by Fr. Fabio Ciardi
adapted from source: https://www.cittanuova.it/chiara-lubich-patto-unita-lentrata-nel-seno-del-padre/?ms=001&se=013
The Trinitarian Revelation
For Chiara Lubich, the founder of the Focolare Movement, the 16th of July, 1949, stands out as a date of monumental significance. This day is remembered as the moment she entered what she called “the bosom of the Father,” a mystical experience deeply rooted in the Trinitarian mystery. Leading up to this revelation were years of spiritual journeying, marked by significant spiritual milestones. However, Chiara emphasized that the morning of 16th July, 1949, was less about her personal spiritual milestones and more about the collective journey of the community she founded. The Focolare Movement, which began on 7th December, 1943, with her personal consecration to God, found new depths through what transpired on that summer morning.
The Pact of Unity
The transformative event of 16th July, 1949, was ignited by the “pact of unity” between Chiara Lubich and Igino Giordani, to whom she had affectionately nicknamed “Foco.” This pact symbolized a profound unity in the spirit of the Eucharist, which Chiara vividly described later that year. She recounted feeling an intense oneness with Jesus, an experience so profound that it surpassed ordinary communication and brought her to a spiritual pinnacle where she felt intimately united with the Father, as the Son. Chiara’s description of this experience reveals the depth of her spiritual transformation:
“… when two of us … asked Jesus Eucharist to bring our two souls into unity, I felt that I was Jesus. I couldn’t communicate with Jesus in the tabernacle. I felt the thrill of being at the top of the pyramid of all creation as if on a pinhead: at the point where the two rays converge: where the two Gods (in a certain sense) are united, becoming trinity where, having been made Son in the Son, it is impossible to communicate with anyone other than the Father, as the Son communicates only with Him. It is the point where creation dies in the Uncreated, where nothingness is lost in the Bosom of the Father, where the Spirit pronounces on our lips: Abba, Father”.
A Trinitarian Experience
This experience on 16th July was fundamentally Trinitarian, involving all three Divine Persons. It was a mystical Easter experience, embodying both death and resurrection in Christ. For Chiara self-death meant total identification with the forsakenness of Jesus, a pathway to experiencing unity with the Father. This profound unity extended beyond personal experience, manifesting as a collective spiritual journey with those around her, especially Igino Giordani.
The Communal and Ecclesial Dimensions
Chiara’s experience was not just personal but communal. She understood and communicated that true Christian mysticism is inherently ecclesial, involving the whole community. This was especially evident in the sacramental context, with the Eucharist at its heart. Chiara’s mystical journey was shared with her companions, transforming and uniting them in the same divine experience.
“I described everything so perfectly to my companions that they also ‘saw’ in the same way,” Lubich recalled. This unity was not merely in vision but in shared spiritual reality, where her experiences became communal experiences, multiplying the divine presence among them.
Entering the Bosom of the Father
Chiara’s communication to Giordani right after their mystical experience emphasized their unity: “Do you know where we are?” She recognized that they had not entered this divine reality alone but together, united in Christ. This shared experience underscored the essence of the Focolare Movement’s spirituality – unity in diversity, communal living of the Gospel, and deep Trinitarian life.
Living Unity
Chiara’s mystical experiences were always rooted in the context of unity and community. The pact with Foco exemplified this, demonstrating that mystical experiences in the Focolare spirituality are communal at their core. This spirituality of unity transforms individual experiences into collective realities, emphasizing that in the mystical body of Christ, personal and communal transformation go hand in hand.
Conclusion
As we mark the 75th anniversary of the pact between Chiara Lubich and Igino Giordani, we celebrate a legacy of unity, communal spirituality, and deep Trinitarian life. This event of 16th July, 1949, continues to inspire and guide the Focolare Movement, reminding us of the profound possibilities that lie in living a life of unity and love.
