Jan 11, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Palmira Frizzera, one of the first companions of Chiara Lubich, who died on 5th January 2022, will live on in the memory and in the lives of many: focolarini, young people and families, whom she accompanied in their formation at the Mariapolis Foco (Montet, Switzerland), the little town of the Focolare in which she lived for over 40 years. Drawing on her words, here are some moments that marked her path in life. “Nothing more can be done for your eyes”. This was the harsh diagnosis that the doctor gave to Palmira Frizzera a few months after she arrived in the first focolare in Piazza Cappuccini in Trent. Palmira was 18 when, three years earlier, in 1945, she met the first group of focolarine. She had had problems with her eyes for some time. Because of this her dream of going to be a missionary nun in India had also collapsed. But now the problem was getting more serious. After various visits to specialists that day, she went to an ophthalmologist in Trent, accompanied by Natalia Dallapiccola, another of Chiara Lubich’s first companions. Telling the story to a group of young people in 2004, Palmira said, “The doctor examined me thoroughly and then said: the right eye is lost already and the left eye is about to go”.
Palmira with Chiara Lubich © CSC Audiovisivi
© CSC Audiovisivi
Carlos Mana
Jan 10, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Today too, the lived Christian life is a light that brings people to God. Believers, individually and as a community, have a task to perform, which Chiara Lubich explains in this text: to reveal, through their lives, the presence of God, which is manifested wherever two or three are united in his name, a presence promised to the Church until the end of time. A Christian cannot escape from the world, hide away, or consider religion a private affair. A Christian lives in the world and has a responsibility, a mission towards all people, which is to be a light that shines out. You too have this task, and if you do not do it, you are as useless as salt that has lost its taste or light that has become shadow. Light manifests itself in ‘good works’. It shines through the good works that Christians do. Now you might say: ‘It’s not only Christians who do good works. Others collaborate for social development, build houses and promote justice…’ You are right. Christians too certainly do, and indeed must do, all these things, but their specific task is not only that. Christians should perform good works with a new spirit, the spirit that allows Christ to live in them. … The Evangelist Matthew, in fact, did not intend only isolated acts of charity (such as visiting prisoners, clothing the naked, or doing the various works of mercy according to the needs of our times). Rather, he was referring to a total commitment to do the will of God, so that they make their whole life a good work. If they do this, Christians are ‘transparent’ and the praise they receive for all they do will not be for themselves, but for Christ in them. Through them, God will be present in the world. Every Christian’s task, therefore, is to let the light that dwells in them shine out and be the “sign” of this presence of God among people. … If the good work of the individual believer has this characteristic, the Christian community in the midst of the world must also have the same specific task: to reveal through its life the presence of God, who manifests himself wherever two or three are united in his name,[1] a presence promised to the Church until the end of time.
Chiara Lubich
Chiara Lubich, in Parole di Vita, [Words of Life] a cura di Fabio Ciardi, Opere di Chiara Lubich, Città Nuova, 2017, pp. 145 [1] Mt 18:20.
