Jul 1, 2020 | Non categorizzato
A diagnosis that left no hope and a mother who courageously chose to say “no” to euthanasia. But how could she explain this decision to her daughter who was only two and a half years old? During the last days of her life, she wrote a letter that her daughter could read when she grew up. This mother is no longer with us but her family who found help in the spirituality of the Focolare Movement throughout this experience, has allowed the publication of her words. They offer them as testimony and food for thought on a complex, painful and very topical issue. My darling, I haven’t written in a while. A lot has happened recently and, unfortunately, the situation is not good at all. My health has deteriorated in just one month. I was waiting for some results but the pain worsened very quickly. I was hospitalized for three weeks and then I completely lost the use of my legs. It is very hard to write this letter to you. I want to talk about euthanasia and that is a difficult topic. I want to leave this for you for when you are grown up and maybe you’ll think about death and ask yourself questions about dying. Next week I’ll have one last chemo treatment even though it doesn’t seem to be helping now and maybe I will have an operation that should enable me to eat because I can’t do that anymore. If this surgery doesn’t work, there’s not much more to do. The options are how and where to die. In short, I have decided that I want to die at home. I won’t go into all the painful details, but it’s where I feel most comfortable. Dad will explain everything else when you’re older. I’ll keep to the point – I want to tell you why I have decided not to die through euthanasia. I have been thinking a lot but in the end I have decided that I will ask God to accompany me on this journey and, if it means facing death, then that is the way it is – there are no shortcuts and this is no time for cowardice. I am convinced that God teaches us something in that moment of passage and that we must face it just as we face the passage of birth. I am writing to you because I wonder if you will ever think about these things and since I have spent so much time analysing everything from different points of view, maybe one of my ideas could help you. Everything started with me thinking that if death is imminent, why should we wait so long for it? If there is no hope of recovery, why should we let human beings suffer and leave them to a game where there is no one to join in with them? I have learned that it’s because this is a process – a preparatory process – and without it we would not be able to take the next step and go where it will take us. We should let God guide us because he knows everything. Lately, I have been thinking about those people who have not been able to take this step in the right way. To me it seems as if they were lost in limbo, between our earthly existence and the afterlife, unable to move forward towards heaven or return to earth, to their loved ones. So I finally realized the road to euthanasia isn’t for me. I am afraid to die in pain and I pray to God to be merciful and forgiving when the time comes. Hopefully, he’ll take me away, freeing me from pain and from my body. And this is the part that concerns me, the part that I alone will have to face. This is where I find myself today my love: the path ahead is difficult. And yet, I have the support of so many people who help me and my family. I receive lots of spiritual help from a priest friend but there are still moments of fear and dismay – although, I must say, there are not as many as I thought there would be. I feel supported by a strength without knowing where it comes from. I see clearly that my days are ending – nonetheless, I don’t feel downhearted. It is not easy, obviously, but fear is not part of my day.”
Edited by Anna Lisa Innocenti
Jun 29, 2020 | Non categorizzato
In recent months, many people, including influential ones, have pointed out that one of the effects of the pandemic is that we have all been confronted with what is essential, what is valuable and what remains. Many of us have lost relatives or friends and have experienced the nearness of death. The following writing by Chiara Lubich touches on these two topics so close to what we are experiencing in the world today. …The very beginning of the divine adventure of our Movement … is set in a specific circumstance: the war – the war with its bombs, its destruction and death. … I don’t think we will be able to live our Ideal with perfection and in an intense way unless we always bear in mind that atmosphere, that environment, those circumstances. Even today, after more than 40 years, the Lord doesn’t leave us short of opportunities. The frequent “departures” of members of our Movement … are a constant reminder that “everything passes”, that “everything crumbles” and this is the necessary backdrop to understand what really matters. We are greatly impressed by what these brothers and sisters of ours who are “about to depart” constantly say to us. Just as when it is dark, you can see the stars, so they, in their particular situations, could see further. Because of a special light, they perceived the absolute value of God, and they declared that he is Love. We too, if we want to make of our life a real Holy Journey, while we are on this earth, then like them we should have clear ideas: we should consider everything that is not God as transitory and fleeting. However, our faith and our Ideal don’t stop at the goal of death. The great proclamation of Christianity is “Christ is Risen” and our Ideal calls us always to go “beyond the wound” so as to live the Risen Lord. And so we are called to think above all of “afterwards” and it is about this “afterwards”, this mysterious but fascinating “afterwards”, that I would like to speak today. I find that I often ask myself, and maybe you do too, “Where are all the members of our Movement who have died? … These thoughts go through my mind because, here on earth, until recently I knew where they were and what they were doing. Now I don’t know anything about them. Certainly, faith gives the answers to these questions of ours and we know them. But there is one expression of Jesus that recently has given me light and comfort, great comfort. It is what Jesus said to the good thief: “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”[1] Today, straightaway, immediately after death. … So what should we draw out from these thoughts? Let’s try to live in such a way that the word “today” can be said to us too. “Today you will be with me in Paradise”. We are familiar with the words, “To those who have, more will be given”.[2] If here on earth, out of love for God, we are Paradise for our brothers and sisters; if we are joy, comfort, consolation, help for individuals, for our Movement, for the Church and for the world, the Lord will give us Paradise.
