Question: What has changed since you have known the spirituality of unity?
ETHEL: An important aspect is the capacity to accept our differences. We are very different people, even our ages are different as Angelito is older than me and while he is energetic I am very quiet.
Personally I have learned not only to embrace him physically but also the sense of him as my husband and find unity in diversity. This way we also found joy.
LITO: The most important thing is living the Art of Loving with my wife and our three children.
We try to live this reciprocity between us in a truly concrete way. The Art of Loving is a practical instrument to use in relationships and communication. For us specifically, it means in communication, in planning, taking time to rest, in sport and in our children’s education, resulting in the growth of our relationship and in each one as a person. This way of life has made us come out of ourselves to help others. It has helped us to give sense to life , to listen and communicate better what we feel and to find true freedom. It is a modern approach to life as a couple and to children’s education.
Question:What do you think of the novelty that Chiara Lubich has brought to Family life ?
New Families have a mission to love other families and keep in touch with each other, by doing this, they share and create a space for concrete love with other families. This is why they are called “New Families”; this is what they become.
We don’t have to look very far, but start to renew our family from the inside, where we might find breakage or injuries to heal. The spirituality of unity helps us to love these other families in the way they want to be loved.
This attitude can inspire other families. This was our experience when we went to Vietnam in 2002: there were already the Focolari who had brought this spirituality, but when we went, we understood that when there is a family who shares this spirituality, it becomes even brighter.
The Family of today is passing through many problems, crises, but the spirituality of unity is an answer to these challenges.Sometimes we can feel a bit down like everyone else, but listening to other families helps us to be loyal to our commitment to love.
Question:How much of an answer can come from the Ideal of Chiara Lubich.
By trying to live the Art of Loving in a practical way in families, in the the families who are living a separation with many differences, you can distill the essence of love, and the fruits are above all in the relationship in the couple, between husband and wife.
You go further than the differences: the Art of Loving teaches us to communicate in a human way,
but takes the relationship into a higher dimension. The Art of Loving should be put into practice in all simple everyday things. This is a testimony for others. For example, when we were at the checkout in the Supermarket, without doing anything in particular, the cashier confided that she would love to have such an authentic relationship. Another time on a bus: a lady said “What a lovely couple!!” The world sees!!! The point is to show the love we have inside.
