Focolare Word of Life

“Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost” (Luke 15:6).In ancient times in the Middle East, shepherds used to count their sheep when they returned from pasture, ready to search for even one that might be missing. They would even venture out into the desert at night to find any that had strayed. This parable is a story of loss and recovery that highlights the love of the shepherd. He notices that a sheep is missing, searches for it, finds it, and carries it back on his shoulders because it is weak and frightened, perhaps wounded, and unable to follow the shepherd on its own. He brings it home to safety and then, filled with joy, invites his neighbors to celebrate together.“Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.”The recurring themes in this story can be summarized in three actions: getting lost, being found, and celebrating. Getting lost. The good news is that the Lord goes in search of those who are lost. We often lose ourselves in the various deserts around us, or in which we are forced to live, or in which we take refuge: the deserts of abandonment, marginalization, poverty, misunderstanding and disunity. The Shepherd seeks us even there, and even if we lose sight of him, he will always find us again. Being found. Let's try to imagine the scene of the shepherd's frantic search in the desert. It's an image that strikes us with its expressive power. We can understand the joy felt by both the shepherd and the sheep, and this encounter restores in the sheep the sense of being safe after escaping danger. “To be found” is truly an act of divine mercy. Celebrating. The shepherd gathers his friends to celebrate because he wants to share his joy, as in the other two parables that follow this one, that of the lost coin and that of the merciful father.1 Jesus wants us to understand the importance of sharing joy with everyone, and he also wants to “immunize” us against the temptation of judging others. We are all “found.”“Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.”This Word of Life is an invitation to be grateful for the mercy that God has for each of us personally. The fact that we rejoice and celebrate together presents an image of unity, where there is no opposition between those who are “righteous” and those who are “sinners,” but rather we share in each other's joy. Chiara Lubich commented on this phrase: “It's an invitation to understand the heart of God, to believe in his love. Inclined as we are to measure and calculate, at times we think that God's love for us is like that, too. We think that God will tire of us and say, ‘That's enough!' But God's logic is not like ours. (…) God is always waiting for us; indeed, we give him immense joy every time we return to him, even countless times.”2 “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.”Sometimes we can be those shepherds, those guardians of one another who lovingly go in search of those who have strayed from us, from our friendship, from our community, in search of the marginalized, the lost, the little ones whom the trials of life have pushed to the margins of society. “Some students attended classes only sporadically,” a teacher tells us. “During my free periods, I would go to the market near the school, hoping to find them there, because I had heard that's where they worked to earn a little money. One day, I finally saw them, and they were surprised that I had come personally to look for them. They were struck to learn how important they were to the entire school community. They started coming to school regularly again, and it was truly a celebration for everyone."Prepared by Patrizia Mazzola and the Word of Life Team

In this episode, Marcy Bautista shares a powerful experience about a car accident that he was involved in and how he gave his all to perform in a concert despite the pain he was in. Katie Novak's initiative to share clothes with friends and family is an inspiration to all of us. Hashem Fudaeel shares about his visit to Rome as he participated in an interfaith conference and about his efforts to be a catalyst of unity between two participants who were experiencing differences.

«But she [this widow] out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on» (Mk 12:44)

In this episode Giovanni Lo from Australia tells us about his demanding work schedule and how he was able to manage and find a way to be of service and at the same time find a balance.Deacon James Martin from Atlanta GA tells us what it means for him to become “great” and how serving others is the way.And Eliana Gonzalez shares about her family's challenges in obtaining their documents to be able to immigrate to the USA from Argentina.

 "The Upside-down Leadership of Jesus"

Focolare Word of Life — August 2024   “Lord, it is good for us to be here” (Mt 17:4).

1.  In the first experience, Linda Specht shares how after a serious accident she relied greatly on Psalms 23 to help her get through her ordeal.2. The second experience is by Camille who shares how she shepherds her “flock”, the disabled members of the L'Arche community where she works. 3. In the third experience Dennis Clifford tells us about a neighbor that he and his wife helped get back on his feet as he encountered many challenges.

