1 John 3:14

We know that we have passed out of death unto life, because we love the brethren (1 Jn. 3:14).

(http://www.focolare.org/en/news/2013/02/01/febbraio-2013/)

In order to pass from death to life, it is fundamental to forgive. It is very difficult to forgive, in fact, to be able to forgive a great offence is impossible without asking the help of God.

King David was a good man. Before Saul, his enemy, he saw beyond the law and did not avenge himself.

He deeply lived the "golden rule" of the ethic of all religions inspired by God, “Do onto others as you would have them do onto you”.

Many of us are good, aware of the fragility of human nature: it comes natural to be merciful, compassionate, forgiving in certain circumstances of life.

But Jesus wants our goodness to be the same as that of God; He asks us the maximum, the impossible for our fragile human condition: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you ..." .

The truth is in the absurdity of Calvary when, at the height of the greatest injustice, resounds a dying voice: "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

The wars of all kinds, the walls, the divisions, the courts, the order of the laws are institutions of a world that is believed true and correct, and instead is a collection of absurdities.

Give me Lord the warm tears of forgiveness, peace and mercy, the richness of giving, the measure of God in every action and so I will live Your very Own Life.

The world continues to dream, while You will tell us "blessed" freeing us from "Woe to you".

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An Experience of Life:

For a seemingly trivial reason there was born a huge misunderstanding with Ahmed, an Egyptian friend who suffered a delicate operation and who I love as a brother.

I was unusually very angry.

Since I had to leave for a meeting, we met to make peace and everything seemed resolved.

Having returned after about a week, for some reason I could not get in touch with him. Finally one night I went to his house (it was the third time) and I ran across him on a nearby street.

"I can not forgive you – he immediately said to me - I can do this with my enemies, because I am not really interested in them, but I am not able to forgive the ones closest to me.

I told him: "I ask you again for your pardon and forgiveness. It is true, there was a misunderstanding between us. I am not surprised that you can not forgive me. It is normal, no man can do this. Only God, Allah, can help us. It is His gift that He gives us if we ask Him. If you agree, let us do it together, praying in silence."

The road was lit and quite popular because of its proximity to the station. Silently we focused our concentration for a good amount of time and we prayed to God the Father (which Ahmed calls Allah).

When we finished he looked at me and said: "I have forgiven you; it is the first time that I did this immediately".

"Of course - I replied - this time it was possible because we asked God and He gives this to His children."

While walking together, I also said: "Do you see, we all need to be forgiven. In the Gospel it is written how to do it: If you forgive little you are forgiven little, if you forgive much you are forgiven much, if you forgive all you are forgiven all. This is written in the Gospel and applies to all men. Surely there are things just as beautiful in the Koran: If you can, look for them and show them to me".

We were full of joy.

"Listen Ahmed - I asked - what do you think if we thank Allah."

We again stopped and quietly, intently, we thanked Him.

Francis C., from "The New City"

Matthew 9:13

Matthew 9:13

‘Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” ’ (Mt 9:13).

(http://www.focolare.org/en/news/2013/01/01/gennaio-2013/)

Caravaggio, when he painted the call of Levi, had a great intuition: he identified the gaze of Jesus with the ray of light that illuminates the faces of Levi and his tax collector friends.

Mercy needs to meet with misery, in order to manifest itself. The Son of Man came not for the righteous, but sinners. “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.”

To make ourselves known to the Lord means to undress ourselves of the fig leaves with which we want to hide our nakedness and to let ourselves to be dressed by His embrace. If we allow ourselves to love, then we too will be able to love: we will sell everything to possess the hidden treasure, the precious pearl.

Levi, whose name still suggests those living with obsession for money, became Matthew, evangelist and evangelizer, martyr, all of God, to the point of the gift of life.

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An Experience of Life:

When my husband abandoned us, Luke was four years old and for him I found the strength to continue to live.

One day I heard it said, for the first time, that God is love and sustains those who suffer ... I realized that I had to make a decisive change in my life. For Luke I had to be mother and father, without tarnishing with my deep resentment his relationship with his father.

Trying to live the Gospel step by step, caused in me a change; the great love for only one man was being poured out on those who passed by me: relatives, friends, colleagues, students ...

After a silence of almost ten years, Luke met his father and, not having grown up in resentment, it seemed normal for him to get back in touch with him.

Last year Frank was in the hospital and I recommended to Luke to visit him. When we had huge financial problems Luke spontaneously asked for help from his father who offered to him total willingness to help. He, who once had stripped us of everything, even taking away the spoons, now began to give back to us not that which he had deprived us, but the love that we had given to him.

