October 2006
Throughout the whole Gospel, Jesus invites us to give: to “give to the poor” (Mk 10:21). “Give to the one who asks of you and… one who wants to borrow” (Mt 5:42). “Give them some food yourselves” (Mk 6:37). “If anyone wants… your tunic, hand him your cloak as well” (Mt 5:40). “Without cost you are to give” (Mt 10:8).
Jesus was the first to give: he came to bring the sick back to health, to forgive sinners, and “to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45).
To counteract our instinct to hoard, Jesus put generosity; for our inclination to worry about our own needs he shifted the focus to our neighbors, and in place of the culture of having he put the culture of giving.
It does not matter if we can give a lot or a little. What counts is “how” we give, how much love we put into even a small gesture of attention for someone. At times, it is enough to offer them a cup of water, “only a cup of cold water” is how the Gospel of Matthew (10:42) puts it, an offering appreciated and needed especially in a country as hot and dry as Palestine.
«Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward»
Giving a cup of water is a simple gesture and yet it is great in the eyes of God if it is done in his name, that is, if it is done out of love.
Love has many nuances and knows how to find the most suitable ways to make its effects felt.
Love is attentive because it forgets about itself.
Love is thoughtful because in seeing someone’s need, it does the impossible to meet it.
Love is essential because it knows how to draw close to another person simply by being ready to listen and to serve, by being available.
How many times when we are with others, especially when they are suffering, we think that we are doing them an important service by giving them advice, not always opportunely however, or by carrying on a lengthy conversation which can either bore them or tire them out.
Instead, it is important “to be” a presence of love for each person we come in contact with. By being love, we will discover the most direct way of entering into the other’s world and of lifting him or her up.
«Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward»
The Word of Life for this month can help us to discover anew the value of everything we do: from doing housework to working in the fields or in the garage, to doing paperwork at the office, to doing our homework for school, as well as carrying out our civic, political, and religious duties. Everything can be transformed into attentive and thoughtful service for others.
Love will help us see what the other needs, and love will show us how to respond with creativity and generosity.
What will the results be? Gifts will circulate, for love calls forth love. Joy will be multiplied since “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving” (Acts 20:35).
«Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward»
I remember that during World War II there were some very poor families in certain parts of Trent, our city. We went out to share what we had with them; we wanted to improve the conditions of their lives so that we would all be on a more equal economic level.
Although these were simple acts, they brought about incredible results: food, clothing, and medicines began to arrive in surprising abundance. We became more and more convinced that the Gospel contains the answer to every personal dilemma and every social problem.
And it was not a utopia. Today thousands of businesses are involved in the Economy of Communion in Freedom, as it came to be called. They strive to carry out their business activities according to the culture of giving and to use their profits for social goals, such as to helping disadvantaged people by creating employment for them and meeting their basic needs.
But the poor are many and the profits from these businesses cannot meet all their needs. Thus since 1994 many of us have pledged to give at least a small amount each month to aid the needy.
We currently help 7,000 people in 55 nations.
We have received many testimonies on how the “cup of water” has been given and received; it almost seemed like a contest to see who could be the most generous. Here is one experience from the many we have received from the Philippines: “Our small butcher shop was going bankrupt because of the outbreak of an epidemic among the livestock. We had to go in debt and we were not sure how we could keep on going. Through your timely and constant support, we have managed to eat a decent meal every day. Before long I began to realize that I too had to help those around me who were in even greater need than I. One of my neighbors fell ill with a disease that made her suffer greatly and she also had real material needs. I assisted her until she left for the next life. Since her husband was much poorer than we were, he was not able to take care of their fifth son. So I took care of him too.”
Chiara Lubich
[:it]Il paziente al primo posto
[:it]Accanto ai malati di Aids
Communion in diversity for a peaceful world
In a world troubled by numerous political, ethnic, and religious conflicts, forty-five bishops of various Churches, friends of the Focolare movement from twenty different countries, are meeting together. From countries as diverse as Ethiopia, Finland, Australia, India, from South and North America, they are witnessing that, while respecting different traditions, communion is not only possible, but more than ever a duty for Christians. This is the 25th ecumenical meeting of Bishops and is taking place from September 20 to 27 at the Mariapolis Centre at Castelgandolfo. Their purpose is to explore – as the title suggests – the love for the crucified and forsaken Christ as an indispensable way towards full visible communion among Christians, and hence the promotion of universal fraternity. The venue chosen by the bishops this year is Rome, so that they can have a direct contact with the Pope, Benedict XVI. Previous meetings have been held in places of significance, like Istanbul where the Bishops met the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, and Bucharest, in the Romanian Patriarchate, where they were welcomed by Patriarch Teoctist. The present group is from twenty-two Churches and Ecclesial communities from the East and the West. The Pope will meet them on Sunday at midday for the Angelus and for a personal greeting. Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for the Union of Christians, will address the bishops next Tuesday on the subject, “Changes in the ecumenical scene, with special reference to orthodoxy”. He has just returned from the first plenary session of the International Commission in Belgrade, marking the resumption of the international dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. An eagerly awaited contribution will be from Chiara Lubich, the founder and president of the Focolare Movement. This will examine the transition from the “collective and cultural night” that has fallen today on many parts of society, to a new presence of Christ among us, that can create a new current of love, sharing and participation among individuals and peoples. The visit to the Catacombs, symbol of the common roots of Christianity, and the meeting with the various communities of Rome – Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Evangelical Lutheran – will be further incentives for a deeper communion, and for a coherent and convincing witness in the world. The whole meeting will be steeped in the characteristic “spirituality of unity” of the Focolare Movement, which has been welcomed by many Christians as an a ecumenical spirituality, that creates a “dialogue of life” among individuals, communities, groups and movements. These meetings are based on the commitment to put the Gospel into practice, and first and foremost the new commandment of Jesus (cf Jn 13:34). They have enjoyed the blessing of Church Leaders right from the start, and promote among those in positions of responsibility a spirit of communion that, especially in recent times, has found an increasing echo among Christians.
