At the Mariapolis, in Norwich, at the beginning of this month, one of the speakers said that God is like a ‘Dad’ who, playfully and lovingly, places his son on his shoulders – full of love and care for his ‘lad’. Observe, carefully, and you may see that often the lad does not even feel it necessary to cling on to his father’s head, but looks around, full of happiness and joy, plays, and feels completely safe. So it is with God and ourselves, if we believe – and live by – the truth that God loves us, immensely, and with the same degree of care. Now they say that the ‘proof of the pudding is in the eating’ and my coming to Slovenia, just a few days ago, has borne out the truth of that maxim, in a very personal way. On arrival at Ljubljana airport, not only did I have no idea where to go, but was brought, safely, to this place some 50 miles distant; then, my plastic card – at the ‘Hole in the Wall’, appeared to lose 400 Euros in the transaction – that, too, got sorted out; on the accommodation front, and instead of the single room  I was expecting, I was asked to share – but, even this, has worked out better than being in a room on my own. Well, you may say, these things are ‘small beer’ – just simple every day happenings – but, what about the bigger ones?

Last week, my ‘Blog’ was about ‘Charisms in Unity’. Today, it is about God, his care for us and how he looks after us so closely. I am still with the company of Religious at Celje in Slovenia, but now, the group has changed and expanded to include a total of some 61 men. We are no longer involved in a magazine, but are trying to discover what it is that God wants from us, as a group of Religious men, to help support the growth of unity in the world.   God calls us to be his close disciples, in the Church, and in our respective Religious Orders, where there is great variety, and this variety is reflected here in Slovenia: there are members of the younger Religious Orders, like Marist brothers, brothers of St. Gabriel, Divine Word Missionaries, Oblates of Mary Immaculate, De La Salle brothers, Cammillians and so forth. Also, there are representations from the ancient orders, such as Benedictines, Augustinians, Franciscans, Jesuits – and a whole lot more besides!

All of us have also been given another calling by God – a call to live for Unity: we have been ‘touched’ by what the Church has authenticated as a ‘Charism’, (from the Greek, meaning ‘gift’) of the Church, in “The Work of Mary” (the official Church title of the Focolare Movement); under the ‘umbrella’ of this ‘Movement’, all categories of people can belong: men and women in Religious Life, people of other Churches, those of other Religions and those of no Religion, but who appreciate and follow the spirit of unity. To be, and to work ‘for a united world’, is something that attracts even some who think ‘religion’ is outdated, I think, largely, because such people are attracted by the spirit in which “Unity” is lived – as at a Mariapolis – and this very much includes mutual love and support. Here, I would like to be very precise, also, by stating that this new calling to unity, does not mean any lessening of the original call each of us Religious has, to his, or her, own vocation.

Returning to our roles in Religious Life, this being called ‘into the life of unity’ is something that accords with the will of God, for Jesus prayed just before he died “… …that all may be one” (John 18, 21) … … and this ‘all’ must include those in Religious Life. Right up to fairly recent times, Religious Orders have been isolated – sometimes even opposed, or less than fraternal, towards each other.  You may find this, opposition, antagonism even, something very strange, when you come to think we are all brothers and sisters in the Church.  On this point, I well remember seeing a medieval fresco, at Subiaco, Italy, where St. Benedict lived and founded his first monasteries; the picture showed ‘white’ monks fighting and killing ‘black’ monks.  Surprising!  Remarkable! However, we are saved from this dire situation, I am sure, because belonging to a ‘life of unity’ only strengthens the love we have for our own particular calling as members of our Religious Orders – and for each other. That has been my own experience, and it may come as a surprise to some readers of this Blog, to be told that, without this gift of ‘unity’, (to put it simply), from God, I am certain I would not still be a monk within my own monastery.  God has certainly carried me, on his shoulders, many times, and in many different ways.

Perhaps this helps to explain why, here in Celje, we are an enthusiastic ‘band of men’, some of whom are distinguished members of their Orders, with important positions and duties to perform within them. The times in which we live are not so different, fundamentally, and in reality, to the time when Jesus was alive, or even to the times of our own founders; all times are difficult times, and God helps us, now in our times, as he did, then, in theirs. This ‘new’ experience from God is something which helps, considerably, in the life of the Church today.

