Focolare Movement

Living the Gospel: “Whoever believes has eternal life.”

Apr 2, 2018

Christian life is a personal encounter with Jesus, which is meant to make us share in his very life.

Evicted We had been evicted and had to be out of the apartment within a month. Rents in the area were quite high. The only thing left for us to do was to look outside the city, hoping to find something that would match our means. We began to involve our friends and acquaintances in the search, but we didn’t come up with anything. We prayed, as we had had done before, with a lot of trust in God. Right towards the end of the month we heard of a family that was leaving a second-floor apartment. We tracked down the owner who lived in another city and explained our situation to him. He took our word on it and accepted our proposal, saying: “Move in. When I come we’ll draw up the new contract.” It seemed unbelievable to find an apartment in the same building and not having to make a big move. We remembered Jesus’s words: “Everything is possible for one who has faith.” (Italy) Optimism I have a difficult character and that’s why I found myself alone at a certain age, after a few attempts at marriage or living in community. A priest had suggested that I help out taking care of a spastic boy, so that the mother, a widow, could attend to some business. I began to visit and saw that, in spite of their hard circumstances, they were always happy and putting on a feast for anybody that went to visit them. Slowly, a new optimism began to enter in me. I discovered that the root of the serenity in that family was their life that was all based on the Gospel. And their attitude was contagious. (Slovakia) The Shrub All because of a bush that, in my opinion, my husband had planted in the wrong place, there was a little upset between us. As I cooked with my soul in confusion, I tried to entrust myself to God and, little by little, I became calm. I thought that I would suggest to my husband that we plant the shrub in a pot, and look for a better place to plant it. It seemed like a good idea to him. We apologized to each other and went to buy the vase. Then we planted it in a better spot. Now, when we look at our shrub, it reminds us that what matters the most in our relationship is that we love one another, and be disposed to give up our own ideas in order to make the other happy, so that God can shine between us. (Switzerland) Not only my physical health After the bone marrow transplant I was well for a long period until I had a relapse and a second transplant was needed. During moments of anguish, I said to myself that I had to give all my worry to Our Lady. When I did it with my heart, I felt a deep peace. At first I prayed all the time to get well. But then I realized that God wanted to draw me to himself precisely through the illness. So, instead of praying only for my physical health, I began to ask for the grace to be  able to draw closer to God. (USA)

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