Little ways to holiness: How unity has grown in our family

Written by Sarah Mundell Wednesday, 16 June 2010 18:58

Economy, God and Family Life

Little ways to holiness: How unity has grown in our family

By Paul Bambrick-Santoyo
Published in Living City, July 2010

We live in New Jersey with our three children: Ana, Maria and Nicholas. From the time we got married it was important for my wife and me to give God first place, no matter the cost. That was often put to the test in the beginning of our marriage. Gabriela (Gabri) was in medical school in Mexico, and so I took the only job that I could find there, teaching English. At the time, I had sworn that I would never be a teacher, but I felt it was important to follow Gabri to Mexico so that she could complete her medical degree. So I chose to become an English teacher, which in Mexico was the equivalent of a salary below the poverty line. As a matter of fact, we were blessed with God’s providence and never lacked for food or clothing or basic needs, even when Ana and Maria were born. Six years later, we felt the time was right to leave Mexico and move to Newark, New Jersey, so that I could start a job training others to teach and manage schools for some of the most challenging children. The fellowship offered very little money, but we prayed about it and felt that God was leading us in this direction. With only $1,000 in the bank, we took the plunge and moved from Mexico City to Newark.

“It pays to do God’s will”

Written by Sarah Mundell Wednesday, 16 June 2010 18:36

Living City publishes more experiences on God´s Providence

"It Pays to do God´s Will"

From Living City, July 2010

The raise

I recently took a new job managing a portion of a website. My work began generating a lot of revenue. As the end of the year approached, my husband and I were trying to decide whether or not I should ask for a raise. As a new employee, I didn’t feel entitled to more money, but my husband, who works with me, thought it was perfectly appropriate to ask. We decided that God knew what was best and didn’t worry about it.

That same week, I was at home trying to add news items to the Focolare website, but I didn’t finish. The next morning at work, I really wanted to get back to it, but I knew it wasn’t the will of God to do personal work while I was on the clock...

God knows what you need

Written by Sarah Mundell Friday, 07 May 2010 17:09

God knows what you need

Experiences published in Living City, March 2010

I had enough money for food, but no medical insurance. Because of my illness, I urgently needed to get a certain medication that was more than the money I had on hand. I really didn’t know what I was going to do.

After worrying about it for a couple of hours, I decided to go ahead to the pharmacy and buy the medicine, confident that God wouldn’t let me go without food. When I was about to pay, a young man whom I didn’t know came up to me and said, “Let me pay for your medicine.” I was astounded! It was as if Jesus himself had come in that young man to solve my problem.  —M. M. 

Haiti: Life after the quake

Written by Sarah Mundell Friday, 07 May 2010 17:03

Haiti: Life after the quake 

By Emilie Christy 

“We are experiencing trouble on every side, but we are not crushed,” writes Sr. Marie Thé, a Focolare friend from Carice, Haiti. “We trust in God who loves us immensely. Our people will not die; they will live.”

After the January earthquake, many have left Port-au-Prince to find help in the north of the country, near the border with the Dominican Republic. “They arrived hungry, having lost all they had and nowhere to go,” says Wilfrid Joachin, Focolare local coordinator in Mont-Organisé, a city in the north. “The children in the Focolare international Adoptions at a Distance program are all safe, but almost every family experienced losses, because many relocate to the capital either for studies or for work.”

The Focolare community in Mont-Organisé  decided to build a welcoming center for families on a piece of land that was given to them years ago. In just a few days after the earthquake the US$47,000 needed to provide housing for twenty families has been already received. Meanwhile, a distribution center for clothing, food and medical help is being organized. Aid is channeled through the Focolare communities in the Dominican Republic, especially those closer to Haiti.

Economy of Communion on campus

Written by Sarah Mundell Wednesday, 28 April 2010 17:11

Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Values at Trinity University 

Economy of Communion on campus

By Linda Specht
Published in Living City (April 2010) 

 “May the Lord grant that many scholars and economic experts take on the Economy of Communion as a viable resource to shape a new shared world order!” Cardinal Tarcisio Bertoni, Vatican Secretary of State, said in his homily at Chiara Lubich’s funeral on March 18, 2008. He was calling for the involvement of members of the academic community in bringing ahead the Economy of Communion in Freedom (EoC), an innovative economic system based on a culture of giving – instead of a culture of having – and applied in more than 700 businesses worldwide (www.edc-online.org).  

 The urgency of these “marching orders” was made more explicit by Pope Benedict XVI in his latest encyclical, Caritas in Veritate. Observing that “the traditionally valid distinction between profit-based companies and nonprofit organizations can no longer do full justice to reality or offer practical direction for the future,” the Holy Father identified “a broad intermediate area ... between the two types of enterprise.” He placed the EoC in this context, describing “a broad new composite reality embracing the private and public spheres, one which does not exclude profit, but instead considers it a means for achieving human and social ends.” The EoC may be seen as both an answer to the challenges of our current economic problems and as fertile ground for exploration and development by the academic community.

Does God own a vacuum store?