E.F., Italy

John 6:27

“Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” (Jn.6:27)

(http://www.focolare.org/en/news/2012/06/01/giugno-2012/)

The feast of the Body of Christ runs a risk: that Jesus offered to us today as Bread, might be admired, contemplated, adored along the streets and squares, but then He remains closed in the monstrance and tabernacle.

But Jesus says: “take and eat”! So how should we live concretely the gift of the Eucharist?

We need to take and eat. That is transform ourselves into Jesus, to be Him. To live not for ourselves, but that Jesus might be, live and work among Christians.

Christians then, among themselves, if they want to be totally committed, must conduct themselves as members of one body. But this is not enough. During the day this communion must become concrete in social relations in a spiritual communion in actions and material goods.

This applies for Christians. But for those who do not communicate in the sacrament of the Body of Christ? We ourselves must be communion for them with our body: by loving we give Jesus.

Indeed, allowing ourselves to be "eaten" by others, we make ourselves Eucharist for them. Letting ourselves to be eaten means to be people who do not impose themselves, but who make themselves one with everyone, suffering with those who suffer, rejoicing with those who rejoice, participating in the life, problems, struggles, and joys of others.

In a continual giving of love they make of themselves a bridge between Jesus and humanity so that the invitation of Jesus will reach the others: “Take and eat, this is My Body!”.

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An Experience of Life:

At work something that always saddened me a lot was to see that, when a reprimand was to be given, it was done before everyone; in fact it happened that a coworker was reprimanded in the department.

I always asked Jesus that there might be a good time to do something about this. Sometime ago there was a trade union meeting and at the end of a talk of a union organizer he asked if there were any questions or problems to deal with. It was the opportune moment to intervene. And so I raised my hand and I explained my point of view, saying that I had witnessed reproaches made to colleagues in public and with offensive words and I saw it was not right: if a colleague had worked badly or had made a mistake, it was the duty of the manager to let him know, but it should have taken place between them.

My words caused a general murmur of approval. A few days after our union rep told me that my speech was very important; she knew that they had spoken at the summit and we both noted that afterwards we did not witness a similar scene. She once said: "I willing talk with you because you are a humane and fair person. I was once like you too; I tried to help everyone, then I saw that when I myself needed help no one did anything, so now I just mind my own business.

I listened to her trying to "make myself one" and I sensed that there was a lot of suffering under her words. I told her that I understood because I had to face in life many trials, but one thing I was certain: to turn ones back on people was not the right solution to be well.

 

(Daniela, VR)

Luke 15:32

“But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found” (Lk 15:32).
(http://www.focolare.org/en/news/2011/09/01/settembre-2011/)

The parable of the prodigal son is rather that of the prodigal father of immense pardon, not always easy for us who sometimes say: “I forgive you, but I do not forget”, and thus we register everything so as to bring it back up later. God’s style is exactly the opposite. He respects the choice of the younger son who opted for the adventure in the city where he squandered everything even to the point of finding himself without food. In this situation he realized that he distanced himself not only from home, but also from himself, because in the text we read: “But when he came to himself…”

The tenderness of the father clashes with the assertion of the rights claimed by the oldest son and not respected, according to him, by the parent. The son does not discover that the love of the father goes beyond human justice and he loses himself in mercy. The Gospel leaves us in this doubt. Perhaps it is better like this, because, in order to love as God, it is necessary to go beyond human logic. In order to do this, divine charity is necessary, that can fill our heart only if we empty ourselves.

So many people today do not want to take this risk, this leap of faith, trust and love into the arms of God the Father! They trust in their own intelligence and wisdom in order to justify their way of living. They do not want to take the risk of having to change their life and to suffer and thus they remain immature in their shabbiness without wanting to know more!

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An Experience of Life:

I have two children: one is seventeen years old, the other sixteen. With the older one I have just about no relationship. Sunday we were in the country with some friends; a car passed by and smashed a bottle. I thought that someone might hurt himself with the pieces of glass and I was about to bend down to gather up the pieces: I am a doctor, I am a Christian! My older son takes me to the side: “do not do that, it is the job of the street cleaner”. His sarcasm made me feel a pang in my heart: I had promised to myself to always be the first to begin to open myself, but when it happens like this my courage fails me.