Jan 7, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Follow the Star that leads to the Child Jesus and become pilgrims. The example of the Wise Men helps us understand that this time gives us a precious opportunity to set out again together and witness to our neighbours every day the wonder that dwells in that grotto and comes to make all things new. Change is positive As I look back over all we lived in the last year during this time of unexpected pandemic, I have the impression that I am watching an action film that has shaken us all up a bit, parents and children alike. It has often been tiring and hard to be forced to change plans and pace of life but it is also true that this situation has brought a breath of fresh air into our family. We have become aware of new ways of relating to one another and of needs that we had not previously considered. If faith had been a taboo with our children, here we are now faced with our own frailties, with fears of global dimensions and with questions that had previously gone unanswered. The real change, however, began when we asked ourselves the meaning of what was happening. Accustomed to having answers to every question, this time we were puzzled by the unknown. In short, we found ourselves more supportive not only of each other in the family but also of others. We found ourselves considering humanity as one family. (R.F. – France) Love circulates among the inmates I do voluntary work at the prison in my city. Together with a small group of other people, I take care of the “Città Nuova Reading Project”, in which many prisoners take part every week. One of them seemed sad that he could not receive the Eucharist because he had no catechetical preparation, so I suggested that I could help him. He was happy and thanked me and, together with the chaplain, we draw up a programme for the lessons. Spontaneously, a few other inmates joined in during our preparation sessions. Within a few months we were ready and so we arranged a date when the prisoner was to receive the sacrament for the first time. To my surprise, on that day, the church was full: the inmates from that sector who rarely attend religious services, all came to Mass dressed in their best clothes. And not only that: drawing on long forgotten childhood memories, they took care of the songs, the readings and the prayers of the faithful. Like the rest of us, they were excited and enjoyed the family atmosphere that had been created, where no one felt alone. (Antonietta – Italy) Kneeling down He lives alone in a dirty hovel, half-paralysed and reduced to skin and bones. He must be just over 60 years of age but he looks a lot older. The first time I went to bring him some food and clothing, I suggested that we pray together. He could no longer remember the Our Father, he only knew the Hail Mary. When I left, I asked him for a blessing, even though I was younger than him, a foreigner and, in his eyes, a rich foreigner. He raised his paralysed hand and marked the cross on my head. He, that poor man, looked at me with eyes full of joy, surprise and tears. Ours has now become a weekly appointment. Each time we say together whatever prayers come to his mind. He recites them out loud. The only way I can get close to him is to kneel down next to his bed: when I do that I think: “Here I am, Lord, kneeling before you.” (L.B. – Thailand)
Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta
(taken from “Il Vangelo del Giorno”, Città Nuova, year VIII, no.1, Jan-Feb 2022)
Jan 5, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Palmira Frizzera, one of Chiara Lubich’s first companions, left this earth today, January 5, 2022. Thank you Palmira. Today, 5 January 2022, Palmira Frizzera, one of Chiara Lubich’s first companions, left us for heaven. She was born in Terlago, Trent on 9 April 1927 and first met Chiara Lubich in 1945 in Piazza Cappuccini, Trent in the house that became the first focolare. She was impressed by the ideal of “universal fraternity” and decided to follow her. In 1947 she went to live in the first focolare in Trent where she stayed for several years before moving to Sicily, then Turin and, eventually, Rome. She lived in the little town of Montet, Broye, Switzerland for over forty years and was responsible for Focolare Movement in the area and for the formation of the focolarini https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca2OayGb0Q8&list=PLKhiBjTNojHoPfT9syIwfyLI4sPeqBV0P&index=3
Jan 5, 2022 | Non categorizzato
In Parintins, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, the “Protecting childhood and adolescence” project to prevent violence against minors, aimed at children, parents, educators and teachers, has been launched. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWWeJpqVgWA
Jan 4, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Almost one month later, the Focolare communities of Greece and Cyprus reflect on Pope Francis’ visit One month after Francis’ trip to Greece and Cyprus, this quadrant of the globe remains in the international spotlight. We recently heard the story of hope of Grace Enjei, a 24-year-old Cameroonian who, thanks to the visit of the Pope and the help of the Community of Sant’Egidio, with 10 other asylum seekers was able to travel from the “no man’s land” of Cyprus to Rome; but we also heard of the umpteenth shipwreck in the Aegean Sea, on Christmas Day, in which 13 migrants lost their lives. Greece and Cyprus. Two countries with a relatively small population (Catholics are a religious minority) but which mirror the main crises of the world: migration, economic and health. A particular worry is the political influence of their Turkish neighbours. We asked the Focolare communities in these countries about the impact of this apostolic journey and the steps necessary for peace and a better coexistence for all. Lina Mikellidou, Orthodox and coordinator of the Focolare community in Cyprus has no doubts: “When Pope Francis affirmed that it is necessary to make this island ‘a workshop of fraternity’ he hit the nail on the head. Cyprus has been occupied by the Turks since 1974 and its capital, Nicosia, is the last remaining European city to be divided with barbed wire. Attempts to heal these fractures have not led to concrete results despite the commitment of the international community and both sides in recent years. I think it is necessary to develop or strengthen platforms, spaces of dialogue between the different realities in Cyprus, between Christians of different denominations (such as Armenian, Latin, Maronite and Orthodox) and also with Muslims. Then it is necessary to increase the spirit of ‘unity in diversity’ between the two sister Churches, Catholic and Orthodox. Finally, there is the issue of migrants. Our country cannot sustain so many, both from a logistical and an economic point of view. My people are known for their generosity and their welcoming spirit: much has already been done for the refugees, but we can surely improve, trying to raise awareness, find funds and structures to ensure that these sisters and brothers of ours live in more humane and dignified conditions. The Pope encouraged us to have a new approach, a lively attention to burning issues such as that of migrants and ecumenical dialogue. The search for unity between Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, His All Holiness Bartholomew, gives us great hope: they have a fraternal relationship, made up of concrete gestures and profound dialogue”. Alexandros Oshana, a young man of the local Focolare community from Athens maintains that the road to ecumenical dialogue is still long: “… the Pope’s visit offered the possibility of a new beginning. In his talks he often used the words ‘unity’, ‘fraternity’, ‘dialogue’. The Pope prayed for an inclusive church, open to all those who suffer. Francis expressed all of us Greek Catholics 100%, appreciating our desire to be close to our Orthodox brothers and sisters and to remember that first of all, we are all Christians”. In this regard, Pope Francis’ own example was visible to everyone. To emphasize that unity is possible only through an act of total humility, once again he asked the Orthodox Archbishop Ieronimos for forgiveness for the errors committed in the past by Catholics towards the Orthodox. The Archbishop said that he was certain that it will be possible to “shake off the burdens of the past, in particular those connected with the events of the Greek war of independence”. As a sign of brotherhood he also said that he wanted to join Francis “in the enormous challenge” regarding the fate of migrants and that he wanted to undertake “a common action for the environment”.
Lorenzo Russo with the collaboration of the Focolare community of Greece and Cyprus
Jan 3, 2022 | Non categorizzato
In his message for the 55th World Peace Day, 1st January 2022, Pope Francis affirms that: “Dialogue entails listening to one another, sharing different views, coming to agreement and walking together. Promoting such dialogue between generations involves breaking up the hard and barren soil of conflict and indifference in order to sow the seeds of a lasting and shared peace.” Chiara Lubich also invites us to forge relationships in which dialogue enables us to reach true peace. Jesus came to create totally new relationships between people: between women and men, boys and girls, wives and husbands, teachers and pupils, workers and managers, employees and employers, between citizens and political leaders, between people of different races or ethnicities, and among nations and states. Jesus wants to build a new social order based on justice, respect, and true fraternity. He wants to give us true peace, individually and collectively, the divine peace that he alone can give. But, for this to happen, we need to follow him, even if at first sight he seems very demanding. Each of us needs to live his Words, whatever our calling in life may be.
