Nov 30, 2010 | Non categorizzato, Word of
When Mary asked the angel at the annunciation, "How can this be?" the answer she heard was, "Nothing will be impossible for God," and to confirm it, she was given the example of Elizabeth who in her old age had conceived a son. Mary believed and she became the Mother of the Lord. God is all powerful and is frequently called by this name in the Scriptures, especially when expressing the power he has of blessing, of judging, of directing the course of events, and of achieving his plans.
There is only one limit to the omnipotence of God: the freedom he gave human beings who can either oppose his will and thus become powerless, or choose what they are called to: to share God's own power.
"Nothing will be impossible for God."
These words open us up to an unlimited confidence in the love of God the Father, because if God exists and his being is Love, what logically follows is that we can have complete trust in him. In his power are all graces: temporal and spiritual, possible and impossible. And he gives them to those who ask and also to those who do not ask because, as the Gospel says, the Father “makes his sun rise on the bad and the good” (Mt 5:45). What he does ask of all of us is to act the way he does, to have the same universal love, supported by the faith that:
“Nothing will be impossible for God.”
How should we put these words into practice? At one time or another we all face difficult, painful situations both in our personal lives and in our relationships with others. We sometimes feel helpless because we realize we have attachments to things and to people that enslave us and from whose chains we would like to be freed. Often too we find ourselves up against walls of indifference and selfishness and we feel discouraged in the face of events that seem to be more than we can handle.
In these moments, the Word of Life can pick us up. Jesus lets us experience our own limitations, not to discourage us, but to help us understand more deeply that “Nothing will be impossible for God,” and to prepare us to experience the extraordinary power of his grace, which is manifested precisely when we see that we cannot manage on our own.
"Nothing will be impossible for God."
If we remind ourselves of this word of God in the most critical moments, we will experience its energy, for it brings us to participate, in a certain way, in the very omnipotence of God. There is, however, one condition: we must align ourselves with God's will and try to show to others the love that has been put into our hearts. By doing so, we will be in unison with God's all-powerful love for everyone. This will contribute to fulfilling his plans for every person and for all of humanity.
There is a special moment that enables us to live this Word of Life and to experience all its effectiveness. It is in prayer.
Jesus said that he will grant us whatever we ask the Father in his name. Let’s try then to ask him for what is most important to us now, firmly believing that for him nothing is impossible: solutions to desperate cases, peace in the world, cures to grave illnesses, peace and unity in family and social conflicts.
Moreover, if we ask united with others, in the full accord of mutual love, then it is Jesus himself in our midst who prays to the Father and, according to his promise, we will obtain what we ask for. One day, with this faith in the omnipotence of God and in his love, we prayed for a friend who had an x-ray that revealed a tumor. We asked that the tumor would not be there when the x-ray was taken again. And that’s exactly what happened. A boundless trust that makes us feel we are in the arms of a Father for whom everything is possible, should be our constant virtue. This doesn’t mean that we will always obtain what we ask for. God’s omnipotence is that of a Father and he always uses it only for the good of his children, whether they realize it or not. What’s important is that we remain aware that nothing is impossible for God. Then we will experience a peace we have never known before.
Chiara Lubich
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Nov 28, 2010 | Non categorizzato
The Umbria, Veneto and Sicily regions of Italy hosted the second edition prize-winners of the Chiara Lubich Fraternity Award. Their gaze extended over the whole world with an international award given to the city of Catamarca and its fight against crime, with a special mention of the town of Pollica.
The award ceremony was held in the presence of civil and religious authorities, numerous mayors and citizens. There were awards for the Commune of Massa Martana, together with the Communes of Deruta, Notefalco and Spoleto, for the City Project in the region of Umbria; the Commune of Marsala, for a network development project between citizens, and, in third place the project of three communes of Berice vicentino, Castegnero, Longare and Nanto, with its new association for developing modes of intervention for environmental emergencies and for poverty.
Daniela Ropelato, professor of Social Sciences at Sophia Institute and representative of the international Mppu, gave an important presentation on “Participation, city, fraternity”. Very timely topics, but difficult to actualize. Ideas included such things as: listening to the demands of young people; finding a balance between individual rights and the common good, participatory management of the territory; the responsibility of politicians and citizens.
In the previous edition the award was given to the host city, Ascoli, for its “I love my city” project. And it was precisely the Hall Council of the medieval town hall to host the second annual meeting of the Cities for Fraternity meeting which was sponsoring the project. The association, created in 2008, brings together seventy municipalities of Italy who are inspired by the idea of brotherhood for the political agenda.
This year’s novelty: the giving of a special award to the Commune of Pollica, in respectful homage to Angelo Vassalo, its “mayor martyr who gave his life for his people”; and an international award to the city of Catamarca (Argentina), for its commitment in the area of educating the most marginalised sections of society, through educational support projects in the region. The assembly of the Cities for Fraternity Association also promoted the idea of “regional” action, through periodic meetings for cities of the same region, with the goal of coordinating and rendering more efficacious their activity for the region.
From Ascoli to Catamarca, or from the Apennines to the Andes, since the travertine city is surrounded by the Apennine Mountains and Catamarca rises from the foot of the Andes of Argentina’s northwest. All of them are cities linked by an ideal thread, by the values of fraternity proposed by Chiara Lubich for political action, “the love of loves,” as she liked to call it.
The international award was a clear sign of openness to the world, with the conviction of the associated communes that – after having taken effective action in response to the needs of their own regions, they return to the words of Chaira Lubich: “one city is not enough’ and to her ideal of universal brotherhood.
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Nov 24, 2010 | Focolare Worldwide
The facts are known. In recent days North Korea has inexplicably shelled Yeonpyeong Island, close to the maritime border with South Korea, leading to 4 deaths among military and civilians, and Seoul has in turn responded by firing artillery shells toward the North.
“Life in the streets, seems to run normally, but in reality the country is on the alert,” writes President of the PMU, Mark Fatuzzo, who in these days of tension is in South Korea for a series of meetings and public events. The government employees have been ordered to remain in their offices, political parties have called for permanent “security committees” and there was a special session of Parliament, during which a strong condemnation was issued for the act of aggression.
Right up till the last moment it seemed that the public events scheduled in Seoul by the Korean PMU would have to be cancelled. But things took a positive turn and it was possible to do everything as planned.
Everything began on November 24th with the National Centre for the PMU which includes parliamentarians among its members, three of whom were present. “It was an important event,” says Fatuzzo, “lasting about three hours with intense dialogue in which everyone participated.” As can be imagined, based on recent events, discussions were centered on trust. Can there actually be some form of concrete fraternity between North and South Korea? How will fraternity be explained using the categories of dialogue, reconciliation, forgiveness, and of overcoming historical and present conflicts? Everyone was confident that this is the road to follow, supported by the awareness that the entire PMU worldwide is living with them these moments of painful suspension. There was also some feasting for the admission of a new young member of the PMU Centre: Emilia Heo who studied International Relations in Geneva and now works in Japan.
