August 2000
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst (Jn. 6:35).
In his Gospel John narrates that Jesus went to Capernaum after the multiplication of the loaves, and there, in his discourse on the bread of life, among other things, he said: “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (Jn. 6:27).
For those who were listening to him it was evident that he was speaking of the manna and the expectations for a “second” manna which would come down from heaven during the Messianic times.
Shortly afterwards, in that same discourse, Jesus presents himself to the crowd, which has not yet understood, as the true bread come down from heaven which must be accepted through faith:
«I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.»
Jesus already sees himself as bread. This then is the ultimate purpose of his life on earth. To become bread in order to be eaten. To become bread in order to communicate his life to us, to transform us into himself. So far the spiritual significance of these words, with its references to the Old Testament, is clear. But the discourse becomes mysterious and difficult when further ahead, Jesus says of himself: “The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world'' (Jn. 6:51), and “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you” (Jn. 6:53).
It's the announcement of the Eucharist which scandalizes and distances many disciples. Yet this is Jesus' greatest gift to humanity: this intimate union with him present in the sacrament of the Eucharist which satisfies body and soul and gives the fullness of joy.
When we are nourished by this bread, we no longer hunger, in the sense that our every desire for love and truth is satisfied by the One who is Love itself, Truth itself.
«I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.»
It is true, this bread nourishes us with him even here on earth, but it is given to us in order that we in turn satisfy the spiritual and material hunger of the people around us.
Christ is proclaimed to the world not so much through the Eucharist, but through the lives of Christians nourished by the Eucharist and by the Word. They preach the Gospel with their lives and words, thereby bringing the presence of Christ in the midst of men and women.
The life of the Christian community, thanks to the Eucharist, becomes the life of Jesus, therefore, a life capable of giving love, the life of God to others.
«I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.»
By using the metaphor of bread, Jesus teaches us the most authentic, the most “Christian” way to love our neighbor.
What does loving really mean?
Loving means “making ourselves one” with everyone, making ourselves one in what others want, in the smallest and most insignificant things, in things that might not be very important to us but in which they are interested.
Jesus gave us a stupendous example of this way of loving by making himself “bread” for us. He makes himself “bread” in order to enter within everyone, to make himself edible, to make himself one with everyone, to serve, to love everyone.
So we too should make ourselves one to the point of allowing ourselves to be “eaten”.
This is love, making ourselves one in a way that makes others feel nourished by our love, comforted, uplifted, understood.
Chiara Lubich
Buddhists for Unity
Forty-two members of the Rissho Kosei-kai, a Japanese lay Buddhist renewal movement, from Hiroshima and neighbouring towns, visited Poland. They were welcomed by members of the Focolare Movement in Cracow. They then proceeded to Rome where they participated in the Mass of the Holy Father. Following this, they visited the Mariapolis Centre at Castelgandolfo on 12 June. After a brief introduction, they saw a video of the WCRP Assembly in Amman which had been dubbed for them in Japanese. They shared their experiences of how they try to live for others because, as the Lotus Sutra says: “If our heart is one with the Will of God Buddha, around us thousands of other hearts will be born”. This was followed by the experience of a family of the Focolare Movement. At the end of the meeting, the head of the Buddhist delegation said that what they were taking away with them as a precious treasure was the “art of loving”. He recalled the first meeting, 21 years ago, of Chiara Lubich with Nikkyo Niwano, their founder, which generated a profound spiritual communion between the two movements. He added that he was convinced that that meeting was in the plans of God Buddha to build a world of peace. Before leaving, everyone made a pact to always live in unity, as one heart. In Sri Lanka, with Buddhists monks and dignitaries of very high social, political and religious standing The Reverend Sirisuma Saddhatissa Dhammarakita, 85 years old, governs 58 Buddhist monasteries of Sri Lanka. After having listened to one of the Focolare Movement directors explaining how we try to put into practice the “art of loving”, he commented: “This spirit of love is what Buddha always preached. You are a Christian. Can we see a Buddhist, preferably a monk, who lives in this way?” And he invited the monk Thongrattana Thavorn, from Thailand, who knows the Movement from many years. Arrived from Bangkok, the monk, accompanied by two ‘focolarini’, had important meetings with monks, civic personalities, buddhist lay people. In the terrible situation of civil war, Rev. Thongrattana Thavorn spoke of peace and harmony among religions and races, eloquently recounting his own experience in contact with the Movement. He also met with some Hindus Tamil. During the conversation with Prof. Aryaratne, a very high buddhist personality in social, politic and religious world of Sri Lanka, the deepest cords of these two souls, committed to the dialogue with other religions, were moved. We can say that the spirituality of the Movement helped monks from two countries of Therawada Buddhism, but who were currently very distant from one another, to rediscover their common roots. The Nichiren-shu At the end of June, another important meeting with a delegation of 60 Buddhists, including monks and lay people, took place at the Mariapolis Centre in Castelgandolfo. They belonged to the Nichiren Shu, one of the more traditional schools of Japanese Buddhism, and had just attended “International Forum 2000” in Hanover, Germany, on the occasion of Expo 2000. They were accompanied by the Archbishop of Osaka, Mons. Leo Ikenaga, and by Rev. Ryusho Kobayashi of the Tendai Shu, another Japanese Buddhist group. They listened to the story of the Focolare Movement and received an updating on the most recent developments, particularly on the convention of the Movement for Unity in Politics which had concluded on 11 June. The leader of the group, speaking on behalf of everyone, said that they had the impression of finding the world centre of interreligious dialogue right there in Castelgandolfo. They too want to be part of this dialogue as is the Tendai Shu group which has taken giant strides in this area. “There are many pathways which lead to the summit. There all religions find peace with one another.” Rev. Kobayashi of the Tendai Shu, who was so happy to be with us again, said: “The Focolare Movement has also spread in the Buddhist world. Its way of living for others is synonymous with the Buddhist way of putting into practice the spirit of Bodhisattva and here we have a lot to learn in transmitting it to our young people.” Mons. Ikenaga of Osaka said that for him this trip he had undertaken with the Buddhists had been an extraordinary experience because for the world to move in the right direction towards peace there was a need for interreligious collaboration. Rev. Takeuchi, from the Nichiren Shu, concluded: “Here, in front of the leaders of the Focolare Movement, I wish to say something. Our founder, Nichire, 750 years ago, had tried to unite the schools of Buddhism through dialogue, and he was persecuted for doing so. (…) Meeting the Focolare I understood that in the twenty-first century dialogue must be lived. For both Christians and Buddhists, the prime enemy is modern rationalism. In order to combat this we have to find an alternative theory and this isn’t possible without collaboration.”
July 2000
St. Paul writes about having received great revelations (cf. 2 Cor. 12:1-4). But God also permitted him to be struck by great trials, and one special trial constantly tormented him. It might have been an illness, a chronic physical ailment, which besides being particularly annoying, hindered his activity and gave him a clear understanding of his human limitations.
Paul repeatedly implored the Lord to free him from this suffering, until the reason for such a trial was revealed to him, that is, so that the power of God could be fully manifested in our weakness, for the sole purpose of leaving room for the power of Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9).
This is why Paul could say:
«When I am weak, then I am strong.»
Human reason rebels against such a statement, because it sees it as an obvious contradiction or simply as a downright paradox. Instead, this phrase expresses one of the highest truths of the Christian faith. Jesus explains this with his life and especially with his death.
When did he fulfill the Work that the Father had entrusted to him? When did he redeem humanity? When did he win over sin? When he died on the cross, annihilated, after having cried out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt. 27:46; Mk. 15:34).
Jesus was the strongest precisely when he was the weakest.
Jesus could have given origin to the new people of God just by preaching, by working more miracles, or by performing some extraordinary deed.
Instead, no. No, because the Church is the work of God and it is in suffering and only in suffering that the works of God blossom.
Therefore, our weakness, the experience of our fragility conceals a unique opportunity, that of experiencing the power of Christ dead and risen and of affirming with Paul:
«When I am weak, then I am strong.»
We all have moments of weakness, frustration and discouragement. We must endure sufferings of every kind: difficulties, painful situations, illnesses, deaths, interior trials, misunderstandings, temptations, failures… What should we do? If we want to be consistent with Christianity and live it out radically, we must believe that those very moments are special ones.
Why? Because it is precisely when we feel incapable of overcoming certain trials which afflict the body and the soul – which means that we cannot rely on our own strength – that we are in the condition of trusting in God.
Then attracted by this confidence, he intervenes. And when he acts, he does great things, which stand out precisely because they are in contrast with our smallness.
In this light then, let us bless our smallness, our weakness, because it enables us to make room for God and to receive from him the strength to continue to “believe, hoping against hope” (cf. Rm. 4:18), and to love in a concrete way to the very end.
This is what happened to a couple in Switzerland whose son was dependent on drugs. They did not give up. They sought treatment for him everywhere, but it was in vain. One day he did not return home. They had feelings of guilt, fear, powerlessness, shame. But it was the encounter with a typical wound of our society in which they could see the countenance of Christ crucified and find new strength to continue hoping and loving.
Overcoming their utter weakness and powerlessness, the family members felt an inner energy never experienced before. They opened themselves to solidarity and organized a group of families who decided to do something about the situation. They brought sandwiches and tea to the young people of the Platzspitz, known at that time as the drug hell of Zurich. One day they found their son there, worn out and ragged. With the help of these other families, he was able to begin and successfully conclude a long journey to freedom.
Chiara Lubich
[:it]”Sembra che il mondo ci caschi addosso…”[:es]«Parece que el mundo se nos cae encima…»[:pt]«Parecia que o mundo estava desabando sobre nós…»
A new political entity makes its public debut: The Movement for Unity works for a politics of communion
“The great political project of modern times, as envisaged by the motto of the French Revolution, is summed up in the words: “liberty, equality and fraternity”. While the first two principles have been partially fulfilled, the third principle – fraternity – has been somewhat neglected in the political arena. It is this very principle which is the specific characteristic of our Movement and in working towards fraternity, liberty and equality achieve their full significance.” Chiara Lubich The First international Congress of the Movement for Unity gave a glimpse of the emergence of a new facet of politics. This was illustrated by the wide-ranging political backgrounds and experiences of the 800 participants from all five continents. Among them were political leaders and party representatives encompassing the whole range of the political spectrum, from the secretary of a European communist party to representatives of the more conservative parties. There were experts from all associated spheres such as local government officials, members of European political bodies and students of political science. What they had in common was one overriding goal: a new way of renewing the world of politics which seems to have lost touch with the people. Chiara Lubich’s keynote address expressed this same passion: “Politics has always been of prime importance to us. It gives us the greatest possible opportunity for loving our neighbours as we move from the level of interpersonal love to a love which embraces the whole people”. Livia Turco, member of the “Democrats of the Left” party and Italian Minister for Social Solidarity, commented: “This is the first time I have ever heard anyone who, taking their inspiration from the Gospel, attributes to politics such an authoritative and important role. It really gave me a jolt because normally politics is held in very low esteem and it is so often denigrated”. Gianfranco Fini, Secretary of the Italian Right-Wing National Alliance Party, said: “It is a proposition that we need to meditate on in depth”. Aside from theoretical ideas, many resolutions took shape. From the participants a conviction emerged: building fraternal relations provides the common basis for working for all other values, because equality lived without fraternity breeds uniformity while liberty left to its own devices becomes individualism. The concept of fraternity has diverse nuances which were illustrated in experiences recounted by conference participants. Roberto Mazzarella from Palermo, for example, shared how he bases his work with Sicilian emigrants abroad on this concept. Johnson, from Recife in Brazil, recounted how he rose above a situation of extreme poverty to assume a position in local government in a locality called St Teresina, previously a slum area known as “Hell Island”. An experience from Northern Ireland focussed on the efforts to work together with Catholics and Protestants: “In our interpersonal relationships we try to build on the concept of fraternity. This is catching, and sooner or later brings results”. Another experience touched on the relationship between elected members and the electorate. In Piracicaba, Brazil, a group of fifty citizens of an electorate were successful in influencing their political representatives to promote positive values in their policies, making sure these policies were implemented as promised. A participant from the Philippines spoke about their public awareness campaign targeting the poor and the illiterate in order to raise awareness of their right to a freedom of choice. The campaign was conducted by means of the media, through the schools, through neighbourhood meetings and through the distribution of flyers. The history and political thinking which gave rise to the ‘Movement for Unity’ was deepened in the talks given by Chiara Lubich and Tommaso Sorgi, who, together with Igino Giordani, formed the first group of members of Parliament to draw new political inspiration from the Focolare spirituality of unity. Professor Vincenzo Buonomo dealt with the international dimension of politics, so fundamental to the vision of the ‘Movement for Unity’, which has as its primary goal, worldwide unity. One of the issues addressed was the unity of Europe, not only from the economic perspective but also from a cultural viewpoint. The model envisaged was unity in multiplicity in which all peoples have the freedom to live their diversity as a gift for others. A panel of politicians from Eastern and Western Europe and from South America discussed this theme in depth.
