Blog of Fr. Peter Leung

The Gospel “works” … glimpses of Gospel life today“Give and it will be given to you”: at every age and in every part of the world one can experience that Jesus’ promises punctually come true. 

All three of my children needed winter coats, but we didn’t have enough money. That morning, a big sale was advertised in the newspaper. I would have to rush to catch the bargains. But a short time later, my sister-in-law telephoned to ask if she could come round. This didn’t happen very often and so I said yes. I decided to risk losing the opportunity to save some money to be able to love Jesus in her. When my sister-in-law arrived, she was carrying a big bag containing three coats, one for each of the children.
(New York)

For an Act of Love

While I was on a daily walk as directed by my doctor, I was trying to get to know the area where I had been living for a short time. I was the new bishop. A few days later, I started to tidy up a few things in the bishop’s house, so that I could better express God, who is beauty.

I found some bronze candelabras, which didn’t really fit in. A small shop selling second-hand goods, which I had seen on my walk, came to mind. I thought that given the touch economic conditions in the country, the owner might be in serious difficulties.

I asked my secretary to parcel up the candelabras and give them to the shopkeeper with a card, which read: ‘I am a little gift from the bishop. If you manage to sell this, please give the money to the poor. But if you need it for yourself, you can keep it.’

Unexpectedly, during the afternoon the man came to the bishop’s house. He insisted on seeing me, ‘Today I wanted to commit suicide, but when your secretary came, I realized that someone still cared for me, and I changed my mind. Many thanks!’
(Argentina)

Like the Early Days

One Saturday someone came to pay us a visit. When she was leaving, knowing that she had many children and that financially things were not going too well, we from the women’s focolare gave her all the fruit we had in the house: all we had for the week.

After a while another family visited us and, as they had been to the market, they offered us fresh apples and pears. We were happy because we saw it as the ‘give and it will be given to you’ from the Gospel.

In the afternoon, as an act of love, we had promised to go to a party organized by the local Italian community. We had decided to visit another needy family on the way and take them all the apples and pears we had received.

Once the party was over, before we left, the family who had invited us gave us a large box full of pears and apples from their orchard, all of excellent quality, along with a huge watermelon.

We were delighted that these experiences should happen not only in the early days of the Movement, but today too.

The words, ‘Give and it will be given in full measure…’ are for all times.
(New Zealand)

「不要隨我的意願，惟照你的意願成就罷！」　（路22:42）

你可記得這句話嗎？這是耶穌在橄欖山上革責瑪尼園中祈禱時向聖父說的話。就因為這句話，祂隨後所受的苦難、聖死和復活才顯得有意義。耶穌在心靈深處強烈的體驗，也在這句話中表露無遺。那時候，祂的人性深深抗拒天父所要求的死亡，並因而引致內心痛苦得像被撕裂了一樣。
可是基督並不是等到那天才順應天主的旨意。相反地，祂一生都這樣做了。
假如這是基督一生的行徑，這便應該是每一個基督徒的生活態度。
所以，你也該在自己的一生中重複這句話：「不要隨我的意願，惟照你的意願成就罷！」

雖然你已經領了洗，成為教會的兒女，但也許直到今天你從未從未這樣想過。
也許你認為這只是一句無可奈何的話，在沒有選擇的餘地時才表達出來。但這種解釋並不正確。
且聽我說吧！在你一生歲月中，有兩種生活方針可供你選擇：一是隨你自己的意願，做你喜歡的事；另一種是自由地選擇承行天主的旨意。
同樣，你會有兩種完全不同的經驗：前者轉眼便會令你失望，因為你要運用你有限的思維及方法，你短暫的夢想和不足的氣力去攀登生命的高峰。但遲早你會發覺，你所過的只是呆板枯燥的生活．沒有甚麼成果，前景灰黯，有時候還令你失望。雖然你設法過一種多采多姿的生活，但是仍不能夠滿足自己心底的渴望。這是不容否認的事實。
還有，在你生命終結時，除了由親友灑下的幾滴淚水外，你也不會留下任何值得追念的痕跡。隨後一切就都煙沒在整個無情的、健忘的宇宙中。
後者的生活方式卻叫你重複這句話：「不要隨我的意願，惟照你的意願成就罷！」請看，天主就像太陽。太陽的光線照射到眾人身上，代表著天主對每個人的聖意。基督徒或者善心人，都被召喚在自己與他人不同的光線內走向太陽。這樣他才會完成天主在他身上定下的奇妙美好計劃。
假如你也照樣做，你將會踏入一個你從未夢想過的神聖歷程。你將成為一項偉大事業的主角，但同時又在觀看這奇事，因為天主要在你身上工作，然後透過你也在全人類中施行祂的工程。
那時在你身上發生的一切，無論苦樂禍福，特殊的事（例如成功和幸運的事，意外或親人的逝世），或平常的事（例如日常的家務、工作、學業），一切的一切都會獲得新的意義，因為它們都是由愛的天主親手送給你的。一切祂所願意或准許發生的事，都是為使你從中得到裨益。開始時只要你有這樣的信德，稍後你便能用靈魂的眼睛看到，一切事物都是由一縷金線穿引而連繫在一起的，並且交織成一幅漂亮的剌繡；那便正是天主在你身上的計劃。
可能這美好的前景吸引著你，也許你也真誠地願意生活得更有意義。那麼聽著：首先讓我告訴你該在什麼時候承行天主的旨意。
請你細心想一想：過去的已成過去，不能再追悔，你只能將它交在天主慈愛的手中；至於將來，將來仍未來到，你只有在當它到達眼前時，才可以把它好好的生活出來；在你掌握之中的只有眼前，所以你要在現在的時刻去實行這句話：
「不要隨我的意願，惟照你的意願成就罷！」
當你在旅程中──而生命本身也是一個旅程──你會乖乖地坐在車廂的座位上，而絕不會在車廂裡跑來跑去。但假如我們只曉得夢想將來和悼念過去的話，就是做著同樣沒有多大意義的行為。
事實擺在眼前：時間會自動地過去。我們只需要在現時這一刻中穩守崗位。有一天我們將會完成此生的本份。
要是你問：「怎樣才可以分辨出天主的旨意和我自己的意願呢？」
在目前一刻中去分辨出天主的旨意並不難，我教你一個辦法，留心傾聽你的內心，那裡有一個細微的聲音，也許往往被你窒息了，以致變得模糊不清。但留心細聽，那是天主的聲音。它會告訴你那一刻該去讀書，或該去愛那需要你的人，或該去工作，或該去克服誘惑，或該去盡你做基督徒的本份，或盡市民的責任。它也要求你去聆聽那些因主的名而向你講話的人，也要求你勇敢地面對困難的境況……
請聽，請細聽！不要充耳不聞，那聲音是你所能擁有的最寶貴的東西。所以，跟從它吧！
於是慢慢地你便會寫下自己的生平，而這段歷史既屬人性，也是神聖的，因為是你和天主合作執筆寫成的。你也將會見到奇事：只要人願意盡他一生的努力去實踐這句話：「不要隨我的意願，惟照你的意願成就罷！」你就會見到天主在一個人身上可以完成什麼樣的化工。
盧嘉勒

