Chiara Lubich’s address at the 1991 World Youth Day in Poland

Czestochowa, August 13, 1991

My dear young people,

In the first part of this talk we wish to carry out a twofold task entrusted to us by the Church: to examine in depth the theme of the Sixth World Youth Day and to present our Movement, at least in its wider youth expression, to those who do not know it.

Thus we will look more closely at the theme, already familiar to you – “You have received a spirit of kinship” (Rm. 8:15) – and also speak of the Focolare Movement.

In fact, the charism of the Focolare lies basically in this: it awakens people to a new consciousness of being children of God and of being so today, in accordance with His plans for our times. This charism continues to repeat to us: “You have received a spirit of kinship”.

Let’s recall the beginning of the Movement. Against the background of World War II, which sowed destruction everywhere, the great revelation, so to speak, that the Spirit offered to us was this: a very radiant sun is shining over you ‑  it is God, God who is Love, God who loves you immensely, who counts even the hair on your head. He is your Father and you are his children.

A formidable faith in God’s love for them entered the souls of the Movement’s first members. Ever since then, all those who have come in contact with the Movement throughout the years have felt this welling up in their hearts.

Faith in God’s love gives all of them the strength to risk everything in life in order to be faithful to this extraordinary vocation of acting like children of God, of leading a life in union with their Father in heaven, of having the Father, God‑Love as the Ideal of their life.  They have placed Him foremost in all their thoughts and have given Him first place in their hearts. And by doing so, all their aspirations have been totally fulfilled.  With Him they have found the fullness of joy and happiness, that happiness which today, in every corner of the world, young people are striving to have as the ideal of their lives. But they rarely find it because they often search for it in possessions, in “having” more than in “being”, in entertainment or in purely earthly goals.

Furthermore, because our young people know that God not only created the universe and them, but that He is present throughout the course of history and guides it, they are convinced that He has wonderful plans also for each one of them.  Thus while the majority of young people today consider only their immediate future, making only short‑term decisions and putting off the more demanding choices, our young people make plans for their lives but not only from their own point of view.

They seek to harmonize their personal actions with the actions of God’s providence in the world. This is why they place themselves on the ray of His divine will and live it to the fullest, fully aware that they have set out, along with many others, on a wonderful divine adventure.

Chiara Lubich