Feb 15, 2021 | Non categorizzato
If the spirituality of the Focolare, which is centered on love for one’s brother or sister, is an expression of the Gospel, then also “perfection in virtues”, as it is referred to in the Christian tradition, must be achievable in relationships with others. This is the conviction that Chiara Lubich explains in the following text. Many of us are familiar with the Imitation of Christ, a book of prayer and meditation that is rich in spirituality. In order to transform our life into a Holy Journey, and reach the goal that the book puts before us, it says that we need some attributes that are very compelling: complete contempt for the world, an ardent desire to progress in virtue, love for sacrifice, and the fervor of penance, self-denial, and knowing how to bear every adversity…. They are attributes that are necessary for all of us to possess. However, we must ask ourselves: how can we acquire them in accordance with our own spirituality? The answer is clear and certain: we have not been called by God to accomplish all this through a monastic style of life separated from the world. We are called to remain in the midst of the world and to go to God through our neighbor, which means through love for our neighbor and through reciprocal love. It is through committing ourselves to undertake this unique and evangelical path that we will discover, as if by enchantment, that we have acquired these virtues in our soul. We need to have contempt for the world. Then, there is no better contempt for something than complete disregard, forgetfulness and indifference toward its existence. If we are fully projected toward thinking of the others, toward loving the others, we no longer have concern for the world, we forget about it; therefore, we have contempt for it, even though this does not free us from doing our part in pushing aside its suggestions when they assail us. We must progress in virtue. But we can do this if we have love. Isn’t it written: “I will run the way of your commands when you give me a docile heart [a heart full of love]” (Psalm 119:32)? If in loving our neighbor we run the path of fulfilling God’s commands, it means that we are making progress. We need to love sacrifice. To love the others precisely means to sacrifice oneself in order to be dedicated to the service of others. Christian love, even though it is a source of great joy, is synonymous with sacrifice. We need the fervor of penance. It is through a life of love that we will find the greatest and principal penance to perform. We need self-denial. Love for our neighbors always implies self-denial. Finally, we need to know how to bear all adversity. Are not many sufferings in the world caused by living alongside others? We must know how to bear everyone, and to love him or her out of love for Jesus Forsaken. By doing this we will overcome many obstacles in life. Yes, in loving our neighbor we find an excellent possibility to transform our life into a “holy journey”. […]
Chiara Lubich
(From a telephone conference call, Rocca di Papa, 27 November 1986)
Feb 12, 2021 | Non categorizzato
This is the title of the conference to be held on 18-19 February and promoted by the Chiara Lubich Centre and the Central National Library in Rome. Consonances and common points between the spirituality of unity and lines of thought of great figures of our times. Can we imagine what dialogue between Chiara Lubich, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Simone Weil, Mahatma Gandhi, Giorgio La Pira, Martin Luther King or even Mikhail Gorbachev would be like? When the vision of a personality happens to be in harmony with that of other ‘great minds’ of his or her time, or of other times, such a convergence often strengthens and enriches a movement of common ideas, that can reach large patches of humanity and set a course towards a durable change. To put Chiara Lubich’s idea of unity in dialogue with different personalities who have made history, is the aim of the conference “Beyond the 20th century. Chiara Lubich in dialogue with our times”. It will be held on 18-19 February 2021, and it is being promoted by the Chiara Lubich Centre and the National Central Library in Rome. This event may be followed online on Città Nuova’s YouTube channel in Italian, English, Spanish and Portuguese. THURSDAY 18/02 ITALIANO https://youtu.be/hePSudSFdbo PORTUGUÊS https://youtu.be/91uF6G4uJ80 ENGLISH https://youtu.be/_vKWn0NNP_Q ESPAÑOL https://youtu.be/Awo4Z3sbQU0 FRIDAY 19/02 ITALIANO https://youtu.be/R1NtYaCUifA PORTUGUÊS https://youtu.be/pQKtuCs1loQ ENGLISH https://youtu.be/s8H4u-LHC70 ESPAÑOL https://youtu.be/TNFO84-RZBM During this conference, Chiara Lubich’s thought and her experience in the historical, political, economic and literary fields will be dealt with, thanks to the contribution of academics and scholars from different disciplines. Amongst these, there will be Michel Angel Moratinos, Andrea Riccardi, Piero Coda, Alessandra Smerilli, Vincenzo Buonomo, Pasquale Ferrara, Maurizio Gentilini, Giulia Paola De Nicola, Adriano Roccucci, Cristiana Freni, Lucia Tancredi, Aldo Civico, together with others from other countries, such as Andras Fejérdy from Hungary and Vinu Aram from India, just to name a few. There will be four sessions during this conference that will deal with the historical aspect, the literary aspect, the socio-political aspect, while the last one will be dedicated to some twentieth century personalities. Chiara Lubich lived through most of the twentieth century and the first years of the new millennium. She looked at this change of epoch from the perspective of universal brotherhood, convinced – as she affirmed many times – that ‘unity is a sign of the times’. The consonances that the conference aims to highlight, in fact, go far beyond the analysis of Chiara Lubich’s thought, because they place it in dialogue and in comparison with the thought of great figures who, through different ways of life and cultures, have however pointed their gaze in the same direction. Besides the Focolare Movement, the Sophia University Institute, Città Nuova, New Humanity and the Trentino History Museum Foundation are also giving their share towards this conference.
