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Castel Gandolfo, 1 June 2001 Dear friends, A cordial welcome to all of you, our dear friends, and my heartfelt thanks for your presence here!This wonderful conference attended by people with different convictions is very important. You are here because you are interested in the spirit that brought to life and motivates the Focolare Movement, in its goals, in its life and achievements. You are full-fledged citizens of our Movement, you are an essential part of it.And yet someone might wonder: can a Movement like that of the focolarini, born from a very profound religious conviction, from the choice of God as the ideal of their lives, be of interest to men and women of other convictions?Yes, it can and I will tell you why.Yes, because we, focolarini, believe in a religion that is not relegated only to heaven, so to speak, but which is profoundly human.Like all Christians, we certainly have faith in a transcendent God, but a God who became incarnate on this earth, who became man. Therefore, if God

Rome, 25 Novemer 1989 Commentary of the Word of Life: Beloved, do not grumble against one another (James 5:9). For a better understanding of the Word of Life offered us this month, we ought to bear in mind the circumstances that gave rise to it. They were the difficulties appearing in the Christian communities James was writing to. There were scandals, discrimination, a selfish use of wealth, the exploitation of workers, a faith made of words more than deeds, and so on. All of this led to resentment and ill feeling between one person and another, creating an unhappy atmosphere throughout the community. Beloved, do not grumble against one another. Even at the time of the Apostles, therefore, we can see what we also find in our communities today. Often the greatest difficulties in living our faith are not those from outside, that is, from the world, so much as those from within. They come from certain situations that arise within the community and from attitudes and actions of our neighbours

1 April 1945 The end of Lent and the Easter of 1945 marked an experience of joy, the transition to a totally new life for Chiara and her companions. My Dearest Little Sister in Saint Francis, I just read this:Saint Matilda1 saw the Lord open the Wound of His most sweet Heart and say: “Admire the size of my heart that you may know it well; nowhere more explicitly than in the words of the Gospel will you find Love, for never will you find expressed anywhere in words a love that is stronger or more tender: As the Father has loved me, so I love you.” Perhaps you didn’t always think that you were so precious a thing, the very object of God’s love. But He loved you, even before you were born, and soon you will be returning to him. Time is like a flight, a very quick Passage. The Resurrection draws near. My heart would desire so much from you, being so aware of your worth. There’s not

Rocca di Papa, 21 June 1984 A text for Lent: love and the conquest of virtues. Dearest all,We continue on our life's Holy Journey. There are some who have already completed their journey, and some who have just recently joined us. The predominant feature of this journey is our thrust toward sanctity which is the task of every Christian. Along with you, I am also trying each day to keep the pace, and anchored in prayer in order to obtain the grace of God, I forge ahead. ( ... ) Text Audio in italian

Rocca di Papa, 5 February 1979 If a text of the New Testament appears to be unfailingly overwhelming it would be the text of Matthew 25, called “the last judgement.” Chiara highlighted it very much, she took it sine glossa and she dealt with the consequences with extreme rationality. The Last Judgement I think it is appropriate to read now, in its entirety, the passage describing the most awe-inspiring and momentous event that all of us will one day have to experience: “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. ( ... ) Video in italian Text

Rome, 25 february 1983 Commentary of the Word of Life: Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her (Jn.8:7). While Jesus was teaching in the temple, the Scribes and Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught in the act of committing adultery. They said to Jesus, ‘In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ (Jn. 8:5). They wanted to set a trap for him. If Jesus had shown himself to be against the stoning, they could have accused him of going against the law. According to the law, the eye-witnesses had to begin stoning the one who had sinned, to be followed by the rest of the people. If, instead, Jesus had confirmed the death sentence, they would have made him contradict his own teaching about God’s mercy to sinners. But Jesus, bending down and writing on the ground with his finger, showed how unruffled he was. He straightened up and said: Let