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Sep 1, 2013 | Non categorizzato
A sorrow shared
A friend of my daughter had recently lost her father and one sister in an automobile accident. I only knew the mother by sight. I felt urged to go and visit her, but I realized one visit wouldn’t be enough. I should do more. I went by the market and bought some groceries and brought them to her. But I didn’t have the courage to speak to her. What could I say? How would I be able to console her? I gathered my courage and returned several times to visit her. I discovered that she was in need of some money, so I brought it to her. A few days later I found her strengthened, convinced in life and grateful for our friendship born of a sorrow that is shared. (P. G. – Bolivia)
Terminated
A new director had come to the company where I had been working for 25 years. He was young and inexperienced. As spokesperson for the concerns of the company’s employees I was supposed to point out his errors during the administrative council meeting, to which his wife also belonged. At the same time I didn’t want to break the relationship, and so I chose my words carefully in order not to exacerbate the situation. After two years of this, one morning the director told me I was fired. Although shocked, I assured him that I would do my best until the last day of work. Shortly before my termination he asked me to stay on. He said his previous decision had been reckless. But in the meantime, my wife and I had already begun our own business and so I declined his offer. The last day was filled with surprises, the company held a feast with gifts and a letter of thanks. The workers also expressed their gratitude to me for all that I had done in their favor. (E.C. – Switzerland)
At the wash house
Days ago I went to the public washing place near to my house, to wash some laundry. There was a beautiful sun and many women were there washing laundry. We were chatting so joyfully when an old man arrived. He could hardly see. He held two bed sheets, a shirt and his turban, which were all in need of washing. He asked us to move aside and give him some space. No one wanted to move aside for him. I turned to him and said: “Baba,” which is the way we address the elderly, “give your things to me and I will wash them for you.” The other women began to laugh: “What? With that mountain of laundry you already have?” I invited the Baba again and began to wash his laundry. He was so happy. He gave me his fatherly blessing and before leaving, he wanted to give me his small piece of soap which he was so jealously guarding. No one laughed now. In the silence something new happened. One shared her basin with the other; one brought the pitcher filled with water to the one who was far from the font. . . A chain of collaboration had been set in motion. (F.N. – Pakistan)
Sep 1, 2013 | Non categorizzato
© Chiara Lubich Centre
As some Middle Eastern countries – with faithful of different religions – are going through difficult moments, we offer a talk by Chiara Lubich which she delivered during a meeting of Chrisitans and Muslim friends of the Focolare. It was November 1, 2002.
The title was: “Some characterstics of love for neighbor.”From the first words we become aware of the deep brotherly relationship among the numerous listeners, a strong and timely testimony of a friendship between Christians and Muslims that is not only possible, but already a reality among many who are living in those conflicted lands.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, it is with great joy that I welcome you. May the Lord bless this gathering and grant that it produce finest fruit.” These were the opening words of Chiara as she greeted her joyful audience.
She began her presentation by offering her own experience of the encounter with God, a God who is Love and who urges us to love our brothers and sisters.
She strongly underscored that love for neighbour, composed of mercy, benevolence, compassion, solidarity and charity. . . “is of utmost importance if we wish to create that brotherhood that the world is in such need of.”
Listen to the video: L’amore al prossimo
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Aug 31, 2013 | Non categorizzato
Burkino Faso, “the land of upright people,” is a country in West Africa. It is one of the poorest countries in the world. The population is concentrated in the south centre of the country but, due to the high rate of unemployment, many migrate seasonally to neighbouring countries. A great part of its economy is financed by international aid. Bobo-Dioulasso is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural city due to its historical role as a crossroad of the Saharan commercial routes. Since 2005 the Teens4Unity Association has been promoting the Seeds of Brotherhood project in Sarfalao, one of the poorest quarters in the city, which is geared towards youths and teenagers. The project, which is inserted into the partnering project (Schoolmates), involves teens from the North to the South of the globe, offering after-school scholarships to anyone who is unable to attend school due to cost and conditions of poverty. Over the years, the project was then expanded to offer an ever growing number of teens the possibility of scholastic support and social training courses by academic level. Some needed help in English, some in Mathematics, some in French, and so on. The goal: to help them pass their final examinations. 
Thanks to the scholarship, two students attended a professional training course; one is learning sewing and another is training to be a professional hair-dresser. The poorest youths, along with their families, are provided a daily meal that for many is the only meal of the day. In the area of sport, with help from the Registry of Sport in Austria, they have been able to construct a canopied playing area, a fence and a storage building for equipment. Through the project teachers are able to purchase the costly school materials that are then sold to families at a reduced price which they can afford. This allows the parents to feel part of their own children’s education. Everything is carried out in an attitude of deep respect for the human dignity of each person, in a reciprocal exchange of giving and striving to create relationship among teachers and students and families. Some mothers, for example, willingly cook for everyone each day. They are given a small stipend that helps them to care for their families. One boy, who receives assistance through the project, wanted to offer something in return and built a swing for the younger children. There are also many moments for play and being together, cooking, learning to make paper flowers, eating sweets, cakes and jam . . . having a great time together! During one meeting with the young people, there was a discussion about the rights and duties of the children and youths. When someone asked if anyone could name one right that young teenagers have, one boy immediately answered: “To love!” Source: www.school-mates.org
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Aug 30, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
“
The increasingly critical situation in Syria requires a thorough examination of all political and diplomatic instruments at the disposal of the international community for its resolution. In the first place, we believe that all remaining possibilities for negotiation should be urgently explored, along the lines of what was begun in Geneva; this approach, if successful, would have deeper effects both for internal stability, and for relations between the countries of the Middle East. In the second place, the investigation into who was responsible for the use of chemical weapons must be carried out with the rigor appropriate to the seriousness of the offense, in the most transparent manner, by independent organs with full empowerment and effective access under the UN mandate. In any case, there must be no intervention without a specific mandate of the UN. Any initiative outside this framework cannot be considered legitimate. Besides, any intervention which is not accompanied by a comprehensive strategy based on national reconciliation, transitional justice, and political and institutional reconstruction, agreed by all the agents involved internally and internationally, would be contradictory and counterproductive. It is precisely the complexity of the Syrian crisis that reinforces the necessity of a regional agreement on the resolution of disputes and tensions before they become serious conflicts. This process has to be encouraged and supported in all possible ways, in every political and diplomatic institution. The development of peaceful and constructive relations in the entire area of the Mediterranean and the Middle East that foster inter-independent paths of fair, pluralist and balanced growth for the peoples of the region demands a responsible approach to the bilateral and multilateral relations of these countries involving all governments, societies and citizens. We therefore address a strong appeal to all bodies of the international community and to all parties involved to do everything possible – with urgency and with full awareness of the consequences of their actions – to ensure a just and lasting peace.
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Aug 29, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
«My company, Tecnodoor, designs and manufactures automatic and manual doors for industrial and civil use in Isera, Italy. I have belonged to the Economy of Communion (EoC) since 1994, basing the company on this new way of doing business: renewing relationships, maximizing collaboration at all levels, both internally among staff and members and outside with clientele. The current economic crisis affected us precisely at the point which is the life and stability of the company: loans. After a careful evaluation of defaults, we decided on countermeasures to bring things back into balance, trying out new strategies to recover our debts. Over the years we had done honest work, but mostly we had built faith with our customers. What were we to do now in order not to ruin these relationships, by asking them to settle their debts? One night I just couldn’t sleep, so many thoughts were running through my mind. The basic question was: how should an entrepreneur like me act who wants to remain consistent with the EoC Project, when it comes to recovering legitimate claims? I thought about what the key points were that I should never let go of. Little by little a mode of operation began to become clear to my mind: a) manage “credit recovery” not as if it were my own thing, but as an assignment I’ve been given; b) don’t break relationships, but try to strengthen them; c) listen fully to the suffering that the other company or the customer is experiencing; d) objectively explain the “suffering” of our own company and the possible consequences. 
After that sleepless night I wanted to give my reflections a try. With a heart as much as possible detached from the not so easy task, and believing that every neighbour – whether creditor, employer or supplier – was a brother or sister, I began. I listened deeply on the phone or during personal meetings. The result was that we began to receive payments in whole or by instalments. But the most important thing is that we never severed or even damaged any relationships, but strengthened everyone’s personal confidence and trust in us». By Pietro Comper Source: EoC Insert Città Nuova n.13/14 – 2013
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Aug 28, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
The encounter with other charisms is fascinating to me, and doing it in the place where Chiara Luce Badano had radically lived the Gospel, has given it a sense of newness and youthfulness.” So writes Alessandro, a young religious from the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He is one of 22 young people who met in Sassello, Italy, the birthplace of the young Blessed, between August 19, 2013 and August 23, 2013. The meeting “From Light to Light – Chiara Luce for Young Consecrated Religious” was an opportunity for young men and women religious from different charisms to take part in a workshop in which they uncovered what they share in common and asked about their young calling to consecrated life. They were from 7 congregations: Friars Minor, Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, Missionaries of St. Paola Frassinetti, Franciscan Missionary Brothers and Sisters, Little Brothers of the Risen Jesus of the New Horizons and the Missionaries of Joy. “It was a powerful experience,” writes Friar Andrea. “We let ourselves be ‘swept away’ by the Spirit who was pushing us to create communion among our charisms to make the face of the Church shine with its beautiful new young face.” “It was a splendid opportunity to share as a young consecrated religious who is close to the spirituality of the Focolare,” commented Sr. Cinzia from the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor. “A very enriching experience of communion and a fine training, an occasion for reflecting on holiness in daily life to which we are all invited. I truly experienced that if we live in a relationship of love and mutual knowledge among different charisms, we draw close to God.” The workshop was structured according to the three-word slogan from the Beatification ceremony of Chiara Luce: “Life, love, light.” 
On the day dedicated to “life” Fr. Theo Jansen showed how the life of Christ, which enlivens the Church, has blossomed in the various charisms and how it now pushes for communion and mutual love. In the work sessions we explored how the charisms respond to Jesus’ mission: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (Jn. 10:10). In front of the disadvantages and problems of youth, and the economic crisis, two illuminating experiences were offered: Matteo Zini from New Horizons showed how the charism of joy, as abundant life, leads to Resurrection and to the underworld of the streets (drugs, alcohol, prostitution, and criminality. . . ); and Livio Bertola, a businessman from the EoC showed how the Gospel also renews the world of economy. In the evening everyone vented their talents: a cute talent show, with games, comedy and song. On the day dedicated to “love” Fr. Andrea Patane spoke of the discovery of love and it implications, as it was intuited and lived by Chiara Lubich and her companions; Fr. Jacopo Papi related the experience of Chiara Luce to that of young consecrated religious; and Fr. Donato Cauzzo, Secretary of the Prefect of the Congregation for Religious, highlighted the power of the Spirit which pushes the charisms to live in communion so that the face of Christ shine even more. 
On the day dedicated to “light” there was the testimony of Silvia who had lived the Gen experience together with Chiara Luce: the experience of Lorenza from the New Families group; the experience of Giuliano, the bar man at the coffee bar and great friend of Chiara Luce; and a moment of intense prayer at the tomb of the young Blessed. Friar Andrea, from the Franciscan Missionary Brothers, offered a summary of the 5 days together: “It was a moment of Heaven that was much more than expected. How the Lord and Chiara Luce have transformed us during these days! And lively was the communion among us, in spite of the diversity of our callings!” They left with this desire for communion, to carry to many the “torch” that Chiara Luce wanted to hand on to the youth. Their next appointment is for Loppiano 2014.
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Aug 27, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
On the 17th Day for Peace, 70 Christians and Jews met for two days of dialogue and study at the Focolare’s permanent Mariapolis in Argentina (August 8, 2013 – August 19, 2013).
This year’s theme: “Love of neighbour in the Jewish and Christian traditions.” The programme opened with the testimonies of 6 Jews and 3 Christians who had attended an interreligious gathering organized by the Focolare at Castelgandolfo, Italy, last May. Their experiences highlighted the important steps being taken towards greater mutual understanding.
What is the secret of the success and continuity of this Day for Peace? The participants answer: “It offers a space for sincere sharing that is governed by fraternal affection and mutual respect, in which you are certain of the trust, listening and acceptance by the others.”
There were many salient moments. The first everyone remembers was the encounter with Pope Francis that aroused great emotion.
Focolarina theologian Lidia Erbetta, and Rabbi Silvina Chemen from the Beth El community, then presented a study on chapter 4 of the Book of Genesis. This chapter presents the well-known story of Cain and Abel and that fateful question: “Where is your brother?” Erbetta and Chemen proposed a group dynamic along the lines of the hevruta; that is, a study among equals, according to the tradition of the Talmud for the examination of Biblical texts. But this hevruta was not between only two people but six members of a communion and study group, and was followed by reflections from the presenters.
The same scheme was followed on the second day, this time with Francesco Canzani from the Focolare, and Rabbi Ernesto Yattah, who examined the Gospel text of Mark 12:29-33: the Gospel text in which Jesus recalls that what counts most is to love God and neighbour.
