WORKSOFMERCY–GuidelinesforGroupLeaders
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PREPARINGFORTHEMEETING
Death:adifficultissuetoaddress
• Thetendencyinourcultureistodismissthetopicofdeath.Peopledon’twanttofaceitand
especiallyavoidtalkingaboutitwithteensandchildren.Theresultisthatyoungpeopledon’t
knowhowtomournalovedone,afriendoranacquaintanceinawaythathelpsthemtogrow.
• Deathisnotunknowntoyoungpeople.Manyofthemhavealreadyexperiencedthelossofa
familymemberorfriend,whocontinuetoliveintheirmemories.Theyabsorbwhatthemass
media conveys about death, often without an opportunity to meet and talk about their
feelings,questionsandfears.
• Buryingthedeadisanexpressionofhumancompassion,butalsoawitnesstoourfaith
inthefullandeternallifeinGod.ForChristians,deathistheencounterwithJesus,withGod
who is Love. The cult of the dead, also present in many societies and traditional religions,
showshowhumanbeingshavewithinthehopeofalifeafterdeath.
Whatattitudesshouldbeencouragedintheyouth?
• Toaddresstheissueofdeathandofsorrowforthosewhohavepassedontothenextlife,you
need to create the right setting. Prepare an atmosphere of openness and great trust, with
plentyoftime,peaceandquiet,withoutinterruptions,respectingtheviewsandexperiences,
andalsothesilence,ofeachindividual.Bringingoutthefeelings,questionsandconvictions
of the youth helps center on this important experience in life which they often face
unprepared.
• WecanencouragearelationshipwiththosewhoareintheHeavenlyMariapolis:eitherwith
visitstothecemetery,caringforthegraves,etc.,orbymakingknownsomemomentsoftheir
livesandprayingforthem,withtheintentionofcontinuingtheloverelationshipthatbindsus
togetherevenafterdeath.
• Inthecontextofacommunity,thisaspectoflifeisanopportunitytogivecomfortandsupport
tooneanother,orstayingclosetofamilieswhohaverecentlylostalovedone,ortoremember
togetherourdeceased.
Someusefultextstoexplorethetopic
CHIARA LUBICH, Like a rainbow, nature and physical life, Rome 2000, pp. 74 – 77 (attachment
bury_A1 (odocx ChiaraLubich–BurytheDead2)
BEFORETHEMEETING
Whointhecommunitycanweinvolve?How?
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WORKSOFMERCY–GuidelinesforGroupLeaders
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FICI)
STEPSTOTAKETOGETHER(SPECIFICGOALS)
• Encouragethesharingoffeelingsandexperiencesrelatedtothelossofalovedone,etc.
• Promoteactionsthatshowrespectandcarefortheholinessofburialplacesandthedead.
• Strengthen belief in the resurrection of the body and in the certainty that the love
relationshipwiththosewhoarenowintheHeavenlyMariapoliscontinues.
MATERIALSSUITABLEFORYOUTH
PPT Hearts in Action live: Experiences of young people in "bury the dead" (attachment 07 PPT
Burythedead)
CHIARA LUBICH, ResponsetoSuperCongressofYouthforUnity,Arrivederci,Rome,May26,2002−
attachmentburythedead_R2(ordocversion ChiaraLubich–BurytheDead1)
PPT of gen 3 of the Heavenly Mariapolis − the life of Paulinha and of Mark, John Victor,
Christopher,DavidandAndré
Proposalsforactivitiestohelpdevelopthemeeting:
• "DiadelosMuertos":ananimatedcartoonwithoutwordsthatpresentstheMexican
traditionofhonoringthedeceasedandourrelationshipwiththem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v4-1wFEzM0
• Gospelpassage:"TheResurrectionofLazarus"withquestionsanddirectionsforan
easierinternalizationofthetextattachment_bury_the_dead_R4(ordocxversion)
• Forafilmforumwithdialogueandreflection:"LetterstoGod"(original:LetterstoGod),
USA2010.Thefilm(translatedintoseverallanguages)givesanexplanationofthe
supernaturalsignificanceofsufferinganddeathandthevalueofprayer.TrailerinEnglish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBDK2LGn4p0
EVALUATION
• In this meeting have we strengthened our team spirit and sharing among all? Has this
increasedtheclimateoftrustandmutuallove?HaveweexperiencedthepresenceofJesus
amongus?
• Does it seem that hope in the resurrection and our relationship with the deceased has
beenstrengthened?
• Haveweputthesewordsintopracticeindailylife,possiblywithsomeconcreteaction?
• Haveweinvolvedthecommunity?
WORKSOFMERCY–GuidelinesforGroupLeaders
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Findthematerialonthewebsiteforgroupleaders.
