March 16th 2010 marked the 14th anniversary of my mother, Rosemary, who died in London, 1996, at the age of 89. Her anniversary made me reflect on the joy of knowing that we are united with all who have gone before us and who are now in paradise, and of the great gift of motherhood. Even though death separates us – in one sense – we are still able to talk to, and receive from, those who were so close to us – a wonderful two-way system of communication with those who have been a part of our lives. This year, two days before my mother’s anniversary, it had been Mothers’ Day. My mother taught me a great deal, apart from all the normal things that mothers teach; one important thing was to love the Catholic Church into which she had converted. My mother, in regard to her conversion to the Catholic Church, came under the influence (among other things) of Cardinal John Henry Newman and his biography “Apologia Pro Vita Sua”, and also, of course, my dad, who was a devout Catholic layman; she was determined to marry him, as a Catholic, herself!

However, my mother was not the only ‘mother’ in my life, important as she was in giving me birth and nurturing me as only human mothers can.  As you read on, you will begin to understand why I make this bold statement….

An ancient text from Islamic writings states:

“None of you is a believer until he desires for the other what the other desires for himself”.

(Number 13 of Imam “Al-Nawawi’s Forty Hadiths)

This lovely saying is actually the Golden Rule of all religions and even of humanists; it holds a prominent place at the United Nations headquarters. For Christians and Jews it arises out of the Torah in the book of Leviticus, originally, though of course the wording is not exactly the same, and there it refers to any strangers, living among the Holy People of God, in those far off days. Jesus, himself, taught us the Golden Rule in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. 

In 1997, this text was quoted in the famous Mosque of Malcolm X in Harlem, New York, by a frail, white Italian woman, the first ever to enter and speak to 3000 people – mainly black American Moslems – and to murmurs of approval from this large audience. Now, Harlem is not the usual place for white skinned delicate looking ladies. It is an Afro-American residential area; some might call it a kind of ‘ghetto’, which has been marked, significantly, by serious violence, over the years. It goes without saying, that a white skinned New Yorker, does not think of going into that area unless he, or she, has an important reason for so doing – and even then trusting in the protection of God and God’s supporters! Malcolm X himself, was assassinated in 1967, by those black Americans who did not agree with his views; he had undergone a dramatic transformation, once having ceased to oppose ‘white’ America and begun to embrace the building of American unity, in the 1960’s.  And, the speaker on this momentous occasion, this frail Italian lady?  She was called Chiara Lubich, and March 14th 2010 marked the second anniversary of her death, the passing of someone whose influence has changed my life completely.  This last week I was reminded that I was not the only one! In many ways she became even more influential, for me, than my own mother, Rosemary, and that is true for many others.

How did this come about for me and many others? It is far too long a story to explain in this short piece, but, on the anniversary of her death, March 14th 2010, there were over 650 ‘celebrations’ world-wide, of her life. One took place, in Rome, on the Capitoline Hill – symbolic centre of government for Rome, from ancient times – at the heart of the city, by the forum. This celebration was organised by Rome’s Town Council, because 2010 marks the tenth anniversary of the City of Rome bestowing honorary citizenship on Chiara Lubich. In England, the equivalent might be the Guildhall in London and the London County Council and Mayor honouring a person, in such a way. In Rome, the title given to the celebration was “Chiara Lubich – A Life for Unity”. In the year 2000, she had been honoured with the Citizenship of Rome, because ‘her’ movement – the ‘Focolare Movement’ – had been ‘in Rome’ 50 years, 1950-2000, and the Citation for her ‘Roman Citizenship’ says: “The Movement creates a humanism of a new people of every culture, religion, age, and social standing”. Those present last Sunday, 14th March 2010, were artists, Nobel prize-winners, cardinals, Members of the Italian Parliament, her family, members of the Focolare Movement, founded by Chiara, and many others whose lives had been changed because of contact with her and with her spirit.

