august 2008

In however many neighbors you meet throughout your day, from morning to night, in all of them recognize the presence of Jesus.

If your eye is sound, the one who looks through it is God. And God is Love, and love seeks to unite by winning over.

How many people, in error, look at others and at things in order to possess them. It may be a look of selfishness or of envy which in either case is sin. Or people may look within their own selves, and be possessive of their own souls, their faces lifeless because they are bored or worried.

The soul, because it is made in the image of God, is love, and love that turns in on itself is like a flame, that because it is not fed, dies out.

Look outside yourself, not in yourself, not in things, not in persons; look at God outside yourself and unite yourself to him.
He lives in the depths of every soul that is alive, and if dead, the soul is the tabernacle of God that awaits him as the joy and expression of its own existence.

Look at every neighbor then with love, and love means to give. A gift, moreover, calls for a gift, and you will be loved in return.

Understood in this way, love means to love and be loved: as in the Trinity.

God in you will attract other hearts, igniting the life of the Trinity in them, which may already rest in them through grace, although extinguished.

You cannot light up a space—even if electricity is available—until the current’s two poles are brought together.

The life of God in us is similar. It must circulate in order to radiate outside of us and give witness to Christ, the One who links heaven to earth, and people with one another.

Look, therefore, at every one of your neighbors. Give yourself to them in order to give yourself to Jesus and Jesus will give himself back to you. It is the law of love: “Give, and gifts will be given to you” (Lk 6:38).

Out of love for Jesus, let your neighbors possess you. Like another Eucharist, let yourself “be eaten” by your neighbors. Put your entire self at their service, which is service to God, and your neighbors will come to you and love you. The fulfillment of God’s every desire lies in fraternal love, which is found in his commandment: “I give you a new commandment; love one another” (Jn 13:34).

Love is a Fire that penetrates hearts and makes them perfectly one.

When this happens you will no longer find yourself, nor your neighbor; you will find Love, which is God living in you.

And Love will go out to love other brothers and sisters because since your eye is sound, it will see itself in them and all will be one.

And around you will grow a community, just as around Jesus there were first twelve, then seventy-two, then thousands….

The Gospel is fascinating – because it is Light turned into love – it attracts us and draws us to follow it.

Then you might even die on a cross, so as not to be different from the Master, but you will die for whoever crucifies you, and so love will have the ultimate victory.

But your lymph – poured out for the hearts of others – will not die.

It will be fruitful, by propagating, bringing joy and peace and opening up Paradise.

And the glory of God will grow.

But while you are here on earth, be perfect Love.

Chiara Lubich

Part of this text is published in Essential Writings (New City Press, 2007), pp. 80-81.