The 51st International Eucharistic Congress has been held in Cebu City, Philippines. (January 24th – 31st, 2016). The official social media coverage of the IEC 2016 scouted for meaningful life stories related to the Eucharist and published them in its facebook page (IEC2016SocialMedia). The experience of Marinova, a focolarina based in Cebu, touched them. “I was 11 years old when a big suffering came to my family. My father was killed by a group of persons who were very influential and no justice was served because we were poor. Our grandparents reminded us that true justice is found only in God! Thanks to their help I was able to finish college and got a job immediately. I became the bread winner of the family as I worked hard to help my mother. I incurred a lot of debts with loan sharks in order to bring ahead my family. Because of all these problems, an intense hatred developed in my heart for all those people who killed my father. They caused all the miseries in our life. Then I took up studies in Law because I wanted justice for the death of my father. But God had another plan for me. One of my classmates, a youth member of the Focolare Movement, invited me to a meeting of this ecclesial movement which has as its goal the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer to the Father, ‘That they may all be one’, and strives to bring unity to the human family by translating the Gospel into life. A new adventure began in my life. I too started putting into practice the words of Jesus. He said: ‘Love and I will manifest myself to you. ‘Whatever you do to the least of your brethren you do it unto me.’ I became addicted to this new drug: LOVE… I found the essence and true meaning of my life and for the first time I felt that Jesus in the Eucharist was the source of it all. One day I asked Jesus to teach me how to live concretely his word ‘Love your enemy’, since I felt that hatred for those who killed my father still enveloped me. And indeed the following day, at work, I met by chance the leader of the group. Spontaneously I greeted him with a smile and asked him how everyone in his family was. I saw that this greeting was a great surprise for him. I was even more surprised by what I was did. Little by little I felt that the hatred within me was melting and was slowly being transformed into love! But that was only the first step! Love is creative! I felt that each one in the group should feel that we had forgiven him. Together with one of my brothers, we visited them trying to re-build our relationship and to make them understand that God loves them! It came to a point that one of them asked for forgiveness for what he had done and in turn asked for prayers for his family and his health. I knew clearly that this experience of forgiveness and healing was the transforming power of Jesus in the Eucharist.”.
The sign from heaven While I was waiting to have a check-up at the doctor’s, I happened to hear a lady pregnant with her fourth child, say to the secretary that she could not keep the child, given her economic conditions. “God will keep him in mind”, she concluded. Since I could not remain indifferent to this news, I immediately recounted this to my close friends, and together we decided to collect some funds among us. I then went to the doctor’s secretary to ask her to give the money to that lady without revealing its source. In the meantime we entrusted all this to God. Time passed and we did not know the outcome; somebody noted that the lady’s tummy continued to grow (we live in a small town where we all know one another) In the end, a beautiful baby was born. After a year I received the lady’s thanks, since she had guessed where that money had come from: “The day before the abortion, I had asked God to enlighten me on the right thing to do. Late in the evening, the doctor’s secretary came by with your envelope. For me it was a sign from heaven.” (R. – Italy)The iron Corina needed an iron. My first thought was to entrust her need to God’s providence. Later, a lady invited me to a parish breakfast. Since I had so many things to do, I felt like saying no. But I accepted just to make her happy. I found myself having coffee with some elderly ladies who were pleased to have a young person in their midst. It was there that I saw an acquaintance: she had bought an iron that was too heavy for her, and she asked me if I knew of anyone who needed it. I was happy and immediately thought of my prayer. (I.- Switzerland) While waiting for the train… I had been betrayed by the people I loved and had thus left the family to live on my own. I was severely depressed, and had tried to kill myself a few times. The last time was in a small train station. While I was waiting for the first train to throw myself on the rails, a nun joined me at the tracks and convinced me to desist. Then she took care of me, and introduced me to a rehab community that welcomed me with open arms. At first, I refused the love they showed me due to the hatred I harboured inside. Even if I did not want to hear about God, one of them convinced me to read the Bible. Little by little the hardness of my heart began to melt and faith started to grow inside me. Some years have passed and I have learned to forgive, love my neighbor and be patient… Now I have reconnected also with my relatives, I have a job, a home, and feel serene. Nothing happens by chance. Thanks to God who has made me experience his immense love! (C. – Italy)
“One can either walk away from the problems in another’s life or embrace the challenge head on. For a Movement that has chosen the suffering face of Jesus on the Cross, it is only natural that the Focolare in Mumbai chose to welcome the challenges among its communities with love and dedication,” writes Annabel, a young journalist, member of the Focolare in Mumbai. Santacruz Project and Udisha have come to symbolize the Movement’s strong commitment to social justice, universal fraternity and, above all, love for Jesus in the other in this city. Santacruz Project started in 1992 as a direct response to the needs of families struggling with poverty, addictions and lack of jobs. It provides basic food rations and household supplies so that children from these homes can continue their education. “We realized that many of these little girls attending our activities didn’t even have enough to eat at home. In order to love them concretely, we had to empower their families to give them enough food and keep them in school. We struggled initially to fund this project, pulling together our resources and gathering contributions from the larger Focolare family here in India. I’m happy that we’ve been able to sustain this project for over 25 years now,” says Joan Viegas, one of the earliest volunteers from Mumbai involved in the project. “Somewhere along the way we realized that spiritual nourishment was equally necessary for these families to face society’s challenges. We organized Word of Life meetings for the girls’ mothers who desperately needed a space to express themselves, share their troubles and find spiritual strength. One of us, Josephine Passanha who is passed away, started conducting meetings in Konkani for these women who could not speak English, and also organized useful workshops on life skills such as budgeting and family planning to empower them.“ During her first visit to India in 2001, Chiara encouraged the members of the Focolare in Mumbai to reach out even further to people at the periphery of society. This gave a strong thrust to the already on-going Udisha Project in Goregaon which focusses on the holistic development of children from underprivileged backgrounds. Literally translating as a ‘ray of light’ in Sanskrit, Udisha is lighting up the lives of over 120 children today through its various activities such as academic tuition classes, occupational therapy, anger management sessions, medical camps and programs promoting value education and parenting skills. Counselling has becoming one of Udisha’s key specialisations, helping many children and their parents solve many day-to-day challenges, sometimes even saving lives from suicidal tendencies. Self-Help Groups empower mothers of these children to manage their household income and supplement it by starting small enterprises such as crochet bag making, catering and beautician services. “Udisha has evolved into a full-fledged organisation with the help of the larger Focolare community all over Mumbai, as well as with the Support at a Distance help we receive from the New Families Movement of the Focolare”, says Brian D’Silva, who has been spearheading the project since the beginning. “We try to reach out to more families every day, always bearing in mind that it is Jesus who we serve in each individual. It gives me great satisfaction to see our children from Udisha who are well-educated, employed and positively contributing to society today.”
Fr Salvo, could you draw a conclusion to this regard? «It was the endowment of a very strong grace that touched also the ample strata of the Church, besides of course, affecting all the consecrated members. Pope Francis imbued this year with particularly inspiring thoughts and events also through the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Apostolic Life Societies (CIVCSVA). Of course it is still too early to take stock of everything, since I am convinced that it was an in-depth event and the fruits will be fully seen as time passes.»What role did the Religious members of the Focolare play? «The particular sensitivity to unity, typical of Chiara Lubich’s spirituality, offers to the members of the Movement, a sort of know-how that inspires them to give priority to relationships and transform them into communion. The religious men and women belonging to the Focolare committed themselves to the initiatives of their communities and dioceses, or to national activities and those of the universal Church, giving their imprint of communion, a spirit the Church hoped would develop more and more as the “home and school of communion.” In one of the European countries, it was precisely the religious and consecrated people of the Movement who proposed the project of an encounter for consecrated youth, to the Conference of Major Superiors. The heads highly appreciated the contents and methods, so as to make it their own initiative. Around 250 young religious participated, with really important impressions and results.» And with regard to the initiatives set up by the Holy Father and the Congregation of Consecrated Life? Great importance was given to Pope Francis’s invitation to show the joy of consecrated life and to prophetically act in the “existential outskirts,” as expressed in his Apostolic Letter to all the consecrated men and women: “I expect you to «wake the world up», because the typical feature of consecrated life is prophecy.” He thus underlined a specific attribute of Religious Life characterised by that of being harbingers of charismas, that is, of gifts for the good of the entire Church. TCIVCSVA then developed the thoughts of Pope Francis with three letters: one dedicated to Joy which must distinguish the consecrated religious (Rejoice); another dealing with their capacity to be prophets for the world (Keep Watch); and the third, a contemplative dimension of their life (Contemplate). These three documents are a reference point for the future of Consecrated Life in the Church. As to the events, we certainly must note the meeting in Rome of the young religious last September. It was a convention of great impact, with 5,000 participants from all over the world, and lasted 4 days. It is not something we see often. It also impressed me because of the significance of the ecumenical Dialogue of religious men and women held from 22 to 25 January 2015. This was an absolute “first” in the Vatican, which Pope Francis wanted so much, and a sign of the progress of the journey among Christians of various denominations. Fr. José M. Hernández, a Claretian, said that each one is called to “be a bridge and not a trench” among Christians. I think this is a good augur which well expresses the rest of the journey we still have to undertake.»
Five hundred and forty people from different countries – half of them families and young people – were together for four days. There were two refugees from Burundi and a group from Syria, 169 people from the Pacific Islands (New Caledonia, Wallis & Futuna, Fiji and Kiribati). The Mariapolis was held on January 13-17 on Phillip Island, 150 km from Melbourne (Australia). The title chosen for the event was “Building Unity Together”. The organisers write: “This central point of the spirituality of unity was examined in a formal presentation and immediately embraced and lived out each day of the Mariapolis by all the participants, some of them from very different cultural backgrounds.” The people who came from the Pacific Islands made a great contribution beginning from their common witness of raising the money to be there: “like the representative from Kiribati who took leave of his work as a seaman in order to be able to attend. There were many beautiful testimonies of Gospel living and how they managed to overcome the many economic problems and raise the money to pay for the flight and lodging. A communion of goods was set in motion a bit like that of the early Christians, and it made everyone experience God’s personal love for them because of the Providence that arrived in many different ways. When they arrived at the Mariapolis they spoke of finding the same family that was no different from the one they had left behind.” Every day ended in an atmosphere of celebration and gratitude for each ethnic group that was represented, like a small slice of a united world. Everyone felt that “The unity of peoples was not a utopia.”The people from the islands stayed on for an extra week at the Mariapolis Centre in Melbourne, where they attended a course on family life. “Each day is like a mutual love competition, and we look forward to the next activity with much joy and enthusiasm. There’s a saying, “From little things big things grow”, and we’re sure that great things will grow from Jesus in our midst through our mutual love.” See on Facebook:Phillip Island Mariapolis 2016
On January 22, 2016, Noorjehan Majid was awarded the Klaus Hemmerle Prize in Aachen, Germany. She told the audience that included civil and religious leaders: “Our great dream is to be able to care for the million and a half people in our country who suffer with AIDS. Up until now that has happened for 300,000 of them, 70,000 of them children. Moreover, with the proper treatment it was possible for 60,000 infected mothers to give birth to healthy children.” Although there is still a long road ahead, these gratifying results that instill hope are due precisely to the efforts of people like Noorjehan and her team who run the Dream Programme of the Sant’Egidio Community. Noorjehan Majid is a Muslim believer. As a woman of faith, her work is not limited to the medical field. Her goal is to bring Christians and Muslims together, to help change a mentality that still today stigmatises and marginalises people who are infected with the AIDS virus. Her “bridge-building” in all cultures and traditions, uniting people who are different from one another, in the name of their common humanity “is a powerful sign of what women can contribute to the African continent and to the human and ethical development of society,” said Focolare president, Maria Voce.