CHIARA LUBICH
Marino (Ice Palace), May 25, 2002, Gen 3 Supercongress
Death frightens me terribly! To know that I won’t wake up anymore, that I won't be able to grow
anymore, that I won’t be able to know anymore makes me even more fearful. I’d like to know how I
can deal with this fear that I have?
You’re afraid of death. This is understandable! No one is happy to see a dead person, no one! We are all frightened,
saddened. However, we must be careful here to consider things in the right way.
We say that death exists and it doesn’t exist. There is death for those who see you from the outside, for those who close
your eyes, who see that you are not breathing anymore; but inside, you see, you see Jesus – this is in accordance with
our Christian creed – Jesus appears to you as a judge to judge you… the life that you lived, but it’s always him and he is
love.
If you tried to love in your life, you’ll be able to repeat what that man who died a few days ago said: “I’m not afraid
because my judge is my friend.” He had been his friend all his life through, and so he wasn’t afraid of the judge. So we
must be careful and consider death in the right way, because we continue to live, we continue to live.
Then you say: “I’m afraid of not waking up anymore!” But you do wake up! Another truth of our faith is the
resurrection of the body. We will rise up more beautiful than we are now. In fact, we feel this so strongly, first of all,
because Jesus rose, and 500 people saw him. He remained on earth for another 40 days to stay with his disciples and to
lay the foundations of the Church. So if he rose and if he tells us: look, you will rise, we will rise. We feel this so
strongly that when someone leaves…. The Movement is very vast and so people leave almost every day. When I hear:
“He left…!” I don’t say: “What a pity!” Certainly, I pray that he goes to heaven, as high in heaven as possible. But then
I say: “Until we meet again, until we meet again!” Because we will see one another again, we will see one another
again.
Many others are afraid too, like boys and girls who might say: “Oh, when my Mom dies, how…? And when my Dad
dies…?” If this happens, you must not only cry, certainly, it’s logical, it’s human to cry, but say: “Until we meet again,
until we meet again!” because this is the way it is.
Then you say that you’re afraid that you won’t be able to know anymore. We do know, we do know…. We have the
other life! This proves that there is another life, and it’s eternal. We will know more and more, more and more. Oh,
what a heaven it will be!
Gen 3 Congress, Castelgandolfo, January 6, 1999
Why does God, who can do all things, allow illness to take away from us the people we love so
much?
Because God knows things better than we do. He knows the value of suffering, suffering usually comes before death,
and he knows the reason for death. He knows people better than we do and he knows that people are not only made to
stay here on this earth for a few years, but that then there is eternity, there’s heaven, or also hell, if we don’t correspond
to the grace of God.
So we don’t understand the reason for suffering, for that headache, for that illness. He knows the reason for suffering. If
he wanted to, he could have found another way to save us all. For example, he could have said: “I am coming like a
great glorious king and I call everyone to the kingdom of God, saying ‘Come, I’ll bring you to heaven.’” Or else he
could have said: “I’ll transform myself into music and I’ll sing all over the earth and draw all people into heaven.” Or
who knows what else he could have said. Instead, he said: “I will go up on the cross and die,” because he knew that
suffering is the most precious thing. “You, Lord, are my only good.” Why? Because it’s the most precious thing, the
most precious thing! He chose suffering.
And so we naturally ask: “Among all the possibilities that you had, why did you, Jesus, choose suffering?” I understood
that He chose suffering, and he wants us to love suffering, too, because then for all eternity, we won’t have to say: “You
saved me, you really had to come, you did everything, I’m nothing.” No, he wanted us to go to heaven holding our
heads up high, saying: “With your grace, Jesus, I did my part, too. I embraced suffering, too.” Because he wants us to
be sons and daughters with dignity, who know how things are. So suffering is the most precious thing there is.
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE WHO HAVE REACHED THE HEAVENLY
MARIAPOLIS
“What should our relationship be with our brothers and sisters who have already reached the
Heavenly Mariapolis? It’s a two-fold relationship: one with their body and one with their soul.
Regarding their bodies we have a great desire: that they should be transferred, if possible, and
buried near the places where we live, in the permanent Mariapolises that are being built.
We feel for them a similar love to that of the first Christians for their martyrs. We want them to be
surrounded by an atmosphere not of death but of life. We would like them to be laid to rest in
marvelous gardens, where we can go and pray for them and remember their life and their example.
As far as their soul is concerned, we can have a relationship with them that is essentially the one
which we already had with them when they were on earth. And this relationship can be even
greater. In fact, if something has remained in them, it is charity, the charity they had towards us in
life and which has now been made perfect. For our part, we must have charity towards them.