The Day of Peace concluded with a blessing at the olive tree that had been brought from Nazareth 15 years ago by Jewish friend, Ignazio Salzberg. This tree has become a symbol of Jewish-Christian dialogue at Mariapolis Lia.
This year again many spoke of the enthusiasm created by the meeting, the fruit of mutual and respectful dialogue, and the desire to go on living it in each individual’s daily social context.
Aug 26, 2013 | Non categorizzato, Word of
Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. We are to love, John says, not only in action but also in truth. Christian love, at the same time as trying to be translated into actual deeds, is deeply concerned with being inspired by the truth of love that we find in Jesus; it is deeply concerned with doing deeds that conform to Jesus’ wishes and teachings. We must love, that is, in the way and with the measure Jesus shows us. Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. How are we to live the Word of Life this month? Its message is almost too clear. It is a reminder of that genuine Christianity upon which Jesus insisted so much. But isn’t this also what the world is longing for? Isn’t it perhaps true that the world today wants to see witnesses of the love of Jesus? Let’s, therefore, love in action and not only in word, beginning with the humble services that are asked of us each day by those around us. And let’s love in truth. Jesus always acted according to the Father’s will. In the same way, we should act always according to Jesus’ words. He wants us to recognize him in each neighbour. In fact, whatever we do to any person he considers as done to himself. He also wants us to love others as ourselves, and he wants us to love one another ready to give up our lives one for the other. Let’s love like this, then, so that we too may be instruments of Jesus for the salvation of the world.
Chiara Lubich
First published in May 1988
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Aug 26, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
Africa, the Middle East was the cradle of great civilizations and 3 monotheistic religions. For thousands of years these lands held a very noticeable influence on Asia Minor and the European Mediterranean. Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Hittites, Phoenicians, Persians, Greeks, Arabs and Turks have let an indelible mark through their culture, art and religions. Judaism, Christianity and Islam were begun in this region, and it was here in Jerusalem that their holy city is found.
November 27, 1999 in Jordan is a day that will forever remain an unforgettable day for the members of the Focolare in these lands. Founder Chiara Lubich visited the Middle East and met some thousand members of the Focolare in Amman. They came from more than 20 countries (from the Middle East and beyond), some travelling over 20 hours by bus, others in airplanes, and overcoming impossible obstacles. A thousand people representing the more than 25,000 people who belong to the Movement in those lands. On that occasion, Chiara said to the crowd: “It’s wonderful to be with you. We are many peoples, but in this hall we are one.”
Two days later, on November 29, during the 7th Assembly of the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP), which was held in Amman, during her speech, Chiara Lubich presented the “Art of Loving” including the aspect of loving everyone without distinction, taking the initiative in loving, putting yourself in the other person’s shoes and remembering that every human being has made in the image and likeness o God. She offered as an effective way of building peace among individuals and peoples.
On August 28, 2013, the current president and co-president of the Focolare, Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti, are expected to meet with the Focolare community in Jordan. Their visit will last through September 1, 2013 and is seen as an important and delicate encounter, considering the latest painful events in that region, especially in Egypt.
At the WCRP Assembly in 1999, Chiara Lubich had stated: “We are here today because we believe that in spite of everything,, peace is still possible. In fact it is the only path for a future that is worthy of the highest human values.” Perhaps these words are the key or understanding the upcoming visit of the Focolare president in Jordan.
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Aug 25, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
“We are pleased and grateful for this honour,” commented Gerhard Pross, spokesperson of the German project committee. “For us this provides a further boost that the spirit of “Together for Europe” – communion and Christian values – might shine more in society and in the Churches.” Past award winners have included ex-German Chancellor Helmut Kohl; Polish Archbishop Emeritus Alfons Nossol; and the Community of St. Egidio. 
“Together for Europe” began in Ottmaring, Germany on the day of the signing of the historic “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification” (October 31, 1999). On that same day several Catholic and Evangelical Movements and New Communities were gathered at the Ecumenical Centre of Ottmaring to begin living the Gospel together. Gradually, “Together for Europe” emerged as “a free encounter between Christian movements – Catholics, Evangelicals, members of the Reformed Church, Anglicans and Orthodox. While remaining autonomous they act together on set occasions, offering the contribution of their particular charism and spirituality.” Their principle objective is to work together at “incrementing Europe’s Christian soul”. The St Ulrich Award was instituted in 1993 by the European St. Ulrich Foundation in Dillingen, the birthplace of the saint, on the thousandth anniversary of his beatification. There is a strong push in this city and the surrounding region to work for peace and for the building of a Europe founded on Christian values. The award is conferred every two years on individuals, projects or institutions involved in the political, religious, cultural, scientific, economic or social sphere for the unity of Europe in accordance with the spirit of St Ulrich. In the reasons set out for the 2014 Award it is stated that: “the Together for Europe network is committed to the promotion of a culture of communion and to a supportive community in Europe founded upon Christian values. It favours the development of freedom and humanitarian efforts which have been undermined by the financial and economic crises in Europe”. Endowed with 10,000 Euro, the Award will be given to the “Together for Europe” International Guidance Committee in May 2014 in Dillingen.
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Aug 24, 2013 | Non categorizzato
The week-long retreat, entitled “In the Footsteps of Chiara Luce”, organised by the Gen Seminarians (Gens) of the Focolare, concluded with a joyful international feast at the Sassello parish church (August 13, 2013 – August 16, 2013). Twenty Gens, 15 priests and 20 seminarians and youths took part in the event. They travelled from 13 countries (one from the Mariana Islands in Oceania) to spend ten days ‘In the Footsteps of Chiara Luce.’” For some it was the first encounter with the Focolare Movement.”
The president and co-president of the Focolare Movement welcomed the young people with a written message: “Dear Gens, It would take forever to share with you all that our young people are doing everywhere in the world. Together we have set out to be living gospels and to give witness through mutual love that God is the most beautiful, fulfilling and liberating ideal that any young person could meet, regardless of their calling.”
The 10 days together at Sassello were like a Mariapolis. There were also families with children, grandparents and some nuns. We attended Mass together and prayed the Rosary in our different languages after supper. A few times we had moments of common meditation and reflection. A strong relationship was formed with the Sassello parish. At the concluding mass on Sunday, there was an exchange of gifts.
The best part was the close moments spent together with the parents of Chiara Luce Badano, first in their home where they welcomed us with open hearts and told us about little Chiara’s life until the age of nine. Then they came a second time to visit us and share with us about Chiara Luce’s life and her relationship with the Focolare Movement. With them came Chicca and Franz Coriasco, friends of the young Blessed, who told us about her life as a Gen. We all realized that we could never really know her unless we went to the source of her holiness: the charism of Chiara Lubich.
Also touching were the testimonies of people who had lived with Chiara Luce: Giuliano, the barman at the coffee bar stressed her normality; Aldina, instead, led us to understand the secret through which Chiara Luce had managed to live those “25 minutes,” that is, her ongoing ‘yes’ to Jesus Forsaken, when she was informed that her illness was serious and irreversible. But the fact is that from when she was a child, a Gen 3, she had already heard talk of Jesus forsaken and she had always tried to live each moment of her life saying to Jesus ‘For you, Jesus’ or ‘if you want it, I want it too, Jesus.’”
Some impressions; “This was a marvelous experience. Not only have I deepened my knowledge of the extraordinary figure of Chiara Luce, but I’ve also sensed the universal breadth of the church united by the personal love of Jesus for each one of us. I want to enter more deeply into the spirituality of the Movement, but also to transmit what I’ve taken in during these days” (A seminarian).
“I’ve grown in the faith and here I’ve learned that it’s important to begin again” (A young man who is “searching”).
“This was an enriching experience;” a “launching pad for a new take-off;” “normality is a path for becoming saints.”
By Alexander Duno
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Aug 22, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
Mumbai is the economic heart of India and one of the largest and most densely populated cities in the country. But many of its 20 million inhabitants live on the streets or in slums found all over in the city. In one of these, about forty minutes by train from the centre of the city in the north west, live about 400 thousand people in conditions of extreme poverty.
It is here that in 1997 several families in the slum decided to set up a social project in collaboration with ‘Support at a Distance’, a project run by New Families. In 2001, during her first visit to India, Chiara Lubich encouraged them to develop what they had begun as ‘a practical response to the poverty around us.’
From then on the project has grown. Today it cares for 115 young people from 4 to 22 years old. Its activities aim at supporting students in their schooling, nutrition and health, in order to raise the standard of life for them and their families. In 2004 the project took the name ‘Udisha’ which means ‘the sun ray that announces the new dawn’. Today Udisha participates in the Schoolmates project, a Teens for Unity project, which seeks to build up a network among school classes and groups of young people in various countries and to support projects that promote solidarity.
Main activities:
Schooling and education. In India the schools have 70-80 students per class. This makes it difficult to give individual tuition and, to pass their exams, the young people have to attend expensive private support lessons. The poorest among them, since they cannot afford this, are forced to give up their studies. Udisha, therefore, offers free support lessons in several subjects. In addition it tries to raise funds to pay for further schooling, educational equipment and school uniforms. Occasionally extra-curricular cultural and recreational activities are organized.
Intercultural awareness. There are various religions present at Udisha: Christian, Hindu and Muslim. One of the project’s objectives is to contribute to creating constructive integration, culturally, religiously, linguistically and also between the generations. It encourages exchanges of experience and activities, working together especially with the Shanti Ashram of Coimbatore.
Medical treatment. Many of the young people suffer from malnutrition. They are at risk from the seasonal epidemics that come with the rains or floods. For this reason during the year there are group medical visits involving both doctors in the area and other organizations. Help is also given to improve domestic diet with proteins and vitamins through the distribution of food stuffs and dietary supplements. For some time a counselling service for young people and parents has also been on offer.
Training in parenting. Meetings to raise understanding and to share good practice among families are organized periodically for parents. These are occasions for a rich exchange of experiences, advice and points of view.
Microcredit. A year ago Udisha began an small venture into microcredit which involves seventy of the young people’s mothers. Split into three groups that meet monthly, these mothers have been trained in microcredit in the kind of atmosphere of mutual trust absolutely necessary for such a venture to work. This year they will start to offer loans.
Source: Schoolmates website
Aug 21, 2013 | Non categorizzato
Video:
Transcript
Erik Hendrik: According to you, what is the secret of true love?
Chiara Lubich: The secret of true love is this, the secret lies in this: that the love we speak of is what is truly understood by the Gospel. The Gospel is the good news that Christ brought on earth, so it’s a love as it is conceived in God, not on earth. It’s a love that we see being lived by the persons of the Most Holy Trinity. For example, the Father loves everyone and lets the rain fall and makes the sun rise on the good and on the bad, he loves everyone. So it’s a love that puts us in the disposition to love all our brothers and sisters, so not only our relatives, friends or the ones we like, but we have to love everyone. Therefore, during the day, in order to love them, we have to single out every person we meet.
A second requirement of this love, which does not exist on earth precisely because it comes from Heaven, is that we must be the first to love and not wait to be loved. Generally, one waits to be loved in order to love. Instead it must be like this: we must be the first to love and this is shown by Jesus, the second divine Person who became man, who died for us when we were yet sinners, which means that we certainly were not loving then.
It’s a tangible love, like that of Jesus, who gave his life. It’s not a sentimental, platonic love, but one that becomes real. It’s a love that “makes itself one” with the other, with those who suffer and those who rejoice, and participate in the suffering and helps those who suffer or participates in the joy.
If this love is practiced in the world, and the Movement lives it, … it’s the secret of the Movement. The Movement has lived it in all the nations of the world. Generally it has been reciprocated because people feel loved and get along well with us. So they ask us, “But why?” And we explain why we love. So a dialogue between us and others begins, and they are not all Christians, not all Catholic, but many times belonging to other religions, even non-believers. But even non-believers, in their DNA, have the idea of loving and the strength to love because they are created by God who is Love.
This is something about love.