Foto: Ulrike Comes
The Prize was instituted in 2004 and assigned every two years to people who have distinguished themselves as bridge-builders. Other recipients of the Prize include Jewish Dr Ernst-Ludwig Ehrlich (2004) and Patriarch Bartholomew I. This year the Prize was given to a Muslim woman, described by Annette Schiavan, German Ambassador to the Holy See, as “a Good Samaratian of our time.” From an article byKlaus Hemmerle (1980): We’re bridge beings, stretching from the infinite to the dust. It’s only in this tension that we are human beings. But this tension will only keep because of One who is God and dust: Jesus Christ. He sends us forth, He lives in us. He comes to us in every single person. From: La Luce dentro le cose – meditazioni per ogni giorno, compiled by Erich Strick (Rome: Città Nuova, 1998) p 127. Foto gallery
Asti, the Piedmont (Italy) municipality renowned worldwide for its wines and an old pre-Roman settlement, boasts another first: that of being the first Italian municipality to have inserted the principle of Fraternity in its Municipal Statutes, as one of the main inspiring principles. «The Municipality of Asti considers the value of Fraternity as the condition for its political actions, in the common awareness that diversity is enrichment and to which every person elected in this institution is subjected to, and who should thus be recognised with equal dignity and respect and is therefore called to place the good of the community before partial interests, whether personal, of the group or the political party.» This is the text that passed with a unanimous vote on 19 February 2015, and won for the Municipality, the prize awarded in Rome by Mayor Fabrizio Brignolo last 22 January. How is this inspiring principle concretely practiced by the citizens? At the awarding of the prize, the Mayor of Asti recalled how the Asti community is very active in projects that express the value of fraternity in a concrete way: in the issue of welcoming the refugees with individual projects, a system of social services that targets to involve the beneficiaries in projects of recovery of independence in the employment and social fields, to name a few. So is the Municipality’s political life very simple? Not at all. A municipal councillor said: «The truth is, despite the fact that our ideals and political and cultural differences will not be eliminated, it also holds that moments of tension and conflicts will not be missing in our political –administrative debate. But it is likewise true that, from today onwards, we have a reference point and an extra precious tool that pushes us to seek the grounds for sharing, and in which we can exercise a serene approach to the building of fraternity. It is certainly a difficult challenge which we intend to win with courage and confidence. » The prize of the association, Cities for Fraternity, was awarded last 22 January by the president, Milvia Monachesi, Mayor of Castelgandolfo, together with Alba Sgariglia and João Manuel Motta of the Chiara Lubich Centre of the Focolare Movement, during the convention entitled, “Can Fraternity become a norm?” emceed by the journalist, Gianni Bianco, in the capital’s Hall, Pio Sodalizio dei Piceni (watch the live shoot ). Of great significance were the speeches of Prof. Filippo Pizzolato (Bicocca University, Milan) and Tiziano Vecchiato (Scientific Director of the Zancan Foundation, Padova), and the round table of the experiences and conflicts of the Municipalities that have inserted the principle of fraternity in their statutes: Asti, Bra, Grottaferrata and Rocca di Papa. Other honours were conferred to three other Municipalities: • Special Honours for the City of Rocca di Papa, which had launched the project of United Cities for Fraternity: «From darkness to light: “Wednesdays in the village”» with the mission to “enlighten the outstanding features and reunite hearts and minds” of the inhabitants – both Italians and of other nationalities – of Rocca di Papa. • Special Honours for the Municipality of Tolentino for the project, “Tolentino – city for fraternity” and the organisation of the “Fraternity Dinner,” a traditional event with the cooperation of the voluntary associations and citizens, where the funds collected were assigned to the poor people in the municipality. • Special Honours for the Municipality of Grottaferrata for the insertion of the value of Fraternity in the Municipal Statutes, as the condition for political action, unanimously approved by the Municipal Council on 27 April 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEtFoAdo6IE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9bfpKF30Wk
«I’m African and studying in Northern Italy. Some time ago I read an article in a magazine, in which the author said that a “dark night” is pervading every aspect of western culture, leading to a loss of the authentic Christian values. Sincerely, I did not understand what this meant, until something happened to open my eyes. It was a Saturday afternoon. Some kids, neighbours of mine, invited me to go out with them and spend an evening together. They wanted to do something different. There were six or seven of us and we started the evening dancing in a local disco. Initially I enjoyed it and they said music ran in my blood, and I danced well. But soon I noticed that the people around me were dancing without any respect for themselves or for the others. They were not dancing for pure enjoyment but were launching ambiguous messages. A small voice inside me told me to go against the current and dance with dignity and out of love. After a few hours, my friends suggested we go to another club. I trusted them since they were my friends, and so I accepted. In this other club it did not take long for me to realize where we had landed. The music was very loud, psychedelic lights pulsed to the rhythm, an acrid smell started to diffuse, and I was astonished. This was not a normal disco, and the girls prostituted themselves. I was disappointed and angry. Without saying a word, I turned on my heel and left. One of my friends came after me. He insulted me, saying I was slow in the head. I did not answer. After a few minutes, another one came, but this time he did not insult me, but said I was right. Lastly, another sneaked out of the club and also he said I was right. I was surprised. I had created a countercurrent chain. Without even speaking of the Christian ideals I believe in, or of God, the others had seen and understood. A few months passed and I had completely forgotten that episode. One day, a boy, who had been with us that evening, came to me saying he regretted it and would never again frequent that type of club. I was astonished. Evidently, Jesus was working on him. This experience has helped me to see in a more radical way, the need to risk and say “no” to certain proposals of the world, because it is our testimony that strikes people, even though we are unaware of it.» (Yves, Cameroon) From “Una buona notizia, gente che crede gente che muove”, Chiara Favotti, Ed. New City 2012
SophiaUniversity Institute and the insertion of its graduates in the employment world: a more or less difficult relationship with respect to other academic programs? Eight years after the inauguration of the Sophia University Institute (SUI), the Italian professor of Social Research Methodology, performed a survey starting from these interrogatives. Some observations taken from the survey. The survey sample consisted in the first 80 SUI graduates, those who attended and concluded a two-year course with the achievement of a degree within the year 2014. In the first two months of 2015 this group was asked to respond to a semi-structured questionnaire, drafted to get some essential information on the professional pathways and lifestyles undertaken after their studies in Sophia. Out of a total of young graduates 61 gave their response (75% out of the total) coming from 30 different countries; their collaboration enabled to focus on the value their studies in Sophia played in their quest for a job. Above all the study programme concluded in the foreseen period of two years in 91% of the sample; 81% found a job within six months, and 96% within a year. Today 51% of the degree holders have a stable job, 26% have a temporary job; 62% of the cases have a full-time job, and 26% work part time, while for 13% have a second job. Most of the graduates (63%) are assigned roles of responsibility in companies, public administrations, universities and in other cultural, non-profit agencies: 28% are freelance professionals, entrepreneurs, consultants; 7% are top directors and managers, and 28% work in the field of scientific-cultural education and research. Effectiveness of the educational program, compared to the actual job placement seems to have been confirmed: more than two-thirds of the graduates (68%) think that the SUI programme offered is aligned with the job they now hold. This effectiveness is set in relation to some specific transverse skills the graduates retain to have achieved or strengthened during their studies in Sophia. They mention in particular the capacity to interact in a “plural” context under the cultural and disciplinary profile , and problem-solving skills through the integration of different perspectives and competences, and managing situation of conflict, working in synergy in with other social and cultural players, promoting innovative solutions. To note, lastly, that none of the graduates regretted having undertaken the chosen pathway: 72% would willing redo the course as is, while 28% would redo it and suggest some changes. Among these, they highlighted the lack of apprenticeship and internship available in the two-year programme, a priority targeted by the Institute’s competent Offices. “The analysis of the strong points is very interesting,”Licia Paglione commented, “above all studying at Sophia meant getting involved in a programme of discovery and maturation of one’s own relational identity, a pathway that includes and upholds intellectual resources and at the same time imbues the psychological, affective, spiritual and operational dimensions and urges each toward commitment.”
This Word of Life is an invitation to believe in God’s loving action even where his presence is not felt. It is a proclamation of hope and challenge that we too might we become instruments of consolation. Who hasn’t seen a crying child throw itself into its mother’s arms? Whatever the matter is, important or not, the mother dries its tears, covers it with tenderness and, bit by bit, it starts to smile again. Her presence and loving kindness are enough. God behaves like this with us, and compares himself to a mother. These words are how God speaks to his people on their return from exile in Babylon. They had seen their homes and the Temple demolished and had been deported to a foreign land where they felt lost and grief-stricken; now, returning to their homeland, the people had to rebuild from the rubble of destruction. The tragedy Israel had lived through is repeated by many war-torn peoples, victims of terrorist atrocities or inhuman exploitation. Houses and streets ripped apart, sites symbolic of a cultural identity razed to the ground, goods pillaged, places of worship destroyed. How many people kidnapped, millions forced to flee, thousands dying in deserts or at sea! It looks like an apocalypse. This Word of Life is an invitation to believe in God’s loving action also where his presence is not felt. It is a proclamation of hope. He is beside the one who suffers persecution, injustice, exile.
He is with us, with our family, with our people. He knows our personal pain and that of the whole human race. He became one of us, to the point of dying on a cross. This is why he knows how to understand us and comfort us. Just like a mother who takes her child onto her lap and comforts it. We need to open our eyes and hearts to ‘see him’. To the extent that we experience the tenderness of his love, we will be able to transmit it to those who live in pain and under trial, so that we become instruments of consolation. Paul, too, suggests it to the Corinthians: ‘console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God’ (2 Cor. 1:4).
This was also a deeply personal and specific experience of Chiara Lubich: ‘Lord, give me all who are lonely … I have felt in my heart the passion that fills your heart for all of the forsakenness in which the whole of the world is drifting. I love everyone who is sick and alone. Who consoles their weeping? Who mourns their slow death? Who presses to their own heart, the heart in despair? My God, let me be in this world the tangible sacrament of your love; let me be your arms that press to themselves and consume in love all the loneliness of the world.’ 1
Edited by Fabio Ciardi
This Word of Life was chosen by an ecumenical group in Germany. We are living it together with brothers and sisters from many different Churches. Our hope is that our lives throughout the year may be accompanied by the promise from God that it contains. 1 Chiara Lubich, Meditations (London : New City, 2005), 24
Following the request put by the Focolare Movement on 7th December 2013 to the Rt Rev. Raffaello Martinelli, Bishop of Frascati, on 27th January last year Chiara Lubich’s cause of Beatification was opened. “Our only wish is to offer the Church and humankind the gift that Chiara was for us and for a vast number of people” said Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement on that occasion. “Receiving the charism God gave her … Chiara worked so that this pathway of Gospel life could be followed by many people. She always renewed her determination to help all those she met to put God in the first place in their lives and to “become saints together”. Her vision and her heart were motivated by a universal love which was able to embrace all people, going beyond all differences, and always directed towards fulfilling the testament of Jesus: “May they all be one”.
1982: Chiara Lubich with Philip Potter at the World Council of Churches (WCC)
During this year the Diocesan Tribunal heard testimonies from dozens of people who were able to make known the life and charism of Chiara as fully as possible. Among those giving witness were many of Chiara’s first companions, (first focolarine and focolarini), religious and civil authorities, her family members, people from other Movements, other churches and of different beliefs. On this first anniversary, we reflect on part of a talk given by Chiara Lubich at Loppiano in 1987, in which she underlined the importance of the “holiness of the people” or “collective holiness” which arises from the charism of unity.«We are always travelling on towards our holiness. Without this objective, however, life would have little meaning because God who created us also called us to holiness. All people must go towards this goal. In fact, the call to holiness is universal. … Everyone should reach their own perfection and those who commit themselves to it reach the goal by travelling along different paths. We too have a path. … For us it is God’s will to walk along a collective pathway to holiness. To do so we need to keep in mind two aspects of our spirituality which we cannot do without. We cannot become saints if the Risen Lord is not living in us and among us. We are in the midst of the world and whichever way we turn we find something that is in contradiction to Christ and his way of thinking. In the world there is an atmosphere of consumerism, hedonism, materialism and secularism everywhere. How can we bring the presence of God effectively and constantly into today’s society more and more? How can we avoid the world’s snares? How can we stick to the decisions we make in moments of grace? Our Lady has given us a great way of doing this in her Work. She has built up everywhere, in different ways, smaller or larger communities whose vocation it is to keep Jesus present in their midst. This means, therefore, not only overcoming personal problems by embracing Jesus Forsaken so that the Risen Lord can live in us, but it also means building unity with our brothers and sisters so that the Risen Lord can be in our midst. She knows that on our own, in a world like ours, it would be difficult to manage. For that reason she “invented” this spirituality which is called collective, precisely because it is lived by many people together …».
