In remembrance of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
73 years ago, on 6 August 1945, the horror of Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, three days later, came in the form of an immense flash of light which brought immediate death to hundreds of thousands people, almost all civilians, and many more in the following years, due to the radiations. From those two explosions, not only Japan, but the entire humanity was devastated, and consigned to the world the awareness that nothing would ever be the same. “Never again” is not only a moral warning, but also an absolute need, if we want our planet to have a future of peace and create a world in which the sun is the only symbol of life.
A letter from prison
“These words are precious to me, since they are written by Chiara Lubich: ‘I can imagine that all of you . . . feel the full weight of the violence and terrorism that even spreads across entire nations. Young people not much older than you believe that they can change society by kidnapping, killing and committing every sort of criminal act. Without a doubt they never found more positive ideals to live for and let themselves wander onto very dangerous road. Many people are frightened and unable to live at peace. What can we do? What contribution could we give?’ These words perfectly sum up what I’m going through right now. I’d like to share with you what I’m living and how abandoned I feel in this moment, perhaps a bit as Jesus felt when he was abandoned on the cross. This sense of abandonment is something I felt in all four of the detention centers where I stayed and where I found myself among teenagers who were for the most part younger than me. At first these kids frightened me. They were against me and even wanted to kill me. But I tried to get close to them and realized that what they were missing was understanding, a lack of opportunity and, therefore, a lack of love. I’m not trying to justify them, but they also need love and help, only that they looked for it by drawing attention to themselves in the wrong way. But it was the only way they knew. My parents try to live for a united world and, ever since I was a small, I did too. It’s easier when you belong to a community where everyone tries to live in that way. Whereas, for people who are afraid to let themselves love, it’s harder, especially when they see that this love doesn’t correspond to what they see around them, such as thieves and assassins. Nevertheless, it’s only love that cuts through all the limitations and this is the more precious truth, despite of everything I’m living in here. Now these guys come into my cell and ask me for advice or help, especially when they’re going through ugly moments. Some of them even want to know more about Youth for a United World (Y4UW) which I belong to in spite of my situation. Lots of them ask me how I am, if I need anything; one even calls me brother. What I’m living in prison can turn into an invasion of love that little by little spreads where violence reigns, just like gentle rain that penetrates deeper and deeper into the soil…”.
https://youtu.be/6VGaH7_g-H0
As the World Meeting of Families Draws Closer
Brenda Drumm
Repeated every three years, the event, which is promoted by the Holy See’s Secretariat for the Laity, the Family and Life, brings together families from around the world to celebrate, pray and reflect together on the importance of marriage as the foundation of personal life, of society and of the Church. The meeting will continue after the official inauguration on 21 August, with a three-day conference in which there will be diversified programs for young people and adults, with entertainment for children, all culminating in sharing experiences of faith in the presence of the Pope. Most of the events will take place in Dublin while other related events will be held in other parts of Ireland. The numbers are flattering, says Drumm: “People’s response has been overwhelming. All the tickets for the scheduled events have already been booked for a long time: 37,000 for the pastoral congress, 77,000 for the Festival of families, 45,000 for the visit to Our Lady of Knock, 500,000 for the closing Mass. Numbers from which interesting data can be derived: families from 116 countries will arrive in Ireland, for a total of about 15,000 international participants; thousands of families will converge on Dublin from all over the country. Approximately 6,000 young people under the age of 18, and 10,000 volunteers committed to ensure the success of the Meeting. But behind the figures are the people: families from all over the world who will gather to celebrate their joys and to discuss some of the many challenges they are facing faced in a rapidly changing world.” And she continues: “Pope Francis is able to grasp perfectly the reality of family life today, with the difficulties of every day. He understands that as parents we do our best for each other each day, and for our children. He also understands that families are not perfect.” What is the family for Pope Francis? Drumm recalls: “The nearby hospital, the first school for the children, the best home for the elderly.” And if “at times dishes can fly,” the Pope reminds us “how happier our family life would be if we only understood the importance of the words ‘please,’ ‘thank you,’ and ‘excuse me.’ The Pope remains passionately convinced that the family will continue to be ‘good news’ for the world. He believes that in the often complex and disordinate life of the modern family, the grace and the love of Jesus Christ are alive in a galaxy of daily acts of kindness, tenderness, generosity and fidelity often lived out heroically amidst immense human frailty and overwhelming social challenges. In a society that is easily inclinded toward violence, the family continues to hold us to hold our lives together, along with the world itself.”
Life Directions
“What shall I do in life?” one of the seven workshops held following the Genfest, focused on the theme of the choices in life, that is, one’s own “Life direction.” As the organizers recounted, “the construction of this workshop by adults and a group of young people from various parts of the world began last February, with meetings via Skype: a really edifying experience assumed by all with commitment, responsibility and creativity.” “Upon arriving in Tagaytay and getting to know each other personally, we realised the great expectations of everyone. Also the numbers expected at the workshop were high: out of the 1,000 enrollees in the seven workshops, 250 had chosen Life Direction, and came from various countries, speaking 16 languages.” The program, guided in a light and gradual manner towards ever deeper issues in which concrete experiences were the main factor, was prepared by the youths of the Asian town themselves, and the thread focused on a “daily motto: a thought to put into practice during the day. 
“The first day opened with “Open your heart”: an invitation to open one’s heart to true happiness, trying to remove what could be an impediment in living the present moment intensely. Four experiences were presented in various situations and methods on the theme of happiness discovered thanks to concrete love, or discovered after starting again after a fall, or in painful and difficult situations. The exchange sessions in small groups verified what lay in the depths and how many questions and expectations each one had inside.” “On the second day – they continued – the motto was ’What is the call’ which required our most active participation in presenting the sense of the ’calling’ with a comprehensible language to be able to be accepted, and associated to three key words: understand, listen, choose.” Then followed the story with God in five biblical personages: Samuel, the rich young man, the prodigal son, Mary, and Peter. A married couple, a religious, a woman committed in the professional world, and a focolarina were interviewed on the three key words. “In smaller groups we managed to deepen the sense of each of these callings, interacting with questions and answers.” “The third day’s motto was: ’Aim high.’ We left the word of Chiara Lubich who in 2002 recounted her calling to the youths in Barcelona. The questions, which were written, slowly filled the question box, and were the afternoon’s programme, with other interviews of our guests: each underlined the beauty of their own vocation in the perspective of the sole calling to love. The hour and a half passed swiftly!” “In these four days – the adults wrote – we saw youths who were thirsting for a relationship with God, in a profound quest, simplicity and serenity. We felt that something new had come about: an experience of light that had opened a new path of dialogue with the youths on the calling to a radical vocation.” Some of those present said: “It was exactly what I needed at this point of my life. Living the present moment, opening my doors, and taking radical steps beyond ourselves, are what I am bringing home with me.” “The youths who spoke about their choice to follow God in a total way gave me courage to make choices only out of love.” “For me it was important to understand how to answer the call: understand (that God loves me), listen (to the voice within) and decide (to follow Jesus). I am so happy about this experience. Thanks!”