“Not my will but yours be done.”

Do you remember these words? Jesus addressed these words to the Father in the garden of Gethsemane. These words give meaning to his passion, which was followed by his resurrection. They express the drama unfolding within Jesus in all its intensity. It is the inner laceration provoked by his human nature’s deep revulsion facing a death willed by his Father.
Christ, however, did not wait until that day to conform his will to that of God. He had done it all his life.
If this was how Christ behaved, then it ought to be the attitude of every Christian. You too should repeat in your life:

“Not my will but yours be done.”

Perhaps you never thought of it, even if you were baptized and are a son or daughter of the Church.
Perhaps you might have used this sentence as an expression of resignation—something one does when he or she has no choice. This, however, is not its real meaning.
Listen: in life you can go in one of two directions. You can do your own will, or you can freely choose to do God’s will. In the former, you will soon experience disappointment by attempting to climb the mountain of life using your limited ideas, your resources, your dreams and your own strength. All this, sooner or later, will transform your life into an experience of boredom, inconclusiveness, dullness and, at times, despair.
Your existence will be colorless in spite of your efforts to make it interesting; despite everything, the deepest part of you will not be at peace. You should admit it, for you cannot deny it.
Furthermore, at the end of your life, you will depart without leaving a trace—only a few tears and then inexorable, total oblivion.
If, instead, you do the will of God, you will re-live Jesus’ words:

“Not my will but yours be done.”

Let us imagine that God is like the sun. A ray from the sun falls on each one of us. Each ray is the divine will for me, for you, for everyone.
Christians and all people of good will are called to move towards the sun, keeping to their own ray of light which is unique and distinct from all the others. By doing so, they will fulfill the wonderful and particular plan that God has for them.
If you do the same, you will find yourself involved in a divine adventure you never even dreamed of.
You will be, at the same time, both actor in and spectator of something great that God is accomplishing in you and through you in humanity.
All that will happen to you—joys and sufferings, graces and disgraces, significant events (success and good fortune, accidents and the loss of those dear to you) as well as seemingly insignificant events (routine work at home, in the office or at school)—everything will acquire new meaning since all have been offered to you by God who is love.
Everything that he wills or permits is for your own good. At first, you will accept it in faith and later you will actually experience that there is a golden thread connecting all the events of your life and forming a beautiful embroidery—it is the plan of God for you.
Maybe this prospect is attractive to you. Maybe you sincerely want to give a deeper meaning to your life. Then you should consider this first: when to do the will of God. Just think for a moment: the past is gone and you cannot run after it; you can only leave it to God’s mercy. The future is not here yet – you will live it when it becomes the present. Only the present is in your hands. In the present, you have to live the words:

“Not my will but yours be done.”

When traveling by train—and life is also a journey—you usually remain in your seat. You wouldn’t think of walking back and forth to get there faster. But this is what we do if we live our life dreaming of a future which is not yet here, or thinking of a past which will never return.
No, time moves forward on its own. We must remain rooted in the present and then we will reach the fulfillment of our lives here.
You will now ask me: how do I distinguish God’s will from mine? It is not difficult to distinguish God’s will from our own if we remain in the present. I will tell you one way to do it. God speaks within you. Perhaps in the past, his voice has too often been smothered by you and is now barely audible. But try to listen, God speaks to you (see Jn 18:37 and Rev. 3:20). He tells you when it is the moment to study, when it is the moment to help someone in need, when to work, when to overcome a temptation or to fulfill one of your duties as a Christian or as a citizen. The voice of God within you urges you to listen to those who speak to you in his name; it helps you face difficult situations courageously….
Don’t silence this voice—it’s the most precious treasure you possess. Follow it. You will then build, moment by moment, the story of your life, a story that is both human and divine because it is made by you in collaboration with God. And you will see wonders. You will see what God can work in people who say with their whole lives:

“Not my will but yours be done.”

By Chiara Lubich

「誰若願意跟隨我，該棄絕自己，天天背著自己的十字架跟隨我。」(9:23)

不要以為你在世上生活，就一定可以如魚得水。
不要以為透過收音機和電視機能把世界帶進你的家中，你就可以隨心所欲地收聽每一個廣播和收看每一個電視節目。

不要以為你走在大街小巷中，就可以肆無忌憚地觀望四週張貼著的海報，無拘無束地向報攤或書店購買任何一種刊物。

不要以為你置身於這個社會中，就可以認同世俗任何一種生活方式，例如：任意放縱及不道德的生活、墮胎、離婚、仇恨、暴力、盜竊等行為。
萬萬不能！你生活在這個世界上，可是你並不「屬於這個世界」。（參閱若17:14）

這點使你與其他人截然不同，讓你置身在那些不貪戀世物，而懂得聆聽天主的聲音的人群中。天主的聲音存在於每個人的心中，假如你靜心去聆聽，它就會把你帶進一個不屬於這個世界的國度裡。在那裡存有真愛、公義、純潔、溫良、和善、神貧的生活。總之，人人都曉得自我約制。

