I was doing some work around the house when I cut my left hand deeply. As I tried to stop the flow of blood before my parents accompanied me to the hospital casualty department, our six year old grandson Emanuel, who was spending that day with us, watched closely as I hurriedly bandaged my hand: “Does it hurt a lot, Granddad?” I reassured him and to help me, he gave me a sweet! Shortly after: “Would you like another sweet, Granddad? It’ll do you good.” After the wound was stitched, bandaged and with a splint on my left thumb (fortunately the tendon was unharmed), when I got back home he came running to me: “Granddad, how are you doing now? Maybe a coffee would help”. “Thank you, Emanuel, after lunch: now let’s go to eat”. My wife had made his favourite sausages. After eating his, he took another one from the serving plate, cut it up and without saying anything put it on my plate. Observing these gestures made with moving simplicity, I recalled that Jesus indicated children as a model for us.
(Giovanni C. – Italy)
A providential holiday
“Beyond Us”, an association that supports people with disabilities, among its many activities organizes a holiday in San Bernardino. The President, whom I have known for years, said to me: “Why don’t you send Benedetta with us?” The idea was appealing, but would the place be suitable for wheelchair users like my daughter? After a visit it seemed that it would In addition, our friend Daniela kindly offered to accompany her and there would also be a nurse there. Benedetta was enthusiastic. I couldn’t believe it. Before leaving, we attended a dinner to meet the other holidaymakers. The atmosphere was cheerful. On 3rd August, Benedetta and Daniela left in our car for getting around locally. I really hoped my friend would not get too tired… I trusted and entrust everything to Jesus. The first news from both of them was reassuring. When they returned I hardly recognized my daughter: she was relaxed and overjoyed especially because she had been able to attend Mass every day, celebrated right there in her and Daniela’s room. God always surpasses us in generosity!
(M.B. – Switzerland)
When you lose your self-sufficiency
The month just past has been a month of “passion,” in the most physical sense of the word. An extraordinary month, in which physical pain was cradled by the tenderness of brothers. My eagerness to recover quickly—that sin of pride which wants always to feel self-sufficient—betrayed me. There were complications after the operation, my knee swelled up, and the doctor was firm: rest and ice. In that bag of ice I found a strange form of prayer. I found myself “small”, dependent on my brother for a glass of water or a lift in the car. But it was precisely in this fragility that I rediscovered the treasure of the priestly community in which I live. I understood that fraternity is not just eating together, but having the trust o say, “I need you”
Dependence on others is not a defeat, but the guarantee of our humanity. Today as a retired priest, I cultivate a few square meters of the world in my garden. And as long as I have a voice (and a crutch to support me), my garden will always be open to those looking for hope.
(Don Peppino G. – Italy)
Curated by Maria Grazia Berretta
taken from the Gospel of the Day, Città Nuova, year XII – no.3 – May-June 2026)
“It is very touching that the children of Rome thought of the IRAP (Audio Phonetic Rehabilitation Institute). This sum is precious, above all because it is a gesture that comes from the hearts of children.
During this past term at IRAP, we have tried to be “sparks of life” in the midst of the death that surrounds us. For us, this gift is itself a spark of life: it makes us feel that we are not alone and that, behind this gesture, there are concrete efforts, the faces of joyful children, hands joined together… All this is a seed of life and fraternity that touches us deeply. Thank you.
We are certainly living through difficult times but we continue to hold fast to hope and to choose life every day. This means going against the current of what is happening in Lebanon today. It calls for constant efforts, which we must make again and again, because nothing can ever be taken for granted.
Today in Lebanon, the word “peace”, seems to be losing its meaning. Many people don’t believe in it anymore and sometimes neither do we. At one point, even the Time Out, the daily moment of prayer for peace shared around the world, seemed pointless to me. How could I expect others to believe it, if I myself no longer did?
It became necessary to go deeper in order to rediscover the true meaning of peace: first of all inner peace, which is a challenge in a context of war, violence and hostility. Not allowing yourself to slip into hatred of the enemy, overcoming anger in the face of injustice, ripping out from your soul everything that can corrupt it… it’s a continuous struggle.
At Easter, Jesus’ greeting to the apostles, “Peace be with you”, resounded in a new way in my soul and I rediscovered that he is our true peace.
Active commitment to others is a way out: it frees us from isolation and makes us stronger. ”
IRAP (Institut de Rééducation Audio-Phonétique)
compiled by Maria Grazia Berretta
The Middle East emergency is ongoing. Every contribution helps bring relief to the many families affected by the scourge of war: many have lost their homes, others seek refuge in centres that continue to open their doors despite increasingly limited resources.
The latest volume which contains what Chiara Lubich wrote about her mystical experience: Paradise ’49, is now in the bookshops. In many ways this is a unique text, one that will surely provoke lively reflection. Above all because, for the first time, it places before the wider public, without omissions or selections, the deepest source of the Christian adventure that made Chiara one of the leading figures of the second half of the last century and beyond. It hands on to us a legacy that still remains largely to be explored and developed.
Yes, the deepest source: not the fruit of her imagination, however brilliant, or merely an original inspiration granted to her. It is something more and something different. It is something, as the philosopher Jean-Luc Marion wrote, that comes d’ailleurs, from that “elsewhere” which in Jesus has been given to us once and for all “from within” and “beneath” the history we live, with all its magnificent and astonishing expressions and surprises and with its dramatic and disturbing trials.
Throughout the centuries, this ever new proposition of Jesus, as promised by him: “Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world”, is a well-known tenet of the history of the Church. Each time it is unforeseeable and surprising, because it is the work of the Spirit, who “is like the wind that blows where it wills and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.” Yet it is something that can still be recognized and appreciated.
