Focolare Movement

Safeguard the family with love

Oct 25, 2015

Is the family under attack? In this text Chiara Lubich speaks to an Austrian family (Vienna 20th June 1997). They asked her how couples can be helped to deepen and strengthen their marriage, in a context where one marriage in three breaks up.

“God created the family, and he formed it in this way. He wants there to be love between husband and wife. If love is missing, there’s no marriage, no matrimony. Unfortunately, because of sin, this love has been spoiled to some extent. This love has been clouded over because sin entered humanity. So Jesus came and healed the situation, bringing a stronger love, a greater love, the very love that comes from God, the love which is God himself. So, we must take advantage of what Jesus brought, use this love in order to maintain natural love as well. For example, if you didn’t love your husband any more, you would have to love him because he is Jesus, because he is another Jesus, because you have to be the first to love, because you have to love everyone, because you have to make yourself one, because you have to love him as yourself. In other words, you bring supernatural love into the situation, with all that it means, in order to safeguard human love too. This is what to do and this way of doing things is the foundation of our New Families Movement.” Source: Chiara Lubich Center Video (italian soundtrack) https://vimeo.com/142517715

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Your email address will not be published.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

Chiara Lubich: Unity

Chiara Lubich: Unity

Unity, as the fulfilment of Jesus’ words ‘Father, may they all be one’ (Jn 17:21), is one of the key points of the Focolare Movement’s spirituality. But how can we achieve unity, how can we receive the grace of unity? Chiara Lubich spoke about this on the 26th of September 1996 in her message during a ‘Link-up’. We are presenting an extract from that message here.

Earthquake Emergency in Venezuela

Earthquake Emergency in Venezuela

The donations, collected through Action for a United World (AMU) and Action for New Families (AFN), will be used to provide essential aid and support for the reconstruction of homes for the people of Venezuela affected by the powerful earthquake on June 24, 2026.

Unity: A Priority for Maria Voce (Emmaus)

Unity: A Priority for Maria Voce (Emmaus)

On 20 June 2026, we mark the first anniversary of the passing of Maria Voce (Emmaus), the first President of the Focolare Movement (2008–2021) after Chiara Lubich. As we remember her, we asked ourselves: how did Emmaus live out unity in everyday life? The focolarine who lived with her during her final years recount a number of small episodes—little “acts of love” if you will —that reveal how mutual love, lived faithfully in every circumstance, lays the foundations for receiving unity as a gift from God.