![The Parish – a witness to the love of God]()
Apr 13, 2010 | Non categorizzato
1,500 participants – amongst whom 140 from extra-European countries. These are the ‘numbers’ for the Parish and Diocesan Movement Congress which will take place at Castel Gandolfo (Rome) from 16 to 19 April. Born in 1966, with the encouragement of Pope Paul VI, the Movement is currently present in over 3,000 parishes in 41 nations, in all 5 continents. The spirituality of the Focolare is not only capable of renewing the life of the individual, but can also revive in a community, and therefore also in a parish or diocese, that life of communion which was so characteristic of the first Christian communities.
The theme chosen for the congress this year is ‘The Parish – a witness to God’s love’. ‘Words,’ the organizers say, ‘which respond to a reality that the Holy Father emphasized in his encyclical Deus Caritas Est.’ In his first encyclical Benedict XVI wrote: ‘In the Church's Liturgy, in her prayer, in the living community of believers, we experience the love of God, we perceive his presence and we thus learn to recognize that presence in our daily lives. He has loved us first and he continues to do so; we too, then, can respond with love. God does not demand of us a feeling that we ourselves are incapable of producing. He loves us, he makes us see and experience his love, and since he has “loved us first”, love can also blossom as a response within us.’
The congress at Castel Gandolfo is held at a crucial moment for the life of the Church and for its communities spread throughout the world. There will be participants from Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Canada, South Africa, Korea and the Philippines. ‘Benedict XVI,’ the organizers point out, ‘invites us all to announce to everyone that God is love. This is the inspiring spark of the Focolare Movement. It is important that the face of God-Love is discovered and found again in our Parish Communities so that they become authentic witnesses to the love of God – both because God reigns in their midst and because their love overflows on everyone.’ The programme will alternate meditations by Chiara Lubich on God-Love with experiences of communities animated by this spirit.
Following the Congress there will be a school for the animators of Parish communities that come from Asia, Africa and America, on the Spirituality of Unity and its spread in parish life.
Apr 11, 2010 | Non categorizzato
This is an international campaign, sponsored by the youth section of ‘Religions for Peace’ (formerly the WCRP – World Conference of Religions for Peace) and by its International Council, where the Focolare Movement, the Rissho Kosei-kai and Shanti Ashram are represented.
The campaign is counting on inter-religious co-operation and will reach out to international organizations, governments, parliaments and national assemblies, town councils and the media, to ask with determination for a definite reduction in nuclear and conventional arms and to reallocate military spending to support urgently needed development, as set forth in the Millennium Development Goals (United Nations 2000).
It also asks for a review of the International Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, planned for 2010, as support on an international level appears more and more fragile as the situation in areas of crisis gets worse.
The campaign was launched officially in Costa Rica on 7 November 2009. The Focolare Movement participated right from the beginning by sending 6 delegates, amongst who were 4 young people from different countries.
During her trip to Asia last January Maria Voce, President of the Focoalare Movement, inaugurated the collaboration with a solemn signing of the appeal during her meeting with the leaders of the young people of the Rissho Kosei-kai. The collecting of signatures was publically launched in Mid-February during the meeting of the Young People for a United World in Castel Gandolfo (Rome) and subsequently throughout the world. The annual get-together at Loppiano for young people on 1st May (Florence, Italy) and other events linked to United World Week (1-9 May) will be important occasions to spread the campaign.
Who can help?
Everyone – the response is personal and can be made by simply adding one’s own signature on-line at the Religions for Peace site (http://religionsforpeace.org/initiatives/global-youth-network/campaign-for-shared-security/) or by organizing one’s own collection of signatures using the forms that are downloadable from the site.
‘At a time when it is urgent to react to a war mentality’, the organizers affirm, ‘and to give strength to the international civil society uniting with those who are working for the same aim, we feel that this initiative can be a constructive means of supporting practical choices for peace and universal fraternity.’
![The Parish – a witness to the love of God]()
Mar 31, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Jesus is faithful to his promise: “… where two or three are gathered together in my name [that is, in my love], there am I in the midst of them.” .jpg)
Yes, where two or more are united in his name, the Risen Jesus is present, and he brings with him the gifts of the Spirit: light, joy, peace, love. This was the awesome experience made with my first companions during the Movement’s beginnings in Trent, during World War II, when we made the commandment, “Love one another as I love you,” our own, and formulated a pact among ourselves: “I am ready to die for you, I for you…” The Risen Jesus is just what the world is waiting for! It is waiting for witnesses who can truly say: we have seen him with the senses of our soul, we have discovered him in the light with which he enlightened us, we have touched him in the peace he gave us, we have heard his voice in the depths of our hearts, we have tasted his unmistakable joy. In this way we can assure everyone that he is the fullness of happiness and we can make the world hope again. Chiara Lubich
Mar 31, 2010 | Non categorizzato, Word of
We cannot but be happy if we have the life that Christ offers. This true life conquers death. This was first published as the Word of Life for March 1999.
Jesus said these words after the death of Lazarus of Bethany; then Jesus brought Lazarus back to life four days after he had died.
Lazarus had two sisters, Martha and Mary.
“When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him” and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
“Your brother will rise,” Jesus answered.
She replied, “I know that he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.”
Then Jesus declared: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die” (Jn 11:20-26).
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
Jesus wants to make clear who he is. Jesus possesses the most precious thing anyone could want: life, the life that can never die.
If we read John’s Gospel we find that Jesus also said, “Just as the Father has life in himself, so he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself” (Jn 5:26).
Since Jesus has life in himself, he can give it to others.
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
Martha believed in the final resurrection. “I know that he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day” (Jn 11:24). But with his wonderful affirmation, “I am the resurrection and the life,” Jesus tells her that she does not have to wait for the future to hope in the resurrection of the dead. Right now, in the present moment, for all those who believe in him, he is already that divine, ineffable, eternal life that will never die.
If Jesus is in those who believe, if he is in us, we will not die. This life in the believer is the same life that is in the risen Jesus and is, therefore, quite different from the human condition in which we find ourselves.
And this extraordinary life, which already exists in us, will become fully manifest on the last day when, with our whole being, we will take part in the resurrection that is to come.
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
With these words Jesus is certainly not denying that physical death exists. But that does not imply the loss of true life. Death will remain for us, as for everyone, an experience that is unique, intense, perhaps feared. But death will no longer be a sign that our existence is pointless or absurd, or the failure of our life, or our final end. Death, for us, will no longer be really a death.
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
When was this undying life born in us?
In our baptism. There, even though, as human beings we were destined to die, we received immortal life from Christ. In our baptism, in fact, we received the Holy Spirit, the one who raised Jesus from the dead.
The condition for receiving this sacrament was the faith we professed, perhaps through our godparents. On the occasion of the raising of Lazarus, Jesus stated clearly to Martha, “Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live … Do you believe this?” (Jn 11:25-26).
“Believing,” here, is something very serious, very important. It does not mean simply accepting the truths Jesus has proclaimed; it means adhering to them with our whole being.
To have this life, therefore, we must say our “yes” to Christ. And this means adherence to his words, to his commands: living them. Jesus reinforced this: “Whoever keeps my word will never see death” (Jn 8:51). And the teachings of Jesus are summed up in love.
So we cannot but be happy: in us there is life!
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
During this period in which we prepare for the celebration of Easter, let’s help one another to take that decisive step, which we always have to renew, toward the death of our ego, so that from now on Christ, the Risen One, may live in us.
By Chiara Lubich
![The Parish – a witness to the love of God]()
Mar 30, 2010 | Non categorizzato
After a very long journey, not just because of the 12,000 kilometres but also because of a problem with the airplane, Bruna Tomasi arrived in Chile. She had been invited, before the tragic earthquake struck this Latin American country, to remember and celebrate the second anniversary of Chiara’s departure.
As soon as she arrived she wanted to know about the victims of the quake and the situation regarding aid, which started arriving immediately the following day after the tragedy struck..jpg)
The next day she met with a group of young people at a Focolare centre in a poor area of the capital. She shared with them the experienced lived with Chiara at the beginning of the movement, when ‘everything collapsed and only God, who had been discovered as Love, remained.’ She emphasised the importance of ‘never losing enthusiasm and to go ahead guarding, above all else, unity and harmony amongst you.’ They were not just words for her, but a reality she has been lived for more than 65 years.
Many came to meet her and listen to her at the Aula Magna of the Catholic University on Sunday 14 March. Bruna managed to convey to everyone the experience of God Love and the newness of the charism of unity. Among those present were representatives of other ecclesial movements, the Orthodox Church and the Jewish community. Among the immediate impressions after the meeting: ‘ We needed to hear these words’ (from the Fondacio Movement). ‘We were struck by the great desire for holiness’ (Catholic Community Shalom).
It was an unforgettable day for the Focolare Movement in Chile; not just because of the exceptional visit of Bruna but also for the ordination of the first Chilean focolarino, Juan Ortiz, during the concluding mass celebrated by Card Francisco Javier Errazurz. The Cardinal, after having remembered Chiara with very moving words concluded encouraging everyone ‘to continue to feed the fire of love and unity among you, so that this fire will attract more and more people to Christ, so that it might be a light in our culture, a provoking and prophetic presence of unity in the church; a living witness that the fraternity of the human family is stronger than egoism and indifference. Love is stronger!’
![The Parish – a witness to the love of God]()
Mar 30, 2010 | Non categorizzato
‘Priests Today’, is the title of an afternoon that seeks to respond, above all through testimonies and the language of the arts, to the real challenges faced by priests in the Church and society. The event will take place on 9 June 2010, in the Paul IV Hall in the Vatican, as part of the Year for Priests. Priests from more over 70 nations, worldwide, are expected to attend.
Sponsors of the event: The priests of the Focolare Movement and Schoenstatt Movement in collaboration with the ICCRS (International Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Spirit) and other ecclesial church associations.
The programme will describe in trhee phases the identity of the priest today: Man of God – brothers together – prophets of a new world. Each section will be introduced by a thought from Benedict XVI (on video). In the concluding section, some thoughts of Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, and of Fr. Josef Kentenich, founder of Schoenstatt, will be presented.
