New City - Chiara 2

We publish here some excerpts of a question and answer session with Chiara during her meeting with the Asian community of the Focolare on January 19, 1997 at PICC, Manila.

Q. “Certain beliefs or superstitions are very deeply rooted in our culture. These things are inherent in us. We believe in God; we love God. We have received your ‘charism’ and we try to live it with our parish priest. But sometimes, without being aware of them, certain habits related to these superstitions emerge. Are we perhaps different from others? Can you give us advice on this?”

A. These habits that are often found among peoples, in all peoples—habits that have also become ingrained—must be cleansed; not eliminated but purified. A Bishop here in the Philippines, for example, told me that at times the devotion to the Sto. Niño, which is so deeply felt and so exemplary, is interpreted rather negatively. One person comments: “The devotion to the Sto. Niño exists because we are like helpless children; so many people have dominated us, subdued us and led us by the hands like children. We have become therefore like children and turn to God like a defenseless child.”
This is a mental attitude that should be purified because you are Filipinos, you are outstanding, you are generous, you are intelligent, you are loving, you are full of talents. And you possess a Catholic foundation that in the world few nations such as yours have. You are not vulnerable, you are strong, and in fact you show it. So we have to change this attitude and say, “Certainly, the devotion to the Child Jesus is fine, but which Child Jesus? He teaches me to be childlike, but a child of the Gospel.”
We need to change our mentality. We can keep the devotion because it is deep-rooted and entrenched in our people. But it must be purified a bit and seen from the perspective of God’s love and not from the perspective of the pain that we must endure like slaves.

Q. “Chiara, I would always like to do many tangible acts of love at home, but my parents do not give me the chance, also because we have maids who help us. What should I do?” (A teenager)

A. What a shame! He cannot do acts of charity, because the parents do not allow him to do so since there are maids to help them.
I would suggest you to see Jesus in everyone, see Jesus in all: in your parents, in the maids, etc. And even if you can only smile at the maid, you have already done something. Then, if you are a Gen3, if you are someone who takes care of molding children in the spirit of unity, there you can do many acts of love. So, what you cannot do at home, you can do outside.

Q. “In our Asian culture, maintaining a harmonious relationship with everyone is considered very important. We learn the virtue of ‘non affirmation’ (in other words, never to use deliberately the words ‘yes’ or ‘no’) so as not to fracture this harmony. Jesus instead would require a clear and reliable decision. What do you say about this?”

A. It is my experience of many years that everything can be done, everything is possible if it is done with love. If, for example, at some point someone wants to tempt you and bring you to some bad place, how do you say no? Of course you must say no; you must say no; you must say no! But how do you do this in the face of such a mentality of non-affirmation?
You must say it with love: “Look, I cannot go there; you know my principles, don’t you? Don’t take offense; you will see that in some other things perhaps, I will go with you, etc. But in this instance, I really cannot go with you.”
When there is love, harmony is maintained and the truth is also acknowledged.

Q. “In the Philippines, we experience every year disasters and natural calamities one after the other. How can we recognize and love Jesus Forsaken in these situations without being overcome by discouragement and apathy and without becoming passive?”

A. This is a question I am often asked in many places. It is understandable too. We say: “God is love.” And someone could say: “How can we believe that God is love when so much misfortune happens, such as here in the Philippines where as many as 20 to 22 typhoons visit us and create disaster every year. How can we believe that God is love when there are people who are dying perhaps under these very calamities? How can we say that God is love when children are left in the streets and abandoned by everyone; children who are then taken advantage of, especially little girls that are horribly exploited? How can we believe that God is love?”
   As for me, there is only one supernatural principle that makes me believe that God is love. People are practically saying: “How can you say that God loves them if they are so overcome by misfortune?”
   If there ever was a person that God loved truly, profoundly, exceedingly more than anyone else, it was his Son, Jesus. And yet he allowed him to be nailed to the cross, to suffer His passion and death.
   Why so? Because there was a plan of God on Jesus. He had to suffer to save mankind; and He had to suffer here on earth, have the resurrection and then the glory in paradise. Therefore, there is a plan of God.
   God sometimes permits misfortune because there is some good that he draws out from this misfortune. So, just as a plan of God exists for Jesus, there exists a plan of God for each one of us. When a misfortune arrives, we must say: “I do not understand now, but there is a reason for this.” It is a reason motivated by love, and we will understand the reason later, perhaps in the next life.
   We are Christians and we must believe in this life but also in the next life as well.    Therefore, there is a plan of love also for all these children; for all of them too there is a plan of love. If they do not find it here on earth, they will find their reward for what they have suffered over there, in the other life.