Chiara Lubich
(Taken from a telephone conference call, Rocca di Papa, 10th May 1990) [1] Cf. Lk 23:43 [2] Mt 13:12
Jun 27, 2020 | Non categorizzato
All Christians, like the original disciples, have a mission. It’s to bear witness humbly, first with their lives and then with their words, to the love of God that they themselves have found. This way it can become a joyful reality for many, indeed for all. In a society often marked by the search for success and selfish autonomy, Christians are called to show the beauty of fraternity, which recognizes others’ needs and sets reciprocity in motion. The bill that was immediately approved I work as a surveyor for the city prefecture, and also participate in a human development project in a poor neighbourhood. Thinking about the precarious conditions of the people living there, I realized that when it came to widening a street or demolishing some buildings, the leftover material was often simply just used to level the ground. Why not use it to improve the homes of the poorest people? However, a special municipal law was needed. My manager liked the idea and, after visiting the location and realizing the need, made the necessary contacts on the spot. Once the city prefect accepted our proposal, a bill was presented and immediately approved. Thanks to this, the mayor is now authorized to donate materials that are being discarded for technical reasons to social welfare institutions. These materials are precious for those who live in the shacks, who have no possibility of improving their situations. A., Brazil Knowing how to forgive The civil war in my country caused grief and suffering in my family. My father and brother were among the victims of the guerrilla war. My husband was still suffering the consequences of a beating. As a Christian I should have been able to forgive, but only pain and resentment grew inside. It was only thanks to the witness I received from some genuine Christians that I was able to pray for those who had hurt us so much. When peace returned to the country, God put my integrity to the test when we moved back to my hometown from the capital. It had been at the mercy of the government and guerrillas for 12 years. The children had particularly suffered, so we organized a party that many people attended. I realised that among the authorities present there were some that had been involved with the guerrillas. Perhaps there were even those responsible for the death of my parents among them. Overcoming the initial rebellion inside me, I felt a great peace in my heart. I went to offer them a drink too. M., El Salvador The nuances of pain Back in Italy after an overseas experience as a doctor in Cameroon, I was drawn to people suffering from incurable illnesses and debilitating chronic diseases. Some deep convictions had emerged in me over the years. The first concerns the infinite nuances of pain, which is never monotonous. Every pain, like every person, is unique. Another strong impression I had was that the small daily moments of waiting were all part of the great expectation of the “final appointment”. But the most important thing I understood was: these patients, stripped by suffering, seemed to me like living building blocks in the construction of humanity and its values. Outwardly you see exhaustion, but also transparency; they are bearers of a particular light, the light of God. He seems to become incarnate in those disjointed existences. Often he seemed to dictate the final words of the dying. More and more I have become convinced that – as Simone Weil says – humanity, if it were deprived of such people, would have no idea of God. C., Italy
by Stefania Tanesini
(from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year VI, n.3, May–June 2020)
Jun 26, 2020 | Non categorizzato
It will be convened from January 24 to February 7, 2021. Due to the health emergency caused by Covid-19, the General Assembly of the Work of Mary (Focolare Movement), scheduled for September 2020, will now be convened from January 24 to February 7, 2021. This postponement has been approved by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. The ordinary General Assembly is convened every six years; it is extraordinarily convened when matters that require its deliberations arise (General Statutes Art. 73, 75). What happens during the General Assembly The General Assembly is entrusted with four main tasks (SG, Art. 74): 1) it elects the President, the Co-President and the general Councillors; 2) it deliberates amendments to the General Statutes of the Work of Mary, which are then submitted for the approval of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life; 3) it deliberates amendments to the Regulations of the different Branches of the Movement and to the Regulations of the General Assembly itself; 4) it deliberates on topics gathered by the Centre of the Work of Mary; these topics will be presented in a well-structured manner on behalf of the President, the General Council, a section, a branch or a movement. Every member of the General Assembly may propose for discussion other issues that relate to the life of the Work of Mary. Chiara’s premise Chiara Lubich wrote a premise to the General Statutes to give meaning to all its contents and therefore also to the General Assembly: “The premise to every other rule – continual mutual love, which makes unity possible and generates the presence of Jesus among those gathered in His name, is for the members of the Work of Mary the basis of their life in all its aspects: it is the norm of norms, the premise to every other rule”. (SG, p.7).
