Mark 1:15

Repent, and believe in the gospel. (Mk 1:15)

(http://www.focolare.org/en/news/2012/02/01/febbraio-2012/)

In the primitive Church Lent was a precious time dedicated to the “catechumenate”, that is to the preparation for the Sacrament of Baptism at the Easter Vigil. Also for us who have already received the gift of the Christian life, Lent is a precious moment to reflect on the received gift, not only to “feel” part of the baptized people, but especially to “live” as baptized people.

This is what it means to “repent”, to overturn our hearts, that is, to go to God with a “new heart”. Conversion is not just about a pagan who embraces the faith in Christ the Savior, but every Christian, in fact the more one is holy, feels even more the need to go to God with the “heart renewed”. To this we are invited in the walk of forty days, helped by the gift of the word of God, because it becomes life of our life, similar to how bread that we eat becomes our flesh.

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An Experience of Life:

I CONDEMNED A DEAD MAN

I committed a big error. I knew that John had died in a sad shameful way: after a night out in drunkenness with prostitutes. He was rich, he had a wife and children, but he also had some really bad habits.

Today will be held the funeral. They called me to bless the body. I said that I would not go. Because of the life that he lived up to the last moment – I replied – he did not deserve the blessing of the Church. I felt I had to defend justice, to give a good example to the people, to do, you might say, my duty.

I was left alone; I did not have peace. I asked myself what would Jesus have done in my place and I was ashamed of myself. In this moment of sorrow, while the wife and the children are crying because there is no longer Dad because he left in that way, I, who could bring a little relief, I condemned a dead man! I know this man from the outside; only God knows him from the inside. I am not his judge, but Jesus Who for him poured out His Blood! That night I was not able to sleep.

The next day I went to find the widow and the children. I asked for their pardon and we made a date for the funeral Mass. The fact became known to the people: the priest went to ask pardon! Perhaps this gesture evangelized more than all of my homilies!

Father E. P. (Italy)

Hebrews 10:9

“Lo, I have come to do Thy will.” (Heb 10,9)
(http://www.focolare.org/en/news/2011/08/01/ecco-io-vengo-a-fare-la-tua-volonta-eb-109/)

During Advent we read in the Liturgy that love knows how to keep watch (I Dom.); we saw love as the perfect realization of itself (the Immaculate Conception); reciprocal love as light and fire that renders present Jesus among us (II Dom.); love as the source of joy in giving (III Dom.). On Christmas eve the liturgy speaks to us of the greatest love, or rather of the sacrifice of ourselves, of our wills, motivated by the example of Jesus and Mary. In the letter to the Hebrews we are reminded of the words of the Son of God: "Lo, I have come to do Thy will"; and the Gospel of Christmas eve presents us with Mary who visits Elizabeth, concrete actuation of her yes to God: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).

It is in total obedience to the will of God that we accomplish the perfect sacrifice: we do not give things, time or affections, but all of ourselves. It is in the daily yes that we deny ourselves and we confirm what the Scriptures say: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice” (1Sam 15:22). Saint Bernard, the cantor of Mary, exclaims that Mary pleased God for her virginity, but she conceived and became a mother because of her humility.

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An Experience of Life:

I had to be absent the whole day in order to participate in a meeting precisely on Mother’s Day. I talked it over with my wife and all seemed very well that I might be absent that day. Many times, however, I perceived a certain malcontent on the part of the children and also of my wife. It was for me the bell of alarm, the click of the trigger, the moment to live the Word.

From that moment I disengaged myself from that meeting and I began to live for Mother’s Day, for my wife, to begin with the children to choose a gift. I wanted that that day might be really beautiful, a true gift for my wife. For this I remained with her always, helping her in her work: washing the dishes, preparing to eat, doing the chores around the house. She was a little struck in seeing me always with her, but I said to her that this was the surprise to live Mother’s Day: I really wanted to share time with her, to live for her. We did everything together and it was wonderful. She was very pleased; myself and the kids were happy.

Renato S., Venice (Venezia), Italy

Acts 4:32

The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, as everything they owned was held in common. (Acts 4:32)
(http://www.domusviridis.org.uk/wol/1994/199401.htm)


BUILDING NEW RELATIONSHIPS

In inter-human relations giving requires receiving, because it is giving and receiving that create communion, fraternity and consequently equality.

Giving means then to share, the communion of spiritual and material goods. With these attitudes of giving we overcome other attitudes of giving which exist in the civilization of having: that which offends because they are flawed by the desire for power over others; that which in the act of giving one seeks ones own satisfaction, ones own vainglory; that “utilitarian” that even though giving, it is finalized and directed to ones own usefulness, ones own gain.

True giving that creates new relationships is that which Jesus taught us in the Gospel. That giving which, lived by the first Christians, did such that one could say of them: “they were of one heart and soul and among them there was no one in need” (cf. At 4,32).

Nothing less than this is required of Christians today in order to construct a united world.

Chiara Lubich said at a large gathering of youth at Palaeur in Rome in 1990:

“Jesus defined the commandment of love “mine” and “new”, because it is typically His, having filled it with a very new and singular content. “Love one another – He said – as I have love you”. And He gave His life for us. Thus in this love there is in play here ones life. And a love that is ready to give ones life is what He asks of us also toward our brothers. It is not sufficient for a Christian only friendship or benevolence toward others; philanthropy is not enough, nor even solidarity alone. The love that Jesus asks is not exhausted in non-violence. It is something active, very active. It requires that one no longer live for oneself, but for others. And this requires sacrifice, fatigue. It asks of everyone to transform themselves from cowardly and egotistical people, concentrated on their own interests, their own things, into little daily heroes, day after day, they are at the service of the brothers, ready to give even their lives in their favor”.

In these relationships that come untied in everyday life and in the strong moments of life, the person arrives to the maturity of emancipation, and, thus, of authentic sociality.

Vera Araujo
(Vera Araujo is a Brazilian sociologist; she teaches social doctrine of the Church in the international citadel of Loppiano and collaborates with various magazines. Beyond being a consultant to the Movement "New Humanity" – a social expression of the Focolare Movement – she took part as an "expert" at the Fourth Conference of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) held in 1992 in Santo Domingo.)

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An Experience of Life:

I have always been attached to my cloths and each year I tended to accumulate them. A month ago, during the change of season, I realized how much I was conditioned by this attachment; I felt a strong push to eliminate from the closet all that was superfluous. In the end I ended up with a few things and a great freedom of heart; I discovered the beauty and the importance of the communion of material goods!

This little cutting permitted me to re-give the proper value to things putting again God in the first place.

(A seventeen year old girl)