November 25th was the day for two other meetings at the headquarters of the Korean parliament. The first, with the Political Forum for Unity, a group for parliamentary research, consisting of some 30 Members of both the majority and opposition parties, and of different religious and cultural orientations – Christians of various denominations, Buddhists, Won-Buddhist, Confucians, Taoists – or without any religious reference.
This was followed by a public seminar entitled “The politics that people like” with 150 people in attendance, including twenty members of the three major parties: The Grand National Party, the ruling United Democratic Party and the Progressive Liberty Party, from the opposition. A strong presence of young people and representatives from the media was also quite significant. Both the introductory statements and the round table discussions supported by three deputies, two academics and a young student, as well as the ensuing debate, gave a view of politics that opened people’s hearts to hope, even in the midst of the current suspension and crisis.
Closing Ceremonies for the first class in the School for Formation in Politics are scheduled for Saturday, the 27th of November.
Nov 19, 2010 | Focolare Worldwide
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Nov 18, 2010 | Non categorizzato
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Nov 15, 2010 | Non categorizzato
The “Volunteers” are the main animators of the New Humanity Movement (a social expression of the Focolare in society). They are men and women who are on the front lines in living the words of the Gospel into the most diverse social, cultural, economic and political environments, offering answers to the practical challenges posed by modern society.
They have done various projects: from the personal daily involvement of each one of them within the work environment, in the family, in education, to larger inititatives that involve entire communities, all geared towards improving life in our cities and the civil fabric of society.
From 18 to 21 November, the 500 participants will have the opportunity to delve more deeply into particular aspects of the spirituality of unity, in order to then hopefully begin a fruitful dialogue on identifying the values proposed by the Ideal of fraternity in the field of social action.
There will be time for discussion on the social doctrine of the Church as well as testimonies of people from around the world.
An address by Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement, is scheduled for 19 November. There wil be a question and answer session with her which will have a particular focus on what the priorities should be for the Movement’s social involvement in different parts of the world.
Nov 14, 2010 | Non categorizzato
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Nov 10, 2010 | Non categorizzato
“I’m 34 years old, Brazilian and married with two children. I work for the very poor by helping them to defend their basic rights.” This is how Anisio Caixeta Junior, a young adherent of the Focolare Movement and public defender introduces himself – as one of those workers foreseen by Brazilian law to ensure that those who do not have the financial means will also able to have a public defence. One quickly realizes that aside from carrying out his task with professionalism, Anisio is also animated by high ideals: “From when I was a child I’ve always been an ardent adherent of Chiara Lubich’s ideal of unity and I’ve always tried to offer help to my neighbours freely, and I found it fulfilled me.” Now I continue doing the same thing in my professional career. Chiara’s ideal of unity helps me to remember before each hearing that there before me is not so much a bureaucratic proceeding, but a human person to be respected and loved. And it’s not only a question of moral conviction: “Anisio points out that in law history, in addition to the primary basic rights of life and property, there are also other rights, such as liberty and equality which emerged from the French Revolution. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights highlighted again another stronghold: the spirit of fraternity, which is therefore not merely help for the needy, but a stronghold which the very Constitution explicitly promotes and protects. Therefore, when I am driven to act by this ideal of fraternity, I am really applying a fundamental rule of my Constitution! » Anisio has many experiences each day by “simply applying the law”. He especially enjoys sharing this one: «One day, standing by a traffic light with one of my colleagues, a boy came up to us asking for some money. But imagine his surprise when we responded: “But we can do much more than just give you a bit of change! If you don’t have a family we can help you into a social programme just for that, even if you’re living on the streets without money. These are basic rights that the State must provide since they’re guaranteed by our Constitution. And it’s my job to help people into these programmes!”» Are public defenders heroes? Anisio is of a different opinion: “I certainly don’t think that I’m changing the world with the work I do. But at the same time, I’m very fascinated by the idea that even a glass of water is not given in vain and I’m convinced that such a simple gesture as this can contribute to creating that new world, dedicated to fraternity, which can certainly be supported by the law, but must begin with ourselves!”
Nov 9, 2010 | Non categorizzato
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Nov 8, 2010 | Non categorizzato
On Saturday, 6 November, a Portuguese business park of the Economy of Communion (EOC) opened its dorrs in the Focolare town in Abrigada-Alenquer.
Two-hundred-fifty persons were present, among them the Mayor of Alenquer, a few deputies, businessmen and economists. Professor Luigino Bruni, an economist, and businessman Alberto Ferrucci from the Central Commission of the EOC spoke, during their speeches, of the importance of the business park of the EOC in a Focolare town (presently there are 35 such towns on five continents), as a testimony to a new economic culture, which is capable of bringing down the walls of capitalism and the individualism of our times.
Economist and Professor Manuela Silva underlined the vital importance of this, highlighting the prophetic vision of Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare, concerning the Economy of Communion. “When it is applied – she added – it is destined to be a far-reaching light, like a beacon in the darkness of today’s society.” Therefore she challenged everyone to remain faithful to Chiara’s original intuition concerning the Economy of Communion.
Several businessmen who belong to the project shared the story of this business park’s construction, beginning in 2004, involving the efforts of many in the realization of this dream. They were gestures of generosity, small ones and large ones, sufferings, spiritual and material losses, the “living stones” for this “cathedral”, as someone defined the new business park which is destined to give testimony to God in the world of economy.
At the moment, three businesses have moved into the Giosi Guella Business Park and many others have joined the project and are spread thoughout the country though connected to the Park. They are small and medium-sized for profit businesses which, with the ideals of the Economy of Communion, are working for the common good.
At the conclusion of the programme there was a link-up via internet with the Lionello Bonfanti Business Park in Loppiano, Italy, which provided a wider dimension to the event. Someone recalled a phrase from Chiara Lubich regarding the Italian Business Park: “A light in the midst of darkness, even if it’s only small, will be seen from afar.” It came as an encouragement to stand up to the challenge.
The Mayor of Alenquer, Jorge Riso, presided over the inauguration. In his brief speech he thanked the Movement and the Focolare town of Arco-Iris for the positive contribution they make in the area not only through the Physical Therapy Centre, but also through their relationships with the local population. “This business park – he said – is a privilege for the Commune of Alenquer. It is a project that extends beyond the limits of our local territory.”
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Nov 4, 2010 | Non categorizzato
The dossier traces the stages in the historical journey of the Focolare, the life of the focolarini today, social involvement, and faith in daily life. Compiled by Vittoria Prisciandaro, the insert opens with the words: “Giving voice to the grassroots and to the Movement’s president, Maria Voce”. Jesus Magazine which was founded in 1979, now publishes 37 thousand copies. The November issue will come with an attachment – the first in a series of audio books – dedicated, for this occasion, to Chiara Lubich. The anthology called “Love conquers all” contains thoughts of Chiara Lubich, recited by Italian actors. “Focolare. Ideal of fraternity”. In the 32 pages dedicated to the Focolare – besides historical sites and stages and factual examples of daily Gospel living – there are also questions directed at the president and co-president of the Movement. Questions regarding the place of priests and bishops in the Movement were put to Giancarlo Faletti. Questions regarding ecclesial movements, education, inculturation, justice and reform, interfaith dialogue and the multiethnic society were directed to Maria Voce, “Emmaus, the lawyer-theologian who now holds the position that was once occupied by Chiara Lubich.” An online interview (in Italian) with Maria Voce can be found on the Jesus Magazine website: http://www.stpauls.it/jesus/default.htm.
