6 Jan 2001 | Non categorizzato
Chiara Lubich, using the most powerful human force of love and a strong faith in the unity of all humankind as espoused in the teachings of Jesus Christ, you have been chosen to play a tireless role in sowing the seeds of peace and love among all peoples. Starting during the dark days of the Second World War in Italy and thereafter all over the world, in the last six decades you have worked ceaselessly to help people discover love for and understanding of each other. This has allowed you to continuously strengthen the fragile framework of peace on which much of world’s prosperity, health, culture and spirituality is developing. In particular, you have built the lay Christian Movement of Focolare serving the people of the world through prayer and action and in promoting better dialogue, tolerance and purposeful cooperation among people of various religions. Importantly the empathy that you and the Focolare movement enjoy with young people and the deep understanding of evolving changes in this world displayed by yourself have ensured that the message of Jesus Christ stays relevant, fresh and healing in solving contemporary issues. In honour of your achievements, the peace loving people from the ancient country of India and in particular the Sarvodaya Movement and Shanti Ashram, present you with the eighth Defender of peace Award on the fifth day of January, two thousand and one. Shanti Ashram Sarvodaya Movement Minoti Aram, President Dr. N. Markandan, President
31 Dec 2000 | Non categorizzato, Word of
These words of Scripture are being proposed for the reflection of Christians during the week of prayer for Christian unity, which is being celebrated this month in many nations.
This, perhaps, is the highest and most complete description that Jesus gives of him-self in the Gospels, a description which sums up his mission and his identity. And he ad-dresses it to us so that we may find the surest and only way to the Father. In fact, this verse concludes with the words: no one comes to the Father but through me”.
With these words of his Jesus reveals to us who he truly is, and who he is for every man and woman in this world.
«I am the way, and the truth, and the life».
In what way does Jesus reveal himself as the truth? He does so by bearing witness to it with his life and teaching.
“The reason I was born, the reason why I came into the world, is to testify to the truth” (Lk 3:4). The truth, which Jesus attributes to himself, signifies his person, his word, his work.
We live according to the truth, we are truth in the measure in which we are word of Jesus. But if Jesus is the way in the sense that he is the truth, he is also the way because he is life for us. “I came that they might have life and have it to the full” (Mt 18:20). By nourishing ourselves with him, who became bread in the Eucharist, and also with his word, Christ will grow in us.
On our part, we must communicate this life within us, lest it would die, by using the one and only means that Jesus taught us: that of giving it as a gift to our neighbours.
«I am the way, and the truth, and the life».
“Make ready the way of the Lord” (Mt 18:19), John the Baptist cried out in the desert of Judea, re-echoing the prophet Isaiah. Here, then, is the one who presents himself as the Lord-the Way, God who became man so that, through his humanity, we could go to the Father.
But which way did Jesus take?
The Son of God, who is Love, came on earth out of love. He lived out of love, spreading love, giving the gift of love, bringing the law of love, and he died out of love. Then he rose up and ascended to heaven, fulfilling his plan of love. We can say that the way Jesus took has just one name: love. And in order to follow him, we too must walk along this way: the way of love.
But the love that Jesus lived and brought is a special, unique kind of love. It is not philantrophy, or simply solidarity and kindness; nor is it only friendship or affection; and neither is it only non-violence. It is something extraordinary, divine: it is the same love that burns in God. Jesus gave us a flame of that infinite fire, a ray of that immense sun: divine love, which is lit up in our hearts through Baptism and through our faith, a faith nourished by the other sacraments. This divine love is a gift of God which, however, demands that we do our part, that we correspond.
We must make this love bear fruit. How? By loving. We are not fully Christians if we do not assure this contribution of ours. By loving we will follow Jesus, the Way, and like Him, we too will be the way to the Father for many brothers and sisters.
We Christians will be more credible if we live together this commandment of love that Jesus gave us.
Although there is not yet full unity among us, followers of Jesus, we can bear witness to mutual love through our life. Doing this gives us the possibility of seeing one of Jesus' promises come true: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst” .
We Christians can already enjoy this gift of the presence of Jesus, for example be-tween a Catholic and an Anglican, between an Orthodox and a Methodist, between a Walden-sian and an Armenian. Jesus in the midst of his people! In this way, he himself will tell those who do not yet know him: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life”.
During this month we realize even more that the unity of Christians is first of all a grace and therefore we need to ask for this gift. Let us count on our praying together because Jesus said: “If two of you join your voices on earth to pray for anything whatever, it shall be granted you by my Father in heaven”.
Chiara Lubich
30 Nov 2000 | Non categorizzato, Word of
We find this invitation in the context of Luke's announcement of Jesus' second coming, which will take place when we least expect it. He will come for the created universe, but also for us, when we die, that is, when each one of us comes face to face with the Lord.
Jesus repeats the words, “Be vigilant and pray”, in the Garden of Olives, in order to prepare his disciples for the scandal of his passion.
We could say then that these few words hold the key for facing the most dramatic events of life, but also the inevitable trials of our everyday living.
Vigilance and prayer are mutually indispensable: we cannot be vigilant without prayer, nor can we pray without being spiritually awake. From the early days of the first ascetics who lived in the desert, people sought every means to combine these two virtues so that no temptation would take them by surprise. And many means were devised so as to remain in this attitude of vigilance and prayer.
But for us who are immersed in the frenetic, sweeping pace of modern life, how can we possibly hope not to be allured by so many “siren songs”? And yet these words of the Gospel are meant for us too…
«Be vigilant at all times and pray.»
Jesus cannot ask us to do something that is beyond our capabilities, not even in times like ours. Along with this exhortation, he must necessarily show us how to live in accordance with his word.
So then, how can we stay awake and be on guard, how can we always have a prayerful attitude? We might have made every effort to close ourselves to the outside world as a defense against everything and everyone. But this is not the way, and it doesn't take long to realize that sooner or later we just have to give in.
The way to take can be found in the Gospel and in human experience itself. When you love someone, your heart is vigilant, always waiting for that person; every minute that passes is spent for that person's sake, watching and waiting. A person who loves stays awake. Staying awake is characteristic of love.
We learn this also from the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. Those who are waiting for the one they love stay awake. It's not an effort for them to stay awake because their love is stronger than anything else and it keeps them on their feet, ready for the moment they will meet the one they love.
Similarly, when family members are apart, they look forward to being together again. And their jubilant greeting contains all they did with joy during the day.
Think of a mother or father assisting a son who is ill. When they take a few moments to rest, they fall asleep, but their heart watches.
This is the attitude of those who love Jesus. They do everything for his sake. They encounter him every moment in the simple expressions of his will and they will encounter him solemnly when he comes. Moreover, the liturgy this month prepares us for a heart-felt prayer, rich with expectation, with gifts, with the Gift: the birth of Jesus on earth, as we celebrate his coming at the beginning of the third millennium.
«Be vigilant at all times and pray.»
Also constant prayer is a question of love, because aside from the moments devoted to prayer, the whole of our daily life can become prayer, offering, a silent conversation with God.
That smile to give, that task to carry out, that car to drive, that meal to prepare, that activity to organize, those tears to shed for a brother or sister who is suffering, that instrument to play, that article or letter to write, that happy event to share cheerfully, that dress to clean… If we do everything, everything out of love, everything can become a prayer.
In order to be vigilant, to pray always, it is necessary to be anchored in love: that is, to love God's will and every neighbor he puts beside us.
I really want to try to love today. By doing so, I will be “vigilant at all times and pray”.
Chiara Lubich
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