We can only love them through that work of mercy that tells us to pray for the living and the dead.
If we pray for them, with the intention of giving them our tribute of love, they will certainly not fail
to do their part, as we are already experiencing. These brothers and sisters of ours remind us that
our movement is a mystery of suffering. Yet, just as we see the life of God in the sick which does
not decrease with suffering but which increases, so too if we accept with joy this separation from
them, which God has ordained, they will remain united with us, not only in the city or nation they
worked in here on earth, but all over the world. We will be able to ask their intercession no matter
where we are and receive their help.”1
OUR CEMETERIES
“Recalling the first Christians, I would like our Heavenly Mariapolis (i.e. our cemeteries where we
bury our dead) while conforming to all the health regulations, to be a beautiful, big, spacious parklike garden with benches scattered here and there among the tombs…. Then we can go there to have
meditation and to talk in the midst of our dead, i.e. in the midst of our living. If the first Christians
lived in the catacombs, in the midst of their dead without fear of being contaminated, so much more
can we do it out in the open. This is the veneration for the dead that the Church wants because our
bodies have been temples of the Holy Spirit and will rise again.
We will place the Word of Life of each one on their tombs and we will conserve their writings and
the books written about them.”2
“And today, All Saints Day, we went to visit our dead at the cemetery at Rocca di Papa. The tombs
had been decorated for the feast. (…) Now these tombs begin to speak. I heard of someone who was
deeply moved, just passing from one to the other, reading the Words of Life and seeing the love that
continues.
Therefore, our cemeteries, too, even though not limited to just ‘our people,’ begin to speak. And
this is what we have always wanted. Our dead are alive. Love in them is always alight and it speaks
and touches hearts. When we go to see them there is an atmosphere of celebration. And the feast
days of the saints and the anniversary of the dead are for us like one and the same day.”3
1
C.Lubich,TalkfortheMariapolis,1964.
C.Lubich,Tothezonedirectors,Zurich,11August1962.
3
C.Lubich,Diary,1November1968.
2
And what about death? Death is the door that leads us to the next Life, which is the one that goes on and on. Virgo1 has
already passed through that door. She knows what it means. She went through this experience. If she could return, she
would tell us about it, and say, “In that moment I met Jesus and he said to me: ‘Come with me, because you founded the
Gen 3!’” That is what he would say to her.
1
Virgo Folonari (1934 - 1998). She worked with great passion for thirty years from 1966, together with Chiara Lubich, in laying the
foundation of the new generations and in particular of the Gen 3 Movement entrusted to her.
John
Mark (Ital
y) )
l
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Christophe
Dav
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CHAMPION!
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John
On December 20, John Victor left for heaven. He
was a gen 3 from Aracaju, Brazil.
3
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Th
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all o
world or
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ta Rica
ran in
a race
to raise
funds f
or his m
edical
expens
es. Everyone who
knew him agreed
that John Victor
was really ready
for his special
meeting with
Jesus.
During the
entire period of
his illness he
and his family
formed a close
bond with Jesus
Forsaken.
When his father told him that his
"departure" was near, he smiled and asked
his parents to say goodbye to everyone for
him - his relatives, schoolmates and
friends. They also told him that soon he would be meeting
with Jesus and Chiara, and that made him very
happy. He left very peacefully for heaven.
Now we have
another little
saint in
heaven! We
can ask him to
help us to live
as true gen.
Thank you!
John victor
John
Mark (Ital
y) )
l
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Christophe
Dav
r (Panama
ide (
Italy
)
)
DAVIDE
“MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD”
MY MEETING WITH JESUS FORSAKEN
Davide was part of our Gen 3 unit. I remember that in the beginning it was not always
easy among us, because we all had different characters, styles and ways of thinking.
Davide was also our “white.” He looked after the other gen 3 with lots of love and
always tried to tell them in a constructive way about the things that were going
well and those that could be changed.
The Gen 3 School in Loppiano was an important moment for him. When he
went back home, he was totally committed to living the gen life.
At the end of the school year
he asked me to take a ride with
him. At a certain point we
stopped and he told me that he
had not passed and would not
be promoted to the next class.
I could see that it was very hard
for him. He told me that none of
his friends knew yet.
He felt like a real failure.
We talked for a while and I
asked him if he felt free to
share this experience at our
gen unit meeting. He thought a
little while and then said "yes."
The result was a greater
communion among us in
our gen unit.
At first the gen would share
some small thing, then
gradually an experience,
and then bigger concerns,
like personal failures or
relationships with girls or
with their parents. We tried
to see everything in the
perspective of our choice to
live as real gen.