Witnesses – Amongst the protagonists: a priest from Ireland on being faithful to God’s call; the survivors of an attack on the Junior Seminary of Buta in Burundi; and from Germany a priest who overcame a drink problem with the help of the community. Other experiences will tell of illness; of affective life and celibacy lived out in a context of fraternity; and pastoral work in the current multi-cultural and multi-religious environment.
Cardinal Claudio Hummes, Prefect of the Congregation of the Clergy, will preside at the Vespers that will conclude the evening. Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz, Archbishop of Santiago in Cile, ex-President of CELAM, will give a theological talk.
The International Multiartistic Performing Group Gen Verde will look after the artistic aspects of the afternoon, together with priests from different countries. The Seminarians from the International Centre of the Spirituality of Communion ‘Vinea Mea’ at Loppiano (Florence) will present some pieces of choreography.
All of the participants will be protagonists at this meeting. There will be a moment for dialogue for all present in the Hall, in small groups, on the subjects addressed in the course of the afternoon.
Television broadcast: It will be possible to follow the event in many countries throughout the world thanks to the satellites of Vatican Television Centre, Telepace and other Networks. It will also be accessible via Internet.
Events leading up to the 9 June appointment:
6 May – ConcerTheatre Ars Amoris, dedicated to the Cure d’Ars, in the Aula Magna of The Lateran Pontifical University, Rome.
8 June – A Retreat Day organised by the Catholic Charismatic Renewal – Basilica of St John Lateran.
A special programme for priests at Loppiano, the Focolare International town near Florence, before and after the events concluding the Year of the Priest.
11 June – An Invitation to priests from the Schoenstatt Movement to spend a celebratory afternoon together in Belmonte (Casalotti, Rome)
Further information and Programme: www.sacerdotioggi.org – sacerdotioggi@gmail.com
Press Office: Silvestre Marques, tel. +39-340-0538 300
José Luis Correa, tel. +39-389-1230 117
Carla Cotignoli, tel. +39-348-8563 347
![The Parish – a witness to the love of God]()
Mar 29, 2010 | Non categorizzato
It is with his death on the cross on Good Friday that Jesus teaches the most sublime, divine, heroic lesson of what love is..jpg)
He had given up everything: a life lived beside Mary amidst discomfort and in obedience; three years of preaching in which he revealed the Truth, gave witness to the Father, promised the Holy Spirit, and did all sorts of miracles of love; three hours on the cross from which he pardoned his executioners, opened Paradise to the Good Thief, gave his mother to us and, lastly, his Body and Blood which he had already given to us mystically in the Eucharist. All that remained to him was his divinity. He ceased feeling his union with the Father, which had made him so powerful on earth as the Son of God and so regal on the cross; he had to be disunited, in a way, from the one who, he said, was one with him: “The Father and I are one.” (Jn 10,30). In him love was annihilated, light was darkened, wisdom was silenced. We were detached from the Father. It was necessary that the Son, in whom we all were present, experience detachment from the Father. He had to experience being abandoned by God, so that we may never be abandoned again. Jesus was able to overcome such an immense trial by re-abandoning himself to the Father: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Lk 23, 46). In this way, he recomposed the broken unity between God and humanity and men and women among themselves. He was now manifesting himself to be the remedy to every disunity, the key to unity. Now it is our turn to cooperate with this grace and do our part. Since Jesus assumed all that is negative, behind each suffering, each separation, we can discover Jesus himself, one of the “faces” of his abandonment. We can embrace him in those sufferings and divisions, say “yes” to him just as he did when he completely accepted the Father’s will. Then he will live in us – even though we may be in pain – as the Risen Jesus; the peace we regain will be the proof. Chiara Lubich
![The Parish – a witness to the love of God]()
Mar 29, 2010 | Non categorizzato
The 40th Anniversary of the beginnings of the movement in that part of the world was celebrated in Hong Kong remembering the opening in 1970 of the first focolare. To mark the occasion, which coincided with the second anniversary of Chiara’s departure for heaven, 500 people met in the Theatre Meeting Hall of Bishop Pashan School in Kowloon Bay.
The protagonists of this story had arrived from Rocca di Papa (Rome) for the occasion: Giovanna Vernuccio, one of Chiara’s first companions who started the movement in Asia in 1966 and Silvio Daneo, who was also one of the first Focolarini to come to Asia. Rubi Tong who is the first Chinese focolarina was also there. In recent years she has been living in Fontem, a Focolare town in Cameroon (Africa).
The hall was filled with families, young people, priests and religious – 
Catholics and other Christian denominations were present, and people of other religions. Silvio Daneo commented: ‘Looking at the hall one can’t but recognise the fulfilment of that unity which Jesus wanted when he prayed to the Father, that all may be one. And it is this unity that synthesises Chiara’s great ideal, which has spread to every corner of the planet. The Chinese welcomed it enthusiastically almost as though Confucius had pre-announced it centuries before Christ, with his great maxim: amid the four oceans (the 4 points of the compass), we are all brothers.’
At the solemn celebration in the morning, Card Joseph Zen, emeritus bishop of the vast diocese of Hong Kong, spoke of his first meeting with the Focolare in 1957 when he was a student in Berlin. The Venerable Kok Kwong’s talk was very moving. Now quite elderly he is head of the Buddhist community here and met the Focolare in 1969. Many leaders were present: many pastors from different Christian churches, local Buddhist representatives and some members of the Buddhist organisation Rissho Kosei Kai.
There were artistic presentations expressing the Chinese culture. The directors of the Movement concluded the day saying that it had been a celebration and thanksgiving to Chiara ‘for her life’ and for how much the ‘Focolare Movement has done in these lands’ with the undertaking to face the future ‘with renewed enthusiasm’.
Mar 29, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Mar 28, 2010 | Non categorizzato
In this very serious and painful moment, we share this ‘hour of suffering’ with the Pope, with the whole Church and with all those who have been wounded by this serious wound of abuse. In a special way, in my own name and in the name of the entire Focolare Movement, I have conveyed our support and prayers to the Holy Father in this moment in which we see personal attacks on him growing day by day. They look like a senseless reaction to the clear and strong line that has been a characteristic of his pontificate. In the faith that the love of the Father guides history, we are sure that this moment is preparing a new resurrection, because it ‘forces’ us and the whole Church to live the Gospel in a new, more radical way. Maria Voce – President of the Focolare Movement
Mar 28, 2010 | Non categorizzato
![The Parish – a witness to the love of God]()
Mar 23, 2010 | Non categorizzato
The city of Milan unites around the memory of Chiara Lubich who was made an honorary citizen there in 2004. It is not an easy time for the capital of Lombardy but on 17 March, two years after the death of the founder of the Focolare Movement (14 March 2008), a convention was held entitled ‘Seeds of Fraternity for a more united world’, in the prestigious Alessi Hall of the Palazzo Marino.
The Mayor Letizia Moratti and the City Council welcomed the guests and speakers. ‘Milan feels very close to Chiara Lubich’s international commitment’, the Mayor said. ‘ The awareness that dialogue and the meeting of different cultures, by themselves are enough to overcome misunderstandings between peoples; that the values of solidarity and communion are the basis upon which to build a future of peace. Her path is an example of how love for neighbour can give a concrete meaning to human activity.’ Many people in Milan today feel the urgency for a new message of hope. Mons Gianni Zappa, of the Archdiocese of Milan, pointed out the importance of dialogue in Chiara Lubich’s spirituality, while Prof Stefano Zamagni showed how the principle of fraternity breaks down traditional schemes of political and economic conflict. Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement, closed the convention with these words: ‘ I think Chiara managed to indentify a specific vocation for this beautiful city, the vocation to goodness, to love, to the art of loving. The fulfilment of this project is an aim that Milan must follow with great commitment so as not to betray a plan of God. We want to take on this commitment also, as a way of living out Chiara’s legacy, and offer the full availability of the people of the movement who live here. T.jpg)
he following day, in the Basilica of St Ambrose, heart of the Ambrosian Church, the Archbishop of Milan, Card. Dionigi Tettamanzi celebrated mass to thank the Lord, as he said, for the great gift that Chiara Lubich’s holy life has been for the Church and for society. The Basilica was packed with the large local Focolare community, and also with many friends and people who identify with Chiara’s dream of building universal fraternity: politicians, businessmen, representatives from other ecclesial movements and members of other churches.
![The Parish – a witness to the love of God]()
Mar 21, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Church announces beatification date for Italian teen
Chiara Badano, an Italian who died of bone cancer just before her 19th birthday, will be beatified Sept. 25 at a shrine outside of Rome, said the bishop of the diocese where she lived.
March 24th, 2010
By Joeun Lee
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Chiara Badano, an Italian who died of bone cancer just before her 19th birthday, will be beatified Sept. 25 at a shrine outside of Rome, said the bishop of the diocese where she lived.
The beatification ceremony will be held at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love and will be presided over by Archbishop Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, said Bishop Pier Giorgio Micchiardi of Acqui.
A member of the Focolare Movement, Badano corresponded for years with Chiara Lubich, founder of the movement.
Born Oct. 29, 1971, in northern Italy, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a bone malignancy, when she was 17. According to her biography, the diagnosis came after many painful examinations and operations. When she was given the news, she vowed to accept it as God’s will.
“If you want it, Jesus, so do I,” she was reported to have said during a painful therapy session, adding that “embraced pain makes one free.”
She also reportedly declined to take the morphine doctors offered because, she said, “I want to share as much as possible the pain of Jesus on the cross.”
“I feel that God is asking me for something more, something greater,” she said, according to her official biography. “I could be confined to this bed for years, I don’t know. I’m only interested in God’s will, doing that well in the present moment: playing God’s game,” she said.
Badano, who was nicknamed “Luce” or “Light,” died Oct. 7, 1990, and her funeral was attended by hundreds of young members of the Focolare Movement from throughout northern Italy. Devotion to her has spread, so the rather isolated Diocese of Acqui asked that her beatification ceremony be celebrated in Rome to make it easier for more young people to attend, said Mariagrazia Magrini, the vice-postulator of her cause.
From March 26, 2010 issue of Catholic San Francisco.
![The Parish – a witness to the love of God]()
Mar 10, 2010 | Non categorizzato
‘Over the next few days the person and teachings of Chiara Lubich will be remembered in many countries throughout the world. This occasion gives us the opportunity to thank God for the great gift that Chiara is for humanity and to re-focus on the living strength of the charism of unity, which has touched the lives of people of different cultures, traditions and faiths.