Focolare Communication Office
Jun 25, 2020 | Non categorizzato
Anna Moznich from AMU – Action for a United World explains the educational peace project, Living Peace International. https://vimeo.com/416354861
Jun 23, 2020 | Non categorizzato
Jully and Ricardo, a couple from Peru, and their domestic: a story of sacrifices and challenges that soon turned into pure love through the hand of God. After our family experience at the Loreto School, which is an international school for families in Loppiano, the Focolare community in Italy, we returned to Peru aiming to live the Gospel ideal we had found there. We settled in Lambayeque, a small and quiet town in the northwest of the country. We hired Sara as a domestic. After a while she informed us that she was expecting, explaining that she had hidden her news after being fired from previous jobs for that very reason. Listening to her brought to mind something we had learned at the school for families: that in his forsakenness on the cross, Jesus took on every painful situation and redeemed it, turning pain into love. We could see that the situation presented us with a face of that forsakenness. We responded by consoling her and assured her that we would help with the birth of her child. Apart from the pregnancy, she also had other challenges, because the father of her child was a soldier in the army who had left her. She had fled her parents’ house out of fear as well. At the barracks we discovered the soldier had been transferred to a distant barracks in the Amazon jungle. There was no way to contact him. To allow her to give birth at the hospital, we asked social services for help so that she could have the prenatal check-ups and delivery. But she was desperate and thought she would give the baby away, feeling lonely and unable to raise her child. We helped her understand that her child was a gift from God, and that his providence would always help her. Together with our children, we helped her to reconcile with her father and reunite with her family, awaiting the arrival of her child with hope and preparing for the birth with medical check-ups. Sara stayed with us until her son was born. Then she was able to return home. Through this experience we saw the hand of God, guiding us to help a mother to not separate herself from her son, reconcile with her family and receive their support. Here in Lambayeque, she would visit us with the child so we could see how he grew up. We continue to help her with clothes and supplies. She and her father always expressed their gratitude to us and – which was the most beautiful thing – we saw her happy being a mother. We were left with an immense joy in our souls for loving this young woman as Jesus asks us, seeing how a painful situation turned into pure love.
Ricardo and July Rodríguez, Trujillo, Peru
Jun 22, 2020 | Non categorizzato
The following writing by Chiara Lubich helps us to see our reality as it is, in God’s eyes, regardless of the external circumstances in which we find ourselves, which can also be very painful. During his passion, Jesus too was always “turned to the Father” and conformed to his will. With this attitude he became the Risen One, the Saviour. … We have understood that each one of us is a Word of God from all eternity. In fact, St. Paul says: “He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.” (Eph 1:4-5). And in another passage, still speaking of us, he adds: “For those whom he foreknew” (Rm 8:29). And we understood that because we are Word of God, we must adopt just one attitude, which is the most intelligent: just like the Word, the Second Person of the Trinity, we must always be “turned” towards the Father, which means towards His will. Moreover, this is how we can fulfil our personality and attain our total freedom. In fact, by living in this way, we allow our true self to live. Now, since we want to do all this, we should ask ourselves: when do we need to have this attitude? We know the answer: it is now, in the present moment. The will of God is to be lived in the present. It is in the present that we must live turned towards the Father, in that present moment which is an essential aspect of our spirituality and of our “asceticism”. We cannot disregard it. This way of living is pure gospel. In his gospel, St Matthew quotes these words of Jesus: “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Mt 6:34) … Let’s go back, then to our commitment to live God’s will in the present moment as much as possible. Let’s also remember that the will of God to be fulfilled before any other, and in every moment of our day, is that of mutual love, loving one another as Jesus loved us. This is what guarantees our constant renewal.
