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Arrival in Toronto

Arrival in Toronto

Mar 18, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide

A festive representation of the Focolare’s local community welcomed Maria Voce and co-president Giancarlo Faletti to Toronto at its International Airport on 16th March. Amidst the waving of the Canadian flag with its red maple leaf, Maria Voce was presented with an elegant bouquet of white and yellow flowers and many warm embraces.

A quick glance at the members of the welcoming committee was enough to confirm that the local Focolare community is a faithful representation of Canada’s multiethnic, multicultural society. A hospitable nation that homes numerous immigrants from over 150 countries, in 1976 it amended its law that limited non-European immigration.

The terrible tragedy in Japan is therefore very much felt by the local population where there is a significant and particularly integrated diaspora from the Land of the Rising Sun. This experience of solidarity is repeated in Canada every time an immigrant communities’ country is struck by hardship. The welcome given on March 16th is typical of the Canadian population with its 34 million inhabitants, 90% of whom live in a concentrated strip of land- only 160 km long- running along the immense U.S. border. This is despite the fact that the country boasts 10 million km², making it the second largest country after Europe.

The cohabitation and integration of peoples, races, cultures and diverse religions that characterises Canada make it a source of interest and study for an ever increasing number of countries affected by migratory fluxes due to poverty, war and oppressive regimes.

Toronto, with its 5 million inhabitants from over 100 ethnic groups, thus lends itself as a perfect starting point for a first meeting with Canada. On the warm sunny day that followed, Focolare president Maria Voce visited the city before heading to an undisputedly fascinating wonder of nature only 140 km from Toronto: Niagara Falls.

“If I were to define this nation after what I’ve experienced so far, I would say that it’s peaceful”, commented the lady who followed Chiara Lubich as president of the Movement after she passed away on 14th March 2008. “Its open spaces, that stretch as far as the eye can see, the friendliness of its people, the diversity of its population all make it a country that deeply expresses peace”.

Canada’s 13 million Catholics make up just over 43% of the population. However the country is experiencing a persisting secularisation process which tends to banish religion and all its symbols from the public sphere resulting in intolerance from the mass media and making the Church-State relationship difficult.

On this backdrop of radical transformation the Focolare movement and the Charism of Unity is present. Silvana Veronese, one of Chiara’s first companions, and Giò Vernuccio stopped off in Toronto for the first time in 1961 where they met a small group of people. But it wasn’t until 1964 that a Focolare community truly kicked off and in 1967 a women’s focolare was founded followed by a men’s focolare two years later.

A well known story to the Canadian Focolare Community that looks forward to meeting Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti over the next number of days.

By our correspondent Paolo Lòriga

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Arrival in Toronto

50th anniversary of the Focolare Movement in North America

Mar 16, 2011 | Non categorizzato

More about visit to  Canada and United States – March-April 2011

In North America, the seeds of the Focolare Movement’s Spirituality of Unity were sown right back in the 1950’s. It was only in 1961, however, that the first Focolare was born when three courageous young people arrived in an immigrant neighbourhood in New York with one aim: to put the Gospel into practice.  Since then this way of life spread thanks to the silent effort of hundreds of others who these young people met and who made the Focolare Ideal their own: the Ideal of contributing to bringing about Jesus’ prayer, “Father may all be one” (Jn, 17, 21)

“I was deeply struck by this country; it made a beautiful impression on me”, Chiara Lubich wrote in 1964 during her first trip to New York, “This country seems particularly suited to the spirit of the Focolare. There is no air of ethnic superiority, but rather a distinct sense of internationality. There is simplicity. At mass I prayed for the Movement in this continent and I hope that God listens to my prayer because I am praying for the diffusion of His Kingdom... ” Chiara later returned to the USA, making a total of 7 visits.

Making this event especially meaningful, the Focolare Movement’s president Maria Voce and co-president Giancarlo Faletti, pay an official month-long visit to North America. They will meet the various Focolare communities and friends of the Movement in different cities throughout three nations.