Day by day we experience that Chiara hasn’t left us but is still at work, in a special way through the lives of our communities, in every corner of the world, illuminating and renewing today’s society.’ This is what Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement said in a message to everyone who will be attending the celebrations to mark the Second Anniversary.
A wide variety of events are being organised throughout the world, not just in remembrance of Chiara but also to share her legacy with many others in this current moment of global crisis, and of search for something new.
Ecumenical meetings in Moscow and Bucharest, an inter-religious meeting in Hong Kong (on the 40th Anniversary of the beginning of the Movement there). On Mount Sion, in Jerusalem, where tradition holds that Jesus prayed for unity, Christians, Jews and Muslims will participate in a ceremony where 8 olive trees will be planted in honour of Chiara Lubich.
Cultural Events: The City Councils of Rome and Milan are hosting two conferences with Civil and Religious leaders present, entitled respectively: ‘Seeds of fraternity for a more united world’, and ‘Chiara Lubich – a life lived for unity’, ten years after she was conferred with Roman Citizenship at Campidoglio.
The impact Chiara Lubich’s charism has made on the world of Economy will be studied in depth at the University of Reggio Emilia. In Parma the subject will be: ‘Communicating in the era of the New Media: Chiara Lubich’s Way’.
There are also many artistic events planned – concerts and classical ballet.
There are many Masses planned, often celebrated by bishops and followed by meetings with testimonies and explanations of the spirituality of unity and of the re-discovery of God-Love, which was the starting point for everything. At St John Lateran’s Basilica in Rome Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, will celebrate a mass; Card. Dionigi Tettamanzi in Milan; Card. Archbishop Francisco Javier Errazzuriz Ossa in Santiago, Chile; H.E. Mons Pelatre in Istanbul. Also in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) with Card. Lopez Rodriguez and Hong Kong with Card. Zen. To mention just a few other places where masses will be celebrated: Spalato (Croatia), Bucharest (Romania), Melbourne (Australia), Salvador de Bahia and Aracaju (Brazil), Iringa (Tanzania) and Montreal (Canada).
Following the mass celebrated by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer at the UN, at Hyde Park (near New York), USA, there will be a ceremony to award the 2010 Luminosa Prize for Unity.
Events of every type – more than 400 throughout the world – that show how far the spirit of unity has spread, and with what gratitude Chiara Lubich is remembered. ‘What is the best way to express our gratitude?’ – Maria Voce concludes her message – ‘Let’s go ahead together, in her footsteps, living the ideal for which Chiara gave her life: universal fraternity.’
![The Parish – a witness to the love of God]()
Mar 9, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Over 50 Bishops from 30 countries and 4 continents, who are interested in the Focolare spirituality, met together in Castelgandolfo from 27 February to 5 March. During the programme, rich with talks and a sharing of experiences, they looked at the challenges of the modern world and studied the social, economic and political implications of Benedict XVI’s latest encyclical Caritas in Veritate.
Among the main speakers, as well as Card. Miloslav Vlk, the convenor of these congresses, were Card. G.B. Re, Prefect of the Congregation of Bishops, Card. Claudio Hummes, Prefect of the Congregation of the Clergy, Card. Annio Antonelli, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, and the emeritus Cardinals Adrianus J Simonis, ex-Archbishop of Utrecht, Holland and Giovanni Cheli of the Roman Curia.
In an atmosphere of fraternal sharing and friendship, this meeting offered a unique occasion for intellectual and spiritual enrichment. A lively dialogue followed the meditations and reflections on the problems of our times, and the witnesses of priests, in the context of the Year for Priests, committed on different fronts in a society that is completely secularised or totally indifferent to religious values.
The recently founded University Institute ‘Sophia’, based at Loppiano (near Florence), gave important contributions on exegesis, the debate between science and faith, evolution and creation, and economy, allowing a 360 degree vision on many human realities in the perspective of interpreting facts and daily news in the light of revelation.
Similar congresses have taken place or are planned in other countries:
Asia: Bangkok from 9-13 February at the same time as the visit by Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement.
Africa: Mid-March in Bangui, Cameroun
Middle-East, Brazil (San Paolo) in April and Columbia (Bogota) also in April.
Mar 7, 2010 | Focolare Worldwide
Feb 28, 2010 | Non categorizzato, Word of
The Word of Life, taken from Scripture, is offered each month as a guide and inspiration for daily living. From the Focolare’s beginnings, Chiara Lubich wrote her commentaries on each Word of Life, and after her death in March 2008, her early writings are now being featured once again. This commentary, addressed to a primarily Christian audience, was originally published in September 1979.
How often in the course of your life have you felt the need for somebody to give you a hand and at the same time realized that no one could solve your problem. Then, inadvertently, you turn to Someone who can make the impossible happen. This Someone has a name: Jesus.
Listen to what he says to you:
“Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Obviously, the expression “to move mountains” is not to be taken literally. Jesus did not promise his disciples the power to do spectacular miracles simply to amaze the crowds. In fact if you look through the whole history of the Church, you will not find one saint, as far as I know, who literally moved mountains by faith. The expression “to move mountains” is hyperbole, that is, a rhetorical exaggeration. It was intended to instill in the minds of the disciples the idea that with faith nothing is impossible.
Indeed, the purpose of every miracle of Jesus, directly or through his followers, has always been for the sake of the kingdom of God, promoting the Gospel or the salvation of humankind. Moving mountains wouldn’t serve this purpose.
The comparison with the “mustard seed” is used to show that what Jesus requires of you is not faith of a particular size, but a genuine faith. The characteristic of genuine faith is that it is rooted solely in God and not in your own strength.
If you are assailed by doubts or reservations about your faith, it means your trust in God is not yet total: your faith is weak and not very effective, and still depends on your own strength and on human ways of reasoning.
On the other hand, one who trusts in God completely lets God himself act and … for God nothing is impossible.
The faith Jesus wants from his disciples is, in fact, that attitude of total trust which allows God himself to manifest his power.
And this faith, which can therefore move mountains, is not reserved for certain exceptional people. It is possible, and it is a requirement, for all believers.
“Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
It is thought that Jesus said these words to his disciples when he was about to send them out on a mission.
It is easy to be discouraged and afraid when you know you are a little flock, with no special talents, facing crowds of people to whom you have to give the truth of the Gospel. It is easy to lose heart in front of people interested in anything but the kingdom of God. It seems an impossible task.
It is then that Jesus assures his disciples that by faith they will “move mountains” of indifference and apathy in the world. If they have faith, nothing will be impossible for them.
This expression can be applied, furthermore, to all circumstances in life, as long as they are about the progress of the Gospel and the salvation of people.
At times, when faced with difficulties we cannot overcome, we may even be tempted not to turn to God. Human reasoning tells us, “Give up; it’s no use anyway.” It is then that Jesus urges us not to be discouraged but to turn to God with trust. In one way or another, he will answer us.
Some months had passed since the day when, full of hope, Lella first reported to her new job in the Flemish-speaking area of Belgium. But then a sense of dismay and loneliness took hold of her.
It seemed as though an insurmountable barrier had gone up between her and the other young women she lived and worked with. She felt lonely and like a stranger among people she only wished to serve with love.
It was all because she had to speak a language that was neither hers nor the language of those she spoke to. She had been told that everybody spoke French in Belgium, and she had learned it. But meeting the people, she realized that the Flemish only studied French in school and generally spoke it unwillingly.
Many times she tried to move this mountain of segregation that kept her apart from the others, but in vain. What could she do for them?
One evening she noticed that Godeliève was very sad. She had gone up to her room without touching her supper. Lella tried to follow, but she stopped in front of her door, shy and hesitant. She wanted to knock… but what words could she use to make herself understood? She stood there a few seconds, then gave up and left.
The next morning she went to church and sat at the very back, her face in her hands so that no one would see her tears. It was the only place where there was no need to speak a different language, where no explanations were needed, because there was Someone who understood beyond words. This certainty of being understood gave her courage, and with her soul in anguish, she asked Jesus, “Why can’t I share the crosses of the other girls and tell them what you yourself made me understand when I found you: that every suffering is love?”
She remained in front of the tabernacle as though expecting an answer from the One who had brought light into every darkness of her life.
Then her eyes fell on the Gospel of the day, and she read, “Take courage [that is, have faith], I have conquered the world” (Jn 16:33). These words were like a healing balm on Lella’s soul, and she felt great peace.
When she went back for breakfast, she met Annj, the girl who took care of the housework. She greeted Annj and followed her into the storeroom; then, without a word she started to help her prepare breakfast.
The first to come down was Godeliève. She came to the kitchen for her coffee quickly, to avoid seeing anyone. But there, she stopped; Lella’s peace had touched her soul in a way that was stronger than any words.
That evening, on the way home, Godeliève caught up with Lella on her bicycle and, trying to speak in a way Lella would understand, she whispered: “Your words aren’t necessary. Today your life said, ‘You too should love.’” The mountain had moved!
By Chiara Lubich
Feb 23, 2010 | Focolare Worldwide
Feb 8, 2010 | Non categorizzato
The new bishop of Islamabad and Rawalpindi in Pakistan has just being ordained. His Diocese reaches as far as the borders of Afghanistan – where pastoral visits are often high risk. Mons Anthony Ruffin participated for the first time at the periodic meeting of Bishops, friends of the Focolare Movement, in the Far East. Last year in was held in Macao and this year it is being held in Bangkok in Thailand. The meeting started on the 9th of February and continued until the 12th. The thirty bishops reflected on the theme ‘To communicate God who is Love – new evangelization today’, and looked at two areas in particular: on one hand the challenge of the encyclical Caritas in Veritate and the need of communication in this age of globalization and on the other Inter-religious dialogue in the light of God who is Love. Paolo Loriga
Feb 5, 2010 | Non categorizzato
(more…)
![The Parish – a witness to the love of God]()
Feb 3, 2010 | Non categorizzato
An International Congress will be held in Castelgandolfo 19-21 February called ‘United World Project’. Young people from all over the world will come together to share their ideas and talents to further universal solidarity.
