In this chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, the apostles have just been chosen by Jesus. He has called them by name and given them special powers to cast out unclean spirits and the ability to heal every disease and infirmity. He then gives them instructions on where and how to carry out their first mission. In fact, the message they are to proclaim is clear: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”[1].
The stipulation to proclaim this message as they go emphasises two things. First and foremost, true disciples should proclaim the closeness of the Kingdom but it is also true that their relationship, as they journey forward together, should also witness to this message. In fact, in John’s Gospel, after giving the new commandment, Jesus says: ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’[2].
As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ […]
[…] Freely you have received, freely give.
The ‘kingdom of heaven’ is at the heart of Jesus’ proclamation. The similar expression, ‘kingdom of God’, is used in the Old Testament to indicate God’s lordship, governance and saving action in human history. He is the ruler of the world and especially of the people of Israel, who were waiting for a descendant of King David to restore Israel’s role among the nations. In the New Testament, Jesus himself is presented as this descendant and therefore king. Unlike a temporal kingdom, the “kingdom of heaven” is a reign of peace and justice where forgiveness and reconciliation and care for the needy prevail, bringing light and life to all nations. It is a kingdom that already exists in the world and in the human heart but will only reach fulfilment at the return of Jesus.
As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ […]
[…] Freely you have received, freely give.
Jesus announces that the kingdom is close in time. It is imminent. Parables such as that of the mustard seed or the leaven in the dough indicate that the kingdom grows humbly and mysteriously but with great tenacity. ‘Near’ also has a spatial meaning. When the disciples, who carry the presence of Jesus’ spirit, approach on foot, the kingdom of God approaches, and when, in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus says to the scribe:
‘You are not far from the kingdom of God,’ [3] he probably meant not only ‘you have begun to understand’ but also ‘you are not far from me.’
As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ […]
[…] Freely you have received, freely give.
The word ‘freely’ translates a term that in the original Greek means ‘as a gift.’ This highlights that what the apostles received was not given to them because they deserved it. Instead, the source is God’s generosity and the fact that they were chosen for a special mission.
Chiara Lubich writes: “The kingdom of God must therefore be welcomed. It is a gift that God gives you. In fact, no human effort, no ascetic endeavour, no study or intellectual research can bring you into the kingdom of God. It is God himself who comes to meet you, who reveals himself with his light or touches you with his grace. there is no merit that you can boast of, or rely on, to be entitled to such a gift from God. The kingdom is offered to you freely ‘ [4]. Today, we too are called to welcome this gift. We are invited to continue the task that Jesus entrusted to the apostles, that is, to proclaim with words and deeds that the kingdom of God is near. Even in this troubled and uncertain world, we are called to announce a message of hope to everyone we meet. God loves the world and each one of us immensely.
Prepared by Augusto Parody Reyes & the Word of Life Team
Five hundred people from 43 countries, representing every continent, have gathered in different parts of Latin America, for this important event dedicated to the Economy of Communion, 35 years after its birth.This “path of regeneration”, as it has been defined, began on 25th May 2026 and is a kind of “journey” of the Economy of Communion through various regions that will end on 29th-30th May in Buenos Aires. The first stage involves participants immersing themselves in different social projects around the Southern Cone. The key word of this experience is “encounter”: encounter between different worlds, lives, situations and different forms of wealth. A “meeting again” that generates relationships and communities.
Isaías Hernando, from Spain, a member of the International Commission of the Economy of Communion explained, “The Economy of Communion is lived by bringing together people from different sectors, entrepreneurs and academics, those who live in situations of poverty or vulnerability and indigenous populations. In some way it aims to offer a preview of what a different economy can really be like. This is precisely the spirit of the first phase of the event: it is not just a matter of visiting symbolic places, but of entering into situations where this experience is already visible. Not simply showing it but engaging in dialogue and a deep encounter between people from different cultures and those who live in situations of fragility. It is an experience that highlights the vocation of the Economy of Communion – to build fraternal communities “.