  • March 19-20, Toronto: Weekend of dialogue and celebration with Focolare members from all over Canada, and a solemn Mass celebrated by Bishop William McGrattan, marking the 3rd anniversary of Chiara Lubich’s death
  • March 21-24, Montreal: Meeting with Canadian bishops. Evening of 23:with the community of Montriol
  • April 2 Poughkeepsie, NY: Encounter with U.S. Focolare members
  • April 3, New York: Solemn Mass of thanksgiving celebrated by Archbishop Timothy Dolan at St. Patrick’s Cathedral at 2:30pm.
  • April 5, New York: Cultural event at Fordham University, with four panels: “The Spirituality of Unity—a Gift for Our Times”; “The Economy of Communion”; “Personal Fulfillment in a Communitarian Spirituality”; and “Love of Neighbor and the Law”
  • April 7, Washington, D.C.: “E pluribus unum”, a program open to the public featuring a multiethnic, multireligious community coming together as one people in the service of unity, at Caldwell Hall, Catholic University of America
  • April 10, Chicago: Interreligious meeting
  • April 11, Chicago: Evening theological presentation at DePaul University
  • April 16, Santo Domingo: Celebrations with the Focolare communities in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico

Increased Interest in the Economy of Communion: Nuremberg and Madrid

Mar 16, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide

February saw a growth of interest in the Economy of Communion (EoC) in two European cities. On 19th February, in Madrid, there was an evening for students and business people, focused on the opportunities the EoC can offer to Spanish society in this time of economic and moral crisis.

Luigino Bruni, Professor of Economics at the Bicocca University in Milan, repeated in Madrid from a lecture given in July 2010, “If we look at how the EoC industries work, we see that fraternity is truly lived out, there is no hiding behind a hierarchy, if you are open to the other …whilst you suffer more, you receive more blessings”, One member of the audience appreciated and understood the novelty that comes from choosing to follow EoC lines, they said: “This is a very, very courageous idea”.

The discussions went on at length including over supper which closed the event. Another entrepreneur present, who had come for the first time, declared: “…I have understood that being an entrepreneur within the EoC means choosing a new style of life…”. Read report

On 26th February, in Nuremburg, there was the conclusion of the Congress of Christian Executives, in which the Economy of Communion was one of the 300 exhibitors.

The title of ths Congress-fair, the only one of its kind in Germany, was “Fostering company growth through advocacy of Christian values”:3,800 participants and wide media coverage.

On the afternoon of 25th February there was a session dedicated to the Economy of Communion, which highlighted the importance for a Christian of the “culture of giving” in respect to: working with clients, fraternal relationships between two directors, and also in the most difficult times for the business: “ What I heard this evening is what I’ve been looking for all my life” commented one business leader, whilst another participant said: “You have put into crisis my principle of profit, which I held as indispensible”.

Hopefully these brief extracts have given you a foretaste of the upcoming congress dedicated to the 20th anniversary of EoC which will be held in the Meeting Centre in Ottmaring, Bavaria, Germany from 24 – 26th June 2011.  Read report

With Japan in our hearts

Mar 15, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide

To all our dearest members of the Focolare Movement in Japan,

Here at the Centre, together with all our people in the Movement throughout the world, we are following with great trepidation the serious situation in your beloved country.

Our hearts are there with you all in this moment of great suffering and suspense caused by the immense trial that has hit Japan…

The circumstances that you are going through made us think straight away of that “everything was crumbling” that characterised the story of our Ideal. We know, however, that that general destruction was the background on which a new light for humanity arose.

Therefore we do not want to stop looking up high, we do not want to stop believing that God-Love allows everything for a greater good. With this certainty, let’s keep hope alive and let’s transmit it to every neighbour that passes us by.

The witness of serenity and dignity, with which you and all the Japanese population deal with these circumstances, comforts us and helps us understand the value of your culture.

I vividly remember my visit to your beautiful community last year; knowing you all in person gave me such a joy. Now sharing this deep suffering with you makes the reality of being a family- “Chiara’s family”- even stronger. During these days in which we celebrate the third anniversary of Chiara’s departure for Heaven, we remember her all over the world. She is alive among us more than ever and therefore she is beside you in a special way to protect and help you.

