"That All May Be One"

Congress: Consecrated life in the light of Chiara Lubich’s charism of unity

ROME, Fr. Alberto Eronti. On October 25, 2004, the "Theological Institute for Consecrated Life" in Rome – Claretianum – granted to Chiara Lubich, Foundress and President of "Mary’s little work" – Focolares – the title of Honorary Doctor for her contributions to consecrated life. The success of that event motivated the leadership of the institute and the men and women religious who adhere to the Focolar spirituality to organize a Congress with the theme: "Consecrated life in the light of Chiara Lubich’s charism of unity" which took place on Saturday, April 1^st.

Professor Fr. Fabio Ciardi said that: "Through her life experience and that of the Movement she founded which today is spread to more than 70 countries, Chiara Lubich not only has drawn up a new doctrine on consecrated life but has also drawn up a methodology for its comprehension and renewal. Better still: she has created a new and most original form of consecrated life, ‘the Focolar,’ thus designing an immense fresco which will remain as an emblem of the great charismatic experience in the life of the Church at the end of one millennium and at the beginning of another." From the beginning, men and women religious have been offered Focolar’s spirituality and have been incorporated into it. In this way it took life in the bosom of Mary’s Work, an organization to which thousands of consecrated persons adhere and who seek to live the mandate of unity.

Seeking unity and seeking Christ in one’s fellow man

The Congress had three excellent conferences which developed the following topics: "The charism of unity in the theological tradition of the Church," Dr. Michel Vandeleene; "The contribution of Chiara Lubich to consecrated life," Fr. Carlos María Andrade, cmf, and "The charism of unity and charisms." This last conference was given by the best known of the presenters: Fr. Jesús Castellanos Servera, ocd, from the Teresianum Institute. What seems to be the center of the Focolar charism? There are two gospel verses which become "the word of God" for the foundress: a) "so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us" (Jn 17, 21) and b) "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mt 27, 46) This develops with vitality and stresses two points: seeking unity – forming community (common-unity) – and seeking Jesus in my fellow man, my brother.

"Unity" is a petition from Jesus to his Father at the Last Supper. That all may be one! The "model" for unity is the Trinity itself, the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit. A unity in the "likeness" of the Trinitarian unity…..like that which was lived by Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the so-called "spirit of Nazareth"…..is what is proposed to us for daily life. In his cry of abandonment on the Cross, Jesus "bequeathed his divinity to man" since he "emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance." (Phil 2, 7) That cry continues to resound today in each man and in each woman who experiences loneliness, abandonment, indifference, unworthiness, etc. But, the "other" as well as each one, is a child of the Father and Jesus is in him. To leave my brother alone is to leave Jesus alone. Naturally, as was indicated by Fr. Fabio Ciardi, this spiritual experience developed a pedagogy accordingly: life in the Focolar. When a disciple of Jesus loves, Jesus is manifested in his love which is in him and in his fellow man. But this love must be like that of the Master, a love which leads us to "abandon ourselves," that is to say, a love which leads us "to lay down our life for the sheep." (Jn 10, 15) In summary: to be one with God should lead us to be one with others…..the Christian way of doing it is by abandoning oneself and giving oneself without measure: "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." (Lk 9, 24)

It makes the Church strong in love and fruitful in its mission

Fr. Jesús Castellanos put in order the understanding of Focolar’s "unity" by developing the following affirmations:

All founders and froundresses in the Church have proclaimed and lived a word. They are "the words in the Word." What has gathered us today is the proclaimed word of a foundress at the end of the second millennium: "unity!" As other "words" resounded in the past: "poverty" in St. Francis; "obedience" in St. Ignatius; "prayer" in St. Teresa…..

Viewing the Church in perspective, it is a garden with a great variety of trees and flowers. What is common is the earth and the water: Jesus Christ and his Gospel. What externally makes the variety of trees and flowers one is the love which the root absorbs from the earth and the water. The unity in the variety is the strength of love. It is love in action.

The saints and the founders are the "golden thread" which runs through the history of the Church. Through each of them, God "pronounced" a word which is the charism. Each word proclaimed by God through a founder, unites that "word" and that person in an indissoluble way. The founders are the model and the criteria for living the charism.

In heaven, the holy founders form one unity, one community. If they are "one" in heaven, why should we not be "one" on earth? If the holy founders are "friends" in heaven, why should their spiritual children not be friends on earth? We pray: "On earth as it is in heaven!"

Mary is the absolute model of sanctity. In her there is not one "word" nor "many words." She is the Woman of the Word. In her the Word became flesh. It became life and life of her life. Mary is the Woman who unites within herself all of the "words" proclaimed in the Church throughout the centuries. For this reason, Mary is the one who unites within herself all of the charisms.

Lastly, not to forget that all of the charisms are given by the Spirit to build the Church as everyone’s unity. Clashing charisms, those driven apart, deplete strength from the Church. Unity in diversity, mutual confidence and having at certain times common goals is what makes the Church strong in love and fruitful in its mission.

Participating in the Congress has been a beautiful experience of Church. The great number of priests, men and women religious and consecrated laity who live the Focolar spirituality gave me a message of joy, simplicity and friendship in Jesus Christ and Mary. It truly impressed me. How beautiful the Mother of the Church is as the incarnate Word! How beautiful is the Mother Church when she sees herself in Mary and embodies the Word!

May Mary, Mother and Model of the Church bless us with the gift of fidelity to the charism and the mission received.

Translation: Carlos Cantú Family Federation La Feria, Texas USA