[:it]L’audience più alta, senza rinunciare ai valori
[:it]Alla ricerca di una nuova comunicazione
[:it]“Pensavo di trovare l’inferno e ho trovato un pezzo di umanità”
[:it]Radio San Gabriel, una radio nel cuore del popolo Aymara
June 2000
This Word of Life is at the heart of the hymn Paul sings to the beauty of Christian life, to its newness and freedom, fruit of baptism and of faith in Jesus which engraft us fully into him, and through him, into the dynamism of the trinitarian life. By becoming one person with Christ, we share in his Spirit and in all his fruits, the first of which is becoming children of God.
Even though Paul speaks of “adoption”, (cf. Rm. 8:15; Gal. 4:5), he does so only to distinguish it from the status of natural son which applies solely to the only Son of God.
Ours is not a purely juridical relationship with the Father as would be that of adopted children, but something substantial which changes our very nature, as in a new birth. This is so because all our life is animated by a new principle, by a new spirit which is the very Spirit of God.
And we would never stop rejoicing, with Paul, for the miracle of death and resurrection which the grace of baptism brings about in us.
«Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.»
This Word speaks of something that has to do with our life as Christians, into which the Spirit of Jesus introduces a dynamism, a tension which Paul condenses in the contrast between flesh and spirit. By the word flesh, he intends the whole person (body and soul) with all our inherent fragility and selfishness which are in constant opposition to the law of love; indeed, to Love itself which was poured into our hearts (cf. Rm. 5:5).
In fact, those who are led by the Spirit must “compete well for the faith” (1 Tim. 6:12) in order to curb all the inclinations to evil and to live in accordance with the faith professed in baptism.
But how?
We know that together with this action that the Holy Spirit wants to bring about in us, goes our response. In writing these words, St. Paul had in mind, above all, a certain duty that we have as Christians, that of denying ourselves, winning the battle against selfishness in all its many and varied forms.
It is this dying to ourselves that produces life, so that every self-denial, every renunciation, every no to our selfishness is the source of new light, peace, joy, love, inner freedom; it's the way to the Spirit.
Giving more freedom to the Holy Spirit, present in our hearts, will enable him to bestow upon us a greater abundance of his gifts and to lead us along the journey of life.
«Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.»
How can we live this Word of Life?
Above all we have to become increasingly aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. In the depths of our being is an immense treasure but we are not as conscious of it as we could be. We possess an extraordinary wealth but, for the most part, it lies unused.
Thus, in order to hear and follow his voice within us more readily, we have to say no to everything that is against the will of God and say yes to everything that is his will: no to temptation, with a clear-cut refusal of its suggestions; yes to the tasks that God has entrusted to us; yes to loving every neighbor we meet; yes to the trials and difficulties we encounter…
If we do this the Holy Spirit will guide us, giving our Christian life that savor, that vigor, that zest, that brightness which naturally goes with it when it is authentic.
People around us will then realize that we are not only children of our own natural family, but sons and daughters of God.
Chiara Lubich
[:it]«Dalla Sierra Leone paese dei bambini soldato, l’esempio di Patrick di 4 anni»
Thirty years after her last visit to Fontem (Cameroon)
The king of Fontem, Dr Lucas Njifua, called the Fon, expressed his gratitude with these words: “The spirituality of the Focolare has changed our people especially through communicating the presence of God and Jesus’ wish: ‘That all may be one’. This is very important. It has helped us resist warfare. Crime is non-existent here. Those who live like this do not have problems in their families, dissension about land ownership, recourse to witchcraft …” Through a big celebration, the Bangwa and Nweh-Mundani peoples welcomed Chiara Lubich in Fontem, Cameroon, located in the middle of the forest. Chiara last visited Fontem 30 years ago, in 1969. The clearing and the hill overlooking the village were packed with people. The festivities consisted of songs and dances that exalted the value of life: the dance of the fertility of the earth, the dance of mothers of twins and, last of all, the dance of the Fon and all the chiefs. As a sign of recognition for the spiritual values brought by the Movement, Christine, the queen of Fontem, called the Mafua, invited Chiara to put on a traditional dress similar to hers and the Fon’s. She then placed on her head a traditional feathered headdress. The words of the Fon, endorsed by an enthusiastic applause, expressed gratitude for the Focolare’s spiritual contribution to the people in addition to the many social works accomplished by the Movement in Fontem. “When we are in awe of God, then we are at peace. It helps us to maintain high moral standards. This moral conscience is also important in the struggle against the scourge of Aids.” The words of Chiara and her final proposition were immediately embraced. The celebration was sealed by a pact of mutual love among the whole people. It was a strong moment, expressed with a hand shake, which created a powerful bond among everyone. 
“With this pact we are pledging our commitment to maintain full peace among us and to rebuild it again each time it breaks down. Only while love continues to shine in this city will heaven continue to send down its blessings on you, on your children and on your grandchildren.” Actually the history of the little town of Fontem is marked by the experience of a “blessing from heaven“. This blessing became manifest thirty years ago, in a small remote village in the forest where the Bangwa tribe risked becoming extinct due to the 90 percent infant mortality rate. Chiara traced the steps of the Focolare’s involvement in Fontem: “In 1964, Mons. Peeters, the bishop of a neighbouring town, received a delegation sent by the Fon of Fontem, bearing gifts. They came with a supplication: could the bishop ask Christians to pray to God to help them. The bishop turned to the Focolare Movement. The initial group of doctors and nurses from the Movement reached Fontem at the beginning of 1966. They opened the first dispensary in a local hut.” A few months after this Chiara visited Fontem. “I remember as though it were yesterday – and I often tell this story – the presence of God, like a sun, enveloping all of us gathered together in a large cleared area of the village. It was as though that presence of God gave us the strength, the enthusiasm and the light to start off together on this divine adventure.” Now, before our eyes, we see a harmonious village with houses, a church, a hospital, primary and secondary schools, a kindergarten and cottage industries. An aqueduct has been build, the village has been supplied with electricity and there are roads linking Fontem with neighbouring villages. Chiara expressed her great joy in seeing this development, “Above all because I can recognise just how much of what the Lord allowed us to foresee during my second visit, way back in 1969, has actually been accomplished.” Everyone was very moved when she recalled the words she had spoken on that occasion: “Rising up in this place I see a great city that will become famous all over the world, not because of material wealth but because it will shine brightly with a light which is generated by fraternal love kept alight amongst us in the name of God. Many people will make their way to this city in order to learn how to love“. From that time this ‘city’ has been the destination of many from all over Africa which is so troubled by ethnic conflicts. “Fontem has become a beacon which radiates the light of mutual love throughout Africa and indeed the whole world.” Over these years the Bangwa and Nweh-Mundani peoples, who are animists, have come to know Christianity. Chiara in her talk recalled the great message of the Jubilee, year of reconciliation and of forgiveness. But not all those listening to her were Christians. Addressing those of other churches or other religions, Chiara recalled the Golden Rule which is present in all the religions in the words: ‘Do not do to others what you would not like done to you’. “This means,” Chiara added, “that all of us have to continue to love one another.” This is the vocation of Fontem. That promise to live mutual love brought a note of great solemnity. Those present were strongly aware that mutual love is the guarantee that “the vocation of Fontem will continue to be, also in future years, as Jesus said, ‘a city on the mountaintop’ so that everyone may see it and imitate its life.” The echo of Fontem over these years has reached the whole world because the developments of this village are due to the contributions from the members of the movement in all continents. In fact in 1968, Chiara launched “Operation Africa” particularly among the youth of the movement. Consequently, a worldwide communion of goods was mobilised and continued for many years. It was animated by a new awareness of the duty “to bring justice” and to contribute “to repaying the debt the western world has towards this continent“. And as this sense of solidarity grew, so too did the discovery of the rich values and traditions of Africa.
May 2000
Jesus' farewell discourse after the last Supper is very rich with teachings and exhortations which he gives, with the heart of a brother and father, to his own for all centuries.
While it is true that all his words are divine, this phrase is especially significant because in them the Master and Lord condenses his doctrine of life in a testament that will become the magna charta of Christian communities.
Let us enter then into the Word of Life for this month which is, in fact, part of Jesus' testament, with the desire to discover its profound and hidden meaning and to imbue our whole lives with it.
In reading this chapter from John's Gospel, the first thing that leaps before your eyes is the image of the vine and the branches, so familiar to a people who for centuries has planted vineyards and cultivated grapevines. And this people knows well that only the vine engrafted on the trunk can become green with leaves and rich with bunches of grapes. Whereas the vine that is cut off shrivels up and dies. There couldn't have been a stronger image for expressing the nature of our bond with Christ.
But there is another word that resounds with insistence on this page of the Gospel: “remain”, in the sense of being firmly tied and intimately inserted in him, as the condition for receiving the vital lymph which enables us to live of his very own life. “Remain in me, as I remain in you.” “Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.” “Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out.” (Jn. 15:4ff). Therefore, the verb “remain” must have an essential meaning and value for the life of a Christian.
«If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.»
“If”. This “if” indicates a condition which would be impossible for anyone to observe if God had not taken the initiative and reached out to humanity, or better still, if he had not come down to humanity to the point of making himself one with it. He was the first to engraft himself, so to speak, in our flesh through Baptism and to vivify it with his grace.
Then it is up to us to bring to fruition what Baptism has worked in our life and to discover the inexhaustible riches it has deposited there.
How? By living the Word, by making it fruitful, by giving it a fixed abode in our lives. To remain in him means making his words remain in us, not like stones at the bottom of a well, but like seeds in the soil, so that in time, they will bud forth and bear fruit. But to remain in him means above all – as Jesus himself explains in this passage from the Gospel – to remain in his Love (cf. Jn. 15:9). This is the vital lymph that rises from the roots, up through the trunk and to the most distant vine shoots. It is the love that binds us to Jesus, that makes us one with him, as members transplanted – we would say today – in his body; and love consists in living his commandments which are all summed up in that great and new commandment of mutual love.
And almost as a confirmation, to prove to us that we are engrafted onto him, he promises that our every prayer will be granted.