We went to the Saturday evening Mass and at the door of the church were two beggars who I knew well because they come to my outpatients’ clinic and, when they saw me, they were very happy. I noticed that my son is on the other side of the street and was watching me, but I thought clearly how I must behave; I greet them and I shake their hands. I look up again: my son smiles at me and salutes me affectionately. He had listened to my livinb words of my coherence and of my reception with which I try to have only one model: Jesus.

Mario V. (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

Romans 12:2

“Do not conform yourself to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Rm 12:2)
(http://www.focolare.org/en/news/2011/06/01/giugno-2011/)

How can we avoid conforming to the mentality of this age, but instead to transform ourselves by the renewal of our minds? In this period of Easter, we heard in the Liturgy the answer of Peter to Jesus which indicates to us the way!

“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you” (Jn 21:17).

With this triple answer to Jesus, Peter receives the primacy of love; he becomes the “vicar” of Christ, receiving the ministry of loving always, everyone, totally, even to death.

After the experience of sin and of its consequences, of betrayal and of returning to a past without hope, like a useless night of fishing, it is sweet to hear the call of the One Who took on my sins and forgot about them and He asks me only to re-begin to love, in the present, as if the world began anew. It is like finding oneself in a family where there is only one law for the first and the last person, where the first must be the last because authority is measured by the greater responsibility to serve. Finally, Peter seems to say, I understood You, when You called me Satan, when You bent down to wash my feet, when You caused me to bitterly cry with Your fatherly look of reproach and You refused my sword to defend You.

And so we too, say with Peter: “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!”

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An Experience of Life:

For a whole year I had a good job; finally a secure occupation. But then an accident occurred. I was a freelancer, and for a good while the company for which I worked had promised me that I would be covered by their insurance policy. But when the accident happened we discovered that I was not covered and after three months of sickness they told me that I would no longer be paid and that I would loose my place in the company. I could have filed a lawsuit, but I would have had to cite in the proceedings my former colleagues, putting them in grave difficulties, with the risk of causing them to loose their place in the company. With my wife we decided to try to resolve our problems without damaging anyone.

After the forth month of unemployment, we began to have economic difficulties. Martha’s work was not sufficient to support the family. But Providence did not ever abandon us, helping us to find, precisely at the moment when we were most in need, little jobs which allowed us to go forward. Together with the children each evening we sang a “Hail Mary” in a way that my grandmother had taught me. We asked her for help not only for ourselves, but also for others who we knew needed help.

Six months after the accident, when the industry of our area was in extreme difficulty, upon the indication of a friend I found a job better than the one I had lost. To us it seemed an answer… of the One Who never lets Himself be outdone in generosity.

M. & J.L., Uruguay

Matthew 22:37

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Mt 22:37)
(http://www.focolare.org/en/news/2011/05/01/maggio-2011/)

Like Jesus, also Saint Augustine gave an extremely simple answer to all of the theologians, to the moralists, to the canonists: “Love and do what you will”.

But in order to love it is necessary to know Love, it is necessary to be love, just as God Who loves us and is Love.

Jesus, making of the two only one commandment, indicates to us that the point of encounter between the love of God and neighbour is the Incarnation. God Who makes Himself flesh, that is man. From this moment the path which leads us to God passes obligatorily by way of man, by way of the Son of God which we all have become.

In the Old Testament the law of love came by way of “com-passion”, by way of the being all image of God, by way of the origin and the common destiny of all.

Today, the other is Jesus. In Him one finds all God Who offered Himself for us and for all of humanity which in Jesus was recreated into a new life by way of the cross.

Thus to be Christians is simple; it is enough to love. But this is extremely demanding because love requires all; it gives all; it is God.

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An Experience of Life:

Last year, fully committing myself, I succeeded in being the first in my class. For this I received a cash prize from the school. I gave the money to my parents who used it, supplementing the amount, in order to buy two books which I would need for the year. During the vacation, a friend asked to borrow one of these books. I was very possessive of these books, but, seeing Jesus in him, I gave it to him, insisting to him though that he use it with great care.

A month later I discovered that this book had been covered with writings and drawings and I became very angered. I wanted that Jesus might show me what I should do and so, in order to confront myself, I went to speak with a companion with whom I share a spiritual walk. He said to me that my friend had forgotten the book on the table in the house; his little sister had written those writings and those drawings. I understood that I should not be attached to a thing that passes and I burned up the anger inside of me.

A few days later I met my friend, who was mortified and did not know how to speak to me about what had happened. I spoke up first to play things down and he told me that he had already recovered the book with a beautiful cover which covered the “fruits” of the talents of his little sister. I said to him that the covering that he found was too nice and we both began to laugh!