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Aug 20, 2013 | Cultura
By Susan Muto What’s in it for me? What’s the takeaway? Susan Muto challenges us to turn away from the cultural impulse toward me-centeredness. By word and deed, Jesus teaches us not to place ourselves at the center of anything. Muto maps out the factors that work against our being one in the Lord – both egotism and self-criticism, the demands of modern worklife, technology’s propensity to isolate us from one another, our preconceptions about the right way to proceed, and the difficulty of forgiveness. Read more Orders New City Press (NY): http://www.newcitypress.com/one-in-the-lord.html Soon available as an eBook (more…)
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Aug 19, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
I come from a small city near El Paso, Texas, where there is not much recreational fun. It offered me, though, something more valuable. The educational principles of the day-care center I attended as a child were based on the Art of Loving. So I have been trying to put them into practice for more than 70% of my life. Later we started our own youth group in our city called “
Teens for Unity” following the same principles. This small group has remained small, but our impact on the city can be seen. We decided to name our first project “
Colouring our city”. Like many other teens around the world, we didn’t literally color the city with crayons and colored pencils, but in order to color the city, we brought joy and fresh energy to it. One project was planting trees at local bus stations. These trees not only provide more oxygen for the environment, but also shade for local citizens who wait for the bus to arrive. Other projects have been: gathering school supplies for children in Mexico, sending support letters to victims of the Haiti earthquake, and most recently visiting the senior citizens center to provide them with companionship. Luckily, we received support from our mayor who gave us permission for our projects showing how he too wants to see a positive change in the city. A huge activity our youth group got into was the broadcast from a local radio station called
Chicos Por la Unidad (Young for Unity), 1110 AM Radio Guadalupana. Even though El Paso has been named the safest city in America for the last three years, because of its location on the border people are continually exposed to violence, injustice and poverty. We wanted to find some way to give the values of peace, brotherhood and love to the young people of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, our “sister city” right across the border and one of the most dangerous towns in Mexico. It took three months to get the approval, but in the end we created an hour-long program called “Teens for Unity — where only love can change the world.” For more than a year, we crossed the border into Mexico each week to go on air. We shared our initiatives and our personal experiences on how we tried to practice the Art of Loving in our daily lives. At first the program was dedicated to teens, but as the months went by, we decided to open our message to everyone. We would get feedback from listeners who called in or sent messages on the radio station website. Once we actually hosted a live event. Our youth group went to a restaurant in El Paso, where the radio station was broadcasting live. They gave us an hour of the program. The night consisted of fun games, sharing the word of God and sharing our experiences on how we loved our neighbors. All of these activities may seem like a lot of fun and you might think, “Wow, I would certainly take my family members or friends”. But it wasn’t always that easy. There was a time when there were basically two friends and my siblings in the group. It was disappointing because we did not get members quickly, but we would not stop. Even though our group became smaller, we still kept the principle of loving one another alive. Eventually, after about half a year we received more members and our events began to grow again! Our most recent project is called “Teens Got Talent Show”. We thought, why not host a local event, not for monetary gain, but for promoting love, unity and service? We invite young people to share their God-given talents with the community. We have hosted the event three times, twice at a local library, and once in a day care center for the elderly. The young people who perform have amazing talents. We continue to host these events where the performers expect no money, only the applause from the happy crowd.
By Jose Castro Source:
www.livingcitymagazine.com
Related video on YouTube: “Colour My City”
Making our cities a better place to live. Based on a talk given by Chiara Lubich in 1970.
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Aug 18, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
Many cities were united with one another by a network of Mariapolises that were held around the world this year, from Sicily, in Italy to Bolivia, from Macedonia to the United States. Each Mariapolis had its own personality, but all of them shared the same spirit, based on universal brotherhood and the building of a better and more just society. In Chicago, USA, our Muslim friends travelled without food or water because of Ramadan, so that they could take part in the Mariapolis for one day that was dedicated to interreligious dialogue. Experiences on love of neighbor were shared by families, including a Muslim couple and a Jewish and Catholic husband and wife. Diversity of religions and nations was also evident in Macedonia where the theme of the Mariapolis was “The other another me”. The choice of this title immediately heightened the communion among all, between young people and adults, among Muslims, Orthodox and Catholics, between Macedonians and Albanians and also with those who arrived from Kosovo. The splendid natural surroundings, the hiking trails and sport activities provided opportunities to be open to one another and enter into the life stories of others. 
The motto of the Mariapolis in Lithuania was “Being bridges.” One bridge was built with Syria by inviting everyone to pray the time out for peace each day and collecting money for areas ravaged by war. Nearly 459 euros were collected. Many other bridges were built among people of different languages and cultures: there were Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians. The language barrier was overcome by speaking Russian, which is a common language among adults, while the young people spoke English among themselves. Language was never a barrier on the other side of the world in Indonesia where Indonesian, Chinese and English were the languages used by the 125 participants of the Mariapolis in Yogyakarta. And so a bit of the world has lived an extraordinary experience, the same experience that is repeated when evangelical love lies at the basis of every relationship. In Argentina the motto of the Mariapolis was “An experience of society renewed” to underscore that it is possible to transform society if we begin from ourselves, from our surroundings, remaining faithful in small things. From children to elderly, everyone experienced the various expressions of love: tangible, joyful, true, concrete love.
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Aug 17, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
They write from Egypt: “We want to assure you that all the members of the Movement in Egypt are well. The 14th of August was quite a painful day for the country, especially for Christians. As expected the government decided to vacate the occupied squares and unfortunately the reaction was surprisingly violent not only against the army, but against Christians as well. Throughout the country important churches, even ancient ones have been burned, also convents and schools that are run by men and women religious orders. Moderate Muslims immediately spoke out against the attacks and many offered to stand around churches to protect them. The grateful Christians asked them not to put their own lives in danger, because buildings can be reconstructed once the violence has passed.” “The Coptic Church is offering a powerful witness: Pope Tawadros has asked the faithful not to respond to any of the violence: “Will they burn the churches? We will pray in the mosques. Will they burn the mosques? We will pray in the churches. Will they burn both? We will pray together in the streets, for we are all Egyptians.” A. M. from the hard hit city of Assiut writes: “The church buildings have become incense burners, and the incense rises to Heaven to beg God for mercy on this people and grant miracles.” “A month-long state of emergency has been declared and in many cities there is a curfew from 19:00 until 6:00 in the morning. The situation is very serious and we are living moments of suspension, but we are held up by our unwavering faith in God’s love, a faith found not only in us but in all of Egypt’s Christians and Muslims.” “We feel the strong support of prayers from the Movement around the world and, on this feast of Our Lady’s Assumption, we have entrusted to Mary the people of this land who love her so dearly. “Rooted in the life of the Gospel, which invites us to love one another and everyone else, we offer this great suffering for the strengthening of peace not only here, but in the entire Middle East.”
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Aug 16, 2013 | Senza categoria
The guava tree A guava tree has been growing in front of my house for a long time but I’ve never been able to taste any of its fruit, because as soon as a guava appears, someone shakes the tree and it falls without maturing. This really disturbs me! Another situation that annoyed me quite a bit: For several years I’ve been providing food to the street children who come to my door asking for something to eat. I offer them the food on disposable paper plates, which they inevitably discard with leftover food on the sidewalk in front of my house, on my car or on my neighbour’s property. One day, after having offered supper to them, I recalled the words of the Gospel: “for the whole law is contained in this one word: Love your neighbour as you love yourself (Gal. 5:14) Then I thought, ‘How can it be that so many years have gone by that I have been feeding these boys and I don’t even know their names?’ And so I went out in search of them and began to converse with them. I asked them their names and became interested in their worries and concerns. They shared the serious problems in their families, which they have to face each day. I felt better after listening to them and I believe they sensed that I was genuinely interested in them. Now the boys no longer throw the trash on the street, but in the trash bin. And going back to my beloved guava tree, nobody shakes it anymore and there are so many mature fruits that I’m even able to share some with neighbours and friends. The miracle of reciprocal love truly envelopes everyone and can be a blessing for every human being!” (S. D. – Honduras) He was an illegal immigrant * 
I had hired Dominic from Morocco, who had been living illegally in Italy for four years. This job would have enabled him to obtain legal residence in the country. While waiting for him to obtain his papers, in agreement with our children, he came to live temporarily with us. His presence in our home opened us to new horizons. He told us about his people, of his traditions, his home the open meadows and his horses. . . He also spoke to us of Allah and of the goodness and justice shared by all human beings. It’s so true. Knowing someone more deeply and offering sincere hospitality can bring down century-old walls of suspicion and fear. (C.A. – Italy) 
The birthday * We had invited some of my daughter’s friends for her birthday. Given our economic situation, we couldn’t offer them any gifts, so we filled a basket with sweets and chocolates. I had baked two cakes and her brothers prepared balloons and colourful garlands. When the feast was over, there was still one cake left, the more beautiful one. As we went to bed for the night, Mabelen was a bit sad. The day before was the birthday of a girl her own age, who didn’t have a birthday feast. I suggested we send the girl, the cake that had remained. She lit up: “Not only the cake! All the garlands and balloons as well!” I was overjoyed, because Consuelo would have also had a birthday feast. (D.Y. – Argentina) (*) The Gospel of the day, (Rome: Città Nuova Ed., August, 2013).
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Aug 15, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
The doors of LoppianoLab will be open from September 20, 2013 until September 22, 2013 at Loppiano, near Florence, Italy. Then, the workshop will continue which began in 2009 in the north of the country and involved more than ten thousand Italian citizens in promoting projects and round table discussions on civil society, the world of economics and work, young people, culture and training. Throughout the year proposals that emerge have become civil work sites where, with the input of local citizens projects and proposals have been developed in response to emergencies being faced by the country: legality, work, interreligious dialogue the educational crisis. Paolo Loriga, editor of Citta Nuova magazine, explains: “It is inevitable that some burning issues will be at the central in this year’s programme. The four promoters of the event: Lionello Bonfanti Business Park, Citta Nuova Press Group, Sophia University Institute and the International Focolare Centre of Loppiano will offer their own unique contributions. They will also be involved in coming up with a map of new paths and new trails that will be proposed for Italy’s hopeful future. Results of the many projects that have been developed over the past year by young people, trainers and entrepreneurs will also be collected and assembled. Two training courses of Civil Economy and Communion will attend the workshop, a network of companies that have generated jobs and innovation and a workshop on social information. Several projects on legality will be presented, which were carried out by networking with many citizens and local associations in Milan, Naples and Sicily.” The title of the event “Safeguarding Italy and building the future together” expresses an urgency to care for the country while remaining open to Europe and the Mediterranean regions, highlighting instead the networks of interdependence that connect the revival of a region and an industry to the people and communities that live and work there. The Lionello Bonfanti Business Park will once again host the Expo of businesses connected with the Economy of Communion, providing exhibition areas and meeting rooms also for private enterprises and non-profit businesses that work in the area of sustainability and responsible economy. This year’s annual convention will focus on the topic: “The Economy of Communion at a time of crisis: hoping and beginning again with new experience and new ideas.”
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Aug 14, 2013 | Non categorizzato
Preparations are underway for the “Learning Fraternity” Convention that will take place in Castelgandolfo, Italy on September 6, 2013 – September 8, 2013 in response to two major educational challenges of the day: “Educating and Globalisation” and “Education and Relationships.” Promoted by New Humanity the convention workshop is directed to anyone in the field of education: families, schools, catechists, group leaders, researchers, and also the students themselves who will be attending from several countries of Asia, Africa, America and Europe. The convention is sponsored by the Italian National Commission for UNESCO “in consideration of the high value of the project” inasmuch as it is related to the promotion of educational, cultural and scientific activities carried out by this institution on the international level. 
Learning Fraternity is a project that has gathered many “good practices” from around the world that focus on spreading teaching practices that are based on universal brotherhood. This happened in Slovenia where a group of young experts in the field of communication promoted an educational project in media for small students from the Sunray Kindergarten. In Mexico, Santa Maria College youths from different social backgrounds study in the same classrooms in an atmosphere of brotherly love. In Northern Ireland where the ethnic and religious coexistence has for decades been a situation of high uncertainty, for over twenty years now two Catholic and one Christian Reformed school have formed a “circle of schools” to promote fraternity among their students. The underlying principles of the convention are drawn from the Ideal of unity and brotherhood promoted by the Focolare Movement which has been involved for many years in the spreading of universal brotherhood also in the field of education. Over the years a variety of projects have begun and this event is seen as an opportunity to appreciate the fruits that have emerged, in the world of youths, in social projects and in cultural renewal. An analysis of the information will be promoted by New Humanity (NGO official partner of UNESCO) and social expression of the Focolare Movement in several cultural and social environments, the international New Humanity Movement, the Education and Unity Association, the NGO Action for a United World (AMU) and the Teens4Unity Movement. For more information and constant updates on the numerous “good practices” that are continuing to arrive from around the world, click here to connect with the official website of Learning Fraternity.
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Aug 13, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
“Truly we are eyewitnesses that the Church has taken up a new path as it follows Jesus in a world that is troubled by so much suffering,” said Francis B. Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithanvanij, Archbishop of Bangkok at the opening of the annual fraternal gathering of 50 bishop friends of the Focolare Movement from 4 continents. Following the grand events in Rio the meeting was held at the permanent Mariapolis of the Focolare Movement near San Paulo, Brazil. “There’s someone else at work, the Holy Spirit who constantly calls the Church to reform itself,” observed theologian Hubertus Blaumeiser. This is the constant appeal of Pope Francis.
How does the experience of the bishops enter into this “novelty”? Brendan Leahy, the newly elected Bishop of Limerick, Ireland commented: “At the school of a charism – which is a gift of the Holy Spirit – we must let ourselves be shaped so that, above all, we ourselves can be reformed in our very being; and not only at the level of the individual but also in the communal life among us. Reform always begins from a new experience of God. By living in the light of this charism we have an experience of God that is then communicated beyond us, in all relationships.”
