Avantura jedinstva (intervju Franke Zambonini)

The beginning of the adventure of unity is considered to be December 7, 1943, when Chiara dedicated herself to God as a twenty-three-year-old girl. Today, that anniversary "envelops her in silence and encourages worship, because in these decades I watched with admiration how God's work was created, grew and developed before my eyes. The small seed grew into a big tree (Paul VI had already seen it like that), which spreads its branches to the last borders of the Earth. Hence the burning need in my heart to thank God, sometimes so strong that there is no other feeling. I think that even in Paradise, if I go there, one of my acts will be an act of gratitude". Chiara Lubich believes that the Holy Spirit sent the charism of unity to earth at that very moment in history, because - although many events indicate the opposite - unity is a sign of our She also gave examples: "In fact, when this charism appeared, the Holy Spirit was already inspiring the Church to show a new face: the Church - communion. The time of ecumenism was already opening. Due to the migrations that followed, there was a need to establish relations with believers of other religions. Because of all these new openings, the Church had to move in its institutional aspect - which it did with the opening of the Council - but also in its charismatic aspect, through the action of new church movements, such as ours. From a political point of view, immediately after the Second World War, some countries in Europe began to unite. And then on other continents. Then also the Popes, who best express the thought of the One who guides history, ever since Benedict XV. until John Paul II., they urged us to look far, towards the unity of the human race. In addition, unity and togetherness are needed today as never before. This, contradictorily, is what today's situation says: the world lives under the threat of terrorism. There are many reasons for this, and the most profound is the existing imbalance between the rich and poor countries of the world". She pointed out that it would be wise to awaken in the world "a current of unity, brotherhood and solidarity to move hearts. It would be easier for them to start all the good ones. The charisma that God gave us is in this direction and can do something, indeed, it already does: it builds pieces of universal fraternity where it works. May God bless ours, and all other initiatives directed towards that goal". When asked what gift she would like to receive on the occasion of the anniversary, Chiara answered: "That my children, small and big, simple and important, send a prayer to God so that when my hour comes, I can pass to another life after I have fulfilled God's plan that imagined over me. To His glory". And about the future, she said: "I don't know it. It is written in heaven. It is our task to interpret and fulfill it, as we have tried so far and even better, with God's help".