Oct 31, 2010 | Non categorizzato, Word of
Jesus begins his preaching with the Sermon on the Mount. On a hill near Lake Tiberius, not far from Capernaum, Jesus sat down, as was customary for teachers, and described to the crowds what it means for a human being to be blessed. The word for beatitude, ‘blessed’, had been heard throughout the Old Testament. It spoke of the exaltation of the one who, in the widest variety of ways, fulfilled the Word of the Lord.
The beatitudes of Jesus were partly an echo of the ones the disciples already knew. But for the first time they heard that not only were the pure in heart worthy of going up the hill of the Lord, as the psalmist sang (Ps. 24:4), but they could even see God. What kind of purity could be so sublime as to deserve so much? Jesus would explain it several times during the course of his preaching. Let’s try to follow him so we can draw from the source of true purity.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
First of all, Jesus points out the very best way to be purified: “You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you.” (Jn 15: 3) His Word, more than the practice of religious rites, is what purifies our inner self. The Word of Jesus is not like human words. Christ is present in his Word, as he is present, in a different way, in the Eucharist. Through his Word Christ enters within us and, provided we allow him to act, he makes us free from sin and therefore pure in heart.
Thus purity is the fruit of living the Word, of living all the Words of Jesus which free us from our so-called attachments, which we inevitably fall into if our hearts are not in God and in his teachings. These can be attachments to things, to people, to ourselves. But if our heart is focused on God alone, all the rest falls away.
To succeed in doing this, it can be useful at different times during the day to say to Jesus, to God: “You, Lord, are my only good!” (see Ps. 16: 2) Let’s try to say it often, especially when various attachments seek to pull our heart towards those images, feelings and passions that can blur our vision of what is good and take away our freedom.
Are we inclined to look at certain types of posters or television programmes? Let’s stop and say to him: “You, Lord, are my only good” and this will be the first step that will take us beyond self, by re-declaring our love for God. In this way we will grow in purity.
Do we realise sometimes that someone, or something we do, has got in the way, like an obstacle, between us and God, spoiling our relationship with him? That is the moment to say to him: “You, Lord, are my only good.” It will help us purify our intentions and regain inner freedom.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Living the Word makes us free and pure because the Word is love. It is love, with its divine fire, that purifies our intentions and the whole of our inner self, because our ‘heart’, according to the Bible, is the deepest seat of our intelligence and our will.
But there is a type of love that Jesus commands us to practise and that enables us to live this beatitude. It is mutual love, being ready to give our life for others, following the example of Jesus. This love creates a current, an exchange, an atmosphere characterised above all by transparency and purity, because of the presence of God who alone can create a pure heart in us (see Ps. 50:12). It is by living mutual love that the Word acts with its purifying and sanctifying effects.
As isolated individuals we are incapable of resisting the world’s temptations for long, but in mutual love there is a healthy environment that can protect purity and all other aspects of a true Christian life.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
So, then, the fruit of this constantly re-acquired purity is that we can ‘see’ God, which means we can understand his work in our lives and in history, hear his voice in our hearts, and recognise him where he is: in the poor, in the Eucharist, in his Word, in our communion with others, in the Church.
It is a foretaste of the presence of God which already begins in this life, as we ‘walk by faith, not by sight’ (2 Cor. 5:7), until the time when, ‘we will see face to face’ (1 Cor. 13:12) forever.
Chiara Lubich
Oct 30, 2010 | Non categorizzato
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Oct 28, 2010 | Non categorizzato
“The Chiara Luce Badano phenomenon” is what television host Rosario Carello called the events surrounding the beatification last 25th September of the young woman from Sassello. She said this during the 10th October airing of “In His Image” on Italy’s Rai Uno.
“The phenomenon isn’t so much her, though she certainly lived in an extraordinary way,” says Maria Voce, President of the Focolare, but rather the global phenomenon that was triggered by her exemplary life, but within the normality of a young woman of today.
The Pope proposed her as a model of holiness for youths everwhere, inviting them to become more acquainted with her: “. . . A short life, but a stupendous message. Nineteen years full of life and of faith. Two years, the last two, of suffering also, lived in the faith and in the joy that was born from her heart that was so full of God . . . A grace of God – the Pope contiued – with the help of human collaboration.” He remembered her parents especially, her parish community, the Focolare Movement, which she belonged to.
The evening of 25 September, Paul VI Hall was exploding with with joy and a desire for holiness witnessed by thousands of youths both inside and outside the hall, who expressed themselves with songs and dances, choreography, photos, and life experiences. All of them wanted to say something about her, like a group of teenagers from Latin America: “Chiara Luce is a model for young people. She succeeded in overcoming so many obstacles and became holy. She’s a great example for all of us.” And some youths from Lebanon: “Chiara Luce tells us that we can follow her example with our life. Holiness is not far away from us young people.” An African girls remarked: For me, the most beautiful moment of today was the beatification. It was the first time I’ve ever particpated in one and it was very moving.” A young Italian girl summarized the day in this way: “Now I understand that in order to become saints, you need to always love.” “Holiness for us young people – says a youth speaking for a group from India – appears very difficult nowadays, but if we try to follow in her footsteps it will be a wonderful experience.” And finally the enthusiastic Mexicans: “It was so powerful to know about Chiara Luce’s life and this event was very beautiful. With her example to help us, we’re sure we’ll succeed in moving ahead on a path of holiness.”
But who is this young woman, this new Blessed named Chiara? How do you explain this “phenomenon” of a young girl born in a little town in Italy called Sassello, who has become the “saint of the young people?”
“What I find striking in her – an Italian teenage boy confides – is that she made ordinary life into an extraordinary adventure.”
Four-hundred of these young people who came from everywhere in the world, stayed behind in Italy for another several days in order to delve more deeply into the spirituality of unity whith which Chiara Luce reached the altars.
The “desire for holiness” among young people: This is the phenomenon that her beatification has highlighted in a world that seems to have its mind on anything but this.
