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Word of life

Pedro, Santiago y Juan suben a un monte alto con Jesús y allí ven la gloria del Maestro y oyen la voz del Padre que lo reconoce como Hijo. Una experiencia extraordinaria, cara a cara con Dios, que permite a su criatura conocerlo en su esplendor. El temor los ha hecho caer en tierra, pero Jesús los toca y les dice: «Levantaos, no tengáis miedo». El verbo levantarse es el mismo con el que el Evangelio suele expresar la resurrección, así como «no temáis» son las primeras palabras que el Resucitado dirige a las mujeres junto al sepulcro vacío después de saludarlas (Mt 28, 10; cf. 28, 5). Así pues, las palabras de Jesús, fuertes y claras, son una decidida invitación a una vida nueva, que es posible para los discípulos con el toque de su mano. También nosotros nos vemos a veces frenados por nuestros miedos, apesadumbrados por las pruebas de la vida, por situaciones sin salida. No podemos contar solo con nuestras fuerzas para recuperar el impulso del testimonio, sino más bien con la gracia de Dios, que siempre nos precede. «¿Quién no pasa por pruebas? Estas adquieren el cariz del fracaso, de la pobreza, de la depresión, de la duda, de la tentación… […] También da miedo la sociedad materialista e individualista que nos rodea, con guerras, violencia, injusticias… Ante estas situaciones puede insinuarse también la duda: ¿dónde ha ido a parar el amor de Dios? […] Jesús ha entrado de verdad en cada dolor, ha cargado con todas nuestras pruebas […] Él es Amor, y es propio del amor expulsar todo temor. Cada vez que nos asalte un miedo, que estemos agobiados por un dolor, podemos reconocer la verdadera realidad que se esconde ahí: es Jesús, que se hace presente […] dejemos que entre en nuestra vida. Y luego, sigamos viviendo lo que Dios quiere de nosotros, lanzándonos a amar al prójimo. Descubriremos que Jesús es siempre Amor. Así podremos decirle, como los discípulos: “Verdaderamente eres Hijo de Dios”» (Mt 14, 33)[1]. «Levantaos, no tengáis miedo». Quien ha hecho la experiencia de encontrarse con Dios en su vida queda fascinado por su presencia, tocado y curado por su Palabra. Con frecuencia, el testimonio de una comunidad cristiana acompaña en esta aventura divina y da ánimos para levantarse, para salir de uno mismo y reanudar el camino con Jesús y con los hermanos. Recogemos el testimonio de una joven siria: «Al final del año pasado mi país vivió una situación muy difícil, y mi ciudad sufrió una ola de caos y de miedo. Estaba profundamente preocupada por mi familia, por mis amigos y por mí misma. En medio de tanta incertidumbre, intentaba mantener firme la esperanza en Dios, procurando ser fuerte a pesar de todo. Antes de estos sucesos, junto con los jóvenes con los que me comprometo a vivir el Evangelio, habíamos planificado varios proyectos de apoyo a familias necesitadas mediante paquetes de alimentos y otras iniciativas. Pero esta situación nos obligó a suspender temporalmente toda actividad. Al cabo de unos días conseguimos reunirnos: en ese encuentro encontramos la fuerza y el valor los unos en los otros. Decidimos no dejarnos vencer por el miedo, sino poner nuestra confianza en Jesús y reanudar el camino que habíamos emprendido. Con fe compartida, conseguimos ayudar a más de 40 familias que realmente necesitaban ayuda. En medio de esas dificultades sentimos que gracias al amor de Dios y a nuestra unidad podíamos marcar la diferencia. «Levantaos, no tengáis miedo». «Después de haber subido al monte con Jesús para encontrar a Dios y escuchar su voz, podemos descender con Él para «[…] volver a la llanura, donde encontramos a muchos hermanos que soportan penalidades, enfermedades, injusticia, ignorancia, pobreza material y espiritual»[2]. «Como comunidad cristiana, también podemos sufrir y quedarnos confundidos, pero esta Palabra nos empuja a ponernos en movimiento juntos para llevar a todos «los frutos de la experiencia que hemos tenido con Dios y compartir la gracia recibida»[3]. Letizia Magri y el equipo de la Palabra de Vida [1] C. Lubich, Palabra de Vida de agosto de 2002.[2] Cf. Francisco, Angelus, 16-3-2014.[3] Ibid.