«If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.»
Jesus himself is asking, so he cannot but obtain what he asks for. And if we are one with him, he himself will be asking in us. Therefore, if we are about to pray, to ask something of God, let us first ask ourselves “if” we have lived the Word, if we have always remained in love. Let us ask ourselves if we are his living words, if we are a concrete sign of his love for each and every person we meet. We might even want to ask for graces, but without any intention of conforming our life to what God asks of us.
Would it be right then for him to grant what we ask for? Would our prayer not be different if it were to develop out of our union with Jesus, and if it were Jesus himself in us who presents the requests to his Father?
Let us ask all that we want, certainly, but first of all let us be concerned about living his will, his words, so that it is no longer we who live, but he who lives in us.
Chiara Lubich
[:it]«Dal dolore e dalla morte una nuova vita»
April 2000
These are stupendous words with which Jesus gives us the key to Christianity.
The feast of the Jewish Passover was approaching. In the crowd of pilgrims who had arrived in Jerusalem, there were also some Greeks who asked to “see Jesus”. The disciples referred this to Jesus and he replied by speaking of his imminent death. Then he added that rather than provoke the dispersion of the disciples – as could have happened – he would draw “everyone” to himself, not only his own, but everyone: Jew and Greek alike will believe in him without discrimination of race, social condition or sex. (cf. Gal. 3:28).
In fact, Jesus' work of salvation is universal, and the presence of Greeks is a sign of this universality.
«When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.»
What is the meaning of the words “when I am lifted up from the earth”?
For John, the evangelist, this expression means “to be raised onto the cross” and “to be glorified”. In fact, John sees the passion and death of Christ as the great demonstration of God's love for humanity. But this love is so powerful that it merits the resurrection and draws everyone to himself. The unity of the new people of God is built up around Christ raised up from the earth.
It is no longer possible to separate the cross from glory; nor is it possible to separate the Crucified Lord from the Risen Lord. They are two aspects of the same mystery of God who is Love.
It is this Love that attracts. The Crucified-Risen Lord exerts a profound and personal attraction in the heart of men and women, in two ways: through it Jesus calls his own to share in his glory; through it, he leads them to love everyone as he does, to the point of giving one's life.
«When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.»
How should we live this Word of Life? How should we respond to such a great love?
If Jesus died for all people, it means that all people are called to follow him; even more, all people are called to be another him. Let's look at every person with these eyes, that is, with a glance of love which goes beyond all outward appearances.
Whether they be Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, or of other convictions, all people should be the object of our love. We should love to the point of being ready to give our life. And even if we are not asked to give our physical life, we are often asked to die to our self-love.
When we lift our “ego” onto the cross, when we die to ourselves in order to allow Christ to live, then we too will see the spreading of the Kingdom of God around us.
It has been said that the world belongs to those who love it most and can give a better proof of their love. Who loved the world better than Jesus? Those who seek to imitate him can love the world in this way too, by giving themselves totally to their neighbor with a selfless, universal love.
«When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.»
During this month, we will try to welcome in our heart and translate into life the precious teaching of the Crucified-Risen Lord. It will cast light on the role of suffering, which can turn up in our lives, and on its extraordinary fecundity.
Day after day, whenever we are struck by small or big sufferings: a doubt, a failure, a misunderstanding, a tense relationship, a difficulty at work, an illness, also a serious misfortune or worry, let's try our best to accept them and to offer them to Jesus as an expression of our love.
Let's add our drop to the sea of his passion for the good of many. Once the offering is made, let's try not to think about it any more, but to carry out what God wants from us, wherever we are: at home, in the factory, in the office, at school… let's especially try to love the neighbors around us.
And because Jesus died for everyone and everyone is called to follow him, let's do all we can so that as many people as possible can find in our love the love of Christ. Then he will draw everyone to himself, and through our mutual love universal brotherhood will blossom among all.
Chiara Lubich
[:it]Oltre le etnie
Chiara Luce Badano
She was beautiful, enterprising, sports-loving, an ordinary young person. Then the unexpected illness: anguish and pain, followed by death. A rapid ascent to heaven. Her cause for beatification is underway “I rediscovered the Gospel in a totally new light. I realised that I wasn’t an authentic Christian because it had never occurred to me before to actually live the Gospel. Now I want to make the living of this beautiful book my only goal. I cannot, nor do I want to, remain ‘illiterate’ in the face of such an extraordinary message. Just as there was no question of me not learning the alphabet, so it must be when it comes to living the Gospel.” Chiara Luce Badano “Chiara Luce! How much light in her expression! How much light in her words, in her letters, in her life so focused on loving others in a concrete way! Hers was a radical choice of Jesus crucified and forsaken. It was a choice for “everything that hurts” – all those things which, if not embraced, drag us down into a dark tunnel. She lived with Him; with Him she transformed her passion and death into a nuptial song.” Chiara Lubich “Her witness is of particular significance to young people. It’s enough to see how she lived her illness and how the experience of her death resonated with the youth. Such a shining example could not be neglected. There is a need for sanctity today. Young people yearn for direction, for a goal worth living for. They need a means of addressing their sense of insecurity, their solitude; they need an answer to the failures they experience, to suffering and death. But theory will never convince them; they need the witness of others.” “In talking to her I saw she was far more mature than other young people of her age. She had grasped the fundamentals of the Gospel: God, to whom she gave first place in her life; Jesus, with whom she had a close relationship, as a brother; Mary, who was her model; love as the focus of her life; steadfastness in proclaiming the Gospel. All those attributes, together with her experience of living suffering and death as something not to be feared, but rather welcomed, made her life truly singular.” (The Most Rev. Livio Maritano, Bishop of Acqui Terme, in an interview by Aurora Nicosia for Citta’ Nuova magazine, Rome)
March 2000
The evangelist Mark, and also Matthew and Luke, recount the fact that one day Jesus took aside Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain. At a certain moment an extraordinary event took place. Before their very eyes Jesus was transfigured: his clothes became dazzlingly white and Moses and Elijah appeared, in conversation with him. Then a cloud came and overshadowed the apostles, and out of the cloud a voice, the voice of the heavenly Father, addressed them with these words:
«This is my son, my beloved. Listen to him!»
That same mysterious voice was heard at the beginning of Jesus' mission, at his baptism in the Jordan: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased'' (Lk. 3:21-22; Mk. 1:9-11; Mt. 3:13-17).
This time the Father is addressing the disciples of Jesus, and all of us too, inviting us to listen to his Son. Thus the key word for this month is: listen.
When did the Son speak? Where can we find his Word? In the Gospels. Let's open them and read them with love. The Gospel is the Word of Jesus.
But he speaks to us in other ways as well.
How can we recognize his voice? How can we distinguish it from among many others and tune ourselves in to its wavelength?
He speaks to our soul in one special moment: in prayer, and the more we seek to love God present in our heart, the more his voice makes itself heard, the more it guides us from the deepest part of our being.
Also every encounter of our day can be an opportunity to listen if in all our contacts with others we try to be like a silence of love which fully receives the other person, whoever he or she may be, because – and Jesus revealed this to us (cf. Mt. 25:40) – he himself is hidden in every human being.
How different our relationships would be if we did more to cultivate this rare quality of listening, which at times is the only way to show our attention towards those near us, even strangers!
This is the point: the best way to prepare ourselves to listen to the voice of God is to actually listen to our brothers and sisters.
«This is my son, my beloved. Listen to him!»
The voice of Jesus has an unmistakable tone, it is loud and clear when he is present among us through our mutual love. His presence among two or more persons united in his name (cf. Mt. 18:20) is like a loudspeaker of the voice of God in our heart.
And so it will be easier to hear it because we will be more in tune to his thoughts, to his teachings.
Moreover, in Luke's Gospel we find a phrase in which Jesus speaks of listening to those he sends: “Whoever listens to you listens to me” (Lk. 10:16). They were the 72 disciples. Today in the Catholic Church this phrase refers to those who have been entrusted in a special way with his message: his ministers, who proclaim the Word of God.
But there are also “witnesses” of Jesus who, by listening to his Word and putting it into practice in the most radical way, make it resound again throughout the world and open people's hearts to it.
Thus, this one voice of Jesus is addressed to us in many ways: in the innermost part of our heart and from the lips of brothers and sisters, from the pulpit of a church, from the pages of his Gospel or in the charisms of “witnesses”.
The Word of Life for this month will help us to listen – and to live – what Jesus wants to tell us.
Chiara Lubich
[:it]”Costruttori di comunione, fedeli alla spiritualità dell’unità”
[:it]Quello stage al giornale
February 2000
In carrying out his extraordinary mission, the Apostle Paul conducted his life in a particular way: he strove to become all things to all people. In fact, he tried to understand everyone, enter into the mentality of each person: to be a Jew with the Jews, and with the non-Jews – those without a law revealed by God – to be as one without the law.
Paul followed the Jewish customs whenever this served to remove barriers or to reconcile souls; but when he worked in the Greco-Roman world, he adopted the culture and way of life of that world. He wrote:
«To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some at any cost.»
But who were the weak?
They were Christians who, because of their fragile conscience and limited knowledge, were easily scandalized. For example, there was the question of whether or not Christians could eat the meat of animals sacrificed to idols. Paul, knowing that there is only one God, understood that if other gods do not exist, there is no problem in eating meat sacrificed to these gods. But the “weak,” accustomed as they were to reasoning in a certain way and lacking instruction, could have come to the opposite conclusion and been confused. And so Paul put himself in the situation of these Christians, and being sensitive to their weak understanding, he decided that in order to avoid troubling their consciences, it would be advisable not to eat such meat.
«To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some at any cost.»
But what prompted Paul to act in this way?
Even in the liberating reality of Christianity that he announced, Paul recognized the need – or rather, the imperative – to become the slave of someone: of his brothers and sisters, of each neighbor, because his model was the crucified Christ.
By becoming man, God drew close to every human being, but on the cross, he proved his solidarity with each of us sinners, with our weaknesses, our sufferings, our anguish, our ignorance, our questions, our burdens, our moments of feeling abandoned.
Paul, too, wanted to live this way, and he declared:
«To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some at any cost.»
How, then, can we too live this new Word of Life?
We know that the purpose of our life and of each new day is to reach God – and not alone, but with our brothers and sisters. In fact, we also, as Christians, have received a call from God similar to the one received by Paul. Like the Apostle, we too must “save” someone, must “save some at any cost.”
Chiara Lubich
[:it]La benedizione di Giovanni Paolo II a Chiara Lubich
[:it]Cittadinanza onoraria romana a Chiara Lubich
[:it]Apertura della Porta ‘Ecumenica’
[:it]”Il nascondimento di Dio”
[:it]«Ho scoperto l’Ecumenismo»
[:it]Un sogno per il 2000
January 2000
This is a hymn of praise and gratitude to God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the same God, Father of Jesus Christ, whom he raised from the dead. “He raised us up with him,” with Jesus, “and seated us in the heavens,” (Eph. 2:6), we who are “his handiwork” and “his body” (Eph. 2:10, 1:23).
God’s blessing on Abraham is fulfilled in Jesus (“in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing” [Gen. 22:18]).
Jesus gained the favor of the Father’s blessing, for he was clothed with that love to which the Father cannot but respond, because he is his very own Word made flesh.
He is his living Word, his Word who assumed our human nature in order to stay with us and to communicate true Life to us, to make us one body with him and to communicate his Spirit to us, through whom we can call God Father, Abba!