This was the source of the effective and affective collegiality that was lived out with particular intensity during those 10 
days together. One expression of that mutual love was the rich exchange of experiences of the practice of the Gospel in daily life and its effect in their pastoral mission.
Interview with Cardinal Joao Aviz
“I realized that above all I must create a relationship of love with the people I work with and with those I come to meet. I should have no other measure but love,” recounted Cardinal Joao Aviz, Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Consecrated Life. “Just for the fact of listening, half the problems are already resolved. Then, one day, I realized that on the cross Jesus received no answer to his cry: ‘My God, my God why have you abandoned me?’ This really struck me. God’s times are not our times. Then, where there seemed to be no solution, the situation suddenly changes.”
The gathering began with the bishops’ commitment to live in profound unity with the Pope and to live Jesus’ new commandment, which they solemnly and openly declared at the celebration of the Eucharist. The gathering concluded at the final mass with the re-consecration to Jesus crucified and forsaken, who is the measure of this love that embraces and transforms the sufferings of the Church and humanity.
By Carla Cotignoli
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Aug 12, 2013 | Non categorizzato
With unending imagination God put a woman amongst us so that there might be grace amongst us – Our Lady whom everyone can call My Lady (Madonna). And thus He placed love with beauty amongst us. In her, amongst all creatures, a woman was given highest rank and a woman was entrusted with the largest task ever before entrusted to human creature: the task of generating the element of reunion between humanity and the Godhead. For an abyss had opened between these two that human yearning was never able to overcome.
The Author of human society placed a woman amongst us as a font of piety, joy, inspiration and nobility. And since this woman is a virgin she teaches to be pure and induces the fallen to be purified. And since this virgin is a mother, she is the font of grace for us, the fresh spring water of poetry, the bond of goodness and kindness. If you take away the Mother, human society will become gloomy as, like orphans we no longer find her maternal caresses and good help. Her joy can never be replaced by the pride of those who deny her, or by the foolhardy theories of dominators whose interest it is to remove both Mother and Father so that they can look at others as mere rivals to be subdued.
With this feast of the Assumption, Christendom re-echoes in mid-August that Christmas feast which honours the Son in midwinter. And it introduces into the weariness of life a thought of beauty, a virginal poem that overcomes selfishness and remembers the duties of solidarity.
For those who are not influenced by blind pride, politics or false knowledge there remains the revolutionary Messianic assurance of this young woman, by whose activity we are nevermore orphans. This Virgin is the Mother of all and her maternity sustains millions of the tormented and desperate still today.
Igino Giordani in: Le feste, International Publishers Association, 1954
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Aug 11, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
One young woman wrote to her peers from the Meeting 20013 at Caserta, Italy: “I return home enriched with each of you in my heart.” “Working shoulder to shoulder, understanding one another, struggling, dreaming, working deep into the night, feeling discouragement and beginning again, believing . . . All of this done TOGETHER has deeply united us. It’s impossible to turn back!”. Meeting 2013 “Legality – the protagonists of our land” turned out to be a benchmark event for the 500 young people who took part, due to the deep awareness and involvement. The words of Pope Francis in Rio echoed over the miles: “The youth are the window through which the future enters the world. Don’t be left standing at the window of life!” The participants were convinced: “to trigger a change, we need to begin from ourselves.” For young people from northern to southern Italy it was an opportunity to face up to the wound of illegality that spreads throughout the country and heal it with love. Challenges and a call for proposals emerged from the discussion with journalist Roberto Mazzarella. 
Three afternoon sessions: “Legality and the Environment; Legality and Welcome, and Legality and Work, involved a close discussion between the young people and presenters who are on the front lines in giving their witness in the struggle for Legality. Among these was Enrico Fontana, in charge of the Ecomafia of the Lgambiente Party; Fr. Maurizio Patriciello, parish priest from Caivano and stron defender of legality in the “terra dei fuochi;” Dr. Antonio Marfella, oncologist, and Ivan Vitali, economist and director of the conVoi Association. “Legality is not the objective. It’s not a value, but an instrument for reaching the goal that is justice.” These words, spoken by national president of the Libera Party, Fr. Luigi Ciotti sent a thrill through the crowd. “How can love become connected to legality?” the young people wanted to know. Strong words followed: “There’s no legality without equality,” “if people’s personal human dignity is not respected, then legality becomes an instrument of power and exclusion.” He went on: “A well-founded allegation is also a proclamation of salvation,” but “the great sin of today is called delegating;” whereas, every individual “should assume personal responsibility,” which is the third leg of the democratic stool. “What are we willing to pay for our choices to remain faithful to our ideals?” asked the young people in a loud voice. The answers were measured against the events of the mornings in 11 work fields of lands confiscated from the mafia: we need to create community, to become an us that brings back legality. Temporary Procurator of the DDA of Bari, Giuseppe Gatti and RAI journalist Gianni Bianco gave testimony of this us in the book they co-authored, “La legalita del NOI” (The legality of “us”). Sociologist Vera Araujo, from the Focolare Movement, coined a term that summarized the experience and content of the Meeting: the culture of relationships, which pre-supposes and goes beyond legality, but demands action and interaction for the building of community wherever there are people on the fringes of life. The young people also signed a manifesto summarizing their commitments in five points. The next appointment is at “LoppianoLab 2013” (September 20, 2013 – September 22, 2013) for “Safeguarding Italy, creating the future together” and Project “Slot-Machine” which rewards civil virtues in regions that have given up gambling. This project will begin a tour of Italy at the end of September. A memento of the Meeting was left at Caserta, a 120m² mural which the young people took turns painting for 90 hours. It depicts an explosion of colour spewing from a simple pipe. Watch video on Youtube By Victoria Gómez
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Aug 10, 2013 | Non categorizzato
“In the beginning it was the love for God overflowing from our hearts that made us spill our rediscovery of the Gospel to many others. How could this happen again today? By trying to be faithful to the way of life that the Holy Spirit suggested to us back then. Above all to be authentic Christians who first live what the Gospel teaches, people of whom it can be said what was said of the early Christians: ‘Look! See how they love one another. Each of them is ready to die for the other.’” Then, we should be Christians by being people who love everyone without distinction. And our love for everyone should be practical and concrete. We should be Christians who first live this kind of love and then talk about the Gospel to everyone.
And even though you can’t always talk about it with your tongue, you can always allow your heart to speak by showing personal interest in others, calling them by name, for example, greeting them in a way that makes them feel that they’re important to you, that you aren’t indifferent to them, that a bond already exists between them and you, even if it’s only one of silent respect.
If they are able to capture these silent words, then they cannot but make an opening in their hearts. Then there will be no need to wait; say a few words, but say something. Begin, for example, from your own experience with Jesus; talk about him.
Let’s try to fill our days with these types of gestures and words that perhaps we’ve never performed or spoken before. We will bring Jesus’ charm to the world and many people will find themselves falling in love with Him. Then the Kingdom of God will spread beyond our expectations. It will grow so much that you will be able to look ahead as Jesus did when he invited everyone to universal brotherhood as he prayed: “may they all be one (Jn. 17:21).”
It might sound like a crazy dream, but it is a dream that might come true because it’s the dream of God.”
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Aug 9, 2013 | Non categorizzato
What was your impression of the first Latin American Pope’s meeting with CELAM? What do have to say about that meeting?
I think it was historical. Moreover, it was also the first time a Pope ever met with the whole Coordinating body (all the bishops of this four years and all the rest of us who work in coordination). I would characterize the meeting with two words: “paternal” and “fraternal: paternal, because the Pope acts in the name of Peter, as bishop of Rome, the paternal dimension of the Church and, at the same time he was a brother bishop with brother bishops.
This is what he had said he wanted to do, and he did it. All of his gestures and everything he expressed moved in this direction. Moreover, we must not forget that he is the son of the Latin American episcopate. His speech was quite strong, but spoken with paternity and fraternity, accenting some things that he has already been saying, in which, justifiably, he places on guard against a few temptations. He offered a snapshot of what realities that there are in the contemporary Church, he proposed a profile, a figure of a bishop as servant, paternal and maternal together. He said that pastoral service, if he had to define it, would be Mary Mother, the Church as Mother.
He also spoke of the important need for bishops to conduct, but adding that it is necessary that bishops guide, but not by “imposing.” He used just that word. He proposed poverty to the bishops as a lifestyle. He also mentioned the importance that poverty has, in a psychological sense, for not having an aristocratic mentality. I believe that the message given yesterday to the bishops at CELAM was from someone who knows the inner workings and walks with the Latin American Church at his back. As when he said: “I can say this and I must say it! We’re behind in certain things, but let us move forward, let us improve, let us change and renew ourselves.” And his message was also one of great hope. The Pope always speaks of conversion. He says: Let us permanently place ourselves in the processes of conversion. I believe that this is all a great witness that Francis is giving to humankind, that is, that no one in Christianity can give lessons to others without placing himself in the conversion process.
What are the prospects for reception of the Aparecida Document in the aftermath of this encounter with the Pope?
I think there has already been a certain reception of the Document over these past years. It is obvious that all of Latin America has been mobilised. The Pope has without a doubt reawakened a new sensibility for what happened at Aparecida. Let us hope that it will become more and more of an “itinerary” that all peoples can follow, and that they take the steps that the bishops saw and evaluated there. I believe that the most important step that Francesco is helping us to take is rightfully that of a deep pastoral conversion, that is, to place ourselves on the path of following Christ. This means assuming the Gospel in our attitudes, in our gestures, in our speech, in all our practices and it means transforming reality. If there is anything that this Pope possesses as a special gift, it is being absolutely aware that the Gospel offers us the unique opportunity not only to recreate our good Christian conscience as good Christians, but also to transform social, political and cultural reality.
Is there anything else you would like to say about the Pope in Brazil?
I believe that it was a giant leap for the Pope with the young people, because he offered them the Eucharist and prayer as their pathways for following Christ and, thirdly, he pointed them in the direction of helping their neighbors. I think that this is the path for the young and for the entire Church, being able to work for others, for our brothers and sisters, for those in need. Another beautiful thing about the Pope was when he said at CELAM that God is everywhere, not only in the Church, in the temple, in religious institutions. This being able to read God’s presence as he passes through human history is fundamental for us Christians, I think, otherwise the same thing could happen now as happened at the time of Jesus: not everyone recognized him.
* Dr. Susana Nuin Núñez, Uruguayan member of the Focolare Movement, Consultant of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Executive Secretary of the CELAM Press and Communications Department.
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Aug 8, 2013 | Non categorizzato
Susana Nuin Nuñez
Dr. Nunez was part of the 2007 Aparecida Communications Staff, which had Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as its president for the Commission’s Final Document. She also took part in the work of Coordination of the Latin American Bishops Conference (CELAM) that was just held in Rio on July 29, 2013 to August 2, 2013.
The Aparaceda Document was mentioned several times during WYD. From your perspective, is there some specific point in the Document that was highlighted in particular?
For the Pope, Aparecida has great value inasmuch as it represents the way to dialogue with the Church, as proposed in the Second Vatican Council beginning from the point of view of the Latin American peoples, from what they feel. He particularly highlighted the proposal of “missionary disciples.” These two things that go together require a change of lifestyle. They demand a pastoral conversion for everyone. What does that mean? It means following Jesus despite the fact that we might feel weak, fragile. . . “on the road” to conversion.
The Pope repeats ideas such as: “culture of encounter,” “dialogue,” “relationships among generations.” Are these based on the Document?
I believe so, yes. The Pope basis himself on the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council, an ecclesiology of dialogue in all of its dimensions: with the other churches, with the other religions, with persons who do not believe, but also dialogue within the Catholic Church and dialogue with the culture, with politics. A few Presidents from South America also attended World Youth Day. Likewise, I think that the Pope did something that was very interesting: he joined the world of the young to that of the elderly. To me this seemed totally revolutionary: more than looking for differences among the generations, he underscored the potential and the sameness, the reality itself. He was quite clear: the young people in our societies have been excluded, so too the elderly. And so they can share full solidarity with one another and enrich and be very strongly enriched by each other. It seemed quite revolutionary to me for a Pope to talk at a World Youth Day about the value and the dimensions of the aged.
e have read one of your recent interviews in which you speak of “sparks of the Spirit” in reference to the contribution that could be made to the United States by the Aparecida proposal. Could we suppose this to be true also for the rest of the world?
I believe that each continent expresses its own culture. Aparecida expresses the Latin American and Caribbean cultures. I would prefer to say that Aparecida can be a good testimony for stimulating other continents to gather in communion and collegiality, to create their own types of communion. It seems to me that the most important thing is to motivate the continental church – as is already happening in Africa and other places – to unite and understand together what the Gospel means to the people of each continent.
* Dr. Susana Nuin Núñez, Uruguayan member of the Focolare Movement, Consultant of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Executive Secretary of the CELAM Press and Communications Department.
