Focolare Movement

Committed to being us

Sep 5, 2018

This is the title of the recent Congress for the Focolare youths active in the local Church, with participants from Italy and various countries of Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

“I remembered a phrase of my friend: ’The idea of God has to grow with us.’ I haven’t tried to understand something about God for a long time now. I really needed to find out from others who knew more than me.” Three years ago, Andrea, a university student left his homeland where he had a reference group in the parish, and moved to a big city. But here he didn’t immediately find a precise reference point for his faith. In the Congress he met many. “I am still searching and am discovering new aspects of this adventure, but I have certainties, strong points. One of these is surely the awareness that the road opened out before me is a community path, to be experienced with others. At times I forget this and so I need to be corrected, but inside me I know that it shall be this,” Nicolas confirmed. “Committed to the ‘We’” was an initiative that was held in Castel Gandolfo (31 August to 2 September) and promoted by the Diocesan and Parish Movements, branches of the Focolare Movement addressing the youths active in the local Church. These movements aim to irradiate the charism of unity in the parishes and dioceses in which they offer their services, and to work together with other ecclesial organisations in the building of a “Church of communion,” as aspired to in the Novo Millennio Ineunte, the Apostolic Letter John Paul II addressed to the priests and all the laity, at the end of the grand jubilee of 2000. For this purpose, it promotes and nurtures an ever deeper unity of the faithful around the parish priests and bishops cooperating in the various dioceses and promoting a new evangelisation in the parishes, according to a community style. “We chose this title – the organisers pointed out – to contribute in fulfilling what Pope Francis often invites us to do: pass from the ’I’ to the ’we,’ through a community discernment which helps us to grow and make common decisions. During the days they spent together, the participants discussed their own faith, but above all the mission they feel called to, that of spreading the ’good news’ of the Gospel. The life experience based on the spirituality of Chiara Lubich acted as a background, since every charism of God is for the entire Church and humanity. The methodology was the culture of encounter: taking time to get to know one another and being together, to feel as ’people of God,’ a community in which one can grow, helped by those who are moving on with us.” The experience of the congress is fully part of the path towards the bishops’ Synod on the youths, to be held next October. “The words that Pope Francis said?? to the Italian youths gathered together last 11 August in Rome resounded strongly in us: ‘Do not be content with the cautious steps of those who settle down at the end of the line.’ We need courage to risk a leap ahead, a courageous and fearless leap to dream and fulfil, like Jesus, the kingdom of God, and commit ourselves to a more brotherly humanity. We need brotherhood: take the risk, and move ahead!”

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