The Focolare recalls July 16, 1949 as the day on which Chiara Lubich and Igino Giordani made a “pact of unity” which would be the basis of the growth of the Movement. That day marked the beginning of the period of intense mystical contemplation for Chiara, which is known as “Paradise of 1949”. “[…]We were living these experiences when Foco arrived in the mountains. Foco, who loved Saint Catherine, had always searched in his life for a virgin he could follow. And now he had the impression that he had found her among us. So one day he proposed to make a vow of obedience to me thinking that by doing so, he would be obeying God. He also added that in this way, we could become saints, like Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Jane de Chantal. In that moment, I didn’t understand the reason for the vow of obedience or this unity between two people. At that time the Work of Mary didn’t exist and we didn’t speak of vows. Moreover, I didn’t share the idea of unity between two people because I felt called to live “May all be one” (Jn 17:21). At the same time, though, it seemed to me that Foco was under the action of a grace which should not be lost. And so this is what I said to him, more or less: “It could be that what you feel truly comes from God. So we should take it into consideration. However, I do not share the idea of unity between only two people because all must be one.” And then I added: “You know my life: I am nothing. In fact, I want to live like Jesus forsaken who annulled Himself completely. You, too, are nothing because you live in the same way. “Well then, tomorrow we will go to church and to Jesus in the Eucharist who will come into my heart, which is like an empty chalice, I will say: ‘On the nothing of myself, bring about unity with Jesus in the Eucharist who comes into the heart of Foco. Jesus, bring about the bond between us that you want’.” Then I added: ‘And you, Foco, do the same.’ […]” See full text at: Chiara Lubich Centre
God is not a distant person who can be approached only by queuing up. He listens with particular attention to those who are particularly poor, and particularly humble. From the volume Scelto per gli uomini (“Chosen for mankind”), p. 113.The busier I am, the more I need time for prayer. It is then that I discover one thing. When I use, or “waste” my time to remain in God, a sort of “miraculous multiplication of time” comes about. Thanks to the time given to God, I end up having more time at my disposal, or at least, quality time, more available and denser with love to donate to the others. Time becomes like a pearl necklace composed of many precious moments which I am able to live, and bring to fulfilment in meditation and commitment to others. From the volume Scelto per gli uomini (“Chosen for mankind”), pp. 109-110. We could define the “grain of salt” of Christian prayer as the point in which the distinctive characteristic of the Christian appears clearer and more evident: the fact, that in praying to God the other, our neighbour, is always included; and the fact that the praying person’s “I” always intrinsically includes a “we.” From the volume Scelto per gli uomini (“Chosen for mankind”), p. 114 At times it would be good not to say anything but remain in silence. It is only then, in fact, that we denote how many flows of thoughts, impressions and ideas cross our minds. It is as if we are immersed in a tide that intensifies and unceasingly distances us from ourselves, not allowing us to reach ourselves. In prayer it is not decisive for us to reach this absolute silence. It may even seem “right” if despite every effort, we are unable to reach it. In fact, somehow we understand that also in that indistinct, confused flow, so devoid of perfection and integrity, I am however myself, I who have been given and abandoned to myself, and I, the one who constantly slips away from myself. And so we can say: I have no power over me, and it is not I who knows and possesses myself but you in the innermost of me, and you who knows and scrutinizes me. You know who I am and what is good for me, and you answer with your “yes” and address me with the word: You. From the book Das Wort fur uns (“The Word for Us”), p. 91. Source: Klaus Hemmerle,“La luce dentro le cose, meditazioni per ogni giorno” (“The Light within things: Daily Meditations”), Città Nuova, 1998.