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Aug 7, 2013 | Non categorizzato
“From the moment we began planning this trip we were aware of what a powerful experience it was going to be. But we never imagined the welcome we would receive from the people – especially the youth. We arrived after a trip that lasted for more than 12 hours. The school bell was ringing for us as we arrived. A large sign read: “Thanks for coming, thanks for coming here, we love you: WELCOME.” As soon as our bus stopped they began to greet us and unload our luggage. Then we played some games with the children and sang songs with them too.”
This is what 19 youngsters from Teens for Unity wrote in their diary. They were accompanied by 4 adults during their school holidays in the month of July, leaving behind Buenos Aires to go and spend a few days at the “Escuela km. 25” in Santiago del Estero Province, one of the many “existential frontiers” that Pope Francis has recently spoken about.
The location was a thousand kilometres from Buenos Aires, in the midst of a forest. The school has two classrooms, a kitchen, three bathrooms and a play area with a well that provides water for the 22 families of the community, who live in mud dwellings with dirt floors.
The school is attended by 35 children up to the age of 13. A lone teacher arrives every Monday and leaves again every Friday. The men work the fields and are away from home for up to three months out of the year.
“It took 4 months to prepare for the trip. With the help of the adults, youths and young people of the Focolare we held an evening event for gathering funds. We had to meet the cost of the trip, our sojourn and many other logistical problems. We brought school supplies, medicines, shoes and just about anything else that we could fit into our bags.
We all agreed that we weren’t only going there to bring the toys and activities that we had prepared for the children, but we were going there with an attitude of learning and receiving something from them as well: how they live, what their world is like, their values, what they do . . . And it turned out to be a mutually very enriching experience.
We visited their homes, taking breakfast with them. We planned to meet at 10:30, but at 9:30 they were already there waiting for us.
One day their teacher had told the children that to come and play with us, they must wear the best clothing they had. Perhaps it was the only pair of shoes they owned, while they went to school with bare feet. But they saw this encounter with us as a feast, and so they dressed for a feast.
Before we leaving we wanted to give them all the money we had for the school, and so that the children’s dream could come true of going to the city for an ice-cream! When we returned to the big city, we realised what an extraordinary experience it had been: ‘I was able to realize that living in solidarity, serving, it doesn’t matter at all, neither the place you live, nor anything else, because we truly are all equal.’ A new friendship has begun and we don’t want to miss the appointment they wrote about in their farewell message: “Goodbye until next year!”
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Aug 6, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
For years Mario has worked at a company that recently began to hire many Bangladesh workers. He recounts: “At first it wasn’t easy, but then things got better. They were making an effort to learn the work and were offered assistance when the language became a problem. Well, there was some lingering mistrust, especially in the departments.” Mario doesn’t talk much, but very observant and able to know what people are thinking. He sees their problems and listens with interest, this is why he’s a good man to work with.
Then one day something else happened that regarded a colleague at work. It bothered Mario and he talked about it with his wife, Silvia: “Hossain has to go back to Bangladesh for the holidays. He asked that someone accompany him, after being paid, to the airport. If only you knew how much grumbling there was then, everyone saying that he could manage it on his own, and should they lose a day of vacations in order to do him this favour?” Mario hesitated and coughed a bit, as Silvia moved cups and dishes around the kitchen. “You go, if you feel like it,” his wife suggested. “If you were the one in need, you’d be glad to find people who were willing to help, wouldn’t you?” “Yeah, I have thought about it. It’s a long trip, but I don’t want him to pay.” “You do well, and pay no attention to the criticism from others.”
The day came. Everyone said goodbye to Hossain with a certain joking and euphoria: “Don’t trust this one,” someone said, “you never know where he’ll take you!” “But go on,” says another, “you didn’t feel like taking him, but Mario yes, I’d certainly trust myself to him anytime!” Mario and Hossain departed and travelled for 200 kilometres, but when Hossain wanted to repay him for the ride Mario reiterated: “I don’t want anything, I’m glad to take you and wish you a good trip. I know it will be a bit tiring, but you’ll be happy once you see your children and friends!”
Hossain was visibly moved, he didn’t expect this! A hasty farewell, boarding and then Mario was on his way back home. A month went by, a quiet month, at lunch they often spoke of Houssain and his upcoming return. “And how will he get back?” the family asked. His return is taken care of, Mario informed them, because some of his countrymen who will be travelling with him will give him a lift to his house. When Houssain returned to the factory, Mario was waiting to meet him and listen to all the stories about his visit to another side of the world, where the daily struggles can even involve sharing in the emotional fatigue of having to leave and return to one’s family and loved ones.
He hadn’t long to wait. When he tracked him down, he found Houssain excited and happy. He told of his visit, how his children had grown and the feasts with relatives. . . Then he unrolled a large carpet before the Italian. Mario looked at it with curiosity but never expected to hear Houssain say: “A carpet for you.” Mario’s eyes widened as he thought of how Silvia would be surprised. She had never received a gift like this! It seemed like the flying carpet from those stories he read as a child when he had dreamt of flying on a magic carpet to faraway lands. He closed his eyes and dreamt again, but there was Houssain’s carpet still in front of him, a token of gratitude and a seal on a friendship that had the flavour of a fairy tale.
Annamaria Gatti
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Aug 5, 2013 | Non categorizzato
“Popetti,” that’s what Chiara used to call them. It means “children” in the local dialect spoken in Trent. They were the children and youths who came into contact with the Focolare Movement at its beginnings in 1950. They were part of the community, followed what was happening and shared firsthand in its joys and sufferings. They also attended the summer Mariapolises in the Dolomite Mountains, always gathered around the group of first focolarini.”
Luigi Liberati from Rome met the spirituality of unity back in 1953. “All the people who had the good fortune of being near to Chiara were left with the certainty that she had loved only them. I still carry in my mind and in my soul that strong experience of feeling always loved and given first place,” he says. His story presents an unpublished, lively, deep and intense picture: “In 1954 I attended my first Mariapolis. Since there weren’t too many of us, it was easy to be in constant contact with Chiara.” Luigi recalls one story: “That day at Mass the words of the Gospel were: “. . . whoever welcomes one of these little ones. . . “and leaving the church, Chiara immediately said to us: “popetti, everyone in the car, we’re going up to the pasture to have strawberries and cream.” So, all of us somehow managed to squeeze into that car, a Fiat 103. Chiara held the little ones on her lap, and then there was that nice bellyful of strawberries and cream.”
During those early Mariapolises Chiara entrusted the group of children that was constantly growing in size, to Vicenzo Folonari, better known as Eletto: “That’s where Eletto’s spiritual stature began to show. With him I experienced graces I had never witnessed before. He began a dialogue with us, as the go-between, between us and Chiara. She loved us, guided and taught us, and Eletto helped us to translate everything she said into life.”
As time passed this group of youths continued to grow and Chiara had the idea of keeping in touch by creating a small centre: “Almost every day some of us would meet there after school. We kept in contact with the others who were scattered all over Italy. Chiara came often, gave us advice and encouraged us.” Our relationship with her was direct and filial: “When she had an accident in 1957 and broke her shoulder, Paolo Carta and I went almost every day to the hospital where she was recovering. We would leave on her car parked outside the hospital, a small message that expressed all our love.”
One day we felt the need of organising a national meeting, since we had grown so much in number. On that day we felt a responsibility that made us feel equal to the adults, and we held that meeting a sense of sacredness. This is how the seeds of the spirituality of unity began to be sown among the new generations: “Through all of this,” Luigi concludes, “God was preparing for what would later happen in such an explosive way with the Gen in the following decade.” But that’s another chapter.
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Aug 4, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
Franz, you wrote the book. What has the life of Chiara Luce left with you?
“Chiara can truly be a model for everyone, believers and non-believers alike, because what she believed in is the same as what every person of good will believes in: striving to love, being attentive to the person near you, living the present moment. Another important thing – and in this she is such an efficacious model for the times we are now living in – simplicity: she’s simple. Her way is not an easy one, but neither is it complicated. For her, of course, this meant going through something very painful, a narrow passage, cancer, one of the most painful cancers. But Chiara didn’t become a saint only because of what she went through with the illness, but because one baby-step at a time, from the time she was a small child she had learnt to say her “yes” in doing God’s will: whether it was racing around on her bicycle, gathering mushrooms with her Dad, or going for chemotherapy. What led to the great moment of her beatification was undoubtedly the greatness and the lightness, the levity and the love with which she lived all these things.
It was also due to the small population of people that surrounded her from when she was small – her parents and her friends from the Focolare Movement. Moment by moment they shared in both her joys and in her sorrows. There was a mutual “nourishing” exchange among them. These people were enriched, but they also communicated strength and energy to Chiara to go forward.”
How has the reception of Chiara Luce’s life been among young people?
“Even those who don’t know her, who don’t know anything or very little of her, I don’t know, in some mysterious way – they fall in love with this person. We can talk about her, write books, but my impression is that Chiara Luce doesn’t talk on TV or on the radio. She talks to the individual heart of each person. In some mysterious way she manages to create a personal relationship with her. And this is marvelous. This has been the case for her mother, her father and also for me. I have a stronger relationship with her now than when she was still alive.”
I asked Teresa Badano, Chiara’s mother, for her impressions after having been part of WYD in Brazil.
“It was all marvelous, perhaps because we arrived here with a simple attitude of awaiting, waiting to see what surprises would be in store for us, trying to live each moment in love. Then everything became beautiful. We lived a little bit of what Chiara Luce has taught us: to live in a normal way something that was not normal for us who never leave our house, except for the past several years. We tried to do the will of God that was presented to us in such a wonderful context.”
Here you could sense the impact Chiara Luce had on the young people. . .
“We certainly realized that she had a special grace for the young people. Her experience is valid for all children and teenagers like her. She offered her life for the young people. But all those faces, all those embraces that don’t want to let you go. . . for us who are nothing! They just overwhelm us! It’s marvelous. . . You see so much joy in the young, which comes from the heart. She transmits a bit of Heaven to them and they transmit it to us.”
“Yes, many times. There was one teenager who was undecided. It seemed he had a vocation, but he was really uncertain. Suddenly he felt that Chiara Luce was saying to him: “This is your way.” And he jumped into it. Now he’s a focolarino. Even those who have only heard talk of her or seen her photo have been touched by her gaze, by that interior beauty, but that fire she had within. For sure God wishes to fulfill the plan he has in mind for each one of these young people. As Cardinal Joao Aviz said while bidding us farewell, “This is only the beginning of what Chiara has begun to do. We’re only at the beginning here, because it’s going to be something huge, huge, and it will continue.”
We stand waiting. As Chiara Luce said in her last greeting to the youths and young people of the world: “Until next time!”
Compiled by Carla Cotignoli (Brazil)
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Aug 2, 2013 | Non categorizzato
A caricature One of my classmates had sent a caricature of me around the whole school. I have a small physical defect on one ear, and it makes me feel bad when anyone laughs at me. Instead of beating him, I remembered Jesus’ invitation to forgive and spoke to him calmly. Later I invited him to my house, asked him to help me with a school assignment, then to go to the shopping centre to watch a film. He accepted, although with a bit of mistrust. When he asked me why I hadn’t beaten him, I was able to explain to him that I try to see Jesus in every neighbor, knowing that everyone makes mistakes. Now he is also trying to live the words of the Gospel with me. (Daniel – Brazil) 
The fifth child A few days ago my Tunisian friend confided to me that she was pregnant. She was ashamed to be expecting her fifth child in a country like ours where there are one or two children per family. We assured her of any possible assistance we could offer, even prepared to take the baby into our family and taking care of it ourselves. A few days later she and her husband decided in favor of the unborn child. That same day they received a large sum of money, and the Helping Life Centre has assured them of a monthly contribution from them. (F.T. – Italy) In the emergency room 
During holidays abroad I had to take my son to an emergency room because of a bad fall. I was suffering doubly because Leo was crying desperately, and because he kept on repeating that I should have been more attentive. In the hospital, putting aside my own anxiety, I took upon myself the anxiety of a German woman who was there with her boy being cared for close to mine. She only spoke English and I was able to translate between her and the doctor and the nurse. When my husband arrived and I introduced her, she said she was grateful for my being near at such a difficult moment. When I don’t lose time thinking about my own limitations, I’m peaceful enough to build new relationships with those around me. (B.F. – United Kingdom) Source: Il Vangelo del giorno (Rome: Citta Nuova Publishing House, August 2013).
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Aug 1, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
This year the Mariapolis for Great Britain will be held in the beautiful setting of Cefn Lea in mid Wales during the period 29th July -2nd August. What is a Mariapolis? It is an event organized by the Focolare Movement and is characteristic of its spirit: it is a gathering of people of all ages and backgrounds, spending a few days together putting into practice the universal values of the Christian Gospel. 