How can we live in a way that is worthy of the Father’s blessing? How can we draw down on ourselves that blessing which gives joy and fruitfulness to all our thoughts?
By living as sons and daughters, in the Son; by being living Word as he is. In fact, by living the Word, we are transformed into the Word, into Christ.
«Blessed be God… who has blessed us in Christ.»
The Gospel is not only a book of consolation where we can take refuge in painful moments and find answers; rather it is a code that contains the laws of life, for every moment of life; laws which should not only be read and studied, but put into practice, that is, deeply assimilated so as to live like Christ, so as to be another Christ in every moment.
In this light then, we cannot think of the Word as a pure, simple, and kind expression of human wisdom. The Word of God is much more than a message. When he speaks, he expresses himself, he gives himself. “God never gives less than himself,” recalls Augustine of Hippo (1).
And because God is Love each of his Words is love. By receiving and living the Word, we become love as God is Love.
Consequently, all our relationships – with God and with our neighbors – should change through the Word, because the Word contains a dynamic, creative power.
Living the Word brings about and develops the Christian community among people who love one another and who form only one people, the people of God.
God sends his blessing to this people, that is, to all of us, in the measure in which we treat one another as brothers and sisters in the one Father, overcoming all forms of individualism, prejudice and division.
This is what we want to do this month in which Christians in many parts of the world are joining together, as this one people, to celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Aware of this gift, which we have done nothing to merit, let us try at the beginning of the third millennium to live together as living words of God.
Besides giving glory to God, our lives will be a fervent appeal for another of his gifts: that of the full and visible communion among the Churches.
Chiara Lubich
1) Enchiridion ad Laurentium de fide et spe et caritate, XII, 40, Opera omnia, XIII, 2.
New contribution to ecumenical dialogue in the Holy Land
“Each Church, in communion with the others, does not lose anything but rather gives of its own riches.” These were the words of the Rumanian Orthodox Metropolitan, Serafim, during a meeting of well-known leaders in ecumenical circles in Jerusalem, held on the afternoon of the 9th of December in the Ecumenical Institute of Tantur. This meeting was convened by the Focolare Movement and was attended by a qualified group of participants including Patriarchs and their vicars-general, Bishops, priests and lay leaders representing ten different Churches, many of whom from the Eastern Churches – 150 people in all. Also present was the group of Bishops of various Churches, friends of the Focolare Movement, who had been present at their annual meeting in Amman and who had come to the Holy Land on pilgrimage. The meeting’s rich program was followed with profound attention. It consisted of a brief presentation of the Focolare Movement followed by experiences given by Bishops of five different Churches on the fruits of the spirituality of unity in the field of ecumenism. Since Chiara Lubich was unable to be present, a video was shown of her talk on the basic aspects of an ecumenical spirituality delivered in the Lutheran Church of St Anna in Augsburg, Germany, in 1998. The meeting concluded with an intensely moving moment of prayer which was led by representatives of the various Churches present and which focussed on the reading of the testament of Jesus: “That all may be one so that the world may believe”. The broad representation and the extraordinary openness demonstrated among the participants made this meeting, according to local Church leaders, “a true blessing from heaven”, “a refreshing contribution to the progress of ecumenical relationships in the Holy Land”.
[:it]"La Presenza di Cristo tra i cristiani e tra le Chiese via alla piena comunione"
[:it]«Amare il nemico del mio popolo»
December 1999
When Mary asked the Angel at the annunciation: “How can this be?”, the answer she heard was, “Nothing is impossible for God,” and to confirm it, she was given the example of Elizabeth who in her old age had conceived a son. Mary believed and she became the Mother of the Lord.
God is all powerful. He is frequently called by this name in the Scriptures, especially when expressing the power he has of blessing, of judging, of directing the course of events, and achieving his designs.
There is only one limit to the omnipotence of God: human freedom, which can oppose his will and thus render man powerless, whereas he was called to share the same power of God.
«Nothing is impossible for God.»
These words opportunely come to conclude the year dedicated to the Father, in the Catholic Church, before the Jubilee of 2000. They open us up to an unlimited confidence in the love of God the Father, because if God exists and his being is Love, complete trust in him is nothing but the logical consequence.
All graces are in his power: temporal and spiritual, possible and impossible. And he gives them to those who ask and also to those who do not ask because, as the Gospel says, the Father “makes the sun rise on the bad and the good” (Mt. 5:45). What he asks of all of us is to act the way he does, to have the same universal love, supported by the faith that: “Nothing is impossible for God.”
How should we live these words in our daily lives?
At one time or another we must all face difficult, painful situations both in our personal life, and in our relationships with others. And we sometimes feel helpless because we realize that we are attached to things and to people which enslave us and from whose ties we would like to be freed. Often we find ourselves up against walls of indifference and egoism and we feel discouraged in the face of events which seem to be more than we can deal with.
Well, in these moments, the Word of Life can give us a hand. Jesus lets us experience our own incapacity, certainly not to discourage us, but in order to help us understand more deeply that “Nothing is impossible for God;” in order to prepare us to experience the extraordinary power of his grace, which is manifested precisely when we see that we cannot manage on our own.
«Nothing is impossible for God.»
If we repeat this word of God in the more critical moments, it will give us the energy it contains and make us participate in some way in the very omnipotence of God. On one condition, however: that we live his will, seeking to radiate around us that love which has been put into our hearts. By doing so, we will be in unison with God’s all powerful Love for his creatures, for whom everything is possible, and this will contribute toward realizing his plans for every individual and for all of humanity.
But there is a special moment which enables us to live this Word of Life and to experience all its effectiveness: it is in prayer.
Jesus said that he will grant us whatever we ask of the Father in his name. Let’s try then to ask him for what is most important to us now, firmly believing that nothing is impossible for him: solutions to desperate cases, peace in the world, cures to grave illnesses, peace and unity in family and social conflicts.
Moreover, if we ask united with others, in the full accord of mutual love, then it is Jesus himself in our midst who prays to the Father, and according to his promise, we will obtain what we ask for.
With this faith in the omnipotence of God and in his Love, one day we too asked that a tumor seen on an X-Ray would “disappear”, almost as if it were a mistake or a phantasm. And it did.
This boundless trust which makes us feel that we are in the arms of a Father for whom everything is possible, should always accompany the ups and downs of our life. This doesn’t mean that we will always obtain what we ask for. His is the omnipotence of a Father and he always and only uses it for the good of his children, whether they know it or not. What is important is to cultivate the certainty that nothing is impossible for God; we will experience a peace we have never known before.
Chiara Lubich
Road of Hope
Details
Archbishop Van Thuan’s notes from prison are extraordinary. For thirteen years, his writings were smuggled out of his cell and circulated among Christians and non-Christians alike. People shared these handwritten messages of hope in response to Van Thuan’s challenge that the Vietnamese people bring the Church into the world by their love for one another. He wrote, “It would be so wonderful if God required us only to love him. However, he has chosen also to require the difficult obligation to love our neighbor.” Van Thuan calls for a deep examination of conscience. “You proclaim that all you do is for God and for the Church. Very well. But can you stand in his presence and honestly say that you are working completely for him?” And his directives are practical. “Your time of prayer is your period of intimacy with God, who is your Father. It is a time for the heart, not the head. Do not rack your brains or scratch your head as to how you should appear before God.” These 1,001 reflections are pearls of great price. If lived out, they will change your life.
Joint Declaration on the Doctrine
The day after the signing of the Joint Declaration, Bishop Krause welcomed Chiara to the annual meeting of the Executive Committee of the Lutheran World Federation. In her address, Chiara outlined the fundamental points of an ecumenical spirituality which has already been embraced by a number of Christians of different denominations. This ecumenical spirituality is centered on mutual love among Christians and among Churches. “Our world is in urgent need of a powerful current of love,” Chiara said. She continued: “Wherever Christians live mutual love they become more aware that they form, beyond all visible barriers of creed, the one Christian people. And this dialogue of the people is a necessary basis for ensuring that theological dialogue bears fruits.” Bishop Krause received her talk warmly, saying it “conveyed encouragement, especially in this moment of history, in this historical place, Augsburg”. He added: “I have the certainty that now the time is ripe to discover that we are gifts for one another. Yesterday’s event confirmed what you have just been emphasising. If the agreement had been reached only among theologians, without any impact on the faithful, nothing would have happened.”
November 1999
Jesus begins his preaching with the Sermon on the Mount. On a broad low hill a few hundred yards from the Tiberias lakeside, near Capernum, Jesus sits down, as was customary for teachers, and proclaims to the crowds the person of beatitudes. The word “blessed”, that is, the exaltation of those who fulfilled the Word of the Lord in a variety of ways, resounded a number of times in the Hebrew Scriptures.
The beatitudes of Jesus were in part an echo of the ones the disciples already knew. For the first time, however, they were hearing that the pure of heart were not only worthy of going up the mountain of the Lord, as sung by the Psalm (cf. Psalm 24:4), but they could even see God. What sublime purity was this that could merit so much? Jesus would explain it several times during the course of his preaching. Let us try to follow him then so as to draw from the fount of authentic purity.
«Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.»
First of all, Jesus says that there is one supreme means of purification: “You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you” (Jn. 15:3). His Word, more than the practice of religious rites, purifies man’s inner self. The Word of Jesus is not like human words. Christ is present in his Word, as he is present, although in another way, in the Eucharist. Through his Word Christ enters within us and, provided we allow him to act, he makes us free from sin and therefore, pure of heart.
Thus, purity is the fruit of living the Word, all the Words of Jesus which free us from the so-called attachments, into which we inevitably fall if our heart is not in God and in his teachings. These could be attachments to things, people, ourselves. But if our heart is focused on God alone, all the rest falls away.
To achieve this, it can be useful to repeat throughout the day, to Jesus, to God, the invocation of a Psalm which says: “You, Lord, are my only good” (cf. Psalm 16:2)! Let us try to repeat it often, especially when the various attachments seek to pull our heart towards those images, sentiments and passions which can blur the vision of good and take away our freedom.
Are we inclined to look at certain advertising posters, to watch certain television programs? No, let’s repeat to him: “You, Lord, are my only good”. Re-declaring our love for God will be the first step towards going out of ourselves. And by doing so we will have gained in purity.
Do we sometimes feel that a person or an activity is coming between us and God, like an obstacle that mars our relationship with him? It is the moment to repeat: “You, Lord, are my only good.” This will help us to purify our intentions and regain inner freedom.
«Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.»
Living the Word makes us free and pure because it is love. The divine fire of love purifies our intentions and all our inner self, because the Bible considers the “heart” to be the deepest seat of intelligence and will.
But there is one love which Jesus commands us to practice and which enables us to live this beatitude. It is mutual love, being ready to give our life for others, following the example of Jesus. It creates a current, an exchange, an atmosphere whose dominant note is precisely that of transparency, purity, because of the presence of God, who alone can make us pure of heart. It is by living mutual love that the Word produces its effects of purification and sanctification.
As isolated individuals we are incapable of resisting at length the solicitations of the world. Instead, mutual love provides a healthy environment capable of protecting the whole of our authentic Christian existence, and in particular, our purity.
«Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.»
These then are the fruits of purity, constantly re-acquired: we can “see” God, that is, we can understand his action in our own life and in history; we can hear his voice in our heart; we can discern his presence in the poor, in the Eucharist, in his Word, in brotherly communion, in the Church.
It is a foretaste of the presence of God which already begins in this life, “for we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7), but then “we will see face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12) for all eternity.