Oct 26, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Oct 25, 2010 | Non categorizzato
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Oct 25, 2010 | Non categorizzato
The meeting sponsored by the Focolare and the Islamic communities in Italy aims to bring together Christians and Muslims who in recent years have met in different parts of Italy thanks to the experience of dialogue that was inspired by Chiara Lubich’s spirituality of communion. Collaboration has begun in various parts of the peninsula, such as Trent, Verona, Treviso, Padua, Trieste, Rovigo, Turin, Milan, Genoa, Parma, Reggio Emilia, Florence, Rome, Teramo. Inspired by the desire to reach out to others as the Golden Rule suggests, projects have often developed and partnerships that are providing models of integration in these areas. The 31 October date is in tune with Islamic-Christian friendship Day that is celebrated all over Italy on October 27 and it would like to be a moment of reflection on the experience till now. The program, prepared by an organizing committee made up of Christians and Muslims, includes meetings and discussions both of the Qur’an and the Gospel, life experiences, and a panel discussion on the challenges of dialogue, interspersed with artistic interludes performed by Muslim and Christian groups, and a presentation of the host town of Loppiano Religious and civil authorities are expected to be in attendance.
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Oct 23, 2010 | Non categorizzato
“I was struck by the joyful atmosphere of mutual acceptance. Compared to 2000, when Chiara Lubich met just one religious family, the Franciscans, this day was a genuine development of the dialogue between the old and new charisms, because of the involvement of many other religious communities, movements and new communities, as well as the influential presence of many superiors.” This was the impression of one Franciscan who attended the “Charisms in Communion” event that took place on 23 October in Assisi, Italy. Ten years after that historic encounter, things have gone forward, considering that not only were several orders of Franciscans and members of the Focolare Movement together this time, but also numerous representatives of the Claretian Fathers, the White Fathers, Salesians, Benedictines, charismatics, members of the Community of Sant’Egidio, Neocatechumenals and dozens of other orders and communities. The meeting began with the Mass presided by Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and it was concelebrated by bishops, Ministers General, Provincials, and many priests. In his opening remarks, Bishop Domenico Sorrentino, Bishop of Assisi, invited everyone to rediscover “love, the charism of charisms” mindful that “the treasures of one are the treasures of all”. “An exposition of the Fruits of the Spirit,” is how Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement, described the gathering. In her speech she outlined the stages along this journey of communion, beginning with Pentecost ’98 which was a fundamental moment for the new movements. “On that occasion – Voce recalled – Chiara Lubich, made a promise to the Pope: ‘We want to assure you, Your Holiness, that since our specific charism is unity, we will strive with all our strength to help implement it to the full.” Two years after that promise, “Chiara goes one step further – continued Voce -: communion with religious families that have been born from religious charisms that are not so new. And she laid the first stone of this dialogue-communion between religious families as expressions of the charismatic Church right here, at the tomb of Saint Francis, 26 October 2000. “Finally, she said” the Holy Spirit has guided everyone towards a communitarian way which reveals the Church as a united family of brothers united by the one Father. ” The testimonials highlighted this relationship of communion and of strong and specific answers to problems, disunity and wounds of the most varied sort. Like the testimony given by Sister Viviana Ballarin, national President of USMI (Union of General Superiors) concerning various religious communities in Kabul: “Poor, and with nothing, alongside the weak. Yet there I saw the early Church in which Jesus was really the center of everything. ” The joyous gathering was concluded with the solemn signing of a pact of communion and love for one another, by dozens of representatives of old and new charisms, and with the explosion of the Youth Fest in the evening. On the square in front of the basilica, a musical recital narrated the story of Chiara Luce Badano, the eighteen year old Sassello girl who was recently beatified by the Pope and indicated by him as a model for all young people. She, too, the fruit of a charism, that of Chiara Lubich, which she lived in her family and in the parish community of her home town.
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Oct 22, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Many have come to know the human story of the Vietnamese Cardinal Francois Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, who lived in prison for more than thirteen years. Many were encouraged by his heroic witness of faith and have personally experienced the love, forged in the crucible of testing, of this great contemporary personality.
On 22 October, the Process of Beatification was begun for him only 8 years after his death.
Born in 1928 in Vietnam, into a family with ancient Christian roots, he was ordained a priest in 1953 and, in 1964, became rector of the Seminary of Hue. On 13 April 1967, Pope Paul VI appointed him the first Vietnamese bishop of Nha Trang. He chose as his motto “Gaudium et Spes” because he wanted to be an apostle of joy and peace.
A man of rich and deep spirituality, he found great inspiration in his personal life and his pastoral mission in the encounter, in 1974, with Chiara Lubich and her spirituality of unity.
In 1975 he was arrested and imprisoned by the Communist government. He was never tried and convicted. He spent well over thirteen years in prison, nine of which in isolation.
His choice of Jesus crucified and abandoned, a cardinal point of the spirituality of unity, as the One to love and imitate, gave him the strength to be a heroic witness of hope and love, always, in an indescribable way during the long dark years of imprisonment. Years later, in July 2001 in front of 1,300 priests gathered at Castel Gandolfo, he would state that “having found Chiara Lubich’s charism of unity is what saved me in those long years.”
His many writings contain real jewels of authentic evangelical spirituality, illustrated with the many experiences that shine as a way of holiness for anyone who meets this great witness of our time.
This is an experience told personally by Cardinal Van Thuân:
“One night in prison, from the depths of my heart, I heard a voice asking me, ‘Why do you ever torment yourself like this? You must make the distinction between God and the works of God. All you’ve done and still want to do – pastoral visits, training of seminarians, nuns and members of religious orders, building schools, evangelizing non-Christians – this is excellent work, it’s the work of God but it’s not God! If He asks you to leave everything and to entrust it all into His hands, then do it and trust Him. God will do things infinitely better than you: He’ll entrust the work to others more capable than you. You have only to choose God and not his works!’ It was a light that totally changed my way of thinking.
When the Communists made me go down into the hold of a ship, the Hai-Phong, crammed together with another 1,500 prisoners to transport us to the North, I told myself: ‘This is my cathedral, this is the people that God entrusts to me that I might care for them, here is my mission: to ensure the presence of God among these people, among these miserable, desperate brothers of mine. His will is that I be here. I accept His will ‘. From that moment on a new peace has filled my heart which has never left me and never did in all those thirteen years.”
Author of numerous books – some published by New City Press – a tireless preacher, a witness to a heroic faith and boundless love, Cardinal Van Thuân will be remembered for his great efforts in preparing the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church and for the last intense years of his life which were spent guiding the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
Family members and friends of Cardinal Van Thuân arrived
from all over the world in order to attend the ceremony.
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Oct 21, 2010 | Non categorizzato
The 2010-11 academic year began on 18 October for Sophia University Institute (IUS) in Loppiano. An original academic institution which draws its inspiration from the spirituality of Chiara Lubich and combines training and research with a way of life consistent with the ideal of unity in diversity.
The ceremony was attended by numerous personalities from the cultural, political and Italian ecclesial community. Bishop Betori, Chancellor of the IUS, said in his speech that “today more than ever it is necessary to seek the truth with passion, which, to be accepted and communicated not only requires intellectual honesty, but the involvement of the whole the person.”
The words of President Piero Coda underscore how at Loppiano intentions are always followed by action. The 54 students in the Master’s Degree program and the 7 enrolled in the Doctoral program, come from 26 different countries. In confirmatin of its intercultural and interdisciplinary openness, starting this year there will be a student from the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and another of the Buddhist faith.