Giving control to the Shepherd

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”  (Ps 23:1)Psalm 23 is perhaps the most well-known and best loved of all the psalms. It is a song of trust in God, but also a joyful profession of faith by someone who is part of the people of Israel, to whom God, through the prophets, had promised to be their shepherd. The psalmist also expresses his personal happiness in knowing that he is protected by the Temple, a place of shelter and grace.[1] And at the same time, because of this experience, he wants to encourage also other people to trust in the presence of the Lord.“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”The image of the shepherd with his flock is very dear to all biblical literature. To understand it fully, we need to imagine the arid and rocky deserts of the Middle East. The shepherd guides his flock, who are docile and allow themselves to be led, for without him they would get lost and die. The sheep have to learn to rely on him and listen to his voice. Above all, he is their constant companion.“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”This psalm invites us to strengthen our intimate relationship with God by experiencing his love. Some may wonder why the author goes so far as to say, “I shall not want”? In our daily life we encounter all kinds of problems and challenges - with our health, in the family, at work - not to mention the immense suffering of so many of our brothers and sisters due to war, natural disasters often caused by climate change, forced migration, acts of violence, and so on.“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”Perhaps the key to understanding this verse lies in the one that follows it: “for you are with me.”[2]  This states the certainty of the love of God who always accompanies us and leads us to live our life in a whole new way. Chiara Lubich wrote: “It is one thing to know we can have recourse to God, who exists, who cares for us and has redeemed us of our sins, and totally another thing to live with the conviction that we are God's beloved, for this banishes all loneliness, all sense of abandonment, any misgivings or any fear that may restrain us. (...) We come to realize that we are loved, and believe with all our heart in this love. We abandon ourselves trustingly to him and are ready to follow wherever he leads. Life's circumstances, sad or joyful, are illuminated by God's love that wills or permits everything that happens.”[3]  “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”The one who brought this beautiful prophecy to fulfilment is Jesus. In John's Gospel he does not hesitate to call himself the “good shepherd.” The relationship with this shepherd is something special; it is very personal and intimate. “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.”[4] He leads his sheep to graze in the pastures of his Word, which gives life, particularly the Word that contains the “new commandment.”[5] And when this reciprocal love is lived by his followers, it makes “almost visible” the presence of the Risen Lord within a community that is gathered in his name, in his love.[6]   Prepared by Augusto Parody Reyes and the Word of Life Team[1] See Ps 23:6.[2] Ps 23:4.[3] Chiara Lubich, Essential Writings – Spirituality, Dialogue, Culture, New City Press, New York, 2006, pg. 55[4] Jn 10:14.[5] Jn 17:21: “Love one another as I have loved you.”[6] See Mt 18:20.

The first experience is by Gary Hauk from Atlanta who shares how during his lifetime, various people have "planted seeds" in his heart, which ultimately helped him to understand his calling. The second experience comes to us from Long Island, New York. Elisa Fontana shares about her work at a soup kitchen.The third experience is by Lucy Bujnoch from Houston TX. She shares how together with her daughter they helped her grandson get through a difficult time.

Cultivating Confidence in God

Focolare Word of Life — June 2024“The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.” (Mk 4:26-27)The kingdom of God is at the heart of Jesus' message. In fact, in his Gospel, Mark wants to announce this good news. He describes it in a parable Jesus used, in which he compared the kingdom of God to a seed that, once cast into the ground, releases its life force and bears fruit. But what is the kingdom of God for us today? What does it have to do with our personal and collective history? How can it resolve the constant sense we might have of being suspended between expectations and disappointments? If it has already been sown, why don't we see its fruits of peace, security and happiness?“The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.”This Word of Life conveys to us that Jesus had total confidence in God's plan for humanity. Chiara Lubich wrote: “Since Jesus came into the world and was victorious over it, his kingdom is already present here on earth and its fulfilment at the end of history is already assured. The Church is the community of those who believe in his kingdom and is, in fact, its foundation.”[1] And to all who welcome his kingdom, God entrusts the task of preparing the ground to receive this gift and to maintain hope in his love. “(...) The fact is that no amount of human effort, no exercise in self denial, no intellectual study or research will give you the right to enter the kingdom of God. It is God himself who comes to meet you, who reveals himself with his light and who touches you with his grace. There is no merit on your part that you can boast of, or rely on, that will entitle you to such a gift from God. The kingdom is offered to you free of charge.”[2]“The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.”This parable speaks of scattering the seed. In other words, not holding on to it, but confidently sowing it over a large area. “Night and day” means that the kingdom grows silently, even in the darkness of night. And every day we can ask our Father: “Your kingdom come.” The farmer doesn't have to constantly check on the seed to see if it is growing. He needs to wait patiently for nature to take its course. This Word of Life helps us to understand that the seed we scatter is love and we should trust that it will bear fruit in its own time. It teaches us the art of patiently waiting for what can grow on its own, without being anxious about the result. It sets us free to welcome each neighbor in the present moment, valuing his or her potential, while respecting the time it takes them to grow. “A month before his wedding, our son phoned us in a state of alarm because his girlfriend had started using drugs again. He asked our advice about what he should do. It wasn't easy to know what to say. We could have taken advantage of the situation and persuaded him to leave her, but that didn't seem right. And so we suggested he listen to what his own heart was telling him (...).   “A long silence followed, then he said, ‘I think I can love her more.' After the wedding they managed to find an excellent rehabilitation center with outpatient support. Fourteen long months passed during which she managed to keep her commitment to ‘no more drugs.' “It will be a long road for everyone, but the evangelical love we try to have between the two of us as a couple - even though there are times when we are reduced to tears - gives us the strength to love our son in this delicate situation. Perhaps our love will also help him understand how to love his wife, too.”Prepared by Letizia Magri and the Word of Life team[1] Chiara Lubich, Word of Life, August 1983.[2] Chiara Lubich, Word of Life, October 1979.