The two-hour long celebration, last Sunday, focussed on the main events in her life. (Those interested can follow this on the website http://live.focolare.org. It is mainly in Italian, but the Jewish Rabbi and the Imam, referred to below, speak in English and can be picked up after 20 minutes or so.)  Here I want to focus on just one event – the Harlem Meeting in 1997 – mentioned above in paragraph 5.  Apart from showing a short clip of what happened in 1997, people that had been present at Harlem spoke about what that event had meant for them.

Michael Shevak

Notably, one was Jewish Rabbi from New York, Michael Shevak, who went to the Mosque because he was asked to go and listen to Chiara. He explained what a fearful experience it was for him and his wife, both white skinned, and Jewish. He had been brought up by good parents, but was taught to be prejudiced against those who were not white. He was terrified of visiting the dangerous area of Harlem – an area you did not visit as a white person – if you ‘valued your life’. He explained that being Jewish, itself tends to make you fearful, but his prejudices also made him afraid of dark skinned races. However, he knew from experience, that when asked by the people of the Focolare Movement to go somewhere, he would always go, immediately, in the knowledge that God was sending him ultimate challenges in his life. Therefore, going to Harlem meant making an act of faith – an act of faith that would take him, and his wife, to the edges of their faith and trust. At the end of the talk, given by Chiara on that ‘famous’ day, he turned to his Christian friend, next to him, and said one word: “Incredible”. It was almost ‘unbelievable’ that such a thing had happened at all.

Imam El Hajji Izak-El Mu’eed Pasha

Even more amazing, for me, were the impressions of the present Imam of the Malcolm Shabazz Mosque, Imam El Hajji Izak-El Mu’eed Pasha – a large well spoken black American – who himself had been present in 1997. He spoke in such hushed, and awesome tones, saying that the dignity, honesty and innocence of Chiara Lubich, would never be forgotten by the two millions strong Muslim community of WD Mohammed, founder of this American Muslim movement, and the person who hosted and invited Chiara to Harlem in 1997.

Chiara and WD Mohammed 

 Malcolm Shabazz Mosque Harlem

It was also important to note that those who frequented the famous Mosque, named after Malcolm X, where Chiara gave her talk, would never forget it. He went on:

“Chiara had delivered to the Moslems of America the words of Jesus Christ (blessed be his name) and his mother Mary (blessed be her name) and as a result Chiara would be present always in the hearts of the Muslims and of all Americans. Furthermore the pact of unity made between Chiara and WD Mohammed would never die; it has changed the world and certainly it has changed America for the better.”

These are strong words of hope that refer to things happening now – things that have happened in the life-time of the readers of this blog. ‘HOPE’, a virtue akin to confidence and self-esteem, is one of those qualities that a mother instils in her children, but sadly something that is lacking in many hearts today – witness one fact alone – the extraordinary rise in ‘young’ suicides in our country. It is, perhaps, ‘hope’ above all else, that Chiara has given to me and to many others, building in my case, on the loving experience I received from my own mother, Rosemary, and my father, Henry, amid all their limitations – not to mention my own! Real hope comes – not from abstract theory – but from the concrete experience of life, and many people who belong to the ‘humanism’ of a ‘new people’ of every culture, race, religion, age and social standing – referred to by those who gave Chiara, Honorary Citizenship of Rome – are recipients of this life-giving experience. I count myself among them.

To conclude, I thank you mother, Rosemary, for all you gave me, and thank you, Chiara, mother in another sense, for all the ‘Hope’ and ‘Meaning’ given to my life through ‘knowing’ you. Actually, Chiara, I thank you because you have simply helped me to see my inheritance as a Christian, a Monk and a priest – privileged to be a monk of Ampleforth Abbey; privileged to be a priest in St. Mary’s Leyland,– trying to be at the service of all with whom I am involved. You emphasise again the ‘Golden Rule’: “Do unto others as you would have them do to you”, and so point me in the direction of becoming an ever-better Christian, as you encourage others to become ever better, in their own path to God. But, there is something more that you have given me – the beauty of belonging to a people who live and work for unity – a unity that I would never have known – never have experienced, had I not come to know the people who belong to every culture, race, religion, age and social standing.  Truly, they give such a special enrichment to life – and all of them hold fast to the ‘Golden Rule’.