為甚麼有許多青年為能找到一點寧靜，並為領略到一些偉大的潛修者的秘訣，而逃去東方，例如印度呢？這些潛修者透過長期的克己和死於舊我，而能散發一種真愛，以致能感動所有接近他們的人。

這些青年的行徑是一種對喧囂的世界，以及對外在或內在的噪音所產生的自然反應，因為這些聲音煩擾著我們，不讓我們靜下來聆聽上主。
但，是否真的需要走到印度去？在二千年前，耶穌基督不是曾經對你說：「捨棄自己……捨棄自己……」嗎？

安逸和舒適的生活並不適合於基督徒。假如你願意跟隨耶穌，祂對你的要求也是一樣的高。

世界好像洶湧的江河般向你侵襲，但你必須逆流而上。對基督徒來說，世界好比一個密麻的叢林，他們要戰戰兢兢，步步為營的走過去。但他們應該在何處踏足？就是在基督經過世界時所親自留下的足印上：在祂的聖言中。今天，祂再次對你呼喚：

「如果有人要跟隨我，就得捨棄自己，天天背負他的十字架來跟隨我。」

這樣的生活或者會使你遭受他人的蔑視、誤解、譏笑和毀謗；也會使你覺得被孤立，令你丟難堪，並邀請你去放棄一種表面化的基督徒生活方式。
還不僅於此：

「…天天背負他的十字架來跟隨我。」

無論你接受與否，每一個生在世上的人都會受痛苦的煎熬，而你也不例外。每天總會有大大小小的痛苦接踵而來。

難道你想逃避這些痛苦？想反抗？令你想去咒罵？如果你是這樣的話，那麼你就不是真正的基督徒了。

基督徒愛十字架，也愛痛苦，即使要含著淚水，他也會繼續去愛，因為他知道這一切都是有價值的。耶穌本可以運用數之不盡的方式來拯救人類，但祂卻揀選了痛苦，這絕不是偶然的。

可是，不要忘記，祂背負十字架，為人類而被釘死後，從死者中復活了。
假如你不會漠視言行一致的基督徒生活帶來的困苦和生命中的際遇，並能用愛去迎接痛苦的話，那麼，復活也會成為你生命的終向。你將體會到十字架是給你帶來喜樂的途徑，一份你從未體嚐過，從現世已經開始的喜樂。你的靈性生命也會開始成長，天主的國在你心中要鞏固起來。漸漸地，外間的世界會由你的視野中消失，如同幻影般逝去。那時你便不會再羨慕別人了。
這樣你才是真正跟隨基督的人：

「如果有人要跟隨我，就得捨棄自己，天天背負他的十字架來跟隨我。」

好像你所跟隨的耶穌基督一樣，你將成為今日那充滿創傷的人類的「光」和「愛」。

盧嘉勒

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lk 9:23).

Come After Me - November 2008

We can’t think that just because we are in the world we can take to it like a fish to water.

We can’t think that simply because the media offers us all kinds of choices we are free to watch every program.

We can’t think that just because we walk the streets of the world we can freely look at all the ads and billboards and buy just any publication at the newsstand or bookstore.

We can’t think that just because we are in the world we can live as we please, the way everyone else does, following along passively accepting abortion, divorce, hatred, violence or embezzlement. We can’t.

We are in the world; no one can deny that. But we are not of the world (see Jn 17:14).

This makes a great difference. It puts us among those who don’t live according to what the world says, but rather according to what the voice of God suggests to us from within. God lives in the heart of every human being. If we listen to him, he will lead us into a kingdom that is not of this world, a society in which true love, justice, purity, meekness and selflessness are lived, where self-control is the norm.

In the past many young people journeyed to India and the Far East, hoping to find some peace of mind and to discover the secrets of the Eastern spiritual masters, who, after a long process of self-mortification, frequently radiate a more genuine kind of love that touches the people they meet.

The quest of these young people was a very natural reaction to the uproar in the world, to the noise around us and within us that leaves no room for silence in which to hear God’s voice.

However, it is not necessary to go to India. Two thousand years ago Christ urged us to deny ourselves. If we are Christians, we cannot expect to lead a comfortable and easy life. Christ did not, and he will not ask any less of us if we want to follow him.

The world, with all its attractions and negative aspects, is coming at us head on like a rushing river, and we must go against the current. It is also like dense underbrush in which a Christian must look very carefully where to step. And where should we step? In the footsteps that Christ himself laid down for us while here on earth. These footsteps are his words.

Today he repeats to us Christians: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself….” If we follow Christ, we may be laughed at, misunderstood, scorned, slandered or isolated. We must be ready to lose face, to give up the easygoing, socially acceptable way of being a Christian. And there is more:

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Whether we like it or not, suffering is a part of everyone’s life, ours as well. Sufferings great and small come our way every day.

If we try to avoid them, to rebel against them, or if we feel like cursing them, then we cannot be called followers of Christ.

Christians love the cross; they love suffering even amidst tears, knowing that suffering has a value. God had countless ways at his disposal by which he could have saved humankind. Yet he chose to use suffering.

We know that Jesus rose after carrying his cross and being crucified. We are also destined to rise (see Jn 6:40) if we accept the sufferings that come from living an authentic Christian life and those that each day brings with love, rather than despising them. By doing so we will see that even here on earth, the cross is a way that leads to a joy we have never before experienced. We will begin to grow spiritually, and the kingdom of God will become firmly established in us. Little by little the world’s attractions will fade away before our eyes and seem as if they are made of cardboard. And we will no longer envy anyone.
Then we will be able to call ourselves followers of Christ.

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

And like Christ, whom you have followed, you will be light and love for the countless suffering people in today’s world.

The Word of Life, a sentence of Scripture, is offered each month as a guide and inspiration for daily life.

