… “I was hungry and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me to drink…” (Mt 25:35). “When Lord?” “Every time you did this to the least of my brothers and sisters, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40).

(…)  

This love for the poor was always light for us, and the Spirit made us understand the need to love not only them, but everyone else too: “Love your neighbour as yourself,” whoever he or she may be.

And from this came a wonderful idea and a decision: to transform our daily lives into a wide range of material and spiritual works of mercy: in all the contacts we made, with all the different people we met. Because here too, we could apply the words: “You did it to me.”

In each neighbour we met, we saw Christ who was asking for help, for comfort, advice, correction, instruction, light, bread, shelter, clothes, prayers….

(…) 

We hope that one day, to those … who will ask Jesus: “When, Lord, did I give you to eat, to drink, and when did I console you?” he will reply: “Every time you did this to the least of my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.”

Chiara Lubich