THE
PA
REM I JUSTCT:
E
I WAMBERE
REN NT TO D.
WIT EW IT
H YO
U.
I remember one time I was in the car, rushing to get to work because I was late. I was
preoccupied with a lot of thoughts and then I got his text saying "The pact: I just
remembered it. I want to renew it with you.“ That whole day was totally different for me!
Davide went through a difficult
period at one point. God
seemed to be far away from
him and at times he even
wondered if he really existed.
He even felt like his relationship
with his parents was not what it
used to be.
Nothing interested him
anymore. He didn’t really care
about anything.
It seemed to be more than just a
crisis of faith that young people
sometimes go through. It was
more profound, like God working
in his soul.
But, even feeling like this, he continued doing everything he could to
build a relationship with the other gen and increase the communion
among them.
During the summer, at a certain point, he said
he would like to take a break from being part of
the gen life, not so much because of moving on
to the gen 2 in September, but because he
wanted time to process the experience he was
going through. He said, “I had heard from some
of the other gen my age about going through
this stage, but I never knew it would be so
hard!”
that
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Ev
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w
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v
and did
In October Davide asked to move into a gen 2 unit. At that same
time, the symptoms of his disease worsened and he had to
undergo various medical exams.
As time went on, there were gradually
various "surprises" as he called them:
longer stays in the hospital, the
appearance of diabetes, the need for
a transplant, a high fever...
It was hard to accept each one of
these “surprises” as they happened,
but then he would say his yes.
The last time we saw each other he
pointed to his mom and said: “Her
love is a very special medicine that
heals better than anything else!”
( Daniel – his gen 3 assistant )
THANKS DAVIDE!!!
John
Mark (Ital
y) )
l
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Christophe
Dav
r (Panama
ide (
Italy
)
)
From the
“Club of Giving”
to Paradise
Christopher
PANAMA
“Christopher Amaya was a 17-year-old Panamanian with the
‘gift of being a real person.’ He died tragically but he left
behind a trail of love for many teens and young people to
follow.”
(taken from an article in a Panamanian newspaper)
On October 31, 2010,
Christopher was the victim of
a robbery. He was on his
way home when a thief
stabbed him in the chest
and stole his cell phone.
Shortly before dying he
was able to speak with
his mother and even
though he realized that
his departure for
heaven was near, he
tried to calm her with a
smile.
In 2005 he met and got
involved with the “club
of giving.” Right away
he committed himself to
work on all the various
projects the youth
sponsored in order to
spread the culture of
giving and to help
people who are very
poor. He was one of the
best workers.
After the trial year, he
received his
membership card in the
club during an official
ceremony.
It was a great joy for him,
and he took the
commitment very
seriously, aware that he
was making choice for
life.
He pledged himself to
live the Gospel together
with the gen 3 of his
city.
“Christopher's life reminds me of
Chiara Luce’s,” is what
Francisco of Panama said after
he participated in the ceremony
for her beatification in Italy.
And he added: “Both were
young, simple and with a
normal life, but they looked
for God in everything. They
were two teens who brought
God to everyone they met and
who, with a smile,
transformed your life."
Christopher was only a year old when in 1994 this family moved to
Panama, a country that became their second homeland.
His parents separated when he was still very little, and despite the
pain of his family situation, he endured it and became a point of
reference for both of his parents. He got to know the spirituality of the
Focolare and understood from it that behind every sorrow is a
presence of Jesus in his greatest suffering when he cried out his
abandonment on the cross. Christopher knew that this sad situation in
his family was "his own special countenance of Jesus Forsaken.”
The "club of giving" at his school
was the way he first got to know
the Focolare and Chiara.
He quickly became a leader in this
activity that promotes the culture of
giving and the values of peace and
solidarity. Gradually he learned about
the gen 3 and became one of them.
He established a personal
relationship with Chiara and always
considered her as his mother and his
friend, a person he could turn to and
trust to lead him to the truth.
One day when he was living a difficult
time in his family he confided, "My
mother Chiara taught me to really
forgive others and love them."
He often spoke with the other gen about
his life and his choices, because he felt
he could experience with them the
presence of Jesus, who had promised,
"Where two or three are gathered in my
name, there am I among them" (Mt
18:20)
During a very profound sharing, he
confided in the others that he felt God
was calling him to leave everything and
follow Jesus, even though he didn’t
know yet in which way.
Christopher participated actively in
his parish and recently he had been
working to unite the various youth
activities. Many young people
remember him as one who built
bridges among the various parish
groups so as to bring unity among all.
This year he was chosen to be part
of the honor guard at the national
festival. It is a privilege that the
schools grant only to the best
students. They wear the tricolor arm
bands and carry the flag of Panama.