Why do we talk about “regeneration”? Anouk Grevin, from France, Coordinator of the International Commission of the Economy of Communion told us: “The idea of regeneration comes from the desire to care for the wounds of the economy and of our earth. Wounds regenerate from within – the skin rebuilds itself around the wound. Of course, there can be help from the outside, but everything begins there. This is the meaning we wanted to express in thinking about the regeneration process.”
It is a project in which the protagonists are those who live in the very places where wounds exist, who dwell within serious wounds. Anouk added, “It is a journey in which all of us have recognized ourselves as part of this fraternal and global community. We do not bring answers, we do not bring resources, we bring an experience of communion that is intended in itself to be generative”.
A characteristic of the Economy of Communion is that it requires the involvement of all the actors together: entrepreneurs, scholars, ordinary citizens, employees, micro-entrepreneurs and people who live in difficult situations. Anouk further stated, “It is not just an entrepreneurial project or a business model, but a community of people building a new economy together, precisely in places that are often not associated with the dominant economy, and that are already generating something new”.
The work is ongoing. There has been a vast range of experiences since the birth of the Economy of Communion and it is hoped that the days in Buenos Aires will open up new perspectives, as Hernando desires: “I believe that the intuition that Chiara Lubich had in 1991, when she launched the Economy of Communion in Brazil, had a strong prophetic character, in the sense that living this experience and making it real, means in some way anticipating the future. In this sense, I think that at this moment of history, the Economy of Communion is called to highlight that prophecy, somehow making it real and incarnate albeit on a small scale”.
by Carlos Mana Photo: Courtesy of EdC
WORK ON VARIOUS SOCIAL PROJECTS
Sunrise, EcuadorVolcadero, Paraná, Entre Ríos (AR)Mariápolis Lía, O’Higgins (AR)Scuola Chiara Lubich, JCPaz (AR)Rete Piccoli produttori, Entre Ríos (AR)Casita Estrella, Paraná (AR)Fondazione Lucia, Tucumán (AR)Scuola Aurora, Catamarca (AR)Custodi della Casa Comune, La Plata (AR)Asunción, Paraguay
There are places that do more than simply welcome people. They bring them into relationship with one another, generating authentic connections, trust and community. This is where the “social beauty” is born: from the quality of the encounters we are able to build. “Generating Social Beauty” was the title of the events marking the 40th anniversary of the Chiara Lubich Mariapolis Centre in Trent. It was not a traditional celebration, but a live, open and participatory workshop.
This vision took shape in 4 challenges, in four events open to the city and the region.
A two-day workshop with the Gen Verde Performing Arts Group, an artistic workshop with about thirty young people from 14 to 20 years old, a concrete experience of community expressed through music and performance. It was an engaging, lively and colourful event where young people were able to experience alongside the artists how the performing arts can become a space for learning teamwork, creativity and listening.
A conference, promoted by New Humanity, NGO of Focolare, was included in the program of the “Festival of the Economy” entitled “Denied realities: between news and opinion, towards disarmed and disarming languages”. Five experts in the world of communication engaged in dialogue on the most complex issues of our time and the way they are narrated (the event is available in Italian on the website www.festivaleconomia2026.it/)
An Open Day in which the Mariapolis Centre opened up to the city, not only as a physical place, but as an experience of encounter. It was a day of welcome and dialogue with the civil and religious realities of the area. Elena Granata, Professor of Urban Planning at the Politecnico di Milano and vice president of the School of Civil Economy, began with an insightful reading of the reality of our cities entitled “Generating Beauty for Everyone”.