Many agreements with other universities in Italy and abroad were begun this past year. Also, the first batch of students graduated with the title of Master of Science in Fundamentals and Perspectives of a Culture of Unity, in two areas: philosophical-theological and 
political-economic. The president of the Focolare Movement, Maria Voce, congratulated the new graduates, highlighting how they were “committed, personally and together to enter into and outline the prospects for a culture of unity in many fields of knowledge. Her words stressed another feature of the IUS: everyone – faculty, students and the entire staff contribute to the training project of Sophia, in an intense atmosphere of dialogue, while respecting their respective areas of knowledge and responsibility.
During the inauguration the Sophia Foundation was presented whose aim is to support the growth and development of the institute through the granting of awards, scholarships and funding for cultural and educational projects. Sophia University Institute is also planning to expand its curriculum to include courses in Pedagogy and Musicology. Finally, another challenge concerns IUS publications. This year Universitas Magazine series and Sophia Magazine will accompanied by For-Courses and the Sophia Library series, the latter dedicated to publication of the classics of the culture of unity.
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Oct 20, 2010 | Non categorizzato
On Sunday, 17 October, in a “family atmosphere”, a meeting was organized for participants of the Synod for the Middle East (10-24 October) whose theme is “The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness”. The goal was to understand more deeply the charism of Chiara Lubich which is expressed in the spirituality of communion and to learn of the 40-year experience of the Focolare in Middle Eastern countries.
Twenty Bishops and other members of the Synod were in attendance at the gathering. They were welcomed by the Rev. Antonio Borges, delegate of the Focolare Movement in the Middle East and His Eminence, Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, who shared a reflection on his experiences regarding “The bishop and communion with the presbyterate”.
The Synod Fathers listened with particular interest to the story of the Movement’s diffusion in the Middle East which was shared by Nadine Chehab (Turkey), the life of the Movement in the local Church which was shared by the Maronite Bishop Simon Atallah (Lebanon), and the ecumenical experience shared by Fadia Haddad. Between the lines, images flowed by of the life and activity of the Movement in these lands.
The meeting concluded with the blessing given by the Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alessandria, His Beatitude Antonios Naguib, Rapporteur to the General Synod. He commented that there was much talk about communion at the Synod, “exactly what you are doing also here”. He pointed out that it is likewise important to underscore the importance of love as the basis of communion, for it is only the communion which is lived out in love, in unity, which can transmit God-Love.
In late afternoon, the particpants of the meeting went to the Basilica of Our Lady’s in Trastevere where the Community of Sant’Egidio held a solemn Service of Prayer for Peace.
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Oct 20, 2010 | Non categorizzato
On 14 October 2010 the conference room at the Appeals Tribunal welcomed a conference organized by Communion and Law, which was entitled “Comparing European and North American systems: the client-attorney relationship.”
The initiative, which was inserted among the events of ethics training, has been approved by the Council of the Bar of Rome.
Some 150 legal practitioners, lawyers, judges, and students were in attendance at the three-hour meeting conducted by Lawyer Carlo Fusco, who also shared the mission statement of Communion and law.
n a presentation entitled “The Role of the Lawyer’s Conscience in Client Counseling: A North American Perspective,” Professor Uelmen reflected: “Participating for the past several years in discussions about the role of conscience and personal faith in professional life, my sense is that following one’s own conscience, and learning how to express one’s own convictions with sincerity, has made lawyers more, not less, sensitive to the complexities inherent in questions of identity, power dynamics and social context.”
The talk by Attorney Giuseppe Sbarra, on “Mediation” and “civil mediation” was greatly appreciated. It presented mediation as a way of overcoming the culture of conflict by recognizing in it an element of social cohesion.
In the final report presented by Attorney Maria Giovanna Rigatelli from the Central Commission of Communion and Law, he described his experience of many years in an international network of lawyers for the training of practitioners. Lawyer Rigatelli gave voice to the experiences of practitioners from different parts of the world, first steps, accompanied by theoretical insights which show how to implement “fraternity” even in the legal field that can start giving shape to a new culture of law.
Oct 20, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Oct 19, 2010 | Non categorizzato
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Oct 19, 2010 | Non categorizzato
“The Work of Mary (Focolare Movement) has been in the Middle East since 1967. It is rooted in the local culture, in deep communion with the universal Church and with the local churches, under the blessing and care of the Patricarchs and of the local Bishops. There are some 15,000 Catholic members and adherents from various rites.
Striving for continual re-evangelization through living contact with the Word of God, members of the Work of Mary strive to face the suffering and challenges of the Middle East in the light of the Word. Following the teachings of the Church, its members commit themselves to giving witness to the Gospel in the midst of the society in which they live.
The spirituality of communion that is lived in the Work of Mary leads its members to experience the Risen Lord in the midst of His People, instilling courage within them in front of the numberless challenges they face.
Many families, tempted by emigration, strengthened by the support of the community, have decided to remain in their country and, together with others, help to build a better future.
Jesus, crucified and abandoned, inexhaustible font of love and of new life, is the answer, the way, and indispensible means for spreading the culture of the Resurrection.
Numerous Orthodox brothers and sisters share in the spirituality of the Work of Mary with their Catholic brothers and sisters. Inserted within their own churches and powerfully bound by the charity of Christ, they live and work together for the realization of Jesus’ Testament: “that all be one” (John 17:21).
With a few Muslim and Hebrew freinds there is a profound dialogue of life and of religious experience, living and working together for peace and for universal fraternity.”
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Oct 19, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Medicine Congress
“I will preserve the purity of my life and my arts.” (from the Hippocratic Oath)
A congress for students and young professionals in the field of biomedics.
Rome, 23 – 24 October 2010
Venue: Aula Vito – Policlinico A. Gemelli
Official web site: http://www.mdc-youthcongress.org/mdc-youthcongress/Home.html
What the congress aims to achieve:
– Students and young health professionals debating about relational and ethical issues which are part of their everyday study and work.
– Looking for a way of thinking and doing which helps to face these new challenges.
– A dialogue and sharing of experiences, according to a style based on brotherhood
“I will preserve the purity of my life and my arts.” This extract from the Hippocratic Oath is the theme for the congress for students and young professionals in the field of biomedics.
Oct 15, 2010 | Non categorizzato
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Oct 15, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Oct 15, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Oct 15, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Oct 14, 2010 | Focolare Worldwide
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Oct 14, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Chiara Luce Badano proclaimed a Blessed! 