Count on my prayers and on the prayers of everyone in the Movement. Lets ask God together to bring all the victims of this catastrophe to Heaven, to support the survivors, protecting them from other danger.

I send my love to each one of you,

Maria Voce (Emmaus)

Arrival in Toronto

Holy Land: Courage and a positive outlook

Mar 15, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide

What significance did Maria Voce’s visit have for the Focolare Movement present in the Holy Land? It gave us all great encouragement. New possibilities were opened and new contacts  were made, especially in civic and academic fields. It was like a moment of harvest; we could see the fruit of the work done in these past 33 years of the Focolare Movement’s presence here. The most important aspect, however, was the hope that Maria Voce gave to all those she met: a hope strengthened by the spirit of love and unity typical of the Focolare Movement. Her words are engraved on each of our hearts: “You are here not only for the local community but also for the whole Focolare Movement. You have a task, a mission to carry out. I believe you are one of the most precious pieces of the Movement’s ‘big mosaic’.. Nobody can substitute you and this good fortune is yours, this grace is yours”. Were there developments with regards to the Movement’s future perspectives in such a multifaceted contest? Without a doubt there is a clear dedication to all areas of dialogue. This involves, first and foremost, the fostering of an ever closer unity between the ecclesial movements present in the Holy Land. What’s more, various bishops encouraged our involvement in pastoral work for families and young people. We also felt the need to respond to the request of many interreligious organizations to create a more hands-on collaboration; there is a true desire to spread the spirit of universal brotherhood and to work together for the common good and for peace between members of different religions. We cannot forget the contacts made with the city council in Jerusalem and with other local councils in the Palestinian Authority. All in all, guidelines for building bridges at every level have come to the fore. Maria Voce met with representatives not only of the Catholic church but also of other churches and religions. How meaningful were these meetings? These visits were very much appreciated by the patriarchs and bishops of other churches. They underlined the importance of the Charism of Unity and the need for a solid and deep spirituality in the ecumenical field. As a result these church leaders asked for our involvement in various projects within their churches and in interreligious organisations. Did a specific priority emerge after the Focolare President’s visit to the Holy Land? It’s difficult to narrow down one specific priority because everything was so important. Maria Voce felt the need to strengthen the Focolare’s presence in the Holy Land after the requests of many local figures. She also emphasised the importance of the project “In the Footsteps of Jesus”– a project that organises hospitality and cultural activities for groups of pilgrims- encouraging it to go ahead with the input of the whole Focolare community in the Holy Land. Finally, a quick mention about the piece of land beside the church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu: a plot adjacent to the steps where, according to tradition, Jesus prayed to the Father for unity among all men and where Chiara Lubich dreamt of one day setting up a focolare. Maria Voce confided, “Notwithstanding the difficulties we won’t give up, we won’t give up because it is part of out spirituality, in a certain sense it’s part of the charism”. For now there is the possibility to develop a large park that could be used for open air meetings or other activities. By Roberto Catalano

Midatlantics – Washington DC

Mar 13, 2011 | Non categorizzato

Please note: The geolocalisation feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centres are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.

Arrival in Toronto

[:it]Una festa ecumenica per Chiara[:de]Ein ökumenisches Fest für Chiara[:es]Ecumenical celebration in honour of Chiara Lubich[:fr]Une fête œcuménique en l’honneur de Chiara[:pt]Uma festa ecumênica para Chiara[:zh]為盧嘉勒舉行大公合一的慶典

Mar 13, 2011 | Non categorizzato

More than a thousand people were in attendance at the Civic Theatre in Trent for the international ecumenical day dedicated to Chiara Lubich on this third anniversary of her death. The gathering held on March 12, included representatives from twenty churches: cardinals, bishops, metropolitans, and pastors. There were also politicians and people from the world of culture and the arts.

