“Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” This is the word of life that we are trying to put into practice during April 2022. Chiara Lubich’s words also encourage us to be witnesses of the Gospel. How can we bear witness to Jesus? By living the new life he brought on earth, which is the life of love, and by showing others its fruits. With every neighbour I meet, I have to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit who helps me to “make myself one” with them and to serve them as perfectly as possible. The Spirit gives me the strength I need to love my neighbours even if, in some way, they are my enemies. It is the Spirit who enriches my heart with mercy, enabling me to forgive and understand their needs. It is the Spirit who makes me zealous in communicating, at the right time, all the beautiful things I most treasure in my soul… The love of Jesus is revealed and passed on to others through my love. It is like a magnifying glass that concentrates the rays of the sun. When you hold a magnifying glass over some straw, the concentration of the sun’s rays causes the temperature to rise and the straw catches fire. If instead we simply put the straw in the sun, it does not catch fire. The same can be true for people. They might seem to be indifferent to religion but sometimes – because this is what God wants – when they are in contact with someone who participates in God’s love, they “catch fire” because that person is like a magnifying glass that concentrates the rays, giving them fire and light. With and through this love of God in our hearts, we can reach further and further, and share our discovery with many other people:

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich in [Words of Life], Città Nuova, 2017, pages 691/2)