The Beatification Ceremony for Chiara Luce Badano was held today at the Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love. The profound and joyous celebration was presided by the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Monsignor Angelo Amato, representing Pope Benedict XVI. Around 25,000 people participated in the Solemn Mass, mainly young people from 57 countries. Because of large screens put up around the shrine, many were able to follow the proceedings seated on the grass area outside. Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement, gave a message of thanksgiving at the conclusion of the ceremony (reported below): The celebrations, however, didn’t end here because the weekend-long program includes events particularly geared towards young people with the participation also of Chiara’s parents, Ruggero and Maria Teresa Badano, something quite rare and unique, and possible only because of Chiara’s young age and the brief duration of the cause for beatification. On Saturday night, the Vatican hosted a festival of music and personal experiences at Paul VI Audience Hall. Thousands participated, not just inside the audience hall, but also outside in St Peter’s Square where the evening’s program could be followed through large screens. On Sunday morning, at 10.30, the Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone will celebrate a Thanksgiving Mass in the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls. At the midday Angelus, the Pope will greet the participants through a linkup from his residence in Castelgandolfo. The entire weekend events have been transmitted via television and Internet in many countries around the world. Maria Voce’s address at the Solemn Mass, 25 September: 
“First of all, on behalf of the Focolare Movement, represented here by people from all over the world, I thank Bishop Amato who has presided over this solemn and moving Mass in the Pope’s name. I thank and greet all religious and civil authorities, all the people present in this shrine and the field surrounding it, and also all those who are following this moment through the media. A special thanks to the technicians who made it possible to give this event a planetary dimension. I am deeply moved to see the splendid, luminous plan of God fulfilled by this 18-year-old girl, revealed gradually to her and then to all of us; to see it recognized today by the Church, as the first mature fruit of our Movement. It is a historical moment, a confirmation by the Church that the spirituality of unity lived out can bring us to holiness. 
We have such a gratitude to God for the Charism that he sent down on earth through Chiara Lubich, and we have such a joy in our hearts for this gift that the Church is giving us today! They must be celebrating in heaven too! This moment signifies a new commitment. Chiara Luce is urging us to go forward, in fact, to ‘run’ on the road to holiness. May her shining example be of light for as many people as possible, and may it touch many, many others.”
Oct 14, 2010 | Focolare Worldwide
Oct 14, 2010 | Non categorizzato
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Oct 14, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Oct 13, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Oct 12, 2010 | Focolare Worldwide
No translation
Oct 11, 2010 | Non categorizzato
La dottrina spirituale di Chiara Lubich viene presentata secondo tre grandi momenti:
il primo concentrato sul cuore del carisma;
il secondo sull’originale modalità di vivere e pensare la fede; il terzo sulla visione del mondo nei suoi aspetti più diversi, dalla politica all’economia, dalla filosofia alle scienze della comunicazione.
Come dimostrano i saggi teologici introduttivi, la figura di Chiara Lubich può essere collocata, senza timore di eccedere nella valutazione, accanto alle più grandi personalità della spiritualità cattolica di tutti i tempi.
Il suo insegnamento ha già mostrato lungo gli anni tutta la propria ricchezza, generando libri, discorsi, lettere, interventi. Di tale variegato e ricco messaggio però mancava un’organica articolazione che ne abbracciasse sia l’estensione cronologica di oltre mezzo secolo, sia l’ampiezza degli argomenti trattati.
Il presente volume, che della figura di Chiara Lubich offre la dottrina spirituale, intende colmare tale vuoto.
Gli scritti che lo compongono vanno dal 1943 (anno di fondazione del Movimento dei Focolari) ai nostri giorni, e racchiudono l’intera varietà dei generi letterari nei quali ha preso vita la spiritualità di Chiara Lubich: lettere personali e manifesti programmatici, pagine a stampa e parole sussurrate all’orecchio, magistrali lezioni accademiche e frasi stringate come aforismi, discorsi pubblici e colloqui intimi e personali. In queste pagine non manca nessuno dei numerosi registri utilizzati da Chiara Lubich per esprimere la sua originale interpretazione del cristianesimo.
Curato da un esperto studioso di Chiara Lubich, questo libro è stato rivisto dall’Autrice parola per parola, non senza nuove integrazioni e una significativa presenza di inediti. Al testo si affiancano due saggi sul valore teologico e spirituale, la bibliografia completa delle opere e una rassegna dei principali scritti sulla sua figura, due dettagliate schede sulla biografia e sul Movimento dei Focolari, un indice dei temi spirituali.
Frutto di una competenza e di un amore rari, questo libro è una vera piccola “summa” che consente di conoscere in profondità una delle più suggestive spiritualità del nostro tempo.
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Oct 10, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Dialogue will be the key contribution made by the Focolare at the Social Week in Reggio Calabria, Italy. Lucia Fronza Crepaz was involved in drawing up the document that will be presented by the Movement and, in Reggio, she and Luca Antonini will direct the study group on “institutional transition”. Mrs Fronza was deputy in more than one legislature and in the Focolare she is co-responsible for the secretariat of the New Humanity Movement.
What did you experience when the Italian Bishops Conference asked the Focolare to be involved?
Happiness. At having been called together with everyone else. It was a very Catholic approach to call, or rather to go to each of the offices of the various associations, to gather their expectations, their charism, the different languages. We will bring what Chiara Lubich left to us: the culture of the Resurrection. Not so much in answer to bleak times, but as a hope which rests on the certainty of Jesus’ Pasch, which takes on vast horizons and foresees the possibility of a single human family as the goal of history. And so also for Italy, offering it in these 150 years of Unity, there is this new unity that is born from hope in the Risen Jesus.
From Chiara Lubich you inherited the exhortation to dialogue and to unity. She said: “All will be one if we will be one.” Dialogue in this society that seems so crushed and divided?
Dialogue as intended by Chiara is the reflection of the Trinitarian life of God who is one and three. We never ask why we don’t have an identity, but starting from the strong identity founded on the culture of the Resurrection, you can open a dialogue full of hope. If you aim at the novelty that you find in every person, in every culture, in every religion, you can draw out a thread of hope.
All of this takes place within the framework of the city, which you hold as the privileged setting. Is it also a place for dialogue?
We can look at it as the “landfill” as someone called it, or as a place of solitude, or we can look at the vocation of the city, its need to be where people can be identified. You might ask: What about the new people coming in? Their culture? They belong to the futures of our cities. If our horizons are those of a family of the world, then we can understand that what is happening is already part of this.
Your Focolare group suggest a city-wide laboratory, because the parish embraces only a portion of the city and the diocese crosses city borders. What is this city-wide laboratory?
Even the tiniest cities face all the challenges of globalization: different cultures and generations encountering each other. A city is already a laboratory. The grand theme of interreligious relations, for example, can also fall to a single Christian who meets a Muslim. This micro-dialogue shows that you can already begin – on a small scale – to give answers to the great questions that humankind is facing. This new project can initiate from a parish, from a mayor, from a group of citizens or a group of associations. The city, instead of being a place where everything is exasperating, can become the place of beginnings.
Source: article by Giovanni Ruggiero, Avvenire 24 September 2010
Oct 9, 2010 | Non categorizzato
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Oct 6, 2010 | Non categorizzato
It was last 12th of January when a violent earthquake threw Haiti into confusion, causing nearly half a million deaths. On the pages of Action for a United World News the spotlights still shine on areas where the others have been spent, and they contintinue to show how reconstruction goes on in this country which is perhaps the poorest of the Northern Hemisphere. AMU’s commitment, as that of other NGOs, is precious because it continues on after the initial crisis when the attention of public opinion began to wane and frustrate the initial successes.