“I come from a country in Central America, El Salvador. It’s a small country, rich in history and natural resources, but afflicted for many years with political instability, injustice and poverty that have produced overwhelming violence and social upheaval, as every neighbour appears as a threat to everyone else. In recent years, the violence has intensified to point of creating a complete lack of mutual trust among the citizens. It was a situation that makes one feel quite helpless. In 2014, I lived for a while with some other young people from the Youth For A United World in a small Focolare town in Argentina, known as Mariapolis Lia. Everyone in that place tried to live the Golden Rule: Do to others as you would have them do to you. It made me see how beautiful it would be to create a society where everyone took care of one other. Yet, when I went back to El Salvador, I found myself once again facing the internal struggles in my country. The situation was really bad, more violent if that was even possible. Every moment was filled with danger both day and night, always risky to leave the house. You never knew whether or not you’d return home at night. Because of the situation, my parents and my sister decided to leave. But, thinking more about what to do, we decided to stay so that we could be a light in that dark place, during such dark times. During that period I read an article from the Youth For A United World in the Middle East, which told of how they decided to stay there in spite of the war in order to be able and willing to help the people wounded in the daily attacks. Their experiences made me think and strengthened my resolve to stay in El Salvador, to go out and meet the suffering of my own people. That was how my friends and I decided to launch a campaign that we called: ‘Change Your Own Square Metre’ with the goal of building peace in our local environment. We know that the problem in our country is complex, but we can make a difference if we begin from our own life with the people we meet every day, with our own daily activities. Personally, for example, I try to help my classmates with their difficult Mathematics Exam or to build positive relations with the neighbors around my house. All of it had a wider impact on the society as well. We got others involved in constructing a local park, a pretty place with painted walls. We launched a campaign to collect books and send them to cities that charge a high fee for renting them in the schools. Then collaboration was begun with other movements that visit the elderly in public rest homes, and with institutions that provide food and shelter to the homeless. Adults helped us in collecting food and allowing us to cook it in their homes. It was amazing how the food was always enough for everyone to have some! Perhaps we won’t be up to the task of changing our country all at once, but one square metre at a time we will certainly do it!”
“My name is Jean Paul. In 2015, while waiting for a bus to return home, I met a young man at the bus station. He arrived in one of the most dangerous areas of the city with his brother. I felt that it was risky for him to travel in that area alone at night so I suggested that he spend the night at my place. The bus didn’t arrive so eventually, we decided to walk home. On our way we were attacked by six men. They beat us up and threw me into a canal – they probably thought I was dead. I was unconscious for an hour. When I woke up, I realized that I couldn’t move my body from my chest down to my legs. I screamed, then this new friend came to help me. He was not as badly hurt as I was. With the help of some people, I was taken to a nearby hospital. The love I had shown to this new friend saved my life. If he hadn’t been there I would have died. He had returned my generosity with love. After a week in the hospital, I was transferred to Kigali, Egide’s town in Rwanda. There, the doctors discovered I had a serious spinal injury. I had to stay in bed and couldn’t move because I was paralyzed and in so much pain. I felt his pain as if it were in my own. However, I was amazed that he kept smiling after what had happened to him. He gave joy and hope to all of us who visited him. I would say that he radiated light in that very difficult situation. When I saw him, I knew that he needed someone to look after his needs on a daily basis. JP’s close friend from Burundi stayed and cared for him for a month, but he needed to go back to school to study. I offered take his place. This wasn’t easy because I had a small job that sustained me financially. I decided to leave my job and help Jean Paul full time. My mother couldn’t understand how I would leave my job for this. She told me that even a small job is a good start in making a better future. However, I was determined and she let me go. I asked God to guide me in how I could love JP with all my heart. All our friends, families from all over Rwanda & Burundi always showed their unity by visiting us. And because of their love for us, we found strength to go ahead together. After a few months, I had an operation. The doctor told me that I would never walk again. In a month, we had to move to a rehabilitation centre so that I could start my physical therapy. The therapy was very hard but I didn’t give up. I exercised with all my strength and in the end, I was able to walk again. What a miracle! I started to walk with two crutches, and within a year, I could walk with one. Our relationship soon caught the attention of JP’s family, the nurses, the doctors and the other patients because I am Rwandese and he is Burundian. Throughout the time we spent together at the hospital and the rehabilitation centre, J.P suffered much but he still kept on smiling. Many people, including myself were astonished by his attitude, courage and determination. In fact, with the help of the entire family of Youth for a United World and our friends who visited us, we were able to overcome all sufferings and live beyond all borders. During that time, our friends and family of the Y4UW took turns to give us food. Soon after, an NGO discovered our situation, and promised to give us meals every day. Then Jean Paul asked me to always go around and distribute this food to those who really needed it. I did it with joy, informing those I gave the food to, that this was a gift from another patient. It’s been a year since I left the rehabilitation. I thank God He kept me strong and gave me the courage not to quit. I have also been able to forgive those who beat me up. I’m convinced that forgiving them has not only given me peace but in some way, helped me to recover faster. I want to thank my friends and family of the Y4UW, who helped raised the money to pay for my treatment. After all the time we spent together, I received funding to go back to school and at the same time, I found a better job than the one I left behind. I thank God for helping JP to recover because no one thought that he would ever walk again on his own! I learned that the one who gives everything he can, out of love, is never alone.”
