Oct 31, 2006 | Non categorizzato, Word of
In everyday language, we find the word “justice” applied when referring to respect for human rights, the desire for equality, the equitable distribution of the world’s resources, the institutions that exist to uphold the law.
Is this the justice that Jesus speaks about in the Sermon on the Mount, where he explains the beatitudes? Yes, but it comes as a consequence of a more comprehensive justice that has to do with harmonious relationships, with concord, with peace.
Hunger and thirst remind us of the basic needs of each person; they symbolize that profound yearning of the human heart that is never fully satisfied. According to Luke’s Gospel, Jesus simply had said: “Blessed are you who are now hungry” (Lk 6:21). Matthew explained that the hunger of a human person is a hunger for God, the only one who can fully satisfy it. Saint Augustine understood this well; on the very first page of his Confessions he wrote this famous sentence: “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
Jesus himself said: “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink” (Jn 7:37). He, in turn, nourished himself on the will of God: “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me” (Jn 4:34).
Justice, in the biblical sense of the word means, therefore, to live in conformity with the plan God has for humanity, which he envisioned and wished to be a family united in love.
«Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied»
The desire and the quest for justice have always been carved in the person’s conscience. God himself placed them in the human heart. But despite the conquests and the progress made in the course of history, we are still a long way from seeing the accomplishment of God’s plans. The wars that are being fought even in our day, as well as the terrorism and the ethnic conflicts, are signs of social and economic inequality, of injustice, and of hate.
The obstacles to world harmony are not only of a juridical nature, that is, due to a lack of laws to govern our common living. The obstacles come from deeper moral and spiritual attitudes, from how we value the human person, from how we treat each other.
The same holds true for the economic order. The widespread under-development and the growing gap between rich and poor, with the unequal distribution of goods, are not merely the result of faulty systems of production; they come first and foremost from cultural and political choices. These are basic facts.
When Jesus invites us to give also our cloak to the one who asks for our tunic, or to go the extra mile with whoever asks us to go one mile (see Mt 5:40-41), he indicates “something more,” an even “greater justice” that goes beyond that of legal practice, a justice that is an expression of love.
Without love, without respect for human persons and attention to their needs, our personal relationships might seem quite appropriate, but they might also become so bureaucratic that they cannot provide satisfying responses to people’s real needs. Without love, we will never attain true justice, a sharing of goods among rich and poor, an attentiveness to the uniqueness of each man and woman and to the concrete situations in which they find themselves. Goods cannot move from one place to another on their own: people’s hearts must be moved and made to move the goods.
«Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied»
How should we live this Word of Life?
By appreciating each of our neighbors for what he or she really is: not only as a human being with his or her rights and basic equality with everyone else, but as a person who is the living image of Jesus.
We must love our neighbors even if they are our enemies, with the same love that the Father has for them, to be ready to make sacrifices for them, even the greatest one: “To give one’s life for one’s friends” (John Paul II, Sollecitudo rei socialis, 40).
This means to live with them in mutual giving, sharing our spiritual and material goods, so that all will become one family.
Then our yearning for a united and just world, as God has envisioned it, will become a reality. He himself will come to dwell in our midst and he will satisfy us with his presence.
«Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied»
A man who works in an office told us how he almost lost his job. “The firm that I worked for recently merged with another similar firm. After the merger, the managers asked me to examine our list of employees because with the restructuring of the new company three of them would have to be let go.
This whole proceeding did not seem well thought out to me. It looked like a rather rushed decision that failed to consider the consequences it would have on the three people and on their families. What was I to do? Then I remembered the Word of Life. The only thing to do was what Jesus would have done: to take the initiative in loving. I handed in my resignation and explained to the managers that I could not sign the papers to lay-off those three employees.
My resignation, however, was not accepted. In fact, the managers then asked me how I would go about finding places for these employees in the new organization. I had already worked out a new personnel plan, a plan that offered an easy and useful way of inserting all these employees into different departments. They accepted my plan and we all kept our jobs.”
Chiara Lubich
![The Industrial Estate Lionello Bonfanti]()
Oct 30, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
Card. Antonelli: “The Economy of Communion is definitely not utopian” The Archbishop of Florence, Card Antonelli gave a speech during the opening ceremony of the first European Industrial Estate, that houses the businesses of the Economy of Communion and is situated near Loppiano, the small international town of the Focolari, that stands on the Tuscan hills near Florence. He quoted the pope and said, “Benedict XVI has said several times that history is guided by creative minorities”. He highlighted the roots of this: the love of the Gospel, a love that “does not only involve individuals, charity and voluntary work, but one that involves the culture, the structures and the dynamics of society. This is what is needed to change the world” as Vatican Council II affirms. He continued saying, “ I think that tonight we are understanding better what all this means”. And he defined the idea of the Economy of Communion as certianly “not being utopian” but “it needs great spiritual energy and a lot of motivation. Yet it is so fascinating that it may be contagious and attract many other businesses”. President Prodi: “The estate that is being inaugurated is a model for society”. “In every society we need models that help us to keep on developping”. This is what the President of the Italian Parliament said in his surprise visit to the opening ceremony.. He said he was grateful for such a realisation , for the commitment taken to achieve “transparency in balance sheets, respect for laws and for freely sharing profits to create a net of solidarity”. And he confirmed that, “Every society needs to have models to imitate, for otherwise it will become stale; everything becomes standard repitition. Here we have an example. Here we have something which is even more and not everyone is called for it, but it is a sign of progress.” The Estate is a visible sign of a road that can be followed in the business world to bridge the gap between rich and poor. As soon as one arrives at the Industrial Estate, one is struck by the original way it is built. It stands on 9600 square metres of land but it does not look like an industrial shed. There are 5621 shareholders; and pensioners, housewives and students are also involved. Being shareholders in the Economy of Communion Company, they feel protagonists of a project that embraces the world. From the experiences shared by the businessmen here, one could see that it has not been easy to transfer their businesses or to set up new subsidiary branches. But as they themselves said, they were fascinated by the idea of coming over here to be a community of businessmen that renders visible its share towards business ethics and towards the dream of bridging the gap between rich and poor. Prof. Zamagni: “To make the business flourish, man has to be placed at the centre of everything”. Cecilia Manzo, president of the E of C Company, that runs and promotes the Estate said that “the aim of these businesses is make the employees participate in the running of the business”. And this aspect was highlighted by Prof. Zamagni, lecturer of Political Economy at the Bologna University. He said, “Today, in this post-industrial era, the strategic factor is no more the machine or the capital, but it is the human person. If we want our businesses to flourish, we have to place man at the centre of everything. It is more important to act on the motivations of those who work than on giving them incentives.” And this is what happens in the businesses of the Economy of Communion: the employees know why the business has been set up and give their share towards its aim. “A brilliant idea, that has played its part in advance”. Chiara Lubich – The motto given: “God always works” In the message sent by the foundress of the Focolare Movement, who launched the Economy of Communion 15 years ago, she expressed her hope that the Industrial Estate will be “an answer to today’s economical problems.” And she gave a motto to the Industrial Estate: “God always works”. The ceramic plate on which this motto is written and made by the sculptor Benedetto Pietrogrande, was uncovered during the opening ceremony. “And this is to remind us of the value that God gives to work, of the creative ability of man”. She also spoke of another aspect of this project: it is actually part of the small towns of the Moviment that are called to be “a model of a new society founded on the Gospel”.