By Chiara Lubich

2008年10月

「你們給，也就給你們；並且還要用好的，連按帶搖，以致外溢的升斗，倒在你們的懷裡。」（路6:38）

你曾否收過朋友一份禮物，並且感到需要回報這份厚意呢？你這樣做不僅是為了還這筆人情，更是為表示一份知恩報愛的心。相信這樣的經驗，你一定試過了！　　假如你懂得這樣來對待朋友，更何況那本身是愛的天主呢？

每次當我們因祂的名給近人施予甚麼，祂都會回報我們。真正的基督徒時常會有這樣的經驗，而且每次都是一份驚喜，因為天主豐富的想像力和心思是層出不窮的。我可以給你舉出千萬個例子，更可以搜集成書。那時你便會看到這句聖言所形容的情景是多麼真確：「還要用好的，連按帶搖，以致外溢的升斗，倒在你們的懷裡。」這句話表示天主回報人時是多麼豐厚及大方。

以下的經驗發生在普世博愛運動的早期：「在羅馬城中，夜幕低垂，在一幢房子的地下層，住著幾個立志實踐福音的女青年。正當她們互道晚安，準備就寢時，突然門鈴響起來。誰還會在這個時刻到訪？原來是一位慌張、沮喪的先生。那人告訴她們：明天他和他的家人將要被逼遷，因為他欠下了房租。

這些女青年彼此相望一下，就已心照不宣地知道怎樣做。她們從抽屜裡拿出幾個信封，裡面存放著她們所剩下來的薪水，以及準備支付煤氣、電話及水電費的錢，毫不猶豫把所有的錢都給了那位先生。

那天晚上，她們都懷著愉快的心情安然入睡，因為她們深信將會有「另一位」去照顧她們。

天還未亮，電話就響起來，原來又是那位先生的聲音：「我馬上坐計程車來！」這些女青年一邊等候，一邊對他選用的交通工具感到驚訝。

那位客人臉上的表情已告訴她們事態有所轉變：「昨晚我剛回到家裡，就發現我承受了一筆意想不到的遺產。內心告訴我，要把其中一半和你們分享。」她們得到的數目，正好是她們慷慨地付出的兩倍！」

「你們給，也就給你們；並且還要用好的，連按帶搖，以致外溢的升斗，倒在你們的懷裡。」（路6:38）

你曾有過相似的經驗嗎？如果沒有，請記住，以後當有人向你求甚麼，你要慷慨無私地給予，並不要期待任何回報。

試試看！但決不應為察看結果而做，卻要出自一份對天主的愛。　　也許你會說：「但我兩袖清風，沒有甚麼分施給他人。」

但這不是真的。只要我們願意的話，便能找到無窮盡的財寶，例如閒暇的時間、一顆赤誠的心、一個友善的微笑、一個忠告、我們的知識、一份平安的心境、甚至一句話，因為它有助於說服那些富有的人，給那些沒有什麼的人分施……。

或許你仍會說：「但我不知道誰是施予的對象。」看看你的周圍：你還記得那在醫院中臥病的朋友嗎？那孤苦伶仃的寡婦、那由於成績欠佳而灰心的同學、那滿面愁容的失業青年、那期待援手的小兄弟、那個被監禁的友人、那不知所措的學徒……？

基督便在他們內等候著你。

你要採納基督徒行事做人的新態度，即一種充滿福音精神和自我開放的態度，不會為任何事情而擔憂。所以，放棄追尋物質所帶來的保障而依靠上主吧！這樣就證明你對天主懷有信德，而且很快你便會獲得祂的賞報，因而曉得自己所相信的確是真實的。

當然，天主回報你，不是為使你致富，而是為使其他人，讓許多人看到我們因施予而獲得的類似小奇蹟般的回報，他們也會照樣的去做。

天主這樣做，因為我們擁有越多時，就越能給予更多。因為祂要我們成為祂財富的管理人，讓每樣事物都在我們周圍的團體中流通，直到能夠像初期耶路撒冷團體那樣：「在他們中，沒有一個貧乏的人。」（宗4:34）

難道你不覺得你可以藉此獻出一分力量，共同去推進世人所期望的一個社會性的革新嗎？

「你們給，也就給你們。」毫無疑問，耶穌首要指出的是將來在天上的賞報，但其實我們在世上所獲得的報酬，已是這份賞報的前奏和保證。 盧嘉勒

“Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap” (Lk 6:38).

Get Generous

Has it ever happened that you received a gift from a friend and then felt you had to reciprocate — not so much because you felt obliged to pay the person back, but simply out of love and gratitude? I’m sure it has.
If you feel this way, imagine how God must feel, God who is love.
He reciprocates every gift that we give to any neighbor in his name. True Christians experience this frequently. And each time it is a surprise. We can never get used to the inventiveness of God.

I could give you a thousand examples of this. I could even write a book on this subject alone, and you would see how true are the words, “…a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.” God always reciprocates with generosity.
Here is one example. Night had fallen in Rome. In their basement apartment, a small group of young women who wanted to live the Gospel were wishing each other good night. Then the doorbell rang. Who could it be at this hour? At the door they found a panic-stricken young father. He was desperate: the following day he and his family were going to be evicted because they had been unable to pay their rent.
The women looked at one another and then, in silent accord, went to the dresser drawer. There they kept what was left of their salaries. In envelopes marked “gas,” “electricity” and “telephone” were the small deposits they had set aside for these bills. Without a moment’s worry about what would happen to them, they gave all the money to their visitor.
That night they went to bed very happy. They knew Someone else would take care of them.
Just before dawn the phone rang. It was the same man. “I’ve called a taxi, and I’m coming right over!” Amazed that he should have chosen to come by taxi, they awaited his arrival. As soon as they saw his face they knew something had changed. “Last night, as soon as I got home,” he said. “I found I had received an inheritance I never dreamed I would get. My heart told me I should give half of it to you.” The amount he gave them was exactly twice what they had generously given him.

“Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.”

Haven’t you also experienced this? If not, remember that the gift must be given with no self-interest, without hoping to get it back, and to whomever asks.
Try it. But not so that you can see if it works, but because you love God.
You might be tempted to say, “I have nothing to give.”
That’s not true. If we want to, each of us can discover that we possess inexhaustible treasures: our free time, our love, our smile, our advice, our peace, our words that might persuade someone who has to give to someone who has not.
You might also say, “I don’t know whom to give to.”
Just look around you: don’t you remember that sick person in the hospital, that widow who always feels lonely, that boy in your class who failed and got discouraged, the young man who is sad because he can’t find a job, your little sister or brother who needs a helping hand, that friend who is in prison, that new person at work who is unsure of herself? In each person, Christ is waiting for you.

