Nov 29, 2021 | Non categorizzato
A plataform that connects the new cities of the world. The first event
The Unity Conference 2021, with the theme Innovate New Ways for Inclusion in a Divided World, will highlight issues related to building more resilient and inclusive economies, with topics on social impact investments and the impact of climate change, among others. The conference also marks the official launch of the Nuova Global Foundation and is expected to attract media, business and philanthropy participants from more than 21 countries around the world.
The event to be held on November 30, 2021 between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. (GMT +1) will feature online and live participation at the Mariapoli Center in Castel Gandolfo (Rome, Italy) will involve the participation of Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, Jesus Moran, co-president of the Focolare Movement, Rev. Kyoichi Sugino, member of the Board of New Global Foundation; Réka Szemerkényi, economist, member of the Board of Directors of New Global Foundation, Richard B. Tantoco, President and CEO of the Energy Development Corporation (EDC), Olayemi Wonuola Keri, CEO of Heckerbella Limited.
Nuova Global Foundation is a new established platform that connects the New City global network of journals and publishing houses in affiliation. It aims to support the development of media to spread the ideal of universal brotherhood and a united world and make it a reality by inspiring millions of people.
The Nuova Global Foundation is a global non-profit organization founded by the Focolare Movement. The platform aims to support the development of media organizations and journalistic projects bringing to light global challenges and solutions for the common good and humane global development. NGF supports a growing global network of affiliates across 5 continents and 21 cities, working together to create ideas and solutions for inclusive and sustainable growth in our global society.
For information on the event agenda and to register for free, log on to: https://nuovaglobal.org/unity-conference/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmHPd7mpuZc&list=PL9YsVtizqrYsgzKgJ0bWOp2v2ZXc4bZAW
Nov 29, 2021 | Non categorizzato
On 4 March 1989, Chiara Lubich answered questions from the animators of Youth for a United World. In this extract she refers to the care of creation, a new issue at that time and a pressing need for all humanity today. … the development of science, the development of technology, is something enormous and marvellous which has amazed everyone. … But it’s happened so often without any reference to God. If we continue like this, our planet could explode from one minute to the next and throw us into a different kind of catastrophe – no longer an atomic disaster but an ecological disaster. It’s almost as if, over these last few decades, human beings have been trampling, crash, crash, through the mud with enormous heavy boots, splashing mud everywhere, throwing into the sky things that don’t belong there, and into the rivers things that don’t belong there, pouring into the oceans things that don’t belong there. They’ve ruined the trees, ruined nature…. Yet, at the same time, there have been many new discoveries, many wonderful things and great developments. So, there is good mixed with the bad. But they didn’t listen to God, they were hidden from God, and now this phenomenon is forcing us to face the situation together, with a united world. If we don’t solve this problem together, we will never solve it. In other words, everything tends toward unity. Even the negative things make us realize that, yes, universal fraternity is essential, but it has to be in God. Yes, things should be done differently; we have to live on this earth, not blow it up. But we have to remember that God exists. So, there is this thrust, this turn-around, but it’s making everything tend towards unity, forcing us to be one, like the ecological problem, which is forcing us to bring about a different kind of fraternity. All these events, especially the painful ones, which are more difficult to interpret, should be seen in two ways. In one sense, they are as they are, but something else is involved, too. God’s hand is there, God’s providence which transforms them and makes them into the fuel for our spiritual life. The cross was needed to redeem us, that suffering was necessary, that cry: “My God, why have you forsaken me?” to save us. Our suffering is also necessary to create a new world, to change the world, to change people and creation- suffering is needed, it’s necessary.