Written by M.C. Monday, 28 December 2009 11:53

Does God own a vacuum store?
published in Living City (January 2010)

Recently one of the families in our Focolare community discovered that their vacuum wasn’t working. It had finally been pronounced dead after a final attempt at the repair center, and buying a new one was out of the question. The security of the husband’s job was uncertain and his current income would not cover it.

I knew it was a source of stress, so I immediately lent them mine for a week since I was going away, confident that we would find them a vacuum through God’s providence. That month’s Word of Life was, “Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out …” (Lk 12:33).

Knowing that we strive to live the communion of goods among us as the early Christians did, upon my return I sent out an e-mail to everyone, sharing the need. The following morning a friend called to say she had an extra vacuum; then another called to say she would check out the local thrift shop; another offered to pray; and another had an extra vacuum as well.

Not only did God take care of this need, he even offered the family a choice. I was struck once again by how personal God’s immense love is for us, even in small things. We are indeed one big family, through which he communicates that love.
M. C., New Jersey

Opportunities to give and receive

Written by C.M. Monday, 28 December 2009 11:46

Opportunities to give and receive
published in Living City (January 2010)

Having recently moved from Italy to Boston after my marriage, I now study and work as a research assistant at Boston University. My husband and I try to use our money wisely and think carefully not only about our own needs but about the needs of others as well.

One of the first things we did was open a joint bank account and resolve to see together what was necessary when making spending choices.
One weekend one of our new friends had to work and would not have had time to shop for groceries. So when my husband and I went to the local farmers’ market, we had our friend’s need in mind. We counted out how many tomatoes, apples, cheese and vegetables we would need in our house for the week and shared the rest with these friends.

Little did I know that in return I would receive a very special gift. When I delivered the food, we spent time together in a deep conversation that was the beginning of a beautiful and growing friendship. I experienced that in a real community everyone has the opportunity to both give and receive.
C. M., Boston

God Provides

Written by S.C. Thursday, 10 September 2009 07:48

God provides
published in Living City (October 2009)

A short while ago, my husband was talking to a relative and found out that the relative was in credit card trouble.  Although he was paying his monthly fees, his finance charges were making him sink deeper and deeper in debt (about $7,000).  Considering that the interest rate on loans is much lower than the credit card fees, we thought we could take out extra loans for his relative to pay off his credit card.  I have to be honest; at first I was a little hesitant. That was a lot of money.
“With the baby coming, who knows if we will need that money?” I thought. “What if he doesn’t pay us back? The loans we take out are in our name, so we’re responsible.”

But I felt that it was the right thing to do. The Gospel says, “Seek first the kingdom of God…” (Mt 6:33). Money was very tight, but we went ahead with the loan.
Just a few weeks later, we found out that my husband had received a scholarship for $26,000 — almost four times the amount we gave his relative. The money has no strings attached, and we don’t have to pay anything after school.

At first, we didn’t even believe it.  My husband went to talk to the admissions department at the university to be sure of the scholarship’s terms, but it was, in fact, free. God really does provide. This was for us the hundredfold promised by the Gospel.                  
S. C.

Successful collective efforts

Written by Benedetto Gui Saturday, 01 August 2009 11:52

Benedetto Gui
Successful collective efforts

The Economy of Communion mentioned by Pope Benedict in his latest encyclical, “Caritas in Veritate,” inspires local entreprises around the world. A visit to the village of Vazantes, in the Brazilian state of Ceará, where social programs engage the entire community
published in Living City (August 2009)

Our vehicle speeds along, brushing against leaves that invade the narrow road to Vazantes, a Brazilian village of about 2,000 people. Is this really the “semi-arid” zone which is supposed to include most of the state of Ceará and neighboring states? The vegetation consists of bright green shrubs, interspersed with clearings for grass and the cultivation of caju, a particularly drought-resistant plant that produces cashew nuts. Pools of water fill large potholes in the road. “I would call it the ‘semi-humid’ zone,” I say to the others in the car.

Fr. Pedro Rubens, the young rector of the Catholic University of Pernambuco/Recife, smiles and explains that we are still in the rainy season which was wetter than usual this year. “If someone comes here at the end of the nine-month dry season during which there is no rain at all,” Fr. Pedro continues, “they immediately understand why local people have problems surviving.” People end up leaving the villages and going to the coastal cities.

Distributing profits

Written by Francesco Tortorella Wednesday, 01 July 2009 22:55

Francesco Tortorella and Leo Andringa
Distributing profits
How EoC businesses share part of their earnings
published in Living City Special Edition Economy of Communion (July 2009)

From its beginning in Trent during World War II, the Focolare Movement’s spirituality of unity
carried a clear imperative: to live as the early Christians did, “so that no one was in need among them” (Acts 4:34). In the 1980s, the Movement systematically directed its attention to the world of economy and work, along with all the social problems connected to it.

available online

What is the Economy of Communion in Freedom?