This was followed by a round table featuring valuable and thought provoking contributions from various civil and ecclesial realities working to build a city and a community that is more united and enriched by diversity. Speakers included: Franco Ianeselli, Mayor of Trent, Annalisa Pasini, delegate of Witness and Social Commitment of the Diocese of Trent, Sara Alouani, journalist with Il T Quotidiano and Claudio Bassetti President of CNCA – National Coordination of Welcoming communities of Trentino – South Tyrol. Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, who wanted to begin her new mandate in Trent, the city of Chiara Lubich, also offered her contribution. She said, “From here, let’s look to the future. Because of its position, history and sensitivity, Trent is called to dialogue, it cannot renounce this vocation. Trent can still speak to the world today by living a fraternity that becomes culture, style and practice”.
Displays and experiences in various places in the Mariapolis Centre were the backdrop for the day. In the afternoon and evening the stage was taken over by the dynamic artistic energy of the Gen Verde Performing Group.
Over 1,000 people participated in the events of the 40th anniversary. For everyone, it was an opportunity to place the value of relationships, of “closeness” back at the centre, a dialogue not aimed at itself, as Margaret Karram pointed out, but “at building universal fraternity, not an optional extra but a necessity: it means participating in the life of others.”
It was a morning that marked a significant moment in the history of the Church. On 25th May 2026 in the Synod Hall in the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV presented his first encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, on safeguarding the human person in the time of Artificial Intelligence. It was the first time that a Pope was present in the Hall where his magisterial document was being presented to the public.
The encyclical was signed on 15th May, the 135th anniversary of the promulgation of the encyclical letter Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII, who recognized in the industrial transformations of his time a profoundly human and social issue. This encyclical defends the human person in today’s time of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and calls for new urgent reflections on the role and future of technological progress.
After the interventions of experts and theologians, the Pontiff spoke. He focused on the “gravity of the moment” we are living through, which is a cause for concern in the Church which is called to “interpret new things in the light of the Gospel and the dignity of the person”. He explained that the document was born “from listening” to scientists and engineers who “work with sincere enthusiasm on technologies capable of alleviating immense suffering; listening to political leaders and public officials who have persistently sought just regulations; listening to parents and teachers deeply concerned about the future of the young generations”. He used strong words: “Artificial Intelligence must be disarmed. The expression is strong, I know”, Leo admitted, “but it was chosen deliberately because this moment needs words capable of attracting attention, awakening consciences and indicating ways forward for humanity”.
The Pontiff recalled that for some time “the Church has worked in favour of nuclear disarmament, as a service to peace and to the dignity of the human family”. Likewise, “Artificial Intelligence today also needs to be disarmed, because like nuclear energy, it must be at the service of all and of the common good. (…) Decisions about technology must never be separated from conscience and responsibility”. “But when technology weakens our critical sense, it is peace itself that is at risk. Disarming, however, is not enough. We must build.” Together.
The encyclical
“Magnifica Humanitas is the culmination of 10 year’s work of the Holy See,” said Msgr. Paul Desmond Tighe, secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education during the press briefing. In 2016 a French priest began to study some topics related to communication and technology. “In San Francisco (USA) he met some experts who wanted to inform the Holy See about technological developments that could influence the future of the world, Tighe continued, “For these scientists it was important to have the perspective of wise voices, so they sought collaboration with the Holy See”, leading to a synergy based on mutual listening
Christopher Olah, Co-founder of Anthropic (USA), one of the world’s leading artificial intelligence companies, also spoke at the Vatican presentation: “We need an every larger part of the world, religious communities, civil society, scholars and governments, to do what His Holiness has done here: to take all this seriously, to carefully observe events as they unfold and help guide them in a better direction. Today is only the beginning of a long collaboration between those of us who are building this technology and those who can see what we ourselves cannot see from the inside”.
Divided into five chapters, plus an introduction and a conclusion, Magnifica Humanitas starts from a central thesis: technology is not an “antagonistic force with respect to humanity”, nor is it “in itself an evil”. The Pontiff affirms that “injustices do not arise only from the wrong choices made by individuals, but also from structures, mechanisms and from economic and cultural structures that produce inequality”. This also applies to new technologies.