Chiara Lubich
(Chiara Lubich, Answers to the questions of the animators of Youth for a United World, Castel Gandolfo, 4 March 1989)
Nov 25, 2021 | Non categorizzato
How two parents from the north of Peru dealt with their daughter’s illness, sustained by the love of God and a large extended family. “One evening while we were having dinner I noticed a big lump on our youngest daughter’s throat,” said Marisela, the mother. “The doctor examined her, and a scan revealed a 5 cm tumour. He advised us to see an endocrinologist for further investigations. The specialist ordered a biopsy which unfortunately confirmed the presence of a malignant tumour with metastases which needed to be operated immediately. It was shocking news that none of us was expecting. When I got home, I shut myself in the bathroom to give vent to my feelings and through my tears, I asked God – Why this suffering?” “It was an extremely challenging time for me. The operation was very expensive,” continued Luis, the father, “but I didn’t want Marisela to worry about money. We would have asked for a loan to have the operation carried out in the capital, Lima, but where would we stay during and after the operation? We got in touch with the people responsible for the Focolare Movement to which we belong. Our Centre was already occupied by a number of Venezuelan families who had immigrated to Peru because of the difficult situation in their own country. However a member of a religious order from the Movement happened to be offering accommodation to guests of the congregation. Being welcomed in this way really made up feel God’s closeness. In Lima the neoplastic specialist ordered a second biopsy and further tests to be carried out, just to be sure, but the diagnosis was confirmed so this last hope was also dashed. Our daughter burst into tears but the doctor consoled her by assuring her that everything would be fine.” The community of Lima,” said Marisela, “did everything it could to raise enough money for us to pay for the operation, while a raffle organised by our eldest daughter covered other expenses. The day before the operation, Father Nacho came to see us, administered the anointing of the sick to our daughter and accompanied us to the clinic. During the operation, an army of people were praying for the operation to be successful. And it was!” “The doctor decided that radioactive iodine therapy would be needed,” explained Luis. “Even that was too expensive for us! But faith can move mountains and heal the sick, we told ourselves. The doctor helped us to register our daughter with the SIS (Integral Health System) and in checking her details, discovered that she had already been registered. Unbeknown to us, someone had been paying her medical insurance for three months. It was such a surprise for us! It meant that she could have all the medical examinations and treatment she needed for free”. “Once again,” concluded Marisela, “we have seen the power of prayer, and we are so grateful to this great Focolare family for the love they have shown us in so many ways and for not leaving us alone during this very difficult time.
Edited by Gustavo E. Clariá
Nov 24, 2021 | Non categorizzato
To be peacemakers means to act with generosity, be in solidarity with those around us, go beyond and open paths that allow us to get closer to others – so they feel embraced as they are. Not just any cake A Muslim family lives in our building. For their feast at the end of Ramadan, we thought we would wish them well and bring them a cake (we had heard that this is the custom). Since they were not at home, we wrote a note and placed it and a package in front of their door. Later we met up with them. They had been away for the festivities, and upon returning had joyfully found the small gift. With a big smile, the husband thanked us, saying: ‘We have been in Switzerland for 25 years, and no one has ever wished us well. We were very, very pleased.’ In my heart, the joy doubled. Adriana, Switzerland First a sandwich, then a hundredfold I only had enough money in my pocket for one sandwich. As I left the sandwich shop, I noticed a lady looking hopefully at all those who were eating. She was certainly hungry and waiting for someone to offer. Since I could eat something later at home, I took my sandwich and gave it to her, making her happy. Then I took her to a greengrocer, whom I asked if he could give her some fruit that I would pay for the next day. Instead he handed her a bag of fruit, free of charge. I was so happy to see how a hundredfold can come from a sandwich. M., India One coffee was all it took After returning from a holiday, I was in for a surprise at work: a new employee, having completed his apprenticeship, had been placed in the same office as me. It wasn’t because he had invaded ‘my’ space, but from the very first moment I found him to be an unpleasant person because of his mannerisms, his talking about everything and everyone… Would I be able to work with him? And to think that I had returned refreshed, above all in spirit. In fact, with the whole family, I had participated in a retreat based on how to live the Gospel in everyday life. And here I was put to the test, working elbow to elbow with that ‘difficult’ guy. I was wondering how to love someone like that when an aroma of coffee came to me from afar… Idea! Without delay, I went to get two, one for myself and for him. Surprised by the unexpected gesture, my colleague asked, ‘How did you know I needed coffee of all things?’ Laughing, I joked that I was a fortune teller. From that simple act of kindness things changed, and we became truly friends afterwards. J. M., Spain
Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta
(From Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year VII, n.4, November–December 2021)
Nov 23, 2021 | Non categorizzato
Starting from the reception of a group of Afghans in a facility of the Focolare Movement in Italy, the story of the friendship that made their arrival possible. The friendship between Costanza Quatriglio, an Italian film director, and two Afghan actors, Basir Ahang and Mohammad Jan, who are of Hazara ethnicity that has been persecuted for many years. https://vimeo.com/620774011
Nov 22, 2021 | Non categorizzato
If we try to improve every day, we too can be builders of peace as the November 2021 Word of Life invites us to be. We do all we can – because this is what our Ideal wants – to achieve unity in the whole world. It is for this reason (for peace everywhere) that we pray every day during the ‘time-out’. Now, one of the means we have for reaching this goal (unity and peace) is that of involving as many other people as possible, and of course the members of other religions. So, I invite everyone to revive the relationships we have with them. … And there are members of the different religions more or less everywhere. Certainly, what God’s will asks of us is always a revolution. We know that in this field there have been centuries of immobility and often of hostility. It is a hard struggle to build peace, and so we must be strengthened, trained and prepared. This is why I would like to suggest, first of all to myself and then to all of you, something which will help us in the following weeks, give us more support and is extra to what we are already doing. It will help us be more vigilant and continually grow so that we don’t lose ground. We know, in fact, that if we do not go forward, we go backwards. I would like to suggest something that will help us to improve a little bit every day in living our Ideal. This something could consist in saying to ourselves before every action: ‘Today better than yesterday’. Many actions in our life are somewhat repetitive: we pray every day, we eat, we go out, we study, we work, we meet people, we sleep, we go for walks, we do housework, we rest, and so on. Well then, before every action, let’s say: ‘Better than yesterday’. And let’s act accordingly. By doing so, we will be as God wants us to be. We are a Movement and we are not allowed to stand still. We will receive more graces and it will be easier for us to carry out this month’s specific task: to give special attention to the faithful of other religions and to collaborate with them towards peace and unity in the world.