Chiara Lubich
[:it]Rivista Nuova Umanità n. 125
Joint Declaration on the Doctrine
A momentous event was the Joint Declaration between the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation on the Doctrine of Justification formally signed on 31 October in the church of St Anne. This Joint Declaration marks the collapse of the supporting pillar of division between the two Churches. The controversy regarding justification was unleashed 450 years ago in a dispute which led to reciprocal condemnations lasting till today. It was one of the fundamental causes of separation. Thirty years of work carried out by the International Lutheran-Catholic Theological Commission, and the prayers and commitment of many, finally made it possible to overcome any remaining hurdles. The Joint Declaration affirms, among other things, that “a consensus has been reached between Lutherans and Catholics in the fundamental truths of the Doctrine of Justification”. Thus, the mutual condemnations of the past on the issue of justification no longer apply. Cardinal Ratzinger has affirmed that “the document announces that the excommunications of the Council of Trent, regarding this point, do not apply to the doctrine as it is understood today.” (Interview published in the Italian Catholic magazine “30 Days”, June 1999) “The past is not being denied,” explains a statement released by the Pontifical Council Promoting Christian Unity on 21 June 1999, “but rather it is a step forward in our understanding of the mystery of salvation in Christ, made possible in an atmosphere of mutual trust.” The Joint Declaration is not simply dealing with a 16th century theological dispute irrelevant to us today. It deals with an issue which is current and which responds to many crucial questions of mankind today: What is it that renders Christians “just” in front of God? Who saves us and fulfills us? Is being “just” simply the fruit of our own good will? What is the meaning of salvation promised by Christian faith? The documents – “The Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification” (1997), the “Official Common Statement of the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church” and the “Annex” (11 June 1999) – were signed by Card. E. I. Cassidy and Bishop W. Kasper, President and Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, representing the Roman Catholic Church, and by Bishop Ch. Krause and Dr. Ishmael Noko, President and Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, and other six vice-presidents of the Federation, representing the Lutheran Church.
Joint Declaration on the Doctrine
A common concern expressed by many, including Cardinal Ratzinger, Bishop Krause and Bishop Kasper, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, was the issue of how Justification could be explained to the people of today, and especially to young people. A meeting held on the vigil of the event, in St Ulrich’s Lutheran Church in Augsburg, provided the first response to this problem. 1700 young people attended the meeting promoted by the Ottmaring Ecumenical Centre. Bishop Kasper was also present. A young woman doctor, who had distanced herself from the faith, said: “Tonight’s rich program revealed a whole new face of the Church to me”. The style of the evening was definitely youthful. This is how the local daily newspaper, Augsburger Allgemeine, reported the event: “Rainbow-coloured balloons festooned the balustrade. Young people on stilts displayed a huge banner of welcome. Rock rhythms and other lively musical items displaced the solemn notes of the organ. The Lutheran Church, which was filled to capacity, hosted a forum for people of different Christian traditions. It made a lasting impression on those present. It was a profound meeting, open, sincere and to the point.” In the light of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, the meeting focussed on the burning issue of: “What gives value to our life?” A thunderous applause followed Chiara Lubich’s impassioned appeal: “If we love one another – Catholic Christians and Lutherans – then the Christian revolution will begin in Augsburg.” The founder of the Focolare Movement spoke passionately of God who is Love, revealing the beauty, the power and the harmony of a life immersed in His love which frees us and saves us from every great or small abyss we might have fallen into. Andrea Riccardi, founder of the St Egidio Community, gave a convincing example: “Imagine some prisoners on death row. The time has come for their execution. Suddenly a guard turns up, saying: ‘You have been given an amnesty! You’re all saved, all free, all pardoned!’ We too are prisoners of anguish, of selfishness, of wealth and of loneliness. We too need Someone to tell us: ‘You’re free, loved, justified’.” The Lutheran Bishop of Lübeck, Ulrich Wilckens, gave his own personal experience to illustrate this. He was 17 years old, a soldier living through the last days of the war in 1945. He found himself alone in a trench, ‘overcome by fear’. But as if ‘by a miracle’ the fear passed due to the faith confirmed in a pocket-size copy of the Sacred Scriptures he had taken with him. The whole evening was a real celebration, a historic moment defined by Bishop Wilckens as “a reconciliation of a family where the parents were divorced and now were re-united”. These young people showed themselves, in a sense, to be the most sensitive of all to this reconciliation which was symbolised by the embrace of Pastor Noko and Bishop Kasper of the Catholic Church at the moment of the historic signing. The gesture moved everyone very profoundly. A young person from the Lutheran church expressed the certainty that “a piece of the wall between Churches has fallen and from now on the era of unity will accelerate at a great pace.”
October 1999
These words can also be found in the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus responds to a tricky question by placing himself in the context of the great prophetic and rabbinical traditional which was in search of the unifying principle of the Torah, that is, the teaching of God contained in the Bible. Rabbi Hillel, one of his contemporaries, had said: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is all there is in the Torah. All the rest is mere commentary.” For the teachers of Hebraism love of neighbor derives from love of God who created man in his image and likeness. Therefore, it is not possible to love God without loving his creature: this is the true motive for love of neighbor, and it is “a great and general principle in the law.” Jesus repeated this principle and added that the command to love one’s neighbor is similar to the first and greatest commandment, namely, to love God with all one’s heart, mind and soul. In affirming the likeness of the two commandments, Jesus definitively bound them together, as will all of Christian tradition. As the apostle John said with incisive clarity: “Whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
«You shall love your neighbor as yourself.»
Our neighbor – as the entire Gospel clearly states – is every human being, man or woman, friend or enemy, to whom we owe respect, consideration, and esteem. Love of neighbor is both universal and personal. It embraces all humanity and it is expressed concretely in the person next to you. But who can give us such a big heart, who can inspire in us such kindness as to make us feel close – a neighbor – also to those who are distant, to make us overcome self-love, to recognize this “self” in others? It’s a gift of God. Indeed, it is the very love of God that has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” Therefore, it is not an ordinary love, not a simple friendship, not only philanthropy, but that love which has been poured into our hearts at baptism: that love which is the life of God himself, of the blessed Trinity, which we can share in. Thus love is everything, but in order to love in an authentic way we need to know some of its qualities which emerge from the Gospel and from Scripture in general. We feel that they can be summed up in a few fundamental aspects. First of all, Jesus, who died for everyone, loving everyone, teaches us that true love should bring us to love everyone. Unlike the simply human love we usually have in our hearts which is limited to relatives, friends and a few others… the authentic love that Jesus wants does not admit discrimination. It does not look too much at whether the other person is kind or unkind, beautiful or not so beautiful, an adult or a child, a fellow countryman or a foreigner, a member of my Church or of another, of my religion or of another. It is a love that is directed toward everyone. And we must do the same: love everyone. The second quality of true love is that it leads us to being the first to love, not waiting for the other person to love us. Generally speaking, we love because we are loved. Instead, authentic love takes the initiative, as the Father was the first to love everyone. When men and women were still sinners, and therefore were not loving, the Father sent the Son to save us. Therefore: to love everyone and to be the first to love. Another quality: true love sees Jesus in every neighbor: “You did it to me,” Jesus will say to us at the final judgement. And this will apply to the good that we did and also, unfortunately, to the evil we did. Authentic love leads us to love a friend and also an enemy: to do good and pray for him or her. Jesus also wants the love that he brought on earth to become mutual: that one person loves the other and vice-versa, in order to achieve unity. All these qualities of love help us to us understand and live the Word of Life for this month.
«You shall love your neighbor as yourself.»
Yes, true love leads us to loving the other person as we love ourselves. And this is to be taken to the letter: we must really see the other person as another self and do for the other person what we would do for ourselves. True love leads us to suffer with those who are suffering, to rejoice with those who are rejoicing, to carry the burdens of others. As Paul says, it leads us to making ourselves one with the person loved. Therefore, it is not a love that is made up only of feelings or beautiful words, but of concrete facts. Those of other religious creeds also seek to do this by living the so-called “Golden Rule” which can be found in all religions. It wants us to do to others what we would like others to do to us. Gandhi explains it in a very simple and effective way: “I cannot harm the other without hurting myself.” This month could be an opportunity, then, to re-focus on love of neighbor. Our neighbor has so many faces: the person next-door, a classmate, the friend of a close relative. But there are also the faces of the anguished humanity that the television brings into our homes from war-torn cities and natural disasters. Once they were unknown to us and thousands of miles away. Now they too have become our neighbors. Love will suggest what we should do in each situation, and little by little it will expand our hearts to the greatness of the heart of Jesus. Chiara Lubich
September 1999
Jesus addressed these words to Peter who, after listening to the marvelous things he was saying, put this question to him: “Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?” Jesus replied:
«Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy times seven times.»
Most likely, Peter had been deeply struck by the Lord’s preaching, and being a good and generous person, he had decided to throw himself into the new course of action which Jesus was advocating. He was ready to do something he thought exceptional for him, to forgive even seven times. In fact, Judaism accepted the idea of forgiving two, three, at the most four times.
But by responding, “seventy times seven times,” Jesus is saying that the kind of forgiveness he wants has no limits. We must forgive always.
«Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy times seven times.»
This phrase calls to mind the biblical song of Lamech, a descendent of Adam: “Sevenfold vengeance is taken for Cain, but seventy-seven fold for Lamech” (Gen. 4:24). Thus hatred began to spread among the people of the world, swelling like a river at flood time into an ever-growing sea of hate.
Against this spreading of evil, Jesus proposes an unlimited and unconditional forgiveness that is capable of breaking the cycle of violence.
Only forgiveness can stem this tide of ill will and offer the human race a future that promises something other than self-destruction.
«Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy times seven times.»
We need to forgive, to forgive always. Forgiving is not the same as forgetting, which often indicates a reluctance to face the situation. Nor is forgiveness a sign of weakness; it does not mean ignoring a wrong which we might have suffered, simply out of fear of the stronger person who committed it. Forgiveness does not consist in calling what is serious, trivial, or what is evil, good. Forgiveness is not indifference. Forgiveness is a conscious act of the will, and therefore a free act. It consists in accepting our neighbors as they are, notwithstanding the wrong done to us, just as God accepts us sinners, notwithstanding our faults. Forgiveness consists in not returning one offense for another, but in doing what St. Paul tells us: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21).
Forgiveness consists in offering the one who has wronged you the opportunity to have a new relationship with you. It makes it possible for both of you to start life over again, and to experience a future in which evil will not have the last word.
«Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy times seven times.»
How shall we live these words.
Peter had asked Jesus: “How often must I forgive my brother?” Peter speaks of “my brother.” When answering him, then, Jesus had in mind above all the relationships among Christians, among members of the same community.
Therefore, we must act in this way first of all toward those who share our faith – in our family, at work, at school, and so on.
We know that someone who is offended is often tempted to respond with a similar word or act. And we know that even persons who live in the same household often fail in loving because of differences in personality, irritability, or other causes. Therefore, we must never forget that only a constantly renewed attitude of forgiveness can maintain peace and unity.
We will always be tempted to think of the others’ imperfections, to remember their past, to wish that they were different than they are. But we need to acquire the habit of looking at them with new eyes, and seeing them as new persons, always accepting them immediately and without reservation, even if they do not repent.
You might say: “But that’s hard!” And you are right. This is the challenge posed by Christianity. We are, after all, following a God who, as he was dying on the cross, asked his Father to forgive those who had caused his death. And he rose.
Let’s take courage. Let’s begin to live like this. We will find a peace we have never before experienced, and a joy we have never known.
