{"id":12673,"date":"2023-12-05T20:15:36","date_gmt":"2023-12-05T19:15:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gen4.focolare.org\/?post_type=wpdmpro&#038;p=12673"},"modified":"2024-03-04T10:21:17","modified_gmt":"2024-03-04T09:21:17","slug":"07_today-i-discovered-heaven-module-n-7","status":"publish","type":"wpdmpro","link":"https:\/\/gen4.focolare.org\/en\/download\/07_today-i-discovered-heaven-module-n-7\/","title":{"rendered":"07_Today, I discovered heaven: Module n.7"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong><em>\u201cThe atmosphere of Heaven\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>A) For the assistants. <\/strong><strong>Ideas from Chiara\u2019s themes:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In the first module, we talked of the \u201c<em>nostalgia for Paradise,\u201d <\/em>where we will be always with Him. But from now on, we can live this reality of Heaven.\u00a0 We mention two aspects underlined by Chiara:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Union with God and the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here is how she spoke about it to the Bishops friends of the movement in a talk in 2004: <em>\u201c[\u2026] <strong>Yet another way of generating union with God is the presence of the Eucharistic Jesus.<\/strong> Here is an experience:\u00a0 For some days, I had begun <strong>a life of a more intense union with God.\u00a0 <\/strong>The fact is that He lives in my house, He is behind my door, and I realize that He works.\u00a0 <strong>He makes himself felt in a very subtle way, but if one welcomes Him, He takes more space, <\/strong>leaving the soul more inclined to almost get used to this divine coexistence.\u201d One works, but one is together with Him. [\u2026]\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">\u00a0<a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"#_ftn1\" name=\"_ftnref1\">[1]<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Union with God and the presence of Jesus among us for mutual love.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In a conference call in 1990, Chiara spoke about <strong><em>\u201cspiritual gifts, inevitable where there is Jesus among us.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>Chiara was at the Mariapolis Luminosa, the little city of the Movement near New York, where, in those days, together with many, she had made an intense experience of the presence of Jesus, \u201cof the Kingdom of God.\u201d\u00a0 Chiara said that this reality of the <strong>\u201calready\u201d <\/strong>was so strong, that <em>\u201c[\u2026] expressions like these were not lacking:\u00a0 <strong>\u201cIf Paradise is like this, it is enough!\u201d; <\/strong>\u201cThis is eternity\u201d [\u2026]\u201d <\/em>Much later, she continued saying how: <em>\u201c[\u2026] the \u201calready,\u201d the \u201calready\u201d of the Kingdom radiated so much from everyone, from focolarini and focolarine, that such dignity, beauty, freedom, harmony could be admired in them, and one could recall the words \u201cThe glory of God is the living man.\u201d In this atmosphere, then, it was noted again how <strong>Heaven is made of Heavens <\/strong>(Kingdom of Heavens); as in God, who is Love, everything is life, nothing is static, and one passes from reality to reality. [\u2026]\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>And Chiara concluded the thought of the conference call with these words: <em>\u201c[\u2026] And then all that remains is the desire to encourage us all to continue with twice the energy, repeating to us spread all over the world: let us not waste time, let us live our Ideal with intensity.\u00a0 <strong>If we open to the world the experience of Paradise that can already be built down here, many will believe in Paradise up there.\u00a0 <\/strong>And the reflection on humanity will be incalculable.\u00a0 As a resolution for the next fifteen days: to live always in the supernatural [\u2026].\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"#_ftn2\" name=\"_ftnref2\">[2]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In 2004, she then spoke to the focolarini about Union with God and of the Culture of the Resurrection. It is that union with God which she says is <strong>\u201ctypically ours,\u201d <\/strong>which can be felt with \u201c<em>[\u2026] the senses of the soul, because the soul has senses like the body has its senses [\u2026]\u201d. Chiara speaks of Jesus in the midst and says: <strong>\u201cAll of you know when He is there and especially when He is not there! <\/strong>And in focolare, and in the nuclei, and in the meetings, all of you know.\u00a0 What is this \u201cknowing\u201d?\u00a0 You feel it, <strong>you feel it with the senses of the soul <\/strong>that He is there or He is not there.\u00a0 And why do you feel it?\u00a0 Because our way is a way that is ascetic and mystical at the same time.\u00a0 What does this mean?\u00a0 Ascetic means that it requires man\u2019s effort, because to have Jesus in our midst, we must love each other, ready to die for that other; but if the Eucharist does not come to seal this thing and create unity and ensure that Christ is among us, there is no unity. So, it is ascetic because our effort is there; it is mystical because there is the help of God, and with the Eucharist, He sends a grace, for which there is unity and there is Jesus in the midst. So, if you feel this thing when it is there and when it is not there, you are ascetics and you are little mystics. It is like this, it is like this. [\u2026] \u00a0Meanwhile, I realized instead that with the focolare, or with the nuclei or with the gen units, etc., having Jesus in the midst, you never fall; it is enough that you keep this fire always lit with your love for the other, with your love\u2026 up to the point of dying, so you never fall. This new force that strengthens the will\u2014which was not there before\u2014comes precisely from the gifts of the Spirit, in the presence of God.\u00a0 These are the gifts of the Spirit, which is the\u2026 <strong>What are the gifts of the Spirit? The atmosphere of Heaven. <\/strong>[\u2026].