Oct 16, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
Oct 15, 2006 | Non categorizzato
Oct 15, 2006 | Non categorizzato
Oct 14, 2006 | Non categorizzato
Oct 13, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
Paraguay has a rich history gifted with great potentials. It is a mosaic made up of a wide variety of people, a nation divided in two: countryside and city, poverty and development. In my own life, I have gone through different stages: in the beginning, the passion for mankind: I got my first job when I was 14, then the University halls and the encounter with youth of the Focolare Movement; then the marches against the dictatorship and the first steps in a political party. Then came the second stage, “disappointment”: betrayals, inconsistencies, and my own political inability. The feeling that it wasn’t really possible to change anything. The third stage was fundamental, “choice”, the choice to love always, which led me to viewing political activity as a means for transforming society. In the year 2000, after a long troubled period, I set up an organization together with a group of friends who were already involved in the field of sustainable development. It was the beginning of the “Fundación Yvy Porã” (Beautiful Land) which in the past six years has promoted the development of dozens of projects throughout Paraguay, sustaining communities of small entrepreneurs, farmers, craftsmen, indigenous people, in urban and rural centers. However, I was still not satisfied. I wished to do something more. And so together with other politicians, I started preparing for the Latin-American meeting of mayors, which was held in Rosario, Argentina, 2-3 June 2005, and promoted by the Movement for Unity in Politics. (link) We felt it was the opportune moment to present brotherhood as a political doctrine to the Paraguayan society. We looked over the list of mayors to invite to this event. From the replies and consensus obtained we said: “It’s a new Paraguay, a risen nation working in silence, and we want to bring it to light!” This very reality was highlighted by a widely-read national newspaper that devoted a page to this meeting with the headline: “The other Paraguay.” More than a thousand politicians participated in the meeting, including 119 mayors, 168 councilmen and women, members of parliament, local and national government officials. They came from many countries of South America. The 16 mayors of Paraguay who had participated, impressed by the spirit of the meeting, proposed to other mayors a project of collaboration among the various municipalities. And on the “Paraguay Friendship Day” – July 30, 2005 – they established a protocol of understanding and fraternal twinning in order to support and promote an exchange of local development policies. This agreement was signed by 22 municipalities, an unprecedented fact in Paraguay. After these meetings we began periodic appointments to examine the doctrine of brotherhood among politicians, and we are now building a Paraguayan School of civic and political formation for young people. (C. R. – Paraguay)
Oct 12, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
Oct 12, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
Oct 11, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
Oct 9, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
Oct 8, 2006 | Non categorizzato
Oct 3, 2006 | Non categorizzato
Oct 3, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
Oct 1, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
Oct 1, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
Sep 30, 2006 | Non categorizzato, Word of
Throughout the whole Gospel, Jesus invites us to give: to “give to the poor” (Mk 10:21). “Give to the one who asks of you and… one who wants to borrow” (Mt 5:42). “Give them some food yourselves” (Mk 6:37). “If anyone wants… your tunic, hand him your cloak as well” (Mt 5:40). “Without cost you are to give” (Mt 10:8).
Jesus was the first to give: he came to bring the sick back to health, to forgive sinners, and “to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45).
To counteract our instinct to hoard, Jesus put generosity; for our inclination to worry about our own needs he shifted the focus to our neighbors, and in place of the culture of having he put the culture of giving.
It does not matter if we can give a lot or a little. What counts is “how” we give, how much love we put into even a small gesture of attention for someone. At times, it is enough to offer them a cup of water, “only a cup of cold water” is how the Gospel of Matthew (10:42) puts it, an offering appreciated and needed especially in a country as hot and dry as Palestine.
«Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward»
Giving a cup of water is a simple gesture and yet it is great in the eyes of God if it is done in his name, that is, if it is done out of love.
Love has many nuances and knows how to find the most suitable ways to make its effects felt.
Love is attentive because it forgets about itself.
Love is thoughtful because in seeing someone’s need, it does the impossible to meet it.
Love is essential because it knows how to draw close to another person simply by being ready to listen and to serve, by being available.
How many times when we are with others, especially when they are suffering, we think that we are doing them an important service by giving them advice, not always opportunely however, or by carrying on a lengthy conversation which can either bore them or tire them out.
Instead, it is important “to be” a presence of love for each person we come in contact with. By being love, we will discover the most direct way of entering into the other’s world and of lifting him or her up.
«Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward»
The Word of Life for this month can help us to discover anew the value of everything we do: from doing housework to working in the fields or in the garage, to doing paperwork at the office, to doing our homework for school, as well as carrying out our civic, political, and religious duties. Everything can be transformed into attentive and thoughtful service for others.
Love will help us see what the other needs, and love will show us how to respond with creativity and generosity.
What will the results be? Gifts will circulate, for love calls forth love. Joy will be multiplied since “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving” (Acts 20:35).
«Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward»
I remember that during World War II there were some very poor families in certain parts of Trent, our city. We went out to share what we had with them; we wanted to improve the conditions of their lives so that we would all be on a more equal economic level.
Although these were simple acts, they brought about incredible results: food, clothing, and medicines began to arrive in surprising abundance. We became more and more convinced that the Gospel contains the answer to every personal dilemma and every social problem.
And it was not a utopia. Today thousands of businesses are involved in the Economy of Communion in Freedom, as it came to be called. They strive to carry out their business activities according to the culture of giving and to use their profits for social goals, such as to helping disadvantaged people by creating employment for them and meeting their basic needs.
But the poor are many and the profits from these businesses cannot meet all their needs. Thus since 1994 many of us have pledged to give at least a small amount each month to aid the needy.
We currently help 7,000 people in 55 nations.
We have received many testimonies on how the “cup of water” has been given and received; it almost seemed like a contest to see who could be the most generous. Here is one experience from the many we have received from the Philippines: “Our small butcher shop was going bankrupt because of the outbreak of an epidemic among the livestock. We had to go in debt and we were not sure how we could keep on going. Through your timely and constant support, we have managed to eat a decent meal every day. Before long I began to realize that I too had to help those around me who were in even greater need than I. One of my neighbors fell ill with a disease that made her suffer greatly and she also had real material needs. I assisted her until she left for the next life. Since her husband was much poorer than we were, he was not able to take care of their fifth son. So I took care of him too.”
Chiara Lubich
Sep 28, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
Sep 28, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
Sep 28, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
Sep 28, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
Sep 28, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
I had been regional Attorney in Colombia, specialized in antinarcotics, for about 11 years. In my position, I have had to deal with numerous criminal charges against organized crime, winning 98% of the cases. I have always known that every crime touched the life of a person or a family, that every criminal had the right to respect, love, consideration, despite the serious nature, legally speaking, of the wrong committed. I felt happy in doing a task that gave me the chance to live constantly with God. I also felt personally rewarded and professionally fulfilled, besides having a secure financial base. I had an excellent team that I could count on; all expert investigators with real values and professional conduct. Corruption, however, was trying to filter into all aspects of public life, especially among those who work in the legal arena. My integrity and attitude of “no-half measures” influenced the whole team, and this made it so that the investigations always took place with respect and within the limits of justice. One day we “touched” someone who thought he was beyond the law. The offer was made immediately: various millions that could have guaranteed us real financial security. I could not accept, I could not give in or pretend that nothing had transpired. From that moment on, things changed for me, in my family and in my daily life. After I refused the offer, I began to be threatened. I was pressured by my higher-ups and then was finally let go, together with one of my best investigators who, like me, had not given in to corruption. Inside I felt very bitter, full of mistrust and disappointment. I lived alone with my two children because my husband had abandoned me years ago. Looking at my sons, so defenseless, I thought that God permits everything to happen for our sanctification and that I was paying the price to remain on the narrow road. Together with my children, we decided to cut back on everything. We felt peaceful because we felt sure that God loved us immensely. I asked God to give me the strength I needed to forgive those who were forcing me to change the usual tenor of our life. In making the effort to have “complete amnesty in my heart,” I found true freedom and the strength to begin again. With the money I had left from the sale of our home and a few savings, I bought a school bus. As a bus driver, my day began at 4:45 in order to bring all the children to school on time. It was difficult for me to drive through areas where I knew I could meet my old colleagues or my supervisors. The news spread quickly that “the Attorney General, called the steel woman, is now a bus driver.” Some of the laughter and comments even reached my ears. After about one year, a professional I knew from the UN office asked me to collaborate with him on a project against drugs. This allowed me to get back into my specialization even though in a minor role, thus collaborating with all professionals in Latin America and the Caribbean. The International organization appreciated my professional conduct and matter-of-fact manner and they hired me with a decent monthly salary. I am now giving work also to some of my colleagues from the regional Attorney’s Office. At the beginning, knowing the dishonest methods of some of them and how they thought about me, I was rather afraid to face them. I asked Mary to give me the necessary humility to forget about the past and not judge. It was not easy but I can now tangibly feel the love of God for me and my family. (D. L. – Colombia)
Sep 28, 2006 | Non categorizzato
Sep 28, 2006 | Non categorizzato
Sep 21, 2006 | Non categorizzato
In a world troubled by numerous political, ethnic, and religious conflicts, forty-five bishops of various Churches, friends of the Focolare movement from twenty different countries, are meeting together. From countries as diverse as Ethiopia, Finland, Australia, India, from South and North America, they are witnessing that, while respecting different traditions, communion is not only possible, but more than ever a duty for Christians. This is the 25th ecumenical meeting of Bishops and is taking place from September 20 to 27 at the Mariapolis Centre at Castelgandolfo. Their purpose is to explore – as the title suggests – the love for the crucified and forsaken Christ as an indispensable way towards full visible communion among Christians, and hence the promotion of universal fraternity. The venue chosen by the bishops this year is Rome, so that they can have a direct contact with the Pope, Benedict XVI. Previous meetings have been held in places of significance, like Istanbul where the Bishops met the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, and Bucharest, in the Romanian Patriarchate, where they were welcomed by Patriarch Teoctist. The present group is from twenty-two Churches and Ecclesial communities from the East and the West. The Pope will meet them on Sunday at midday for the Angelus and for a personal greeting. Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for the Union of Christians, will address the bishops next Tuesday on the subject, “Changes in the ecumenical scene, with special reference to orthodoxy”. He has just returned from the first plenary session of the International Commission in Belgrade, marking the resumption of the international dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. An eagerly awaited contribution will be from Chiara Lubich, the founder and president of the Focolare Movement. This will examine the transition from the “collective and cultural night” that has fallen today on many parts of society, to a new presence of Christ among us, that can create a new current of love, sharing and participation among individuals and peoples. The visit to the Catacombs, symbol of the common roots of Christianity, and the meeting with the various communities of Rome – Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Evangelical Lutheran – will be further incentives for a deeper communion, and for a coherent and convincing witness in the world. The whole meeting will be steeped in the characteristic “spirituality of unity” of the Focolare Movement, which has been welcomed by many Christians as an a ecumenical spirituality, that creates a “dialogue of life” among individuals, communities, groups and movements. These meetings are based on the commitment to put the Gospel into practice, and first and foremost the new commandment of Jesus (cf Jn 13:34). They have enjoyed the blessing of Church Leaders right from the start, and promote among those in positions of responsibility a spirit of communion that, especially in recent times, has found an increasing echo among Christians.