It all began in 2002, when the local community of the Focolare Movementmet Mustapha Baztami, the Imam of the Muslim community of Teramo, truly a man of God who was so struck by the spirituality of unity that he has become its tireless promoter. Since then there have been many moments when both communities came together to share insights and reflections, such as how the Qur’an and the Bible view the family; they also gathered to share foods and flavours and seeing colours and fragrances blend into one, like the people who savoured them. But the real challenge has been to make a joint experience of friendship and solidarity as Muslims and Christians . One day Mustapha’s wife had a serious accident. The prolonged hospitalisation, also in other cities of Italy, gave the Focolare community the opportunity to stand at their side as brothers and sisters. It was like a contest of love between those who gave and those who received, and that became fertile ground for other initiatives, such as the creation of a literary competition called “Different but one”. For the past fifteen years they have made the weekly commitment to work side by side throughout the whole year. “Being children of God is what unites us. This is what gives you the freedom to share your story at the microphone, or to simply smile at a joke, or letting a few tears fall without feeling embarrassed,” states Donato of the Focolare. “You look at me without prejudices,” affirms a Muslim woman. The effects of this dialogue haven’t gone unnoticed in the region. A Catholic association invited Mustapha and Donato to speak at an Islamic-Christian seminar. Things were going well, but the views of some participants regarding women in Islam created tensions in the hall. Mustapha and Donato interceded by saying that their friendship was based on a mutual desire to love which rises above culture and religion, seeking what unites rather than what might divide. “My life has changed dramatically,” says Mustapha, “since I met Chiara Lubich, a white and western Christian woman. She taught me to love everyone and to be the first to love.” From that moment on, the seminar took a different turn. One of the organizers went up to embrace him, saying, “Brother, I have realized that human reasoning is nothing compared to love.” Summer came and with it the desire to go on a family trip to the mountains together with the two communities. Upon arrival, the Muslim men unloaded flour, meat, vegetables, spices, pots and pans, while the women took their place in the kitchen in the nearby refectory. The Christians were no different: they took out homemade bread, stuffed olives and chicken dishes. As on any outing spent with friends, there were children’s games, chats, couscous, tea, long walks. Though totally unplanned, each moment was precious in consolidating a friendship that had gradually grown deeper. The next day, Mustapha sent a message saying, “… Let us ask God, the Most High, to continue illuminating our common pathways.” When the local bishop was asked to report to the prefecture on the relationship of his Catholic diocese with the Islamic community, he made reference to this experience of true dialogue.
The festival took place in the park of Szeged, city in the south of Hungary and was “the biggest open-air, free of charge event of the year .” It was publicized at the Open Air Festival, in a press release, and distinguished itself for the great number of participants and performances. But what was the novelty of this event? «When, a few years ago they announced for the first time a possible Christian manifestation at city-level, no one thought that such an ambitious project could ever come about in our country, », wrote Új Város, the Focolare Magazine in Hungary. «It was not just the dream of a single person, but of the ecumenical group of pastors of that city. A dream which, a year and a half ago, started to take form, involving various religious, civil and political associations, » until it gave rise to the Festival held from 25 to 27 September. As Orsolya Szlaukó, an evangelical lady-pastor affirmed: «In Szeged, the ecumenical group of pastors that lance the idea of organising something that would announce Christianity. The logo and four colours and also the entire Festival drew inspiration from a Psalm: “the Lord led me out ” (Psalm, 18). We dreamt and thought of making a gift to the inhabitants of Szeged, by showing the unity of the Christian churches and the values of these communities. ». An organizer affirmed; «Our mission addresses the city and not only our communities», and another organizer, Sándor Tari added: «Our role was to ensure the good flow of the event, and not that of being in the limelight.» Another organizer added: «During the Festival each of us found the program which suited him best, from the youth to the elderly, » and the lady-pastor concluded: «We made room for concerts, round tables, playgrounds and stands of various organizations. ». «The 60 stands disseminated like huts along the park’s avenues, formed four city districts that showed the visitors the initiatives under way: an electrician held a workshop for kids, a healthcare stand which was visited by 700 people, with blood donation, and there were university professors who gave lessons. The parishes and the ecclesial communities held a great variety of creative initiatives.» Sándor Tari worked for a whole year on the setup of the stands area. «The aim was to represent every sector of the city: from the farmers, labourers, culture, healthcare… The condition set for the exhibition stands was to be open to friendship with the organisers and among themselves. Also the Police and Fire-fighters participated.» Sándor recounted that among the projects was to continue and probably hold another similar event in two years time. «I really liked the family atmosphere with many parents and children, » the father of a family said. But also the youth had a range of choices between the various bands that performed on stage, among which Gen Verde, Hillsong and Hungarian music groups. «Here there is an atmosphere we do not see every day, and listening to them one can feel peace in the bottom of our hearts », a young man said. The evangelical bishop Péter Gáncs, in an interview with the Duna TV Channel explained why he believed it was important for him to participate : «From the start, I liked the title of the Festival, Open Space. At times I have the impression that the churches are afraid to go all out. 25 years after the change of regime, we see that people still do not willingly go to church. So we are the ones who have to go out. That’s why I really appreciated this ecumenical get-together to go out into the square, into the streets. ». Source: Új Város n.1/2016
“I teach in a Catholic school in my city, Salta, in northern Argentina,” says Gabriela Carral. “In early October of 2015, I met Misael, a 10 year old student, following a prayer service held by Orthodox and Catholics for peace in Syria. At that particular time, the image of the lifeless body of the little Syrian boy, Aylan, had made the headlines globally through the mass media. Misael told me he wanted to do something for peace in our school, adding that what hurt him most of all was knowing that so many children were orphaned by the war. We arranged to meet at recreation time. He explained that he was part of the Orthodox community, and that he was convinced that we should pray for peace: Catholics and Orthodox together. A few days later, he showed me a flyer that he had in his folder. The text read: “Syria is us. Let us for peace.” I was surprised to see that a child, in the midst of almost 800 pupils in elementary and secondary schools, could be so sensitive to the pain of people suffering thousands of kilometers away. I liked his idea and I encouraged him to share it with the school principal and staff. The outcome was a plan to organise an ecumenical prayer for peace. For the first time the word ecumenism resounded in the halls of this school, among the leaders, teachers and students. In order to put this plan into action, I contacted a religious order priest who shares my goal in trying to live the prayer of Jesus: “That all may be one”. Fr Adolfo, from the Orthodox Church of Antioch, also got involved, and together we organized every detail of the celebration. Subsequently the Lutheran Church asked to join us since our school community includes a young Lutheran volunteer from Germany. Others then showed interest in the event, such as the president of the local Syrian-Lebanese community, the German consul and the vice-consul of Italy, a representative from the Ministry of Education, newspaper journalists and the heads of other schools. The first step of Misael’s project was that of trying to build peace in our everyday relationships, and this gave rise to many new experiences lived among the children to which we also proposed the Time Out prayer for peace promoted by Youth for a United World. Through the homilies given by the celebrants, we shared in the life of Christians in Syria and Africa; the intentions for peace were read out by a young Orthodox girl while a woman recited the Lord’s Prayer in Arabic. The flags of the different countries which were hoisted up warmed our hearts and made us feel like members of the one human family. In short, it was a celebration that enabled each of one us to experience something that we had not experienced so strongly beforehand: profound friendships and unimaginable bonds. The school principle and staff of the school called it a historic day. “We thank God for our freedom,” concluded the young people present, “and we promise not to ever take sides but to stand on the side of peace.” Gustavo Clariá
“Among Christians there is an experience that is similar to married life. Inevitably difficulties between the couple arise. Only if there is love these difficulties serve to maintain love and enable unity to grow among them. When love is absent, problems become an insurmountable obstacle and they are given as an excuse in the event of a separation. But in reality it is not the problems that have destroyed the family, but the lack oflove. So it is between the Churches. The division happened not only because of religious or theological differences, but also – and at times foremost – because of political, economic or cultural motives. In the measure that love grows, disunity becomes unbearable and problems are overcome. I think that one day the various Churches, without abandoning their own traditions and legitimate expressions that have developed throughout history, can participate together, when God wills, in a Council that will unite them and which will ensure that the Church, while being one, retains many of these expressions. The time is perhaps premature, but in a single day God can make us live a thousand years. It will be an event which will have a profound impact on all members of the great religions.” From “COLLOQUI” – Pasquale Foresi – Città Nuova 2009 – pp. 155-156-161
“Sport can really change the world and make it more united”. Patsy Furtado, a hockey coach from Mumbai who once played for the Indian national hockey team, speaks with the strong conviction that comes from an equally strong experience lived with street children in this immense metropolis. She had met the Focolare and the idea of Sportmeet through a Run4unity event in 2005. Her passion for sports and the experience of unity lived that day fuelled her desire to join forces with other like-minded coaches and bring about change in the surrounding area, where children often can be seen living on the streets. She had just got to know a home for destitute children with 240 children, neglected by society. She got the idea to start coaching them in different sports: football, basketball, hockey, athletics … Every morning at 6.30am they started having a one hour training session. Initially there were 20 girls and 30 boys who came for training without shoes and proper sports gear. Today there are a number of teams, all having proper sport shoes, gear and kit bag. In 2007 they entered the inter-school competition at the all Mumbai level and the under-12 football team stood eighth in Mumbai among over 300 schools. This achievement made it to the Hindustan Times, one of Mumbai’s major newspapers, with the heading “United We Stand”. Listing the numerous achievements of this project, Patsy points to the fact that the children’s behaviour improved tremendously: sports taught them to be disciplined and after playing sports all their energy is used in the right way. Whereas it would be natural to be violent and aggressive with a background like theirs, they become confident and have self respect, they look after their hygiene and take responsibilities. Coming from various religions the children come together to play as a team and there are no differences among them. In 2009 the first Sports4Peace workshop was held in Mumbai. Promoting a cube with 6 rules to educate for Peace through sports, the idea of Sports4Peace captured the imagination of various coaches and others engaged in the field of sports in Mumbai and other cities in India. “Play well”, “Hang in there”, “Look out for others”: simple rules which have touched the lives and inspired several youth and sport enthusiasts to apply them with passion in their various disciplines. The idea of Sports4Peace became part of various interreligious cultural college activities as well as diocesan events in Mumbai and in Pune, a neighbouring city known for its numerous colleges. Presented in various Run4Unity editions also in Delhi, it was promoted in the recent United World Week hosted in Mumbai in May 2015, when a permanent Sports4Peace cube was installed in a prominent place in a public garden on Mumbai’s popular Bandstand promenade to remind all that sports, lived and played well, can promote peace and universal brotherhood. Gustavo Clariá
“This the house built on the rocks, (Word of Life) will remind us of the one Jesus spoke about. Winds and storms may blow but it will not collapse,” Chiara Lubich said on 24 May 1986 at the inauguration of the Mariapolis Centre of her birthplace. 23 January 2016: it will be a feast day at the Centre which is today dedicated to her, in memory of 30 years of history, testimonials, dialogue and communion in the light of the charisma of unity. The event will open with the message of Maria Voce and a video that traces almost 30 years of history. Then there will be some testimonials of the local members of the Movement in the civil and ecclesial fields, and the greetings of the Archbishop of Trent, Bishop Luigi Bressan, and the Mayor, Alessandro Andreatta, and other authorities. After 30 years, the Centre of Cadine has been faithful to its own vocation: to be a place of encounter and formation for those who wish to commit their lives to irradiating the life of the Gospel and bringing back through mutual love, the presence of God in the world. Flashback to the past. In the 1970s the Focolare Movement, diffused throughout the region, felt the need for a formation centre. After various futile searches, efforts were focused on Trent. When she was told about this, Chiara responded: “I had always thought of it as a city chosen by God.” A few months later the entire Movement was living the Word of Life: “Sell all you have, and give it to the poor.” The desire to put this Word of the Gospel into practice pushed Nostra Fadanelli, a follower of the Movement, to donate nine hectares of a wood for the construction of the Mariapolis Centre. The design was entrusted to Carlo Fumagalli, a focolarino architect who, with the awareness of having to build a Centre in the city where the Movement was born, traced the stages of her history in Trent and in the Primiero Valley, reproducing some details in the building’s architecture. The project was presented to the Archbishop at that time, Bishop Gottardi who said: “This has to be a ”monument” to Chiara Lubich, of course, when she will be in Paradise. And it will be the best monument if, with regard to the history of Trent, it will be… a Mariapolis with an “ecumenical flair,” and link up to the ecumenical mandate of the City of Trent, expressed by Pope Paul VI in 1964. And he concluded: “You have this mission!” From that moment on, the generosity of each member of the Movement started circulating, each with his own possibilities and the fantasy of those who build their “own” house. In October 1980, while the bureaucratic procedures were underway, news arrived that they were looking for a house for the International Mariapolis Centre. So they all decided to donate the funds collected up to then: a big sum which surprised Chiara herself. It seemed to be a crazy idea, but upon acquiring the permits to build, a new and substantial sum arrived, three times what they had given, which made them experience the promises of the Gospel: “Give and you shall be given.” So in 1982, the day section of the building of the centre started: the foyer, meeting halls, kitchen and dining room. Everyone wanted to help, giving their time and forces, and in the last year of the works, about 800 people alternated with the artisanal works, finishing and workforce. A memorable day was when the road and square were paved with porphyry, which was finished the day before the inauguration. On 24 May 1986, before about 2,000 people, among whom were representatives of the most important churches in Europe, Chiara herself inaugurated the Mariapolis Centre, underlining its ecumenical and formative vocation, and called the centre, “Word of Life.” After Chiara’s death in 2008, on 24 January 2009, with a highly ecumenical ceremony in the presence of Maria Voce who succeeded Chiara as President of the Focolare Movement, and many other civil and religious celebrities, the Centre was dedicated toChiara Lubich. In these 30 years, tens of thousands of people have been guests of the Centre, mostly members of the Movement but not only them, given that it has also opened its doors to other meetings promoted by the Diocese, Catholic Movements and other lay associations of the territory. The Centre hosts in particular, conventions, formation schools, and various groups of the Movement from all over the world, who come to retrace in Trent and the Primiero Valley, the early days of the movement, when all was just beginning. The Centre bears witness to the dawn of the Movement, and the urgency to keep a “dialogue platform” active among individuals and peoples, and between the churches and great religions, to refocus and give room to fraternity.
