14 Jan 2005 | Non categorizzato
I thought it would be just like any other evening, but it wasn’t. After some insistent invitations, I gave up my swimming course, and decided to join a meeting of a group of families that live the spirituality of unity. I went home happy and deeply touched: I had found something great to live for. I could hardly wait to tell my husband all about it. I found him sleeping but I woke him up; he did not take me too seriously, however. At first, I only thought of how those meetings could help J. change certain negative traits of his personality, but very soon I understood that I was the one who had to change. I began by forgiving certain things that happened in the past which I was never able to forget. Then I tried to be more tolerant, to have more love for everybody, and to make the first step in loving, without expecting anything in return. My family saw how much I changed, and after some time, J. agreed to attend the meetings with me. I watched as he absorbed the atmosphere of brotherhood that there was, until he became an active member and put himself at everyone’s service. My husband also decided to bring our children to the meetings. He was also ready to put his minivan at the disposal of those in our neighborhood who would have liked to attend the meetings, and so help them save transport money. But he was not able to do these things because after a few days, not only did he lose his job, but his very life was threatened. Some time later, he was summoned to appear in his former office. He knew it was extremely dangerous, but he decided to go. At that appointment, he met his death. It was a heavy blow for me, but I felt that God had almost been preparing my husband and me for what was going to happen. I prayed that this suffering would not just pass but that I could offer it so that the person who had done us so much harm might repent. I don’t understand why this happened to us; however, anger and revenge have not entrapped me. I tried to do all I could so that my children – 12- and 9-year-olds – would overcome their anger and be able to forgive. Jesus’ words on pardon and on love for one’s enemies are my source of strength day by day. An acquaintance of ours knew who was to blame, and he hinted that if I wanted to, I could obtain revenge. “No!” I answered. “I leave him to God’s justice. We are all His children and this person needs time to repent.” J. had experienced God’s love for us. I had this sentence inscribed on his tomb: “Tell this to everyone: God loves you immensely.” (B.L. – Colombia) Translated from L’amore vince. Trenta storie vere raccontate dai protagonisti,” Published by Città Nuova
13 Jan 2005 | Non categorizzato
12 Jan 2005 | Non categorizzato
“Together with you, we want to be instruments of peace.” “The seed of peace has grown in me.” “This indeed is the most sublime artistic expression: to give strength and hope.” These are just a few of the comments from the numerous audiences (a total of about 17,000 people) of the Gen Verde concerts in the Japanese cities of Tokyo, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya and Nagano. The Gen Verde performing arts group, one of the artistic expressions of the Focolare Movement, spent 68 days in Japan, from Sept. 24 to December 1, 2004. They had been invited to perform by the Rissho Kosei-kai (RKK), a Japanese Buddhist movement with which Chiara Lubich and the Focolare in Japan have been engaged in profound interreligious dialogue since 1979. Onstage the Gen Verde presented Prime Pagine (The First Pages). The musical, which was translated into Japanese specifically for this tour, traces the origins of the Focolare Movement in its re-discovery of the Gospel, especially Jesus’ priestly prayer, “Father, may they all be one,” the fulfillment of which it aims to pursue. Hoping the concert tour would bring forth fruits of peace and brotherhood On October 1, RKK President Nichiko Niwano offered an official welcome dinner to Gen Verde. “Let us exchange our best wishes that the concert tour may bring forth fruits of peace and fraternity, and that whoever sees us might exclaim – seeing the reciprocal love between RKK and Gen Verde – ‘see how they love one another’. A wish which came true: the concert tour promoted by the Japanese movement contributed to the progress of Buddhist-Christian dialogue and to deepening the unity between the Focolare Movement and the Rissho Kosei-kai. Going deep into the heart of the Japanese people The tour – Paola Stradi of Gen Verde commented – was a chance to learn first-hand about the sufferings which the Japanese nation has endured. “During the 68 days of our stay, these people kept surprising us with their traits: pronounced and delicate at the same time, determined and indomitable yet very sensitive to spiritual values. We tried to share in the sorrows they had gone through, such as the tragedy of the atomic bomb and its consequences at Nagasaki and Hiroshima; there, we invited the public to begin the concert with a moment of silence for peace. The recent violent typhoon and earthquake at Niigata inspired us to make our performance a sign of concrete solidarity. Numerous contacts Aside from the 17,000 people met during Gen Verde’s 9 performances, another 2,120 people participated in the Koriukai, the meetings to exchange experiences and comments, aimed at establishing a deeper dialogue. A performance-meeting was also held for 215 university students, upon the invitation of the Salesian Sisters. Moreover, Gen Verde met the Archbishop of Nagasaki, the bishop of Hiroshima and a number of priests and religious. Cardinal Shirayanagi, Archbishop of Tokyo, offered some remarks during the performance held on Nov. 14 at the Fumon Hall, in the presence of Nichiko Niwano, President of RKK and his daughter Kosho, designated as RKK’s future president. Cardinal Shirayanagi and Kosho introduced the Gen Verde on this occasion. Also the Apostolic Nuncio in Japan, His Excellency Ambrose De Paoli, was present. Visits to Buddhist temple and Shinto shrine The tour gave the Gen Verde the chance to come into direct contact with Japanese culture as well as with Shintoism and traditional Buddhism. Venerable Takeuchi had reserved for them a particularly warm welcome in an atmosphere of true brotherhood. He had been in Italy last April to participate at the first Buddhist-Christian symposium promoted by the Focolare. Ceremonies in honor of the founder of the Rissho Kosei-kai The official motive for inviting Gen Verde was the commemoration of Nikkyo Niwano, founder of Rissho Kosei-kai, the ceremonies of which were held on October 2 at Tokyo’s Fumon Hall. On this occasion, the memory of his death on October 4, 1999, was evoked – “the day of St. Francis,” the Buddhist friends recalled. A beautiful coincidence that among the songs translated by the Gen Verde into Japanese there was also “St. Francis’ Prayer”. 3,000 people were present, while over a million followed the event via satellite. So it was with the second ceremony, held at the Sacred Hall on November 15, to commemorate the founder’s birthday, with the participation of 7,000 people. The first part of the ceremonies consisted in a solemn prayer led by Nichiko Niwano and his daughter Kosho. The message sent by Chiara Lubich for the occasion was warmly received, especially her invitation “to live and work together with renewed commitment, with dedication and trust, continually supporting one another, so as to build unity in the human family.” On November 20, also in the Sacred Hall, Gen Verde offered songs and experiences to 1,500 Buddhist youth, leaders of local groups from all parts of Japan. At the conclusion of the concert tour, a television interview with Gen Verde, transmitted on the monthly “link-up” reached over 6 million people. Sayonara, Goodbye Japan! Here are a few of the numerous impressions gathered after the performances which, like a “thermometer” , are a gauge of the atmosphere experienced during the concerts: “You have re-awakened the love of God within me and made me aware that it is this love which makes me live.” “The seed of peace has grown in me. Even during the earthquake I felt the power of love.” “I want to be a person who gives.” “I understood that even in the midst of suffering I exist for other people.” As Gen Verde left Japan, Paola Stradi affirmed: “We have been enriched, our hearts have been expanded, we have gained new strength. In each city, President Niwano had marvelous flower compositions arranged to welcome us. But an even more intense fragrance continues to follow us – the fragrance of those hearts we have come to meet, and are now living with renewed determination for a more united world.”
31 Dec 2004 | Non categorizzato, Word of
In 50 A.D., the apostle Paul arrived at Corinth, the great city in Greece known for its strategic commercial port and its active cultural circles influenced by many different currents of thought. The apostle spent 18 months there proclaiming the Gospel and he founded a flourishing Christian community. Others came after him and continued the work of evangelization, but these new Christians tended to identify with the person who had brought Christ’s message to them, rather than with Christ himself. Factions arose: “I belong to Paul,” some would say. Others, referring to their own favorite apostle, would state: “I am with Apollo,” or “I am with Peter.”
Faced with the divisions that rocked the community, Paul vigorously intervened. He compared the Church to a building or a temple and insisted that although the builders of the Church can be many, only one is the foundation, the living stone: Jesus Christ.
This month especially during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Christian Churches and communities come together to remember that Christ is their sole foundation, and that it is only by following him and living according to his Gospel that they will reach full and visible unity among them.
“…for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ.”
To base our lives on Christ means to be one with him–to reason as he does, to want only what he wants, and to live as he lived.
But how can we become grounded, rooted in him? How can we be fused into one with him? By putting the Gospel into practice.