Put on the new way of behavior that comes from the Gospel and is the mark of a Christian. It is the exact opposite of having a closed mind or being concerned only about ourselves. Stop putting your trust in this world’s goods, and start relying on God. This will display your faith in him, and you will see from the gifts you receive that your faith is well founded.
It becomes apparent, however, that God does not give as he does in order to make us rich. He acts in this way so that many, many others, seeing the little miracles that happen to us as a result of our giving, may decide to do the same.
God also gives to us because the more we have the more we can give. He wants us to be administrators of his goods and see to it that they are distributed throughout the community around us, so that others might be able to repeat what was said of the first Christian community, “There was no needy person among them” (Acts 4:34).
Don’t you think that in this way you too can help give a solid spiritual basis to the social change that the world awaits?

“Give and gifts will be given to you.”

When Jesus said these words, undoubtedly he was thinking first and foremost of the reward we will receive in heaven. But the reward we receive on this earth is already a foretaste and a guarantee of our heavenly reward.

      Chiara Lubich

(www.focolare.com ) 

 To forgive, no matter what

It was a hopeless family story, she was determined to defend her grandchild. But the powerful message of the Gospel could not be ignored…

It was a hopeless family story, she was determined to defend her grandchild. But the powerful message of the Gospel could not be ignored…

My husband and my children are all alcoholics. Until last year, my eldest son Tom was living with his girlfriend, and both of them became drug addicts too.

About a year ago my son came back home because he had fallen out with his partner. In the meantime however, she had had a child. It really upset me to think about the situation of this little nephew. 

I blamed the mother and one day when I met her on the street, I openly accused her of all sorts of things. This left a lot of bitterness on both sides. When I got home you can imagine how guilty I was at having failed to love her. No matter how many excuses I gave myself, telling myself that I was right, that I did it for my nephew, I was not happy.  Something inside me was telling me to call her and ask her to forgive me, difficult as it was. I didn’t know whether she would even listen to me. In the end, when I asked her to forgive me, she was eager to forgive me too. 

Some time after this episode, Dorothy was sent to prison. Things were going from bad to worse, and I was so worried about my nephew’s situation that I began to resent the parents who had brought him into the world into such a situation. Since they were unmarried, the child would be taken into care.

My resentment grew bigger and bigger, and Jesus’s words about forgiveness brought me no peace. I ought to love Dorothy, what ever happened to my nephew. After several attempts, the Word finally broke through and in a completely different state of mind I went to see her in prison: she gave me a big hug and broke down in tears. I think she felt that I went to love her and accept her as she was.

She spoke to me about her child and asked me if I could look after it. We arranged for legal custody to be passed to my son, and now they both live with me. It seemed like the hundredfold promised by Jesus to whoever looks for his Kingdom, doing his will, and the result of my commitment to love, right to the end.

(J.S. - USA)

(Source: www.focolare.org)

Thousands of people to the funeral of the great afroamerican muslim leader. For many years a profound friendship united him to Chiara Lubich and the Focolare Movement

The passing of an inspiring life lived for unity and interfaith dialogue

A great friend of Chiara Lubich and of the Focolare Movement she founded, Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, leader of the largest constituent of Muslims in America, will be greatly missed. He died on September 9 in his home in Markham, Illinois, at age 74.

Imam Mohammed worked tirelessly for peace, unity and reconciliation. After inheriting the Nation of Islam community in 1975 from his father, Elijah Muhammad, he worked to move its followers toward more mainstream Muslim practice, emphasizing the faith’s racial tolerance and universality. He was also deeply committed to building bridges between African-American Muslims and immigrants from the Middle East and Asia. For his outstanding interfaith efforts, he was elected in 1999 as an international president in the U.S. for the World Council for Religions and Peace.

His profound relationship with Chiara Lubich and his openness to the Focolare spirituality of unity made history when, in May 1997, he invited her to speak to 3,000 followers at the historic Malcolm Shabazz Mosque in Harlem, New York.

Later that year, Imam Mohammed was honored with the Luminosa Award for Unity, a recognition given by the Focolare to persons or organizations who with their work and with their life have promoted unity and dialogue in the world.

The two would appear together and collaborate in the years that followed, and deep bonds between their two communities continue today.

“Such a powerful unity has by now been established that I think the whole world should see it!” he once said, inviting Chiara to return to the U.S. in 2000 for the “Faith Communities Together” event in Washington, D.C which attracted 7,000 participants.

When asked about her relationship with Imam Mohammed, she answered: “I feel at ease with him because it seems to me that the Lord has put him next to us, as he has put us next to him, perhaps for a plan of love of his, which we will be able to understand in as much as we go ahead in our communion and by working together.”

Focolare will pay special tribute to Imam Mohammed in the next issue of its magazine Living City.

Video at www.newafricaradio.com

Aug 26 - Sept 3, 2008 - Participated Focolare annual meeting for priest in Switzerland, St. Maurice.

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01/08/2008

To respond to the expectations of the Church and of humanity.The commitment made by the delegates at the end of the General Assembly of the Focolare Movement. The first elements of this year’s programme

“Keep the gospel revolution alive in the world”, to “respond to the expectations of the Church and of humanity.” That was the commitment made by the General Assembly of the Movement, in full consonance with the words of the newly-elected president Maria Emmaus Voce, at the end of an intense month, which marked the beginning of a new stage in the movement’s story, following the death of Chiara Lubich four months ago. The president expressed the call felt by everyone to live the heart of Chiara’s legacy in a new, radical way: the daily dynamic of joy and suffering that “generates” the presence of Jesus among his followers, something which has always been the creative and driving force of the life of the Movement.
The Pope gave this decision his backing, Sunday 27th at Castelgandolfo
The Chiara Lubich Centre has begun – To conserve and pass on the charismatic patrimony of Chiara, the news that a body as been set up to begin this work was welcomed enthusiastically.  The decision to entrust the responsibility for this to Eli Folonari was unanimous. She was with Chiara for 50 years as her personal secretary. She will be assisted by the first men and women focolarini, eye witnesses of the founder’s intense charismatic work.

