Chiara Lubich to young people: aim high!

“My dear young people … God calls in different ways: he calls many persons and gives them special tasks and missions to accomplish. For example, he calls young men to the sublime vocation of the priesthood, to be other Christs. He calls men and women to the families of Religious Orders, which are like multicolored flowerbeds in the garden of the Church, constantly adorning the Bride of Christ with the most splendid virtues. He calls men and women to the modern ecclesial movements, to give themselves to God individually and in community, or to form model families that are like many little churches.

Remember: God’s calling can come at any age. He calls adolescents and children too; he calls people all over the world.

How can we recognize our vocation? It is my experience that generally we need to have a particular attitude. Since God’s call is an act of love on his part, if he finds love in people he is freer to call them. What should we do in order to hear God’s voice? We need to love with an authentic love. By doing that, we make God’s task easier and if we already know what our vocation is, then it is by loving that we find the best way to fulfill it.

As I said, we need authentic love. Authentic love is so important that if you live it, you start a revolution in the world, which is the Christian revolution.

Authentic love has four qualities: it loves everyone, because Jesus died for everyone; Mary is the mother of everyone. Therefore, someone who has an authentic love doesn’t look at whether people are pleasant or unpleasant, whether they are young or old, white or black, German or Italian, a member of one religion or another, if they are friends or enemies. Authentic love is directed toward everyone. Try to live it. Try to live it. Usually, we love our friends, our parents and relatives, and this is wonderful. But do we have love for all in our hearts? Try it, try it. It is a revolution. Because people do not understand and after a while, they ask, “Why are you doing this for me? Why do you love me? Why did you give me that pen? Why did you help me with my homework? Why?”

“Why? Because I want to love everyone,” and this opens a dialogue with other Catholics, with people of other Churches or of other religions. A dialogue begins because we start taking an interest in other people. Therefore, especially you young people remember that the first point of authentic love is to love everyone.

The second point: be the first to love. When Jesus came on earth we weren’t loving him, we were all sinners. He loved us first. We must be ready to make the first move, not expecting to be loved. Do we love because we are loved? No! we must take the initiative in loving. The Holy Spirit has poured this love into our hearts. It is the same love as in the Holy Trinity and in which we share; but we must put it into practice.

Then we need to see Jesus in everyone, because he said that at the final judgment we would be examined on this: you did it to me. This means whatever good we do and, unfortunately, whatever evil we do.

So three qualities: love everyone, be the first to love, see Jesus in every neighbor.

But this love should not be idealistic or sentimental; it should be a concrete love and to be concrete, as St Paul says, we should make ourselves all things to all people. We need to make ourselves one with those who suffer, make ourselves one with those who are happy, and to share joys, sufferings and needs. We must share.

So love everyone, be the first to love, see Jesus, and love concretely. This is what we can do, putting authentic love in our hearts. The calling is his part, it is his task.…

Dear young people, God never stops calling especially if we love. It’s up to us to respond and during our life we’ll weave the divine, wonderful design that God has for each one of us for the good of all.

Do you know what it means to put God in the first place in your life? Whether he calls you to consecrate yourself to him or to form a beautiful family, putting God in the first place in life means finding happiness already here on earth. This is what I wish for all of you!

Aim high, young people, we have only one life, there won’t be another, it’s worthwhile spending it well.”