1.  In the first experience, Robbie Young shares how he made himself available to serve and help a friend who suffered a stroke with many concrete acts of love.2. The second experience is by Stephen Thuo who, together with other young people, helped raise funds to gather supplies and deliver them to a correctional center for juveniles. 3.  In the third experience, Almie Latimore shares with us her great suffering due to the loss of her husband to cancer and how she discovered the love of God.

Focolare Word of Life —May 2024Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:8).The first letter of John is addressed to all people and it encourages us to restore fellowship because our society is divided by many different doctrines and ways of life. John exhorts us to keep in mind what has been proclaimed from the beginning of Christain teaching when the first disciples experienced living a life with the Lord. By repeating this in the way we live with Jesus in our lives we will be in communion with the first disciples and therefore with Jesus and the Father.[i]Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.St. John reminds us that it has been revealed that God loved us first by taking upon himself a human existence, in Jesus, with all the limitations and weaknesses. While on the cross, Jesus shared in our separation from the Father through His cry, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” He brought to us healing through the total gift of Himself, by loving us without limits or conditions and His life show us what true love is. Through the example Jesus gives to us, we can understand that loving takes courage, hard work along with the risk of facing adversity and suffering. But, if we can love in this way we will participate in God's life and experience His freedom and the joy of self-giving. By loving as Jesus loved, we become aware that we are free from ourselves and from the selfishness that closes the door to communion with our brothers and sisters and with God.Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.The human heart longs to know God, who created us and who knows us in the deepest way possible.   Our faith informs us that God is Love and by loving like him we get a glimpse of the truth of this Love. And if we do make it to love like him we will grow in the knowledge of God because we are essentially living his life and we walk in his light. This is accomplished when love becomes mutual, because if we love one another, ‘God abides in us.' [ii] It's similar to two electric poles coming together to produce light.   Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.   Chiara Lubich said, ‘To witness that God is love is the great revolution we are called to offer to the modern world which is experiencing extreme tension just as the early Christians bore testimony to this in the pagan world of their time'. How can we do this? How can we live this love that comes from God? ‘By learning from his Son to put it into practice... in particular, let us focus on serving our neighbors, especially those closest to us, beginning with little things, with the most humble kinds of service. Let us make the effort, following Jesus' example, to take the initiative in loving, being detached from ourselves and embracing all the small or big crosses that this might entail. In this way, we too will soon reach that experience of God, that communion with him, that fullness of light, peace and inner joy which Jesus wants us to have.'[iii]Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.Santina often visited a nursing home that was run by a Catholic association. One day, she and Roberta, her colleague, met Aldo, a tall, very cultured and very wealthy man. Aldo looked sternly at the two young women and said, ‘Why do you always come here? What do you want from us? Why don't you just let us die in peace?' Santina didn't lose heart and told him, ‘We are here for you, to spend some time together, to get to know each other and become friends.' They continued to visit the home regularly. Roberta recounts, ‘That man was particularly closed in on himself and dejected. He did not believe in God. Santina was the only one who was able to get close to him, gently listening to him for hours. She prayed for him and, on one occasion, gave him a rosary which he accepted.' Later, Santina learned that he had spoken her name as he was dying. The pain of his death was lessened by the fact that he died peacefully, holding the rosary she had given him.' Prepared by Silvano Malini and the Word of Life Team  [i] Cf. 1Jn 1:1-3[ii] Cf 1Jn 4:12[iii] C. Lubich Word of Life May 1991

In the first experience, Javier Lurch, president of one of the chapters of Saint Vincent de Paul Society in Atlanta Georgia shares how he helped prevent a young woman and her family from being evicted from their home.The second experience is by Maggie Horton from Kansas City. She shares how the Risen Lord is made present within the community of women she is currently living in. And in the third experience, Julie Mundell tells us how her Economy of Communion business assisted a struggling family to purchase a home.