Leo’s concern focuses on the power that when concentrated in a few hands, “tends to become opaque and to escape public control”, bringing with it the risk of distorted development “which generates new dependencies, exclusions, manipulations and inequalities”. Here attention is directed toward those who control platforms, infrastructures and digital data.
Pope Leo XIV reiterated once again that there is no such thing as a “just war”. He called for the use of Artificial Intelligence in warfare to be subjected to the strictest ethical constraints because “there is no algorithm that can make war morally acceptable”.
We need “a politics that does not abdicate its responsibility”. The truth must be expresses through an “ecology of communication” opposed to fake news. The Pope indicated some elements: transparency in the content-selection algorithms, protection of personal data, serious journalism based on argument and verification, a new awareness in the “correct and critical” use of AI and the integration of knowledge.
In concluding the letter, the Pontiff invited the faithful to inhabit new technologies in the light of the Gospel, following “a sober and demanding path of Christian life”, so that even in the time of AI everyone can give witness to “the beauty of a magnificent humanity inhabited by God”.
A full lecture hall, attentive, almost suspended in silence. This was the atmosphere in the Paul VI Hall of the Pontifical Lateran University (Rome, Italy) on Friday 22nd May, when Chiara Lubich’s Paradise ’49 was presented to the public for the first time.
It wasn’t simply a book launch. The widespread impression, heard in the corridors and in conversations among those present, was that this was a historical moment: for the first time, a text kept mostly private until now, was being openly offered to ecclesial and cultural debate, in a hall filled to capacity.
Welcoming those present, Anna Maria Rossi, speaking on behalf of the Chiara Lubich Centre – promoter of the series of Works by Chiara Lubich – immediately clarified the meaning of the event, recalling the extensive editorial process that led to the publication of the volume. “It is not an isolated text – she explained – but part of a broader journey, which tells the story of the emergence of a charism in the Church”.
The contents were introduced by speakers from different ecclesial and academic backgrounds. Alessandro Clemenzia, Dean of the Theological Faculty of Central Italy and an expert in Chiara Lubich’s spirituality, offered an important key to the book’s interpretation: “It is not a question of understanding what Chiara wrote, but what God wishes to say about himself through this experience”. A perspective that helped reveal the depth of the text without reducing it to a simple document.
Stefan Tobler, a Swiss evangelical theologian also involved in the reflection on the Charism of Unity, drew attention to the figure of the author: a woman who, through these pages, “offers the most intimate aspects of her relationship with God” sharing her experience in an authentic way.
Particularly anticipated was the contribution of Angela Ales Bello, philosopher and phenomenology expert, the only speaker external to the Focolare Movement. She clearly pointed out that mysticism is not something “strange” or esoteric, but “an illumination of reality lived in faith”. She also highlighted an original feature of Paradise ’49: an experience that involves not only the person, but also the community, almost a “we” that becomes a subject.
Brendan Leahy, Bishop of Limerick (Ireland) and, like Clemenzia and Tobler, also a member of the interdisciplinary study centre of the Focolare Movement known as the “Abba School”, intervened remotely. He highlighted the ecclesial significance of the text. Paradise ’49, he said, is not a systematic treatise, but can “inspire new perspectives” and help us understand the Church as a living and relational communion.
Throughout the meeting, alongside the great enthusiasm, there was also a certain caution: how can such an intense text be received without simplifying or misunderstanding it? The answer emerged several times, almost like a guiding thread: Paradise ’49 cannot be understood only by reading it but by letting oneself become involved in it.
Perhaps this was the deepest meaning of the day. With this publication, the Focolare Movement has taken a step towards greater openness: what was born as a lived experience is now being offered to everyone, not as an object to be analyzed, but as a proposal for life.
![“As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ […] Freely you have received, freely give.” (Mt 10:7-8)](https://www.focolare.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/birgit_lutzer-group-4708306_1920-980x653.jpg)