Christopher was killed before he
could participate in the parade but his
friends wanted him to be present
anyway, so they carried a large
banner with his picture on it and a
appeal to stop violence.
"I can testify to his yes to
God,” said Sharlin, a friend of
his, “and I assure you that he
loved right to the very end.
Who of us, stabbed in the
chest, would have the courage
to say, “Mom, be calm, don't
be afraid”?
Many messages came in from
all over the world and were read
at his funeral.
His mother said, “I am happy
because I realize how good
my son was! All the good that
he sowed will continue to
grow in everyone who knew
him and who follow the
example of his life.”
Marco (Ita
ly) )
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João V
Christophe
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Italy
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)
André
Portugal
Therewerefiveofusinourgenunitand
itwasourgoodfortunetohaveAndré
withus.Formanyyearshesufferedfrom
aseriousillness,butbeingwithhimwas
alwaysagreatjoyforallofus.
Therewere>meswhenourunitywasnot
atitsbestandtheonewhofeltthisthe
mostwasAndre’.Heno>ceditrightaway
becauseitwouldhaveaneffectonhis
schoolworkandhewouldn’tdowellin
class.
Instead,whenwehadagreatunity
amongus,hecouldfaceeventhehardest
examswithdetermina>onbecausehefelt
thesupportandunityofallofus.Atthose
>mestheexamswentwellforhim.
HeoFenhadtogotothehospitalfortreatments,and
every>mewewenttovisithimtokeepJesusinthemidst
withhimandbringhimjoy.Hewasalwaysveryhappy
whenhesawusbecausehefeltthathewasnotalone,
andweleFwithtwiceasmuchjoyaswehadbroughthim.
Becauseofhisillness,Andréwasn’t
abletodoallthethingsthatwecould
do,hecouldn’trunorplaysports...but
thishelpedustoappreciatemoreall
theliIlethingswecanalldo.
Hiswayoffacinghislimita>onshelpedustoget
beyondeverysmallorbigproblemwemighthave.
Seeinghowhefacedsufferinganddifficul>eswasfor
usagreatexampleandanincen>vetokeepgoing
alongourpath.
Andre’wantedtoaIendtheNa>onalGen3Congressin
thepermanentMariapolisofArcoIris."Fromthedayhe
camehome,hewasadifferentAndré,”hisfamilytold
us.“ThatstrongexperienceofJesusinthemidst
changedhimprofoundly."
“The festival [funeral]
of his meeting with
Jesus”
Thechurchwaspackedwiththefamilyofthemovement.
Thegen3readtheinten>ons.
Theyalsopreparedallthesongs.
Awhiteflower,symbolofhisbap>smalinnocence,wasplacedonthecasket.
Flavio,the“white”ofhisunit,readabriefstoryofhislifeandexperiences.
Jorge,hisfather,saidwithemo>on:
“Duringthesedayssomeofyou
haveaskedmewhatitwasliketo
takecareofAndre’for16years.I
canonlysaythatitwasagreat
privilege!”
Whenthecasketwasloweredintotheground,everyoneapplaudedandcolored
balloonswerereleasedintothesky!!!
Allthosepresentexperiencedthe"normalityofthesupernatural."
Marco (Ita
lia) )
e
l
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B
(
r
o
t
João Vic
Christophe
Dav
r (Panama
ide (
Italia
)
)
Marco Amato
A“SUPER-KID”
HE WAS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE VIA COMPUTER
HELPED BY HIS MOM
WITH MOM AND DAD
WITH HIS GEN UNIT
WITH THE GEN 3
WITH THE GEN 2
HE REGULARLY CORRESPONDED WITH CHIARA
WALTER KOSTNER READS A LETTER OF MARCO TO CHIARA
AFTER THE OPERATION ON HIS SPINAL COLUMN
MASS WAS CELEBRATED IN MARCO’S HOME
I think that nature
gives us important
lessons about life.
The ever-flowing
river suggests that
we never remain
stopped in one
place...
FROM ONE OF HIS WRITINGS
The sun and the moon
alternate in offering us
their love… I know that God has
filled my heart with a
longing for paradise,
and we find it on earth
when we are in unity
with nature and with
one another...
Because the most
beautiful place in the
world is not really
beautiful unless it
radiates our mutual
love.
HE CONSTANTLY COMMUNICATED WITH THE GEN 3
These days will be special if you are able to
increase your love for God the Father who
always loves us first. He is our Father who
always offers us his help and teaches us the
way to reach him, which is the whole goal of
our journey. He is the only one who gives us
pure joy, full light and confident hope.
To the gen 3 ( Zoldo 2007 )
Hi gen 4! It’s
beautiful to know
that you are all
united together and
helping each other
live to the full your
relationship with
Jesus.