“With brothers and sisters of the various Churches, by striving to live the Gospel together, getting to know one another and strengthening our reciprocal love, we discovered the great wealth of our common patrimony: Baptism, the Old and New Testaments, the dogmas of the first Councils which we share, the Creed (Nicene-Constantinopolitan), the Greek and Latin Fathers, the martyrs and other treasures, like the life of grace, faith, hope, charity, and the many other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit. And besides all this, we are united by the spirituality of unity. At first we lived as if all this were not really true or we were not fully aware of it. Instead now we realize that these are the conditions for being able to achieve a particular dialogue: the dialogue of life. This spirituality makes us feel that we are already one family; we feel that we form among ourselves “a Christian people” which involves not only laity but also to priests, pastors, bishops, and so on. Obviously, the full and visible communion among our Churches still needs to be achieved, but we can already be so. It is not a grassroots dialogue that opposes or juxtaposes the high level dialogue or that of the Church leaders, but it is a dialogue in which all Christians can participate. This people is like a leaven in the ecumenical Movement which rekindles in everyone the sense that, as baptized Christians who can love one another, we can all contribute towards fulfilling the Testament of Jesus. Indeed, we hope that other forms of dialogue, like the dialogue of charity, of shared service, of prayer and the theological dialogue, can be enhanced by the “dialogue of life”.” Extract from the book: Chiara Lubich: “Unity”, New City Press, New York (USA)
“One of our Focolare contacts living on the border with Syria, has made us aware of the critical situation they’re currently undergoing. With the onset of Winter in Syria there is urgent need for heating and appropriate clothing to withstand the low temperatures. The people there are unable to buy these types of clothes because of economic difficulties but also because of the embargo on importation of these types of items. Speaking about this in our group, we understood that we needed to immediately do something to help these brothers and sisters of ours. Through aFacebook pagewhich keeps all the young people of the Focolare in Italy connected, we launched this appeal which is being spread via the hashtag #riscaldiamolasiria. The most immediate solution to meet their needs was to ship a package with appropriate clothing. The action started with all of us going through our wardrobes and organising collection points throughout Italy to collect the items. The generosity was overwhelming! With the help also of other members of the Focolare Movement in different local communities, many parcels were dispatched within a few days and are already reaching Syria. At first our enthusiasm was somewhat dampened because of the high shipping costs, but through our communications network across Italy in real time, we were able to find the most secure transport with the cheapest rates. The help that we’re giving will not stop here; we will continue to support them in a practical way with every means at our disposal! For now we’re sending the items to those in need in Syria, and any items left over will be given to those most in need in our city.” Maria Chiara De Lorenzo
The reasons for the award is in recognition for the work of the physician, Dr Noorjehan Abdul Majid, and the work of the Sant’Egidio community, in the fight against AIDS. Dr Abdul Majid’s ability as a Muslim woman to build exceptional bridges between Christians and Muslims, demonstrate that through the promotion of a peaceful co-existence it’s possible for there to be effective collaboration between Christians and Muslims. Among those who will be present at the ceremony are Annette Schavan, the German ambassador to the Holy See, who will deliver the oration. The award is in memory of the person and spiritual heritage of Catholic bishop of Aachen, Klaus Hemmerle (1929 – 1994). The Focolare Movement gives these awards to outstanding “bridge builders” of dialogue between churches, religions and visions of the world. The prize is awarded every two years. See also: www.fokolar-bewegung.deSant’Egidio’s DREAM public health project
On 2nd February Fr Susai Alangaram celebrates 25 years of priesthood. He had just six years of experience as a priest in Tiruchirapally,Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India overlooking the Indian Ocean, when he ventured on the task of setting up a project aimed at alleviating the poverty of the children of his parish. He had encountered the Focolare Movement and committed to live for and give witness to unity with fellow priests in a caste ridden society, and with the help of two other priests he started his support at a distance project with 50 children, naming it Ilanthalir, meaning tender shoots of crops, to remind of the tender care needed for the growth and development of these children. Today poor rural children in various villages of five districts of Tamil Nadu are supported by Ilanthalir in an area stretching 125km further south from Tiruchirapally and 70km to the North. After the 2004 Tsunami children from two coastal villages were also sponsored, and they are presently following their university studies. The climate in Tamil Nadu is always hot and the monsoons are unpredictable, disrupting crop cultivation and impoverishing farmers. This year there were floods in the northern part of Tamil Nadu and drought in the centre. Many families below the poverty line are more concerned with earning than educating their children, and this gives rise to illiteracy and child labour. Ilanthalir seeks to provide children with their basic necessities and sponsors their education until they are able to find employment and assist their families. This year 456 children are benefiting from direct support and 300 more are receiving assistance from Ilanthalir. As the children are of different faiths Ilanthalir makes arrangements for all to celebrate together their major festivals of Diwali (feast of light), Pongal (harvest festival), Christmas, etc. October is observed as the month for the protection of the environment, and each centre organizes a programme of tree planting, cleaning up of public places, etc. What is striking about the Ilanthalir experience is the impact of the spirituality of unity in a context which would otherwise lead to a culture of survival and isolation. The Word of Life of the Focolare, a commentary on how to live Gospel phrases, is translated into Tamil and distributed to the children and their parents, and once a month they come together to share how they are striving to live the word of God and to renew their commitment to live it. A one day Mariapolis for around 300 people is held every year in Tiruchirapally promoting fraternal interaction. The effort of the children of Ilanthalir to live in this way and their small acts of love make them agents of unity in the family and in their neighbourhood, bringing new hope to many.
The news summary will be made available on the Collegamento CH website a few days before the Internet transmission. On the same website one can find all the previous linkups in various languages, as full editions as well as individual news video clips. https://vimeo.com/154703542
Out of the hundreds of communities that opened over the years in every corner of the world, the spirituality of the Focolare, the one in the Arab Emirates is particularly original and unique. It is in fact, a group composed of members of the Movement who are not natives of the place. There are often entire families from various countries of Asia and the Middle East, and also from Europe and Latin America, who landed in the Persian Gulf for employment purposes, and will leave once their contracts terminate. In fact, 90% of the Emirates population is composed of foreigners who are temporarily based, and the group of the Focolare is part of this section of the country. Last 15 January, in one of the hotels of this world financial capital, around 80 people got together. They belonged to the most varied professions and jobs: construction engineers, embassy clerks, teachers and professors of high schools, nurses, computer staff, university researchers and even humble labourers. Some have been here for years, grew up in this world, and witnessed the vertiginous growth of the country, while others have just arrived. Some of their children were born here, and others will leave soon. The reasons for these transfers are often connected to difficult economic situations in their countries of origin, with salaries they would never have dreamed of. It is a complex and often surreal situation, a life made up of work in the centre of a society at the apex of consumerism. Here the Christians often meet according to their language groups and country of origin, in the Churches of Dubai every Friday, which is a feast day given that this is a Muslim country. The people meeting these days come from every corner of the region: Doha in Qatar or Abu Dhabi, Sharja and Fujera still in the Emirates, and Oman and Bahrain. The occasion for this meeting was the Emirates stopover of Maria Voce and Jesús Morán at the start of the journey in India. It was a moment of sharing with this original community. The morning passed quickly, with the presentation of the history of the presence of the Movement’s members, characterised also by the visits of focolarini from Pakistan, India, the Philippines or other Middle East countries. Then followed some experiences that revealed the true reality of the life lived in this apparent paradise of rampant consumerism, far from one’s own culture, and with the danger of being sucked in by a mentality of commodity, profits and interests. Often, experiences lived in one’s youth and inspired by the spirituality of communion were left aside to find suddenly in these difficult situations, other brothers and sisters who share the charisma of Chiara Lubich. There were situations of difficulty in on-the-job relationships, but also risks of the breakup of families due to consumerism and discarded values of their original countries, and solitude. And yet, even in this corner of the world, a group of people have continued to meet to discuss the Word of Life in the name of the Focolare spirit. Another part of the dialogue withMaria Voce and Jesús Morán focused on these challenges and sufferings, the underlying risks, and the need for a dynamic community that is able to be the nurture the values of Evangelical communion, fraternity, and sobriety. The President and Co-President of the Focolare recalled how the first Christian communities were disseminated in the great Roman Empire and how the Christians, often alone and isolated, were able to resist the temptations of that world thanks to the communities, however small. The image of the desert flowers was often called up during the dialogue, as a reminder of how Chiara in the 1990s, used this image to describe the first members of the Focolare Movement who found themselves in the Arab Emirates. Besides the need to compete for the primacy of love in an environment which was renowned for other types of “firsts,” there was the challenge to remain well-rooted to the present moment. Upon concluding this dialogue, Maria Voce commented that any other method was unthinkable. The country not only guarantees nothing as to long timeframes, since employment contracts may terminate, and a job may be lost due to financial gambling. So what matters ìs to set deep roots also for those who will come, perhaps when those who are living today in the Emirates will have long gone. This community has to continue. At the end of the morning session it was impressive to see the emotions of the faces of many, and also the joy and enthusiasm in having found and rediscovered a spiritual family, and to be aware that also in this place, they are part of this great global family.
Igino Giordani was a forerunner of ecumenism. His sensitivity to ecumenical issues began when in 1927, he embarked on a ship for the USA to study Library Science on behalf of the Vatican. It was there that he discovered that he still was unfamiliar with the various Christian denominations and was deeply struck by their religiosity. In many previous writings, Giordani affirmed that ecumenical dialogue draws inspiration from the model of Trinitarian relationships, because all are set on the same level of love. Communion calls all to dialogue, and in the same measure, all are called to give of themselves to create unity. “In the past, discussions were undertaken to eliminate divisions; today the preferred method is respectful confrontation of ideas, and the effort to reach a convergence and reconciliation. The concept today is that unity is not static but dynamic, and grows in quantity and quality. Dialogue thus marks an innovative “historic turning point,” overcoming controversies, disagreements, excommunication, and likewise sets the grounds for comprehension, approach to the truth and virtues of the others. Dialogue, through which advocates of one or more churches get together, is neither propagandistic nor academic. Possessing the truth does not hinder the inexorable penetration of the mysteries or the real progress of the dogmas which are to be studied in depth, and reinterpreted. “Ecumenical dialogue does not arise from the doctrinal differences between the two (or more) churches, but from unity which already exists among them, from a common heritage. The psychological atmosphere is kindness, or rather, charity. In the words of Maritain: “Perfect charity towards one’s neighbour and perfect fidelity to the truth are not only compatible but refer to one another.” For the prophetic mission of the People of God, the Christian has to convey the truths he possesses and allow the other to convey the truths he holds. For such a prophetic mission, the Christian must not limit dialogue to the theological aspect (making it a task for experts). Unity is not only a technical and theological issue, it is a question of charity. «The interlocutors have to treat each other as peers, and with reciprocal esteem, no insinuations or sly tricks, and no offensive words. This equality does not signify confusion or adjustment of doctrines. It implies for both, awareness of belonging to the Mystical Body of Christ. They have to accept pluralism, recognising every legitimate diversity. What unites the faithful is stronger than what divides them (Gaudium et Spes, 92). Otherwise, dialogue is reduced to an alternated monologue. All Christians are called to practice dialogue which can be enhanced by every encounter (work, tourism, studies, etc.). No fences can be allowed between one confession and the other: but all doors should be opened to reach an encounter and dialogue. The job is long and tedious, but God wants this from us.”