The journey started in 1985, when Chiara Lubich encouraged the young people of the Focolare Movement to widen the invitation to work together to build a more united world to young people of every nationality, culture and religious conviction. The journey has already taken them far and wide, and can be seen in the many activities and projects that have been started in developing countries, in cities, or simply where these young people live.
To give new impulse to this project and to raise awareness with as many young people as possible, ‘Youth for a United World’ are meeting together at the Mariapolis Centre in Castel Gandolfo from 19 to 21 February. This meeting will be a re-launch of the original ‘Many Roads for a United World’ that marked the beginning of the Movement, in order to reinvigorate it today together with today’s young people. In this increasingly globalized world we can reach a bigger variety of young people including people from remote places, or others who don’t have any particular religious belief, but share the commitment to break down those obstacles which still exist between people of different ethnic, cultural or social backgrounds.
The meeting, which includes a half day visit to Rome, is not only open to those who already know ‘Youth for a United World’ but to anybody who might like to get to know it. Reflections, sharing of experiences and meetings will alternate with moments of celebration, friendship and practical work, to put into action the ideas that emerge during the congress.
Bookings are open until 12 February at sgmu@focolare.org, or at the International Centre of GMU tel: ++ 39 06 94792089
www.mondounito.net
‘Youth for a united World’ are also on Facebook
![The Parish – a witness to the love of God]()
Feb 3, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Brief biography
Giancarlo Faletti was Co-President of the Focolare Movement from July 2008 – September 2014. Faletti was born on the 14th of September 1940 in the Municipality of Cerro Tanaro, Province of Asti in the Piedmont Region of Italy, into a family that was sensitive to social issues. Though never receiving a particular religious formation, from an early age he felt a growing desire to become involved in the world of Catholic youth and, later, in the field of Christian volunteers which brought him close to the suffering and the poor. Following a period of personal searching, in 1959 he encountered the spirituality of communion and remained fascinated by Chiara Lubich’s proposal to live for the realization of the unity of the human family that Jesus had asked of the Father: “That all be one!” – which is the goal of the Focolare Movement. At the age of twenty-five he decided to completely give himself to God in community life in a focolare. After completing his studies in Economics, he was employed at a prestigious bank in Turin, where he held executive level positions. In 1972, after living in various focolare communities in Turin, he was given the responsibility of the Focolare in Genoa, where he showed particular attention towards the youth. It was during these years that the fruits of holiness began to blossom precisely among the youth, as in the case of Chiara Luce Badano who was recently beatified, and Alberto Michelotti and Carlo Grisolia for whom the process of beatification is in progress. Following his appointment as co-director of the Focolare Movement in Lazio, Giancarlo concluded his theology studies at the Pontifical Lateran University and in 1997 was ordained to the priesthood. A few months later Chiara Lubich him appointed him delegate of the Movement in Abruzzo, Sardegna and Rome, where he remained until the Assembly of 2008 in which he was elected co-president of the Movement. He accompanied Maria Voce on her visit to Benedict XVI at the conclusion of the Assembly and, in the end of January 2009, he attended the enthronement of Patricarch Cirillo I in Moscow. During the years, he has accompanied the president Maria voce on several trips in Europe and in the world to visit Focolare communities. During these trips he has had numerous contacts with civil leaders, ecclesiastical leaders, and leaders of institutions.
Feb 2, 2010 | Focolare Worldwide
Jan 31, 2010 | Focolare Worldwide
Jan 31, 2010 | Non categorizzato, Word of
Jesus presents himself as the one who fulfills the divine promises and the expectations of a people whose story is marked by an alliance with God that has never been revoked.
The idea of the gate is similar to and explained quite well by another image used by Jesus: “I am the way… No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6). He is truly a passageway, an open door that leads to the Father, to God himself.
“I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture."
Practically speaking, what does this Word of Life mean? Other passages of the Gospel have implications similar to this phrase from John. Let us reflect on the “narrow gate,” through which we must strive to enter (see Mt 7:13) so as to enter into life.
Why did we choose this passage? We feel that perhaps it is the closest to the truth that Jesus reveals about himself, and it helps us see best how to live it.
When did he become this wide open door, completely open to the Trinity? At the moment the door of heaven seemed to be closed for him, he became the gateway to heaven for us all.
Jesus Forsaken (see Mk 15:34 and Mt 27:46) is the door through which a perfect exchange between God and humanity takes place; in his emptying, he united the children to the Father. It is through that emptiness (the opening of the door) that we come in contact with God and God with us.
So he is at the same time a narrow and wide open door, and we ourselves can experience this.
“I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.”
In his abandonment, Jesus himself became our access to the Father. His part is done. But to take advantage of such a huge grace, each one of us must do his or her tiny part, which consists of approaching that door and going through it.
How? When we suffer because of disappointment or something painful, or because of unexpected misfortune or unexplained illness, we can recall the suffering of Jesus, who experienced all these trials and a thousand others.
Yes, he is present in everything that speaks of suffering. Every suffering of ours can bear his name.
Let us try to recognize Jesus in every hardship, in all life’s difficult situations, in every moment of darkness, in our personal trials and those of others, in the sufferings of humanity. All these are him, because he has taken them upon himself.
It would be enough to tell him, with faith, “You, Lord, are my only good” (See Ps 16:2). It would be enough to do something tangible in order to alleviate “his” sufferings in the poor and those who are unhappy, in order to go beyond the door and find a joy on the other side we have never experienced before, a new fullness of life.
By Chiara Lubich
The Word of Life, taken from Scripture, is offered each month as a guide and inspiration for daily living. From the Focolare’s beginnings, Chiara Lubich wrote her commentaries on each Word of Life, and after her death in March 2008, her early writings are now being featured once again. This commentary, addressed to a primarily Christian audience, was originally published in April 1999.
![The Parish – a witness to the love of God]()
Jan 21, 2010 | Non categorizzato
Eli, Chiara would have been ninety today. During her lifetime the world changed a lot. You knew her closely. What do you think is her historical importance? «In each period of history, God has sent a charism to meet the particular needs of the world. At this time there is a tension towards unity, in politics, in business …and we can see this from European unity, the UN, and the ecumenical dialogue that happened during this period. The Second Vatican Council opened the Catholic Church to other Christian traditions and other faiths. It seems that everything had been prepared for the charism of unity. Chiara’s gift, which can be summed up in the words of Jesus “May they all be one”, is unity in its maximum expression: “all One”. Her charism is addressed to everyone as children of God-Love, for everyone has been created in order to love. Chiara focused on this aspect of human nature, and created relationships of all kinds. Her inspiration that mutual love brings unity was something new! It was the discovery that you can go to God together in a communion which grows deeper and deeper». Many people, including Church leaders, have suggested that Chiara had a “gift of prophecy”. Could you tell us about any intuitions she had that proved to be true? «In the very early days of the movement, on the feast of Christ the King she invited her companions to ask for what they read in the Readings of the day: “… ask and I will give you as an inheritance all peoples…” While she was still alive, she saw this spirit reach 184 nations, almost all of them. Another new intuition was regarding the presence of Jesus “where two or more are gathered” in his name. His presence among the first group was an answer to all their aspirations and was a totally new experience for them. So too was the communion of goods and unity (a word only used by communists at that time) and living the Words of the Gospel (something emphasised at the time more by Protestants than Catholics). She had an openness that emphasised the positive aspects of other Christian traditions, which began an ecumenical dialogue: similarly an interfaith dialogue began, and a wider dialogue with those with no formal faith. .. These are all elements that were affirmed first by the Council and then successive Popes as part of the life of the Church. The experience she had with the Bangwa people in Africa was an example of “new evangelisation”, and began in the sixties. She also emphasised the role of the laity in paving the way for the institutional Church in many fields of human activity. In all this it is easy to see why God chose a woman to build unity at such a broad level. The Focolare Movement (“Work of Mary”), as written in our Statutes and approved by the Church, desires to be as far as possible a continuation of the presence of Mary on earth. This wish of hers came from a very profound spiritual experience». What was Chiara’s relationship with young people and what did they mean to her? «She had a special relationship with young people because she felt that they had less to lose than adults. She felt they were freer, and was at her ease in their company, especially the youngest ones. She had a belief in their “uncontaminated” nature and had a direct, simple and immediate rapport with them. She was very excited about their ability to follow great ideals, and to believe everything is possible. She had a great “utopian” ideal and young people were drawn to it. She was “revolutionary” just in the simple way she related to them, with her approach, the normality of reaching fulfilment by doing the will of God, holiness within the reach of everyone. She received many letters from young people who wanted to imitate her in following God, in living the Gospel, in giving everything. When she launched the Economy of Communion, she issued a challenge to young students, encouraging them to broaden their knowledge about it and develop it. When she began her adventure, she was young and surrounded by people even younger than her. She always had a great trust in young people». What do you think Chiara would say to us today? «I think she would say, “Love one another, like Jesus loved us”. »
Jan 19, 2010 | Focolare Worldwide
Speaking by phone with Wilfrid Joachin (the local focolare leader) on Monday, January 18, he gave us an update on how the situation is in his part of the country.
First of all, he says, almost every family has lost one or more of their members in the earthquake. Many people from the villages in the countryside had left for the capital, either for studies or to find work. One family in Carice has lost 7 of their 8 children.
The good news is that two of our members studying in Port-au-Prince survived the devastating quake.
As a consequence of the destruction of Port-au-Prince, everybody now tries to get out of the city, going to the countryside. He tells us that many people from the capital arrived in Ounaminthe, a city in the North-East at the border with the Dominican Republic. They arrive and don’t know where to go; not having eaten for several days, they beg for food and lodging. Also in Mont-Organisé, Savanette, Carice, these people arrive, having lost all they had in Port-au-Prince. Wilfrid tells us that the whole country is devastated, crushed to the ground by this great disaster.
He continues that they came up with the idea of building a center for poor families. Some years back the Focolare movement in Haiti was given a piece of land. Wilfrid, after discussing with other members what they could do to help their fellow Haitians, they decided to go ahead with a building plan which will provide housing for twenty families. Their help would also include clothing, food, and medical help, taken from their own meager resources.
But the Focolare group in Haiti will have to rely on help from the outside to be able to do something at this moment and to bring this building proposal to completion.