In theater boxes, audience and on stage were faces of Greek and Russian Orthodoxy mingled with the testimony of Anglicans, Syrian Orthodox, Catholic, Reformed. The music intertwined with the chants from the Arab world of the Far East without any traces of syncretism. Indeed, the unique identities of each group of persons were preserved and undiminished, but the passion proposed by Chiara Lubich, for over fifty years, “that all be one” was strongly shared beyond every differences.

Many of the messages that arrived from religious authorities of the various churches had quite a very familiar tone, like the one from Bartholemew I, Patriarch of Constantinople. His greeting was filled with the affection which has characterized the long friendship that has linked the Patriarch to the Focolare: “Chiara has taught us a method for recomposing fraternity, relationships of genuine sharing that are capable of dispelling indifference.”

“The day-to-day relationships and the widespread diffusion of dialogue were a fundamental contribution to the ecumenical movement,” underscored Cardinal Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for the Unity of Christians, as he expressed a personal concern: “counterpositioning that at times is manifested between an ecumenism from above and an ecumenism from below.” Maria Voce echoed the cardinal’s criticism: “ecumism from below and from above, they must walk together. If theological breakthroughs are not accompanied by true reciprocal relations from below, then these breakthroughs will not be greatly efficacious; whereas, if there is an ecumenism from below they will be important and longlasting.

Starting today, at the Mariapolis Center in Cadine (Trent), an ecumenical school will begin with 400 persons who will delve into the life of the Word and the themes of the day. There will be a celebration for Centro Uno which is celebrating its 50th anniversary of ecumenical action, which will offer an occasion to strengthen the dialogue of life.

Still in Trent, the journalist Franco de Battaglia presented his new book, A Trento con Chiara Lubich, which is dedicated to the sites of the Focolare Movement’s birth. It is a type of guide book for apparantly insignificant corners of the city which actually served as the cradle of the spirituality of unity.

Midwest – Chicago

Mar 13, 2011 | Non categorizzato

Please note: The geolocalisation feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centres are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.

Arrival in Toronto

Charism of Light

Mar 11, 2011 | Non categorizzato

Chiara: I often talk about love but really it was a charism of light. Right from the start I could see that this spirit would spread all over the world.  Even at the beginning we prayed for this.  It was the feast of Christ the King and the reading in the Mass said: “Ask and I will give you all the nations as your inheritance”.  I told my companions that we would reach the whole world. And we have. We prayed that we might be instruments to carry this spirit of love and light throughout the world.

I was continuously under the action of this light which guided me on what to do, on how to act, on our way of working, of praying, of studying, of communicating, on how our homes should be, our way of dressing. And then later, on the expansion of the Movement in the continents, on how to organize the Movement and become a people. I foresaw all of this. I would say to my companions in our first focolare: “There will be a new art, a new form of politics, everything will be renewed”.  That’s probably why I didn’t even realize that the war had ended.  I was so absorbed by this charisma which was flowing out into the Movement.

The light which came was from another source although I saw my own thought within it. Everything happened gently.  The light which came was from another source although I saw my own thought within it. Its touch was gentle.  God doesn’t crush you because grace refines our nature, it doesn’t destroy it. All my earlier formation was useful because grace raises up our humanity. I wasn’t in the slightest frightened. no! Sometimes people say: Imagine all that responsibility….I don’t feel any responsibility. If God wanted to create this Opera, let Him do it!

But you know it’s still like that with this light. God guides me.  I am guided by this charism which is a gift of the Holy Spirit. I see, I speak and I communicate it and then it comes about.  But it’s not me.  It’s God using me.  He chooses.

We had to fulfil the prayer of Jesus: “May they all be one”, that is, one family and it’s happening. Of course when I am in the next life, others will continue to carry everything even further ahead.

If I were to leave an inheritance, it would be Jesus in the Midst. Love one another as Jesus has loved us.  Be ready to die for one another. Be a family. That’s what I’d say. That’s what it’s all about.