<\/em> <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>\u00a0<a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"#_ftn3\" name=\"_ftnref3\">[3]<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>B) Objectives of the Gen 4 Meeting<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; To discover the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; \u00a0To know and experience Jesus in our midst for mutual love<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>C) Gen 4 Meeting Content: <em>drops of light with the Sacred Scriptures <\/em><\/strong><em><strong>and with the Spirituality (Answers of Chiara)<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Sacred Scriptures: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Episode of the Last Supper<\/strong>: The gifts of Holy Thursday.\u00a0 Speak in particular about the Eucharist and of reciprocal love (this episode regards both presences<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> (Attachment C1)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Episode of the Resurrection: <\/strong>Jesus remains among us if we love one another <strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">(Attachment C2)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Spirituality:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Answers of Chiara <span style=\"color: #008000;\">(Attachment C3)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><u>The presence of Jesus in the Eucharist<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A gen4 girl: <strong>Ciao, Chiara, I am taking Valentina\u2019s place. \u201cDear Chiara, I\u2019m not very happy to go to Mass because I don\u2019t understand it. Chiara, could you explain how you are able to love the Mass?\u201d<\/strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"> <a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"#_ftn4\" name=\"_ftnref4\">[4]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Chiara: Now the second part will be a little longer. I have a story to tell you that is a little longer, because the Gen 4 said: \u201cI am not very happy to go to Mass because I don\u2019t understand it.\u201d And I understand that he doesn\u2019t understand it. So I need to explain to you what the Mass is. The Mass, Gen, is really Jesus who lives again his passion on the cross, he lives again his death and resurrection. Now I\u2019ll tell you a story. There was a very old German priest who came down to Italy from Austria or maybe from Germany. He wanted to come to Rome. He wanted to make a pilgrimage and do a lot of penance, so he came by foot. But he was very old; his hair was white and his shoulders curved over. When he had walked for many days, he reached a place called Bolsena, near Rome, and he asked the parish priest if he could say Mass there before continuing his pilgrimage to Rome. However, while he was saying the Mass, maybe because he was so tired, he began to have a doubt and thought: \u201cBut is it really true that Jesus comes down here on the altar? Is it really true that on the altar there is the body of Jesus and the blood of Jesus?\u201d When he began to have this doubt, which he had never had before &#8211; he had always believed &#8211; he began to sweat, to cry and to shake all over, and he wasn\u2019t able to go ahead with the Mass because he had this doubt, this terrible doubt. The people who were there at Mass started saying: \u201cHe must be sick, this priest must be sick; he can\u2019t go ahead with the Mass.\u201d But then with all his strength he prayed to Jesus, saying: \u201cForgive me for this doubt! Forgive me, have pity on me! But, if you want, give me a sign that you are really here, that this is really your blood, that you are really here.\u201d That\u2019s what he prayed. Then, he went ahead with the Mass. He consecrated the bread and the wine, he said the \u201cOur Father\u201d and then the \u201cLamb of God\u201d &#8211; you will learn these prayers later &#8211; and then the moment came when he had to break the bread for Holy Communion. You might know that before Mass, the priest prepares several cloths on the altar. One small cloth is called the \u201ccorporal\u201d [which means \u201cbody\u201d] because it is where the priest places the Body of Christ. When he was broke the bread, the sacred Host, do you know what happened? Drops of blood came out of the Host, many drops of blood fell onto the corporal and also came out of the other piece of the Host and then the drops of blood even ran down onto the floor. And so right away he understood that this was the sign: \u201cSo Jesus is really here in the Host,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s really here!\u201d He tried to hide the blood, so that the people wouldn\u2019t see it because they were all watching. But at that point the blood was everywhere so he couldn\u2019t possibly hide it. And so he thought: \u201cI better tell them everything.\u201d And so he said. \u201cMy dear parishioners, I have to confess to you that I had a terrible doubt. I sinned because I had a terrible doubt that maybe Jesus wasn\u2019t really here. But I asked for his mercy, I asked for a sign. And Jesus gave me the sign; he showed me, he showed me his blood coming from his body.\u201d And so the people adored Jesus in the Sacred Host which was his body. And then they told everybody about what had happened, and so all the people from all the villages came to see. And when the bishop, who was in Orvieto, a city close by, learned about what had happened, he said: \u201cWe have to bring the Sacred Host, the body of Jesus with his blood, to Orvieto, the main city of the diocese.\u201d And so then another priest took the Body of Jesus and the people carried a big canopy over him, and they brought the Body of Jesus in a procession to Orvieto. All the children of the town came out and threw flowers from the balconies or on the ground in front of Jesus. They followed him along the streets and celebrated in brightly colored costumes. The very little children were all closer to Jesus; they were dressed like little angels and they danced and celebrated for Jesus &#8211; they really had a big celebration. This happened in Bolsena. So Jesus is really present in the Mass. But, Gen 4, when you are a little older, you will understand many other things about the Mass. (Applause)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>The presence of Jesus among us if we love each other <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>\u201cJesus is risen! He remains among us if we love one another!