You can participate immediately. More information: toronto@focolare.ca
![The Parish – a witness to the love of God]()
Jan 17, 2010 | Non categorizzato
‘I thank you for the effort of translating in an artistic response the extraordinary life of Saint Curé d’Ars’, Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, Secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy, said at the end of the ConcerTheatre ‘Ars Amoris – the Love that comes from Ars’ which had its first performance on Thursday 14 January at the Mariapolis Centre in Castelgandolfo.
Speaking to the 550 priests from 31 countries, meeting together for their annual retreat, the Archbishop reaffirmed the importance of making God’s love visible in today’s society: ‘This is all the lay faithful expect from a priest, as Chiara Lubich affirmed 35 years ago: “Love, the gospel is the real “revolution”.’
The Love that comes from Ars, he continued, is ‘the art of loving, the ability of knowing how to love every person always and everywhere, in every situation and circumstance.’
He recalled how the inspiring spark of Chiara Lubich’s charism had been ‘a renewed revelation of God as Love.’ This charism ‘whilst being part of the life of one specific person, is, in reality, universal, as love, and also unity, are at the heart of the gospel message and of the history and life of the Church itself.’
‘Not just an abstract feeling of love,’ he pointed out, ‘but the Love made visible in Jesus of Nazareth, Lord and Christ, the Love which was nailed to the cross for us and for our sins, the Love of Jesus Forsaken.’
And he concluded: ‘Dearest priests, friends of the Focolare Movement, you are called in a very special way, particularly because of the responsibility implied in having met such a beautiful and fruitful charism, to live this radical measure of love.’ ‘Today I want to leave you with a real “missionary mandate”: be faithful witnesses of love and unity in your dioceses, in your presbyteries, competing with each other in loving your fellow brothers and in faithful obedience to the Church.’
![The Parish – a witness to the love of God]()
Jan 14, 2010 | Focolare Worldwide
We are trying to keep up with breaking news about the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the poorest country in Central America, where much of the capital Port au Prince has been reduced to rubble. As an act of solidarity, throughout the Movement people are responding to this emergency, and to the need for reconstruction. We would like to assure the supporters of “Sostegno a Distanza” (Adoptions at a Distance) that the children involved in this educational project in the north east of Haiti have not been directly affected. “They are all safe, we felt some tremors, but there was no damage. But everyone has relatives in Port au Prince, and it has been impossible to find out anything about them.” This is what we heard from the Focolare community in Haiti, which was established thirty years ago and whose development has been closely followed by the Movement in Canada, through Adoptions at a Distance and other projects. Anyone who would like to help this action of solidarity can send donations to the following accounts: Giovani per un Mondo Unito (GMU) Current account “PAMOM – Fondo Mondo Unito” Intesa San Paolo, Filiale di Grottaferrata Via delle Sorgenti, 128 – 00046 Grottaferrata (Roma) Italia IBAN code : IT04 M030 6939 1401 0000 0640 100 BIC code: BCITITMM Ref: Terremoto Haiti Associazione “Azione per un Mondo Unito – Onlus” (AMU) -current postal account n. 81065005 -Banca Etica, Filiale di Roma, Via Parigi, 17 – 00185 Roma, Italia IBAN code : IT16G0501803200000000120434 BIC code : CCRTIT2184D Ref: Solidarietà per Haiti AFN Azione per Famiglie Nuove – Onlus Sostegno a distanza (Adoptions at a Distance) via Isonzo,42 00046 Grottaferrata (Roma) – current postal account n. 48075873 – Current bank account at: BANCA PROSSIMA IBAN code: IT55K0335901600100000001060 Ref: Solidarietà per Haiti
Dec 31, 2009 | Non categorizzato, Word of
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated in many parts of the world from January 18-25; others celebrate it at Pentecost. Chiara Lubich always commented on the Biblical verse chosen for this occasion in the Word of Life of that same month.
This year’s phrase for the Week of Prayer is: “You are witnesses of these things” (Lk 24:48). To help us put it into practice, we propose the following text of Chiara as an urgent call for Christians to join together and bear witness to the presence of God in the world.
“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will always be with them” (Rev 21:3).
This month’s Word of Life is such earnest encouragement: if we want to be part of his people, we must allow him to live among us.
But how is this possible? What can we do in order to have such a foretaste, while still on earth, of the endless joy we will have in seeing God?
This is exactly what Jesus revealed to us. This is the very meaning of his coming: to communicate his life of love with the Father, so that we too can live it.
We Christians can live this phrase even now and have God among us. To have him among us, however, requires certain conditions that are affirmed by the Fathers of the Church. For Basil, the essential condition is living according to the will of God; for John Chrysostom, it is loving our neighbor as Jesus did; for Theodore the Studite, it is mutual love; and for Origen, it having such accord in thought and in feeling that we arrive at a concord that “unites, and contains the Son of God.”
The key for allowing God to dwell among us is in the teachings of the Gospel: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (Jn 13:34). Mutual love is the key to the presence of God. “If we love one another, God remains in us” (1Jn 4:12). “For where two or three are gathered together in my name,” Jesus says, “there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20).
“God himself will always be with them.”
In this light then, the fulfillment of all the promises of the Old Covenant — “My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Ez 37:27) — is not far off and unattainable.
Everything is already accomplished in Jesus because he continues, beyond his historical existence, to be present among those who live according to the new law of mutual love, the norm that makes them a people, the people of God.
This Word of Life is therefore an urgent call, especially for us Christians, to witness through love to the presence of God. “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35). Living out the new commandment sets forth the conditions for the presence of Jesus among all people.
We cannot do anything unless this presence is guaranteed, a presence that gives meaning to the supernatural brotherhood that Jesus brought on earth for all humanity.
“God himself will always be with them.”
First of all, it is up to us Christians, even though we belong to different ecclesial communities, to let the world see one people made up of every ethnic group, race and culture, adults and children. One people to whom we can apply the words said of the first Christians, “Look at how they love one another and are ready to give their life for one another.”
This is the miracle humanity is waiting for in order to regain hope. This miracle will also provide an essential contribution to ecumenism, the journey towards full and visible unity among Christians. It is a miracle within our reach, or better, a miracle of the one who dwells among those of us united by love, the one who can change the direction of the world and lead all humanity toward unity.
By Chiara Lubich
The Word of Life, taken from Scripture, is offered each month as a guide and inspiration for daily living. From the Focolare’s beginnings, Chiara Lubich wrote her commentaries on each Word of Life, and after her death in March 2008, her early writings are now being featured once again. This commentary, addressed to a primarily Christian audience, was originally published in January 1999.
Dec 1, 2009 | Non categorizzato
A very full year in Europe and beyond, in which the ideas of the pedagogy of unity were brought to the attention of university teachers, educators, teachers, young and old people interested in educational matters. In 2009, there were numerous meetings, seminars, conventions, and round table discussions, in Catania, Benevento, Milano, Varese, Tortona, Vienna, Barcelona, London, Cordoba, Buenos Aires, as well as in Slovenia, Macedonia and Croatia, according to the annual report of the Central Commission of the “EdU-EducazioneUnità”. The theoretical presentation of the pedagogy that has developed from the charism of unity was accompanied by the presentation of educational experiences promoted by the Focolare Movement. Among these are the “Raggio di Sole” (Ray of Sun) nursery school in Croatia, “Fantasy” in Serbia, and “Perle” (Pearls) in Macedonia, where through the use of simple and natural educational materials, children are encouraged to exercise their imagination together with their classmates, developing their ability to collaborate and integrate. The method provides hope for peoples who have suffered years of strife and whose ability to relate to others has been severely affected. On 15 May Michele De Beni, member of the EdU commission, took part in a seminar organised by the Faculty of Education in Skopje, Macedonia. There were 120 Christian and Muslim teachers from various disciplines and countries. At“Raggio di Sole” the “pegagogy of communion” was presented to a team from Croatian TV, who transmitted a 7 minute report. And on another occasion, forty students from the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb made a study visit. Giuseppe Milan a member of the EdU commission as well as director of the Department of Educational Science at the University of Padova, was invited to take part in the “Europe Week” organised by the commune of Skofja Loka in Slovenia, where he presented the “pedagogy of communion” to academics and civil and religious leaders. On that occasion the idea emerged of a collaborative project between the universities of Padova and Ljubljana. In the photo: a group of 4th year students and teachers from the faculty of Philosophy Zagreb, during their visit to the “Raggio di Sole” school in May 2009.
Nov 30, 2009 | Focolare Worldwide
On a winding mountain road, I was driving my elderly friend’s car. He knew every part of the route and with little hand signals was telling me when to slow down, accelerate, and when to proceed with caution. I was following these often barely perceptible signs out of the corner of my eye, and was totally absorbed in the effort to understand him, and to drive the way he would have driven. I imagined him to be the conductor of an orchestra, who was very happy when I managed to perform my part perfectly. That evening Massimiliano, a friar from a long established friary, phoned me. For some time he had been having difficulties with his superior, and he told me that he had no more energy to deal with it, and had decided to leave the friary. I told him my story about the conductor and the orchestra, and realised that he was listening in deep silence. Then he said, “Maybe my mistake was to expect something from my superior. But he cannot play my instrument, he cannot take my place. All he can do is help me to be in harmony with the others! I have to take up my instrument again, accept my responsibilities and show my talent as part of the overall harmony.” He then began to cry. At the end of the call, I realised that an idea that came from an act of love had released a ray of light that someone, somewhere, was waiting for. (T.M, Czech Republic)
Nov 30, 2009 | Non categorizzato, Word of
Light that shines out
This light is seen through your good works. It shines through the love radiated by Christians to all other people.
Perhaps you’ll tell me: but Christians are not the only ones who do good works. There are others who work for progress, establish charitable institutions, promote justice and do many good things.
You are right. Certainly, Christians do these things too, but this is not a Christian’s specific function. Christians must bring a new spirit into the good works they perform, which means it is no longer they that live in them, but Christ in them.
In fact, when St. Matthew wrote this, he was not thinking merely of isolated acts of charity such as visiting prisoners, clothing the naked and the many other works of mercy done to meet people’s needs. Rather, he was thinking of a Christian’s total commitment to the will of God, in such a way that his or her entire life becomes a continuous series of good works.