“We wanted to give a testimonial of an experience which has transformed us, and that took place on 11-13 December 2015. On this occasion some members of the Jewish Bet-El Community and the inhabitants of the Focolare town, prayed for one another,” wrote the Argentinean Rabbi, Silvina Chemen and Carlos Becaría and Nanni Espinosa of Mariapolis Lia. A special Shabbath. “We started by gathering bread for the rit,” Silvina recounted, “then we participated and shared this moment in which the Hanuka candles were lit, and we recalled the historical pact celebrated byChiaraLubichand the Jews of Buenos Aires in 1998. Under the trees, we sang together and waited for the sunset to receive the stars that announced the arrival of the Shabbath. And then hand in hand, we entered the hall which was transformed into a synagogue for the occasion. Together we prayed the Shabbath vespers, and shared the Saturday morning prayer and the reading of the Torah scroll. It was a sacred moment.” Sharing and dialogue. “In the afternoon, there was an equally important event for the Jews –Carlos narrates – which consisted of a preparation for the mass. We had anticipated their request to participate and thus fixed the schedule. During the prayer of the faithful, one special prayer was for peace and dialogue among us (Bet-El Community and the Focolare) we all were deeply moved. This feeling of unity continued all afternoon in a workshop on dialogue, with the participation of all the Christian youth who attend the town’s school. We shared our queries, doubts, expectations on dialogue and our various traditions, with liberty and depth. We concluded by decorating the Christmas tree on which we also hung our secret wishes.” End of the Shabbath. “Then we all gathered in the open air, Nanni continued – to each light our candles until a circle of light was formed. Then the sound of the Shofar horn, as the Bible explains, accompanied the rite since it was another sacred moment.” We did not only pray, but also shared artistic talents in «an evening filled with joy and harmony, where once again Chiara Lubich’s presence was felt through a painting whichSofia of the Bet-El Community offered as a gift to the town. She had also participated in the meeting last year, and felt personally addressed by the message and the figure of Chiara,» Carlos added. On Sunday there was a tour of the town. “After having reflected on some aspects of the history and the spirituality of the Movement – Nanni said – they visited the various sectors of the town and the day ended in the Vittorio Sabbione Auditorium. A new depth and God’s presence among us were felt in the reading of the First Testament. Those of us who remained in the Mariapolis felt that something had changed in us, and those who returned to Buenos Aires departed with the joy of the discovery of new brothers and sisters. And this was confirmed in the impression of one Jewish participant: ‘It is my third time here in Mariapolis Lia. Every time I left it was with the desire to return. Today instead, I feel part of this experience, and this town is now part of me as I am part of it.’ Next year’s schedule has been set!” Gustavo Clariá
Last 8 January, the presentation of the Italian edition of the book by the Chinese scholar who has worked on this topic for years and is now terminating his Research Doctorate program at the SUI, could not go unobserved due to the location of the presentation – the Vatican Radio Headquarters in Rome. The speeches of the guests aroused great interest and among the guests were: Claudio Maria Celli, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Fr. Federico Lombardi, the Press Office Director of the Holy See, and of the Vatican Radio, Agostino Giovagnoli, the historian, and Gianni Valente, Vatican expert. But what especially was underlined in the numerous articles released subsequently in the media and network was the theme on the development of Christianity in China, and Chiaretto Yan’s vision in the book, “The Gospel Beyond the Great Wall. Challenges and perspectives of Christianity in China” (Emi 2015), which interpreted the progress of the relationships with the Holy See in the light of fidelity and openness to dialogue. This interpretation was also confirmed by Fr. Lombardi in recalling some very significant expressions of Pope Francis, who publicly stressed on several occasions “his desire to go to China,” saying that “we can freely say that dialogue is being pursued with the authorities” to find solutions to issues that are still open, and that “there is a great desire to make progress.” A substantial continuity of perspectives is evident in the actions of the last three Popes, from John Paul II to Francis. Among the cues offered by Bishop Celli was an episode he personally experienced, which conveys more than the many affirmations on the deep attention and participation with which John Paul II had always supported the life of Christians in China. “He was already confined to the wheelchair when he said to me: ‘Do you think I will be able to go to China?” Bishop Celli further affirmed that “Dialogue is not easy – but the pathway is absolutely that of going ahead.” The historian, Agostino Giovagnoli, underlined “the novelty in continuity” consisting in the more liberal approach of Francis in speaking about China. “The Chinese perceive his determination in wanting to change the relationships between China and the Holy See – he observed. This is a source of security that sweeps away the uncertainties of the past.” Also the journalist, Gianni Valente listed a series of recent openings. Chiaretto Yan’s study highlights the transition of various phases, which along with unforeseeable and at times dramatic hitches, reopened old wounds, but also evidenced a progressive slackening of the tensions and the perception of dialogue that is maturing also because of the better means of direct communication after the blackout that had marked the years of persecution. Over the last 20 years, the most felt request has been that of putting an end to the gaps between the various ecclesial communities, in the name of a “sole Church and more communities.” Dating back to 2007 is Benedict XVI’s historical letter to the Chinese Catholics, a top magisterial declaration that requested to end the internal and external conflicts to enhance dialogue. Pope Francis’s full recognition of this document again confirms the intent to pursue this path. “The Challenge the Church is facing – concluded Chiaretto Yan in answering a journalist’s question – remains the same: testifying to unity while remaining distinct. This perspective may also mean giving support to the life of various ecclesial communities within the same solid experience of communion.” Source: www.iu-sophia.org
Maria Voce, the president of the Focolare Movement and Jesús Morán, Co-president, will be in India from January 15 to February 10, 2016. Following the trail left by Chiara Lubich in 2001 and 2003, they will visit the Focolare communities in various parts of the country. They are expected to visit New Delhi, Bangalore, Trichy, Coimbatore and Mumbai. The dimension of interreligious dialogue, started by the founder of the Focolare Movement, will be the highlight of their program during these weeks.
“I love swimming and automobiles; the minute I recover I will get my license. I have a sister whom I love and my elder brother is my model. I listen to almost all types of music, especially techno. I’d love to have a dog… I never used to read but now I find it very interesting, also because it makes time go faster in the hospital .” One evening at the cinema with his sister, he felt pain in a tooth. He would never have imagined that it was the first symptom of something serious. In the following days his left cheek got swollen and he could hardly open his mouth. «It hurt a lot, but instead of going to the dentist, I tried to treat it myself with packs and cream. Nothing helped and it got worse. In the end I went to the dentist who was shocked and immediately sent me to a surgeon who had me hospitalised. I was surprised but did not worry too much, thinking that I could go home in a few days.» The analyses, however, showed that something was wrong in his blood. He was transferred to another ward, and then to another clinic. In the end the diagnosis was severe: leukemia.“I didn’t know anything about this disease,” Nikola recounted, “I could not imagine that I had to undergo chemotherapy and that the treatment would be long. I started the first chemo sessions and I felt as if I was losing my mind. My brain was full of the darkest thoughts. I started to doubt the existence of God and asked myself why this was happening to me. What had I done wrong, or perhaps He had abandoned me? I sought the answer and understood that thisillness is a message of God for me. I experienced His presence in a stronger way, He was always by my side and I felt that he wanted something from me, and wondered what it could be. All sorts of things came to mind. Perhaps I had to give myself totally to the others? The disease roused me from an empty life that was moving before my eyes, it made me change my vision of the world and now I see things in a more serene way. One of the things I did was to stop smoking, and I am really proud of this! Here in the hospital I met really nice people and a pair of good friends. One sunny day I opened the window and saw a girl walk by. I looked at her and she smiled at me warmly. Later I discovered that she was a nurse. I understood then that happiness lies in the small signs of care, like this. A boy told me: all that is mine is yours. No one has ever said such a thing to me. I felt a great joy.” “I was lucky, because I was found to be compatible with my brothers for the stem cell transplant. This shortens the treatment time and the probability of a relapse. I am so grateful for all the prayers and messages coming from all over the world through Facebook. In the hospital we keep one another company, and when we are with a group of young people, time flies. Then I have a good brother who left me his PC! So I can watch films, surf the internet… I spent a lot of time in prayer. The conditions we are living in are not easy, but we will get used to it…”. When asked what he would like to say to his peers, Nikola answered: “I would say: learn from the past, go ahead and plan for the future, but most of all, live the present moment. This is what I have learned. Be aware that true happiness can be reached with small signs of attention and do not worry for tomorrow, because when you learn to do this, you will feel much better. When you get negative thoughts, substitute them with positive ones. Do this every time and with time they will disappear. Love those you encounter and always be grateful for all you have.” Fonte: Novi Svet 1-2. / 2015
“A society is good when the last and smallest member of society will have the opportunity to produce and earn sufficiently for a decent and dignified living.” This was the ideal of the philosophy which in 1986 pushed Dr Aram and his wife, Minoti, and a group of Gandhian friends, to start up the Shanti Ashram of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Literacy, development of the conditions of women, healthcare, environmental politics, battle against poverty, leadership programs for the youth and projects for children, are the actions promoted by the Ashram, of which the Bala Shanti project is part, and which was created in 1991 to help the very poor children in the surrounding villages. In 2013, Mrs Minoti wrote: “Tagore, the much loved poet and Nobel Prize awardee said: ‘Every boy and girl is a harbinger of the message that God still has not lost hope in man.’ It is in this context that I see the work for our children: to be able to serve one of the most precious gifts of God to humanity.” Initially the Bala Shanti project aimed to offernutrition, education and healthcare to a small group of children from the ages of 3 to 5. Today the project helps thousands of children in 17 villages, who are in turn directly involved with their families in the battle against poverty, stirring up a proactive social participation.
In 2002, after the first contacts with the Focolare and the two visits of Chiara Lubich in India, the “Support from a Distance” program of the New Families Movement began a new and ongoing partnership with the Bala Shanti project, in support of hundreds of children. One of the programs of the Bala Shanti – the Children’s Parliament, was created in 2006, and is composed of former students of the project: over 800 children and adolescents from 6 to 18 who meet regularly to lay down the action themes that involve them directly, such as the promotion of hygiene, continuing education, social participation and community service. Another renowned initiative is that of the Children’s Bank, created by children for children. This initiative was launched in May 2013 with the aim of teaching children the value of savings and financial planning for their own education, besides donating a part of their savings to help children who are poorer than them. In 2015 over 1,500 children, small savers, participated in the project. This year the 25th anniversary of the Bala Shanti project is being celebrated with joy in view of the positive results achieved. More information: Bala Shanti Project
“Villa delle Querce was said to be a clinic where people went to die. I knew nothing about this since I was only a 15-year-old boy happily biking around the neighbourhood. Places such as these were kept a secret. But I was curious to find out what went on in there. From the outside it seemed to me as if there were old people walking on trees. In actual fact it was the 7th floor of a psychiatric hospital which was hidden by the trees but which had a balcony around which the patients would often walk. I entered the place out of curiosity, but I was immediately assaulted by five elderly people who started shouting at me. I saw a young man in a wheelchair and with the excuse of visiting him, they let me pass. Among this motley group of patients there was also a highly respected man called Gianni with whom I struck up a friendship. Gianni immediately spoke to me of his illness which he had contracted at the age of 24. Up until then he’d had a career in the navy as well as in the cinema. He had to give up the beautiful girls and the lavish lifestyle; now there was only solitude and the fear of a slow death. He asked me to bring him some poison so as to commit suicide. I returned to see him a week later and at that point he could no longer speak. He had thrown himself down from the 7th floor with his wheelchair, but after a flight of stairs it had stopped. Consequently he was confined to bed. My only answer to his desperation was to tell him to believe that God loved him and I saw this grace had touched his heart when his eyes suddenly started to shine like the sea reflecting the sun. He started to laugh heartily and our conversation continued only through the movement of his eyebrows which I was able to interpret. I asked the questions or made suggestions and he answered with his eyebrows or with a fantastic smile. I started to take to him all sorts of visitors, like for instance a rebellious girl whom he transformed into a perfect nurse through his good humour. Another girl, through contact with him, overcame her own self-hatred because of her body image. Her life changed completely. Other visitors included atheists, religious people and missionaries. He connected with each one of them and this prolonged his life. There was one episode when the medical staff had almost given up on him after an operation only to see him revive and give one of his beautiful smiles. I have a great photo of Gianni with Pope Paul VI who had asked him for prayers. Now that they are together in heaven, they are a source of strength for us, and help us to smile even in pain.” (Fr Marco S. – Italy)
Hermine Schmölz, an Austrian, recounted: “About ten years ago, I realised I had to do something for the integration of Muslim immigrants, especially the women who we are still not very acquainted with, although they have lived and worked here for years now.” He spoke about this with a member of the parish. Even his friends were enthusiastic about it and together they proposed their project to the parish priest and asked him to provide a venue to begin the project. From then on, it has been a really exhilarating adventure for both the Muslim women taking part in the initiative, and the team members who delineated the program: a Lutheran lady, three Muslim women, one of whom declared that she did not have any religious beliefs and three Catholics who are Focolare members. They felt that the immediate focus should be on what the women were really interested in. It was not easy given their difficulties in expressing themselves in the new language. So the organisers tried to make each one feel at ease, creating a cordial and serene atmosphere. “We always publish the date of the meetings on the journal,” Hermine specified, “and so the group continuously expanded. We try to expound on a different and interesting topic every time: inviting different speakers – politicians, educational experts, social workers, an obstetrician, a doctor – asking them to dedicate more time also to dialogue with the women who are encouraged to speak up and express their ideas. The children have a special programme in another room, so they may from a tender age, see the importance of intercultural relationships. Every meeting ends with a buffet to which the Muslim women themselves contribute. Other activities are field trips and get-together activities. As an interreligious group, every Christmas we bring gifts to the homeless, involving the ladies in establishing relationships with people of other cultures. And as in a game, for every person contacted we add a pearl onto a necklace, and in the end we try to guess how many pearls have been added. We also have the great fortune to communicate with and get new ideas from the Focolare members of other countries, who are doing similar intercultural projects. The ladies show their appreciation for this type of reciprocal dialogue and integration, and also their husbands are happy about it.” The Focolare of New York wrote: “On 20 December – we were invited to the Malcolm Shabazz Mosque in Harlem – which Chiara Lubich visited in 1997 – to speak at the Seerah Conference.” This is an annual retreat to reflect on the life and teachings of the Prophet and Imam, W.D. Mohammed, a leader of the Afro-American Muslims. The warm reception given to the two guests invited by Imam Pasha and 200 other people was a tangible sign that the seed of dialogue sowed many years ago, continues to bear fruits. It is thus not surprising that the theme precisely chosen for that day was unity, traced through the thoughts of Imam W.D. and Chiara. The retreat ended with a brief video of Chiara Lubich, followed by a round of warm applause that seemed to express everyone’s commitment to that unity she proposed.