Next appointment in 2009: “Many cities united towards a united world”
This demanding challenge, projected towards the future, towards 2009, brought an end to the big event held in Budapest. This event has showed the innovative impact resulting from fraternity lived within the economic and communications spheres, and experiences were shared showing attempts at reacting to the widespread scourge of illegality and corruption, and to the general political crisis. “Now the challenge is here for each one of us”: our countries, our cities await us!” Valeria Ronchetti and Giuseppe Di Giacomo, two of the closest collaborators of the founder of the Movement, announced: “Chiara Lubich has an idea: why not connect, in three years time, in a precise day of the year 2009, all of our cities in a network showing several fragments of fraternity already in action?”. The title of the event will be “Many cities united towards a united world”. The idea was received with great enthusiasm. Law, communication and politics were at the centre of attention during the last part of the event. Fraternity, as an antidote for the widespread practice of illegality and corruption, was at the centre of the round table session dedicated to law. Simone Borg, a lecturer of international law at the University of Louvain in Belgium, stated: “Justice is not merely a repression. The sense of fraternity urges one to share the burden resulting from instances of social sufferings, to work to eliminate the causes and refrain from keeping silent when faced with injustice.” These are tough paths, which can, however, be taken. Such was the experience presented by Marisa Gentiletti from Argentina, a graduate mother of two, whose eight year old nephew disappeared all of a sudden. In a country where the law does not guarantee the immediate intervention of the police, Marisa started a big awareness campaign and concrete initiatives in order to defend minors, which involved the public opinion, institutions and the police. Another challenge: Communication. In this crucial field, fraternity is a communications model with a united world as its objective. Human dignity is presumed in this model; the method is dialogue, and the rule is love which can radically change communication. These were some points highlighted by Manual Bru, a lecturer at the University of San Pablo – CEU of Madrid, Spain. Amongst the projects underway in this field were those presented by Maria Rosa Logozzo and Cesare Borin, who presented a low cost worldwide project of multimedia communication services to enhance cooperative development. Geert Vanoverschelde from Belgium, head of an important television production firm, showed that it is possible to bring together quality, positive programmes and high ratings from TV viewers. 
Fraternity opens new horizons also to the world of Politics. This is the experience of the Movement for Unity in Politics (Mppu), today present in 15 countries and which is defined as “an international workshop of joint political work amongst citizens, officers, researchers and committed politicians at various levels, of different inspirations and parties, who put fraternity at the basis of their lives”. Lucia Fronza Crepaz, a member of the Italian parliament and president of the MPPU, illustrated its aims and achievements. She said: “To choose universal fraternity as a political line of thought means to have the courage to go to the very roots of the crisis which engulfs politics today.” Amongst the various witnesses was that of Cesar Romero, a consultant for the development programmes for farmers in Paraguay, who is committed to heal the existing strong social inequalities. After several struggles and delusions, he was finally able to present the project of the Movement for Unity in Politics to the various mayors of his country. This happened during a major Latin-American meeting for mayors which took place in Argentina and was promoted by the Movement for Unity in Politics. The mayors’ responsiveness exceeded by far his highest expectations. Romero said: “Deeply touched by the spirit of this meeting, the 16 mayors from Paraguay taking part in the meeting put forward a proposal to all the other mayors for a twinning and reciprocity agreement so as to promote and sustain the sharing of local development policies. Twenty-two city councils endorsed this unprecedented event for Paraguay.” The final choreography, “Dawn on the city”, was very significant. The city of Budapest, which lived dramatic moments of violence in 1956, fifty years later gave rise to a new impulse of renewal, fraternity and hope, which will now radiate to the hundreds of cities of all 5 continents which were represented here in this event.