TO THE GEN 4
Jesus wants to grow
inside each one of
you, and become
your special friend.
He is the only one
who will never
abandon you, the only
one who would jump
into the fire to give
you true joy.
I have in my heart
great gratitude for
being present at the
beatification of Chiara
Luce, because
experiencing her life
has been an immense
gift for me.
MARCO WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AT THE BEATIFICATION OF CHIARA LUCE
When I saw the crowd so full of love and
everyone so united, I told myself:
"The people of God
is a reality
that is making an impact on the world!
We have to do our part
to concretize
‘that all may be one’
which is the
deepest meaning of our Ideal."
And you can do it by
imitating Chiara Luce
in her unconditional
acceptance of the
Father's will and by
loving Jesus
Forsaken, just like
she was ready to
love him and offer
him her entire life.
MARCO WAS ABLE TO BE PRESENT AT THE BEATIFICATION OF CHIARA LUCE
Hello gen!
I am very happy to have you
here together once more,
even though it’s the last time
we will meet as a unit...
But I know that we will never
abandon one another,
because Jesus in the midst
will keep us united and
faithful to our Ideal, which,
as Chiara Luce
reminds us, comes before
everything else.
We are called to do
the will of God and to
help one another to
live as brothers and
sisters who want to
walk together along
the Holy Journey.
... Let's give to the
world the beauty of
living colors just as
we will find them in
heaven, where the
rainbow no longer
need tears in order
to show its colors.
Now I have to say
goodbye!
Our greatest gift is to
know that nothing and
no one can take away
God's love for us.
All my unity to
each and all!
MARCO - AMATO
MARCO AMATO BETTIOL
JUNE 24,1992 – OCTOBER 15, 2010
Marco (Ita
lia) )
e
l
i
s
a
r
B
(
r
o
t
João Vic
Christophe
Dav
r (Panama
ide (
Italia
)
)
THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS (Jn 11,1-45)
PREPARATION:
This activity attempts to encourage a dialogue with the youth about our Christian belief in
eternal life with God after death. It is advisable to involve a priest or religion teacher to
answer their questions. The activity is suitable for 12-14 year olds.
MATERIAL:
Some hoops about 20-30 inches in diameter (like those used for hula-hoops). You will
need a large enough space for the group to move about.
TIME:
About an hour
STEP BY STEP:
This Gospel passage can lead to reflections and questions about uncertainties or recall life
events that have been important for the youngsters.
Individually or in small groups, read the text describing the resurrection of Lazarus.
We recommend dividing the text for easier reading:
● Jesus learns that Lazarus is sick and returns to Bethany to raise him (Jn 11:1-16).
● Jesus meets his two sisters and receives Martha’s profession of faith (Jn 11:17-31).
● The resurrection of Lazarus (Jn 11:32-45).
Then the students are asked to move freely around the room. On the floor are circles with
the names of some characters from the story. Some possible suggestions:
ü The disciples of Jesus
ü Jesus
ü Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus
In another part of the room is an empty chair. Anyone who sits on the chair has the right
to speak and ask a question to one of the three characters, “I ask so and so...” Or they can
express their thoughts by turning to one of them and saying, “I’d like to ask you...".
Anyone can go into the circle with the name of the character and give an answer, offer
further reflections, etc. After all the youth who want to enter the circle have done so, the
facilitator (or priest or other invited person) may also go into the circle and present
further information and clarify uncertainties or questions. Between questions, the group
resumes circling around the room, until there is no longer anyone in the chair with the
right to speak.
AFTER THE ACTIVITY
A prayer service or a Mass could be prepared to remember the deceased grandparents,
relatives or acquaintances of the youth and of the community.
THERESURRECTIONOFLAZARUS(Jn11:1-45)
Readingsfortheyouth:
ReadthetextdescribingtheresurrectionofLazarus,individuallyorinsmallgroups.Whilereading,tryto
followthegroupofdiscipleswhofollowJesusfromGalileetoBethany.Trytocaptureallevents,fromthe
MarthaandMarysendingthenewstoJesus,untiltheresurrectionofLazarus.