Stefania Tanesini
Feb 12, 2021 | Non categorizzato
29 March 1922 – 1 November 2020. A Jesuit priest and long-standing Focolare member, he was a great educator and spiritual director. Just before dawn on the feastday of All Saints, in the infirmary of the Jesuit Fathers in Rome, Fr Paolo Bachelet left for his Father’s House. He had celebrated his 98th birthday on 29 March 2020. Fr Paolo entered the Society of Jesus on 7 December 1941. He was ordained priest on 7 July 1951 and completed his formation with solemn final vows on 3 February 1958. He got to know the Focolare Movement and the spirituality of unity in the 1950s while studying theology at the Gregorian University. Among his fellow students was Pasquale Foresi, co-founder of the Movement. Immediately a spiritual bond formed between them which never waivered. Focolare founder, Chiara Lubich “entrusted” a phrase of the Gospel for him to live in a particular way in his daily life, so that it could become his own Word of Life: “He must increase but I must decrease” (Jn 3:30). He welcomed the spirituality of the Focolare and became part of the group of religious men belonging to the Movement. For many years he worked in the regional seminary at Anagni, Italy, then in the University Chapel of La Sapienza in Rome. He was a great eduator and spiritual director. Many seminarians continued to turn to him for spiritual guidance even after they left Anagni, including those who later became bishops. In the University Chapel of La Sapienza, where he lived from 1987 to 2003, he was much loved and sought after as a spiritual accompanier by both students and academics alike. It was a constant source of edifying spiritual enrichment to live a strong spiritual relationship with him. He had a great capacity to listen. He really knew how to set himself aside in order to fully welcome the other person. When he communicated what was in his soul with the small group of other religious men who shared the life of the spirituality of unity with him, he often commented that in many conversations he would find himself faced with issues for which he had no pre-prepared answer. This never concerned him, because he would always experience how the person who was confiding a particular problem, having been listened to discreetly and attentively by Fr Paolo, would find the light and answer within themselves. He communicated this as a fruit of the spiritual presence of Jesus in that moment between him and the person speaking, according to the Gospel promise Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them» (Mt 18:15-20). He was well primed in Moral Theology and Canon Law. He had a special dedication to families. In the 1990s, together with a married Focolarino and other Focolare members, he was involved in the formation of the Separated Christian Families Association. He supported the association’s branch in Rome for many years until 2017, when he was transferred to the infirmary in Via dei Penitenzieri, Rome. He followed the preparations and progress of the Synod of Bishops on the Family with close interest. And in fact some of his observations which reached the Synod General Secretary made their way into the final document, Amoris Laetitia. We recall Fr Paolo as a spiritual son of Chiara Lubich and as a true brother sharing the Spirituality of Unity. He is surely continuing to follow us from heaven.
Fr. Armando Ceccarelli S. J.
Feb 10, 2021 | Non categorizzato
From Focolare communities in Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia, where they’ve been experiencing the joy of giving freely to help those in difficulty “Our communion of goods began by observing the early Christians. We saw that there they had a communion of goods, and as a result there was no one who was poor among them… “So you could say that the formula is this: if the whole world were to implement the communion of goods, then social problems, the poor, the hungry, those without a legacy, etc., would no longer exist.” This was how Focolare founder Chiara Lubich, when she launched the Economy of Communion project in 1991, explained the origins of the “communion of goods” in the movement, both material and spiritual. In 1943 in Trento, the war had destroyed the city, and many had lost their homes, jobs and families. Faced with such despair—and in light of the words of the Gospel they meditated on in the shelters—Chiara and her early friends decided to take care of those most in need. “Our goal was to implement the communion of goods as much as possible in order to solve the social problems of Trento. I thought, ‘There are two or three places where the poor people are… Let’s go there, let’s bring what we have, let’s share it with them.’ Simple logic, really: we have more, they have less. We will raise their standard of living so that we will all reach a certain equality.” Eighty years later, the communion of goods is still a vibrant reality in the movement. Each person gives freely according to his or her possibilities, often expressing gratitude for what they’ve received. Experiences are multiplying all over the world. “I went to buy 10kg of wheat for my chickens,” says one person from Croatia. “The man who sold it to me did not want money. I donated what I had saved for the communion of goods, which is extraordinary in this pandemic.” Of course, it’s not always possible to donate goods and money. Still, the commitment reinforces the value of the gesture. “I recently sold some wine to a neighbour. He gave me more money than he had to, and he didn’t want any change. I gave it for the communion of goods, but it wasn’t easy; I had to overcome my human way of thinking.” The experience of receiving after giving often happens. It is the evangelical “Give and it will be given to you” (Lk 6:38) that Chiara and her early friends tangibly experienced. “We helped some families who had lost their jobs because of the crisis caused by the pandemic, donating food, medicine and school supplies,” they write from Macedonia. “It was little help, but one of them told us that it was enough to eat for two weeks. Shortly after, another family made a donation that covered their expenses. Everything was circulating.” The joy of giving and the joy of receiving happens frequently. In Serbia, the communion of goods reached a family with children where father and mother are sick and unemployed. They live off the produce from their garden, and to pay the bills, Toni helps out in the parish. “When we went to bring him money, he was borrowing to buy wood. We explained to the family where the help was coming from, and they were moved because they felt that God, through us, ‘had looked their way.’” The communion of goods, after all, is nothing more than an instrument of divine providence.
