On Easter day, the Risen Lord appeared first to Mary Magdalen in the morning and then to his disciples that same evening. When they saw him, they reacted with great joy and were enriched by the true peace that only the Lord could give.[1] “Peace be with you” (v. 21). Joy and peace are fruits of the Spirit. [2] In fact, Jesus immediately said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (v. 22).
As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Having said this, he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’
The Holy Spirit not only enabled the disciples to carry out the same mission given to Jesus by the Father but also “re-created” them and renewed their humanity. The Risen Lord breathed on them and this gesture is the same as the action of the Creator who breathed into the nostrils of the man formed from the dust of the ground. [3] Just as creation is the continuous work of the Father’s love that sustains the entire universe, so the new creation wrought by the Risen One through the Holy Spirit continually sustains humanity on its journey toward the Kingdom.
This month’s Word of Life reminds us that we have the opportunity to become like Jesus. This is true for each of us individually, but even more so as a community. Jesus spoke to his disciples in the plural. In fact, it’s only together that all the different members form the mystical body of Jesus.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Having said this, he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’
Having been made children in the Son, we have the same vocation as Jesus. We have come from the Father, and will return to him. We are called to repeat his actions and words in the world and are accompanied by the grace of the Holy Spirit. If we open ourselves to this gift, we too can affirm with Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” [4].
This Word, therefore, invites us to deepen our relationship with the Holy Spirit, both in prayer and in everyday life, “listening to that voice” and remembering that, “Without the Holy Spirit, God is distant, Christ remains in the past, the Gospel is a dead letter, the Church is a mere organization and its mission is propaganda.
But in the Holy Spirit, the cosmos is lifted up and groans in the gestation of the Kingdom, the risen Christ is present, the Gospel is the power of life, the Church means Trinitarian communion and Pentecost is its mission.” [5].
As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Having said this, he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’
Andrea was a teenager in crisis. He had doubts about the meaning of life, fear of the future, the fragility he experienced seemed insurmountable and he often felt discouraged and unhappy. Someone suggested that he talk to Chiara Lubich. Shortly before actually meeting her, Andrea heard Chiara whisper the words “Holy Spirit” and realized that she was praying.
During the conversation, he felt deeply understood and completely accepted. He found peace again not because his problems had suddenly disappeared but because now there was someone with whom he could share them.
Years later, he confided “I not only received concrete help from Chiara but I also learned how to live – that is to be close to those who suffer and to have a sensitive and understanding attitude, without judging – just as Jesus would do.”
Only the Holy Spirit can make this happen, if we welcome him and allow him to work in us.
Prepared by Claudio Cianfaglioni & the Word of Life Team
“We should have the courage to reach out to one another, the courage to come together.
This is not simply a motto for the United World Week, but a choice we all make every day. And if we do so, it becomes a path to peace.”
Margaret Karram and Roberto Almada, President and Co-President of the Focolare Movement, through a brief chat, encourage us to approach dialogue with determination and to choose it in a practical way in our daily lives.
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Actions, initiatives, activities and world events to generate a network capable of living and testifying that universal brotherhood is really possible. This is the driving force behind United World Week (UWW). Supported by the United World Project together with the Focolare Movement and Youth for a United World (Y4UW), this global action takes place every year from 1st -7th May, crossing continents, oceans and becomes a concrete opportunity to transform values such as unity and peace into shared experiences.
People of different cultures, ages and backgrounds, each in their own city and community, embrace this invitation with the aim of creating authentic meeting spaces, networking energies, ideas and testimonies capable of generating real change.
This year’s edition proposes a strong and timely theme: #ChooseToDialogue. In a world marked by conflicts and growing divisions, it becomes even more urgent and meaningful to rediscover the value of encounter, listening and mutual understanding. Choosing “Dialogue” with courage today means opposing the logic of conflict and opening paths of peace; overcoming distances and transforming differences into opportunities for unity. The proposal for this UWW? A daily journey that invites you to experience this choice in various areas:
• May 1st – Interculturality & Dialogue
• May 2 – Art & Social Engagement
• 3 May – Health, Sport and Ecology
• May 4 – Economy and Work + Education and Research
• May 5 – Communication and Media
• May 6 – Active Citizenship and Politics
• May 7 – Peace & Human Rights
Various methods and proposals are available to make this happen, from the Time-out, an invitation to a shared moment of silence and prayer that unites everyone in asking for the gift of peace, to the Inspiration Box, a resource full of ideas and suggestions to be put into practice during the week.