Dividingupthetexttohelpwiththereading:
Jn11:1-16:JesushearsthenewsandsetsoffforBethany
Jn11:17-31:ThemeetingofJesuswiththetwosistersandMartha’sprofessionoffaith
Jn11:32-45:ThegreatsignoftheresurrectionofLazarus
Gospeltext
1- 1-16:Acertainmanwasill,LazarusfromBethany,thevillageofMaryandhersisterMartha.Mary
wastheonewhohadpouredtheperfumedoilontheLordandwipedhisfeetwithherhair;her
brotherLazaruswassick.Sothesisterssenttohim,saying,"Lord,behold,yourfriendisill."On
hearingthis,Jesussaid,"Thissicknessisnotuntodeath,butforthegloryofGod,sothattheSonof
Godmaybeglorified."NowJesuslovedMarthaandhersisterandLazarus.Sowhenheheardthat
hewassick,hestayedtwodaysintheplacewherehewas.Thenhetoldhisdisciples:"Let’sgo
backtoJudea."Thedisciplessaid:"Rabbi,theJewsjusttriedtostoneyouandyouaregoingback
thereagain?"Jesusanswered,"Aretherenottwelvehoursofdaylight?Ifanyonewalksintheday,
hedoesnotstumble,becauseheseesthelightofthisworld;butifonewalksatnight,hestumbles,
becausethereisnolight."Hesaidthisandthenadded,"OurfriendLazarushasfallenasleep;butI
willgoandwakehim."Thedisciplessaidtohim:"Lord,ifhehasfallenasleep,hewillrecover."
Jesuswasspeakingofhisdeath,buttheythoughtthathemeanthewasjustasleep.ThenJesus
toldthemplainly,"Lazarusisdead,andI'mgladforyouthatIwasnotthere,thatyoumaybelieve.
Let’sgotohim."SoThomas,calledtheTwin,saidtohisfellowdisciples:"Let’sgotooanddiewith
him."
2- 17-31: JesuscameandfoundLazarusalreadyinthetombforfourdays.Bethanywasnear
Jerusalem,abouttwomilesawayandmanyJewshadcometoMarthaandMarytocomfortthem
abouttheirbrother.WhenMarthaheardthatJesuswascoming,shewenttomeethim;Marysatat
home.MarthasaidtoJesus,"Lord,ifyouhadbeenhere,mybrotherwouldnothavedied!But
evennowIknowthatwhateveryouaskofGod,Godwillgiveyou."Jesussaidtoher,"Yourbrother
willrise."Marthasaid:"Iknowthatheshallriseagaininthelastday."Jesussaid:"Iamthe
resurrectionandthelife;hewhobelievesinme,thoughhedie,shallstillliveandwhoeverlivesand
believesinmeshallneverdie.Doyoubelievethis?"Sheanswered,"Yes,Lord,Ibelievethatyou
aretheChrist,theSonofGodwhocomesintotheworld."Whenshehadsaidthat,shewentand
calledMaryhersister,andsaid:"TheTeacherishereandiscallingyou."Hearingthis,shegotup
quicklyandwenttohim.Jesushadnotyetcomeintothevillage,butwasstillwhereMarthahad
methim.WhentheJewswhowereinthehousewithhertoconsoleher,sawMaryrisequicklyand
goout,theyfollowed"goingtothetombtoweepthere."
3- 32-45:Mary,therefore,whenshereachedwhereJesuswasandsawhim,shefellathisfeet,and
said:"Lord,ifYouhadbeenhere,mybrotherwouldnothavedied."WhenJesussawherweeping,
andtheJewswhocamewithheralsoweeping,hewasdeeplymoved.Hewasdistressedandsaid,
"Wherehaveyoulaidhim?"Theytoldhim,"Lord,comeandsee."Jesuswept.SotheJewssaid,
"Seehowhelovedhim."Butsomeofthemsaid,"Thismanwhoopenedtheeyesoftheblindman
couldnotevenkeepthismanfromdying?"Jesus,oncemoredeeplymoved,cametothetomb;it
wasacave,andastonewasplacedagainstit.Jesussaid,"Takeawaythestone."Martha,thesister
ofthedeadmansaid:"Lord,bynowitwillsmell,foritisfourdays."Jesussaidtoher:"DidInottell
youthatifyoubelieveyouwillseethegloryofGod?".Sotheytookawaythestone.Jesusliftedup
hiseyesandsaid,"Father,Ithankyouforhearingme.Iknewthatyoualwayshearme,butIsaid
thisforthepeoplearoundme,thattheymaybelievethatyousentme."Whenhehadsaidthis,he
criedoutwithaloudvoice,"Lazarus,comeforth."Thedeadmancameout,hisfeetandhands
boundwithbandages,andhisfacewrappedwithacloth.Jesussaidtothem,"Unbindhimandlet
himgo."ManyoftheJewswhohadcometoMaryandseenwhathedid,believedinhim.
Somequestionstohelpinthereflection
•Whatmostcaughtyourattentioninthisepisoderelatedinsuchdetail?Why?
•Whatisthecentralandmostimportantpointofallthatthetexttellsus?Why?