![The Industrial Estate Lionello Bonfanti]()
Sep 17, 2006 | Non categorizzato
This demanding challenge, projected towards the future, towards 2009, brought an end to the big event held in Budapest. This event has showed the innovative impact resulting from fraternity lived within the economic and communications spheres, and experiences were shared showing attempts at reacting to the widespread scourge of illegality and corruption, and to the general political crisis. “Now the challenge is here for each one of us”: our countries, our cities await us!” Valeria Ronchetti and Giuseppe Di Giacomo, two of the closest collaborators of the founder of the Movement, announced: “Chiara Lubich has an idea: why not connect, in three years time, in a precise day of the year 2009, all of our cities in a network showing several fragments of fraternity already in action?”. The title of the event will be “Many cities united towards a united world”. The idea was received with great enthusiasm. Law, communication and politics were at the centre of attention during the last part of the event. Fraternity, as an antidote for the widespread practice of illegality and corruption, was at the centre of the round table session dedicated to law. Simone Borg, a lecturer of international law at the University of Louvain in Belgium, stated: “Justice is not merely a repression. The sense of fraternity urges one to share the burden resulting from instances of social sufferings, to work to eliminate the causes and refrain from keeping silent when faced with injustice.” These are tough paths, which can, however, be taken. Such was the experience presented by Marisa Gentiletti from Argentina, a graduate mother of two, whose eight year old nephew disappeared all of a sudden. In a country where the law does not guarantee the immediate intervention of the police, Marisa started a big awareness campaign and concrete initiatives in order to defend minors, which involved the public opinion, institutions and the police. Another challenge: Communication. In this crucial field, fraternity is a communications model with a united world as its objective. Human dignity is presumed in this model; the method is dialogue, and the rule is love which can radically change communication. These were some points highlighted by Manual Bru, a lecturer at the University of San Pablo – CEU of Madrid, Spain. Amongst the projects underway in this field were those presented by Maria Rosa Logozzo and Cesare Borin, who presented a low cost worldwide project of multimedia communication services to enhance cooperative development. Geert Vanoverschelde from Belgium, head of an important television production firm, showed that it is possible to bring together quality, positive programmes and high ratings from TV viewers. 
Fraternity opens new horizons also to the world of Politics. This is the experience of the Movement for Unity in Politics (Mppu), today present in 15 countries and which is defined as “an international workshop of joint political work amongst citizens, officers, researchers and committed politicians at various levels, of different inspirations and parties, who put fraternity at the basis of their lives”. Lucia Fronza Crepaz, a member of the Italian parliament and president of the MPPU, illustrated its aims and achievements. She said: “To choose universal fraternity as a political line of thought means to have the courage to go to the very roots of the crisis which engulfs politics today.” Amongst the various witnesses was that of Cesar Romero, a consultant for the development programmes for farmers in Paraguay, who is committed to heal the existing strong social inequalities. After several struggles and delusions, he was finally able to present the project of the Movement for Unity in Politics to the various mayors of his country. This happened during a major Latin-American meeting for mayors which took place in Argentina and was promoted by the Movement for Unity in Politics. The mayors’ responsiveness exceeded by far his highest expectations. Romero said: “Deeply touched by the spirit of this meeting, the 16 mayors from Paraguay taking part in the meeting put forward a proposal to all the other mayors for a twinning and reciprocity agreement so as to promote and sustain the sharing of local development policies. Twenty-two city councils endorsed this unprecedented event for Paraguay.” The final choreography, “Dawn on the city”, was very significant. The city of Budapest, which lived dramatic moments of violence in 1956, fifty years later gave rise to a new impulse of renewal, fraternity and hope, which will now radiate to the hundreds of cities of all 5 continents which were represented here in this event.
Sep 15, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
“In a world marked by dramatic tensions, even through this initiative, the Focolare Movement intends to propose fraternity as a way that leads to peace”. The opening of this great gathering held at the SportArena of Budapest, packed to full capacity by 11,000 participants, who came from 92 countries from all over the world, consisted of the address of Pope Benedict XVI, read by Cardinal Peter Erdo, the Archbishop of Budapest and the Primate of Hungary. The ideas, experiences and concrete initiatives offered during the gathering, proposed universal fraternity as an answer to the many challenges of today. The Pope encouraged those participating “to continue the fruitful work brought ahead up till now, incarnating the Gospel of love in the affairs of each day”. Among those present in the ultra modern Hungarian sports stadium, there were followers of other religions, among whom a good number of Muslims from Algeria, Christians of various denominations, and members belonging to 13 other Catholic Movements and New Communities. There were also civil and religious personalities, among them Peter Harrach, the Vice-president of the Hungarian Parliament. This event followed the two day meeting which was held in the Hungarian capital city and in which more than 9000 “volunteers of God” took part. The “volunteers of God”, a branch of the Focolare Movement committed to contribute towards the renewal of society, was commemorating the 50th anniversary of its birth, as an answer to the tragic “events of Budapest”. 50 years after those tragic events, the founder of the Focolare Movement spoke about the situation of the world today: she spoke about the signs of a humanity engulfed by “a collective and cultural darkness”. In her address, read by Valeria Ronchetti, one of her first companions, Chiara Lubich spoke of “the collective darkness of our times, which has progressively fallen over humanity, especially in the West”, where relativism predominates and where ethics can no longer keep up with the scientific and technological advancements taking place at a frenetic pace. The West is searching “for incisive ideas, an ideal that opens the way and provides answers to the many tormenting questions, and that sheds a light to follow”. While repeating the words of John Paul II, Chiara indicated the way in the “tragedy of a God, who cries out: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” “This was his inner passion, his darkest night, the climax of his suffering”. It is a tragedy that sheds light on our paths: “If we are able to encounter Him in every suffering, if we love Him, by saying to the Father as Jesus did on the cross: ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit’ (Lk 23:46), then with Him the night will pass away and the light will illumine us”. She also said that “the Movement has acquired an extremely rich experience”, one that has seen new developments during these last years. 
Chiara spoke of “inundations of light” – borrowing a term from John Chrysostom, a great Father of the Church – which illuminates today’s culture in its various aspects. These inundations are a result of a “dialogue, which the Focolare Movement began some years ago. It is a dialogue between the wisdom which the charisma of unity has to offer and the various fields of human knowledge and endeavour”: from politics to ecology; from communication to health, law and economy. This development is the work of the Holy Spirit, that “precisely in our times has been generous, forcefully penetrating the human family with various charismas, which then gave birth to movements, spiritual currents, new communities and works”. It is not a novelty that “civic and economic experiences originate from spiritual currents born from charismas. The story of humanity is studded with them”. This was how Luigino Bruni, professor of political economics at the University of Milan – Bicocca (Italy), introduced the first of the four round table talks held to face the challenges encountered in the fields of economics, law, communications and politics. “The inspiring spark of that, which was immediately called Economy of Communion” occurred in 1991, during Chiara Lubich’s trip to San Paolo, Brazil, in the face of the “scandal posed by a world of luxurious skyscrapers and inhumane shacks”. “Many modern firms, efficient in their running, which operate within the market economy” have become the protagonists of this project, giving also rise to industrial estates. The novelty of this project is that the profits produced are used to help the growth of the firm, thus creating employment opportunities, to form “new people” who are ready to live this new culture, and to help those who have immediate needs. “It is not just a novelty of life, but also a novelty of thought, it is a doctrinal novelty”. Kelen Leite, a young Brazilian researcher, spoke about this. She is one of about 200 young university students who published their thesis on the Economy of Communion. She confirmed that “some universities were now teaching this theory along with other theories in economics courses”. Facts give evidence: During the massive economic crisis that hit Asia in 1997, a rural bank in the Philippines, set up to help farmers and operating in line with the Economy of Communion, not only managed to overcome the crisis, but it bravely managed to set up a project of micro-finance, lending out money to the poor without collateral. A new credit agency was born and presently this is still doing quite well. This is the experience of Tess and Francis Ganzon, of the board of directors of Bangko Kabayan. Launching of the “Brotherhood with Africa” project – A chance open to everyone to contribute to a new economy. This project, presented at the end of the morning session, aims at increasing human and professional resources in Africa, so that the Africans themselves will contribute towards the social and cultural development of their country. Young and adult Africans, who lack financial means, will be given support in the form of scholarships for university or post-university professional courses. Those who will benefit from this project will be asked to work in their country, at least for some time, after they finish their studies. The three other challenges in the fields of law, communication and politics were tackled in the afternoon session.