Jesus is the Word, that is, the Word of God who became flesh. If he is the Word who assumed our human condition, we will be true Christians by being men and women who imbue our entire lives with the Word of God.
If we live according to his words, or better yet, if his words live in us and make us “living Words,” then we are one with him, as if bonded to him; I or we will no longer exist, but the Word will live in all of us. We believe that by living this way we will contribute to bringing about unity among all Christians.
As the body breathes in order to stay alive, so the soul finds its source of life in living the Word of God.
One of the first fruits is that Jesus comes to live in us and among us. This calls for a change in the way we see things: it injects into the hearts of all (whether they be European, Asian, Australian, American, or African) the same sentiments that Christ had in the face of any circumstance, individual people, and society at large.
This is the experience that one of my first companions lived. Giulio Marchesi had worked as an engineer for one big company and then as the CEO of another important firm in Rome. The many experiences he had at work and in his social circles brought him to the disconcerting realization that self-centered interests were frequently the motivating force behind people’s decisions and that, as a result, true happiness could not be reached in this world.
One day, however, he met some people who lived the Word of Life, and then everything in him and around him seemed to change. In trying to put the Gospel into practice as they did, he too began to notice a new fullness of joy in his heart. He wrote: “I experienced how the Word of Life is meant for everyone. It sparked a real revolution in my life. It changed my relationship with God and with every person I met. Each one was now a brother or sister and I even had the impression that I had always known them. I also felt God’s personal love for me: all I had to do was pray to him. Basically, by living the Word I found a whole new freedom.”
And he never lost this sense of freedom even when later in life he was confined to a wheelchair.
Yes, the word lived out sets us free from human conditioning. It is a source of joy, simplicity, fullness of life and light. It helps us to follow Christ and to become like him little by little.
«…for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ»
But there is one word that summarizes all the others, and it is love: to love God and neighbor. In these two commandments Jesus sums up “the whole law and the prophets” (Mt 22:40).
Since the words of Scripture, even though expressed in human terms and in different ways, are the words of God, and since God is Love, all his words are love.
What should be our aim this month? How can we draw closer to Christ “the only foundation of the Church”? By loving as he taught us.
Saint Augustine once said, “Love and do as you will” (In Jo. Ep. Tr., 7,8). In effect he was summarizing the law of love of the Gospel because by loving we cannot go wrong. Love will lead us to fully carry out the will of God.
Chiara Lubich
30 Dec 2004 | Non categorizzato
30 Dec 2004 | Non categorizzato
“The Church – through the various charisms given her by the Spirit – appeared to us as the Gospel incarnate. Every religious family is a particular incarnation of a feature of Jesus, of a fact that occurred in his life, of one of his sufferings or one of his words … Because of all these charisms that have blossomed over the centuries, the Church is the image of the Gospel unfolded over time and space.” These were some of the words of Chiara Lubich’s lectio, read during the conferment of the honorary doctorate in Theology of Consecrated Life by the “Claretianum” Institute of the Lateran Pontifical University in Rome, which particularly specializes on that branch of theological studies.
Prof. Santiago M. González Silva, president of the Institute, opened the ceremony by presenting the Focolare Movement’s spirituality of unity to over 400 students, from 57 nations and 177 religious institutes. After listening to a novel rendition of Veni Creator, the president spoke about the foundress of the Focolare, saying: “In Chiara Lubich we can contemplate a clear reflection of a ‘word’ of the Gospel which has gone beyond the limits of the Church, reaching all regions of this planet: the new commandment o Jesus, ‘Love one another as I loved you’ (Jn 13,34).”
Prof. Fabio Ciardi, O.M.I. of Claretianum, in offering the laudatio, recalled his meeting with the Focolare spirituality during his youth, and his surprise at seeing that Chiara felt the need to share in the charism of all the saints”. He then illustrated the basic motivations for the award: � for having elaborated a doctrine on the charisms of the consecrated life, with her singular intuition that they are Christ, the living Gospel, unfolded over the centuries; � for having opened the spirituality of communion – characteristic of the Focolare – to the various forms of consecrated life (tens of thousands of men and women religious are in contact with this spirituality); � for having created an original form of consecrated life: the Focolare. The doctorate degree is also a sign of recognition for the work founded by Chiara Lubich, in which not only the different vocations of the Christian community, but also members of other Christian denominations, as well as of other religions, are involved.
