A Memorable Moment in Malibu

Being a devoted friend of the Focolare Movement for many years, and having moved some years before from Brazil to Los Angeles, I had the pleasure of taking part in the recent Mariapolis event on June 2Oth at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. 

As you are probably aware, the purpose of a Mariapolis is to bring together people of different ages, vocations, and walks of life, from all Christian denominations, people of other faith traditions and people who do not profess a specific faith, for a spiritual renewal through deeper union with God and with one another.

In my particular case, being Jewish and observant of the fourth of the Ten Commandments (“Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy”), it was officially decided to establish a moment for me to celebrate the Sabbath Blessings before those present, as a demonstration and with explanations of this biblical tradition.

The celebration was formally designated as “The Breaking of the Bread,” and consisted of the lighting and blessing of the candles, the blessing of the wine (the “Kiddush” in Hebrew) and the breaking of the bread, with a full melodic rendition of same in Hebrew, with prior translation of each in English. 

And I then proceeded with a brief explanation of their symbolism: the blessing of the candles express thanks for the gift of light and of hope in the darkness; the Kiddush begins with a memorial to Creation, then celebrates the exodus from Egypt—which can now be interpreted as a quintessentially day of freedom and of community—and it includes other aspects, setting a tone of introspection and peace; I also took the liberty of suggesting that its implications are universal and timeless.

The actual lightening of the candles was performed by the amiable participant Isabel Vergara (as it’s a tradition that this be done by a woman—in households this is usually performed by the wife—and she was also the first to take part in the sharing of the wine and also in assisting in the parting of the bread. It should be highlighted that the specifications and quality of the various modes of the Challah was a remarkably adequate feat by the talented focolarino participant Jonathan Lara.

It so happened that practically at the beginning of the ceremony I received the very sad message on my cellular that Maria Voce had just passed away, aged 87. So I thought it appropriate to dwell on that prior to commencing with the Sabbat blessings. Hence I mentioned the unfortunate news—most of those present not having been aware—and exalted her contribution to the Movement, detailing various aspects of her life, how she became a bastion of leadership in succeeding the Servant of God Chiara Lubich in 2008 as President of the Movement for two consecutive six-year terms. I mentioned that I actually had the privilege of experiencing her intellectuality and vivacity personally during an encounter with her in Mariapolis Ginetta during her initial visit to Brazil. It then felt proper to call for a moment of silence on her behalf, with the call for a Requiescat in Pace.

We then proceeded with the rest of the ceremony, joined those present in the sharing of the parted bread with emotional joy, and various pictures reflected the moment.

One of the main organizers of the event, Carlos Santos, reflected: “The breaking of the bread celebration showed that unity is possible across countries, cultures, and beliefs, offering hope in a divided world. As a Christian, it deepened my connection to my faith by imagining Jesus breaking the bread with Joseph and Mary and understanding even better the meaning that Jesus gave to the Eucharist. Sharing this experience and learning more about the Jewish tradition made me a better Christian.”