Chiara Lubich
Taken from a telephone conference call, Rocca di Papa, 21st December 1996
Jun 20, 2020 | Non categorizzato
Chiara Lubich wrote “Jesus was the manifestation of the Heavenly Father’s fully welcoming love for each one of us and of the love that, consequently, we should have for one another. (…) The welcoming of the other, of the one different from us, is the basis of Christian love. It is the starting point, the first step in the construction of that civilization of love, of that culture of communion, to which Jesus calls us especially today”[1] . Research Worker I was working on a research project for which there was a deadline, when my neighbor knocked: she asked me to keep her sick husband company while she went shopping. I knew their situation and I couldn’t say no to her. He started talking to me about his past, about his years of teaching… While I was listening, from time to time I was distracted thinking of the work I had interrupted. Then I remembered the advice of a friend: being able to listen to a neighbour out of love is an art that demands emptiness. I tried to do this by being entirely present to the man. At a certain point he, in turn, took an interest in me in turn, asking me about my work. Knowing what I was dealing with, he suggested that I look in the library for a notebook in wihch he had taken notes at a conference on the very subject I was dealing with. I found it and we started discussing the subject. In short, I acquired new elements to see more clearly how to conclude my research. And to think that I was afraid of wasting time! (Z. I. – France) Prepare to live… When the doctor announced to me that there was nothing more to be done, it was as if every source of light switched off and I was left in the dark. On the way home, I took the road to the church. There I paused in silence, while my thoughts swirled in my head. Then, like a voice, a thought formed in my mind: “You must not prepare for death, but for life!”. From that moment on I tried to do everything well, to be kind to everyone, without being distracted by my pain but ready to welcome others. My days became filled with life. I don’t know how much time I have left, but the announcement of death was like waking from a sleep. And I’m living with unexpected serenity. (J.P. – Slovakia) The Transfusion I’m a nurse. I happened to know of a patient who was seriously ill. In order to try to save her, we needed blood of a certain group that had been unavailable for several days. I tried to find a donor among my friends and acquaintances and then I continued my research at work. There was nothing to do. I was about to give up when I decided to ask Jesus: “You know I’ve tried to do my part, but if you want, you can do anything.” After my shift , the doctor I was assisting had just left when a young woman arrived for a consultatio. I couldn’t let her leave, who knows how far she had travelled. I rushed to call the doctor, who unlike on other occasions was willing to return to the clinic. I started to write the prescription and, asked for an identification document. The lady handed me a card from the Association of Volunteer Blood Donors. With bated breath, I asked myself: what if she has that blood type? What if she’s willing to donate blood? She agreed, and a few hours later, the woman was at the patient’s bedside for a direct transfusion. (A. – Italy)
by Stefania Tanesini
(taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Citta Nuova, year VI, n.3, May-June 2020) [1] cf C . Lubich , Word of Life December 1992
Jun 19, 2020 | Non categorizzato
We continue to share stories of solidarity from Focolare communities in countries that are still facing the battle against covid-19. While in some countries we have “almost” returned to normality, in others the level of the pandemic is still high. Nonetheless, stories of fraternity continue to arrive from Focolare communities around the world. Brazil is currently the country most severely affected by covid. The Focolare community has continuously shown concern for the people in the greatest difficulty and has collaborated with other organisations in offering help. The various communities scattered throughout the country have also tried to assess who was suffering amongst their own members. They made a quick census and calculated that needs can be met for 2-3 months through a “communion of goods” and some extra economic support. Economy of Communion entrepreneurs have also begun a fundraising campaign to help some of the most disadvantaged communities. From the United States Matteo reports: “When covid-19 began its terrible and rapid diffusion here, we, the staff of Living City magazine and New City Press, asked ourselves what we could do, besides following all the guidelines of the civil authorities? How could we help people to overcome the crisis? It was immediately clear that “social distancing” should not prevent us and others from loving. So we created a series of videos, webinars and interviews with the hashtag #DareToCare, to inspire and encourage everyone to get in touch during these challenging weeks. We asked people to share in a 1-2 minute video how they “dare to care”. One woman said that while she was shopping she saw people panicking. So, instead of buying two large