The first Focolare had an actual experience which was an application of this “being the first to love”. It was not always easy for a group of girls to live love radically, especially at the beginning. We were like other people, even though we were sustained by a special gift from God. Dust could settle on us as well, on our rapport with one another, and our unity could wilt. That happened for example upon discovering others’ faults and imperfections. When there was judgment, the flow of reciprocal love got cold. One day, we thought of making a pact among us to counter this situation. We called it the “pact of mercy”. We decided to see our neighbor in a very new way when we met him or her each morning (in the Focolare, at school, at work…), really forgetting their imperfections, their defects, covering everything with love. This meant approaching everyone with this complete amnesty in our heart, with this universal forgiveness. Everyone took this strong commitment together. It helped us to always be the first to love, imitating our merciful God who forgives and forgets. We are now sure that the Movement would not even have made it from Trent to Rovereto if it were not for this daily pact of forgiveness. Practically, the Movement would not have had the energy needed to spread. Chiara Lubich, Love of neighbor, to the Muslim friends of the Focolare Movement, Castel Gandolfo, 1st November 2002 (excerpt).
The members of the only Focolare Centre in Bulgaria, M. Lucia, Majda, Julia and Ildiko, from Italy, Slovenia, Germany and Romania, recounted: “Just before Christmas we went to Gostilya, a village to the north of Bulgaria, to visit friends who have been coming to the Mariapolis in Sofia over the last years. We wanted to show our gratitude and warmth by visiting them in their homes.” “We did not expect to find an almost deserted village,” they added. In fact, out of the 1,500 inhabitants at the start of the 1990s, the population now counts only about a hundred people due to the strong migratory phenomenon. There were about 20 young people. The school, nursery, library and other public facilities have been closed. The Catholic Church reopened three years ago, and the elderly deacon who was ordained lives the spirituality of unity.“We had prepared a bingo game with gifts for all and a chalk statue of Baby Jesus produced by children. We couldn’t imagine how much joy this would create: they were so grateful that someone had thought of going to visit them. A family that lived 30 km away also came and so did others who travelled three hours by car. The Mayor brought us on a “sightseeing” tour of the village.” “They vied with one another to give us something: a poor and sickly elderly lady who could not come to the meeting, baked sweet bread for breakfast. Before leaving, we dropped in on her to say thanks and give her a statue of Baby Jesus. She was moved, and listened to our Christmas carols at her doorstep. We also received a huge chicken for Christmas lunch, along with jars of honey and other preserved foods, which they specified to be “ecologically pure.” After Gostilya, we went to the extreme outskirts of the Bulgarian capital. In Sofia, on 24 December, the focolarine visited a Romani family with seven children, their friends for years now and who they try to help as much as possible. Majda had prepared them to receive the sacrament of Baptism, and another stood as godmother. To stress their love and esteem, the mother called the last child Majda, despite the fact that it is a Slovenian name and thus inexistent in Bulgaria. Julia, who instead works in a German school, spoke about this family to her colleagues who then donated clothes, foodstuffs and toys. “So we were able to prepare personalized gifts for each one – they said. A teacher asked them to take along her three children aged 8, 11 and 13 years, so they could see another reality, other than their own environment. Strengthened by such solidarity, we left for Botunetz, the name of the district where this family lives. We bought a small Christmas tree, so we could decorate it together. The mother had cleaned the house and dressed the children well, but there was so much humidity, cold and moulds. We passed a few hours with them, decorating the tree, singing Christmas carols, colouring drawings of the nativity scene, and unwrapping gifts. Everyone was happy and there was a real Christmas atmosphere. ” The same can be said of the traditional Christmas Mass in the jailhouse of Sofia, where a group of the Focolare Movement goes every year together with the Sisters of Charity of Mother Theresa, and for the festivities in a pensioners’ club. They said that this Christmas was one of sharing, in the name of joy, sobriety and solidarity. Maria Chiara De Lorenzo
The traditional date for the celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the northern hemisphere is from January 18th to 25th. In the southern hemisphere, where January is during the summer holidays, the churches celebrate the Week of Prayer on other dates, for example during the time of Pentecost. Here you can find the texts prepared by a mixed working group from Latvia, nominated by the Catholic Church and by the Ecumenical Council of Churches. The Christian churches invite all to “find opportunities throughout the year in which to express the level of communion already accomplished and to pray together for the full unity which is the desire of Christ himself,” according to Jesus’ prayer to the Father: “so that all may be one” (Jn 17). The Focolare Movement throughout the world is committed to fostering and supporting the various local events planned for the celebration of the week of prayer, through direct testimonies of ecumenical life among its members. The phrase chosen for the Week of Prayer 2016 also inspired the Word of Life for the month of January: “Called to proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord” (cfr 1 Pt 2:9).
“Fifty exhausted young Africans arrived in our city. After many days at sea, the Italian flag came into sight. They had fled Lybia, some from the religious conflicts between Christians and Islamist fundamentalists, some from the overly exploited territories. They amassed on the seashores, beaten, robbed and constrained to take to the sea on crowded boats. After a stop at Lampedusa, they were spread out over several Italian towns. One of those towns was ours, Pomigliano d’Arco, in the Province of Naples. The oldest was thirty-six, and the youngest eighteen. We young people from San Felice Parish in Pincis ran out to visit them. They didn’t even know us, yet they welcomed us offering us places to sit, and they listened to our words. We had nothing to offer them other than our love. That meeting changed our life. The parish and the quarter adopted them. We got to work, many volunteers from different parish communities, but also many others who are doing as much as they can. The first thing to be done was to collect clothing. The children arrived shoeless and only with the clothes on their backs. We quickly began Italian lessons, organized cultural exchanges in view of gaining citizenship, while not overlooking their spiritual needs. We were very struck to see how the Catholics held on to their Bibles, robbed of everything else, they managed to salvage what they held most dear. They have much to teach us: when everything is lacking, faith in God can never be lacking. The Sunday liturgy, transformed into a trilingual Mass – with Italian, English and French – concluded amidst dance and applause to the rhythm of the bongos. Their singing and dancing not only conveyed their joy, but also made us live it with them as an image of the Resurrection. The Muslims received a visit from the Imam. Young people from Catholic Action organised a prayer vigil: blacks and whites, Catholics and Muslims, a tangible sign of peace amongst peoples and religions! One journalist from the area observed: “Anyone who follows their situation is inevitably overwhelmed by their honesty, values, neighbourliness, their dramatic stories that suddenly dampen even the most solid barrage of prejudice and transform ‘sterile’ solidarity for the needy into fraternal concern and loving closeness.” Such demonstrate show the contagious power of Love.” (Ilaria and Salvatore, Focolare Parish Movement, Pomigliano d’Arco, Italy) Source: Chiara Favotti: “Una buona notizia, gente che crede gente che muove” (Rome: Città Nuova).
Salvator noster natus est! Our best wishes for a Holy Christmas to all the Christians celebrating the birth of the Saviour on 7 January. MERRY CHRISTMAS BUON NATALE РОЖДЕСТВО ХРИСТОВO ΚΑΛΆ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΎΓΕΝΝΑ عيد ميلاد سعيد!
The star was not deceived when it called those distant ones to walk towards the God who was near to them. The star was not deceived when it showed the desert path, humbler and harder. The star was not deceived when it halted over the house of humble folk: there the great future was born. Your heart was not deceived when it took up the path in search of the unkown. Your heart was not deceived, when it did not give in to meaningless impatience. Your heart was not deceived, when it knelt before the Boy. Klaus Hemmerle: Dio Si È Fatto Bambino (Rome: Città Nuova, 2007) p.11.
There is a festive atmosphere in Reșița, Romania, a Municipality located on the border with Serbia, population around 90,000. The first young people began to arrive yesterday evening from Italy, Catholic youth who were welcomed at an official ceremony in the most ancient Orthodox church in the city, and they were offered hospitality in the homes of their Romanian peers. Today the Orthodox youth arrive: some by bus, some by car and some on foot. The Municipal Administration held a moment of greeting before the party moved on to Băile Herculane, a tourist town in the southwest of the country where an ecumenical camp will be held. The vice-mayor was pleased and expressed congratulations for the experience of twinning between the Romanian Parish of Our Lady of the Assumption and the Roman Catholic parish of Santa Maria de Borgo in Pesaro, Italy, which has been established for eight years. This was followed by presentations with Italian and Romanian young people. The dominant feeling was certainly the joy of discovering one another as brothers and sisters united in the same Christian faith. This common bond was even more invigorated by their shared goal of building a more united world, and of deepening their own unity through a genuine and sincere exchange during their days at the camp. They are not only Catholics. Gabor, for example, is a Calvinist and others are Evangelicals. But here there are only Christians, accompanied by the wise and caring guides from their parishes. The choice of Resita was not a random one. It is located in the region of Banat that has had a decades-long calling to tolerance and openness. Eighteen different ethnicities live there and belong to several different Christian Churches. Anna attended becuase she believes in the unity amongst Christians and wants to make her own contribution so that it happens as soon as possible. Joseph studies medicine, but at the end of Medical school he wants to pursue the priesthood. Emil wants to be a film director. Matteo does not know what he will study or do in life. He only knows that he wants to be part of this project of building unity at every level. They do not know what the future will be, but they believe in their common ideal. Days of sharing and deep friendship await them based on the same love that each of them has for Jesus and for “his dream” that all be one. In China the project is focused on peace and fraternity. There, the trailblazers are also young people, but they intend to involve people of all ages. Their proposal: Give up a meal, a snack or something else on the 11th day of each month from November until April. Give the money that was saved to the poor. The money can be sent via “red pocket” on the social network. To help remember they have supplied bus identity cards with card-holders stamped with theYouth for a United World logo and six thumbs-up to be coloured every time you participate in the the project. To their great surprise, a large number of “red pockets” arrived in just a few short hours accompanied by messages of gratitude and encouragement. It was like a grapevine that spread peace, generosity and commitment. Up until now 844 euros have been collected, a small amount, but rich in meaning with the messages that accompanied the donations. In China, Novemeber 11th was a day dedicated to the unmarried and to shopping. Some gave up a snack, others a more substantial meal. One girl wrote: “I didn’t find anything to buy, because everything was very expensive. Then, I was glad to hear about your project and I’m pleased to offer this small contribution for someone in need.” Gustavo Clariá
The message of Pope Francis in this Jubilee Year of Mercy urges us more than ever to live the immense gift of Peace. It is a strong plea that shakes our conscience and invites us to convert ourselves. Peace and Mercy: two inseparable elements for coexistence among people and with all Creation, and two words which we have become more aware of today, now that they are absent. A piece of the papal message brought me back to my homeland. It is really moving for me – an Arab-Catholic of Palestinian origin – to study Jesus’ behaviour following the motto, “Overcome indifference and achieve Peace.” In retracing those places, I can affirm that He lived as a Person and narrated divine parables taken from daily life. Sad to say, still today in my homeland, Peace is still not fully known, even if it is where the three great monotheistic religions were founded. Eight million people live in the State of Israel and four million in the Palestinian Territories. In these two localities the Christians make up 2% of the population, and belong to various churches: the Catholic, Orthodox, Armenian, Syriac-Orthodox, Coptic, Lutheran and other churches. It is a tiny land but a vast one for its multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-confessional dimensions, and one that suffered many invasions, conquests and conflicts that still continue today. The possibility for peaceful coexistence is still a path to be traced, even if here and there, efforts have been made to find a just and enduring political solution. Fear and mutual distrust have raised walls of division between one and the other part of the population, and above all, hostility and diffidence in the hearts of people, which are difficult to demolish. The Pope’s words struck me deeply: “At individual and community level, indifference towards one’s neighbour results from indifference towards God, and assumes the aspect of inertia and non-commitment, that nurtures the prolonging of situations of injustice and serious social imbalance, which in turn may lead to conflicts or, in every case, generate a climate of dissatisfaction that risks turning into violence and insecurity, sooner or later.” In the years I have lived in Jerusalem, together with many others I tried to diffuse the spirit of true and sincere dialogue between the Arabs and Jews, through friendship and affection which only human relationships can instate. In fact, it is not so effective to speak of peace, only in a political sense, if we do not first build relationships with people. Our efforts gave rise to moments of encounter between the youth and families, protagonists of the two parties that effected concrete actions of pacification, solidarity, and mutual respect. “Overcome indifference and achieve Peace” is a message that brings new hope to our hearts. The Pope admonishes by saying: “Some prefer not to seek peace or information, and live in their wellbeing and comfort, turning a deaf ear to humanity’s cry of pain. We have become almost unaware of and unable to feel compassion for others and their dramatic lives. We do not care about them, as if what is happening to them is not our responsibility.” Pope Francis’s message gives us a new impulse towards real change. May 2016 see us all firmly and assuredly involved at various levels, in creating justice and working for peace which is a gift of God, entrusted to all men and women of the world. It is up to each of us to achieve this goal.
