicate it to others so that they may find in Jesus what their hearts have always sought. It is an enormous act of love for our neighbours because already from this earth they can know what true life is and they will have the life that does not die. And what more could anyone want?
Chiara Lubich
First published in August 1985
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31 May 2012 | Non categorizzato
We publish an extract of an interview with Maria Voce by Lucetta Scaraffia. A complete translation will be available soon. “We were quite keen on having you for the first interview that will appear in the Roman Observer’s new section on women. You are the only woman at the head of a movement of such great importance. Does this unique position of yours ever weigh you down, interacting with ecclesiastical hierarchy? Not only does it not weigh me down, but it is a peculiarity which is more and more recognized by the Pope, cardinals and bishops, in accordance with what it signifies and was originally expressed by John Paul II: to be the guarantee and the sign of the Marian profile that tells of the primacy of supernatural love, of holiness, and is co-essential to the Apostolic-Petrine profile. These dimensions work together, Wojtyla said, in “making present the Mystery of Christ and his saving action in the world.” But for the first twenty years of our history it wasn’t like this: it was a total novelty! There was a long and tedious process behind it, involving much suffering (. . .). In recent years the Church has had to overcome great difficulties. Do you believe that a different role and a different presence of women might have facilitated the overcoming of these difficulties? It’s hard to say. I would say that we should look at today when a deep crisis is passing through not only the Church, but all humanity. If the root of the problem is a crisis of the faith, as the Pope continues to insist, then woman, wherever she may be living, has the specific vocation to be the God bearer, the bearer of supernatural love, which is the greatest value and the most useful one for renewing both the Church and society. By Lucetta Scaraffia Editorial – Roman Observer See insert in Osservatore Romano
19 May 2012 | Non categorizzato
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17 May 2012 | Non categorizzato
Alfonso Di Nicola coordinates the “Always a Person” project that takes care of the prison inmates and their families. This is his story:
“Last Wednesday I was reflecting on the Word of Life, when I felt I had received a message. I read it. It was George who told me that on Friday they would remove the electricity supply if he did not pay the bill for 450 euros. It was the balance of payments, and had to be paid.
He had asked for help from his employer but the latter did not trust him. He also sought his friends, but none of them came forward… as we are very good friends, he did not want to bother me. Finally, however, as all doors we closed, he came to me.
In these cases, we draw money from the “Always a Person” project. In those days, the few resources available were earmarked for the purchase of oil, sugar, and basic food for the ex-prisoners. Moreover, I thought, “how will he repay the 450 euros, if he earns 800 a month and has three children to maintain?”
George assured me that at the end of the month he would repay the debt, and to tell the truth I found this rather incredible, and thought that Jesus would be my surety. I thought often of His words: “I was thirsty and you gave me to drink… to eat…. you helped me… because every time you did this to one of the smallest of my brothers, you did it to Me…” (Cf Matthew 25, 31).
And you know what happened? I gave George the 450 euros!
It was Thursday. On Friday evening, when I returned from the prison, having talked with several of the inmates, I opened my computer to see the post. To my great surprise, I see an email that invited me to go and withdraw a donation of 1720 euros, offered by a lady who had heard one of our experiences in a church, and desired to contribute to the Project.
My surety did not let me wait for a month to repay the loan, but only for a day, repaying the sum by four times as much, thus allowing us to help others.
Alfonso Di Nicola
