June 2003

The risen Jesus addresses these words to the apostles before ascending to heaven. He had carried out the mission that the Father had entrusted to him: he lived, died and rose in order to free humanity from evil, to reconcile it with God, to unify it into one family. Now, before returning to the Father, he entrusts to his apostles the task of continuing his work and of being his witnesses throughout the world.
Jesus knows well that the undertaking is infinitely superior to their capacity, and it is for this reason that he promises the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit descends upon them at Pentecost, he will transform the simple and fearful fishermen of Galilee into courageous announcers of the Gospel. Nothing will ever stop them. To those who try to prevent their witness, they will respond: “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).
Through the apostles, Jesus entrusts to the whole Church the task of witnessing. It’s the experience of the first Christian community of Jerusalem which lived “with exultation and sincerity of heart”, attracting new members every day (see Acts 2:46-47). It’s the experience of the members of the first community of the apostle John who announced what they had heard, what they had seen with their eyes, what they had contemplated and what they had touched with their hands, that is, the Word of life…. (See 1 Jn 1:1-4).
Through baptism and confirmation we too have received the Holy Spirit who urges us to bear witness and proclaim the Gospel. Jesus assures us as well:

«You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you…»

He is the gift of the risen Lord. He dwells in us as in his temple and he illuminates and guides us. He is the Spirit of truth which enables us to understand the words of Jesus; he makes them come alive and shows their relevance, he makes us fall in love with Wisdom, he suggests what we must say and how we should say it. He is the Spirit of Love who inflames us with his own love. He makes us capable of loving God with all our heart, soul, and strength, and of loving those we meet on our journey. He is the Spirit of fortitude who gives us the courage and strength to be consistent with the Gospel and to always witness to the truth. Only with the fire of love which he infuses in our hearts can we carry out the great mission Jesus entrusts to us:

«you will be my witnesses… »

How can we witness to Jesus? By living the new life that he has brought on earth, the life of love, and by showing its fruits. I must follow the Holy Spirit who, each time I meet brothers and sisters, helps me to be ready to “make myself one” with them, to serve them to perfection; who gives me the strength to love them if they are enemies in any way; who enriches my heart with mercy and enables me to forgive and understand their needs; who makes me zealous in communicating, when the time comes, my most beautiful thoughts and experiences….
The love of Jesus is revealed and transmitted through my love. It’s a little like what happens when a magnifying glass concentrates the rays of the sun: if the stem of a flower is put under it, it burns, since the concentration of the rays raises the temperature, whereas if the stem is held directly in front of the sun it does not burn. It is like this sometimes with people. In front of religion they seem to remain indifferent, while – because God wants it like this – in front of a person who shares in the love of God, they catch fire because the soul is like a lens which concentrates the rays of the sun, which lights and illuminates.
This love of God in our hearts can have far-reaching consequences; we can share our discovery with very many other people:

«… to the ends of the earth»

The “ends of the earth” are not only the geographical expanses. They also indicate, for example, persons close to us who have not yet had the joy of truly knowing the Gospel. Our witness must stretch that far.
Moreover, we want to live the “golden rule”, which is present in all religions: to do to others as we would have them do to us.
Out of love for Jesus we are asked to “make ourselves one” with everyone, completely oblivious to ourselves, so that the other person, struck by the love of God in us, will want to “make himself one” with us, in a reciprocal exchange of help, of ideals, of projects, of affections. Only then will we be able to speak, and it will be a gift, in the reciprocity of love.
May God make us his witnesses before men and women so that in heaven, Jesus – as he promised us – will acknowledge us before his heavenly Father (See Mt 10:32).

Chiara Lubich