Chiara Lubich
(Chiara Lubich, in Conversazioni in collegamento telefonico, a cura di Michel Vandeleene, Opere di Chiara Lubich, Città Nuova, 2019, pagg. 425-426)
Nov 19, 2021 | Non categorizzato
Many shining lights in the nightmare of Covid in India and Nepal: a network of helpers providing oxygen to hospitals in the Indian city of Mumbai and the story of a father who was cured thanks to this oxygen; the young people of the Focolare who provide meals for about 100 Indian families; the community of the Movement in Nepal which, thanks to the help received, provides food, school equipment, medicines and financial aid to people in need. https://vimeo.com/619708201
Nov 18, 2021 | Non categorizzato
This year once again Mariapoli, or “Cities of Mary”, have been held in different parts of the world. Since the beginning of the Focolare Movement, these events have been bringing together people for a few days from all over the world, people who want to get to know the Focolare spirituality and way of life, encouraging them to live an experience of universal fraternity. “We came from all over France and many were delighted to be able to rediscover relationships face-to-face and rediscover that unity can be lived in spite of the uncertain future.” This is how the focolarine in France described the Mariapolis days spent at Ressins. The meeting was a live, face-to-face meeting, and it was good to see each other again after such a long period of Covid. “Gaining momentum… to live fraternity today”, was the title of the event which was attended by more than 300 people. In Slovenia the Mariapolis whose theme was Love – the medicine for everything, was also held live with 200 participants. “As I was walking with my children,” said Barbara, who attended the event with her three young children and had been was diagnosed with cancer a year ago, “I heard the voice of Jesus saying to me: ‘I didn’t send you this illness because I don’t love you but because I love you even more”. The illness ignited great love between her and her husband and extraordinary trust in God. Chiara Lubich’s words and the experiences shared helped them to discover how precious relationships built on love are. 
In Paraguay the Mariapolis took place online. The “cries of suffering humanity”, the “cry of Creation” and “the cries of the new generations” were the themes addressed. “We were able to see all the inequality and lack of tolerance in our society and how we could respond to those cries of suffering,” said Silvia. The joy of the Mariapolis was not only felt by the Paraguayans who took part but also by people who joined online from different parts of the world. In the zone of Sao Paulo in Brazil, the Mariapolis entitled New culture, creating dialogue, took place online with more than 1300 people connected and over 4000 views on YouTube. Here are some of the impressions: “The theme of ecology with the presentation of the Dice of the Earth gave me a broader vision of how to care for and improve our common home.” “What happened to me today shows how God acts. I got up happy and ready to love more! I went to the market and on my way out I saw my sister whom I hadn’t spoken to for 10 years. I didn’t think I could forgive her. Instead I said my yes to Jesus and went to speak to her.” Finally, in Venezuela the Mariapolis was described as ‘an oasis in the desert’ because of Covid and uncertainty about the future. The local community wrote: “It has filled us with hope and we recognise ourselves more strongly than ever as Chiara’s family”. “I promise to become a super hero who will always take care of the planet,” said a 9-year-old boy, “help everybody and be a good citizen, setting an example with my life and always doing good.” A lady who had tested positive for Covid and was following the Mariapolis from her bed said: “Here I am! I’m here too… the best experience for me at this moment has been to feel surrounded by the love of God through each of you”.