Sep 14, 2006 | Non categorizzato
The new way of life and thought that are emerging in the fields of economy, law, communication and politics will be presented during this open day, held at Budapest. This life is first of all rooted in God, in the radicality of the Gospel, lived in everyday life by thousands of people, who come from different cultural backgrounds and who have encountered the charism of unity of the Focolare Movement. In the forefront, there are the “volunteers of God”, members of a branch of the Focolare Movement, who commit themselves to live for the renewal of society. Their two days meeting on the 14th and 15th of September, with the title “50 years at the service of humanity”, has begun in a very festive mood. 9000 volunteers from all over the world are gathered in the most modern Sports Arena of the capital city of Budapest, and they want to go back to the roots of their history and to re-launch their commitment to live for the renewal of society. Budapest 1956 – Their stems are rooted in a dramatic historical moment, that has been emotionally relived during the opening of this meeting: it was November 1956 when the invasion of the Russian troops suppressed the freedom of the Hungarian people. In the Sports Arena there resounded the voice of Pope Pius XII who, at that time, launched an appeal in a radio message. 
He appealed that the name of God, “the source of law, justice and freedom, to be brought back to our parliaments, our homes, our offices”. Those present were also reminded of what Chiara Lubich said to start the adventure of the volunteers: “There is a society capable of putting aside the name of God, (. . .) of eredicating it from the hearts of men. So there must be a society who is able to give Him his place. There must be authentic disciples of Jesus, an army of volunteers, because love is free”. Budapest 2006 – In her message, while speaking of these beginnings, Chiara Lubich traced the identikit of the volunteer today. And one could see that what she said was in perfect harmony with what Pope Benedict XVI said during his very recent visit to Munich, when he spoke about the challenges of this present historical moment, which more than ever needs God. He said that God should “determine our own will and in this way reign in the world”; “justice and love may become the decisive forces affecting our world”. Chiara reminded everyone of the goal proposed by herself 50 years ago, when she said: “Let there be a block of people of all ages, of all races, from all walks of life, who are bound together by the most powerful bond that can exist: reciprocal love, love that unites Christians in a divine way”. This still holds today “in our disturbed societies and yet full of yearnings and potentialities”. While claiming that being lay people, the volunteers live “the normality of family, work and social life”, Chiara underlines the “totality, the freedom and the essentiality” of their vocation, which calls them “to imitate the first Christians” today, in the 21st century and “to be like the leaven in the bread, building ‘new heavens and new earth’, renewed by the light of the Gospel”. Then, all the important stages of the life story of the volunteers and of their specific vocation were traced. They were reminded of the very first signs that date back to the 40’s, when the Movement began and when Chiara started her spiritual adventure together with her first companions helping the poor. They aimed to solve the social problem of Trent, while sure of the fact that the “the revolution of the Gospel was the most powerful social revolution”. Then, the pioneers, among “the volunteers of God”, were presented. They gave witness of their great love for humanity and of their ability to build authentic spots of “fraternity in the social field” at the various places where each one has lived. During these days there will be various witnesses that emerge from different situations. These will show the effects on social life where the Gospel is lived in everyday life and in different cultural backgrounds. This meeting is held before the Convention of the 16th September, where participants will reach the number of 11,700, coming from 92 countries in the five continents. More than 3,800 come from Italy, about 600 from Asia, 170 from the Middle East, more than 1,300 from North and South America, 130 from Africa, 40 from Australia. There will be representatives from: 13 Ecclesial movements and New Communities, – christians from various Churches, – followers of Islam and of other religions. Among the state and religious personalities expected to take part there are: Cardinal Péter Erdõ, the Primate of Hungary, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, President of the Episcopal Conference, Péter Harrach, Vice-president of the Hungarian Parliament, Paolo Guido Spinelli, Italian Ambassador in Hungary, Zoltan Tarr, the general secretary for the Reformed Church, Bishop Janos Ittzes, the President of the Evangelical Church in Hungary.
Sep 7, 2006 | Non categorizzato
Sep 7, 2006 | Non categorizzato
Sep 7, 2006 | Non categorizzato
Sep 4, 2006 | Non categorizzato
I was born with a visual and auditory handicap resulting from an illness that my mother contracted during the pregnancy. As I was growing up I realised little by little that I was different. I felt marginalised and suffered a lot. I wanted to join in with others and help others but people around me often excluded me saying that I wasn’t capable and would never manage. I started to get more involved in my studies, thinking that through this I would be accepted, but there was still something missing and I often used to cry, asking myself “Why did this happen? Why did God want to do this to me?” When I was 25 years old I was invited to a meeting led by a priest for people with hearing difficulties like me. I remember how he was holding a page of the Gospel in his hand which he had great difficulty in explaining because he couldn’t communicate in sign language. I offered to help him and in sign language I spelt out the words of the Gospel that say “Love one another as I have loved you”. When the meeting had finished I started to reflect on those words and realised I too had to start to love and forgive as Jesus did. Little by little I got to know other people in the Focolare Movement and started going to more meetings with other young people and trying to put the Gospel into practice. I finally had the response to that “Why, God?” I had often asked myself. I realised that I could be His instrument of love in the world so as to love God better. I understood how much more important it was to look and listen with one’s heart. At school I am a teacher and from that moment I felt I had to start working in a different way. I was working in a school for people with hearing difficulties and together with others we introduced a method which centred on the culture of the deaf person, using sign language with the support of the Portuguese language. Parallel to this, I tried to adopt another method based on the “art of loving”, that suggested me ‘to love everyone’, ‘to love first’, ‘to make myself one’ with everybody, so that each student could feel special. One day the headmistress called all the teachers together and asked me to talk about the method I was using. I spoke about how I tried to identify with the life of the students to the point of making myself one with each one of them. My colleagues were so struck that immediately after the meeting they decided to changed their way of working. At catechism classes Some years ago I went to a Mass during which a number of young people with hearing difficulties received the Sacrament of the Eucharist. I realised that they didn’t really understand what they were doing because they hadn’t been properly prepared. After doing a course in Italy at an institute for deaf people, I decided to give catechism classes to deaf people in my own parish. The results were immediate. I used the Brazilian sign language, focussing the lessons on the Sunday mass readings. Immediately afterwards I was invited to coordinate all the activities of this type in the province of Paraná ( Brazil) which is composed of 16 dioceses and started to meet periodically with other catechists. I feel fulfilled and happy because I realise how the spirituality of unity has opened the way for me to help God to build a humanity renewed by love. (R. A. – Brazil)
Sep 4, 2006 | Non categorizzato
“We have just been to Vienna where we met groups of refugees from Hungary. The world has been deeply touched by the tragedy of that nation and rushed to its aid. The refugees have been given many things: food, clothing, a friendly hand and above all the taste of freedom. One of us spoke to a sixteen-year-old youth. He still had his pistol on him. He had been wounded in a fight and boasted of having killed sixteen opponents but when we showed a deeper interest in him tears came to his eyes and he said he wanted to go back and see his mother. We asked him if he knew God. His answer was a clear and definite no. He had heard his mother and father blaspheme God, he said. That was how he had been brought up, so he had been surprised to hear his mother call on God when the trouble broke out in Hungary. But all the same God meant nothing to him. That’s the way it was with him and that’s the way it was with many, many others we met. Seeing how the name of God had been annihilated in these people, we understood better why the Holy Father had cried out “God, God, God!”. “God will help you. God will be your strength. God! God! God! Let this glorious name, the source of all law, justice and freedom, ring out in our parliaments, in our streets and squares, in our homes and places of work …” (Radio message of Pope Pius XII on 10.11.1956). So a society has succeeded in eradicating the name of God, the reality of God, His providence and His love from the hearts of men. Then there must be another society able to put Him back in the place that is His. For there is a God, there is! Not just because we believe so but, I would say, because we can see Him. Who made this beautiful earth? Who placed the stars in the sky? Who gave us a soul that senses and distinguishes between good and bad? Who created us? God wants to save Him in humanity and to save humanity for Him! People are needed who will follow Jesus the way He wants to be followed, denying themselves and taking up their cross; people who believe that this weapon, the cross, is more powerful than the most powerful atomic bomb because the cross opens up a breach in souls; by it God enters the hearts of His children and makes them into His athletes. We must build up a body of men and women of all ages, races, conditions, bound together by the strongest bond that exists: that mutual love bequeathed us as His testament by a God dying in His human nature, the highest ideal and an invincible force. That mutual love that welds Christians into a divine unity which is invulnerable to the attacks of men or the devil and which alone is capable of opposing that other unity founded on personal and group interests, worldly motives and hate. Mutual love, which means practical deeds, making our brothers the object of all our love out of our love for God. What are needed then are real disciples of Jesus in the world, not just in convents. Disciples who follow Him voluntarily, driven only by an enlightened love of Him. People who are ready for anything. An army of volunteers, because love is voluntary. It means building a new society, one renovated by the Good News forever old and forever new, in which justice and truth shine forth with love. A society to surpass in beauty and structure every society conjured up in men’s dreams by other men, God’s gift to His children who recognise and adore Him as their Father! A society that bears one name only: God! Freedom and bread were not enough for that young Hungarian refugee. He needed his mother too (and this is the return to nature’s purest gift – the first step back to the Creator). In the same way people all over the world, who believe in the triumph of ideas that seem good on the surface but are undermined by atheism beneath, need to be given God. Only God can fill the void hollowed out over so many years.”