The main guideline for these gatherings, which take place in many countries throughout the world, is the ‘Golden Rule’, which invites us to do to others what we would like to be done to us. It is an opportunity to experience what happens in day-to-day life when we have listening, gift of self and sharing as the basis for our relationships. During the Mariapolis in Wales, the new official website for Great Britain will be launched. Visit the new site at: www.focolare.org/gb
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Jul 31, 2013 | Non categorizzato
“The space given to the workshops provided an opportunity for a very enriching exchange. . . I was given a general presentation along with many of the practical aspects of priestly formation illumined by the spirituality of unity. It was a wholistic vision of the human person in the light of the Trinitarian mystery. . . The natural setting favoured the days together with a style of living that was communion and dialogue. . . I greatly appreciated the moments of common prayer and meditation. The texts were very beautiful, as was the exchange of experiences and life.”
These were some of the impressions left by those who attended a training course for educators in seminaries, promoted by the Centre of Spirituality for Diocesan Priests and Seminarians of Loppiano in collaboration with Sophia University Institute (SUI), Loppiano and the Focolare Priests Movement.
Twenty formators attended from 11 countries: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Malta, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary and Venezuela, and became more aware of the importance of this service in the formation of future ministers, which is one of the most challenging tasks of the Church.
The course was offered to rectors, spiritual directors and formators working full-time in seminaries, and was initiated in response to the need for finding “pathways and paradigms for the discernment and formation of vocations to priestly ministry that meet the challenges of the socio-cultural changes that have an impact on the lives of young people today.” It is a two-year course – two weeks each year – with presentations by experts, work groups and plenary sessions for sharing, united with the celebration of the Eucharist and daily liturgical prayer.
The first part of the course offers theological, anthropological, ecclesial and pedagogical foundations applied to the various stages of priestly formation. The second part examines through the lens of communion, specific areas of wholistic priestly formation in the light of dimensions found in Pastores dabo vobis (human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral). It explores such things as: the gift of self and communion; corporality and living the life of the Mystical Body; the harmony of the person and building up the community; Wisdom, studies and culture; communication and the communications media in service of communion.
Following the first part of the course that was held last year at the Abbey of Vallombrosa, Italy, the second part was held on July 15, 2013 – July 27, 2013 at the restructured Centre of Spirituality of Communion in Loppiano, Italy.
Credits are offered for the course, which has the approval of the Congregation for Catholic Education, through Sophia University Institute (SUI). Monsignor Piero Coda, Dean of SUI and Monsignor Vincenzo Zani from the Congregation for Catholic Education were on hand for the opening of the course.
Of particular significance was the fact that the course had been held last May and July in Bangkok, Thailand, for 60 formators from the Asian countries
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Jul 30, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
The courses took place in two locations on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, at the Jose C. Paz Popular School and at the Villa Albertina Popular School, lasting through the month of May 2013. It utilized a popular educational approach so that each school could focus on the social, economic and cultural settings of the local environments. The project was sponsored by the Argentina Development Ministry in collaboration with the Society, Politics and Brotherhood Chair at Universidad de la Plata. 
It was precisely by trying to adapt to the educational needs of those attending the course, as well as the needs of the local environment that a project specifically for teenagers, “Reconociendosi,” was initiated at the Jose C. Paz Popular School. The new electoral law in Argentina extends voting rights to sixteen year olds who will be allowed to vote in the upcoming elections, and feel in need of some specific educational training with opportunities to exchange opinions on some basic topics. While sharing his experience, 18 year old Political Science student, Ivan, stated: “What we live here is a fine example of social involvement: it shows how universal brotherhood can bear good fruit.” One of the course instructors, Adrian, summed up the opinion of the all the teenagers: “the Popular School is a space in which they feel that what they think is important. Moreover, they go away from this experience feeling that they have begun to listen more and become interested in the opinions of others.” At the Villa Albertina School, a project was begun for sharing experiences and views on universal brotherhood by teenagers and young people who work in several social organisations. Here the Popular School was a moving one. Every Monday the young participants met at the headquarters of a different organization, but each locale became a space for reflection and encounter, promoting universal brotherhood. 
Almost at the same time, towards the end of May, Veronica Lopez, co-president of the Political Movement For Unity in Argentina together with other young people from the PMFU, was invited to take part in the Konrad Adenauer Chair that was held in Salta. During three days of intense discussion, politicians and experts in the Social Science field dealt with several topics from the viewpoint of Christian Humanism and the Social Doctrine of the Church. Veronica Lopez defined the three-day experience as “an inter-institutional encounter where you learned how to build bridges of brotherhood.” Moreover, it showed how the presence of PMFU in the Konrad Adenauer Chair has contributed to “highlighting research from diverse political arenas and how it is changing the reality: an objective that can be claimed by political callings that are nourished by a feeling of political love.” Source: MPPU/Argentina online
Jul 29, 2013 | Non categorizzato, Word of
‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.’
The first and most significant characteristic of God the Father’s love is that it is absolutely free. It is totally opposite to the world’s love. The world’s love is based on getting something back and feelings of attraction (we love people who love us and people we like). The Father’s love is completely selfless. He gives himself to the people he has made however they react. It is a love whose nature is to take the initiative, giving all that it has. Consequently, it is a love that builds and transforms. Our heavenly Father does not love us because we are good or spiritually beautiful and so deserve his attention and kindness. On the contrary, by loving us, he himself creates in us the goodness and spiritual beauty of grace, making us his friends and his children.
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
Another characteristic of the love of God the Father is its universality. God loves everyone without distinction. The measure of his love is to have no limit or measure.
Besides, his love couldn’t be free and creative if it weren’t completely poured out wherever there is a need or a void to fill.
This is why our heavenly Father also loves those children who are ungrateful, far from him or rebellious. Indeed, he feels particularly drawn to them.
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
How shall we live the Word of Life this month? We should behave as true children of our heavenly Father, imitating his love, above all in those characteristics we have emphasised here: its being freely given and universal. Like this we’ll try to be the first to love, with a love that is generous, in solidarity with the other, open to all, aware particularly of the voids we find around us. We’ll try to love without looking for results. We’ll make an effort to be the instruments of the open-handedness of God, sharing with others the gifts of nature and grace we have received from him.
If we let ourselves be guided by this word of Jesus, we will have new eyes and a new heart for every neighbour coming across our path, every time this chance is offered by our daily life. And wherever we are (home, school, work, hospital and so on) we will feel urged to be distributors of this love which belongs to God and which Jesus brought to earth, the only love that can transform the world.
Chiara Lubich
First published in full as the Word of Life for June 1983
Read more on this topic:
Brandl, Gary and Tom Ess, OFM. The Gospel in Action: A New Evangelization Day by Day, New City Press, 2013, p.54–61.
Lubich, Chiara. “Be the First to Love”, The Art of Loving, New City Press, 2005, p.47.
Lubich, Chiara. “The Art of Loving”, Essential Writings, New City Press, 2007, p.77.
Next month:
September 2013 – “Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” (1 Jn 3:18)
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Jul 29, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
“Christ has confidence in young people and entrusts them with the very future of his mission, ‘Go and make disciples.’” These were the first words spoken by Pope Francis upon his arrival in Brazil, speaking before civil and religious leaders where there to welcome him. In his homily at the mass celebrated with three million people on Copacabana beach, at the conclusion of WYD, the Pope appealed to young people: “Jesus is calling you to be a disciple with a mission! Today, what is the Lord saying to us? Three simple ideas: Go, do not be afraid, and serve. 
Simple but engaging words, like so many other words spoken during the week in Rio de Janeiro. Now the young people return to their own cities and countries, families, groups, associations and congregations, invited by the Pope to “make some noise,” to stir up the waters, to take into account both their peers and elders, to live out the faith in its entirety. Donna from Lebanon: “The Pope’s language is simple and direct, language that is more adapted to today’s times.” Joaquin from Argentina, who followed WYD from afar: “’Making noise means’ being a force that pushes society. I really felt part of Francis’ equation: youths – elderly – adults. Today it’s the young people and so it’s up to me. I like this more general vision, which is the correct one.” Daniela (Italy): “This ‘reciprocity among generations’ to which we have been so insistently invited by Pope Francis, will be an explosive force, a mutual help. What I go away with from the WYD is the desire to live my life in a more radical way, and to go out every day, day in and day out, trying to be this window that allows the future of the world to come in!” Iggy, (New Zealand): “This WYD is push to make a revolution, to ‘win over’ other young people to a life like this. Especially because, in my country of New Zealand, there aren’t many people believing in God.” From young people of Rio de Janeiro who too part in the ecumenical and interreligious dialogue group: Fuminori (Catholic): “The WYD is the proof of what is happening in Rio among Catholics, Methodists, Baptists and others. Non-Catholics helped out foro this World Youth Day, welcoming young people into their own homes with fraternal hospitality.” Carlos (Presbyterian): “The WYD has brought a new spirit to the city. There’s music, celebrating and a tone of voice that is above institutions. These are young people of Christ. They bring a new form of religious identification that passes through institutional walls.” Fernando (Muslim): “I see the WYD as something very positive, because it allows young people from different places to talk about principles and values that are very important for everyone. It was also an encounter with God, and that always brings marvelous results for the renewal of faith in everyone.” 
Among the young people who have fulfilled their journey responding to the call of God, was Blessed Chiara Luce Badano. When asked if she had ever seen young people change their lives through contact with her daughter, Maria Teresa responded: “Even of those who only heard talk of her or seen her photo, they weren’t just touched by the lovely photo, but by what she was saying to them through that gaze, which expressed what was in her soul, by that fire she had within. Yesterday I was thinking to myself: ‘God certainly wishes to fulfill the plan he has in mind for each one of these young people.’ And so, let’s entrust them to her.” Maria Voce recently wrote a letter to the members of the Focolare in which she invited everyone to go to “the existential peripheries, to any place where people no longer find the centre of their being because they cannot find God. All of us, through God’s grace alone, have met Him. We are called to remain there, immersing ourselves in this disoriented humanity to bring it back to its centre,” and she went on to say: “I think that Chiara herself wanted nothing less, because since always she saw the ‘great attraction’ of ‘being lost in the crowd, in order to influence it with the divine life” [1]. Following the days in Rio, there is a new road for us to follow together. See you in Krakow! [1] Lubich, Chiara. Essential Writings (New York: New City Press, 2007), p. 213.
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Jul 28, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
It is March 20th 1993: in Warrington, in the English Cheshire County, the IRA launches one of its bloodiest attacks: two bombs explode within minutes from each other downtown, wounding 56 persons and killing two kids, Jonathan Ball, three years old, and Tim Perry, 12 years old, who will die, after a five-day life-and-death struggle. Already before the bomb attack, two schools, one Catholic and one Protestant, on the two principals’ initiative, tried to overcome the rigid division between Catholic and Protestant students, that usually attend separate schools. What took place inWarrington left a deep mark, creating an outrage wave, but also the will to change things. 
As years went by, indeed the involvement widened, and it was the turn of Belfast, capital city of Ulster, where two schools of the same suburb, one Protestant and one Catholic, started to build a mutual collaboration and brotherhood relationship. These two institutes were quickly joined by a third one from EIRE. In this way a “circle of schools” was born, where the so-called art of loving is proposed by means of the cube of love. Kevin Mc Keague is the principal at St James Catholic School (Belfast): “I heard once from Chiara Lubich that of the three ideals of the French Revolution, brotherhood was the least developed … This is true here in Belfast as well, segregated as we are in two communities … Therefore I saw in my meeting with David (the principal at the Protestant School) the opportunity to build bridges and to bring in our communities an injection of love and brotherhood.” David McConkey is the principal at the Whitehouse Protestant School (Belfast): “I was deeply convinced that education plays a fundamental role in promoting peace, through a number of initiatives where students of different religious traditions can meet face to face”. 
Declan O’Brien, principal at St Conleth School in the Republic of Ireland: “At first sight, I was so struck by the unity between the two schools of Northern Ireland , and by the true testimony of unity and brothe rhood between Kevin and David, that I decided I wanted to share with them their project, introducing the cube of love in my school: in this way different schools could live together the art of loving. In 2009 the Protestant school in Belfast was completely destroyed by an arson, a tragedy shared by the other two schools, which organized together a solidarity concert, whose title was “everybody for everybody”. A lot of students with their parents from the three schools took part, together with the unionist mayor and the parish priest, both representatives of communities clearly divided, and who would normally not be invited on the same stage together. Thanking all the participants for their presence, the mayor said: “You all are giving a strong testimony in your community and in the country”. A local newspaper wrote of kids that “show us a road map”. At a certain point the concrete possibility came out, that the school could no longer be rebuilt, also due to the lack of funds. This difficulty was immediately shared among students and staff of the three schools and it was decided to organize a decent but strong protest in front of theParliamentBuilding inBelfast. The Parliament Committee for Education, composed by members of different parties, was deeply struck by this proof of solidarity. On the same day the reconstruction of the Protestant school was officially announced. In these three friendly school it was introduced the art of loving, originally proposed by Chiara Lubich as an antidote to egocentrism, discrimination, bullying. The art of loving is the original collection of a number of genuinely christian ideas, that constitute an harmonic synthesis of the different requirements of love. At the same time it reminds the idea of exercise, continuous effort, in order to make it a living and active reality. 
