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In these two hours we had a way to emerge ourselves, not only in “Chiara’s thought on the young people,” as the title could make us think, but to penetrate, nearly to relive, an extraordinary experience which we want to see grow. The experience that Chiara’s life passed on shone forth a particular light when it composed a second generation in the bosom of the Movement.
That is, second, in relation to the first generation of people who founded the Movement with her. A new generation: it didn’t exist before, but from a certain moment onwards it came about.
What have we admired today?
Certainly, Chiara’s relationship with this new generation: that special relationship that she established with young people of very different formations, cultures, backgrounds, societies and historical eras. It was a relationship which, whether she was meeting small groups or stadium crowds, Chiara always extended to all young people of the world.
And in a totally special way, I think, we were inwardly engaged by the reciprocity that this way she loved generated, and brought about in the young people just as much love, trust, hope and concreteness.
In fact, Chiara gave them everything, all that light and those universal, concrete and demanding horizons that God opened wide to her. So, she accompanied these generations of young people closely, allowing them to live this experience directly.
Hers was, or rather, is total, absolute trust. Total, as the total trust she felt God had towards her. Trust, which was also certainty that young people are made to contribute in first person to world unity: the dream of a God who makes history with us. From here came the unconditioned hope which has been deposited in them.
Chiara knew how to dare; to dare to look in Heaven to know what to build on earth.
From here she got the courage to place in front of our hearts, before placing in front of our eyes, the model for relationships which guarantees fruitfulness. Therefore, in order to describe the existing relationship between the first and second generation she makes us look up, to the relationship between the Father and the Son in the Trinity. This is a Paradigm which represents the maximum openness of love from both parts, the most evident demonstration of what is giving and receiving; receiving and giving. She was always inspired by this relationship and invites all of us to embody this model.
Chiara did not hesitate to speak to the young people about a “revolution.” Revolution: meaning a complete change that is the effect of living with trust and without calculating Jesus’ words. From this came all objections to more reduced and impoverished ways of living.
She even invented a new language which fascinates. Like when she indicates “the universal being” as the model for young people today, a Jesus who offers us the key and the capacity to transform suffering into love, and because of this, to embrace humanity with its contradictions fearlessly.
Today, all of this passed through our soul, our mind and it was renewed in our heart.
It was witnessed to us by pragmatic people, young people of yesterday and today, who with faithfulness, without escaping from pain, with commitment and imagination, have built and still build a new world on the rock, brick by brick.
It’s a very precious inheritance that we have in our hands. It is a legacy which will continuously be enriched with the alternating of new generations. Therefore, let’s take this day as a stepping-stone.
Today we have not “remembered” or “celebrated,” but, once more and all together, we let ourselves be engaged by the grace of the charism. Chiara from Heaven thinks of us as one body and, I dare say, she already sees us like this.
Let us feel newly and all together invested by her trust to face the new challenges which await us and to be a current of love in humanity.
In this way we can bear witness to the revolution of the Gospel lived-out; we can be a seed of Paradise spread all over the world, a multicoloured and pluralistic people which decidedly contributes to “that all may be one,” universal brotherhood, with all those who do their utmost for the common good.
We owe it to Chiara and the charism that she transmitted to us. We owe it to humanity which we love.»