Through a local organization – Action contre la Pauvreté (PACNE) – AMU, the New Families and Youth for a United World Movements, support a project for building a welcome center for displaced people. The work is already in an advanced stage and moving along with the installation of the utilities, like water. The selection of beneficiaries for the project is in the care of a committee which includes members of PACNE and representatives of the local community, such as the mayor and local pastor. Priority will be given to the most needy persons among those who, having lost everything, have fled to Mont Organisé, the area in which the welcome center has been built. Once these persons are able to return to the city or to more permanent dwellings, the building will be used to welcome the elderly, the sick, or persons who are alone. Everything will be managed with absolute transparency by a specially elected commission. Obviously, the need and the difficulties are enormous and it will take years before the infrastructure and the economic system are able to completely respond to the the needs of the people. For this reason, Amu will continue to evaluate new proposals and projects, which we will continue to report on.
Oct 6, 2010 | Focolare Worldwide
Una risposta testimoniata proprio dai giovani più colpiti, quelli di New York: da loro innanzitutto un grazie, perché attraverso e-mails e fax hanno sentito condiviso con i coetanei di tutto il mondo "il grande dolore di questo tragico momento per il nostro Paese". Toccante la loro esperienza: “Mentre guardavamo il World Trade Centre cadere in fiamme e cenere, abbiamo subito pensato agli inizi del Movimento a quelle parole della nostra storia: “Erano i tempi di guerra e tutto crollava. Solo Dio e il Suo amore rimangono”.
Questo e’ apparso chiaro non solo a noi Giovani per un Mondo Unito, ma anche a tanta altra gente nel nostro Paese che si sono unite in questo momento di dolore. Infatti, subito dopo abbiamo visto come l’amore è più forte dell’odio, l’amore sta già vincendo perché le barriere dell’indifferenza crollano e ci si aiuta l’un l’altro concretamente sostenendosi a vicenda. Molti gli atti concreti per le squadre di soccorso, i sopravvissuti, le famiglie in lutto. Gli aiuti e le offerte di volontariato hanno superato la domanda.
Che cosa possiamo fare noi di concreto, ci siamo chiesti, che non sia già stato dato? Abbiamo capito che abbiamo un dono unico, immenso da offrire in questo momento di shock e smarrimento: quella comprensione di questo grande dolore illuminata dal mistero di Gesù che sulla croce giunge a gridare l’abbandono del Padre. Siamo certi più che mai dell’amore di Dio e che questa sofferenza porterà frutti."
Una certezza che si imprime in tanti: "Tutto crolla… Oggi ho sentito in modo più forte che anche se tutto crolla… l’amore di Dio resta" (Francesca 17 a. Scicli). Da Los Angeles: "Ci impegniamo ad amare tutti, specialmente quelli che soffrono per questa tragedia. Vediamo, nonostante tutto, segni di quel mondo nuovo per cui vogliamo vivere".
Oct 6, 2010 | Non categorizzato
"La Giornata di Assisi è molto molto importante, molto molto urgente. Se prima il dialogo interreligioso si poteva fare, era segno dei tempi, adesso è un’esigenza improrogabile, proprio per le circostanze. Perché c’ è la minaccia anche di uno scontro di culture, di religioni. Non solo. Come ha detto il Papa ed ho pensato anch’io quando sono cadute le torri, qui non si tratta soltanto di un fattore umano come l’ odio, ma qui c’ è di mezzo „la forza delle tenebre“, ci sono forze del male, per cui non basta l’elemento politico, civile, umano, per contrapporsi. Anche quello sarà stato necessario, ma è necessario che si arruolino anche le religioni, che le religioni si mobilitino, perché contro il Male – con la M grande – ci vuole Dio, ci vuole l’aiuto di Dio, l’aiuto soprannaturale. E’ essenzialissimo l’aspetto religioso oggi nel mondo".
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Oct 6, 2010 | Senza categoria
La Giunta della Regione Toscana si è impegnata ad inserire nei programmi di sviluppo della Regione il progetto del Polo Imprenditoriale di Loppiano (Incisa Valdarno, FI), riconosciuto come laboratorio di una nuova economia, “modello da proporre e moltiplicare anche al fine di rafforzare e organizzare l’attuazione di una nuova politica di cooperazione allo sviluppo”.
Loppiano incontra gli Imprenditori – Questo progetto verrà presentato nella cittadella internazionale di Loppiano, il 9-10 febbraio 2002, in un incontro a livello nazionale con imprenditori, dipendenti, operatori economici, ricercatori e studenti interessati al progetto di Economia di comunione.
Verranno presentati:
– La cittadella di Loppiano e la sua vita
– Gli ultimi sviluppi del progetto dell’Economia di Comunione a 10 anni dal suo lancio
– Il nascente Polo produttivo “Lionello”
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Oct 5, 2010 | Non categorizzato
The yearly meeting of delegates from the Focolare around the world began in Rome following the beatification of Chiara Luce Badano, the first Focolare member to reach the altars on 25th September 2010. There couldn’t have been a better way for the Focolare delegates to begin their three-day retreat at the opening of the meeting. They came from 78 nations representing the 182 nations where the Focolare can be found. In all, 345 people took part in the gathering.
Maria Voce, president of the Movement, welcomed everyone saying: “Let us retire with Jesus, together, so that we may take a new step toward holiness.” Her opening remarks were a reflection on the Will of God, the second point of the spirituality of unity, which will be considered and lived more deeply by the entire Movement during the coming year.
The two main guidelines that have been given to the Movement for the coming year are: the growth in holiness, which was underscored by Benedict XVI in a greeting to the members of the Movement when he received Maria Voce in audience; and Unity, in order to “contribute to the realization of Jesus’ prayer to the Father: ‘that all be one’ (cf Jn 17:21), which points to universal fraternity.”
Amid the various formal presentations, interspersed with many moments of joyful communion in small discussion groups, there was the presentation given by the philosopher and theologian, Jesus Moran who emphasized “that the human person by his very structure is made to say yes to God, a yes that makes him a total person.”
The Brazilian sociologist, Vera Araujo discussed the social implications of the same theme. Araujo discussed “places where the will of God is manifested: in daily and professional life and in the signs of the times” among others. She highlighted the importance of enlivening with evangelical love every institution, “for through it, it is possible to expand a network of relationships that are truly human.”
The meeting will be underway until 17 October 2010 with a rich and diverse program, with more reflection on the topic of formation, and with updating about the life of the Movement in the world. A special look will be given to the Asian continent, following the recent visit of Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti to Korea, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, and Pakistan.