Chiara Lubich
August 1999
«Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord» (Luke 1:45)
These words belong to an event which is simple and sublime at the same time: it is the encounter between two expecting mothers whose spiritual and physical symbiosis with their sons is total. They lend them their lips, their sentiments. When Mary speaks, Elizabeth’s son leaps with joy in her womb. When Elizabeth speaks, it seems that her words are put on her lips by the Precursor. But while the first words of her hymn of praise to Mary are addressed personally to the mother of the Lord, the final ones are in the third person: “Blessed is she who believed.”
Thus her “affirmation acquires the character of universal truth: beatitude applies to all believers; it concerns those who accept the Word of God and put it into practice, and who find in Mary their model.” (1)
«Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.»
It is the first beatitude of the Gospel in reference to Mary, but also to all those who want to follow her and imitate her.
In Mary, there is a close bond between faith and maternity, as a consequence of listening to the Word. And in this passage Luke suggests something that concerns us too. Further ahead in his Gospel, Jesus says: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it” (Lk 8:21).
Almost anticipating these words, Elizabeth, moved by the Holy Spirit, announces to us that every disciple can become “mother” of the Lord. The condition is that he or she believe in the Word of God and live it.
«Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.»
After Jesus, Mary is the one who best and most perfectly said “yes” to God. Her sanctity and greatness lies, above all, in this. If Jesus is the Word, the incarnate Word, Mary, because of her faith in the Word, is the Word lived, but a created being like us, just like us.
Mary’s role as the mother of God is lofty and magnificent. But the Virgin is not the only one God calls to generate Christ. Every Christian has a similar task, even though in a different way: to incarnate Christ to the point of repeating, like St. Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).
How can we accomplish this? By approaching the Word of God as Mary did, that is, by being totally open to it. Therefore, to believe, as Mary did, that all the promises contained in the Word of Jesus will be fulfilled, and if necessary, to risk the consequences which his Word can sometimes imply, as Mary did. Wonderful things always happen to those who believe in the Word – big things, little things. We could fill books with facts that prove this.
We will never forget the experience we made when, in the midst of the war, believing in the words of Jesus: “Ask and it will be given to you” (Mt. 7:7), we asked for all that the many poor in the city needed, and we saw sacks of flour, boxes of powdered milk, jam, firewood, and clothes arrive.
Things like this happen today, too. “Give and gifts will be given to you” (Lk. 6:38), and the cupboards of provisions to be shared is always full because it is regularly emptied.
But what is most striking is to see that the words of Jesus are true always and everywhere. God’s help arrives on time, even in the most impossible circumstances and in the most isolated points on earth, as happened a short time ago to a mother who lives in dire poverty. One day she gave the little money she had left to someone who was in greater need. She believed in that “Give and gifts will be given to you” of the Gospel. And she felt at peace. Shortly afterwards, her youngest daughter showed her a gift she had just received from an elderly relative who happened to be in the neighborhood that day: in her little hand was double the amount that the mother had given.
A “small” experience like this encourages us to believe in the Gospel. Each one of us can experience the joy, the beatitude that comes from seeing the promises of Jesus come true.
When we come in contact with the Word of God, through the everyday circumstances of our life, by reading from Sacred Scripture, let us open our heart and listen, believing that what Jesus is asking us and promising will come true. We will soon discover, like Mary and like that mother, that he keeps his promises.
Chiara Lubich
1) G. Rossé, Il Vangelo di Luca, Rome, 1992, p. 67.
July 1999
“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it” (Mt. 13:45-46)
In this very brief parable, Jesus captivates the imagination of his listeners. Everyone knew the value of pearls which, along with gold, were the most precious elements known at that time.
In addition, the Scriptures spoke of wisdom, that is, of the knowledge of God as something that “could not be likened to any priceless gem” (Wis. 7:9).
But what emerges in the parable is the description of an exceptional, surprising and unexpected event: the merchant caught sight of a pearl, perhaps in a bazaar, which had enormous value only to his expert eyes, and therefore, from which he could derive considerable profit. This is why, after calculating his risks and interests, he decided that it was worthwhile to sell all he had in order to buy the pearl. Who wouldn’t have done the same in his place?
This then is the profound meaning of the parable: the encounter with Jesus, and that is, with the Kingdom of God among us – this is the pearl! The unique opportunity we must jump at, engaging all our energies and all that we possess.
«The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.»
This is not the first time that the disciples are faced with a radical demand, having to leave all in order to follow Jesus: everything that is most precious to them, like family affections, economic security, guarantees for the future.
But he is not asking something unmotivated or absurd.
For the “all” that we lose there is the “all” that we find, inestimably more precious. Each time Jesus asks for something, he promises to give much, much more, in abundance.
Thus he assures us in this parable that we will have a treasure in our hands that will make us rich forever.
And if it seems to be a mistake to leave what is certain for what is uncertain, a secure good for only the promise of good, let us remember that merchant: he knows that that pearl is very precious and he confidently awaits the profits it will bring him.
Likewise, whoever wants to follow Jesus knows, sees, with the eyes of faith, what an immense gain it will be to share with him the heritage of the Kingdom for having left everything at least spiritually.
God offers to all men and women an opportunity of this kind some time in their lives.
«The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.»
It is a concrete invitation to put aside all the idols that can take the place of God in our heart: career, marriage, studies, a beautiful house, profession, sports, entertainment.
It is an invitation to put God in the first place, at the height of all our thoughts and affections, because everything in our life must converge towards him and come to us from him.
By doing this, by seeking the Kingdom, according to the Gospel promise, the rest will be given to us besides (Cf. Lk. 12:31). Putting aside everything for the Kingdom of God, we receive the hundredfold in houses, brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers (Cf. Mt. 19:29), because the Gospel has a clear human dimension: Jesus is the God-Man and together with spiritual food, he assures us of bread, shelter, clothes, family.
Perhaps we should learn from the “little ones” to trust more in the Providence of the Father, who never fails to give to those who give, out of love, the little they have.
A few months ago, a group of young people in the Congo started making artistic cards from banana peels, which are then sold in Germany. At first, they kept all the profits (some of them support their entire families). Now they have decided to put 50% of the profits in common, and 35 unemployed young people have received assistance.
God does not let himself be outdone in generosity: two of these young people gave such a witness in the shop where they work that a number of shopkeepers in search of personnel, inquired at that shop. As many as eleven young people found permanent jobs.
Chiara Lubich
[:it]Incontro internazionale di 41 movimenti ecclesiali a Speyer
Movements in the history of the Church
Dear Brothers and Sisters, 1.The love of God the Father, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all! With these words I greet all of you who are participating in the international meeting of Movements and new ecclesial Communities, which is being held in Speyer. I extend special greetings to His Excellency Bishop Anton Schlembach, who generously welcomed you in his diocese, to His Eminence Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, and to the other Bishops and priests, friends of the Movements, who are accompanying you during these days. Cordial greetings also to the promoters of the meeting: Chiara Lubich, Andrea Riccardi and Salvatore Martinez. You decided to meet together, representatives of various Movements and new Communities, a year after the meeting organized by the Pontifical Council for the Laity in St. Peter’s Square, on the vigil of Pentecost 1998. That event was a great gift for the entire Church. In an atmosphere of fervent prayer we were able to experience the presence of the Holy Spirit. It was a presence made tangible by the “common witness” which the Movements gave of profound understanding and unity while respecting the diversities of each one. It was a significant epiphany of the Church, rich in charisms and gifts which the Spirit never ceases to bestow. 2. Each gift of the Spirit, as you well know, calls upon our responsibility and must necessarily be transformed into a task to be faithfully accomplished. In fact, this is the main reason for your meeting in Speyer. By listening to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches (cf. Apoc. 2:7) at the vigil of the Great Jubilee of the Redemption, you want to assume directly and together with the other Movements the responsibility of the gift received on that May 30, 1998. The seed, scattered in abundance, cannot be wasted; rather, it must produce fruit within your communities, in the parishes and diocese. It is beautiful and it gives joy to see how the Movements and new Communities feel the need to converge in ecclesial communion, and how they strive through concrete actions to share with one another the gifts received, to support one another in difficulties and to cooperate in facing together the challenges of the new evangelization. These are eloquent signs of that ecclesial maturity which I hope will increasingly characterize each component and expression of the ecclesial community. 3. Throughout these years I have noticed the important fruits of conversion, of spiritual rebirth and of holiness which the Movements bring to the life of the local Churches. Thanks to the dynamism of these new ecclesial aggregations, many Christians rediscovered their vocation rooted in Baptism and they dedicated themselves with extraordinary generosity to the evangelizing mission of the Church. For many it has been the occasion for rediscovering the value of prayer, while the Word of God has become their daily bread, and the Eucharist the center of their lives. In the encyclical Redemptoris missio I called to mind, as a new development occurring in many Churches in recent times, the rapid growth of “ecclesial movements,” filled with missionary dynamism: “When these movements humbly seek to become part of the life of local Churches and are welcomed by Bishops and priests within diocesan and parish structures,” I wrote, “they represent a true gift of God both for new evangelization and for missionary activity in the proper sense of the term. I therefore recommend that they be spread, and that they be used to give fresh energy, especially among young people, to Christian life and to evangelization, within a pluralistic view of the ways in which Christians can associate and express themselves” (n. 72). I sincerely hope that the Speyer Meeting will be for each one of you and for all your Movements an occasion for growing in the love of Christ and his Church, according to the teaching of the apostle Paul, who encourages us “to earnestly desire the higher gifts” (1 Cor. 12:31). I entrust the work of your meeting to Mary, Mother of the Church, and I accompany you with my prayers, while to each one of you and to your families I impart a special Blessing. From the Vatican, June 3, 1999
Movements in the history of the Church
This was one of the initiatives which Pope John Paul II referred to this year, on Pentecost Sunday, when he recalled the momentous meeting held in St Peter’s Square on the eve of Pentecost ’98.
He said: “The Pentecost ‘98 meeting has produced invaluable fruits. It has given rise to a great number of initiatives aimed at nurturing a sense of communion within the movements and ecclesial communities, and at increasing collaboration among them, with the local Church and with the parishes.” The Pope added that he “thanked the Lord for this promising springtime in the Church, so rich in hope.”
Since this great event held last year in St Peter’s Square, a network of relationships between founders and leaders of some of the more important ecclesial movements has been established. The meeting opened with a message from the Holy Father, read by Bishop S. Rylko, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.
The “Speyer ‘99” Meeting provided the opportunity to strengthen these relationships and to deepen mutual understanding.
Chiara and Mons Rylko
Some of the themes focussed on were, for example, the movements in the history of the Church, the new Pentecost in action, the new page opened by the Pope regarding the co-essentiality of charisms and institution in the Church. Also discussed were the initiatives of communion and collaboration undertaken to date, and the fruits derived from such actions, while future projects were launched. Present also at the convention was Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, President of the Council of European Episcopal Conference.
The Focolare Movement, the St Egidio Community and Catholic Charismatic Renewal were joint promoters of the convention.
Andrea Riccardi (St. Egidio) and Salvatore Martinez (Catholic Charismatic Renewal)
ADDRESSES
The purpose of our meeting: communion among Movements – from Chiara Lubich’s addresses
Movements in the history of the Church – Andrea Riccardi
The Charisms and co-essentiality – prof. Piero Coda
The Movements in the Church – prof. Jesus Castellano Cervera
Post-Pentecost ’98: day-meetings in common – d. Silvano Cola
Ecclesial Movements together: in Portugal the victory of life – Antonio Borges
June 1999
In reading this Word of Life, two kinds of existence come into relief: the earthly life, which is built in this world, and the supernatural life given by God through Jesus, a life which does not end with death and which no one can take away from us.
