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Red and black. Red vestments for the celebrants, and black the color chosen by the guest of honor the President of the Focolare, Maria Voce. At the end of the Mass, Archbishop Timothy Dolan invited her up to the altar, put his right arm around her shoulders, and looking down at her from his full height said: “Come back soon! This is your home.” The archbishop was visibly happy, and his warm welcome was in every way anything but formal.
At the beginning of the liturgy, New York’s bishop had expressed his delight at being able to celebrate Mass for the 50th anniversary of the presence of the Focolare Movement in North America, saying that “you are able to bring people together and it is wonderful to do this around the altar of the Lord.” Cardinals Keeler and McCarrick concelebrated.
The Sunday Gospel passage was rich in content. Jesus heals the man born blind, whose illness was not caused by his sins nor by those of his parents: this was in order that the works of God might be manifested. Archbishop Dolan drew a parallel with the charism of the focolarini: “You bring light into dark and painful places of all kinds all over the world. You know how to bring about good in adverse situations, you bring light where there are tensions, and you heal divisions to show the glory of God. “
Walking slowly in front of the altar, he added a final note: “Jesus went in search of the healed blind man who had been thrown out by the priests because he was a sinner. You too go towards those who are separated, marginalized and excluded, you embrace them and help them to feel normal again, and to feel part of the human family.”
The Gothic cathedral of New York was finished in 1878 and is located centrally on Fifth Avenue. Under the vaults of its three naves, the Focolare songs sung by the large congregation brought to life several aspects of the spirituality of unity. Before the final blessing, Archbishop Dolan called Maria Voce up to the lectern and playing with words, said: “Maria, we are waiting for your Voice (Voce).”
“A voice of thanksgiving,” replied the president of the Focolare, visiting the USA for the first time. And what’s better than gratitude that becomes a firm resolution?
“Let’s put ourselves at God’s disposal”, she invited everyone, “so that he can do whatever he wants with every member and every friend of the Focolare, for the good of the universal Church, for the good of this Church and for the good of this nation.”
At the end of the mass Cardinal McCarrick read a congratulatory message from Pope Benedict XVI on the occasion of the 50th anniversary. Before the Mass, Archbishop Dolan had received the president of the Focolare and co-president Giancarlo Faletti at his private residence, situated behind the cathedral.
From our corrispondenct Paolo Lòriga