Programmes for the near future – The Assembly has already put some events, previously planned by Chiara, into the calendar for the immediate future.

October 9-12 2008 – International meeting for Islamic-Christian dialogue at Castelgandolfo
o A sign of the continuing commitment of the Movement to interreligious dialogue, something confirmed during this month’s visit to Rocca di Papa by Nichiko Niwano, president of the Buddhist renewal movement Rissho Kosei Kai, with whom there has been collaboration for thirty years.
December 1 2008 – Inauguration of the Sophia University Institute, in the little town of Loppiano (near Florence). Another important event, the long-awaited fulfilment of Chiara’s dream.
2009 Together for Europe – The commitment continues to strengthen the network that for ten years has brought together movements from various Churches all over the continent, to give back a Christian soul to Europe and to overcome the barriers and divisions that impede unity. This commitment will be expressed in manifestations in many cities and towns of the “old continent.”

This experience will be repeated in other continents, to encourage unification efforts in various regions of the world, in the face of persistent tensions and conflicts.

2010 – Project “city” – There are many activities already under way that further a peaceful and varied life together in our cities. They will be shown at an event that will link many of the world’s cities together in 2010. Chiara launched this initiative in 2007. Her dream to make the city the model for fraternity among all nations and peoples, is already evident in her early writings.

(www.focolare.org)

(Source:  www.focolare.org)

On occasion of the Feast of the Assumption, we publish a reflection by Chiara Lubich on Mary.

The sole thought of speaking about Mary makes my soul tremor and my heart beat faster. This is a subject that exceeds all our faculties, and more than words, it would be better to remain silent. Mary! The most extraordinary among all living beings, so lofty that she was invested with the title of Mother of God, and therefore the Immaculate, the Assumption, the Queen, the Mother of the Church.

Imitate her. But how? What do we imitate in her?

Let’s imitate her in what is essential. She is a mother, Jesus’ mother and spirituality our mother. From the cross, Jesus gave her to us as such in the person of John. We have to be like her other self, as a mother. In practice we have to state this intention: I will behave toward every neighbour I meet, or for whom I shall be working, as though I were their mother.

If we do that, we will discover a conversion in ourselves, a revolution, not only because we will find ourselves acting as a mother even to our own mother or father from time to time, but because we will have adopted a particular, specific attitude. A mother is always welcoming, always helpful, always hopeful, and covers up everything. She forgives everything in her son, even if he is a delinquent or a terrorist.
The fact is, a mother’s love is very similar to the charity of Christ of which Paul speaks.

If we have the heart of a mother, or to be exact, if we propose to make Mary’s heart our own, who stands out as the most perfect model of motherhood, then we shall be ever ready to love others in all circumstances, so that we keep the Risen One living in us. We will play perfectly the part asked of us to keep Jesus, the Risen One, present in our midst.

If we have the heart of this mother, we will love everybody, not just the members of our own Church, but those of others too. Not only Christians, but also Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, etc., and all people of good will, everyone dwelling on the earth: Because the maternity of Mary is as universal as the Redemption.

Even when she is not loved back, she always loves, and loves everyone.
So here we have our intention: To live like Mary, as if we were mothers to everyone.

“Love your enemies.” These are very strong words. They completely overturn our way of thinking, and they force us to make a sharp turn in our life’s direction!
Let’s face it. We all have an enemy of one kind or another.
My enemy might be my next-door neighbor, that unpleasant busybody I try to escape from every time I see her approach the elevator I’m taking.
It could be that relative who mistreated your father thirty years ago and you haven’t spoken to since.
It could be that classmate you refuse to look in the face since he got you into trouble with the teacher.
Your enemy might be the girl who was your friend but dropped you to hang out with someone else.
Or it could be the salesperson who cheated you.
Quite often we look at politicians as enemies if their opinions are different from ours.
And, as always, there are people who see some priests as their enemies and then hate the Church.
All of these people and many, many others whom we consider enemies have to be loved.
They have to be loved?
Yes. They have to be loved! However, this is not merely a matter of changing our feeling of hatred into another feeling that is more benign.
We have to do much more than that.
This is what Jesus says:

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

As we can see, Jesus wants us to overcome evil with good. He wants us to have a love that is carried over into concrete actions. We might wonder why Jesus is asking this of us.
The fact is he wants us to pattern our lives after the life of God, his Father, who “makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust” (Mt 5:45).
This is the point: we are not alone in the world. We have a Father, and we should be similar to him. Furthermore, he has the right to ask this of us because when we were still his enemies, when we were still living in darkness, he was the first to love us by sending us his Son who died in such a terrible way for each one of us (see 1 Jn 4:19).

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you….”

This lesson had a big impact on little Jerry, an African American boy from Washington, D.C. Because of his high I.Q., he was admitted to a special class, a class with all white children. But his intelligence alone was not enough to win him acceptance. Everyone disliked him because he was black. Then Christmas came. The other children exchanged gifts with each other, but they left Jerry out. Naturally, the young boy cried. When he got back home, however, he remembered the words of Jesus, “Love your enemies.” So, with his mother’s permission, he bought gifts which he distributed with love to all of his “white brothers and sisters.”

“Love your enemies… pray for those who mistreat you.”