In his introduction to Bruni’s new book entitled, “Creative Destruction,” Marco Tarquinio, Director of the Catholic newspaper wrote: «Bruni was well aware that this line of thought would lead him to the confines separating the human and the inhuman and regrettably, also beyond, to the complex organisations prevalently driven by material objectives. He perfectly knew that in writing about these issues, i.e., about “production” and “marketing” organisations and thus, of the creativity of relationships and employment, he would eventually have to focus on the organisations driven by ideals and other aspirations of the human spirit,» bringing both fields «to face the same challenge of renewal without losing their roots and driving spirit.» Published by New City Press, the book is a collection of selected articles published in 2015 on Avvenire, taken from the series, “The midwives of Egypt,” and “Regenerations.” In the book’s last chapter entitled, “The periphery is where we learn to resurrect,” Bruni comes to the conclusion of his work and the challenges resulting from his reflection which took him some months to delineate. He introduces his proposals with a phrase of the German poet, Friedrich Hölderlin: “God created man the way the sea created the continents: through withdrawal.” Here are some passages which in a way introduce us to the book proper: «A movement that with time has turned into an organisation can undergo a charismatic renewal, if in some marginal zone of the “Kingdom” some creative minorities start reconstituting the conditions needed to revive the same miracle of the charism’s first foundation: the same enthusiasm, joy, and the same fruits. The true process that brings this very same minority to become the majority is called reform. […] It is a decisive process that has to be undertaken unhurriedly, and should involve and activate the dynamic settings of creativity, going out to them “at the confines of the empire.” All this is certainly and firstly, a gift (charis), but also signifies wise organisation, and deep, spiritual, prophetic, and transformative intelligence. […] Many new “evangelisations” come about upon recounting the good news, and we are able to feel it come alive in us, in a new and diverse manner. This is how a new-ancient love story is reborn – a new eros, new desires, new generativity, and new children. […] The charism may thus flourish again and resume its encounter with people in the streets, forgetting its own organisations so as to tend to the wounds and sufferings of the men and woman today, especially of the poorer ones, […] creatively interpreting their own mission in the present time.»
“On April 21, 1964, Chiara Lubich wrote in her diary: “I dreamed of a focolare amongst the mocambos, built like a mocambo because our houses should be like the ones around them, and our house is the place through which we carry out our main apostolate.” Although it would years, the dream came true. A year ago, Brazilians, Lucival, Helson, Keles; Estimable, a Haitan; and Fabrizio from Italy left their house in the capital at Florianopolis, to move to go and live in the morro, one of the many existential peripheries of the world. “How is it going” we asked them. “We mainly try to become inserted in the new environment. Keles works at the Marist school that is very important in the fields of education and social life for the children and teenagers. Lucival, who works at the Fazenda da Esperança, a rehabilitation community for young drug addicts is now involved in the Associação de Moradores “Alto da Caieira, which is an organisation for the protection of the people who live in the morro.” We know that it’s not always easy to be accepted by the people of the favelas. These five young men are trying, with the help of Father Vilson Groh who has been serving in the morro for more than thirty years. “The ideas come by being with the people. That’s what we’ve been doing every Thursday for a couple of months. Every Wednesday men recite the Rosary in a different house, which is a pretty common practice in Brazil. There aren’t large numbers – maybe 10 to 12 people – but is a seed that’s been planted. And it’s already bearing fruits, in the sense that we see it little by little increasing our knowledge and trust of one another, both them towards us and us towards them. A communitarian sense of responsibility is growing, the feeling that the needs of the others are our own needs.” Could you give us some examples? “There was one man who was dependent on alcohol and slept at the dump. Fr Vilson spoke with the community, which then put him on a path of recovery. They literally rebuilt his dwelling, a wood shack, and they furnished it with a stove; someone else brought a bed, a refrigerator, and so on. Two weeks ago there he was, standing amongst the 15 teenagers who were being Confirmed; and last Thursday the Mass was celebrated at his house. We also learnt of the inhuman conditions that a certain woman was living in. Here again, the community got to work in helping her out. They themselves distribute to those in need whatever they are able to procure for them: food and clothing.” And as a sign that relationships really are becoming deeper, they recounted that last Friday twenty people visited the focolare for the confraternização, a Christmas celebration where everyone brings something to share. Also here at the morro, we didn’t only eat food like the famous Brazilian churrasco meat, but we also celebrated Jesus who once again deigned to be born as at Bethlehem in the poverty of a favela.”
The huge multitude of Christians should be quite visible. But they are so divided that many peopledon’t notice them and so don’t see Jesus through them. Unity is the only sure way to proclaim God’s mighty acts. When the Lord acts, he does mighty things. As soon as he had created the universe he saw it was ‘good’ (Gen1:25). Indeed, after creating the man and the woman, and entrusting the whole of creation to them, he saw it was ‘very good’ (Gen 1:31). But the act of God that exceeds all else was done by Jesus. In his death and resurrection he created a new world and a new people. It is a people to whom Jesus has given the life of Heaven, a genuine fraternity, in mutual welcome, in sharing with one another and in self-giving. Peter’s letter helped the first Christians realize that God’s love had made them ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people’ (1 Pet. 2:9; see also the whole passage vv. 9-10). If, like the first Christians, we were to become fully aware of what we are, of how much God’s mercy has done in us, among us and around us, we would be amazed. We would not be able to contain our joy and we would feel we want to share with others the need to ‘proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord’. But it is difficult, or virtually impossible, to give witness effectively to the beauty of the new kind of relations in society that Jesus brought about, if we stay isolated from one another. It is normal, therefore, that Peter’s invitation is addressed to the whole people. We cannot show ourselves as argumentative and partisan, or even merely indifferent to one another, and then proclaim that ‘the Lord has created a new people, and has freed us from egoism, from hatred and rancour, giving us mutual love as the law that makes us one heart and one soul…’ Among the Christian people there are indeed differences in our ways of thinking, our traditions and cultures, but these diversities are to be welcomed with respect, recognizing the beauty of this huge variety and aware that unity is not uniformity. This is the journey we will follow during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (celebrated in the northern hemisphere on 18-25 January) and throughout the year. The Word of Life invites us among our different Churches and communities to try to get to know one another better, to tell one another of the marvellous works of the Lord. In this way we will be able to ‘proclaim’ these works credibly, giving witness that we are one precisely in our diversity and that we support each another concretely. Chiara Lubich encouraged us with great energy to follow this path:Love is the greatest power on earth: it unleashes the peaceful Christian revolution around those who live it, so that today people can repeat what the early Christians said centuries ago: ‘We were born only yesterday and we have already spread all over the world.’ Love! What a great need there is for love in the world! And in us, Christians! (Tertullian,The Apology, 37:7) All together we Christians of various Churches number more than a billion people. Such a multitude should be quite visible. But we are so divided that many do not see us, nor do they see Jesus through us. He said that the world would recognize us as his own and, through us, would recognize him, by our mutual love, by unity: ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another’ (Jn 13:35). Our world today asks each one of us for love; it asks for unity, communion, solidarity. And it also calls upon the Churches to recompose the unity that has been torn for centuries.’
Already in 2004, getting to know each other, establishing dialogue and intensifying the spirit of communion were the objectives that had pushed the Orthodox Faculty of Theology of University Babeş – Bolyai of Cluj-Napoca and the members of the Focolare Movement to start a fruitful spiritual exchange of ideas and experiences. With time, this relationship was enriched by an ecumenical course that led to a dialogue at a theological level especially in recent years. In the common desire to bring Chiara Lubich’s charism of unity to Orthodox theology, this year both parties agreed to foster joint activities between the Romanian Faculty and the Sophia University Institute (SUI) in Loppiano (Florence), in a Symposium between the two academic institutions in Cluj-Napoca from 26 to 28 November. The symposium was opened by the Metropolitan of Cluj-Napoca, Andrei Andreicut who conveyed encouraging words for the precious effort to reach this deep communion. Also present was Bishop Vasile Somesanul, who has been a protagonist for many years in this undertaking. The lessons were entrusted to SUI professors on the part of the Movement, among whom was the Institute’s Rector, Piero Coda. On the Orthodox side, was the Dean of the Faculty, Fr Vasile Stanciu, with three qualified professors of three of the theological faculties in Romania, Cluj, Sibiu and Alba Iulia. Some lessons like those on ecumenism and the sacred scriptures were jointly expounded. The various papers focused on the theme of the Holy Spirit, as expressed in the Symposium’s title: St Basil the Great’s theological writings on the Holy Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in creation. All felt that “the presence of the Holy Spirit was tangible, and evidenced not only in the luminosity of the papers presented, but also in the communion with God that everyone experienced”. One of the participants said, “We all felt that an encounter was possible since there was the real intent to give of oneself,” while another participant underlined “the great harmony that reigned, and the joy of being able to share the wealth of our single churches”. In the days before the Symposium lessons were given by Piero Coda at the Orthodox Faculty of Theology especially students of the Faculty itself, and also those of the Roman-Catholic, Greek-Catholic and Evangelical faculties of the University. During the week in the town of Sibiu an event focused on the debate on the future of Europe, organised by the Ecumenical Centre of Sibiu, at which among the main speakers were Professor Piero Coda and the writer, Andrei Pleşu, an outstanding Romanian academic. The Symposium was also the occasion to plan future projects and in this regard intense collaboration was foreseen. The next academic year will see an exchange of professors between the Orthodox Faculty and SUI. Prospects are for a joint seminar in Sophia in the first half of 2017.
“I’m dictating this letter since I can’t move my hand anymore, but my head thinks and prays for all of you as you come into my mind with your joys, your sorrows and your difficulties.” This is the beginning of a Christmas letter of Dori’s from a few days ago. It is addressed to her “Dearest friends,” people she had met over the course of her life and now tried to reach around the world. Doriana Zamboni, known simply as “Dori”, was born in Trent, Italy, in 1926. She met Chiara Lubich when she was a very young and rebellious student in upper secondary school and was taking Philosophy lessons from Chiara. That was in 1943, the beginning of a spiritual adventure that would lead to the birth of the Focolare Movement. “Jesus and Our Lady will help you through my prayers too,” the letter continues. “And even if I don’t know your needs, I place them inside Her heart so that she keep faithful your love towards Jesus abandoned on the Cross.” That faithfulness had marked the life of Dori. Indeed, she was the person to whom Chiara first confided her intuition that Jesus greatest suffering was His abandonment on the Cross, and it quickly become the secret and cornerstone of Chiara’s life and the life of those who followed her path. “Remain in my love” (Jn 15:9) was the Word of Life that Chiara had suggested to her as a guide for her life because it seemed to reflect who Dori was. She travelled the world to spread the ideal of unity: 1956 in France; 1965 in England; 1971 in Belgium. In all of these places, together with the focolares, she opened new paths on the ecumenical journey and in the dialogue with other cultures. She accompanied thousands of people on their spiritual journey. From 1976 the Focolare foundress entrusted to her the Branch of the Volunteers of God, lay people actively engaged in the midst of society, and the New Humanity Movement. In 1956 she was a member of the team that began Città Nuova and was therefore amongst the pioneers of the publishing house and magazine of the Focolare Movement. Dori continued to encourage and support the work of publication up until the last days of her life. “Wherever you are, remember me,” her letter continues, “because my health is failing and I would like it to be in many of your prayers to help me make the climb. . . I feel you all very close to me, desirous to help me to bear and suffer whatever God may send to me.”. Thus, enveloped in the love and prayers of those who had assisted her until the end she passed away peacefully on the morning of December 26th. Focolare president Maria Voce announced her death to the Movement while expressing her gratitude for Dori’s life and inviting everyone to join in prayer. The funeral will be held at the Mariapolis Centre in Castel Gandolfo, Rome, on Monday, December 28th at 10:30 am (Italian time).
