THE PRESENT MOMENT AS A PHILOSOPHICAL CATEGORY: A READING BASED ON THE SPIRITUALITY OF CHIARA LUBICH “THE PAST IS GONE AND THE FUTURE HAS NOT YET ARRIVED”

Abstract

In today’s world, marked by the entanglement of reality and virtuality, time seems to accelerate relentlessly, while attention is scattered in multiple directions. This dynamic presents profound challenges to the formation of personal identity and the building of consistent interpersonal relationships. Within this context of instability and fragmentation, the experience of the “now” emerges as a fundamental axis of human existence and of the way we understand the world. Reflecting on the meaning of “living the present moment” goes beyond a moral appeal or an abstract ideal: it is about exploring a specific way of inhabiting time—one that involves presence, attentiveness, and openness. It is within this horizon that the thought of Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, finds its place. Her spiritual proposal emphasizes an integrated, radically embodied, and transformative engagement with the present. In her view, time is not merely a fleeting current, but the very place where life reveals itself in its most authentic depth.