word of life

“Living the Word” fits very well into the Gen 4 formation process, which focuses on going beyond a theoretical presentation of material to one of lived experiences. Children are encouraged to live concretely the monthly Gospel verse as a basis for their spiritual life. In this way, they experience the values contained in it and are able to reflect on them and share them with others

The “Word of Life” is a practice that is widespread and dates back to the very beginning of the Focolare Movement. The goal is to understand and live one sentence from the Scriptures each month, together with all the members of the Movement, who exchange experiences of living the Gospel and share their efforts to re-evangelize their lives in order “to become another Jesus“.

It’s the same goal for young and old.

“Dear Gen4, live the Word of Life and others will see in you another Jesus”. (C.Lubich, in Gen 4 magazine, January-February 1987, p.5)

To help children grasp the meaning of a particular sentence from Scripture, the Word of Life is presented to them in drawings and is accompanied by an illustrated experience of a child who has lived it. The aim is to help them to live the Gospel in their own life.

The Gen 4 experiences are straightforward and very simple but they often help adults, too, who understand from the children how to live the Gospel in everyday  life and thus contribute to the process of a new evangelization.