It’s entitled “May it be done to me according to your word” and its international version was launched on 4 July. The next World Youth Day in which Pope Francis will participate will be held in Panama from 22 to 27 January 2019 and will have an official hymn in five languages. The music was composed by Abdiel Jimenez, and the Italian version was composed by Maestro Marco Frisina. Interpreters of the international version are Gabriel Diaz, Marisol Carrasco and Masciel Munoz in Spanish; Lucia Munoz and Pepe Casis in Italian; Naty Beitia in French; José Berasategui and Eduviges Tejedor in English, and Erick Vianna and Kiara Vasconcelos of the Shalom Community of Brazil in Portuguese. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXlYt_JjftE
“Walls divide cultures, countries and people. I grew up in front of the wall that separates the United States and Mexico. My name is Noé Herrera and I was born in a city of Mexico named Mexicali, which stands for Mexico and California. Ever since I was small, I wondered why it was so difficult to cross the United States border. The cultures of these two countries have a lot in common, like the food, language and even some economic features. I have many friends on both sides and many people like me go back and forth between the United States and Mexico. Still, I’ve seen how this border represents pain and suffering for our two countries. I’ve seen it in the many families that are separated, in the immigrants who fight for a better future, in all the prejudice that we’ve created. And yet, I find that people are indifferent to the situation. Why? Because we’ve become accustomed to seeing the divisions.” “I didn’t have the same experience with the wall as Noè. I’m able to say that it’s easier to cross from the United States into Mexico than vice versa. My name is Josef Capacio. I come from a city in south California, San Diego, near the border. I’ve also seen the division in the United States, but fortunately, I learned from when I was young to live for unity. Over the years, a new perception of the world made its way inside me. Growing up exposed to multi-culturalism, not only did I tollerate it, but I made it mine! I think that’s part of the reason why Noé and I became friends. I’m not just Josef, the American, born into an immigrant family from the Philippines, and him Noé, from the great Mexican race. We’re all that and even more. We’re citizens of the world. And I’ll never forget how we met. After having spent a year away from home and attending a school of formation for young people in the Focolare in Italy, I was excited about returning home to support our projects in California. A friend suggested that I join the efforts for a project in Mexicali. In all honesty, at the beginning I was reluctant. Nevertheless, I bit my tongue and listened to him. Fortunately, after having met Noé, I decided to go along with several friends. That day can’t be described with words. It was amazing!” “The goal was to show our vision of a united world through a simultaneous race along both sides of the wall. There were around 200 people on each side, with a single message: ‘We might be divided by a wall, but we’re together in building a more united world.’ Lots of people of all ages joined us and, ever since then, it has been an annual appointment that has involved the local governments from boths sides. Following that first big event, our objective has become more visible. Josef and I, along with several friends from our countries have had many opportunities to work together in different social projects, but also, over time, we developed fraternal relationships and real frienships with our neighbours over the border. I’ve found that our values, goals and visions of the world are very similar. We’re all the same and I can love his country as my own.” “I took this photo during one of our events, which inspired this thought in me: ‘For many reasons there are physical, geopolitical, economic and security borders. But in our hearts there are no borders. We are one people and we want a united world!’ Those who have had the privilege of seeing our world from space, often tell of this new perception of human life on Earth. Up there in space there are no borders. They disappear. They’re invisible, non-existent. The reasons for continuing the wars become small. One astronaut even said: ‘From up here it’s clear that we are one Humanity on the Earth.’”
Last April, the United World Project (UWP) selected 25 representatives from all over the world to become ambassadors for a United world. They represent the Youth for a United World (U4UW) and their main task is to work for the official recognition of the United World Week by the United Nations. The ambassadors who came from countries such as Brazil, Australia, Kenya, Argentina, Italy, Mexico, the U.S, and Burkina Faso, among others, met for the first time during the Genfest 2018. Their role as ambassadors started precisely in Manila by contacting National Commissions of International institutions in the Philippines. On July 5 and 6, they visited the FAO and the UNESCO branches located in Manila to learn about the organizations and begin a collaboration with the Y4UW through New Humanity, the NGO representing Focolare Movement at the United Nations. Since 1987, it was granted ECOSOC|UN Special Consultative Status, and Since 2005 the General Consultative status. In 2008, it was recognized as an official partner of UNESCO. The Ambassadors were able to put into practice the training they received from the UWP since their selection in April, and successfully developed a working relationship with both UN agencies for future partnerships. They emphasized the need for a concrete reciprocal relationship to face world challenges such as climate change, wars and migration, focusing on UNESCO priority of global citizenship education for youth. Not only did a relationship develop between the Ambassadors and the institutions but also among the ambassadors themselves. The meetings at UN were a chance to reinforce their role as engineers of a new culture that goes beyond race, religion and social class to promote a culture of unity through concrete action on a local and International level. They realized the necessity to develop into a stronger and more well equipped team. Their work will now continue far beyond the Genfest taking full advantage of the energy, inspiration and unity constructed for path ahead. By Michael Grueter