Chiara Lubich
From an article published in Città Nuova
Aug 31, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
Hiroshima, 21-25 August 2006 «Dear young men and women, participants in the Youth Assembly of Religions for Peace, I have been informed that you have come together in Hiroshima from the various continents of the world to demonstrate and work on behalf of peace. To each and all my warmest greeting, and best wishes that this assembly be rich in proposals and concrete fruits. There is no need to pause on the importance of what you are doing in these days. The tragic situation of a world that longs for peace but seems unable to attain it is before the eyes of all. And so every gesture towards this goal is meaningful; every effort, every endeavor is a contribution. But I would say that you who are religious youth, believers in a faith, have a very special task and role to play in the vast workshop that is planet earth. Yes, because you are convinced – no matter what religion you come from – that your neighbor, every neighbor should be respected and loved. In fact the “Golden Rule”, as this precept is called, is present in the Sacred Books of all the great world religions. In practice it says: Do to others as you would have them do to you; desire for others what you desire for yourself; do not do or desire for others that which would cause suffering to you. Love for neighbor, understood in this way, is the most efficacious contribution that the world awaits in our times; it is the key towards solving every problem, the fundamental medicine for every evil. We need to spell out, however, that the love which we, who have received the gift of religious faith, are called to bring to the world is a special kind of love, as strong as death. It is not enough to practice tolerance or non-violence, nor does mere friendship or goodwill towards others suffice. It is a love which extends indistinctly towards all: young and old, rich and poor, fellow-countryman or stranger, friend or foe. It requires that we be merciful and forgiving. We have to be the first to love others, taking the initiative and not waiting for others to love us. We must love not in words alone, but concretely, in deeds. And forgetting ourselves to be at the service of others implies sacrifice and fatigue. True peace and unity come about when this way of life is practiced not only by individuals but by people together, united in mutual love. You will have a chance to experience how true this is by loving one another in these days. In the Christian liturgy there is a song which says: “Where there is charity and love, there is God”. God among you, present in your mutual love, will enlighten and guide you on the steps to take, giving you strength, ardor, joy. And the presence of God will unite you in an invisible but powerful net, even when you are far from one another. Love, therefore: love among all of you and love sown into every corner of the world among persons, groups and nations, using every means possible, in order that, thanks also to your contribution, there be an invasion of love in the world. Courage my dear young people! I urge you to go forward dauntlessly. Youth is generous, youth does not count the cost. If we all live this way, humanity will become more and more one family and a rainbow of peace will shine out in the world! I am with you». Chiara Lubich
Aug 31, 2006 | Non categorizzato, Word of
This is a Word that gives life, the life of the Gospel, and, at the same time, it is a Word that needs to be lived out. If God speaks to us, how can we not welcome his Word? The Bible repeats God’s invitation to listen to him a total of 1,153 times. The Father extended the same invitation to the disciples when the Word, his Son, came down to live among us: “Listen to him” (Mt 17:5). The listening that the Bible speaks about, however, is done more with the heart than with the ears. It means to adhere completely, to obey, to make our own what God tells us, with the trust of a child who abandons himself in his mother’s arms and lets her carry him. This is what the apostle James reminds us of in his letter:
«Be doers of the word and not hearers only»
In this Word we hear an echo of Jesus’ teaching. For instance, “blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Lk 11:28), and again, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it” (Lk 8:21). Using an image given by Jesus, James compares the Word to a seed that has been put in our hearts and urges people to “humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you” (Jas 1:21). But to welcome and hear it is not enough. Just as the seed is destined to bear fruit, so the Word of God has to grow into deeds. Jesus had explained this in the parable of the two sons whose father asked each: “Son, go out and work in the vineyard.” One said, “ ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go.” The other, however, said, “‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went” (Mt 21:28-30). The son who later obeyed his father showed with his deeds what it really means to hear the Word. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that a person who lives the Word will set a firm foundation for his or her life: “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock” (Mt 7:24).
«Be doers of the word and not hearers only»
Jesus expresses all his love for us in each one of his words. Let us incarnate them, let us make them our own, and if we put them into practice a great life force will be set free in us and all around us. Let us fall in love with the Gospel to the point of allowing it to transform us and to overflow onto others. This is our way of loving Jesus back. It will no longer be us who live, but Christ will begin to live in us. We will experience what it means to be free from ourselves, from our limitations, from all those things that tie us down. Moreover, we will see the revolution of love that Jesus, now free to live within us, will set off in the surrounding social structures.
«Be doers of the word and not hearers only»
We experienced this from the very beginning of the Movement. Because of the frequent bombardments of Trent during World War II, we ran to the air-raid shelters carrying with us only a little book: the Gospels. We would open the book and read it. Thanks to a particular grace of God, I think, those words that we had heard so many times stood out for us with a new light. They were words of life, to be lived out right away. “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Mt 22:39)—even in the midst of the sadness and tragedy of the war, the people that were touched by this love would rediscover how to smile and be serene and find meaning in their lives. “Give and gifts will be given to you” (Lk 6:38)—after making a little act of generosity we were overwhelmed by the abundance of providence that would arrive; goods that we would then freely distribute throughout the city to those in need. We thus witnessed the growth of an active community around us, a community that grew to 500 people in just a few months. All of this was the fruit of our communion with the word, which was constant, and energized us moment by moment. We were inebriated by the word; we could say that the word lived us. It was enough to ask one another: “Are you living the word?” “Are you the word lived out?” to increase our speed in living it. We have to go back to living as we did in those days. The Gospel is always timely. It is up to us to believe in this and to experience it.
Chiara Lubich
Aug 30, 2006 | Non categorizzato
“At a time when religion is being manipulated by extremists, the religious leaders gathered in Kyoto are showing the whole world that religious communities can indeed illuminate the path to peace when they work together”, stated Dr. Vendley, General Secretary of the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP), during the conclusion of the 8th World Conference, which was attended by over 2,000 participants.
The 800 delegates, from more than 100 countries, were Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Jain, Sikh, Shinto, Zoroastrian and Indigenous leaders. Among the Muslim representatives there were some highly important figures, such as the ex-president of Iran, Khatami and the Prince of Jordan, Hassan Talal. The head of the Jewish delegation was Rabbi David Rosen, president of the International Jewish Commission. The heads of the Catholic delegation were Japanese Cardinal Stephen Fumio Hamao, together with Bolivian Cardinal Julio Terrezas Sandoval.
Religious leaders from Iraq, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Sudan highlighted the Assembly’s unique capacity to bring together delegates from zones of conflict. Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish religious leaders from Iraq, presently in conflict in their country, stated in a common declaration: “We have dialogued with boldness, courage and trust. We now walk on this path of dialogue. God willing, we will reach a green line of peace for all of Iraq”. The Hindu and Buddhist representatives from Sri Lanka publicly shook hands heartily and demanded a cease-fire and the resumption of peace talks.
At the end of the Assembly the delegates adopted the Declaration’s twenty recommendations which “put religious communities at the centre of all efforts to confront violence in all its forms within our own communities”. The document is addressed not only to religious leaders, but also to governments and international organisations, in order to increase shared security through support, education and collaboration with, and among, religious communities.