Therefore, we can choose between two attitudes: one is to be attached to our earthly life, considering it as our only “good”. This attitude leads to thinking only of ourselves, of our own affairs, of our children, thereby sealing ourselves up within a cocoon woven from our self esteem, and inevitably ending up in the emptiness of certain death. The other choice, instead, is to believe that God has given us a much more profound and authentic existence. This would give us the courage to live in a manner that merits this gift to the point of sacrificing our earthly life for the other life.
«Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.»
When Jesus said these words he was thinking of martyrdom. Like all Christians, we should be ready to follow the Master and to remain faithful to the Gospel, to lose our life, even to die a violent death, if necessary, and with the grace of God, we will obtain the true life. Jesus was the first one who “lost his life,” and he regained it glorified. He warned us not to be afraid of those “who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Mt. 10:28).
Today he tells us:
«Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.»
If you read the Gospel carefully, you will see that Jesus goes back to this thought for six times. This shows how important it is and how much Jesus takes it into consideration.
But for Jesus, the exhortation to lose one’s life is not only an invitation to martyrdom. It is a fundamental law of Christian life.
We must be ready to renounce setting up our own selves as the ideal of our lives, to give up our selfish independence. If we want to be authentic Christians, we must put Christ at the center of our lives. What does Christ want from us? Love for others. If this becomes the style of our life, we will certainly have lost our own lives, but we will have found eternal life.
And not living for oneself is certainly not, as some people may think, an attitude of renunciation and passivity. Indeed, Christians have a very strong commitment and a keen sense of responsibility.
«Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.»
Even in this life, it is possible to experience that by giving ourselves, by putting love into every action, “life” grows within us. When we spend our day at the service of others, when we transform our work (which is perhaps monotonous and tedious) into a gesture of love, we will experience the joy of greater fulfillment.
«Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.»
By following Jesus’ commandments, which are all pivoted on love, after this brief life we will find eternal life as well.
Let us remember what Jesus will do and say on Judgement day. He will say to those on his right: “Come, blessed… because I was hungry and you gave me to eat… I was a stranger and you welcomed me; naked and you clothed me…” (Mt. 25:34).
To make us participate in the life that does not pass away, he will look at just one thing: if we loved our neighbor, and he will consider as done to himself whatever we did to them.
How then should we live this Word of Life? How should we lose our life even now in order to find it? By preparing ourselves for that great and decisive exam for which we were born.
Let’s look around us and fill our day with acts of love. Christ presents himself to us in our children, in our wife, in our husband, in our colleagues at work, in politics, amusement… Let’s do good to everyone. And let’s not forget those we come to know about every day through the newspapers or through friends or through the television… Let’s do something for everyone, according to our capabilities. When we seem to have used every means, we can still pray for them. Loving is what counts.
Chiara Lubich
May 1999
Love is at the center of Jesus’ farewell discourse: love of the Father for the Son and love for Jesus by keeping his commandments.
Those who were listening to Jesus could easily recognize in his words an echo of the Wisdom Books: “loving her means keeping her laws” (Ws. 6:18). In particular, revealing himself to those who love finds a parallel in the Hebrew Scriptures in Wisdom 1:2 where it says that the Lord will manifest himself to those who believe in him.
The sense of the words we are proposing here is: the Father loves those who love the Son, and the Son in turn loves them and reveals himself to them.
«Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.»
However, Jesus reveals himself only to those who love.
We cannot conceive of Christians who do not have this dynamism, this charge of love in their hearts. A clock doesn’t work, it doesn’t tell the time – we wouldn’t even call it a clock – if it is not charged. Likewise, a Christian who does not constantly strive to love is not worthy of the name Christian.
The reason for this is that all of God’s commandments can be summed up in one: in love of God and love of neighbor, in whom we recognize and love Jesus.
Love is not mere sentimentalism; it must be expressed in concrete terms, in serving our brothers and sisters, especially those who are beside us, beginning with little things, the most humble services.
Charles de Foucauld says: “When you love someone, you are really in that person through love, you live in him through love, you no longer live in yourself, you are ‘detached’ from yourself, ‘outside’ of yourself.”
When we love, his light, the light of Jesus, gains entrance into our souls, according to his promise: “I will reveal myself… to the one who loves me” (cf. Jn. 14:21). Love is the source of light: by loving we have a greater understanding of God who is Love.
This leads us to loving even more and to deepening the relationship with our neighbors.
This light, this loving knowledge of God is therefore the seal, the confirmation of true love. And we can experience it in various ways, because light takes on a particular color or shade in each one of us. But it also has common characteristics: it helps us to understand the will of God, it gives us peace, serenity, and an ever new understanding of the Word of God. It’s a warm light which encourages us to walk along the way of life with always more confidence and determination. When the shadows of life seem to make our way uncertain, even when we feel that it is too dark to go ahead, these words of the Gospel will remind us that light is turned on by loving and that one gesture of concrete love, even a small one (a prayer, a smile, a word) will give us enough light to go ahead.
Some bicycles provide light at night by peddling. If you stop peddling, you find yourself in darkness, but if you start peddling again, the dynamo will provide the light you need to see the way.
We can apply this to our life: we must only put love into motion again, true love, that which gives without expecting anything in return, in order to rekindle our faith and hope.
Chiara Lubich
[:it]Rivista Nuova Umanità n. 122
God who is Beauty – Arts Congress
Introduction The beginning of this convention on beauty and art coincides, date and hour (April 23, 1999, 11:00 a.m.) with the official announcement, given by His Eminence Cardinal Poupard, of John Paul II’s letter to artists. It is a wonderful coincidence. It is not difficult to discern in this the hand of God, the Lord of history, who is guiding, too, the small history of our Movement. This letter is dedicated “To those who with impassioned dedication seek new ‘epiphanies’ of beauty so as to give it to the world through artistic creation.” Therefore, it is addressed to you too. And now we come to the theme. Last February some seventy Bishops, friends of the Focolare Movement, visited Loppiano. When they returned to the Mariapolis Center of Castel Gandolfo and continued their program, which also included a customary question and answer session, they asked me: “During our visit to Loppiano, we experienced in an overwhelming way the ‘beauty’ that springs forth with great transparency and purity in the Focolare Movement. How do you account for this crescendo of uplifting artistic expressions?” The question did not surprise me. Rather it was a confirmation for me that this little town of ours demonstrates, through its artists, that art is at home in our Movement. It is really true.And this explains the title of my talk, a title which focuses my attention on one specific topic. I do not intend, nor would I be capable, of speaking of art in general, of the various schools of expression down through the centuries, and so forth. This talk of mine on art will be limited to its relationship with the ecclesial and social reality we live in, which embraces not only the religious aspect but all human aspects of life, including art. Work of art as incarnation Without doubt, for us too, absolute Beauty is God, God who is eternal. And in some way authentic artists share in this quality of God through their works. True works of art outlive the earthly life of artists because they possess something that is eternal. This is an evident sign that they are in relationship with Supreme and eternal Beauty, with God, or with the human soul created immortal by Him. In this perspective then, a work of art, whether it be with brushes, chisels, notes, verses… cannot help but be viewed as a sort of incarnation, a renewed incarnation, as Simone Weil writes in her book Gravity and Grace: “(In true art) there is almost a kind of incarnation of God in the world, the sign of which is beauty. This beauty is the experiential proof that the incarnation is possible.” But if this is true, art cannot but elevate, cannot but raise one Above, into that Heaven from where it descended. Plato speaks of this effect in Symposium, if it is true that, in some way, beauty and art have the same destiny. He defines beauty as “a ray which, from the face of God, as from a beautiful sun, is handed down and shared with created nature; having thus rendered nature beautiful and gracious with its colors, it returns to the same fount from where it came.” Recently, I too had a small personal experience of this sublime, uplifting capacity, which is characteristic of art. I do not think it is out of place to speak of it here as an act of love. This experience also clarified for me the role of beauty, so deeply felt in our times. Travelling by car one day, I was listening to Gounod’s Ave Maria. Masterly performed, it called to mind a very fine veil, interlaced here and there with delicately embroidered designs. Listening to that piece of music uplifted my spirit and opened me to union with God and in him to Mary, sublimely exalted by Gounod. It was the feast day of her divine maternity and I admired her as being “beautiful beyond words”. I thought to myself: if God planned that she be his mother in Jesus, the Incarnate Word, the splendor of the Father, what degree of beauty must Mary have attained? It’s beyond all imagining! I spoke to her about the day I would be coming to her, perhaps not far in the distant future. And I sensed that her presence made everything else in me and around me, everything that I might still be linked to on this earth, all that is beautiful and good, decisively disappear. In fact, the thought of her and of her beauty was enough to imprint on my heart, like a seal: “You, Lord, are my only good.” I realized that she was giving me those virtues I ask her to teach me each day, the virtues needed to make the words – “You, Lord, are my only good” – become a reality. But she gave them not by listing them, not by explaining them, not by giving me an ardent desire to live them, but by showing herself to me. Yes, it is beauty that will save the world, that beauty of which Mary is a divine model. And I understood all this because a piece of music I listened to was a work of art. Beauty and our Movement When and how did beauty find a home in our Movement? From the beginning, at once. The reaction of people to what we were communicating, enlightened by the first glimmerings of the charism which was beginning to disclose a specific plan of God for the Church and humanity, was not: “How true!” “How good!” No! It was “How beautiful!” “Beautiful” certainly because what was being said related to God who is Beauty. Could we say that it was wisdom? And often the very persons who spoke of our great Ideal appeared as beautiful, truly more beautiful. This was a common impression. Beauty became an integral part of our Movement also because the one word which our charism was beginning to say to the world was unity. And unity is synonymous with the utmost harmony. This vocation to harmony characterized, even in practical details, the new culture that was emerging from the charism. So we felt, for example, that we also had to dress with harmony and good taste; that our houses, centers and little towns had to be beautiful, harmonious, and welcoming. It was as if the Son of Man, the Incarnate Word, was repeating to us: “Learn from the way the wild flowers grow…” (Mt. 6:28). Beauty and our consideration of beauty also emerged from time to time when we were enraptured by some writing, painting, or sculpture, and could not but express fascination and deep admiration. To give only one example that underscores the concept we have been expressing, I would like to quote from a page which is familiar to many of you, entitled: “Michelangelo’s Beautiful Madonna,” the Pietà that welcomes whoever enters St. Peter’s Basilica: “Artists transfuse the human soul, which is a reflection of heaven, into their work, and in this ‘creation’, the fruit of their genius, artists find a second immortality. They find their first immortality in themselves (in their souls), like any other man or woman on this earth, and the second they find in their works, through which they give themselves throughout the ages, to humankind. “Artists perhaps are the persons who most resemble the saints – because if the saints perform the miracle of giving God to the world, artists give, in a way, the most beautiful creature of the earth to humankind: they give the human soul.” Then, because I was aware of the great value of art, I concluded: “And since to you I have spoken, beautiful Madonna, to you I ask a gift: satiate the world’s thirst for beauty. Send great artists, but shape with them great souls, who with their splendor may direct men and women towards the most beautiful of the sons of men – your sweet Jesus.” You all know, more or less, the more than fifty-year story of our Movement, its aims, its spirituality, the universality of the callings, its consistency, its outreach, its all-embracing dialogues, its concrete works…. Among its concrete achievements are the more or less valuable works of art produced here and there by our artists. While expressing themselves in art in Italy, as well as in other nations of Europe and also in Asia, South America and Australia, without clamor, they have firmly maintained their position, their specific