God carries us, individually and collectively, on his shoulders, now, as he has done all down the centuries, in other times and in many other ways. Consider for a moment, how hard it is to keep a small group of people, together, in harmony and peace;  here, I am thinking, for example, of family life, life in our neighbourhoods and life in our streets, life in a parish, or diocese, in a religious order; there are many other examples.  This simple exercise of mind shows us the need for this ‘gift’ of unity. We are a ‘large’ group, here in Celje; the agreement reached, about new plans to help us grow, in our progress as Religious, with our one aim of ‘unity’ is, to my mind, a miracle, because we come from different countries, with different backgrounds, different outlooks, temperaments, characters and also with different experiences. Despite our diverse cultures, etc, we really are, all pulling in the same direction, overcoming all possible difficulties, along the way. But be aware, please, that working together in unity it is not always easy – it requires some effort, some sacrifice, some self-giving every day.  And, of this I am convinced – it could not have been achieved without God’s help – without God ‘carrying us along on his shoulders’.

Last Saturday, the whole group of us went on along on a five-hour drive to a place in Croatia, to the site of a “Mariapolis Centre for Unity” run by the Focolare Movement, and there we met the President of the Focolare and her Co-President. Interestingly, the Church insists that the President of the Focolare will always be a woman, and if you look, carefully, at the group photograph of all our Religious, you will see a small, insignificant looking lady surrounded – almost engulfed – by men. She is Maria Voce, who, before becoming a part of the Focolare Movement, was a lawyer from the south of Italy. In the evening, we were invited to a party in honour of Maria Voce, and her Co-President – arranged, with much love by the peoples of this part of the Balkans: Romania, Moldavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia.

(L) Getting ready for the Party with children and families, from most mid-Balkan countries.  (R) The Greek Catholic Priest, and his family, who sang at the Party – Saturday Evening,  7th August

This centre was a place of refuge for many who fled their homes, in the ‘recent’ Balkan wars, when NATO was involved; British troops were involved, as ‘peace-keepers’ also. In complete contrast with the ugliness of war, it was so beautiful to see the harmony among those present from countries that, not many years ago, had been in bitter conflict, fighting each other. Of course, this was just a ‘drop in the ocean’ but, sufficient to make us realise that it is possible to bring about peace and reconciliation – given the opportunity, and the will to respond.

Fr. Leopold Grcčar OFM, from Slovenia

Finally, I would like to tell you something of how Fr. Leopold was feeling, during his journey to Croatia, on that Saturday, because here was another expression – another example – of God ‘carrying us on his shoulders’ through the most difficult of times. We reached that quiet period, after the excitements of the main event, and that time when some of us like to sit down and share their thoughts on the day. Fr. Leopold then told us we had travelled, on the ‘bus, through the place where he had lived, as boy and young man. He shared with us some of the memories the journey re-kindled, because, as a young boy during World War II, it was very dangerous as many were being killed by Nazis, or by Partisans. His family was a Religious one, but, it seems, that was no help, for ‘Religious families’ were thought not to be on the side of the Partisans.

One day, he saw a long column of prisoners, marching by, under guard, and all of them were taken by their captors and shot – mass murder – under no other name.  (Sadly, this slaughter of Slovenian people, and other nationalities, happened a lot – all too often, in fact – in the Second World War, and in this area, for the record, such atrocities were to continue even after the war finished.) Some time after this mass execution of prisoners, an Austrian soldier came to his parents’ house, and, at this, the family were very frightened, as his presence could place them in great danger. The soldier was in need of food and drink, and Fr. Leopold’s mother gave what she had to him – to her, it mattered not that he was a soldier and an Austrian – he was ‘Jesus at the door’. He then confessed to them, that if he could, he would go back to his own country, over the mountains between Slovenia and Austria, on his knees, after all he had experienced – in repentance for what had happened – just so long as he never again, had to kill another human being.

 Madonna on the side of a house in Celje today, showing  a still  strong Catholic faith among many Slovenians

Fr. Leopold finished his account – essentially, one of outrage and repentance – and it was then that a young Austrian Religious, in our group, and another good friend, admitted that, on the journey to Croatia, he had felt a bit ‘agitated’. He went on to explain that, as he travelled, it was with the full expectation he would meet, that day, peoples from nations killed by Austrians fighting for the Nazi regime, during the war.  From a deep sense of personal sorrow, he felt, that he wanted to apologise, profoundly, for what his fellow countrymen had done; in their name, he said ‘sorry’ to the rest of us. These were moments of profound meaning, for me, thinking at the same time, of the joyful people we had met, and the tragic experiences through which they had lived.

God brings good out of evil, as he did for martyrs like St. Lawrence, patron of Ampleforth Abbey, my monastery, and it happens to be on his feast day, 10th August, that I write this.  Jesus is … … “The way, the truth and the life” … … and in Him, we can remain sure of divine help, ‘riding on the shoulders’ of His Father, whilst entrusting ourselves to him. That is what all true Christians are called to do.  Dear Lord, help me to have more of that Spirit!