Lorenzo Russo
Nov 17, 2021 | Non categorizzato
Building peace is like being on a construction site, where there is always work to be done, and we are all called to “do” our part. Peace is not just the absence of war or an abstract concept; it is something we build together, facing all difficulties and starting from our own small surroundings. Another Rob Rob left home after an argument between us that seemed to be the end of our marriage. Two years passed since he left and I had no news of him. I only got to know from his parents that he was auditioning for films and that he started to get involved in the film industry. When he came back from Italy, disappointed and penniless, he looked like a whipped dog. He cried and asked me to forgive him. The man I had loved, esteemed and chosen as my life companion now seemed a stranger, a failure. Where has all his pride gone? And the beauty that was his pride? As with regards to me, during the time my husband was away, I came closer to faith and started basing my life on values I had neglected. When he came back, I felt as if God was testing my faith, but I managed to feel even stronger. Now he too has found a new peace, and together we are discovering a new way of life. I feel as if I am beginning to know another Rob. (R. H. – Switzerland) Building unity During a telematic working meeting, there were members from different countries in my group. After various presentations, someone imprudently ventured to define others politically, with overtones of nationalism and fascism. The tension that arose eventually degenerated into an outrageous exchange of words. As a journalist who had travelled extensively and also studied the history of the countries in question, my opinion was quite different from those who relied on hearsay and media reports. That day’s session was a real failure. The next day, preparing for another working group, I made it a point of highlighting in each participant only those elements that build and not those that divide. Things turned out to be quite different, so much so that when it was my turn to intervene, everyone felt valued. Hence a reflection: even just by only keeping silent, one can become either an accomplice to disintegration or a constructive and unifying element. It costs dearly to realise Jesus’ dream “That all may be one”. (G.M. – Hungary) In silence At hospital, I had to do night shift work with another doctor. He was not a practising Christian, and seeing that I attended mass almost every day, very often he made fun of me. Our shift lasted all night, but he would leave at the end of the evening, and this meant a lot of more work for me. In spite of this, I tried to keep an open attitude towards him, without judgement, for a month, two months…. One day he expressed the desire to join me for Mass (“During these months, I have learned many things from the way you love in silence”). Since then, he does not only see to his duties fully but he also sees that I do not overtire myself during the night. (Bashar – Iraq)
Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta
(from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year VII, n.4, November–December 2021)
Nov 16, 2021 | Non categorizzato
Special delivery: the Espiga Dourada bakery at the gates of Mariapolis Ginetta in São Paulo, Brazil reaches out to its customers throughout the pandemic. “This crisis has changed everything. But at the same time it’s given us a new vision, a more beautiful and more free vision, I’d say. We’ve become aware of poeple’s needs like never before,” said Adriana Valle, an Italian Focolarina who transferred to Brazil over 40 years ago. She runs the Espiga Dourada (Golden Wheat) bakery located just outside the Focolare little town Mariapolis Ginetta, near São Paulo city. What began in 1988 as a street enterprise selling home-baked bread to passing commuter traffic, eventually developed into a well-established bakery and cafeteria. From the start, its customers found so much more than simple loaves of bread. It fast became an important and encouraging part of many people’s daily lives, and not even Covid could put a stop to this mission! “The pandemic came so unexpectedly that all our plans were thrown in the air,” continued Adriana. “Actually we were one of the few businesses allowed to stay open, but the new directives did not permit us to work normally. We weren’t allowed to be anywhere near other people or to serve tables. The customers could enter and quickly collect their bread, but with absolutely no time to chat. However many people no longer left their homes at all, and we asked ourselves what we could do for these people to get our products to them and also to let them feel we were close to them in such a difficult period. So we decided to start our own delivery service. We took on a friend of the Focolare Movement who was looking for work, supplied him with a small truck and we were ready to start deliveries. Orders came flooding in. We developed new products, began offering hot meals and packages of food essentials. We received very positive feedback on how happy our customers were. Throughout this period, thanks to God’s Providence, we’ve managed to survive every economic crisis which has allowed us to keep on all our staff”. What have you been through in this period? “We’ve seen real miracles of love throughout the pandemic. On Mothers’ Day last year, Brazil was still in lockdown. So we received many orders from the children of our clients who wanted us to provide gift hampers to their mothers they couldn’t visit in person. As we know many of our clients very well, we were able to prepare tailor-made hampers to each one’s taste and design greetings cards. We worked flat out, day and night, in that period. And the same again over Christmas. To ease the solitude of people, even just with a smile, is priceless. The pandemic has also meant we’ve got to know our employees better. Many travel to work by public transport and so were putting their own health at risk every day. Some Focolarini and youth from around Mariapolis Ginetta offered to drive to collect them in the morning and take them home again in the evening. A real network was created. It also meant we got to know each other’s home situations more than before and we saw that some of our employees were enduring serious hardship. We tried to act as a family and assist where we could. Everyone got involved. Even one of our clients, who actually does not share our faith in God, hearing of these difficulties, has started to leave a monthly financial contribution to help. In this way we see the “dough” rising gradually, and the yeast, which is love, continues to grow and spread”. Adriana, what does Espiga Dourada mean to you today? “This bakery was born because people wanted it. So anyone can feel at home here. It’s a passing place for many people from all social backgrounds. Business people, the well-off, and also workers and less well-off. All are welcome here and it’s rare that someone comes in only to buy a product. It may be a friendly “good morning” they need, or a bit of a chat, or to ask for help. We also have our regulars who come at dawn each day to claim yesterday’s bread free of charge, but even some of them try to leave a contribution if they possibly can”.
Maria Grazia Berretta
See also: Brazil: The “bread-making girls” available in English