If Christians do this, they become “transparent,” and the praise given for whatever they had done will not go to them, but to Christ in them, and through them God becomes present in the world. The Christian’s task, therefore, is to let this light that dwells within them radiate out so that it can be a sign of this presence of God among men and women.
“Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
If good works performed by individual believers have this character, then the Christian community in the midst of the world must have a similar specific task. That task is to reveal, through its communal life, the presence of God that is manifested where two or three are united in his name, the presence promised to the Church until the end of time.
The early Church gave great emphasis to these words of Jesus. Especially in difficult times, when the Christians were facing persecution and being maligned, the Church urged them not to react with violence. Their behavior had to be the best refutation of the evil spoken against them.
St. Paul’s letter to Titus reads, “Urge the younger men, similarly, to control themselves, showing yourself as a model of good deeds in every respect, with integrity in your teaching, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be criticized, so that the opponent will be put to shame without anything bad to say about us” (Titus 2: 6-8).
“Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
This is an experience of Christian life that even today is a light that shines out and leads men and women to God.
Let me tell you a story.
Antoinette was a girl who left Sardinia in order to find work in France, in Grenoble. She found a job in an office, but it was a place where most of the other workers did not want to do the work. Since she was a Christian and saw in every person Jesus to be served, she helped everyone and was always calm and smiling. Oftentimes the others would get angry and take it out on her, saying in loud, mocking voices, “Since you like to work, take this and do my typing also.”
She remained calm and at peace, and worked on. She knew that they were basically not bad people. They probably all had troubles of their own.
One day, when the others were not around her, her boss approached and said: “Now you have to tell me. How come you never lose your patience, and why you are always smiling?”
Antoinette tried to evade the question by saying, “I simply try to stay calm and see the positive side of things.”
The boss banged his fist on the desk and exclaimed, “No, God certainly is involved here! Otherwise it would be impossible! And to think that I never believed in God!”
A few days later, Antoinette was called in by the director. She was told that she would be transferred to another office, the director explained, “so that you may transform it the same way you did the office you’re in now.”
“Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
The Word of Life, taken from Scripture, is offered each month as a guide and inspiration for daily living. From the Focolare’s beginnings, Chiara Lubich wrote her commentaries on each Word of Life, and after her passing in March 2008, her early writings are now being featured once again. This commentary, addressed to a primarily Christian audience, was originally published in August 1979.
By Chiara Lubich
Oct 31, 2009 | Non categorizzato, Word of
The Eye Of A Needle
Does this sentence make a certain impression on you?
I think you may have reasons to be perplexed and to consider what would be the best thing to do. The words of Jesus are never used loosely. It is therefore necessary to take these words seriously, without trying to water them down.
Let us try to understand the real significance of these words from Jesus himself, from his way of behaving with the rich. He frequented the company even of well-to-do persons. To Zaccheus, who had given away only half of his possessions, he says: “Salvation has entered your house.”
Furthermore, the Acts of the Apostles show us that in the early Church the communion of goods was practiced freely, and hence, the concrete renouncement of one's possessions was not compulsory. Therefore, it is not that Jesus thought of founding only a community of persons who are called to follow him by leaving behind all they possess.
And yet he says:
“It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
What does Jesus condemn, then? Certainly not the goods of this earth in themselves, but the attachment to wealth by the rich.
Why? The answer is clear: it is because all things belong to God and the rich behave as if their riches are their own.
The fact is that riches easily take the place of God in the human heart. They blind the vision and make it easier for all sorts of vices to take root. The Apostle Paul wrote: “Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains” (1 Tim 6:9-10).
Even in earlier times, Plato already affirmed: “It is impossible for an extraordinarily good person to be at the same time extraordinarily rich.”
What, then, should be the attitude of people who have possessions?
They must have a heart that is free and totally open to God, so that they feel that they are administrators of their goods, and know that – as Pope John Paul II said – they are mortgaged to society.
Since earthly goods are not bad in themselves, we should not despise them, but we must use them well. We must keep our hearts detached from them, not our hands. Because whoever is rich, is so for the good of others.
“It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
But perhaps you'll say: “I am not really rich, so these words are not meant for me.”
Be careful. The question that the dismayed Apostles asked right after this statement of Christ was: “Who then will be saved?” This clearly tells us that Christ's words were somehow addressed to everybody.
Even someone who has left all things to follow Christ may have his or her heart attached to so many things. Even a poor person who curses at anybody who touches his or her belongings may be looked upon by God as a “rich” person attached to earthly treasures.
By Chiara Lubich
The Word of Life, taken from Scripture, is offered each month as a guide and inspiration for daily living. From the Focolare’s beginnings, Chiara Lubich wrote her commentaries on each Word of Life, and after her death last year, her early writings are now being featured once again. This commentary, addressed to a primarily Christian audience, was originally published in July 1979.
Oct 19, 2009 | Non categorizzato
After her second trip to Fontem (Cameroon) in 1969, Chiara Lubich met with the young focolarini of the international school of formation in Loppiano, on May 15, 1970. On that occasion, she answered a question on the difficulties that the young people encountered in living together, since they came from different environments, cultures and mentalities, and even different continents, in particular the youth of Asia, Africa and America, as compared to the European focolarini. We who come from Western countries are absolutely behind the times and no longer adept at living in today’s world unless we put aside our Western mentality, because it is only a half, a third, a fourth of the mentality of the rest of the world. In Africa, for example, there is such a unique, such a splendid, such a profound culture! We need to reach an encounter of cultures. We are not complete if we are not “humanity.” We are “humanity” if “we have within us” all cultures. How? Chiara Lubich spoke about inculturation a number of years later, in 1992, on the occasion of another one of her trips to the African continent, in Nairobi: First of all, the powerful “weapon” is to “make yourselves one.” Do you know what it means to “make yourselves one”? It means to approach the other person completely empty of ourselves, so as to enter into the other person’s culture and to understand him/her, to allow him/her to express him/herself, to the point of taking him or her within yourself and when you have taken him or her within yourself, then you will be able to begin to dialogue…. In this passage Chiara looks more closely at inculturating the Gospel in other cultures: Then yes, you will be able to begin a dialogue with the other person and also pass on the Gospel message through the riches that he or she already possesses. Making ourselves one, which requires inculturation, means entering into the soul, entering into the culture, entering into the mentality, the tradition, the customs of other peoples in order to understand them and to draw out the seeds of the Word.”
Oct 13, 2009 | Focolare Worldwide
I was born and grew up in a family that was always committed to instilling within me the Christian values of respect and love for our neighbor, without discrimination. As a child I dedicated myself to live according to these values: with my soccer team, at school, and with my friends, I always tried to swim against the tide, that is to say, to not allow myself to be dragged down by all that a consumer society offers; in fact, in Europe materialism is predominant, what you have and your appearance count more than what you are. But at a certain moment of my life, the pleasures and the things of this world made me lose my way. In reality, I sold myself to the world. I wanted to know all that, until then, I had considered the easy way and, at the same time, more empty. So I began a new phase of my life, where respect for people and for God no longer had value. I began to experience things that would satisfy me for a moment, and immediately afterwards I would feel a great emptiness of soul, an immense loneliness that left me feeling bad. After being knocked to the ground more than once, I decided to start over and return to my beginnings. To find again for myself those values that were always present within me, even if buried under so many useless things. Now, in this community (the little town of O’Higgins in Argentina) where I live with young people from all over the world, I am having a very beautiful experience. I am discovering many things that I didn’t know, thanks to the people who are around me. I discover in my brother a way to grow, a mirror in which I see my reflection. I am searching and finding pure love, without self-interest. A love that gives life to the soul, without prejudices. This love, that has its roots in the lived Gospel, helps me break free from temporal things and it is a path toward true freedom, a path that carries me to God together with my brothers. (J. – Italia) Testimony given at the “Fiesta de los Jovenes”, O’Higgins, Argentina, September 27, 2009
Sep 30, 2009 | Non categorizzato
Sep 30, 2009 | Non categorizzato, Word of
“Perseverance.” This is a translation of a Greek word that is pregnant with implications, including patience, constancy, resistence, trust.
Perseverance is necessary and indispensable when we suffer, when we are tempted, when we are inclined to be discouraged, when we are drawn to the seductions of the world, when we suffer persecution.
I think that you too have found yourself in at least one of these situations and have experienced that, without perseverance, you would have given in. Perhaps at times you did give in. Maybe now, at this very moment, you find yourself immersed in one of these painful situations.
What will you do? What should you do? Start again, and… persevere. Otherwise the name “Christian” does not suit you.
You know that whoever wants to follow Christ must take up his cross each day, must love it, at least with his will. The Christian vocation is a call to perseverance.
The apostle Paul demonstrated his perseverance before the Christian community as a sign of Christian authenticity. And he did not hesitate to put it on the same level as miracles.
If you love the cross and persevere to the very end, you will follow Christ, who is in Heaven, and therefore be saved.
“By your perseverance you will secure your lives”
It is possible to distinguish two categories of people: those who hear the invitation to be true Christians, but the invitation lands in their souls like a seed on rocky ground. There is a burst of fleeting enthusiasm, but afterward nothing remains. Then there are those who welcome the invitation, just as good soil receives the seed. And Christian life sprouts, grows, overcomes difficulties, and resists storms.
Christians have perseverance, and… “by your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Naturally, if you want to persevere, it is not enough to rely only on your own strength. You must have God’s help. Paul calls God “the God of perseverance” (Rm 15:5).
You must ask him for it, and he will give it to you. If you are a Christian, you will never be content with merely being baptized or doing some acts of worship or charity every now and then. You must grow as a Christian, and every growth in spiritual life can only come about in the midst of trials, obstacles, and battles.
Those who really know how to persevere are those who love. Love is never hindered by obstacles. It does not count difficulties or sacrifices. And perseverance is love that has been put to the test.
You should look to Mary, for she is the woman of perseverance.
Ask God to enkindle love for him in your heart, and then perseverance, in all the difficulties of life, will come to you as a consequence, and with it the salvation of your soul.
“By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
And there is more. Perseverance is contagious. The person who perseveres encourages others to do the same.…
Let us set our sights high. We have only one life, and it is brief at that. Let us clench our teeth and stand firm from day to day; let us face one difficulty after another in order to follow Christ… and we shall persevere and our lives will be secure.