Source:

“Face to Face” – Video interview with Chiara Lubich by Sandra Hogget, Charisma Productions 2002. Copyright: Centro Santa Chiara Audiovisuals

Arrival in Toronto

A life for the unity of Christians

Mar 11, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide

These days each one of us is asked to love, have unity, share, give solidarity. And the churches are asked to repair the centuries old splits …. This is the needed step towards universal brotherhood. With all men and women of the world”. (Chiara Lubich) On Saturday 12th March there will be an Ecumenical Day held in Trent (Northern Italy) : Chiara Lubich; Charism and a Life for the unity of Christians”. The day is one event is of the many to be held in a number of Italian cities in remembrance of the founder of the Focolare Movement on the third anniversary of her death – 14th March 2008. Trent, the “hinge” between the great Latin and Germanic civilisations, the birthplace of Chiara Lubich, will host the event. The participants will be formally welcomed by the local civil and religious authorities: Mayor Alessandro Andreatta and t Archbishop Luigi Bressan. Participants are coming from 36 countries and about 20 Churches. Simultaneous translations will be provided in 17 languages. The ‘show’ – broadcast on Telepace live and via the internet  (9.50 – 12.30 and 15.00 – 17.40 Italian time) – will be held in the Teatro Sociale, and have a live link with a marquee erected in the ancient Piazza C. Battisti. It is expected that messages will be read from: Patriarch Bartholomew II of Istanbul, as well as Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council Promoting Unity of Christians and Rev. Olaf Tveit, secretary general of the Ecumenical Council of Churches. Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement will offer a reflection. The day will enable greater understanding of the specific contribution the charism of Chiara Lubich has made to the unity of Christians, which is the needed step towards universal brotherhood. The programme will unfold through sharing of experiences, reflections and music offered by Christians from many churches places such as China, South Africa, Egypt, Lebanon, Cuba as well as East and Western Europe. Through the talks to be given by Marco Tecilla and Gabriella Fallacara we will hear the story of the 50 years of ecumenical dialogue which has been brought ahead by “Centro Uno”, the Focolare Movement’s office for the unity of Christians which Chiara Lubich founded and was supported from the beginning by Igino Giordani. The day is also part of an international Ecumenical week being held at the “Chiara Lubich” Mariapolis Centre in Cadine (Trent) from 11th to 16th March. The 400 people taking part in this event have the opportunity to visit places in the city which are historically linked with the development of the Movement.  Last year, again on the anniversary of Chiara Lubich’s death, the founder of the Focolare movement was remembered in an event with an interreligious profile in Rome at the Campidoglio (Italian government). It is noteworthy that this year’s ecumenical event is hosted in Trent, not only because it is the birthplace of the Movement but also because the Council of Trent took place there (from 1545 – 1563) an indicator of its vocation to become a “bridge city” and a “city of dialogue”.

New to the Bookshelves: latest publications on Chiara Lubich

Mar 10, 2011 | Non categorizzato

  • To bring You the World in my Arms (PortarTi il mondo fra le braccia)

Armando Torno, Rome:  Città Nuova Experiences told by Chiara’s first friends who accompanied her in her spiritual and human adventure and a large range of unpublished material were Torno’s inspiration when writing this biography on the life of Chiara Lubich (1920- 2008). Whilst being a chronological account, it doesn’t wish to be hagiographic and wants to distinguish the founder and her work. For the first time in a book that everyone can read, an extraordinary and yet extremely simple existence is mapped out; a life where the undisputed reference point was the Gospel.

  • The Will of God by Chiara Lubich (La volontà di Dio)

Comp. Lucia Abignente, Rome: Città Nuova A collection of thoughts, diary excerpts, letters and messages where the founder of the Focolare Movement addresses one of the fundamental themes of Christian Living. This book, containing a lot of unpublished material, is just one of Città Nuova’s new publications for March. Chiara Lubich often spoke and wrote about the Will of God proposing it as a road to sainthood for everyone, as an aspect to be lived  in every moment of our lives, but above all as a possibility to respond to God with our love. “To a God that loves us immensely, we respond by trying to love him immensely. We would have no meaning in the world if we weren’t a little flame in this infinite blaze: love that responds to love”, commented Chiara in her later years describing the experience lived with her first companions at the dawn of the movement.

  • In Trent with Chiara Lubich. Places that speak (A Trento con Chiara Lubich. Le parole dei luoghi)

Franco De Battaglia, Trent: Il Margine A book inspired by a walk through Trent; a visit to the streets, squares, houses and churches that marked Chiara Lubich’s early experiences. Eighty odd pages which, for the first time, narrate the interweaving of two stories: the history of various architectural landmarks in Trent and the life story of Chiara Lubich and her first companions.  “From the ‘casetta’ (or little house) that saw the birth of the first focolare in Number 2 Piazza Capuccini, to the woodland ‘Gocciadoro’ (Golden Drop); from the Androne neighbourhood where she visited the poor, to the city’s cathedral; the journalist Franco de Battaglia reconstructs the map of Chiara Lubich’s Trent. A unique guide for the discovery of the city’s landmarks wedded with the existential itinerary of one of the most important religious leaders of the 20thcentury”. From her beginnings in Trent, Chiara was an constant builder of unity among Christians and a protagonist of interreligious dialogue across all five continents. Her story and choices have now become a part of millions of people’s lives.

Info Focolare – Albania

Mar 4, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide

Please note: The geolocalisation feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centres are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.

Arrival in Toronto

2nd International Conference for Young Lawyers and Legal Practitioners

Mar 3, 2011 | Non categorizzato

180 young law students and legal professionals from 13 nations discuss the challenges of the current hot topics on the theme of respect and dignity of every person. This is the second international congress for the group who met first in Rome in 2009 where they considered the theme: law in search for justice.

The congress opened with a message from Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement (also the co-ordinator for Communion and Law) who, at the time of the congress was in the Holy Land. “We need courage when faced with these challenges; strong commitment, coherence, the ability to see and recognise the signs of our times that give hope and show the way to be followed together in order to build a united world where human dignity is really considered and respected”. Dr Vera Araujo, as a sociologist and jurist, gave a lecture and touched on the value of norms for civil society.

Underlying question for the congress: can there be a ‘common denominator’ for dignity, in a universal dimension and for each person? And how can it be protected?  The answer seemed to grow from the words shared in 2006 by the Vice President of the Italian constitutional court, Paolo Maddalena, which were quoted by Professor Adriana Cosseddu (University of Sassari, Sardinia): “Individual dignity is the essence and the identity of the whole person. Without it there cannot be equality or freedom.”

She invited the young people present to look at and consider the current situation in North Africa: the spreading demonstrations and signs of revolt by large swathes of the population, the grave economic difficulties experienced where the cost of essential goods continues to rise uncontrollably, “its proof that the protection waited for and the guarantees that are given are also requests for the recognition of liberty and dignity.”

This was the basis, on which three intense days unfolded of Congress unfolded. The young participants were also the leaders of their congress.

There were 5 study groups which created enthusiastic debate on the following topics:

–       Dignity and the European Constitution

–         Humanity dignity and new forms of slavery

–        Dignity of the embryo

–         Dignity within the penal system and prisons

§         Human dignity and respect for the environment

Added to these points for consideration were experiences of people working in the field of law: from the criminal lawyer to the public prosecutor; the legal adviser to a voluntary visitor to prisons.

On the last morning Prof Vincenzo Buonomo (Lateran University), as an introduction to Chiara Lubich’s talk from 1977 to the United Nations, underlined the proof of that the expected protection and guarantees that are claimed are so many applications for recognition of freedom and dignity: “… If more people accepted suffering for love, suffering which asks for love, it could become the strongest weapon to give humanity its greatest dignity”.

Arrival in Toronto

Renata Borlone: “Sometimes saints pass us close by…”

Mar 1, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide

His Eminence, Mons. Mario Meini bishop of Fiesole spoke with joy and emotion in his opening speech of this event which he said is above all: “The welcoming of a witness, a servant of God, a witness to the word of God….. Hers life was a stimulus and encouragement for the Movement and for the Church. We want to gather from her these testimonies not as treasures to jealously guard but as a witness of service. Sometimes saints pass close by us and we don’t realise.” This was his invitation to those present to rediscover on a daily basis the ‘face’ of holiness through service of neighbour, and civil and ecclesial community.

“The supernatural, brought to everyone” Cardinal Paul Poupard, President Emeritus of the Ponitifcal Council for Culture said this during the solemn Holy Mass, celebrated in the shrine of Maria Theotokos, and animated by Gen Rosso. He recounted was how he remembered his meeting with Renata Borlone, her characteristic was making holiness not a goal for a few, but a vocation possible for every Christian, of which there is tremendous need today.

The president of the Focolare Movement, Maria Voce, was represented by Eli Folonari. Maria Voce is currently in the Holy Land. Eli, recalled with emotion, her first experiences of Focolare life which were with Renata in 1950 in Rome, and that it was Chiara Lubich who personally called Renata to be responsible for the Little town of Loppiano.

This extraordinary day had 2000 participants coming from all over Italy, in spite of the bad weather and snow, plus an unknown number who had followed the event via the internet. 3pm was the most solemn moment, when the process was officially closed marked by the sealing of three boxes containing the documentation which has been gathered in the last seven years by the diocesan tribunal. This documentation will now be sent to Rome and given to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

The ceremony was full of meaning. This was a big occasion to bring back to everyone the importance of allowing oneself to be renewed by the words of the Gospel which are life, and Renata Borlone witnessed to this up to the end, making her exclaim “Death is life!”

The following morning, still at the shrine, there was a special event. Bishop Emeritus of Fiesole, Mons. Luciano Giovannetti, baptised another Renata, this one with the surname Nembrini, the newest baby born in the Little Town of the Focolare: almost an ideal symbolic act of continuity. His wish for all present was to make of “your own heart”  a real shrine guarding the message of the Servant of God.

The day ended with a special gift: the musical “Mary, flower of Humanity” performed by the international group Gen Verde. This presentation helped everyone to contemplate this woman, Mary who has been a fascination over centuries and continues to be so, reflections of her in our own story, restored the image of the Mother of Jesus as an ordinary woman and a friend on the journey.

Flickr Photo Album

March 2011

Feb 28, 2011 | Non categorizzato, Word of

Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word. Certainly, his will is not always clear to us. Like Mary we too will need to ask for light to understand what God wants. With great sincerity we must listen well to his voice within us and, if need be, ask advice from those who can help. But once we have understood his will, we want to say ‘yes’ to him straightaway. If, indeed, we have understood that his will is the greatest and most beautiful thing that could happen in our life, we will not resign ourselves to ‘having to do’ the will of God. Instead we will be glad to ‘be able’ to do the will of God, to be able to follow his plan, so that his idea for us might come about. It is the best and most intelligent thing we can do. Mary’s words ‘Here I am, the servant of the Lord’, therefore, become our loving response to God’s love. They keep us always turned towards him, in an attitude of listening and of obedience, wanting only to do his will, to be as he wants us to be. Sometimes, nonetheless, what he asks of us can seem absurd. It would seem better to us to do something different; we would like to decide for ourselves. We might almost want even to advise God and tell him what to do and not do. But if I believe that God is love and trust him, I know that what he sets up for my life and for the lives of those close to me is for my good and theirs too. So I put myself in his hands, I abandon myself to his will with full trust, and I want it with the whole of myself, to the point of being one with it, knowing that to welcome his will is to welcome him, embrace him and be nourished with him. We must believe that nothing happens by chance. No event, whether it be joyful, indifferent or painful, no encounter, no situation in the family, at work or at school, no physical or moral condition, is without meaning. On the contrary, every event, situation or person bears a message from God. Everything contributes to the fulfilment of God’s design, which we will discover bit by bit, day by day, doing the will of God as Mary did. Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word. So how can we live this Word? Practically speaking our ‘yes’ to the word of God means doing well and completely all that he asks us to do in every present moment. We should devote ourselves wholeheartedly to whatever we are doing, putting aside everything else, letting go of any thoughts, desires, memories, actions that have to do with anything else. We can say in front of every will of God, whether it be painful, joyful or indifferent, ‘Let it be with me according to your word’, or, as Jesus taught us in the ‘Our Father’: ‘Your will be done.’  Let’s tell him this before each of our actions: ‘May it be done’, ‘Your will be done.’ We will compose, moment by moment, piece by piece, the marvellous, unique and unrepeatable mosaic of our lives that the Lord has always had in mind for each one of us. Chiara Lubich (First published December 2002)

