Focolare Movement

Reclaiming a radical Gospel lifestyle

Feb 11, 2019

This year the Focolare Movement’s General Council has chosen a significant venue for its annual retreat: the Holy Land and the city of Jerusalem.

This year the Focolare Movement’s General Council has chosen a significant venue for its annual retreat: the Holy Land and the city of Jerusalem. The Ecumenical Institute at Tantur, located on the border between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, is an oasis of hospitality and fellowship. It welcomes anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the complex reality of Jerusalem, with its many cultures, peoples, religions and Christian traditions. That is why it is a suitable location for the annual retreat of the General Council of the Focolare Movement, being held there from 10-17th February. Friederike Koller and Angel Bartol, the central delegates of the Movement and organisers of the retreat, said this meeting embraces past, present and future. “A journey to the Holy Land is always a pilgrimage that calls on us to look to the past, to the historical foundations of the Christian faith and its roots in Judaism. Regarding the present, we will address one of the principle themes of the year 2019, which is the aspect of the ‘communion of goods, economy and work’. The intention is to reclaim within the Movement as a whole a radical Gospel lifestyle concerning the communion of goods, including material goods. Then, on the basis of an alternative lifestyle imbued with the charism of unity, we will seek answers to the economic challenges that present themselves today. We will also look to the future, considering two important subjects: work for and with the new generations, and preparations for the General Assembly in 2020.” Angel Bartol emphasised the importance of thoroughly applying the chosen working method, considering there are 62 participants at the meeting. “Whether we work in plenary or in small groups, we are always on pilgrimage. We feel we are continuously journeying with Jesus who wants to be present, living and active in our midst. This is possible when each one of us is ready to offer our point of view without being attached to it”. Friederike Koller added, “In this way we too can make a small contribution towards peace, which the Word of Life for this month encourages us to pursue and that the world, and especially this city, need so much.”

Joachim Schwind

Link: Focolare President Maria Voce’s greeting as the group left for Jerusalem

___

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Newsletter

Thought of the day

Related post

Searching for peace: a path in the hands of each of us

Searching for peace: a path in the hands of each of us

Eliminate every desire of power. In a world constantly torn apart by conflict and in following Pope Leo XIV’s invitation to build an “unarmed and disarming” peace, we want to share a reflection by Chiara Lubich that is extremely relevant for us today, taken from a 1981 Word of Life.

Education based on Peace

Education based on Peace

How can we become peacemakers in our everyday lives, right where we are? Anibelka Gómez, from the Dominican Republic, shares her story, showing how education can build human networks that sow beauty for the good of entire communities.

10 years after Laudato Si’ the ‘Amazonia project

10 years after Laudato Si’ the ‘Amazonia project

24 May marks 10 years since the publication of Pope Francis’ Encyclical “Laudato Si”. A moment of celebration, verification of what has been done and to take it up again and make it known to those who are still unaware of its content. Aware that ‘there can be no renewal of our relationship with nature without a renewal of humanity itself’ (LS, 118) we present the ‘Amazonia Project’, as told by two young Brazilians during the Genfest 2024 held in Aparecida, Brazil.