By Chiara Lubich
The Word of Life, taken from Scripture, is offered each month as a guide and inspiration for daily living. From the Focolare’s beginnings, Chiara Lubich wrote her commentaries on each Word of Life, and after her death last year, her early writings are now being featured once again. This commentary, addressed to a primarily Christian audience, was originally published in June 1979.
Sep 20, 2009 | Non categorizzato
Three hundred and sixty-five texts drawn from the Fathers of the Church, saints, theologians, the Magisterium, and other spiritual authors provide daily nourishment for the year of priests, and an invitation to become rooted in what is essential. The booklets cover four fundamental aspects of priestly life: being, doing, the challenges and the opportunities. The first booklet focuses on “the perennial Source of the sap of life: God, who has looked upon us and loved us, to whom we have given ourselves with a “radical” choice”, while the second looks at the implications of how this way of “being” is translated into action. The editors, Hubertus Blaumeiser and Tonino Gandolfo, have involved a team of experts from many countries in this work. Being and doing is also the subject of the first thought, by Pope Benedict XVI, taken from his address to the priests of the diocese of Aosta in 2005. It is relevant to all Christians. An expression of what we are “It is not what you do that is so important but what you are in our priestly commitment. Without a doubt, we must do many things and not succumb to laziness, but all our work will only bear fruit if it is an expression of what we are. If what we do shows that we are deeply united to Christ, that we are instruments of Christ, a mouthpiece through which Christ speaks, a hand through which Christ acts: we should be convinced and act with conviction only to the extent that this is truly the result and expression of what we are.” Benedict XVI
Sep 19, 2009 | Non categorizzato
Sep 16, 2009 | Focolare Worldwide
After I graduated in dentistry I wanted to start work straight away. I love my job and I see it as an opportunity to build a better society. I soon got offered a job, but I realised that it involved a compromise that went against the ethics of my profession. The salary was really attractive, and I needed the money, but I was even more certain that I could not go against my conscience. I decided to turn down the offer. At the same time, I was invited to start an educational project, and to work as a teacher in a children’s nursery. My decision caused some consternation. My family and friends thought I was wasting time and energy, and could not understand why I had turned down such a good professional opportunity in order to be a “nappy (diaper) changer”. But I was happy, because it gave me a real opportunity for building fraternity. In fact, the experience was beautiful. There were a few of us, and we were trying to set up a project that seemed like a seed of something great, answering the needs of the district that we trying to serve. To my surprise I was then offered a job as a dentist. The experience of the nursery had given me a new vision of things, and my job was no longer simply a way of fulfilling my personal ambitions, it now became an opportunity to “give” and to love. There were plenty of occasions when the fundamental choices of my life were put to the test. For example, I was offered the chance to earn more money, using some unethical methods. In the world I live in, where the needs are great and there is a lot of corruption, those things even appear “normal”. But once again it was clear to me that I ought not to give in to such a proposal. On another occasion, a poor man came to the surgery that none of my colleagues wanted to treat. I knew that Jesus was in that person, and I could not treat him in a lesser way than I would treat Jesus himself. A short time ago an amazing possibility emerged of setting up a dental clinic with a person who shares the same ideals as me. We could set up our own business, and give everyone a good and proper service, while adhering to the Economy of Communion project! I saw this as the “hundredfold” for having looked for the kingdom of God! I am happy with this new project, where I can give of myself completely in the building of a new society. (E. Venezuela)
Sep 14, 2009 | Non categorizzato
Love in Truth Fraternity and economic development are among the central themes of the new encyclical of Benedict XVI Caritas in Veritate published July 7. We report on the matter a thought of Chiara Lubich of the 70s, very timely: “Christians underdeveloped ” and the remarks of Professor Bruni, to the Encyclical. Prof. Bruni is an economist, international coordinator of the project Economy of Communion. press review Indiana firm can claim a papal thumbs-up from new social encyclical – By John L Allen Jr, National Catholic Reporter, Created Jul 07, 2009 Encyclical breaks new ground on social issues, commentators say – By Nancy Frazier O’Brien, Catholic News Service, Jul 08, 2009 A gut check for American catholicism – By John L Allen Jr, National Catholic Reporter, on Jul. 17, 2009 in the column All Things Catholic Benedict XVI and the Economy of Communion (Part 1) – Interview with Business Owner John Mundell – By Genevieve Pollock, SEPT. 8, 2009 (Zenit.org) Benedict XVI and the Economy of Communion (Part 2) – Interview with Business Owner John Mundell – By Genevieve Pollock, SEPT. 9, 2009 (Zenit.org)
Aug 31, 2009 | Non categorizzato, Word of
Seek first
The whole Gospel is revolutionary. The words of Christ are not like those of any other person. Listen to this: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things [the necessities of life] will be given you besides” (Mt 6:33).
The major preoccupation people usually have is searching for what will make their lives more secure. Perhaps this applies to you as well. If so, Jesus lays out before you his own way of looking at things and presents you with his plan of action. He requires from you a behavior totally different from what society would expect, and not only once, but always. It is this: “seek first the kingdom of God.”
When you redirect your whole being toward God and do everything for his kingdom within yourself and in others (that is, ordering your whole life with his laws), the Father will give you what you need day after day.
If, on the other hand, you are preoccupied with yourself, you will end up caring mainly for the things of this world and fall victim to them. You will end up seeing the goods of this world as your real business, the goal of all your efforts. And therein arises the serious temptation of relying solely on your own strength and less on God …
Jesus changes the situation. If living for him is your first concern, “these things” will no longer be the main business of your life; rather, they will be given to you “in addition” to other things or as a “surplus.”
Is this utopia? Are his words difficult for you as a modern person living in an industrialized world that is highly competitive and often in economic crises? I wish to remind you that at the time Jesus uttered these words, the concrete difficulties of life among the Galileans were no less serious than our own.
We are not talking about whether it is a utopia or not. Jesus places this fundamental choice before you: to live your life for yourself or to live it for God.
Let us try to understand well these words:
“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.”
Jesus does not propose that you become “passive” or do nothing with regard to your everyday or temporal needs, nor that you be irresponsible or superficial at work. Rather, he wishes you to re-order your priorities in life and, by so doing, rid yourself of anxiety, fear and restlessness.
In fact he says, “Seek first the kingdom.” “First” means “above all else.” The search for God's kingdom should be given priority and does not exclude the concern that a Christian must have for the necessities of life.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” also means living in conformity with God's desires as revealed by Jesus in his Gospel. Only when Christians actively seek the kingdom of God will they experience the wonderful power of the Father working in their favor.
Let me share a story with you. It took place quite some time ago, but I find it relevant to this Word of Life. In fact I am aware of many other young people who now live as this young woman did.
Her name is Elvira, and at that time she was a high school student. She was poor, and she could continue her studies only if she maintained high grades. She had a strong faith. Her philosophy professor was an atheist and he often presented the truths of her faith in a confused and distorted manner. On such occasions, Elvira felt a strong reaction rising up inside her, not for herself but for the love she had for God, for truth and for her classmates.
She knew that if she contradicted the professor she stood a chance of getting a failing grade. In spite of this, however, she would raise her hand and beg to speak, saying, “Professor, that's not true.” At times she did not have all the elements to present her arguments, but her words “that's not true” embodied her entire faith, which was a gift of truth and made people question what the professor was saying.
Her classmates loved her and tried to persuade her to stop contradicting this professor, because they feared the consequences for her, but they did not succeed.
A few months later, when the grade cards were distributed, Elvira was trembling, but then her heart leapt for joy: she got an A in philosophy! The highest grade!
She had sought, first of all, that God and his truth would reign, and then the rest was given to her.
If you seek the kingdom of the Father, you will experience that God is providence for all the needs of your life. You will discover how normal the extraordinary ways of the Gospel can be.
This commentary addressed to a primarily Christian audience, was originally published in May 1979
By Chiara Lubich
Jul 31, 2009 | Non categorizzato, Word of
Do you know the context of this sentence in the Gospel? It is in St. John's account of the Last Supper, when Jesus is about to wash the feet of his disciples and is preparing for the Passion. During the last moments that Jesus spent with “his own,” he revealed the love he had always had for them in the highest and most explicit way.
“He loved his own in the world, and he loved them to the end.”
The words “to the end” mean to the end of his life, to his very last breath. But there is also the idea of perfection. That is, he loved them completely, totally, with the greatest intensity, to the highest degree.
When Jesus would go on to his glory, the disciples would remain in the world. They would feel alone; they would have many trials to face. It is precisely in view of those moments that Jesus wanted to make them feel sure of his love.
“He loved his own in the world, and he loved them to the end.”
In this phrase, can’t you sense Jesus’ entire lifestyle, his way of loving? He washed the feet of his disciples. His love made him stoop to this lowly service, which in those days was done only by slaves. After having his extraordinary words, his miracles, and all the other things he did, Jesus was now preparing for the tragedy of Calvary, in which he would give his very life for “his own” and for all people. He knew of their great need, the greatest need that people can have: the need to be liberated from sin, which means freed from death, and regain the possibility of entering the kingdom of heaven. Only he could give them the peace and joy of everlasting life.
And so Jesus gave himself up to death, crying out in his abandonment by the Father, until he was able at the very end to say, “It is finished” (Jn 19:30), that is, everything is completed.
“He loved his own in the world, and he loved them to the end.”
In these words we see both the tenacious love of a God and the tender affection of a brother. We Christians, since Christ is in us, can also love like this.
Now I am not proposing, however, that you imitate Jesus by actually dying for others as he did when his hour came. Nor do I put before you models like Father Kolbe, who died for a fellow prisoner, or Father Damien, who contracted leprosy from his lepers and died with them and for them.
It may be that in the course of your lifetime you will never be asked to give your physical life for your neighbors. But what God certainly does ask of you is that you love them “to the end,” to the point where you too can say, “It is finished.”
This is what an eleven-year-old Italian girl named Lisa did. She saw that her classmate and friend Georgina was extremely sad. She tried to comfort her, but it did no good. So she decided to find out what made her friend so sad. She learned that Georgina's father had died, and that her mother had left her alone with her grandmother and had gone to live with another man. As soon as she became aware of the tragedy, Lisa decided to do something about it.