“I am really happy to celebrate the Genfest here with you and with all those who are connected in different ways. I greet you with all my heart! I can bear witness to Chiara’s relationship with thousands of young people all over the world: her dialogue with them was always from the heart, open, sincere and characterised by trust. Chiara was demanding, just as you are, and she was convinced that the new generations, who have the ideal of unity at heart, will become new men and women who spread this light and bear witness that a united world is possible, because it is already a living reality amongst us, as it is here today. I too have had the gift of meeting young people from many parts of the world and I have always been fascinated and enriched by your energy, creativity and courage. Chiara challenged you to be men and women of unity, people who know how to carry in their hearts the specific treasures of each culture and give them to others: to be global men and women. At the 2012 Genfest you launched an ambitious project, the United World Project. In recent years you have worked on many practical ways of doing this. And the vision behind the project – to foster and spread a culture where all people are one family – has spread to many others, including adults and children. I know that you will soon be launching a new process, in continuity with what is already happening. We will all set off on many pathways to achieving a united world. We have a fantastic goal, but we know that great ideals are what make history. Our goal is “that all may be one”. We are aiming towards “all”! Making God’s dream our own is something that links us to heaven and at the same time locates us firmly in human history, to bring to light its journey towards being one universal family. The Genfest is ending with the project you are launching now. We will all go back to our own countries, to our towns and cities. What will we do? The united world that we experience here is one we will bring everywhere, wherever we go, to make it become reality in our families, wherever we study, or work or do sport. There is a secret that can help us not lose sight of this goal, which here at the Genfest seems so beautiful, real and fascinating. I’d like to sum it up in a few words: Love, start again and share! Love is the secret for a life that is happy, full, interesting, always new, never boring and always surprising! Start again when problems, discouragement and failures overwhelm us and make our passion for a united world waver. World champions train hard and get up every time they fall until they reach their goal. Share our experiences, our joys, our difficulties, our talents and our goods. Let’s use every means possible to build networks; let’s launch the most varied initiatives to build unity: large scale projects, both locally and globally, and make this universal family visible. We know that the visible part of an iceberg sits on a part that is under water. Similarly, being one family is built up through many ordinary deeds and actions carried out in the strong conviction that the most powerful means we can use to renew the world is our own heart. While our heart is still beating, we can love, we can start again and we can share. A universal family starts with my heart, with our hearts. This is the fascinating challenge we want to take on together so that a united world becomes a dream fulfilled.
MANILA (the Philippines) – The eleventh edition of the Genfest has just come to its end. The 6,000 young people present, who came from Focolare communities in more than 100 countries worldwide, launched their project: “Pathways for a United World”: ways and means that aim at bringing individuals and peoples together so that they can contribute towards building fraternal relationships in the fields of economy, justice, politics, environment, intercultural and interreligious dialogue. Maria Voce,president of the Focolare Movement said: “At a time when migration increases and nationalisms gain ground, as a reaction to an exclusively economic globalization that ignores the diversities of individual cultures and religions,the Genfest has proposed to youth a change of attitude: do not stop at personal, social and political barriers but be ready to accept without fear or prejudice any sort of diversity”. In the coming years, therefore, the Focolare Youth for a United World will seek to generate a web of activities targeted at instilling a mentality and a practice of peace and solidarity in their own surroundings and in their countries. Marco Provenzale said: “On July 6, we visited the FAO and UNESCO headquarters here in Manila to present our projects and to offer these international organizations the commitment of so many young people, who will be ambassadors of fraternity in their own countries, and whose precise mission is to promote actions that go beyond cultural, social and political boundaries, that go “beyond all borders” as the Genfest title states”. The Genfest has been a feast and a commitment at the same time.The message to overcome borders has been passed on even through the artistic performances, as revealed by the two evening concerts that brought Asia to the rest of the world and vice versa. Many visited Explo, a multimedia and interactive exhibition that offered a different version of the world’s history based on humanity’s steps towards peace and the centrality of personal commitment to build it. The young participants were even offered the opportunity to “dirty their hands” by choosing to take part in “Hands for Humanity”: twelve activities of solidarity, encounter and urban redevelopment organized in different parts of Manila. Stories beyond walls Stories related by young people, who live the drama of migration and segregation, were the highlights of this eleventh edition of Genfest.“Today, little is said about those restricted by limits in their everyday life, about those limited by walls, with a sense of powerlessness and a longing to be saved” – the organizers explained.
