IDEA OF THE MONTH – October 2023

Allowing ourselves to be challenged.

How often are we faced with dilemmas and difficult decisions that can tempt us to try to find an easy way out? Let’s ask ourselves if our hearts are won over by fame  or if they are given to making  rapid progress in our careers? Do we admire successful people and the various influencers? Do we give these things great importance?

This month's proposal suggests making a qualitative change and invites us to a serious and thorough discernment of our scale of values.

Deep in our consciences we can discern a voice that is sometimes subtle and overpowered by other voices but, nevertheless, is recognizable. It is the voice that urges us to tirelessly seek ways of creating fraternity and always encourages us to renew this choice, even at the cost of going against the tide of current opinion.

This is a fundamental exercise if we wish to build the foundations of genuine dialogue with others and try to find together adequate answers to the complexity of life. This does not mean we shirk personal responsibility towards society but that we offer ourselves in selfless service to the common good.

We know that every new relationship that develops – whether this is at work, during leisure activities or during a meeting – is a precious opportunity to create an experience of fraternity.  This happens when we try to share common goals and cultural experiences with the people we meet.  Together we can carry out actions of solidarity and support for those in difficulty, we can fight all forms of poverty in as far as it is possible and, most importantly, we can promote peace.

THE IDEA OF THE MONTH, based on the Word of Life of the Focolare Movement, was born in Uruguay as part of the dialogue between people of different convictions, whose motto is "building dialogue". The purpose of this publication is to help promote the ideal of universal fraternity.  The IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries