Focolare Movement
Prevention of Abuse
Media Area
Contacts
Non categorizzato

Hemmerle: Ways to Holiness

Nov 1, 2017

For All Saints Day, Bishop Klaus Hemmerle (1929–1994), theologian and philosopher, proposes a sanctity that begins with sharing all our gifts with the poor and disadvantaged, knowing how to be at their level.

585399_1280-aGreat saints have always begun by moving toward God and toward the poor and underprivileged in an unconventional way. They left where they were from and went out towards the poor – not to give alms, but to share life, to take others’ lives in, in such a way that their own radically changed. The radical choice of God is really, in most cases in the history of salvation, a choice of the poor, a choice of the young in society, a choice of the most vulnerable. It is a choice that is not only about making the situation better, not just increase a bit of donations, or even living a small and temporary part of their lives and then go back to their own situation. It always comes from metanoia – a deep change in mentality, sensibility and being. I belong to them, I am like them, exactly like them before God, and I am not any better than them. No, I am at their level and, in fact, the Most Holy One came down to that level. From a homily on January 11, 1993. Klaus Hemmerle, The Light Within all Things, Rome: Citta’ Nuova, 1998, p. 340.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Newsletter

Thought of the day

Related post

Chiara Lubich: humanity as one family

Chiara Lubich: humanity as one family

Jan 22, 2026

January 22 marks the anniversary of the birth of Chiara Lubich, Founder of the Focolare Movement. Today we share a short excerpt from a speech she delivered in Innsbruck (Austria) on November 9, 2001, during the “A Thousand Cities for Europe” Congress, dedicated to the theme of universal fraternity, understood also as a political category.

The Gospel that places “the other” at the center

The Gospel that places “the other” at the center

Jan 21, 2026

On the occasion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, this is an experience that speaks of the joy of living love and unity in diversity. It is a journey of listening and welcome, helping us to recognize one another as brothers and sisters.

Living the Gospel: credible witnesses of unity

Living the Gospel: credible witnesses of unity

Jan 17, 2026

In his Letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul wrote, “One body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling.” (Eph. 4:4) A true admonition that makes the key to being concrete witnesses of Christ’s love explicit: unity lived together.