O’Brien explains us that the students put this art into practice both at school and at home, showing how this art helps them in being more tolerant, broadminded and open to others: “One of the students was sistematically made fun of by two others. This all took place, without the teachers even noticing it. There was the risk of revenge, and also of broadening the circle of hate. The proposal of putting the art of loving into practice broke this mechanism up, giving the students the courage to positively change things. The situation quickly improved”. As time went by, the communities linked to the three schools found themselves more and more united, also thanks to events like “Drums for peace”, during which students read poems, sing and display art works, whose main theme is peace … besides drumming, of course! Originally these drums were used to announce opposing groups during political rallies, now they announce peace! During “Drums for peace” a winning poem is regularly chosen. In 2010 the choice fell on the one written by Aiden Doyle (eight years old) from Belfast. It was written after some clashes risked to plung Northern Ireland back into the dark years of civil war. In those days a policeman and two soldiers were killed. With the typical kids’ naturalness Aiden writes: “That policeman who died was somebody’s father…” and asked not to turn back in the peace process. These simple and convincing words by Aiden made news and reached the news programme of the national channel giving a strong contribution to promotion and education for peace. “This is not only an educational experience”- an observer tells- “but also a social one, that teaches how to overcome boundaries, not only between different communities, between North and South, but also barriers of religion, language and culture”. Source: Northern Ireland: An agreement among three Schools, in order to rebuild fraternal relations LEARNING FRATERNITY: international conference-workshop on Education Programme, information and registration ‘Good practices’ preparing the event Castel Gandolfo (Roma) , 6 – 8 September 2013
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Jul 26, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
His friend Chava tells us that “Alejandro never waited to receive when he had an opportunity to give. He showed great patience with us, and waited for us as we tried to learn and live the spirituality of unity. Alejandro was killed while he was doing something worthwhile – visiting a cousin in hospital. He died while loving, as we would all like to die. I ask myself if I am really very radical in the way I live the Gospel, as radical as he was. His death is life, not darkness. It’s a strong push to live our ideal more radically, following Jesus all the way.”
On Saturday, 20 July 2013, Alejandro received the daily “password” via WhatsApp. The “password” is a brief slogan that Focolare members try to put in practice throughout the day. That day the slogan was: ‘Our final exam will be on whether we have loved our neighbour.’ He immediately responded to his friend Andrea who had sent him the password: “These are powerful words and, yes, you’re right, we have to live it.” Just a few minutes later he was at the hospital bedside of an ill cousin. Suddenly two assassins entered to murder someone, and the unfortunate witnesses of the crime were also killed.
For the Young For Unity Group in Torreon, Mexico – an area immersed in violence – it was a shocking blow, and yet they responded courageously “so that the spiritual richness would not be lost” of their friend’s life with whom they shared a commitment to give witness to universal brotherhood and to spread a culture of non-violence.
Alejandro met the young people of the Focolare in 2011. Right away he wanted to know more about the ideal that animated their lives, and he began living Jesus’ message with them. His life became a testimony of God’s love for others, in everything he did: in the family, with his friends, at work and with many other people as well.
“I knew him from when we first began this adventure,” Willie recounts, “I was very struck by his willingness and his ability to immediately put into practice every new point of the spirituality of unity that he discovered.”
“What struck me most about him,” says David, “was seeing the strong mark that he’s left in so many people. . . and also his great desire and thirst for God.”
The Gen from Torreon write: “We consider our friend, Alexander, as a martyr for the united world, and for this reason his blood is not a tragedy, but a blessing for anyone who wants to unite in the battle for peace in our region, in our country and in the world.
During these days when the World Youth Day is taking place in Brazil, Pope Francis has urged more than a million young people to be radical in the faith. Alejandro is certainly someone who did not step back, but took this invitation to heart. And he put into practice Chiara Lubich’s constant appeal to the young: “Aim high!” This is why he leaves behind such a trail of light!
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Jul 25, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
Amidst a constant rainfall, wind, cold, and chaotic traffic jams the Carlos Gomes theatre of Rio de Janiero was filled with a large crowd of young people. They came from faraway places, speaking in French, Spanish, English and Brasiliera. They had come to know the beloved Chiara Luce Badano, who is described among the intercessors of the WYD as “someone who lived totally abandoned to Jesus.”
Blessed Chiara Luce Badano was born in Sassello, Italy, in 1971. The WYD website states: “At 10 years of age she had a powerful experience of meeting God, which changed her life and that of her parents. From that moment on she decided to live the Gospel in a more radical way, striving to love all the people around her. At 18 years of age she was diagnosed with bone cancer. She lived every stage of the painful illness with great courage. The prayer proposed to her by WYD: “Help me to conquer the challenges of my youth, so that I can give my life over to Jesus Christ without reserve.”
To make her better known 80 youths and young people – dancers, musicians, singers and the entire production staff – devoted themselves to the arduous task for a good six months previous to the show that was presented on July 24, 2013 at WYD Rio. They believed beyond hope that they would find the money to cover all the expenses, but the communion of goods among the Focolare community in Brazil covered the entire cost before the show was even ready.
The show is called “Holiness Dressed in Jeans,” (www.chiaraluce.org) and it presents the brief life of Blessed Chiara Luce with color, rhythm and explosions of the joy that are typical of the Brazilian land. During a few moments of such profound and unique depth, the hall fell silent as it admired this young girl who transformed suffering into love, thanks to the love of her “Spouse” – Jesus crucified and forsaken. This intense passage was represented in an engaging mime with images of personal and social suffering projected on the stage’s large backdrop.
Each of the evening shows lasted no more than an hour, leaving the young people with an incredible thirst to know more about Chiara Luce and about her life, which they could begin to do by reading the book “25 minutos” by Franz Coriasco, which they received, and by visiting the website www.chiaraluce.org.
Many in the audience left their impressions about the show: “I was converted,” “I’ve rediscovered my ideal in life,” “it was like reawakening to a more radical life,” “we are enchanted by the beauty of Chiara Luce’s life,” and there were many others.
Three shows were foreseen at the Carlo Gomes theathre, but the endless line of young people that reached around and encircled the entire block, prompted them to ask the WYD Local Organizing Committee to allow a fourth show! In a short time, in spite of logistic difficulties, and the tiredness of the actors, permission was granted. To everyone’s great joy the parents of Chiara Luce showed up at this final show – Maria Teresa and Ruggero Badano. They had been at St. Francis Hospital for the Pope’s visit, accompanied by Chicca who was a personal friend of Chiara Luce.
Each show ended with a standing ovation. But it didn’t end there. The Youth for a United World in San Paulo have asked for the show to be performed in their city as well.
Jul 25, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
On the eve of his departure for Rio de Janeiro, Pope Francis said: “Youth will be taking the leading role during this week”. And this is precisely what is happening! The young people are the protagonists of the extraordinary welcome given to the Pope, of the great joy that fills the “cidade maravilhosa” during these days, of the opening ceremony at Copacabana, of the various events that are taking place in different parts of the city. 500,000 were present at Copacabana, and two million are expected to be present during the week-end. The young people of the Focolare Movement have been present with their stand at Vocations Fair since Tuesday, July 23. This fair is being held at Quinta Boa Vista in a very large park and it is offering young people the opportunity to encounter and get to know deeper the various ecclesial realities present at WYD. At this fair, the youth of the Focolare are presenting Chiara Luce Badano, the United World Project and Escola Civitas. They have also set up a tent at Largo da Carioca, at the city centre, from where they are distributing the book “25 minutos: a vida de Chiara luce”, the Portugese edition of the biography of Chiara Luce, written by Franz Coriasco, an agnostic friend of hers. The foundation “Aid to the Church in need” has given its support towards this edition published by Cidade Nova. “A santidade veste jeans”, a musical about Chiara Luce’s life produced by group of young Brazilians, was held on Wednesday 24 at the Carlos Gomes Theatre. An extra fourth show had to be presented to cater for a number of young people queuing outside the theatre to the see the musical. Maria Teresa and Ruggero Badano, Chiara Luce’s parents, unexpectedly attended this fourth show. They arrived at the theatre to see the show after having taken part in the welcome given to Pope Francis on his visit to St. Francis Hospital. “On stage one could see young people enchanted with the simple and yet extraordinary life of Chiara Luce”, says Rosamari, a Brazilian. “Chiara Luce, a young girl like us, makes it clear that holiness is not something of the past”. On the same evening, on the other side of the city at the “Riocentro” Conference Centre, the Gen Rosso were presenting their show “Dimensione indelebile” (Indelibile Dimension). And on the 25th, they were at Varginha – in the favela of Manguinho – together with 200 young people following a recovery programme from addiction through art – to animate the festive celebration prepared to welcome the Pope. July 24 was also the day when young members of the Focolare Movement, together with friends from the Religions for Peace Global Youth Network, were engaged in the organization of the interreligious meeting “Go and build peace in all nations”. These young people were at Estácio de Sá, and from 18.00 to 20.00 they discussed dialogue and various forms of action as part of their common committment to promote peace. The highlights of this day were the Pope’s visit to Aparecida and to St.FrancisHospital, where he inaugurated a new wing dedicated to integral care. These were occasions where one could see gestures and hear words that touch the heart, penetrate the mind and urge one to follow them. At the end of the day, when the Holy Father spoke to the young people gathered at “Casa Italia”, he gave them a message that could be addressed to everyone. He told them: “Trust Christ, listen to him, follow his footsteps. He never abandons us, not even in the darkest moments of our life. He is our hope. Tomorrow at Capocabana, we will go deeper into this truth, which brightens our life. See you tomorrow!” Press Release Focus: Youth Week kicks off with an interreligious meeting Focus: WYD 2013: Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro Updated on July 26, 2013 BF – LH SIF – Focolare Information Service
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Jul 25, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
“I arrived at a time of crisis, searching for answers to social and existential questions, and here I’ve found a powerful answer.” So says one of the many people who came from all over the Southern Cone (Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina) to take part in the School for Social Studies (EDS) that was held on July 6-8, 2013 at Mariapolis Lia, one of the Focolare’s small towns in Argentina.
There were three days of intense reflection and dialogue, which took off from the life experience of people engaged in human development. Some had many years of experience and others were just beginning. They worked together, trying to give answer to that fundamental question that is put to Cain by God: “Where is your brother?” It is a rather disturbing question that happened to coincide in those days with the strong appeal made by Pope Francis while visiting the island of Lampedusa, Italy where many African migrants land in the hope of finding better living conditions, and where many are often shipwrecked.
“What has most struck me during these days is seeing so many people from so many different geographical areas working at all levels of society, but all working with the same objective in mind: to love. Everything was so important that I want to start applying it right away.” The projects and activities in which those attending are involved are geared towards restoring human dignity among garbage heaps, health and community centres, centres for educational training and assistance, projects for the preservation of indigenous cultures, the promotion of social tourism, centres for the disabled, volunteer programmes in several NGOs and State entities, project administration, homeless shelters, social centres, trade unionists, business directors, politicians. . . The very fact of having all these people together to share their experiences was already very enriching.
The course was focused more on the social interests of the participants and their fields of endeavour rather than academic debates. And it favoured “gathering knowledge that was based on life experiences.” 
“I take many tools and ideas with me, which I can apply to social projects in one of the high risk quarters where we are working.” “Expectations were amply met: I’ve attended previous courses and I feel that we are gradually growing in this call to social involvement in our cities.” “Thanks a million! Here we have learned to be in order to return home and do.”
Jul 23, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
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Jul 23, 2013 | Non categorizzato
Youth Week – this is the expression Pope Francis used last Sunday, July 21 at the end of the Angelus, when he spoke about the long-awaited meeting for young people atRio de Janeiro. And thus began the week during which there will be meetings, moments of prayer, of celebration….a week full of life! The young people are waiting for Francis, who like them carried his own briefcase to the plane. This week started with a programming until now unprecedented in organizing these events.
An “interreligious meeting for Catholics, Jews and Muslims” was held on Sunday July 21. Two hundred young delegates participated in this meeting promoted by the Local Organizing Committee and hosted by the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC) inRio de Janeiro. “We started WYD by aiming at its core: accepting differences” said Josafá Siqueira, the University Rector.
Members of the Focolare Movement are involved in the interreligious dialogue group that meets every month in Rio and that launched this initiative. Victor Gomes, a native of Rio and one of the delagates at the conference related to us: “The participants were divided into small groups where various issues were discussed. Some of those present never did this kind of experience and they were filled with new hope. The leaders of the various religions have shown great interest and brotherhood. They treated each others as equal; there was no one who felt superior to any of the rest.”
Focus: WYD 2013: Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro
Updated on July 24, 2013
BF – LH
SIF – Focolare Information Service
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Jul 20, 2013 | Cultura
Synopsis
Chiara Luce, a girl full of vitality, but, suddenly, she fell gravely ill. And, strangely, moment by moment, a new life full of light began to unfold for her.She was eighteen when she died, yet she had lived to the full.