Watch interview with Aziz (Iraq)
The stories related are of current significance, such as the one of Noé Herrera (Mexico) and Josef Capacio (USA). Both live very near to the border that separates their two countries. Noé has to cross the border everyday to go to school and this means he has to queue for long hours to be able to cross to the other side. From where does he manage to get hope? From his friendship with Josef and other North American young men with whom he works to promote a mentality of mutual respect and concern. Aziz is from Iraq, but presently lives in France. “Have you ever stopped to think what it would mean if one day, all of a sudden, you are deprived of everything: family, home, dreams…. What would you do?” he asked the other youth at the Genfest. Egide and Jean Paul, one from Rwanda and the other from Burundi met during a very dramatic incident. Jean Paul was at a bus stop when he was attacked and almost killed. Egide saved him and supported him for many months: an extraordinary gesture when one thinks of the wound that never healed because of the recent conflict between their two countries. Is there any recipe one can use to overcome walls and barriers when things seem to push in the opposite direction? – the Genfest people asked. Maria Voce proposed three words, that are also a life program for all the youth who now return to their countries: love, start again and share. Love the peoples of other countries as you love your own people; start again without ever losing hope that another world is possible and share personal and collective wealth, resources and burdens. She concluded by challenging the young people to be men and women of unity, people who cherish the treasures of every culture, but who even know how to give them to others, and ultimately be global men and women.
MESSAGE By His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Youth for a United World International Genfest 2018: Beyond All Borders (Manila, July 6-8, 2018)
“It is with particular joy that we greet all of you, the participants of the 11th edition of the Genfest held in Manila, entitled “Beyond All Borders”, which has as its aim the opening of the young hearts and minds of tomorrow’ s future generation. Know that we commend your initiative and desire to gather together and share your blossoming ideas in order to surpass social and persona} boundaries; for, it is only through a spirit of solidarity, respect and mutual understanding that these obstacles will be overcome and cease to be a cause for division and conflict among the people of our world. As you embark on this journey to address these issues and strive for worldwide unity and peaceful coexistence-always, of course, remaining united in your own noble aspirations and the bond of common action and witness, which certainly hold a promise for a better future, we encourage you to remain steadfast in the vision of this gathering and to remember as well as promote the message of the foundress of the Focolare Movement, the late Chiara Lubich. With prayer and goodwill as the “waterfall of God”, all things will be accomplished and transfigured ! With these words of wholehearted congratulation, we invoke upon all of you the infinite grace and mercy of Almighty God, and remain with much love.”
At the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the 6th of July, 2018
[Signed]
+ BARTHOLOMEW Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch
“I come from a country in Central America, El Salvador. It’s a small country, rich in history and natural resources, but afflicted for many years with political instability, injustice and poverty that have produced overwhelming violence and social upheaval, as every neighbour appears as a threat to everyone else. In recent years, the violence has intensified to point of creating a complete lack of mutual trust among the citizens. It was a situation that makes one feel quite helpless. In 2014, I lived for a while with some other young people from the Youth For A United World in a small Focolare town in Argentina, known as 
Last April, the 
“I am really happy to celebrate the 
know that you will soon be launching a new process, in continuity with what is already happening. We will all set off on many pathways to achieving a united world. We have a fantastic goal, but we know that great ideals are what make history. Our goal is “that all may be one”. We are aiming towards “all”! Making God’s dream our own is something that links us to heaven and at the same time locates us firmly in human history, to bring to light its journey towards being one universal family. The Genfest is ending with the project you are launching now. We will all go back to our own countries, to our towns and cities. What will we do? The united world that we experience here is one we will bring everywhere, wherever we go, to make it become reality in our families, wherever we study, or work or do sport. There is a secret that can help us not lose sight of this goal, which here at the Genfest seems so beautiful, real and fascinating. I’d like to sum it up in a few words: Love, start again and share! Love is the secret for a life that is happy, full, interesting, always new, never boring and always surprising! Start again when problems, discouragement and failures overwhelm us and make our passion for a united world waver. World champions train hard and get up every time they fall until they reach their goal. Share our experiences, our joys, our difficulties, our talents and our goods. Let’s use every means possible to build networks; let’s launch the most varied initiatives to build unity: large scale projects, both locally and globally, and make this universal family visible. We know that the visible part of an iceberg sits on a part that is under water. Similarly, being one family is built up through many ordinary deeds and actions carried out in the strong conviction that the most powerful means we can use to renew the world is our own heart. While our heart is still beating, we can love, we can start again and we can share. A universal family starts with my heart, with our hearts. This is the fascinating challenge we want to take on together so that a united world becomes a dream fulfilled.