One day, a girl from Florence named Elizabeth was heading into a church to go to Mass when, all of a sudden, a group of girls her own age started to make fun of her. It really hurt her. She wanted to scream back at them, but instead she smiled. While she was in church Elizabeth prayed for them. As she was leaving, they came up to her and asked why she had behaved the way she did. She explained that since she was a Christian she had to love in every situation. She said this with great conviction. The following Sunday she discovered that what she had done had borne fruit. When she entered the church she saw those same girls sitting attentively in the first pew.
These experiences show how children understand the Word of God. Because of this they are “grown-ups” in God’s eyes.
Perhaps we too ought to take steps to remedy certain situations in our own lives, all the more so since we will be judged by the way we judge others. We ourselves are the ones who give God the measure by which he will measure us (see Mt 7:2). Do we not really believe what we often pray, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” (see Mt 6:12)? So, let’s love our enemies! Only by doing this can we heal disunity, break down barriers and build up the community.
Is it difficult? Painful? Does the mere thought of it keep us awake at night? Be strong! It is not the end of the world: all it takes is just a little effort on our part, and the remaining ninety-nine percent will be done by God, and then in our hearts will flow a river of joy.

Chiara Lubich
This text has been published in Living City, May 1978.

「應愛你們的仇人，善待惱恨你們的人；應祝福詛咒你們的人，為毀謗你們的人祈禱。」（路6：27-28）

「你們該愛你們的仇人。」這句話的確震撼人心！它把我們一貫的想法完全倒轉過來，並催逼所有人去扭轉已往的生活方針！　　無需掩飾，因為我們每個人心中都有一些或大或小的仇人。　　這仇人可能是隔壁那個既令人討厭又好管閒事的太太，每次你總想避免與她使用同一座升降機……　　他可能是那個在三十年前寃枉過你父親的親戚，你從此再沒有跟他打過招呼了……　　他也許是班上那個坐在後排的同學，自從他向老師告你的狀，之後你便再也沒有瞧他一眼……或是那位與你分手，並與他人相好的女朋友……或那個曾欺騙過你的商人……

我們也會把那些持不同政見的人視作仇人。

此外，經常也會有人仇視神父和敵視教會。

總之，以上種種，還有其他數之不盡被我們稱之為「仇人」的，我們都應當去愛他們。

真的要愛他們嗎？對！我們要愛他們！但不要以為只是把憎恨的情緒轉化成一種較為友善的態度就足夠了。我們需要做的不止於此。

聽一聽耶穌怎樣說： 「應愛你們的仇人，善待惱恨你們的人；應祝福詛咒你們的人，為毀謗你們的人祈禱。」

你看，耶穌願意我們以善勝惡。祂要求我們以實際的行動去表達我們的愛。

我們會問：為甚麼耶穌對我們會有如此的要求？

事實上，耶穌願意我們以天父的生活作我們行為的榜樣，因為祂「使太陽上升，光照惡人，也光照善人，降雨給義人，也給不義的人。」（瑪5：45）

關鍵就在於此：我們在世上並不是孤單地生活，我們有一位天父，因此我們應該肖似祂。不僅如此，天主更有權利要求我們這樣做，因為當我們仍然與祂為敵；當我們還生活在罪惡中，祂卻首先愛了我們，並派遣自己的聖子，為我們眾人去承受一個那麼駭人的死亡。（參閱若一4：19）

「應愛你們的仇人，善待惱恨你們的人；應祝福詛咒你們的人，為毀謗你們的人祈禱。」

小小的謝利也學會了這個道理，他是一位來自華盛頓的黑人男孩。由於他智商過人，因而被編入尖子班，班上全是白人兒童。可是，謝利的聰明才智仍無法使他的同學明白他們是平等的，反之，人人都基於他的膚色而討厭他，甚至在聖誕節所有同學交換禮物時，也不讓他參與。謝利自然傷心地哭起來。然而，他回家後，卻記起耶穌的話：「應愛你們的仇人。」於是，他得到媽媽同意，買了禮物，懷著愛心把禮物分給班上的「白皮膚的兄弟姊妹」。 「應愛你們的仇人，善待惱恨你們的人；應祝福詛咒你們的人，為毀謗你們的人祈禱。」

有一天，住在佛羅倫斯的伊莉莎正拾級前往教堂參與彌撒，一群與她年紀相若的青少年開始嘲笑她，令她非常難堪！她本來想反駁她們幾句，最後卻向她們報以微笑。進入教堂後，伊莉莎為這群女孩熱切祈禱。當她踏出教堂時，這群女孩上前問她剛才為甚麼這樣做。她向她們解釋自己是個基督徒，所以在任何情況下都應該去愛，她說話時滿懷信心與熱誠。到了下一個星期天，伊莉莎看到她的見證帶來了成果。她進入教堂，看見那群青少年正專注地坐在教堂的前排。

以上兩個經驗顯示出孩童如何領會天主的聖言，因此在天主的眼中，他們是「最大的」。

也許我們也有必要處理過往的某些問題，況且我們現在怎樣判斷人，將來也要接受怎樣的審判。事實上，是我們親自製定了準則，讓上主來審判我們（參閱瑪7：2）。我們不就是這樣向天主祈禱：「求你寬免我們的罪債，猶如我們也寬免得罪我們的人」（參閱瑪6：12）嗎？所以，讓我們去愛仇人吧！唯有這樣做，我們才能彌補分裂，排除障礙，並把團體建立起來。

這是一個嚴峻的要求？令人難堪嗎？想起來就難以入睡嗎？鼓起勇氣罷！這並不是天大不了的事！我們只需要做好自己小小的部分，其餘的百分之九十九則由天主來完成……並在我們心中將會湧出喜樂的長河。

盧嘉勒

此文取自1978年5月份生活聖言

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Lk 6:27-28).

“Love your enemies.” These are very strong words. They completely overturn our way of thinking, and they force us to make a sharp turn in our life’s direction!
Let’s face it. We all have an enemy of one kind or another.
My enemy might be my next-door neighbor, that unpleasant busybody I try to escape from every time I see her approach the elevator I’m taking.
It could be that relative who mistreated your father thirty years ago and you haven’t spoken to since.
It could be that classmate you refuse to look in the face since he got you into trouble with the teacher.
Your enemy might be the girl who was your friend but dropped you to hang out with someone else.
Or it could be the salesperson who cheated you.
Quite often we look at politicians as enemies if their opinions are different from ours.
And, as always, there are people who see some priests as their enemies and then hate the Church.
All of these people and many, many others whom we consider enemies have to be loved.
They have to be loved?
Yes. They have to be loved! However, this is not merely a matter of changing our feeling of hatred into another feeling that is more benign.
We have to do much more than that.
This is what Jesus says:

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

As we can see, Jesus wants us to overcome evil with good. He wants us to have a love that is carried over into concrete actions. We might wonder why Jesus is asking this of us.
The fact is he wants us to pattern our lives after the life of God, his Father, who “makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust” (Mt 5:45).
This is the point: we are not alone in the world. We have a Father, and we should be similar to him. Furthermore, he has the right to ask this of us because when we were still his enemies, when we were still living in darkness, he was the first to love us by sending us his Son who died in such a terrible way for each one of us (see 1 Jn 4:19).