vocation in the Work of Mary. Hence the ardent words of encouragement they received from time to time: “Thank you… because through your effort, you contribute to telling the world that God is beautiful! God is Beauty and not only Truth and Goodness. It has always been our passion, one of our passions, from the beginnings of the Movement, to express this with our lives, our words, and with the arts. Also in this regard, the Movement was born as a peaceful form of protest against the prevalent way of thinking at that time. Three periods of time Our Movement has a long, rich history. This history is marked by three stages. We know, in fact, that God is not only beautiful. He is also good and true. And there is no beauty, authentic beauty, unless there is also truth and goodness. The interconnection between beauty, truth and goodness has always been emphasized in our Movement, and we were able to deepen our understanding of this in an original way. In the first stage, which lasted decades, the Holy Spirit urged us to imitate God in his being good, in his being love. In fact, from the very beginning our Ideal could be summed up in the words God-Love. We were called to re-live, in a sense, God who is infinite goodness, each becoming like a tiny sun beside the Sun. In the second period of time, after this lifestyle of ours had become precise and clear-cut, the Spirit called us to another task: to seek to draw out from our way of life, from our personal and communitarian spirituality, the underlying doctrine: its truth. In Franciscan terms, “Paris,” the city of studies, was being added to “Assisi,” the city of life. However, we never feared that the reality of “Paris” would destroy “Assisi”, as the saying goes. On the contrary, the almost ten-year experience of our Abba School, which is dedicated to studies, confirms that the light of truth is an immense support for life, a life based on love. In the third period of time, which is the one we are living now, we perceive that the Holy Spirit is urging us to express with our lives not only the goodness of God, not only truth, but also beauty. And we named this period after another city: “Hollywood”. It is a “Hollywood” which does not annul “Assisi” and “Paris”, but rather, it presupposes their existence, and it is not fully itself unless it is the other two as well. In fact, Jesus in us wants to be Life (Assisi), Truth (Paris) and the Way (Hollywood). Many signs indicate that we have reached this latest stage and this Conference is one of them. It could not have been held earlier. In fact, our artists are not truly artists unless they have already matured in experiences of goodness and truth. There is another sign, among many, which is not out of place to mention here. Recently, and it was not for the first time, a group of approximately seventy actors and actresses, directors, producers, writers and technicians of the city of Hollywood, met with some people of our Movement in a villa of Los Angeles, in a festive atmosphere of enthusiasm, in the desire to learn more about our spirit and to bring it to Hollywood. A Jewish film writer who was present concluded the meeting by saying: “Let’s be courageous and live what we heard today: let’s give priority to God in Hollywood, on the set, in our productions.” Now they are looking forward to meeting with us again. There, artists who find God; here, people who love and know God and who aspire to be true artists. Ultimately, there is no difference: in one way and in the other, our third stage moves forward. Who is an artist But who is a true artist? Salvatore Fiume, contemporary artist, exaggerates when, confounding artistic inspiration with the Spirit of God, he affirms that an artist is like one who writes under dictation: God dictates and the artist paints, sculptors, creates music, poems, architecture, Romance literature and philosophical concepts. When the work is complete, with naive audacity, he or she signs it. And yet, he is not far from the truth if the Second Vatican Council advised artists: “Do not close your spirit to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.” Undoubtedly, there can be no artists where there is no genuine talent. There can be no artists where there is no artistic inspiration. Nor can the Holy Spirit be far from them. John Paul II affirmed: “When we turn over certain wonderful pages of literature and philosophy, justly admire some masterpiece of art, or listen to passages of sublime music, we spontaneously recognize in these expressions of human genius a radiant reflection of God’s Spirit.” Our artists and modern art What are our artists like? What is our art like? What is art in view of the culture of our “people”? We know that Vatican II affirms: “Let the Church also acknowledge new forms of art which are adapted to our age.” This is a valid principle for us too. And our artists seek to conform themselves to it. Today, as you know, there is modern art. It has its own new and interesting demands, its own viewpoints and considerations which are not without fascination. I hope that it will be a topic of your discussions during these days. Nonetheless, as happened for all kinds of art down through the centuries, there are those who do not interpret it in the right way and who can even use art for evil purposes. We said before that God is beauty but also goodness and truth. A true artist cannot consider beauty detached from goodness and truth. Beauty, in fact, which does not contain truth and goodness is a nothing, an emptiness. “Beauty” affirms Vladimir Soloviev, “without truth and goodness is only an idol.” But if beauty contains goodness, it means that nothing sinful, scandalous, or evil can be justified as a privilege of art, not even as a means, not even with the intention of making beauty triumph in the end. Here too, the end does not justify the means. Certainly, art can represent what is ugly, suffering, anguish, drama, tragedy. All this can be expressed in a work of art and it always has been. Indeed, a group of expressionist artists, the Blue Rider, affirms that the joys and sufferings of men and women and nations are behind the inscriptions, paintings, and temples, behind the cathedrals and masks, behind the works of music, theatre and dance. If these do not form the foundation, if shapes are empty, without meaning, there is no true art. Certainly, Jesus forsaken on the cross was not beautiful. He, the Word of God, the highest Artist, in becoming man, assumed all of our human nature to the point of making himself sin, but never a sinner. Isaiah says: “There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him” (Is. 53:2). And yet, faith tells us that the glory of the resurrection was already present in him. Jesus crucified and forsaken is the model of artists and especially of our artists who will always, like him, offer a ray of hope even in the saddest situations. The Holy Father said to artists: “All great artists have come face to face, some their whole life through, with the problem of suffering and desperation. Nevertheless, many allowed something of the hope which is greater than suffering and decadence to shine through their art. By expressing themselves in literature or in music, by shaping matter or by painting, they evoked the mystery of a new salvation, of a renewed world. This must be the message of authentic artists also in our times, of artists who sincerely live all that is human and even tragic, but who are able to unveil with precision the hope that is given to us even in what is tragic.” In addition, our artists will have to remember that because art can be compared to a new incarnation, it is mysterious; it could not be otherwise. For this reason it is modest, it doesn’t reveal everything. In seeing certain deviations in art, one would go back with nostalgia to the great artists of the past, who have been gone perhaps for years, but whose works survive. This is the case of the drama of the nun of Monza in The Betrothed, for whom Manzoni spent only these words: “and the unfortunate woman replied.” A new art in a new culture The Movement, as we said, brings a new culture, one that is characterized in its various ambits by new paradigms derived from the trinitarian vision of man and of the world. This has been noted, in recent years, in the fields of theology, philosophy, sociology, economy, politics, and recently, in psychology. It cannot, therefore, be missing in the field of art. This novel concept of human living in its various expressions is possible because men and women of the Movement constantly strive to assume a lifestyle that is both personal and communitarian, as required by our collective spirituality.This applies also to those who are dedicated to art: “before all else mutual love among you.” As with all the cultures that have appeared on earth, the specific characteristics of our culture too will be expressed by art. Thus we look forward to a new art.What qualities will it have? They will necessarily be an expression of its personal aspect and of its collective aspect. What I stated last summer is true, and I reaffirm it now: it is not always necessary that a new work of art be the fruit of a collectivity with the presence of Christ in the midst of artists. It is necessary that he be in the midst of individuals at one point, that they become one soul, so that then, distinctly, all may be in each one. But what I affirm now is also possible. Camus says: “Those who choose to be artists because they feel different will soon learn that they will not bring to fruition their art nor their diversity unless they seek similarities, common ground with others. Artists are forged in this everlasting coming and going between themselves and others, half way between beauty (from which they cannot separate themselves) and society (from which they cannot withdraw).” In this light then, because interaction with others takes nothing away from the artist, on the contrary, it enriches him or her, we can envision an art which is the fruit of a group of artists who, united in the name of Jesus, are devoted to the same artistic expression which is expressed in the works of one or of the other. Indeed, we must ask ourselves: if this attitude and mode of working is possible in other fields, why couldn’t it be used also in that of art? And couldn’t this mode of working usher in unexpected and new works of art? We see this in the experience of the Abba School: each field of knowledge gains so much when we are ready to serve it in this way! The promptings of the Holy Spirit, already present in the individual can become gigantic! In the Abba School, in fact, there is something more, a something more that is human and divine. The atmosphere there is sacred. Without exaggeration, we often feel that we are in heaven. But there is a price to pay: the total death of every “self” so that another Self, with a capital S, may triumph in all and in each one. We learned this in 1949 when we were dazzled by a blinding light. Several persons of the Abba School have commented these intuitions or inspirations. One of them said: “Those who love Jesus forsaken are asked to be detached from their way of thinking, from thinking itself: this is the non-being of the mind. And this holds true also for the will, the memory and the imagination (synonymous with artistic inspiration). We attain these deaths “by losing” (putting aside also what we think might be an inspiration).” Another affirmed: “We speak of imagination because unlike other spiritualities perhaps, we highlight ‘beauty’… However, imagination must be lost in unity, in order to have a sort of new ‘inspiration’ which enables us to see heaven, in some way, and also all the things of earth in a new way.” A third commented: “One of the effects of our spirituality will be a new art. With regard to this new art, many times people in the Movement who are devoted to art have worked freely on their own, given that, generally speaking, it is very difficult for artists to understand one another. Instead, if there were unity among them, we would see works of art never seen before.” A final comment: “Losing everything and finding everything is a classic principle of the spiritual life…. But not many authors of spiritual writings speak of losing one’s imagination in order to acquire a new one. Usually, they only say that we must lose, put aside, one’s imagination. Here, instead, a new imagination is found. We can understand this better today, in the wake of Vatican II, which affirms that all that is human is rendered Christian. Imagination is no longer considered as something that should be distanced from the ascetic life required by sanctity. We have been forerunners in these positions.” And then he adds: “Also present here are the roots of a renewed and great Christian art.” Therefore, a new art is coming to life among us. Or perhaps it has already begun. You will understand this from the experiences the artists will narrate. At this point, what I wrote about the “Resurrection of Rome” comes to mind: “We need to bring God back to life in us, then keep him alive, and overflow him onto others with bursts of Life that revive the dead. And we need to keep him alive among us by loving one another (…). Then everything changes, politics and art, education and religion, private life and recreation. Everything.” Mary The Focolare Movement has something to do with beauty also because it must in some way, reflect Mary, in its individuals and as a whole. Mary is the tota pulchra, the all beautiful. In fact, Mary is the fullest expression of the redemption accomplished by Christ. She is the creature in whom the image of the Creator shines forth in a unique way. For this reason, she is the object of the attention and admiration of artists who are particularly sensitive to beauty and to the attraction of the supernatural; she is therefore an inspiration for painting and sculpture, for music and literature… In his “Paradise,” Dante says of her: “Look now upon the face which is most likened unto Christ”. Boccaccio sings to her: “You adorn heaven with your happy features.” And Petrarch: “Clothed with the sun, / crowned with the stars, so pleasing were you to the highest sun / that he hid his light in you.” Tasso sees her as the: “Star from which serene light is born, / light of the non created and highest Sun.” May Mary, the all beautiful, envelop our artists with her splendor. Let us conclude. Every religious based Movement, like ours, that has made a mark on history, has expressed new forms of religious art. We truly hope that it will be so for ours as well, if it is true that it is a Work of God. And it is true. Recently the Pope inscribed the following words on my mind and heart: “Work of Mary?”, he said, “Work of God”. Yours then is the honor and onus of being its artistic expression.