Available from New City Press (UK)
(more…)
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Jul 19, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
“It was beautiful to see our generation working and sweating for an ideal of love and solidarity without receiving anything in return . . . And I hope this helps to change the common opinion that teenagers are just lazy and uncaring. Because we’re the living proof that even if we’re young, with love and a bit of will we can accomplish something that’s great, entertaining as well as significant by putting ourselves in the game!”
These were words shared by one of the 120 youths and teenagers (8-17 years of age) from several regions of Lombardy, Italy. On June 15, 2013 he and his peers performed in the Musical “Rays of Light.” The show was thought up and desired by these young members of the Focolare to be a musical rendition, through word and song, of the extraordinary life of Blessed Chiara Luce Badano who was a youth and teenager like them. They wanted the underlying message of her life to be conveyed to as many hearts as possible. The workshop gathered together 70 youths from northern Italy on June 26-30 at Sassello, the city where Chiara Luce was born.
These are some examples of the kaleidoscope of activities that Teens for Unity have been promoting throughout Italy as they take on the most diverse, demanding and also very current issues. There is always one common denominator: to build bridges in the midst of their cities that lead to a more united world. In Tuscany 45 youths between the ages of 9 and 12 “exercised.” They began gradually, first setting in place columns of friendship and true values. . . Then they did the rest. It was a different approach, yes, but often it produced a wealth of unexpected results.
Their impressions express the intensity of the moments they shared: “During a period of much doubting, this experience has been like a trampoline for me to begin again loving and to rediscover the joy there is in loving others freely.” Another says: “Some of my friends were competing with each other to see who could be first at supper. But one boy was exhausted and just couldn’t keep up with everyone else. So I thought of our motto and went back to keep him company.”
In Umbria, Italy, 65 youths went “in search of happiness” with the help of some experts from the field of psychology who explained to them how it has been scientifically proven that loving makes you happy. Longs nature walks, workshops, sporting matches and musical sessions were opportunities to build and share deep friendships.
“Big Bang, an explosion that unites” was the title of another meeting in Calabria, Italy. It involved 150 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 16 from Calabria and Sicily. Some of the distinguished guest speakers included the D’Agostino’s, parents of the police officer who was murdered by the mafia.The D’Agostino’s helped raise awareness among the teenagers, of the importance of legality. Meanwhile, on the other side of the peninsula, in Friuli Venezia Giulia, another workshop gathered fifty teenagers beneath a banner containing five slogans: “Always joyful,” “Stay on the ray,” “Love always,” “Begin again,” and “Live the present moment.”
There was “Stop’n Go 3,” the third Teens for Unity Camp in Lazio, Italy, on July 17-21, 2013. Daily activities alternated with moments for solidarity – like visiting a rest home or working on ecological projects – and moments for reflection provided by experts in the field of feelings and emotions, and in the field of dialogue between Christians and Muslims.
Not the usual holiday vacations, then, but 100% love!”affirmed one of the young protagonists. And from Austria to Brazil more new projects and activities are planned or already under way.
Until the next time!
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Jul 18, 2013 | Non categorizzato
A man of great humility, Piergiorgio had a gift for placing himself at the service of others with intelligence, deep listening and understanding.
He passed away on the morning of July 17, 2013, following a brief, serious and unexpected illness. He was surrounded by family members and focolarini.
Born in Turin, Italy, in 1930, he met the Focolare in 1956. Later he attended the first Mariapolises in Fiera di Primiero. In 1957 he married Simonetta and they became one of the first “family focolares.”
They moved to Rome in 1967 when Piergiorgio was asked to work in the Aid to the Church in Need Foundation. From 1987 he was asked by Chiara Lubich to hold various positions of responsibility in different sections of the Movement.
“I thank the Lord for the countless graces I’ve received since my encounter with the ‘Ideal of unity’ until today, and for the time that will remain to me and how I will be able to live it. But the will of God is all that matters, asking Him only, if it is possible, to be able to continue loving until the last moment,” he wrote this spring. “This phase of my life, whether it will be long or short, is full of light and peace, and I try only to live for God, for his Work, for the whole universal Church, in full unity with Pope Francis.” “The important thing is to do only what He has in His Heart and to reach Him.”
A funeral will be held on Thursday, July 18, 2013 at 15:00 in the Focolare’s international headquarters in Rocca di Papa, Italy.
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Jul 17, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
In June, in two cities of Slovakia, a book was presented about the life of deceased French entrepreneur of the Economy of Communion (EoC), Francois Neveux.
The first presentation took place on June 12, 2013 in Kosice in the Hall of the Panta Rhei Library, which was not able to contain the large crowd. People came not only from nearby cities but also from Poland, Ukraine and the Czech Republic. The participants had the most varied professional experiences as well. The audience included entrepreneurs and students, the unemployed and public workers. Also present were the local coordinators of the EoC in France,along with the wife of Francoise. In their presentation of him, they described Francois an “entrepreneur of relationships.”
Their testimony, in which they shared great and small experiences from his life, was especially appreciated, because “theories” can be argued and discussed, and different opinions emerge, but a life like that of Francois leaves no room for discussion.
On June 13, 2013 the presentationwas held in the capital city of Bratislava. It was attended by several political leaders who were interested in the EoC. A lively dialogue followed the presentations. One politician remarked: “The philosophy that lies beneath the EoC can help us to write innovative laws, and policies that are new. The EoC is the way.” The event was also covered by the Lux Catholic TV network in Slovakia, which helped in spreading the spirit behind the project.
In the capital of Slovakia there is also an historic business company that has adhered to the EoC. It is called In Vivo. For years it has produced ceramics and is widely known and appreciated for its originality. In Vivo began in 1991 just after the EoC began, based on the inspiration of Chiara Lubich in Brazil that same year.
“The relationships that were built certainly didn’t end with the presentation of a book,” writes Slovak Maja Calfova, “on the contrary, new relationships have begun and old ones have been strengthened,” bringing new energy also to the local EoC commission. One of its members stated: “We feel inside that we can’t rest until the EoC is incarnated in our land and in those around us.”
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Jul 16, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
A book written with the heart. The testimony of one of the first young women from the city of Trent, Italy, who followed Chiara Lubich in a spiritual adventure that has gathered in millions of people. Vittoria Salizzoni (Aletta) was one those first companions along with Dori Zamboni, Graziella De Luca, Silvana Veronesi, Bruna Tomasi, Palmira Frizzera, Gisella and Ginetta Calliari, Natalia Dallapiccola, Giosi Guella, Valeria Ronchetti, Lia Brunet and Marilen Holzauser.
Aletta, as she was popularly known, lived with Chiara at the dawn of the Focolare. Her recollections – some published here for the first time – along with excerpts from talks and presentations, describe the exceptional adventure she lived; also her share for over twenty five years in building the Focolare Movement in the lands of the Middle East.
She shares her memories in a language that is simple and spontaneous not with the intention of sketching a history of the Movement, but with the desire of conveying the courage and vitality that accompanied the events. Now, at the age of 87 when asked how she feels, she responds: “I feel rich. . .”
We publish one excerpt from the book, Aletta racconta. . . una trentina con Chiara Lubich, Citta Nuova’s Per Series, in which she tells of her years in Lebanon during the war (1975-1990).
“In the midst of the hatred and the bombs we believed in the Gospel. In the midst of wounded and dead there was an oasis of people striving to live mutual love and communion of goods not only among themselves, but also with others, with Muslims as well.
There was so much mutual support, a veritable competition in offering flats, for example, and dwelling places to people with nowhere to stay. Many families opened their homes to those who were living in the most dangerous regions. Then there were some who had houses in the mountains or in secure locations, who offered hospitality to the ones who were left homeless.
When food supplies were scarce those who had bread distributed to those who had none; the same with water. The ones who went to collect water for themselves said to the others: “Give us your water containers and we’ll fetch some water for you.” And this meant standing for many hours at a fountain, always fearful that a bombardment could happen at any moment.
There were certainly experiences of loss, but our spiritual support for one another seemed to lead to material assistance as well. Everything grew from there and not like a mutual aid society but as a society in which the Gospel was being lived out.
We were all living in the same conditions, and so the only thing we could do was love, and the war could never prevent us from doing that – on the contrary! You could even say that it was forming us. We felt the continual support of the Focolare and the nearness of Chiara Lubich who followed us from afar, during those very difficult and troubling situations in Lebanon.”
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Jul 14, 2013 | Non categorizzato
Our educational system has introduced into the world people who no longer understand the society they are living in. This system is destined to destroy our civilization and already it has begun to do so. It is useless to blame the politicians, business people, lawyers… We have given many of our young people the first push to set them on a carrier of criminality. It is our own fault if the streets are full of juvenile delinquents. It is time to mend this madness. It is time to gather together these young people, who are so valuable for society, and feed them from the sources of Life.
If the results are not good – who among us can claim to have no responsibility? We should all examine ourselves and look again at our philosophy of life. Since we reject the teachings of religion it is difficult for us to realize how bad are the worst distortions brought about by secularism. Pushing religion away from our life means reducing culture to erudition, life to technology, science to technical manuals. It means depriving the human spirit of the values of the spirit. It means taking from society its constitutive principles which allow it to cohere and survive, removing from it the criterion of choice between good and evil, along with a sense of responsibility and the awareness of guilt. A culture without God is a culture without the idea of an infallible judge, and so it is one that gives clear and constant sanction to any kind of human act. And a citizen who does not believe and ignores any eternal sanction is easily drawn to abuse his or her neighbour. The person learns how to make a machine and ignores how he or she is made. Such a person knows how the atmosphere can be used, but has no idea what use the soul is.
Educating, forming others for life, is lighting a flame. If we wish to form young people capable of being raised above financial gain and sensual pleasure, we need lift them up with a faith that is superior to material goods and sensuality. The person is raised by a superhuman impulse, not one that creates a superhero, but one that confirms the likeness of God in that human being. This upward urge is called the love of God and of its own nature it expands its love to other people. It generates hunger and thirst for righteousness and the young person, longing for these, brings this hunger to society.
The flame once lit must be fed and the young person should be trained to guard and increase its heat and its light. He or she is in need of an education that does not remain infantile, but takes place in the midst of life and death, which is to say in everything necessary to create a blaze and give light. The light needs to be fed, and what feeds it is many things: words, books, recitals and above all the examples and the witness of experience. This living flame opens us to experience divine grace which urges us to seek out those who suffer most, who are the least able, the weak, the defeated, the scorned, to make up for what they lack with what we can give. It is necessary to strive to act like this, as it is necessary to strive to keep healthy, even when we are sick, indeed precisely because we are sick. We must all work together to bring about a social order of peace and strength, of co-operation and altruism, and we much become promoters of truth.
Igino Giordani, La società cristiana (Rome: Città Nuova, 2010, first pub. by Editrice Salesiana, 1942).
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Jul 13, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide
Members and friends of the Focolare representing various denominations were present alongside local clergy and ecumenical officers.
“The ecumenical legacy of the Vatican Council” was the cardinal’s theme, which he delivered not so much as a formal lecture, but as a personal account of his insights into ecumenism.
I
The cardinal began by recognising the contribution of the Focolare spirituality of unity and its ecumenical work, which pre-dated the Council. He spoke of Chiara Lubich as “one of the bright luminaries of our century, of the centuries” and considered her “numbered among the blessed in heaven.”
Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor recalled the Council decree on ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio, and its bold proclamation that “there is no ecumenism worthy of the name without a change of heart … without inner conversion, newness of attitude and unstinted love.”
He cited suspicion, inertia and impatience as the three enemies of ecumenism. Drawing on his own experience both in his time as a priest and later bishop of Arundel and Brighton, and in latter years as archbishop of Westminster, the cardinal summed up the ecumenical endeavour as something that begins locally from a relationship with those around us believing that “ecumenism is blessed where people are.”
Among the milestones since Vatican II, the cardinal highlighted Pope John Paul II’s visit to Canterbury Cathedral in 1982, which he described as “a beginning of new life, new hope.” The cardinal also cited the importance of Pope Francis’ recent meeting with Archbishop Justin Welby.
The Cardinal concluded his lecture by recalling Pope Francis’ recent address where he urged that bishops might be ‘shepherds for the flock … to tend hope and have sun and light in their hearts’. In recalling the Pope’s words, Cardinal Cormac communicated an optimism reminiscent of the Vatican Council. This was not simply a looking back with nostalgia at the good old days but a looking forward conscious that ‘the work of ecumenism is God’s work’ and our joint task is ‘to communicate God’s love to his people with that same sun and light in our lives’.
Following a question and answer session, Bishop Robin Smith, retired Anglican Bishop of Hertford, offered a vote of thanks reiterating the Cardinal’s affirmation of personal relationships in ecumenism and underlined that it is on these that the future of the Church, not least the unity of the Church, depends.
Source: Zenit
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/cardinal-murphy-o-connor-speaks-of-vatican-ii-focolare-and-ecumenism