(Rindra, India)

Matthew 22:39

Love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22: 39).
(http://www.domusviridis.org.uk/wol/1999/wol9910.htm)

Jesus in a heated debate with the theologians of His time, reassumes in the love of God with ones whole heart, soul and mind and in the love of neighbor as oneself, the greatest and the first of the commandments. How simple! Man finds in this double love his unity, the meaning of life, the fundamental style that gives eternal value to every little action.

But, if love is in our DNA and thus we can all love, it is also true that one must learn to love. To learn the art of loving is the most important and exciting job of life. Let us begin to train ourselves putting into practice that “as yourself”. Saint Frances de Sales used to say it like this: “Put yourselves always in the place of your neighbor and put your neighbor in your place, so you will judge well. When buying, imagine to be the one who sells and when selling to be the one who buys: in this way you will buy and sell fairly”.

Visit also: “The Hope of the World!” (http://trueevangelization.blogspot.com/2010/01/hope-of-world.html).

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An Experience of Life:

I was returning from “Gen Camp” in the bus. I wanted to make a visit to my parents and, not knowing much of the area, I asked for information from the passenger who was next to me. He rudely treated me like an ignoramus and I became angry. After this incident I remained silent, looking out the window. At a certain point I remembered what we proposed to ourselves during the Camp: to be new men who construct a new world. I had to change and re-begin from the top with this neighbor in the present moment. I mustered up the courage and I excused myself. Even he, surprised by my attitude, excused himself with me and after a little while he asked me who I might be. “I am a Christian”, I said to him. And he: “Now I understand the reason for your attitude; we Muslims are not used to excusing ourselves; I am happy to have met a Christian person.” From that moment the relationship changed totally. He too was going to the same city as me. When we arrived, he asked me where I was going and to my surprise he accompanied me in a “Tonga” (a type of cart drawn by horses), even paying for the ticked. When we took leave of each other, he embraced me and said that he was happy to have known a brother Christian. This experience of dialogue left in my heart the certainty that I too, together with the Persons of the Trinity and so many brothers and sisters, can build up a united world.

Shakeel, Pakistan

Luke 1:45

“Blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:45)
(http://www.domusviridis.org.uk/wol/1999/wol9908.htm)

In the midst of delusions, of sufferings and of persecutions in our present times, the celebration of the Assumption invites us to look at Mary as a sign of sure hope and to live in this world constantly oriented toward the eternal goods. Faith in the presence of our Lord which sustains our walk, and charity which fills our heart with the presence of God and which brings us close to the needs of people, permit us to feed the hope in the realization of the promises of God. By faith the whole man gives himself to God receiving that which He has made known. Through the faith of Mary there is accomplished the work of Salvation: the Son of God comes to us. Because of her faith, Mary is said to be blessed: blessed because she believes in the Word of God. And the first beatitude, the one that is fundamental: faith in the promise, which permits the Lord to live “today” in the believers who listen to this Word. The beatitude of Mary is shared with each believer who listens and lives the Word. The Word is to be welcomed as it truly is, the “Word of God which is at work in you believers” (1Thess 2:13).

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An Experience of Life:

I BELIEVE IN THE LOVE OF THE FATHER
One day, while going to the university, I passed by a church. I was praying when a boy who was limping and dressed in rags with a heavy knapsack came up to me to ask for alms. I got up and we went toward the door so as not to disturb the people seated in the pews.

There he tells me all about his situation: in three days he will be able to enter a community for detoxification and rehabilitation, but he does not have money to eat nor does he know where to go to sleep for three days. He shows me an ugly wound on one of his legs.

I had with me only enough money to buy a book for the exam and to eat in the cafeteria. I turned towards the altar with faith: “Jesus – I said to him in my heart – you know that I need this money, but I believe in the love of the Father…” I took the money and I gave it to the boy, whose face lit up. Even outside of the church he continued to thank me… Then I went to the school faculty, and the morning passed by without thinking anymore about this event.

At noon, at the dining hall, I fill my tray and I give my magnetic card to the cashier, who gives me a receipt stamped on it “euro 0”. How come? The cashier asks me if I had asked for a study grant. I said yes, but my request was not accepted. The cashier said: “You did not get the study grant, but in recompense they offered you free meals for the whole year”.

I feel a “thump” in my heart: the Father up there did not even wait two hours to reciprocate!

Stefano (Padova, Italy)