•Whataretheattitudesofthedisciples?Whatdotheysayanddo?
•WhataretheattitudesofMarthaandMary?Whattheysayanddo?
•WhataretheattitudesoftheJews?Whatdotheysay,doandplan?
•Withwhomdoyouidentifyyourselfmore:withthedisciples,withthesisters,withtheJews,or
withanyofthem?
•Haveyoueverhadmomentsofmingleddespairandhope,deathandlife?Whatsupportedyouin
thesedifficulttimes?
Somekeystothereading
•
TwowaysofbelievingintheResurrection:Thecentralpointisthecomparisonbetweentheold
wayofbelievingintheresurrectionthatoccursonlyattheendoftime,andthenewwaybrought
byJesus,whichalreadyconquersdeath.Marta,thePhariseesandthemajorityofthepeople
alreadybelievedintheresurrection(Acts23:6-10;Mk12:18).Theybelieved,butdidnotrevealit,
sinceitwasfaithinaresurrectionthatwouldtakeplaceonlyattheendoftimeandnotinthe
resurrectionofthisstory,hereandnow.Thatfirstonedidnotrenewlife.Itfailedtomakethe
jump.ThenewlifeoftheresurrectionwillappearwithJesus.
•
TheprofessionoffaithinJesusisaprofessionoffaithinlife:JesuschallengesMarthatomakethis
jump.Itisnotenoughtobelieveintheresurrectionattheendoftime;youmustbelievethatthe
ResurrectionisalreadypresenttodayinthepersonofJesusandinthosewhobelieveinhim.Death
hasnomorepowerhere,becauseJesusisthe"resurrectionandthelife."SoMartha,evenbefore
seeingtheconcretesignoftheresurrectionofLazarus,confessesherfaith:"Yes,Lord.Ihave
believedthatyouaretheChrist,theSonofGod,theonewhoistocomeintotheworld."
•
Theyarehuman,veryhuman,justlikeallofus.Aftertheprofessionoffaith,Marthagoestocallher
sisterMary.MarygoestomeetJesuswhowasinthesamespotwhereMarthahadmethim.She
repeatsthesamewordsasMartha:"Lord,ifyouhadbeenhere,mybrotherwouldnothavedied."
(Jn11:21).Marycries,everybodycries.Jesusismoved.Whenthepoorcry,Jesusgetsemotional
andcries.SeeingthetearsofJesus,theothersconclude:"Seehowhelovedhim!"Thisis
characteristicofthecommunitiesoftheBelovedDisciple:themutuallovebetweenJesusandthe
membersofthecommunity.Somestilldonotbelieve;theydoubt:"Couldn’tthisman,whoopened
theeyesoftheblind,keepthismanfromdying?"ForthethirdtimeJesusismoved(Jn
11:33,35,38).Thus,JohnputsemphasisonthehumanityofJesusagainstthosewho,attheendof
thefirstcentury,spiritualizedfaithanddeniedthehumanityofJesus.
The life of Paula, known as Paulinha,
was a masterpiece, a true “Holy Journey.”
She suffered from a very serious lung disease ever since she was a young child.
She had to go constantly back and forth to the hospital for treatments. “With
every passing day there are more and more things I can no longer do. I can’t climb
the stairs anymore, I can’t walk very far, I can’t carry a backpack…”
And yet everyone who knew her said she always had a smile on her face
and a contagious zest for life.
However, Paulinha did go through a very dark and difficult period. It was when she
suffered a lot because she could no longer feel the presence of God.
During the Gen 3 National Congress she heard about the path that Mary had
traveled when she followed Jesus. She immediately tried to find out which steps
she had already taken on this road….
Knowing she was on the Mary’s road was a great help to her. Furthermore, Paula
had a wonderful relationship of unity with Chiara Lubich and shared with her
everything she was going through.
She wanted to share this special experience of hers with all the gen 3. It was a
very powerful moment. At the end she urged everyone to aim always at unity,
because only in this way is it possible to overcome every difficulties.
The Ideal was really everything for her. The doctors were convinced that what was
keeping her alive was this great treasure she had in her heart. Her desire was to
spread it to many other people
She didn’t give up, for anything in the world, the meetings with the other girls of
the movement. She begged her doctors insistently to let her go, promising that
she would bring everything she needed with her, like syringes, medications…
In just a year and a half she brought about a real revolution in the new school in
Sao Paulo where she was transferred for treatment. Instead of students not caring
about one another, she brought a “new culture,” one of encounter and friendship.
She died while a group of gen 3 and gen 2 were saying the rosary in the corridor
outside her room. She was very peaceful…
…like a person who had obtained what she had always wanted which
was to be part of the generation of Chiara’s saints.