Chiara Lubich
(Chiara Lubich, in Parole di Vita, [Words of Life] edited by Fabio Ciardi, Opere di Chiara Lubich, Cittá Nuova, 2017, pag. 362)
Jan 1, 2022 | Non categorizzato
In his message for the World Day of Peace on 1 January Pope Francis issues a strong warning to politicians who invest in armaments rather than education. What can be done to give young people hope and reverse this trend? We asked Prof. Buonomo, Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University. Today, according to the World Bank, there are almost 100 million more people living in a state of impoverishment because of the Covid-19 pandemic and world military expenditure in 2020 has risen, despite Covid, to almost 2 trillion dollars (in 2019 it was 1650 billion) according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri). Data that prompted Pope Francis to issue a tough yet hopeful message for the 55th World Day of Peace, which falls today, 1 January 2022. The Pope proposes three elements – dialogue between generations, education and work – as tools for building lasting peace. How can this message be contextualised amid the challenges facing society today? We asked Prof. Vincenzo Buonomo, Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University. How can dialogue between the generations be initiated to build peace? On what trust is it based today, given that both the pandemic and the development of technology have created so much loneliness and indifference? “First of all, the Pope’s message presents dialogue not only as a goal for building relations between the generations but as a method. This, I believe, is the most important aspect to be grasped, and it is the aspect that also enables us to make dialogue an effective instrument for peace because very often we only link the element of dialogue to the possibility of communicating. In reality, dialogue presupposes something more. There is a pact between generations, a pact in which the given word has its own meaning. Very often we have made of dialogue nothing more than a technical tool rather than something we share which therefore becomes a method or a daily action’. In recent years, education and training have been regarded as expenditures rather than investments, and military expenditures have increased. What steps should politicians take to promote a culture of ‘care’ rather than ‘war’? “The relationship between the educator and the one being educated is one that has to be built every day on the basis of renunciation of both parties. This type of educational methodology should also serve the great issues facing humanity. The problem of the arms race and the consequential diversion of resources for other areas, is that armaments are linked above all to a concept of power. So it is by means of education that we have to try to promote shared values. This is the aspect the Pope’s message is highlighting because if there are shared values – peace for example – this becomes a way to overcome conflict. Conflict is overcome by eliminating armaments, so it’s a concept that has a chain reaction”. Work is the place where we learn to make our contribution towards a more liveable and beautiful world and is an indispensable factor to preserve peace but job insecurity and exploitation have increased because of the pandemic. So what can be done to give hope to young people to combat insecurity and exploitation? “Work is not simply something that guarantees peace in society as is traditionally said. Work is something that guarantees peace. Without the prerequisite of work, there is no education, no intergenerational relationship, no dialogue because the person is not only sustained by work, but also expresses their dignity. We find this in the Magisterium of the Church and from Pope Francis who has stressed this on several occasions. Consequently, today politicians, or rather those with responsibilities, the so-called ‘decision-makers’, need to make work a priority and not just one of the many items on the political agenda. I believe that the younger generations don’t just need a job but a job that manages to express their qualifications and, above all, makes them feel that they are protagonists in the decision-making process at work. The element that links the three headings – dialogue, education and work – is therefore the word pact. The pact between generations, the educational pact, the work pact – this is the key word putting them in the function of peace. Otherwise they would simply be three scattered elements not linked together”. Clicca qui to read the Pope’s message for the 55th World Day of Peace.
Lorenzo Russo
Dec 29, 2021 | Non categorizzato
An initiative that combines the desire to provide practical help with the many needs that exist in the world. These are the aims that, in 2016, generated “Milonga”, an international intercultural and fraternal volunteer programme. A new opportunity, a renewed proposal to bring help where it is needed. This is the mission that “Milonga” is still pursuing today, 5 years after its inception. It developed thanks to the contribution of New Humanity, Youth for a United World and the Latin American Network of Social Organisations Inspired by the Charism of Unity, with the collaboration of Sociedade Movimento dos Focolares-Brazil, Sumà Fraternidad and Promoción Integral de la Persona. It is an international volunteering platform that meets the needs of an increasingly widespread desire among young people to have global social experiences. The first volunteers left in 2016 with destinations in Bolivia and Brazil. Subsequently, more than 200 young people have followed in their footsteps, crossing borders to offer their time, talents and professional skills. This is a small but important contribution to overcoming inequalities in the world. But what is distinctive about “Milonga” compared to other volunteer programmes? For Virginia Osorio, Uruguayan member of the Coordination Team, “Milonga was the opportunity to network with a broad range of people and thus generate a different system of international cooperation which puts fraternity at its heart. In Milonga, service is enhanced by interculturality and training in global and local citizenship, weaving links not only between the north to the south, but in all directions.” This is how young people aged between 21 and 35 are working in synergy with the NGOs and are engaged in projects in areas of need all over the world. Marco Provenzale, from Italy, says: “For these reasons, the programme is named after a Latin American dance with African roots and plays upon the NGO acronym. In Italian this would read “Mille ONG in Azione” – “A Thousand NGOs in Action”. Communities and little towns belonging to the Focolare Movement also support the initiative. It offers significant opportunities for action and training for young people who are motivated and want to contribute to society. In these five years, “Milonga” has made a great impact upon the lives of many young people. “The experience they have with each other reflects upon the role each plays as a citizen of the world,” continues Virginia Osorio, “and stimulates them to want to act wherever there is suffering.” In addition to the many volunteers who have worked in person in these initiatives, during the pandemic more than a hundred have had a virtual intercultural experience online. This enabled them to support actions such as fundraising, helping school children, preparing for exams, practising different languages and much more. Antonella, a young woman from Argentina, did virtual volunteering in Brazil and is now preparing to finally do it in person: “Before, I didn’t participate in things like this. Today, if I don’t do something concrete, I feel empty. My experience with Milonga has given me this new awareness.”
