My wife's experience.

Ciao, I‘m Edna, from Banaybanay, Davao Oriental. I’ve heard the word “focolare”, for the first time in1997 from a Workers of Christ the Worker sister. She is a very loving sister. Then it was followed in 2000 when I attended the Mariapolis at REMASE, Davao City, upon the invitation of Eden. We were trying to know each other deeper, then. During this time, I did not comprehend so much about the focolare, but I was touched so much by the act of love that I received from people around which somehow helped me to share and give, in return, more acts of love.

When I got married in 2001 to Eden, a volunteer. He brought me closer to the focolare movement. He answered, in his own way, my questions from the terminologies, password, colors and others. I believe in him, but then there were a lot of battles within me; from my old self to my new acquired light, that sometimes become also the source of our misunderstanding. And I think I become less loving person to him in his living of the ideal especially in unity with the movement. Nahimo ko nga contrabida sa iya.

But, despite our emotion-laden exchange of words to clarify our priorities and values, he kept on attending meetings with the movement. I cannot sometimes understand why he loves his antagonists in work. Why does he listen attentively to people I abhor? Why doesn’t he close his eyes to social sin, especially, in politics, which oftentimes brought us in conflict with the culprit? With occasional misunderstandings, a lot of reflections and prayers in our everyday experiences, I felt I need to know more about this movement so that I may understand more my husband.

This February 2007, I totally opened myself as I joined the Morality lesson with Marvi. In this act of love, I believe that I am embracing the Jesus Forsaken that the movement had introduced me to. With this response from the inspiration that I received from God I know I am loving more my husband and my family and this is what God wanted me to do. Truly, life becomes happier and meaningful. Together with our family, we become more committed to actively get involved with the movement. Along the way, on our journey there are still conflicts, even more sufferings, but then we are always reminded of the act of love that Jesus gave to us on the cross that we should give to the other also.

Now, I am on formation as a volunteer. And, I am so grateful of the gift of the Focolare in our family.

THANK YOU.