Some of your readers may have come across, in various parts of the media, notices inviting them to the Mariapoli. What is the Mariapoli? It is a spiritual and social meeting of a few days, promoted by the Focolare Movement, where participants are invited to question their lives, their ethical standards, their moral behaviour, both on a personal and social level, in the context of the Gospel.

The theme of this year’s meeting is ‘…you did it to me’ (Jesus in Mt. 25:40). Persons of all ages, families, youths, persons of different social backgrounds, various religious denominations, or persons with no religious beliefs, get together to build the Mariapolis (city of Mary) where we all strive to live that reciprocal love that Jesus asked of us, with our ultimate aim being universal brotherhood, as Jesus prayed to His Father: ‘That they may all be one’ (Jn. 17:11).

For those of us who feel they need an ideal to live for, who dream that they can conquer the world with love, who feel they need to come to grips with a languid personal or family life, or wish to go beyond their own personal life, beyond the life of their own family or group, to build a more just, more united world, this is something worth trying.

The Mariapoli will be held on April 13 and 14 at St. Aloysius College, Birkirkara, from 9am to 7pm. Further information may be obtained from the centres of the Focolare Movement: ‘Stellaelise’, Triq il-Huttaf, Kappara, Tel. 2138 5801, email. focfmt@go.net.mt; and ‘Vita Nuova’, Triq G F Agius de Soldanis, Santa Venera, Tel. 2148 6112, email: focmmt@go.net.mt.