Nine business owners have enrolled in an EoC course in the small Central American country of Guatemala, a land with a strong indigeneous ancestry and sharp social contrasts.They have been delving into the fundamentals of the project on a monthly basis and examining experiences that are currently underway in other parts of the world. “The basic text,” course director, Sandra Macario, explains, “is Il prezzo della gratuità (Bruni), but we often have Skype link-ups with other EoC business owners in Mexico City and other Latin American countries.” An Open Day was held on November 26th for people who might be interested in an End-of-the-Year Breakfast which is customary in this area of the world with its traditional beans and corn dishes. The breakfast was attended by forty people. Maria Luisa Altamirano from Mexico was the guest of honour, who presented her experience as a business owner and responded to questions from the audience. Besides course members, Brazilian business owner, Ismael Yos, who attended the same course in Brazil, also spoke. The testimony of Guatamalen architect, Jose Mario Contreras, was exceptionally moving. He does not always have steady work, so he depends on a pool of workers whom he can call when he needs them. They know that work is scarce and realise that when they are not working for him, they must find whatever work can be found. At times workers are urgently needed, such as the time they had to restructure and fit out a Dyalisis Centre. Due to a cancellation of a contract with another company and susequent suspension of service, it became even more pressing. They were in need of builders to restructure the building and engineers to operate machinery. Contreras presented his bid, and all voted in favour, except for the delivery time which was reduced by half or else forfiet the job. It was an impossible problem. The last card he had to play was dialoging with the workers. Dialogue was a concept that Contreras had been implementing for some time, and he had introduced it as one of the foundations of his work activity, a lifestyle that has proven to be efficacious at such critical times. His proposal to the workers of working double shifts was unanimously accepted, not only because they did not want to lose out on the job, but because they trusted him and one another. Contrary to all technical predictions the job was finished on time, and the patients who were waiting recieved treatment on the date that had previously been agreed on. On another occasion Contreras had received a telephone call from one of his employees. It was early in the morning, too early to disturb the boss. But it was serious: his small daughter was ill and in urgent need of a certain medication that was too costly for the employee. Contreras listened to him like a brother: “For now I’ll begin to pray for your daughter,” he told him. “As soon as the bank opens, I’ll send you the money you need.” Contreras had the feeling that his company “had become a family.”
«If I should have to leave this world today and you were to ask me for a single word, one last word that sums up our Ideal, I would say – certain of being perfectly understood – ‘Be a family’. Are there among you those who are suffering spiritual or moral trials? Understand them as a mother and more than a mother would, enlighten them with your words or example. Do not leave them alone; indeed, surround them with the warmth of a family. Are there among you those who are suffering physically? They should be your preference. Suffer with them. Seek to understand their sufferings in depth. Share with them the fruits of your apostolic endeavors so that they may realize that they, more than others, contributed to its success. Are there those who are dying? Imagine yourself in their place and do all that you would want others to do to you, to the very last instant. Are there those who are happy because of a particular achievement or for any other reason? Share in their happiness, so that their consolation may not be saddened and their heart closed, but that the joy may be of all.
Play this video in the original language (Italian)
“Are some people leaving? Let them go, but first fill their heart with this one heritage: a sense of the family, so that they may bring it to their future destination. Never put any kind of activity– neither spiritual, nor apostolic – before the spirit of being a family with the brothers or sisters with whom you live. And wherever you go to bring the ideal of Christ, […] you can do nothing better than to seek to create with discretion, with prudence, but with determination, the spirit of a family. It is a humble spirit, it wants the good of the others, it is not proud… in short, it is charity, true, complete charity. In conclusion, if I should have to leave you, I would have Jesus in me repeat to you: ‘Love one another… so that all may be one‘». Chiara Lubich (La dottrina spirituale – Città Nuova Ed. pp.92-93)
“I wish everyone a Christmas characterised by sharing, remembering Pope Francis’ words: justice, solidarity and a simple lifestyle.
Justice means seeking out those who suffer and those without basic needs, not as a category of people to be helped, but brothers and sisters to be loved.
Solidarity means not being afraid to open our hearts, empty our pockets, our purses and wallets, so as to live as one family.
A simple lifestyle means not spoiling the things that belong to everyone, starting with the beauty of creation.
I hope for this and I trust in the grace of Christmas!
This is a time when we can all live mercy. God believes in us and puts a spark of His own love into every heart. Christmas can then become something beautiful for everyone.
Christmas will be beautiful if it is a Christmas of love.”
“The life of each day varies, because the danger varies. On some days nothing happens, and you could even forget that there was a war. On other days you could be on your way to work and get hit by stray bullets, or walk into a battle, or under falling bombs in the middle of a civilian area,” Pascal reports. He has been living in a focolare in Syria for several years. How are we preparing for Christmas? In Aleppo, Kafarbou and Damascus our communities are focusing mostly on the children, because in spite of the fact that it’s such a celebrated feast in Syria, families are finding it hard to experience the joy of Christmas. Therefore, the young people have done a lot of projects to raise funds which, joined to the donations that have come in from outside, has allowed them to expand their project of giving back the meaning of Christmas to the children and their families. In Aleppo, for example, there will be a feast for around 70 families; in Kafarbou they will visit houses in small groups, with food and gifts. In Damascus, where there are more possibilities, they’ve organised a Christmas concert and, in the meantime, will visit families with food, gifts, songs and games. . .” And in recent months with the escalation of violence, have you focolarini ever reconsidered your decision to stay in Syria? “No, never. The focolare’s presence is so important! There mere presence even without doing anything. It’s a sign that the Movement around the world is with them, with the Syrian people. I don’t know how to explain it. . . We’re not obliged to stay; we can leave. We’ve shared so many hardships with them over these years that they feel like we belong to the them, and we feel that they belong to us. Our reasons aren’t rational but affective, a matter of the heart. There’s no rational reason for staying in Aleppo. The Syrian families that stay do it because of their connection to the land, to their people, because everything else says: get out! Here, everything is disappearing, day by day there is less and less of a future for your children. I saw some remain out of a choice of love, to give witness. For example, some remained so that a school for deaf children could continue. Living for others gives you the meaning to life, it gives meaning to your existence.”
The 51st International Eucharistic Congress has been held in Cebu City, Philippines. (January 24th – 31st, 2016). The official social media coverage of the IEC 2016 scouted for meaningful life stories related to the Eucharist and published them in its facebook page (IEC2016SocialMedia). The experience of Marinova, a focolarina based in Cebu, touched them. “I was 11 years old when a big suffering came to my family. My father was killed by a group of persons who were very influential and no justice was served because we were poor. Our grandparents reminded us that true justice is found only in God! Thanks to their help I was able to finish college and got a job immediately. I became the bread winner of the family as I worked hard to help my mother. I incurred a lot of debts with loan sharks in order to bring ahead my family. Because of all these problems, an intense hatred developed in my heart for all those people who killed my father. They caused all the miseries in our life. Then I took up studies in Law because I wanted justice for the death of my father. But God had another plan for me. One of my classmates, a youth member of the Focolare Movement, invited me to a meeting of this ecclesial movement which has as its goal the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer to the Father, ‘That they may all be one’, and strives to bring unity to the human family by translating the Gospel into life. A new adventure began in my life. I too started putting into practice the words of Jesus. He said: ‘Love and I will manifest myself to you. ‘Whatever you do to the least of your brethren you do it unto me.’ I became addicted to this new drug: LOVE… I found the essence and true meaning of my life and for the first time I felt that Jesus in the Eucharist was the source of it all. One day I asked Jesus to teach me how to live concretely his word ‘Love your enemy’, since I felt that hatred for those who killed my father still enveloped me. And indeed the following day, at work, I met by chance the leader of the group. Spontaneously I greeted him with a smile and asked him how everyone in his family was. I saw that this greeting was a great surprise for him. I was even more surprised by what I was did. Little by little I felt that the hatred within me was melting and was slowly being transformed into love! But that was only the first step! Love is creative! I felt that each one in the group should feel that we had forgiven him. Together with one of my brothers, we visited them trying to re-build our relationship and to make them understand that God loves them! It came to a point that one of them asked for forgiveness for what he had done and in turn asked for prayers for his family and his health. I knew clearly that this experience of forgiveness and healing was the transforming power of Jesus in the Eucharist.”.
It all began in 2002, when the local community of the 
“I teach in a Catholic school in my city, Salta, in northern 
On 2nd February Fr Susai Alangaram celebrates 25 years of priesthood. He had just six years of experience as a priest in Tiruchirapally,Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India overlooking the Indian Ocean, when he ventured on the task of setting up a project aimed at alleviating the poverty of the children of his parish. He had encountered the 
The climate in Tamil Nadu is always hot and the monsoons are unpredictable, disrupting crop cultivation and impoverishing farmers. This year there were floods in the northern part of Tamil Nadu and drought in the centre. Many families below the poverty line are more concerned with earning than educating their children, and this gives rise to illiteracy and child labour. Ilanthalir seeks to provide children with their basic necessities and sponsors their education until they are able to find employment and assist their families. 
Out of the hundreds of communities that opened over the years in every corner of the world, the 
“We wanted to give a testimonial of an experience which has transformed us, and that took place on 11-13 December 2015. On this occasion some members of the Jewish Bet-El Community and the inhabitants of the Focolare town, prayed for one another,” wrote the Argentinean Rabbi, Silvina Chemen and Carlos Becaría and Nanni Espinosa of Mariapolis Lia. A special Shabbath. “We started by gathering bread for the rit,” Silvina recounted, “then we participated and shared this moment in which the Hanuka candles were lit, and we recalled the historical pact celebrated by 
“A society is good when the last and smallest member of society will have the opportunity to produce and earn sufficiently for a decent and dignified living.” This was the ideal of the philosophy which in 1986 pushed Dr Aram and his wife, Minoti, and a group of Gandhian friends, to start up the Shanti Ashram of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Literacy, development of the conditions of women, healthcare, environmental politics, battle against poverty, leadership programs for the youth and projects for children, are the actions promoted by the Ashram, of which the Bala Shanti project is part, and which was created in 1991 to help the very poor children in the surrounding villages. In 2013, Mrs Minoti wrote: “Tagore, the much loved poet and Nobel Prize awardee said: ‘Every boy and girl is a harbinger of the message that God still has not lost hope in man.’ It is in this context that I see the work for our children: to be able to serve one of the most precious gifts of God to humanity.” Initially the Bala Shanti project aimed to offer nutrition, education and healthcare to a small group of children from the ages of 3 to 5. Today the project helps thousands of children in 17 villages, who are in turn directly involved with their families in the battle against poverty, stirring up a proactive social participation. 
The members of the only Focolare Centre in Bulgaria, M. Lucia, Majda, Julia and Ildiko, from Italy, Slovenia, Germany and Romania, recounted: “Just before Christmas we went to Gostilya, a village to the north of Bulgaria, to visit friends who have been coming to the 
“We had prepared a bingo game with gifts for all and a chalk 
Nine business owners have enrolled in an EoC course in the small Central American country of Guatemala, a land with a strong indigeneous ancestry and sharp social contrasts.They have been delving into the fundamentals of the project on a monthly basis and examining experiences that are currently underway in other parts of the world. “The basic text,” course director, Sandra Macario, explains, “is Il prezzo della gratuità (Bruni), but we often have Skype link-ups with other EoC business owners in Mexico City and other Latin American countries.” An Open Day was held on November 26th for people who might be interested in an End-of-the-Year Breakfast which is customary in this area of the world with its traditional beans and corn dishes. The breakfast was attended by forty people. Maria Luisa Altamirano from Mexico was the guest of honour, who presented her experience as a business owner and responded to questions from the audience. Besides course members, Brazilian business owner, Ismael Yos, who attended the same course in Brazil, also spoke. The testimony of Guatamalen architect, Jose Mario Contreras, was exceptionally moving. He does not always have steady work, so he depends on a pool of workers whom he can call when he needs them. They know that work is scarce and realise that when they are not working for him, they must find whatever work can be found. At times workers are urgently needed, such as the time they had to restructure and fit out a Dyalisis Centre. Due to a cancellation of a contract with another company and susequent suspension of service, it became even more pressing. They were in need of builders to restructure the building and engineers to operate machinery. Contreras presented his bid, and all voted in favour, except for the delivery time which was reduced by half or else forfiet the job. It was an impossible problem. The last card he had to play was dialoging with the workers. Dialogue was a concept that Contreras had been implementing for some time, and he had introduced it as one of the foundations of his work activity, a lifestyle that has proven to be efficacious at such critical times. His proposal to the workers of working double shifts was unanimously accepted, not only because they did not want to lose out on the job, but because they trusted him and one another. Contrary to all technical predictions the job was finished on time, and the patients who were waiting recieved treatment on the date that had previously been agreed on. On another occasion Contreras had received a telephone call from one of his employees. It was early in the morning, too early to disturb the boss. But it was serious: his small daughter was ill and in urgent need of a certain medication that was too costly for the employee. Contreras listened to him like a brother: “For now I’ll begin to pray for your daughter,” he told him. “As soon as the bank opens, I’ll send you the money you need.” Contreras had the feeling that his company “had become a family.” 