(http://www.focolareasiatour.it/)
Sep 30, 2010 | Non categorizzato, Word of
These words can also be found in the Hebrew Scriptures (Lv 19:18). Jesus responds to a tricky question by placing himself in the context of the great prophetic and rabbinical tradition that was in search of the unifying principle of the Torah, that is, the teaching of God contained in the Bible. Rabbi Hillel once said: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is all there is in the Torah. All the rest is mere commentary.”
For the teachers of Judaism, love of neighbor derives from love of God, who created man in his image and likeness. Therefore, it is not possible to love God without loving your neighbor: this is the true motive for love of neighbor, and it is “a great and general principle in the law.” Jesus repeated this principle and added that the command to love one's neighbor is similar to the first and greatest commandment, namely, to love God with all one's heart, mind and soul. In affirming the likeness of the two commandments, Jesus definitively bound them together, as would all of Christian tradition. As the Apostle John said with incisive clarity: “Whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 Jn 4:20).
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Our neighbor—as the entire Gospel clearly states—is every human being, man or woman, friend or enemy. Love of neighbor is both universal and personal. It embraces all humanity, and it is expressed concretely in the person next to us. Are we capable of having such a big heart? How can we come to possess such kindness as to consider even someone who is far away as our neighbor? What can help us overcome our exaggerated love of self and recognize the “self” in others? It takes a gift of God. We have faith in this gift “because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). Therefore, it is not ordinary love, not simple friendship, not mere philanthropy, but the love that has been poured out into our hearts at baptism: the love that is the life of God himself, of the blessed Trinity.
Thus love is everything, but in order to love in an authentic way we need to know some of love’s qualities that emerge from the Gospel and from Scripture in general. We feel that they can be summed up in a few fundamental aspects.
First of all, Jesus, who died for everyone, loving everyone, teaches us that authentic love should lead us to love everyone. Unlike the simply human love that we usually have in our hearts, which is limited to relatives, friends and a few others, the authentic love that Jesus wants does not admit discrimination. It does not look too much at whether the other person is kind or unkind, beautiful or not so beautiful, an adult or a child, a fellow countryman or a foreigner, a member of my church or of another, of my religion or of another. It is love that is directed toward everyone. And we must do the same: love everyone.
The second quality of authentic love is that it leads us to being the first to love, not waiting for the other person to love us. Generally speaking, we love because we are loved. Instead, authentic love takes the initiative, as the Father was the first to love everyone. When men and women were still sinners, and therefore were not loving, the Father sent his Son to save us.
Thus we have to love everyone and be the first to love. Another quality of authentic love is that it recognizes Jesus in every neighbor: “You did it to me” (Mt 25:40), Jesus will say to us at the final judgment. And this will apply to the good that we did and also, unfortunately, the evil. Authentic love leads us to love a friend and also an enemy: to do good to them both and to pray for them both. Jesus also wants the love that he brought on earth to become mutual: that one person loves the other and vice-versa, in order to achieve unity.
All these qualities of love help us to understand and live the Word of Life for this month.
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Yes, authentic love leads us to love the other person as we love ourselves. And this is to be followed to the letter. We must really see the other person as another self and do for the other what we would do for ourselves. Authentic love leads us to suffer with those who are suffering, rejoice with those who are rejoicing, carry the burdens of others. As Paul says, it leads us to make ourselves one with the person we love. It is a love, therefore, that is made up not only of feelings or beautiful words, but of concrete deeds.
People of other religious creeds also seek to do this by living the so-called Golden Rule, which can be found in all religions. This rule asks us to do to others what we would like others to do to us. Gandhi explains it in a very simple and effective way: “I cannot harm the other without hurting myself.”
This month could be an opportunity, then, to refocus on love of neighbor. Our neighbor has so many faces: the person next door, a classmate, the friend of a close relative. But there are also the faces of the anguished humanity that the television brings into our homes from war-torn cities and natural disasters. Once they were unknown to us and thousands of miles away. Now they too have become our neighbors.
Love will suggest what we should do in each situation, and little by little it will expand our hearts to the greatness of the heart of Jesus.
Chiara Lubich
Sep 29, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Sep 27, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Sep 27, 2010 | Non categorizzato
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Sep 26, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Audio mp3 – Discorso Maria Voce all’Aula Nervi (Vaticano) 25 settembre 2010
The parents of Chiara Luce were greeted by a standing ovation as they came on stage at Paul VI Hall on the evening of September 25, as the hall was packed with people and connected to giant television screens outside in St Peter’s Square. 
The words of Chiara’s father, Ruggero, were particularly striking: “These were very special days, but what I’d like to say now is that we lived exceptional moments being with Chiara. We lived in an atmosphere that you cannot explain. These two years have been the most beautiful of our lives, the most blessed by God, because Jesus made us live in a supernatural dimension that raised us from the ground. Like when you are on a plane, and from the window you see the earth, the clouds far below you. All of our pain and those of Chiara that were even greater, we saw them there, below us, not touching us. This was the fruit of the love of many people who prayed and supported us.”
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“I want to greet everyone, but particularly the young. This experience is valid for all, but Chiara Luce offered her life for you, she gave it for you!” Also these words from Blessed Chiara Luce’s mother were welcomed with a long applause. In the first section of the program, which was entitled Life: 130 youths with the help of 70 technicians, portrayed, in music, dance, experiences and film, the birth and early childhood of Chiara Luce who encountered the Gospel at the age of nine and chose it as the alphabet of life.
The second section, Love: her growth, adolescence and encounter with Jesus Crucified and Forsaken, the greatest love. The show on stage was enriched by the witnesses of teenagers from today who highligted the universality of the experience of Chiara Luce who was of their same age. Marlisa shared the painful experience of her parents’ separation and of her reconciliation with her father after seven years of silence and hostility. Testimonies also arrived from afar, like the one of the young Jordanian boy who was involved in dialogue with his Muslim peers, and that of a young Pakistan boy.
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The final and most touching part of the evening, Light, was dedicated to the illness and the adventure of becoming saints together. “Chiara took 25 minutes to say yes. Then she turned to me with her usual smile, radiating, with her gaze truly full of light. Then she never turned back.” With these words Chiara’s mother made everyone relive the moment when Chiara received news of the seriousness of her illness.
In a 1989 film clip Chiara Lubich was shown inviting everyone to choose unity as the Ideal and Jesus Forsaken as the key for constructing it. This was the life program of Chiara Luce. The words of her letter to Chiara Lubich resounded in Paul VI Hall: “I’ve discovered that Jesus Forsaken is the key to unity with God, I want to choose him as my spouse and prepare myself for when he comes. I want to prefer him!”.
Towards the conclusion of the evening, Maria Voce, president of the Focolare Movement took the stage. Her words expressed the common feeling among the youth in the hall: “Now we leave here enriched and desirous of new things, of great things. We’ve lived strong, very powerful moments. We’ve discovered something beautiful together: that everything can change, our relationships, the way we face joys and sufferings, even when they come without warning, with tragic faces – and that we can give birth to a revolution. It has a name: love. Let’s leave now with this new force in our heart.”