Don’t miss:
Peace Got Talent – Living Peace, the broadcast of Living Peace International from 14:00 (GMT+1, Rome time) on Saturday, 2nd May on YouTube (@ unitedworldproject and @livingpeaceinternational), offering inspiration through the talents and messages of unity and peace shared by young people worldwide.
Run4Unity: the global relay for peace. At noon in each time zone, young people “pass the baton” to the next country, creating a worldwide wave of unity that circles the planet. Many countries are already organising their stages as part of this global race, such as Brazil, Venezuela, Paraguay, Argentina, Uganda, Burundi, New Caledonia, Italy and Croatia, among others.
– May Day Loppiano (Italy). From 1st-3rd May, the Focolare international town near Florence will host the 1st May event in Loppiano, the Festival of Fraternity dedicated to young people. ROOTS, discovering what unites us, is the title of the event: three days of meetings, stories, reflections, workshops, exhibitions, educational and sports activities focussed on the theme of roots and cultural diversity. An invitation to go deep, to rediscover one’s cultural and spiritual origins as a starting point for encountering others.
– Also in Portugal, at the Focolare’s little town “Rainbow” in Abrigada (Alenquer), 1st May will be an occasion for celebration and commitment to building a better world. Promoted by Youth for a United World, the event, with moments of sharing and workshops, will bring together people from all over the country and guests from different continents who believe that brotherhood is not just a dream but a reality that is built day after day, with concrete gestures of solidarity, dialogue and hope. The title of the event: “Connect. Do you have the courage to build bridges?”
How to organize events, share stories and join United World Week 2026?
From 16 to 18 April 2026, the Steering Committee of the “Together for Europe” (TfE) met for its annual retreat, this time at the Schoenstatt Centre in Vienna, Austria, on the Kahlenberg. Twenty-six participants, representing eight of the Christian movements that make up the network, reviewed the past year and set out objectives for future projects.
A key aspect of this year’s meeting was the change in membership of the Steering Committee. This transition has been prepared over the last two years in an atmosphere of listening to the Spirit, with a view to ensuring both continuity and fresh impetus.
Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, expressed her heartfelt thanks in a letter to the outgoing members for their tremendous commitment over the past decades in shaping TfE. The following members bid farewell to the group: Gerhard Pross (YMCA Esslingen), co-founder of TfE and its long-standing moderator, together with Thomas Römer and Walter Kriechbaum (both from the YMCA Munich, who have been involved with TfE since its inception).
Diego Goller (IT) and Ilona Toth (HU), representatives of the President of the Focolare Movement on the Steering Committee, welcomed their successors: Liz Taite (GB), who has extensive experience in ecumenism, and Alberto Lo Presti (IT). The role of General Secretary will be taken on by Maria Wienken (DE), supported by Elisabeth Danner (A), both members of the Focolare Movement. The handover was solemnly celebrated during an evening prayer and sealed by the “Pact of Mutual Love”. Gerhard Pross highlighted the greatness of TfE’s mission and its rich fruits, which have marked important milestones in the history of the Church, as described in the book “Sternstunden der Einheit” (Highlights of Unity).
The role of TfE moderator will now be filled by a group comprising three members of the current Committee: Sister Nicole Grochowina (Christusbruderschaft Selbitz Community), Fr Raffael Rieger (Schönstatt Movement) and Matthias Bühlmann (Vineyard). “This change marks not only the end of an era, but also the beginning of a new phase of collaboration at European level,” commented one of the participants.
Another member added: ‘The days spent on the Kahlenberg have shown that our diversity is our strength. With this new team, we are sending a clear signal of continuity and new horizons.’ Another participant emphasised: ‘TfE is writing a story of hope in these seemingly hopeless times. That is why it is more important than ever to walk together today.’
Agenda and outlook
Another key focus of the discussions was the work of the National Committees, which are taking on an increasing responsibility for establishing TfE in their respective countries.
The following key upcoming events were also discussed:
9-13 May 2026: To mark Europe Day, 120 young Europeans will visit the European Parliament. Inspired by the Christian unity they have experienced at TfE, the young people have drawn up an “Intergenerational Pact” which they will present to MEPs.
29-31 October 2026: The next ‘Friends’ Gathering’ will take place at the Vineyard Centre in Würzburg, Germany.
4-6 May 2028 (date to be confirmed): Major event in Castel Gandolfo and Rome, Italy.
The 2026 meeting of the Steering Committee thus marked an important milestone for the future direction of the network, which remains committed to unity and fraternity across the continent.