Arrival in Toronto

From Mount Tabor to Jerusalem: the conclusion of the visit to the Holy Land

Feb 28, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide

An intense week; a deep spiritual experience lived in full communion with the Focolare’s local community present in the Holy Land. The members of the movement in that region felt a renewed commitment to building dialogue among everyone, in the spirit of universal brotherhood, the commitment of the Focolare Movement worldwide.

25 February– After a visit to the Mountain of the Beatitudes and to Mount Tabor, the next stop was Nazareth. The General Council was met by a large delegation of the Focolare communities present in Haifa, Jerusalem and Bethlehem. In the Basilica, in front of the Grotto of the Annunciation, mass was celebrated in a solemn and yet simple atmosphere. Cardinal Miloslaw Vlk, Bishop Emeritus of Prague, and Mons. Giacinto Marcuzzo, auxiliary bishop of the Latin Patriarch in Galilee, concelebrated together with the 17 priests on the General Council, and two priests from the Latin Patriarch. Mons. Marcuzzo, in his homily, recalled the meaningful words written on the banner welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to Nazareth in 2009: “Welcome to Nazareth, where it all began”. “Mary’s yes”, underlined the Monsignor, “was the first step in this new beginning of human history”. At the end of the Mass, thanking the bishops and the Focolare community, Maria Voce renewed the whole movement’s commitment to ‘relive Mary’ so as to be a presence of her in the world, as Chiara Lubich wrote in the movement’s statutes.

26 and 27 February- Two days in Jerusalem. On Saturday morning the group met at the Western Wall, or Wailing Wall as it’s also commonly known. Busy because of Shabbat, it was the perfect place to further the acquaintance of various aspects of the Jewish faith and to find out more about Shabbat. The group continued by foot towards the vicinity of the Roman steps that link the Valley of Cedron to the area where the Temple entrance once stood. According to tradition it is the place where Jesus prayed to the Father for unity among all men.

In 1956 Chiara Lubich, during her only visit to the Holy Land, expressed the desire that one day there may be a focolare near those steps. The Movement’s local directors in the Holy Land explained the developments over the last number of years that lead to the fulfilment of that dream: the purchase of a piece of land right beside the steps and measures being taken to obtain the necessary permits that allow for a transformation of this terrain into a garden park for gatherings and moments of reflection. After having read the passage of the Gospel of John often referred to in Christian tradition as ‘Jesus’ Priestly Prayer’ along with Lubich’s writings from the 1956 visit, a group photo captured this profound and deeply spiritual moment.

Sunday 27th – Final day of the pilgrimage with a mass celebrated in the Grotto of the Apostles by Cardinal Vlk and Mons. Antonio Franco, Apostolic Delegate to the Holy Land. The latter offered a meditation to those present on the significance of this visit of Maria Voce and the General Council to the Holy Land in the light of spirituality of Unity of Chiara Lubich.

After having visited the places of the passion and death of Christ, a reception in the Notre Dame Centre. 150 members of ecclesial movements, various church leaders present in Jerusalem as well as Jews and Muslims close to the Focolare gathered around the president, co-president and Council. Maria Voce introduced the Roman convoy and thanked everyone present for all that was done for them during the visit and for all of the activities that accompanied their pilgrimage. She assured them that the moments lived together and the people she met would remain in her heart; sure that she too would remain in the hearts of all those she met in the Holy Land.