The spiritual roots of dialogue amongst religions and their work for peace were at the centre of the message of Chiara Lubich, an honorary president of the WCRP, who was represented by an international delegation of the Focolare Movement. The president of the Movement put great emphasis on “love that unites”, “which each one of us, starting from ourselves, can give rise to in all our relationships”. Up to the point of “highlighting together, with reciprocal love, the presence of Someone who transcends us and who is infinitely greater than us”. “A new presence of God which leads to tolerance, forgiveness, peace, joy and which lights the flame of love which brings men in communion with each other, lights the path of existence and which cannot but penetrate everybody’s heart”.
Two sessions of the World Assembly highlighted the efforts of women and youth of different religions. More than 400 participants from 65 countries concluded the Religions for Peace Women’s Assembly, on August 25 with a Declaration affirming that “women of faith give strength and hope when all seems hopeless”.
The Religions for Peace Youth Assembly, who were gathered in Hiroshima from August 21 to 25, proclaimed in their own Declaration, “We choose hope, because it is the only way forward.”
The WCRP, World Conference of Religions for Peace, is the largest coalition of the world’s religious leaders and communities. Founded in 1970 it is based on the principle of a profound respect of religious diversities. It promotes cooperation to heal conflicts, build peace and advance sustainable development. These major periodical meetings above all favour reciprocal knowledge and dialogue.
Aug 29, 2006 | Non categorizzato
Aug 20, 2006 | Non categorizzato
“Christ’s demand for Peter’s love is not limited to one group or to the Roman Catholic Church, because all men form part of Christ’s fold. Consequently, all Christians are summoned to love, and first and foremost this love calls for unity, because lack of unity in a family brings suffering. This was the spirit that led me to understand my new task and to carry it out with all my heart and all the spiritual and material abilities that God has given me. I was blessed by the Lord and I thank Him deeply for calling me to serve Him in this field for such a long time during my work in His Church”. These were the words that Cardinal Johannes Willebrands said when he was interviewed by Vatican Radio in 1989. He was then 80 years old, and because of his old age, his task as President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity was coming to its end after a service of 20 years. Benedict XVI: “A pastor who worked indefatigably serving God’s people and promoting the unity of the Church”, one who gave “a new leap forward to the ecumenical dialogue”. These were the words the Pope wrote in his telegram when Cardinal Willebrands passed away on the 2nd of August. The Pope thanked the Lord for the life of the Cardinal, who died at the age of 97. His commitment to serve the ecumenical cause started in 1951, ten years before Vatican Council II. The gratitude of the Focolare Movement is very much alive: Since the 1960’s Cardinal Willebrands accompanied and encouraged the Movement’s ecumenical developments with wise farsightedness. A biographical note Cardinal Willebrands was born in Bovenkarspel, Netherlands, in 1909. A lecturer of philosophy and then a rector of the Major Seminary of Warmond, Holland, he immediately showed keen interest in the cause of Christian Unity, and in 1951 he organised a Catholic conference on the ecumenical question. In 1958, the Dutch bishops appointed him delegate for ecumenical activities. Two years later, Pope John XXIII appointed him secretary of the then recently established Pontifical Council for promoting Christian Unity which, during the Second Vatican Council – under the guidance of Cardinal Bea – made an important contribution to the writing of the documents relating to ecumenism, religious freedom and relations with non-Christian religions. He was consecrated bishop in 1964, and he promoted numerous ecumenical initiatives to intensify the dialogue between the Catholic Church and the other Christian Churches. His contacts were mainly with Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran representatives. In 1969 he succeeded Cardinal Bea: Pope Paul VI appointed him president for the Secretariat for the Unity of Christians (later this was given the name of Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity). After a little while he was made a cardinal. Brothers from various Churches give their witness Among the numerous witnesses given by our brothers and sisters of various Churches, we recall a very meaningful episode, witnessed by the German Evangelical Pastor Dieter Furst. In 1986, Pastor Furst spoke about a meeting that Cardinal Willebrands had at Centro Uno, the Ecumenical Centre of the Focolare Movement in Rome. He said that the Cardinal met a group that came from the Evangelical Church. Before this meeting with Cardinal Willebrands, the group feared that “the great and mighty Catholic Church wanted to crush the small and weak Evangelical Church”. The Pastor added that among the participants there were also representatives from the free Churches, who were really even more afraid of this. But the Cardinal spoke in such a paternal way and his words were so full of the Holy Spirit, that he filled these brothers with enthusiasm: “The Cardinal has revealed the Church and Christianity on a much broader dimension than the one we knew before.”
Aug 7, 2006 | Non categorizzato
Aug 6, 2006 | Non categorizzato
Aug 2, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
Like all other Lebanese villages that have not yet been bombed, Biacout is crowded with both Christian and Muslim families, that fled from the southern regions of Beirut. Here there is a small pilot project set up by the volunteers of the Focolare Movement during the war of the 80’s. They wanted to create an oasis of peace where people could live together in harmony. Presently, it is living a new phase of its “vocation”.
At the Medical Social Centre we met Acia, a lady we first met 20 years ago, when together with her family and hundreds of other people, she fled from her village at the south of Lebanon. We met her at the beach. She had neither shelter nor food; she had nothing. We tried to help her and since then our relationship became much stronger.
Today the story is starting all over again. Acia has welcomed in her home three families, who come from her village, and two old people. Her precarious situation does not stop her from sharing her belongings with others. “We try to do the best we can”, she told us. “ As it is summer, men can sleep on the terrace; but we still need mattresses. Most of all we need medicines for the children, for my mother and my mother-in-law. Even my husband needs medicines.” In fact, about a year ago it was discovered that her husband is suffering from muscular sclerosis and since then he has been receiving treatment. She continued, “Today, other families have been offered shelter by my neighbour. They are in a very bad state, in need of everything”.
We shared with them all that we had and then continued our round. We arrived at Notre Dame Home, built when the war was at its worst, to be a haven of peace and of sharing. Sawsan, the kindergarten teacher is presently giving shelter to 8 Muslim families. They thank “Allah” that they are here and hope that their relatives, who live very near to the border, are safe and sound.
Very angrily, one of them blurted out, “Let us hope “Allah” burns all those who are killing us”. But immediately she said: “This is too much for me! I become upset and I become very angry when I see what is happening and what has happened; but I know that even the people on the other side are suffering because of this war”. Fatmè confirmed: “We are all God’s children. May the almighty Allah instil calmness in hearts and in spirits and may he help us to live again in peace.”
Meanwhile Wardè, a young Christian arrived. During the last war she fled from the south together with her husband and children and she found refuge in Biacout. Lately she returned to the south. “Now, thank God, we are back to Biacout! None of us has been wounded or struck. We are three families who live together. We have nothing; we are afraid of what is happening and of what might happen to us.”
While we were talking, I saw some Schiiti women holding long rosary beads in their hands. They were praying to the Great “Allah”, praising and thanking him. And we left each other on this very beautiful spiritual note.
Wardè accompanied us and we tried to share her suffering. We went back to the car and in our hearts we could feel the pleasantness of the moments lived together at Notre Dame Home and the bitterness of the cry of suffering that re-echoes everywhere.
Jul 31, 2006 | Non categorizzato, Word of
This program of life is concrete and essential. It alone could create a different society, one richer in brotherly love and solidarity. This program was part of a mandate given to Christians in Asia Minor. These communities had succeeded in establishing peace between Jews and Gentiles, the two peoples that up to then represented a divided humanity.
Unity, brought by Christ, needs to always be revived and translated into concrete social actions that are inspired entirely by mutual love. In this word of life we find specific pointers on how our relationships should be:
«Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ»
Kindness means to want what is good for others. It means “making ourselves one” with them, drawing close to them completely setting aside our own interests, ideas and the many preconceived notions that often cloud our vision. We do this so that we can take on the others’ burdens, their needs and their sufferings, and also as to share in their joys.
It means entering into the hearts of the people we meet in order to understand their mentality, culture and traditions and make them, in a certain sense, our own. In this way we can truly understand what they need and we can discern those values that God has placed in each person’s heart. In a word, kindness means to live for others.
Mercy means to welcome others as they are, not as we would like them to be, with a different personality, with political views that match our own, with religious convictions like ours, and without those defects and habits that irritate us. No, we need to expand our hearts so that they are capable of welcoming all people with all their differences, limitations and problems.
Forgiveness means to see the other person always with new eyes. Even in the most beautiful and peaceful environments in the family, at school and at work, there are inevitably moments of friction, differences and arguments. Sometimes we avoid each other, or we are not on speaking terms or, not to mention when we nourish sentiments of hatred towards those who do not think the way we do. We need instead to make a determined choice to try to see each brother and sister as if for the first time, a completely new person, without remembering how he or she offended us, but covering everything over with love, with absolute amnesty in our hearts, in imitation of God, who forgives and forgets.
