Easter 2010
“May the risen Lord shine forth more brightly in our midst.” Happy Easter from all of us at the Chiara Lubich Center
March 25, 1967
From Chiara’s diary {rokbox title=|From Chiara’s diary :: 25 March 1967| size=|fullscreen| thumb=|images/scritti/19670325-diario-p.gif|}downloads/chi_19670325_en.pdf{/rokbox} 25 March 1967 Two things struck me during Holy Week: Jesus’ fear – “He began to feel fear” (Mk 14:33) – and his plea to the Father to be freed of the enormous burden that was overwhelming him. How many times we too “feel fear”… for thousands of reasons. Let us drown our drops of fear in his great fear! And how many times we plead with God, and then, while we voice our request, we re-explain ourselves, adhering to his will if it turns out to be different from ours. Perhaps our pleas are not useless… perhaps they have a “reason.” Also Jesus pleaded, thus showing himself to be close to us, truly man! Transcription
January 17, 1972
From Chiara’s Diary {rokbox title=|Dal diario di Chiara :: 17/01/1972| size=|fullscreen| thumb=|images/scritti/19720117-diario-p.gif|}downloads/chi_19720117_en.pdf{/rokbox} 17.1.72 The essential is missingWe are in Lent.Why is it so difficult to talk about penance in our modern times?Good people, in certain areas, especially country people, and above all, women, still accept the parish priest's invitation to penance. And do it. We hear of pilgrimages entailing bodily sufferings which throngs of Christians make to Fatima and to Lourdes, and they are not usually fanatical people.The fact is that, despite the survival of these events, for Christians today in general the word penance has rather fallen into disuse.And perhaps this is right. Perhaps it is fortunate because it warns us that to add a penance to the Christian life as it is being lived (or rather as it is not being lived), is like cultivating a flower in a pot destined for the balcony of a house that is not yet built.We can feel that the greater part, the essential, is missing, and that, therefore, the lesser part, the
January 22, 2000
From Chiara’s Diary Chiara was born on the 22nd of January. On that very date, in 2000, she received honorary Roman citizenship. That morning she had written in her diary: Today 80 years old at 6:30 AM.Today Roman citizenship.Infinite thanks, Jesus, Father, Holy Spirit. She received the following letter from Pope John Paul II: {rokbox title=|Letter from Pope John Paul II :: From the Vatican, January 13, 2000| size=|fullscreen| thumb=|images/scritti/20000113_gp2-p.jpg|}downloads/gp2_20000113.pdf{/rokbox} To MissChiara LubichFoundress and President of the Focolare MovementI was very happy to learn that on January 22, on the occasion of your 80th birthday, the Municipal Administration of Rome intends to solemnly confer you with honorary citizenship... On this happy occasion, I, too, wish to extend my very best wishes, while I join with you in rendering thanks to God for the inestimable gift of life.After having called you through Baptism to become his beloved daughter, he wished to unite you more intimately to Christ poor, chaste, and obedient, through a total consecration to his love, in order to be,
March 8, 1990
"Benedict XVI focused his message for this year's World Day of Peace on protecting creation. We echo his words with a letter taken from a letter exchange on this topic between Chiara Lubich and Nikkyo Niwano, founder of the Buddhist Movement Rissho Kosei-kai." Rocca di Papa, March 8, 1990 Dear Mr. Niwano,First of all, I hope this letter finds you in the best of health. Cordial greetings also to the members of your family whom I remember with great esteem and who are present in my prayers.I hope that you have received good news from your grand-daughter, Mitsuyo, who is the guest of one of our families in Paris.Since I received your letter in October, we have been very busy following the great changes that have taken place in Eastern Europe, which have probably had noteworthy repercussions also beyond the boundaries of our continent. First of all, I hope this letter finds you in the best of health. Cordial greetings also to the members of your family whom I remember with
Peace is an effect of unity
Tokyo, November 24, 1985 Every year the Day for Peace is celebrated on 1 January. We're publishing some notes that Chiara prepared on this topic in answering two questions asked by the young people of the Buddhist Movement Rissho Kosei-kai. {rokbox title=|Chiara to the 300 young Buddhist leaders of the Rissho Kosei-kai :: 24/11/1985| size=|fullscreen| thumb=|images/scritti/19851124-scritto-p.jpg|}images/scritti/19851124-scritto_en.pdf{/rokbox} Peace is an effect of unity.When there is unity between God and the human person, we have inner peace. When there is unity among brothers and sisters, there is peace among brothers and sisters. When there is unity among peoples, there is peace in the world. The text is a second draft with respect to the original 1) What, in your opinion, is the meaning of the word "peace"? Peace is an effect of unity.When there is unity between God and the human person, we have inner peace. When there is unity among brothers and sisters, there is peace among brothers and sisters. When there is unity among peoples, there is peace in the world.