\u201d <\/em><\/strong>(Lubich C., in <em>Gen4<\/em>, n. 3-4 March-April 1981, p.5).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Answers of Chiara<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A gen4 girl: <strong>\u201cMy name is Ga\u00eble and I\u2019m asking you the question of Annabelle from Fontem.\u00a0 \u201cChiara, what do we have to do to have Jesus in our midst?\u201d <\/strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"#_ftn5\" name=\"_ftnref5\">[5]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Chiara: (\u2026) We have to love one another. It\u2019s not enough for me to love the other person; the other person has to love me, too. It has to be mutual love &#8211; that means that there has to be two of us loving one another, not just one. And you have to show that you love them, do something, not just talk about it. Don\u2019t just say: I love you, I love you, without doing anything to help them. No, no! If that other person needs help, you have to help them, as we did with that old lady. If that other person is crying, you have to help them, listen to them so that you can share their pain. If a little boy is happy because it\u2019s his birthday and his parents have a party for him, then we should be happy, too, and celebrate with him. We have to love one another. Here are some examples of loving. The first picture on the screen is a little boy, who is very small, and he\u2019s doing an act of love for a little girl, the one with the doll in her hands; he\u2019s giving her a little gift because he loves her. That\u2019s real love, it\u2019s not just loving with words; he\u2019s actually giving her something. The second one is really nice, very nice. It\u2019s a boy who is a little older, the one with the red cap. He sees a little child crying \u2013 maybe it\u2019s a Gen 5. So he takes his handkerchief to dry the child\u2019s tears because he really loves him, in a concrete way, by doing something to help, not just with words. Then there\u2019s a grandfather who\u2019s reading, maybe a book, and a little girl comes, probably a Gen 4, and gives him some tea. Can you see the grandfather\u2019s eyes? He\u2019s surprised that the little girl is so good! He doesn\u2019t know it, but she\u2019s a Gen 4. Then there\u2019s a little girl, the one with pigtails, who\u2019s reading something to a Gen 5 because the Gen 5 can\u2019t read yet, but she can. So, you see? She too is doing something concrete to show her love. She doesn\u2019t just say, \u201cI love you.\u201d She does something to make the Gen 5 happy.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>D) Ideas and other material for the conduct of the meeting <\/strong><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">(Attachment D)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>____________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"#_ftnref1\" name=\"_ftn1\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[1]<\/span><\/a> <\/span><em>See<\/em> C. Lubich, Castel Gandolfo, February 16, 2004, to the Bishops friends of the Focolare Movement, <em>&#8220;L&#8217;unione con Dio&#8221;.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"#_ftnref2\" name=\"_ftn2\">[2]<\/a> <\/span><em>See <\/em>C. Lubich, Collegamento CH, Mariapoli Luminosa, May 24, 1990, \u201c<em>Vivere il \u2018Gi\u00e0\u2019\u201d<\/em> (published in: C. Lubich, Santi insieme, Rome 1995, (1st ed.: 1994), p. 35-38).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"#_ftnref3\" name=\"_ftn3\">[3]<\/a> <\/span>See C. Lubich, Castel Gandolfo, January 4, 2004, to the focolarinos and focolarinas, <em>&#8220;L&#8217;unione con Dio si sente, si percepisce &#8211; La cultura della Risurrezione&#8221;.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"#_ftnref4\" name=\"_ftn4\">[4]<\/a> <\/span>C. Lubich, Castel Gandolfo, April 28, 1992, at the Gen4 Congress, <em>answer no.5.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"#_ftnref5\" name=\"_ftn5\">[5]<\/a> <\/span>C. Lubich, Castel Gandolfo, June 7, 1998, at the Gen4 Congress, <em>answer no.2.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cThe atmosphere of Heaven\u201d A) For the assistants. Ideas from Chiara\u2019s &#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":486,"featured_media":17551,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page.php","meta":{"__wpdm_changelog":[]},"wpdmcategory":[494],"wpdmtag":[],"class_list":["post-12673","wpdmpro","type-wpdmpro","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","wpdmcategory-today-i-discovered-heaven-union-with-god-and-prayer-2022-2023"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gen4.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wpdmpro\/12673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gen4.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wpdmpro"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gen4.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wpdmpro"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gen4.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/486"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gen4.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12673"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gen4.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gen4.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"wpdmcategory","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gen4.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wpdmcategory?post=12673"},{"taxonomy":"wpdmtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gen4.focolare.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wpdmtag?post=12673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}