Rocca di Papa, November 24, 2003

This article was requested of Chiara Lubich by the daily “Vita Trentina”, which then published it on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of her consecration to God.

December 7th will mark the 60th anniversary of the birth of the Focolare Movement in Trent, my beloved city of origin.

How is the state of my soul, what do I have at heart in this particular circumstance? I feel a wave of emotion, if I think only for a moment at what I have in front of me: a new world born from the Gospel, spread throughout the world, an immense work that no human effort could have brought about. In fact, it is a “work of God,” for which I was the first one chosen to be his “useless and unfaithful” instrument.

And a hymn of gratitude to God for what I, with all my brothers and sisters, have been able to witness, experience, build and bring up to this point with his help.
A deeply-felt thank you for everything, my God!

Thank you above all for making me be born in your Church, as a daughter of God;
for having nourished me day by day with the Eucharist;
for having filled my life, since I was small, with premonitory signs of the divine charism that you place in me for many;
for having made me experience the truth of the Gospel and its promises that always come true;
for having given me the joy of the “hundredfold” in every sense;
for having revealed to me the secret of unity in your crucified and forsaken Son;
for having allowed sufferings that heralded a deeper union with you;
for having given me a very new spirituality, at once personal and communitarian, so current;
for having directed me, with all my people, to all of humanity, towards other Christians, towards the faithful of other religions, towards those who are not yet yours, but of good will;
for the paternal love of your Vicars on earth, especially Paul VI and John Paul II, and for their blessing on our Movement for years and years;
for having blessed me with a long life;
for having forgiven my sins.

Thank you for having allowed me, in my specific mission, to contribute with the Church to the fulfilment of your Son’s Testament: “May they all be one,” and to prepare for you large segments of universal brotherhood.
Thank you, thank you. Praise and glory to You.

Chiara Lubich