Written by Amy Uelmen Wednesday, 01 July 2009 22:36

Amy Uelmen
What is the Economy of Communion in Freedom?
People-oriented businesses offer opportunities for new kinds of relationships
published in Living City Special Edition Economy of Communion (July 2009)

In the coverage of Pope Benedict’s recent visit to Cameroon, I was struck by John Allen’s
interview with Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Abuja, Nigeria. Pressing the bishop “to get concrete about what the West ought to do for Africa” — i.e., by lowering trade barriers or restructuring the International Monetary Fund — Allen realized that the bishop was not taking the bait and asked directly, “What’s the problem?” “The problem,” the bishop answered, “is the way you phrased the question. You asked how the West can ‘help’ Africa. We’re not interested in ‘help’ in that sense [that] we are exclusively the receivers of your generosity. We’re interested in a new kind of relationship, in which all of us, as equals, work out the right way forward.”

available online

The EoC and the Sophia University Institute

Written by Giampietro Parolin Wednesday, 01 July 2009 22:22

Giampietro Parolin
Straight Synergy
The EoC and the Sophia University Institute
published in Living City Special Edition Economy of Communion (July 2009)

At the inauguration of Sophia University Institute in December, the noted physicist Ugo Amaldi
commended it as a “place of trust” — a trust that becomes more necessary each day because of the demands of modernity. More and more we see that hyperspecialization leads to an intense distrust of each other’s ideas and motives.

available online

How a business applies EoC principles in its operations

Written by Rebecca Kursh Wednesday, 01 July 2009 16:36

Rebecca Kursh
How a business applies EoC principles in its operations
published in Living City Special Edition Economy of Communion (July 2009)

My daughter had taken a course at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas in business management and was introduced to the Economy of Communion in Freedom. Then in the summer of 2008 we attended a seminar in Montreal, where her professor was speaking. It was an intriguing concept, and I knew I would enjoy a weekend in Canada with my college daughter, so I made a point of tagging along.

Achieving success

Written by Fedes Lim, Amata Kim Wednesday, 01 July 2009 14:53

Fedes Lim and Amata Kim
Achieving success
published in Living City Special Edition Economy of Communion (July 2009)

After their bakery went up in flames, a Korean catering company rebuilt and renewed its commitment to the principles of the Economy of Communion in Freedom

Fedes: In 1956, after the Korean War, my father started a small bakeshop for steamed bread in Daejon City, South Korea. As a child, I grew up with the witness given by my parents as practicing Catholics. They would distribute the unsold bread to people in need at the end of the day, and soon the news spread that the bakery was selling only fresh bread. It was a success.
Twenty-eight years ago I inherited the company, and while active in the parish, after five years I met the Focolare Movement. Through it, my wife and I attended a seminar on social issues in the Philippines. We felt God was asking us to apply what we had learned in our business.

Downsizing uncertainty

Written by Jim Webber Wednesday, 01 July 2009 14:32

Jim Webber
Downsizing uncertainty
What love can do in a tight job market
Living City (July 2009)

Just about everyone in the current economic crisis is facing uncertainty. In speaking to some of my friends who have been living the Focolare’s Gospel-based spirituality of unity, I have come to realize there is a way to prepare for uncertainty – keep loving in the present moment. Here are four examples.

1. Tommy Hartmann, California
Working at Bank of America, Tommy was told last November that his position would be eliminated as of January and he would be given a severance package that would last just two months. At work he managed a small finance group, and they were all scheduled to be cut. Together they looked for openings posted in the firm’s other divisions. One member of Tommy’s group, with whom he often carpooled, found a position online that actually looked just right for Tommy and e-mailed him the opportunity.

available online

Civil Happiness

Written by Clare Zanzucchi Wednesday, 21 January 2009 15:19

Clare Zanzucchi
Civil Happiness
Living City (January 2009)

On November 18, 2008 at the University Club of New York City, the 2008 Templeton Enterprise Awards conferred second prize on Luigino Bruni, author of Civil Happiness: Economics and Human Flourishing in Historical Perspective.    

Culture Shift

Written by Bruni, Luigino Wednesday, 01 October 2008 14:32

Luigino Bruni
Culture Shift
Living City (October 2008)

A major mindset change is needed to transform the indifference engendered by the market into an attitude of stewardship.
available online

Food Crisis

Written by Giulio Meazzini Wednesday, 01 October 2008 14:27

Giulio Meazzini
Food Crisis
Living City (October 2008)

With World Food Day October 16, the disappointing global situation continues to indicate an obvious, if at times inconvenient, solution: sharing what we have.
available online

About Your Life

Written by Chiara Lubich Wednesday, 01 October 2008 14:24

Chiara Lubich
About Your Life
Living City (October 2008)

As we turn our gaze to other countries, we see problems much greater and more severe than our own. Chiara Lubich spoke extensively about a “culture of giving” and a Gospel-based lifestyle as a solution.
available online

Get Into the Reciprocal

Written by Amy Uelmen Wednesday, 01 October 2008 14:20

Amy Uelmen
Get Into the Reciprocal
Living City (October 2008)

The world food crisis is an opportunity to discover the true core of social development: the dynamic interplay between giving and receiving. What’s important is to participate.
available online