Claudia Di Lorenzi
Feb 8, 2021 | Non categorizzato
The General Statutes of the Focolare Movement, as well as the Regulations of each of its branches, contain a “premise to every other rule” a “norm of norms”: the commitment of whoever is part of the Movement to live mutual charity according to the Commandment of Jesus. In the following text, Chiara Lubich emphasizes that this commitment must be continually renewed. [In the letter to the Romans the apostle Paul] says: “Let us cast off deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Rom 13:12).The “deeds of darkness” are the consequences of vices and sin. The “armor of light” is the virtues and the practice of living the Word of God in our lives. Now, we know that the New Commandment of Jesus is the synthesis of all His commands, of all His Words. Therefore, we will put on the “armor of light” by refocusing our lives on this commandment. The result—we know—is that the Risen Lord will be resplendent in the midst of our community. […] So then, the “armor of light.” The New Commandment practiced with new commitment. […] This is an invitation that I extend to all of you. And so that we can begin right away, let’s take a moment to look at our reciprocal love: let’s consider the measure of love (keeping in mind that it must be the same measure with which Jesus loves us: therefore to be ready to give our lives); let’s look at where our generosity is lacking, at our limitations in loving, so that we can overcome them; let’s see if our reciprocal love may rest too heavily on a human plane, and need therefore to be raised to a supernatural level…. If we do so, if we improve our reciprocal love in this way, Jesus, the Saint, will be among us and will make this present year the holiest of our lives.[…]
Chiara Lubich
(From a telephone conference call, Rocca di Papa, 13 November, 1986)
Feb 6, 2021 | Non categorizzato
On 8 February, a prayer marathon for an economy which cares for and values the human person and nature, which includes and does not exploit the most vulnerable. The International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking is observed on 8 February 2021, the feast day of St Josephine Bakhita. It invites us to reflect deeply on this issue and to make the connection between our contemporary world economy and human trafficking. The Focolare Movement is closely associated with a worldwide network of concerned associations and partners, including the Dicastery for Consecrated Life, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Caritas International, and many more. It’s a joint call for an economy not underpinned by illegal trafficking or exploitation, but which promotes the life and dignity of every person and dignified work for all. Human trafficking exists because it generates huge sums of ‘easy-money’ for the traffickers. But actually, we all profit from trafficiking, in some sense, when we obtain too-low cost goods or services. We must change direction and say no to everything that destroys life. The International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking 2021 turns the spotlight on one of the main causes of human trafficking: our current dominant economic model, with limits and contradictions which have been accentuated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Human trafficking is an integral part of this economy. The victims of trafficking like “goods” are trapped within the chains of a globalization governed by financial speculation and low cost competition. What’s needed is a structural and global vision of trafficking to demolish all the perverse mechanisms which feed the demand for persons to be exploited. Because the whole economy is diseased to its very core. Oscar Wilde is credited with defining a cynic as someone who ‘knows the price of everything and the value of nothing’. Well, this our economy seems to be dominated by cynicism. Referring to goods, services and people, the market not only determines the price, but, even more drammatically, it’s the price that determines the value. A business falls victim to this logic by being increasingly valued by the financial markets according to the share price and not from the added value of its human capital. So trafficking is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s the magnified expression of a malaise caused by prevalent neoliberalism based on a (false) idea of economic liberty in which every ethical, social and political consideration is deemed superfluous and an obstacle. On the other hand, an economy without human trafficking is an economy which cares for and values the human person and nature, which includes and does not exploit the most vulnerable. How can we participate in the World Day of Prayer? On 8 February you can follow the prayer marathon on the special Youtube channel over seven hours, in five languages, highlighting stories of different ways of combatting human trafficking around the world. More information from: www.preghieracontrotratta.org
Lorenzo Russo