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you….”

This lesson had a big impact on little Jerry, an African American boy from Washington, D.C. Because of his high I.Q., he was admitted to a special class, a class with all white children. But his intelligence alone was not enough to win him acceptance. Everyone disliked him because he was black. Then Christmas came. The other children exchanged gifts with each other, but they left Jerry out. Naturally, the young boy cried. When he got back home, however, he remembered the words of Jesus, “Love your enemies.” So, with his mother’s permission, he bought gifts which he distributed with love to all of his “white brothers and sisters.”

“Love your enemies… pray for those who mistreat you.”

One day, a girl from Florence named Elizabeth was heading into a church to go to Mass when, all of a sudden, a group of girls her own age started to make fun of her. It really hurt her. She wanted to scream back at them, but instead she smiled. While she was in church Elizabeth prayed for them. As she was leaving, they came up to her and asked why she had behaved the way she did. She explained that since she was a Christian she had to love in every situation. She said this with great conviction. The following Sunday she discovered that what she had done had borne fruit. When she entered the church she saw those same girls sitting attentively in the first pew.
These experiences show how children understand the Word of God. Because of this they are “grown-ups” in God’s eyes.
Perhaps we too ought to take steps to remedy certain situations in our own lives, all the more so since we will be judged by the way we judge others. We ourselves are the ones who give God the measure by which he will measure us (see Mt 7:2). Do we not really believe what we often pray, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” (see Mt 6:12)? So, let’s love our enemies! Only by doing this can we heal disunity, break down barriers and build up the community.
Is it difficult? Painful? Does the mere thought of it keep us awake at night? Be strong! It is not the end of the world: all it takes is just a little effort on our part, and the remaining ninety-nine percent will be done by God, and then in our hearts will flow a river of joy.

Chiara Lubich

各位兄弟姊妹：

我將於八月廿五日至九月三日在瑞士St Maurice參加普世博愛運動─教區神父─週年會議，敬請代禱。

鐸末

梁達材神父

「你的眼睛就是身體的燈。幾時你的眼睛純潔，你全身就光明。」（路11：34）

每天從早到晚，你都能在許多近人身上認出耶穌的臨在。
假如你的眼睛是純潔的，你將能看見天主。天主是愛，愛能謀求共融合一，並贏取別人。
可是，多少人卻懷著據爲己有的目的，錯誤地看待世上的人與事物，他們的目光無論是出於自私或嫉妒，或其他，總而言之，都是來自罪惡。有些人只看到自己，一心想著支配自己的靈魂，他們的目光呆滯，因為他們心裡煩悶鬱結。
人的靈魂是按照天主的肖像而造成的，因此是愛。假如愛變得自私自利，就好像火焰得不到燃料的供應，必要熄滅。
你要往外看，不要顧影自憐，也不要指望他人與事物本身。你該尋求在你之外的天主，為能與祂結合為一體。
天主居住在每一個富有生氣的靈魂的深處；假若靈魂失去了生命力，則相似一個等待著上主來臨的聖體櫃，這份期盼成爲了它的喜樂與生存的因由。
為此，你要以愛去看待每一位近人。愛就是給予和饋贈。禮尚往來，你所付出的愛將得到近人的回應。
為此，愛等如『愛』與『被愛』——正如在天主聖三內的生活一樣。
居於你內的天主能吸引眾人的心靈，點燃在他們內的天主聖三的生命。事實上，藉著天主的恩寵，這份生命早已棲息在他們之內，只是熄滅罷了。
你無法在一個房間亮燈，直到你把電流的正負兩極連接起來。
天主在我們內的生活也是如此。這份生命必須運行不息，才能從我們身上發出一道光，為基督作證。基督使天人合一，祂就是連接天與地，人與人之間的那一位。
因此，你要為每一位近人付出自己，透過弟兄把自己獻給耶穌。這樣，耶穌將會恩賜祂自己給你。這就是愛的法律：「你們給，也就給你們。」（路6：38）
為了愛耶穌，讓近人來支配你自己吧。讓他們『吞噬』你，好像吞食聖體一樣。你要完全徹底地奉獻自己，為弟兄服務，亦即為天主服務，這樣，他們將會親近你和愛護你。愛弟兄就是滿全地承行天主的聖意，這是耶穌的誡命：「我給你們一條新命令：你們該彼此相愛。」（若13：34）
愛是超性的火焰，能燃燒眾人的心，把它們完全地熔合為一。
這時，在你內，你將再找不到自己，也找不到你的近人，卻找到「愛」，即那位活在你內的天主。
「愛」令你跨越自己去愛其他兄弟姊妹。由於你的眼睛是純潔的，你將能在他們身上找到自己，而眾人也會合而為一。
這時，在你周圍將逐漸形成一個團體，正如耶穌的時代，首先有十二位宗徒，然後是七十二位門徒，之後是千千萬萬的人……
福音的真光透過愛顯得引人入勝，牽動人心，吸引著衆人去跟隨它。
最後，也許你甚至會死在十字架上，效法你的『師傅』。可是你要為那釘你在十字架上的人而死，如此，愛將會獲得最終的勝利。
然而，你為眾人心靈而付出的生命氣息，將永存不朽。
它將結出纍纍的果實，豐盛的成果，帶來平安與喜樂，並會打開天堂的大門。
天主的光榮將會日益增長。
可是，你要在塵世成為完美的「愛」。

盧嘉勒