True peace and unity can be attained when kindness, mercy and forgiveness are lived not only by people individually, but by people together, in reciprocity.
Just as the embers in a fireplace have to be stirred to prevent them from being smothered by the ashes, it is necessary from time to time to take steps to revive our mutual love and give fresh life to our relationships with everyone, so that they will not be smothered by the ashes of indifference, apathy and selfishness.
«Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ»
These attitudes need to be translated into life, into concrete actions.
Jesus showed us what love is when he healed the sick and fed the crowds, when he brought the dead back to life, and when he washed the feet of his disciples. Deeds, concrete deeds: this is what it means to love.
I remember a mother in an African family whose daughter Rosangela had lost an eye after a young boy poked her with a stick and even afterwards continued to make fun of her. Neither parent of the boy had come to say that they were sorry. There was only silence. Rosangela’s mother felt bitter towards this family. Rosangela, on the other hand, had forgiven the boy, and said to her mother, “You should take comfort in the fact that luckily I still have one good eye.”
“One morning,” Rosangela’s mother later shared, “the boy’s mother asked me to go and visit her because she was sick. My reaction was: ‘Why is she asking me to help? She has many other neighbors who live near her. After what her son did to us, how dare she come to me for help?’
“But right away I remembered that love knows no limits. I hurried over to her house. She came to open the door and then fainted in my arms. I took her to the hospital and waited there with her until the doctors could take care of her. A week later she was discharged from the hospital and she came to my house to thank me. I welcomed her warmly, I had made it finally to forgive her and we are on very good terms now.”
We too can fill our days with concrete, humble, intelligent acts of service that express our love toward others. And brotherhood and peace will spread around us.
Chiara Lubich
Jul 23, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
The responsable persons of the Movement in Lebanon wrote: “Once again, here in Lebanon we experience that only God remains. Infrastructures that had just been finished after the war, crumble in a few seconds. More than 500.000 people from southern and eastern Lebanon (out of 4 million people) have left their homes in about a week. Bombings, deaths, wounds, what you see on Tv its all true. Just as the extraordinary experience we are doing: everything breaks down, but Love wins it all. After the initial dismay, fright and many “Why’s?”, love goes round, being stronger than hate.” Christians and Muslism – “We also opened our homes to many of our muslim friends and their families. We met them over the last three years and started building a real fraternity. They have been main characters in living concrete love: mutual help in the kitchen, cleaning, playing with the children, helping other evacuees”. God’s plan – “Nevertheless what the great powers of the world want you to believe, Lebanon is living God’s real plan for it: christians and muslims are living as real brothers and sisters. We really must thank God, who has brought out so much Good from this evil. Also our friends feel that even if the whole world would abbandon us, God never will.” Unlimited Solidarity– “Food of all kinds, money, people living near and assuring their help for any need: among the suffering, there’s the joy of feeling we are real brothers and sisters”. Experiencing we are a “family”, makes us feel that love heals relationships and wounds, makes people feel less afraid, gives new hope and brings peace”. We also received a direct experience from some young people, commited in the solidarity actions promoted by the Movement. J. wrote: The hardest challenge – “I would like to tell you about the war experience from another point of view: it is true that we are living an “allarming” situation, which its making us move backwards and will have terrible consequences for Lebanon. It is also true that we don’t know what will happen in the future. If things go as they are, this conflict may become a Middle East war… and who knows what else… BUT in the present moment, the hardest challenge is to overcome the temptation of feeling powerless, which is burning us little by little”. Go beyond ourselves and reach out our neighbour- “ During the last community meeting of the Focolare Movement, last saturday, and the young people congress -that lasted saturday and sunday- we experienced going beyond ourselves and jumping from being observers to action. Reaching out towards our neighbours: helping, loving…. maybe only by doing small things: as listening others, playing with the children. With some youngsters, we went to Beirut and met in two schools 600 refugees coming from the South. We brought them mattresses and other things they needed”. “It is true, everything crumbles. However, it is also true that underneath this caos, God is there and He’s working. We only have to pay attention to his presence. Lets keep praying and, above all, lets keep living in the present moment. J”.
Jul 22, 2006 | Focolare Worldwide
The community of Lebanon has sent us a new witness: it is part of the drama that the Christian and Muslim population of this small nation are living, and it is a witness that the commitment for peace and solidarity wins over fear, hatred and violence.
Those who would like to contribute help by sending money, they can do so through AMU (see note at the end).
The Witness
I was in my car. Traffic was very slow and I could see that supermarkets and big shopping centres were very crowded. The look on people’s faces was sad or rebellious. It was only in my car that I could sense that which I thought has been forgotten.
As I was listening all the time to a radio station that warns against any danger that can crop up any minute, once again I could hear the same note on Flash Information Radio Liban, the one we have been listening to during the most difficult and terrible moments of the long war. It is a note that has stuck to our ears and it continuously makes us shiver: “Here is the news: the villages of South Kleya, Debl, Marjehyoun and many other localities are in a very critical situation. Crowds of people are sheltering in churches and in townhalls because they are in great danger. They are appealing for help to evacuate the sick, the handicapped, the old, the wounded. . . They lack food and medicines, and they have neither water nor electricity. This is a state of emergency, a situation that cannot last for a long time. . .
After a few seconds I hear the same sad voice: “The outskirts of Zahle` have been intensely bombarded; the central electric power station has been damaged. We appeal to everyone to stay indoors unless it is extremely necessary to go out.”
My mobile phone rings: it is a friend of mine who lives in Achrafieh, Beirut. She asks me to find a safe place for her mother. . .
Yes, this time war is presenting a new danger: it is destroying a nation, a people. . . This war is being fought by distructing bridges, roads, all public and private infrastructure. All regions are being targeted; not one region is being spared: the south, Bekaa, the north, the coast, Beirut. There is danger everywhere. The people are exhausted. And by the look of things, the end does not seem to be near. . .
But . . .
. . . amidst this hell and state of general desolation, there is always a ray of light, of new energies that give hope, motivate and encourage. . .
This is what is happening in IRAP (a rehabilitation centre for the deaf and dumb): there are crowds of people in the big hall, in the corridors, in the classes that have been transformed into lucky places of shelter.
One tries to establish contacts with social institutions to coordinate help. Rolls of toilet paper, blankets, foodstuffs, medicines for small children who risk to suffer from acute diarrhoea, are being transported to a centre in Bourg Hammoud where people are finding shelter. Matresses and clothing are being donated by the Lebanese themselves to help families with small children.
We try to contact our friends, who live in the south and who are isolated wihout any help. But many telephone lines have been destroyed.
The will to live and make others live does not die out even though the possibilities are very limited.
Christians, Muslims, Schiiti and Sunniti, all share the same fate, and they are united because they are all prey of the same violence. They are united because they are Lebanese, they love their country and they are faithful to their roots.
This spirit of solidarity is kept alive. We, ourselves must build the peace we strife for, sustained by prayer; we must build it inside us every moment being ready to always start afresh. This is the way to win the sentiments of fear, hatred and violence that want to destruct us.
A group of young people has left our Centre to go to help others. One of them said: “We have lived ‘heavenly moments’ here”. I said to her: “May you bring this heaven to the places where you go.”
This is the greatest richness we try to give to those around us. We need all kinds of goods. Many people lost everything. But above all we need friendship, solidarity and prayers.
For yet another time “The Country of cedars” will be born again, it will live! The hope of Claudel and the faith of the great saints are alive in us. Our Lady of Harissa protects this small country, the garden of God, “a piece of heaven on earth”, that everyone wants to possess, as a Lebanese singer says.
We launch an appeal to all our friends, to all organisations that have already collaborated with us: start a chain of prayers, a chain of help. Mobilize the public opinion in favour of the sovereignity of Lebanon. Every act of solidarity is welcome!
From the group at IRAP: Janine and Mona
How to help:
Association: “Action for a United World”
NGO – Via Frascati, 342 – 00040 Rocca di Papa (Roma) – Italia
Bank Account No. 640053
Bank: Sanpaolo IMI, Ag. di Grottaferrata (Roma) ABI 01025 CAB 39140 CIN M
International Bank information needed for contributions from other foreign countries:
IBAN IT 16 M10 2539 1401 0000 0640 053 BIC IBSPITTM – “Emergenza Libano”
In Italy one may also use the conto corrente postale 81065005, made out to AMU, indicating the address of the NGO and specifying the project one wishes to support.
The “Action for a United World” (AMU) association is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that is inspired by the spirit of unity of the Focolare Movement. It aims at universal brotherhood, promoting projects of cooperation for the development of countries and peoples while fully respecting their social, cultural and economic realities.
Jul 21, 2006 | Non categorizzato
Jun 30, 2006 | Non categorizzato, Word of
God’s love is universal. It embraces the whole universe and watches over the smallest of creatures. The poem that contains this Word of Life is a hymn to God who is “abounding in love,” who reaches out to every living being, drawn by the needs of each of us.