Paradise ’49, once again and in an unprecedented form, is a simple and faithful witness to all this. Here lies its first value. We cannot but be deeply grateful to Chiara who in the end, not without first carefully assuring herself that all was in harmony with the faith of the Church, chose to offer this gift. She considered it something precious and recognized her responsibility toward it, as a gift given by God not only for herself but for everyone. From this comes a second value of these pages: the role they are destined to have for the Focolare Movement. Its charismatic identity was forged precisely through the events witnessed in these pages, so that it might be “the new wineskin” called to preserve and generously pour out the “new wine” of the Spirit that was communicated there, in service of the Gospel’s journey through history.
Finally, there is a third and perhaps decisive value of this writing: making accessible to us today the decisive resource represented by the event of Jesus. It has been said that Christianity has yet to flower fully. . And at this challenging turning point in history, in the fraternal dialogue that the disciples of Jesus are called to live with all who seek truth and serve justice: no, we haven’t said everything yet.
I have learnt to laugh at myself; I can be quite ridiculous at times when I feel vulnerable. I am keenly aware of the humour people display at the point of death or in the face of tragedy. I learnt this from the founder of Logotherapy, Viktor Frankl.
What annoys me?
When people fail to understand things that are quite obvious.
The motto of my life?
It is a phrase by Pope Paul VI: “Blessed are these troubled and paradoxical times, which almost compel us to holiness.” It can also be read in a secular sense, that is: these are times that compel us to be people of integrity.
My strength?
I would say it is linked to this motto: I manage to remain calm in moments of crisis. I have a kind of “tragic optimism”.
My weakness?
I’m a bit lazy and I also tend to prejudge situations and people, but I try to be aware of this and convert myself.
What is particularly close to my heart in my new role?
Making institutional relationships more human. Being realistic. And then, not to distance myself from the dynamic of dialogue with anyone, no matter what. Unity with Margaret.
My favourite place?
The simple and poor neighbourhoods of Latin American cities where you can just chat with people, perhaps over a cup of mate [a traditional South American drink]!
Where do I draw my strength from?
I am a down-to-earth, religious, Latin American person. Whenever I can, or when I have a problem to sort out, I go on a pilgrimage to Marian shrines, and I also like to have images of my “patron saints”. In short, I draw strength from prayer and from spending time with friends. I would like to always have time for them.
A good night’s sleep is also good for me! Everything seems possible in the morning.
What worries me?
That our charism is not understood in all its fullness, and so I worry whether we will be able to free it from the sin of “domination” and inauthenticity that has tainted our relationships.
Roberto Almada, born in 1956 in Rosario, Argentina, is the new Co-President of the Focolare Movement. He studied medicine and is a specialist in psychiatry. He also holds a doctorate in philosophy and is co-founder of the School of Logotherapy in Uruguay and Paraguay. He got to know the Focolare Movement in 1976. He has lived in Focolare communities for many years, including in Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina and at the International Centre in Rocca di Papa. Roberto Almada is the author of the book “Il burnout del buon samaritano” [The Burnout of the Good Samaritan].
On 22 April, around thirty leaders from global Christian Churches and organisations visited the International Centre of the Focolare Movement in Rocca di Papa. The visit formed part of the programme of the annual meeting of the International Committee of the Global Christian Forum (GCF), which had taken place in Rome in these days, and provided a meaningful opportunity for mutual understanding and ecumenical dialogue.
The encounter offered an opportunity to explore more deeply the history, charism and commitment of the Focolare Movement to Christian unity. Following an introductory presentation, an intense and engaged dialogue unfolded, characterised by numerous questions and reflections. At the conclusion of the meeting, Margaret Karram, Presidente of the Focolare Movement, offered a brief greeting and shared personal testimony, which deeply resonated with those present.
Members of the Committee expressed their gratitude for the warm welcome and for the light that emerged from the encounter. Commissioner Jane Paone of the International Salvation Army commented: “For me it was a very ‘vibrational’ experience: I was touched by the joy and the hospitality.” Dr Hanns Lessing, representative of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, shared: “I was touched by how the Gospel commandment,“’Love your neighbour as yourself’, can today be understood as an invitation to love the other ecclesial community as one’s own.” Prof. Dirk Lange of the Lutheran World Federation highlighted the deep connection between the stories shared and the identity of the Global Christian Forum: “The faith stories of Chiara Lubich and Margaret Karram brought us to the very heart of the GCF: building relationships through self-giving, in the trust that God always provides. God’s love is at the centre, and mutual love unites.”
Participants at the annual meeting of the International Committee of the Global Christian Forum
Founded in 1998 at the initiative of the World Council of Churches, during the term of the then General Secretary Dr Konrad Raiser, the Global Christian Forum is a unique ecumenical space that brings together all the major currents of world Christianity, including Pentecostal and Free Churches. Its distinctive charism lies in the sharing of personal faith stories as a privileged path for building relationships, overcoming historical divisions and promoting unity in diversity. As Dr David Wells of the Pentecostal World Fellowship emphasised in recent days: “The GCF fosters a dialogue that does not begin with doctrinal or political positions, but with people.”
The International Committee, composed of around thirty church leaders – including the Focolare Movement from 2026 onwards – reflected on future challenges in a world marked by growing polarisation, a reality that also affects the Churches themselves. A central question emerged: how can we be reconcilers today?
It became clear to all that the GCF occupies a unique place within the ecumenical landscape. As David Wells added, using a powerful metaphor: “The GCF is like a fertiliser: it works beneath the surface. It is not always immediately visible, but in time its fruits emerge, oriented towards visible unity.”
A strong sense of harmony thus emerged between the goal and the dialogical approach of the Global Christian Forum and the charism and the dialogue of life of the Focolare Movement, opening hopeful perspectives for future collaboration on the journey towards the unity of the Church and of the whole human family.