Even though Lisa was only a little girl, she asked Georgina if she could talk to her mother, but Georgina begged her to go with her first to visit her father's grave. With great love Lisa went with her. There she overheard Georgina sobbing and imploring her father to take her with him.
Lisa felt heartbroken. The ruins of a little church were nearby, and the two girls went in. The only things left inside the church were a small tabernacle and a crucifix. Lisa said, “Look, in this world everything is going to be destroyed; only the crucifix and the Eucharist will always be with us.” Georgina dried her tears and replied,
“Yes, you’re right!” Then with tender love, Lisa took Georgina by the hand and accompanied her to her mother.
When they got there Lisa boldly addressed the mother with these words: “I know this is none of my business, but I must tell you that you left your daughter without the mother's love that she desperately needs. I must tell you also that you will never have peace until you repent and take your child back to live with you.”
The following day Lisa met Georgina in school and again tried to cheer her up. But something new happened that day: a car came to pick Georgina up after school. In it was her mother. From that day on, the car has kept coming regularly, because Georgina now lives with her mother, who no longer has any relationship with the man she was living with.
Looking at the small, yet great thing Lisa did, we can now say, “It is finished.” She did everything well, “to the end,” and she achieved what she set out to do.
Think about it. How many times have you started to take an interest in someone who needed help and then abandoned them, using all kinds of excuses to silence your conscience? How many things have you started with enthusiasm and then not followed through because of difficulties that you felt were beyond your strength?
The lesson Jesus is giving you today is this:
“He loved his own in the world, and he loved them to the end.”
Love to the very end. And if one day God should literally ask you for your life, you will not hesitate. You will be like the martyrs who went to their deaths singing. And your reward shall be the greatest glory, because Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13).
Chiara Lubich
You can find a complete version of Chiara’s commentary in Words to Live By (New City Press, 1980).
Jul 28, 2009 | Non categorizzato
Jul 27, 2009 | Non categorizzato
read the daily thought Just as the Father sent me… Among the divine words Jesus uttered, there is one that makes us dizzy when we think it was pronounced by God, and helps us to understand the privilege of election. It is a paradoxical comparison, while at the same time true and deeply mysterious. Christ directs these words to those who over the centuries were to be his priests: “Just as the Father sent me, I send you.” Who then, is a priest? A person chosen by Christ to continue his presence in time. Unfortunately priests are often not like this. But if on the other hand, they are not Christ, they are very little indeed. Their sermons are empty words and their churches are deserted. For the word that Christ gave was He himself. If the priest first of all lives what he preaches and then speaks, his word will be Christ and he too will be another Christ. His talks will attract the crowds and the churches will be full to the brim.What makes a priest is not knowledge, but the charism brought to life with love. Chiara Lubich, Il celibato sacerdotale, Città Nuova 14 (1970/3), 9 Traslation from: Come il Padre ha amato me… 365 pensieri per l’anno sacerdotale, Città nuova 2009 http://editrice.cittanuova.it/notizia.asp
Jul 17, 2009 | Senza categoria
- Data di Morte: 18/07/2009
- Branca di Appartenenza: Volunteer
- Nazione: Brazil
Jul 15, 2009 | Focolare Worldwide
Two characters tell the story: Tom, who died a few years ago, and his wife Jeanne, who shared the experience with him. “My market sector was shrinking, and I decided it was time to start my own business with the money I had saved. That was when I heard about the economy of communion, and was immediately attracted by the prospect of providing not only for our own family, but for the needs of many throughout the world.” “Preparing and sharing food was a long tradition in the Petrucci family, so we decided to open a restaurant in Camarillo, California, called Petrucci’s.” Jeanne, who worked in the restaurant in recent years, describes how Tom managed the business. “He wanted things so that everyone who worked with him had the opportunity to better themselves. If someone had been hired to wash dishes or to drive, but wanted to improve, Tom always gave them the chance to do so. If anyone became an expert in their new job, and there was nowhere to progress, he made no attempt to keep them. Many of them had families to support and Tom wanted them to better themselves and enjoy success.” Tom wrote: “In our restaurant we try to work as if everything depends on us, while knowing that everything really depends on God. Jeanne and I know that we will never make huge profits, but we feel that by giving work to ten people, and ensuring the income of ten families, while at the same time making a contribution to reducing poverty, we have reached much bigger objectives, which are of an eternal kind.” “In a short moment of morning meditation we choose a key idea to put into practice during the day. At times I am bombarded with thousands of ideas about how to run the restaurant better, how to make more money, and so on, but unity with the others permits me to stay focused on “what really counts.” That moment spent together in the morning strengthens within my soul the decision that Jeanne and I took when we set out on this adventure: to love in the present moment and to try not to do our will, but the will of God. When we began we knew very little about how to run a restaurant. If it has been a success, it is because it is part of His plans.” “From the very first month we opened, we decided to give a monthly sum for the poor, however things went. This was an act of faith that helped us to give top priority to the importance of giving.” (Tom and Jeanne Petrucci, from L’amore come piatto principale in Economia di Comunione, quarterly, Year X/n.2, novembre 2004)
Jun 30, 2009 | Non categorizzato, Word of
The inexhaustible treasure
The Word of Life, a sentence of Scripture, is offered each month as a guide and inspiration for daily life. From the Focolare’s beginnings, Chiara Lubich wrote her commentaries on each Word of Life, and after her death last year, her early writings are now being featured once again. This commentary, addressed to a primarily Christian audience, was originally published in March 1979.
Are you young, aspiring to a life that has an ideal, that is totally committing and calls for a complete change in you? Then listen to Jesus, because no one else in the world will ask as much of you. You are being given an opportunity to prove your faith, your generosity, and your heroism.
Are you an adult, longing for a sound way of life that is serious and committed and will not disappoint you? Or are you an older person who wants to dedicate the golden years of your life to someone who will not deceive you, to live without worries that exhaust you? These words of Jesus are also for you.
They conclude a series of exhortations in which Jesus asks you not to worry over what you will eat or what you will wear but, rather, to act as the birds of the air that do not sow, and the lilies of the field that do not weave. Banish, therefore, from your heart all anxieties over the things of this earth. The Father, who loves you more than the birds and the flowers, will take care of you himself.
This is why Jesus tells you,
“Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.”
In its entirety, and in every word it contains, the Gospel demands everything from you–everything you are and everything you possess.
Prior to Christ's coming into the world, God had never made such radical demands. In the Old Testament, earthly riches were seen as good, as a blessing from God. Giving alms to the needy was demanded, but as a means to obtain the benevolence of the Almighty.
Later on, the idea of a reward in the next life became more commonly accepted among members of the Jewish faith. A king, who had been reprimanded for having given away his possessions, replied, “My ancestors accumulated treasures for this life, but I have accumulated treasures for the next one.”
“Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.” (Lk 12:33)
The words of Jesus are original because he demands a total gift. He asks everything from you. He doesn't want you to be overly concerned about the things of this world. He wants you to rely on him alone.
He knows that earthly wealth is a tremendous obstacle for you because it can occupy your heart, whereas he wants to possess your heart for himself.
This is why he urges you:
“Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. “
If you cannot physically rid yourself of your possessions, because of family ties or other responsibilities, or if your position in life demands that you live in a certain way, still you should detach yourself from them spiritually, being no more than their administrator. In this way, while dealing with wealth you can love others, and by administering it on their behalf, you can accumulate a treasure that moths cannot destroy, nor thieves carry off.
How can you be certain about what you should keep and what you should dispose of? Listen to the voice of God within you; and if you cannot decide on your own, seek someone's advice. Then you will discover how many superfluous things there are among your possessions. Do not keep them. Give them away. Give to those who have not. Put into practice these words of Jesus, “Sell… and give.” If you do this, you will fill up bags that do not wear out.
Since you live in the world, it is only logical that you should be concerned with money and other material things. However, God does not want you to be preoccupied with them. So be concerned with securing only that amount which is indispensable for you to live according to your needs. As for the rest:
“Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.”
Pope Paul VI was truly poor. The way he wanted to be buried (“in a plain coffin in the bare earth”) proved this. Shortly before dying he told his brother, “My suitcases for that all-important trip have been ready for some time.”
This is what you should do, too: prepare your suitcases.
In the time of Jesus they may have been called “money bags” but the meaning is the same. Prepare them day by day. Fill them with things that might be useful to others. For you truly possess what you give away. Think of how much hunger there is in the world, how much suffering, how many needs.
Put every act of love and every deed done for your neighbor into your suitcase as well.
Do everything for God, telling him in your heart, “This is for You.” Perform every action well, perfectly, because it is destined for heaven where it will remain for eternity.
By Chiara Lubich
You can find a complete version of Chiara’s commentary in Words to Live By (New City Press, 1980).
(more…)
![The Parish – a witness to the love of God]()
Jun 7, 2009 | Non categorizzato
The extracts that follow appeared in “Parte Guelfa” – a journal founded by Giordani during his busy writing career – and in “Il Quotidiano”, while he was its director
There will be no United States of Europe while Europe is permeated by nationalistic movements. The United States of Europe and nationalism are two mutually exclusive concepts.” (Parte Guelfa, 1925)
Unity will be the inevitable effect of economic conditions, when no country will be self sufficient and the life of each one is intimately bound to the others, it will be effect of a universally felt need for peace; it will be made real by the fulfilment of Christianity, whose values emerge when it is clear how much they are needed.” (Parte Guelfa,1925)
The love of one’s own country does not imply hate for that of another: love for one’s family is foolish if it implies hatred for the families that live in the same apartment block” (Parte Guelfa,1925)
Europe will be saved from economic failure and the threat of future wars (…) only if it feels organically one and united as a continent, gathering together all its resources together to face common dangers, instead of being engulfed by internal strife. (Parte Guelfa,1925)
This outpouring of peoples, this manifold expansion beyond national boundaries, responds to a need for freedom. On the positive side, it is an enrichment of life, and where it happens in a rational way, it is an expression of Christianity (…) Right from the start Christianity taught Christians catholicity, universality. The universal society of the Church considers souls, rather than bodily appearance. It promotes a universal fraternity, something not encouraged, and even blocked and often dissected with bloody incisions by territorial, linguistic, national and class boundaries. (Il Quotidiano, 1945)