packages of chicken that had just arrived at the supermarket, she only took one to leave some for other customers. One pharmacist decided to stay open to serve his customers, but he had no protective equipment. ‘When the crisis started, we had almost no masks and gloves,’ he said. He shared his concerns with his customers and they brought him masks themselves and so saved him money. Another family of five people recorded their new daily routine: they work and follow lessons online from home, the daughter trains to keep fit for next year’s track and field events, and everyone is trying new recipes to share with one another. And the videos keep coming!” Ulrike, a psychiatrist, says, “I work in a clinic in Augsburg, Germany. At the moment, my job entails responding to phone calls from the public. When one lady called, I realised that it was going to be very difficult to respond to her requests and I needed to make a special effort. Eventually, I was able to give her the important information that she wanted.. An e-mail arrived in the afternoon: ‘Dear Doctor, my husband and I would like to express our heartfelt thanks for your extraordinary efforts. If everyone was as helpful as you during these difficult times, there would be fewer problems.’” From Buenos Aires, Argentina, Carlos tells us, ” Following the death of a homeless person from the cold, in July 2019 the Bel El Jewish community began a campaign to help the poor: the campaign was entitled ‘Don’t be cold in front of the cold.’ Our Christian friends, especially from the Focolare Movement, have come to help us distribute food to the homeless people. We are not talking about “dialogue” here – it’s a matter of sharing our lives. Then the coronavirus meant that homeless people could no longer live on the streets, so what were they meant to do? This was the beginning of the project ‘Another meal for hungry people in lockdown.’ Once again, Jews and Christians together, the Bet El Community and the Focolare Movement have embarked on the sacred task of loving our neighbours and not neglecting them.” The head of a junior school in Montevideo, Uruguay, tells us, “State funding enables us to provide free school meals for children from 48 different families who attend our school. Feeding these children became a big problem when classes were suspended due to covid. I started to pray and have more faith in God. Then, thanks to a foundation and some friends from Inda (National Institute for Food), resources arrived and we are able to distribute food baskets that will last for at least a month.”
Lorenzo Russo
Jun 18, 2020 | Non categorizzato
Gen Verd’s new music video dedicated to Chiara Lubich Saying thank you to someone is a simple yet profound gesture. That’s the reason behind Gen Verde’s new video of the song entitled “Che siano uno” (May they be one). In this centenary year of her birth, the song is dedicated to Chiara Lubich and her ideal: universal fraternity. “With this video – says Adriana from Mexico – we don’t want to just celebrate Chiara Lubich by simply flipping through a family photo album and remembering the stories behind them. Instead we want this to be a living encounter with her today for many people, a chance to get to know her ideal which has permeated various aspects of life in civil, religious and political spheres. We want to dedicate the song to her because she is the one who gave life to Gen Verde, guided us in our first steps, and gave us the band’s first instruments from which it all began. Many of us have been fascinated by her words, actions and most of all by her life. Today we feel that we need to be authentic and credible witnesses of her message.” This powerful ideal, born during the destruction of the Second World War, is still very much relevant today when we see waves of racism and discrimination on TV and social media. While the emergency of Covid-19 has been handled with apparent success in some countries, it is also true that in some it has also widened the gap between the rich and the poor, between people of different races, between those who can afford necessary medical care and those who have nowhere to bury the bodies of their loved ones. “We are convinced – says Beatrice from Korea – that universal fraternity is possible and is not a utopia; this is what we experience everyday, and we try to translate those experiences into music. Often it is about doing simple acts that tear down cultural barriers and prejudices.” Since 1943, the year in which the Focolare Movement was founded, this is what Chiara Lubich did. Step by step with great tenacity, together with her friends she built new and profound relationships that became revolutionary, first in her city (Trent, Italy) and all over the world. Gen Verde’s music video captures some important images of historical moments: Chiara together with Jewish, Sikh, Hindu and Muslim people, or between the leaders of two different tribes in Cameroon. “Surely the best way to say thank you to Chiara – explains Nancy from the United States – is to live for her ideal; but with this video we also want to express our immense gratitude to her. She’s the one who formed us. Without her Gen Verde simply wouldn’t exist.” To see the video, click here! https://youtu.be/A3xuaqtkOj8
Tiziana Nicastro
