Focolare Movement
Trent, 1944:
While in the air-raid shelter, we came upon that page of the Gospel which speaks of the Testament of Jesus: "May they all be one, Father, as you and I are one".
These words seem to light up one by one. That "everyone" expanded our horizon. That project for unity was to be the goal of our life. — Chiara Lubich.
From that first nucleus in Trent:
The first inspiring spark, the "mind-blowing discovery" of the One whom "no bomb could destroy"- God - took place against the backdrop of hatred and violence of the Second World War. It was the experience of God as Love and He radically changed the life of Chiara Lubich, then barely twenty years old. She immediately shared her experience with her friends who were to become her first companions.
They took with them into the air-raid shelters only the Gospel. There they discovered the secret of how to respond to Love. At that time, Chiara herself wrote: "Each day there were new discoveries: the Gospel had become our only guide, the only light of our life."
By living the commandment of mutual love, they discovered the way for rebuilding fraternity in a disintegrated society "Let's share everything: our things, our houses, our money. This was to be a totally new life."
That first group of young women experienced, to their amazement, light, strength, courage, love, all fruits of the presence of Jesus which He promised when two or three are gathered in his name, meaning in his love. It was a light which illuminated the final prayer of Jesus to the Father: May they all be one. This divine plan for the human family was to become the program of their life: "Let's make unity the trampoline to take us to where unity is lacking and to help bring it about."
"Every day the number of people, of all ages and backgrounds, grew. Hatred and conflicts diminished. Many families were reunited". There was a growing certainty that the Gospel holds the key to every social problem and to the problems of each individual.
A Movement:
Soon afterwards that small group of people became a movement which brought about a spiritual and social renewal. In less than 60 years of life, the movement has spread worldwide to 182 countries counting more than two million adherents with an outreach, difficult to quantify, of a few million people.
Because of the variety of its composition, the Focolare Movement has taken on the dimensions of a small people, so described by Pope John Paul II. It embraces not only Catholics, but also Christians of different Churches and ecclesial communities, as well as the Jewish people. Little by little, many followers of the great world religions, as well as people with no religious affiliation have become part of the Movement. This adhesion to the Movement is without syncretism and encourages all to maintain full faith in their own identity. What all these people have in common is the commitment to live, in one way or another, love and unity, which are written in the DNA of every human person.
The term Focolare Movement ("focolare" means fireplace) was applied to the Movement, since its beginnings, by the people of Trent because of the "fire" of Gospel love which animated Chiara Lubich and her first companions.
The Founder, Chiara Lubichemphases that the Movement "was not thought up by a human mind, but that it is the fruit of a charism which comes from Above. We try to follow, through circumstances, the will of God day by day".
The Bishop of Trent, Msgr. Carlo de Ferrari, gave the first approval at the level of the local Church in 1947: He said, "Here there is the hand of God". A number of pontifical approvals followed, the first being in 1962; the most recent, which encompassed the latest developments, was given in 1990.
The Focolare is part of the present phenomenon of the flourishing of ecclesial movements which have originated over the years from "a precise charism given to the person of the Founder" (John Paul II), meaning that it is a "gift of the Spirit" which unceasingly gives rise to the "novelty of Christianity" (Cardinal Ratzinger). John Paul II denoted the charism of Chiara Lubich as "a radicalism of love" and saw in the Movement the lineaments of the Church of the Council, open to the various dialogues (19.8.1984).
Let's make unity the trampoline to take us to where unity is lacking and to help bring it about. — Chiara Lubich.
See more in Focolare International