Get up again, without fear

«Only those who fall can rise again,» says a proverb. An example that conveys both tenderness and courage is that of children in the early stages of their development. What willpower they possess in those first tentative steps, rising each time with determination, until they gain confidence and begin with increasingly sure movements… the path of life! As we grow, amidst challenges and difficulties, getting up becomes increasingly difficult. Life’s trials weigh heavily on us, and the fear of losing our sense of security (in encounters with those who are different or don’t think like us) holds us back. Willpower alone is not always enough, nor even the sincere desire to be consistent with our values and choices. In these difficult moments, being able to count on a helping hand can give us the impetus to begin again without fear and, in the depths of our consciousness, create an authentic silence capable of “rebuilding” ourselves inwardly. As Chiara Lubich says: «Who doesn’t go through trials?» This takes on the character of failure, poverty, depression, doubt, temptation […]. The materialistic and individualistic society that surrounds us, with its wars, violence, and injustices, is also frightening….“ Chiara demonstrated this with her own life: it is precisely in these moments of darkness and weariness that it is most important to find the strength to ”start again,“ first and foremost within ourselves, with the confidence that ”you can still hope for everything“[1]. This is what happened to Emilia of the Holy Land. She works as the director of a government sector alongside Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze. After October 7, 2023, she understands that love is the only possible response to this great pain and commits herself to loving all those around her, above all through listening, so that she can welcome the other into her heart. To listen with love and humility, and to understand what the other has to say, whether Arab or Jewish. Thus, with a large number of their colleagues, they have become so open with one another that they can speak freely about the situation, and this has given courage to other colleagues to express their fears and pain, keeping the group united and maintaining peace.[2] There are many stories of wounded communities that do not give up, that find day after day, living the reciprocity of sharing everything, the strength to believe that hatred cannot have the last word. Even if we are not the ones who see the fruits of our commitment, every time we get up we will contribute to forming ”new men,« because—as Bonhoeffer said from prison shortly before his death—: »For those who are responsible, the ultimate question is not how I heroically get through this, but: what will life be like for the next generation?“ [1] ”Restarting” Gen Rosso[2] Experience explained at the One Human Family interfaith congress in June 2024 in Castel Gandolfo, Italy

The General Assembly of the Focolare begins

PRESS RELEASE – February 27, 2026 From March 1 to 21, 320 representatives from Focolare Movement communities around the world will participate in the fourth General Assembly since the death of its founder, Chiara Lubich. The Assembly will elect new members to the governing body and approve the programmatic guidelines for the next five years. According to Article 1 of the Regulations of the Focolare Movement's General Assembly, participants will experience this gathering in profound communion, to strengthen unity throughout the Movement and guide it toward the fulfillment of its objectives. The Assembly is indeed one of the most significant events for the Focolare Movement and is held every five years, as established by the Decree of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life (2021). It will take place at the Mariapolis Center in Castel Gandolfo (Rome), where 320 participants—including approximately 50 observers—are arriving from different countries, cultures, and ecclesial and religious backgrounds. They are united by their adherence to the spirit and values of the Movement founded by Chiara Lubich (1920-2008) and recognized by the Catholic Church as a private, universal association of pontifical right. The Assembly program will begin with a three-day spiritual retreat. On March 5, the current president, Margaret Karram, will present her end-of-term report, accompanied by some reflections from the co-president, Jesús Morán. In the following days, plenary sessions will alternate with work in 30 groups, dedicated to exploring the themes received from Focolare communities worldwide. The arguments guiding this work will focus on how to implement the charism, that is, creating relationships of fraternity and unity in the current global context through a commitment to peace and social justice, dialogue in a polarized world, the responsible use of technology, dialogue as a privileged instrument among Christian Churches and with people of different faiths and non-religious beliefs, integral ecology, and participatory governance. One of the themes will also be the transmission of the Focolare charism to future generations of the Movement. In addition, debate sessions are planned on proposed amendments to the General Statutes and the Regulations of the Movement's various branches. The day of March 12 will be dedicated to the election of the president and co-president, positions which—according to the Focolare General Statutes—must be confirmed by the Holy See. Subsequently, on March 15, the Assembly will elect the General Councilors, thus completing the formation of the Movement's new government. Toward the General Assembly: A Global Process. To prepare for this Assembly, Focolare communities in 150 countries participated in an extensive process of listening and synodal discernment, contributing ideas and priorities for the future. This resulted in hundreds of contributions on key issues and on the challenges the Movement is facing internally and in the global context. The territorial communities also expressed their preferences regarding the candidates for the Movement's government. News and updates on the work of the Assembly will be available on the Focolare website and in upcoming press releases. Stefania Tanesini, Spokesperson, Focolare Movement, +39 338 5658244. Download the file.

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Translations into different languages are initially obtained automatically from Spanish. Although they are subsequently manually revised, we cannot be held responsible for any errors or inaccuracies that may occur in these translations.

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