Janeth Lucía Cárdenas and the MilONGa team (social worker, involved with Milonga and the global communication project)
Dec 28, 2021 | Non categorizzato
Through the Incarnation, God revealed to Mary that her small, fragile humanity served his plan of salvation. Advent can be an opportunity for us all once again to live the most beautiful experience of all: to feel ourselves watched over by God and be led by him, as Mary did. We can then face each day with a deep joy in our hearts and a song of praise on our lips. Back to life A friend of ours who is involved with rehabilitating ex-convicts proposed to our religious community that we take in one who was nearing the end of his sentence for a few months. Pietro, as he was called, turned out to be an expert in home maintenance and tirelessly repaired whatever was needed. It was a true blessing for us, since we lack economic means and struggle to find the time for certain jobs. One evening after dinner, in the garden, Pietro began to open up. “I’m grateful not only for the hospitality I’ve received, but also for your respect. Ex-prisoners are often treated like plague victims, and people keep them at a distance. Yet being included is the only medicine that can heal certain wounds.” Before leaving, he left a note. “Thank you. Now I can come back to society because I know that I have something to give.” (O., Italy) Like the prodigal son When a homeless man named “A.” confided in me, explaining why he had been reduced to that state of misery, I saw in him the prodigal son from the parable, who yearns to regain his freedom. When I asked him to reach out to his family, he refused at first, because it was so difficult to show them what he had been reduced to. The mere idea of presenting himself to his brothers and sisters, who were all “successful” with fulfilled lives, only increased his humiliation. And yet – I reminded him at that point – they had not stopped loving him, waiting for him. He did not reply, staying silent. He showed up again after a few days. This time he asked for my help to buy a plane ticket to return to his homeland. Without hesitation, I provided him with the necessary amount of money. Not long afterwards, I received word from him. “It was just as you told me. The joy of embracing me again was a true gift I could give my parents. Thank you for reminding me why I’m here.” (G., Spain) By the hand Due to a stroke, I found myself paralyzed on the left side of my body. Suddenly my life changed. I was disheartened by the turmoil I was causing in the small business I had just started, in the running of my family, and in my teenage children. I had to practice for a long time and accept a new way of life. However, as one world collapsed, I saw dimensions opening up that had been neglected and unappreciated before: my life of faith. For years in fact, I had not prayed. Since I recognized my fragility, it was spontaneous for me to start praying again, not with words learned in catechism, but in dialogue. I learned to converse with God again. Meanwhile, my treatments continued. At one point, I was surprised to recover all motor functions. Now that I am recovering, I can say that God’s love wanted to immerse me in life fully, not superficially. He took me by the hand, and I held on. (A., Argentina)
Compiled by Maria Grazia Berretta
(from “Il Vangelo del Giorno”, Città Nuova, year VII, n. 4, November–December 2021)