Here the person is portrayed in an attitude of prayerful request expressing a need for food and all the other necessities of life. God generously opens his hands to this gesture. God takes care of everyone, sustains those who are weak, and “lifts up all who are falling” (Ps 145:14). God leads those who are lost back to the right path.
«The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth» (Ps 145:18).
This is not a God who is absent, distant, or indifferent to the destiny of humanity and to the destiny of each one of us, and many times we experience this closeness. But at other times the distance seems enormous; we feel alone, insecure and lost in the face of situations that overwhelm us.
A sense of rebellion might overtake us, or feelings of aversion—if not hate—towards one of our brothers or sisters. Our hearts are heavy perhaps because of situations that have drawn on for years at home or at work—great or small disappointments, a trust betrayed, feelings of jealousy, envy or even oppression. Or we see ourselves being smothered by a world that seems hardened by unrestrained drive and ambition, and emptied of ideals, justice and hope.
“Lord, where are you?” our hearts cry out. “Do you really love me? Do you really love us? Why are you putting us through all this?”
And then the Word of Life reassures us: we are never alone on our journey through life.
«The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth»
These words are an invitation to revive our faith—God exists and loves me. I can and must reaffirm this with every action, in every situation: God loves me. Is there a person before me? I have to believe that through him or her God has something to tell me. Am I busy with a job? In that moment, I can continue to have faith in his love. Some suffering comes, yet I still believe that God loves me. Does a moment of joy arrive? God loves me.
God is here with me, always. God knows everything about me and shares my every thought, every joy, every desire, bearing together with me every worry and every difficult moment in my life.
«The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth»
How can we renew this conviction within us? Here are some suggestions.
God tells us how: by calling out to him! The Lord was already on Peter’s boat when a storm came up, but the disciples felt alone and helpless because he was sleeping. They called out to him: “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” (Mt 8:25) and he calmed the wind and the sea.
Jesus himself, on the cross, no longer felt close to his Father. He cried out to him with a most agonizing prayer: “”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46). Then, believing in his Father’s love, Jesus abandoned himself to him, and the Father raised him from the dead.
How else can we revive our faith in his presence?
By seeking him in our midst. He promised to be present “where two or three are gathered” in his name (Mt 18:20). Let us then meet in the mutual love of the Gospel with all those who live the Word of Life. Let’s share how we have put it into practice and we will experience the fruits of his presence: joy, peace, light, and courage.
The Lord will dwell within each of us, and we will continue to feel him close by and working in our lives every day.
Chiara Lubich
Jun 11, 2006 | Non categorizzato
May 31, 2006 | Non categorizzato, Word of
“For you were called for freedom” (Gal 5:13). This is the message that Paul of Tarsus proclaimed to Christians in the various communities of Galatia. This message echoes Jesus’ words that when he “frees you, then you will truly be free” (Jn 8:36). Free from what? Christians from Galatia were set free from the legal precepts of the Mosaic law, a freedom that was then extended to all Christians. Furthermore, we were set free from sin and its consequences: our fears, our frenzied pursuit of our own interests, cultural conditioning and social stratification. This is why we are free when we observe Christianity’s norms for social and religious conduct, because we do not see them as obligations imposed on us from the outside. For us there is a new law: the “law of Christ” (Gal 6:2), as Paul calls it. It is written in our hearts and it is born within every person made new by the love of Christ: it is “the law of freedom” (Js 2:12). It is a law that also provides us with the strength to live it out. We are free because we are guided by the Spirit of Jesus who lives in us. Thus we are given this invitation:
«Live by the Spirit… if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law»
In this period of Pentecost, we relive the event of the descent of the Spirit on Mary and the disciples gathered in the Cenacle. The Spirit’s tongues of fire pour into our hearts this gift: “the love of God” (Rom 5:5). This then is the “new law:” love. The Holy Spirit is the Love of God that comes into us and transforms our hearts. He puts his own love in us and teaches us to act in love and for love. It is love that guides, that suggests to us how to respond to various situations and to the choices that we are asked to make. It is love that teaches us how to distinguish and say: “This is a good thing, I will do it.” “This is a bad thing, I will not do it.” And it is love that urges us to act in ways that seek what is good for others. We are not guided by external pressures but by that principle of new life that the Spirit has placed within us. Our hearts, our minds, our strength – all our abilities – are able to live by the Spirit because they have been unified by love and are at the complete disposal of God’s plan for us and for our society. We are free to love.
«Live by the Spirit… if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law»
“If you are guided.…” There is always the danger that something may prevent the Spirit from fully penetrating our minds and hearts. We can resist his voice and his guidance to the point of “grieving” him, even “quenching” his presence in us (see Eph 4:30; 1 Thes 5:19). Many times, we prefer to follow our own desires rather than adhere to his. How then should we let ourselves be guided by that voice that speaks inside of us? Where is it leading us? Paul himself reminds us, a few verses earlier, that the new law of freedom is summed up in one precept: love of neighbor. Paul suggests that to be free really means to make ourselves slaves of others, to be at the service of one another (see Gal 5:13-14). That voice within, which is the voice of love, urges us to be attentive to the persons next to us, to listen to them and to give of ourselves to them. It may seem strange how, in the end, every Word of Life leads us to love. This is not something forced; it is simply the logic of the Gospel. We are authentic Christians only if we love.
«Live by the Spirit… if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law»
Let us allow the Spirit the freedom to lead us on the way of love. We could pray to him in this way: You are light, joy, and beauty. You attract people’s souls, you inflame their hearts, and you inspire them to formulate profound and decisive resolutions and to choose holiness of life with surprising personal commitments. You sanctify. Above all, Holy Spirit, you who are so discreet, even though impetuous and overpowering, you who blow like a gentle breeze that few know how to listen to and to feel, look at how raw and rough we are and shape us into your followers. May we let no day pass without praying to you, without thanking you, without adoring you, without loving you, without living as your devoted disciples.
We ask you for this grace.
Chiara Lubich
May 30, 2006 | Non categorizzato
May 26, 2006 | Non categorizzato
I work in the United Nations Organization, in one of its agencies in Rome, which has offices in more than 80 countries. We are the largest agency of food aid in the world. We operate not only in developing countries, but also anywhere there are victims of natural disasters or man-made crises like war. My daily working environment is multiethnic, multiracial, multilingual, and multi-religious. In my daily activity I try to keep an attitude of openness towards others, reminding myself constantly that for God, no one is a stranger. This helps me to be more attentive to those who are newcomers to Italy or, more generally, to those in need. At the beginning of winter, there was an e-mail circulating in our offices which contained a request for a kerosene heater. It was for a family in great financial difficulty, living in a small house with no heat, not far from my place. There are certain appeals one just cannot ignore. I felt this one was addressed to me directly, especially when I realized that I could truly do something about it. I therefore registered that memo in my mind. A surprise came the next day. When I opened my computer on the buy-and-sell announcements for the private use of our organization’s personnel, I read that a French colleague of mine was selling a kerosene heater for € 130. It was quite unusual to find such an article in our buy-and-sell index! It really seemed to be an answer to the previous day’s request… I immediately thought that that announcement, which was directed to our 1000 staff members, was actually addressed to me. I decided to tell my officemates about the situation and suggest that each of us contribute to buy the heater. They rallied around, and in half a day we were able to raise € 85! Since God never stops amazing us, the next day, when I phoned my colleague to tell him about the whole thing, he said that in view of the situation he would lower the price of the heater to only € 50. I decided to look for the fuel for the heater, and it cost exactly € 35! I have another different, but significant experience. It involves K., a Nigerian Muslim colleague. He began to work in my office some years ago. From the beginning we had a good relationship. Often, during break-time, we would find ourselves sharing our spiritual experiences in a climate of profound respect for each other’s culture. We felt that each accepted and understood the other as he was, with his diversities, and was free to express all the personal richness he had. Two years ago, K. was transferred to Sudan, a country with 97% Muslims. We continued keeping in touch. Last year, at 6 o’clock on Easter morning the phone rang: “Hello, my dear friend! Happy Easter to you and your family!” I reciprocated by extending to him my best wishes for the forthcoming Ramadan. Recently, K. was transferred to Uganda. I wrote to congratulate him for this promotion to a new work experience. Last month I called him on the phone, and after talking about technical matters, I inquired about his new job situation, home life and whether or not there was a mosque nearby where he could go and pray. He thanked me for my concern and he shared some of his experiences in his new country where the majority was Christian. From a distance our common desire to put into practice the “golden rule” – “do unto others what you would have others do unto you.” binds us together. This helps us both to reach out to others, no matter what nation they belong to. (T.T. – Italy)
