Our spiritual lives can take a qualitative leap. All we need do is focus on the core thing required of us: love for one another that fulfils God’s will.
In the preceding verses (Rom. 13:1-7) Paul refers to what we owe the civil authorities (obedience, respect, paying taxes etc.). He stresses that this debt should also be paid in a spirit of love. Of course, such a debt is easily understood, all the more so because if we neglect it, we are penalized by law.
On this basis, Paul goes on to speak of another debt, one that’s a bit more difficult to understand. It is our debt, following the instructions Jesus left us, towards every neighbour. It is mutual love in its various expressions: generosity, thoughtfulness, trust, mutual esteem, sincerity and so on (see Rom. 12, 9-12).
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
This Word of Life emphasizes two things.
In the first place, love is presented as a debt, that is, as something we cannot be indifferent to, something we cannot put off. It is presented as something pressing on us, spurring us on, leaving us no peace until it is satisfied.
It’s like saying that mutual love is not an ‘extra’, the result of our largesse, whose strictures we can set aside without incurring any legal penalty. This Word urges us to put mutual love into practice on pain of betraying our dignity as Christians called by Jesus to be instruments of his love in the world.
Secondly, this Word of Life tells us that mutual love is the moving force, the soul and the goal of all the commandments.
It follows that, if we want do the will of God well, we cannot rest content with a cold and legalistic observance of God’s commandments. We must always keep in mind the goal that God sets before us through the commandments. So, for example, to live well the commandment not to steal, we cannot limit ourselves to not stealing, but we ought to be seriously committed to eliminating social injustice. Only like this will we demonstrate love for our neighbour.
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
How should we live the Word of Life for this month?
The subject of love for our neighbour, which it puts before us once again, has infinite shades of meaning. Here we pinpoint one in particular that would seem to be suggested in a special way by the words of the text.
If, as Paul says, mutual love is a debt, we need to have a love that is the first to love as Jesus was with us. It will be, therefore, a love that takes the initiative, that does not hold back, that does not delay.
Let’s do this in the coming month, then. Let’s try to be the first to love each person we meet, we speak to on the phone, we write to or we live with. And let’s love in a concrete way, knowing how to understand the other, foresee the other’s needs, be patient, trustful, persevering, generous.
We will notice that that our spiritual life takes a qualitative leap, to say nothing of the joy that will fill our hearts.
Chiara Lubich
First published in September 1990
A volte è difficile, a volte faticoso, spesso l’amore non è reciproco, sembra che sia a senso unico, ma… ”che importa? ..amarTi importa…”ci ha insegnato Chiara ed è il segreto che cambia e dà senso alla vita. E la fatica, la difficoltà, la stanchezza, tutto si scioglie in una gioia vera che contagia e riempie ogni vuoto.
Married life is a challenging experience. Sometimes, loving one’s spouse could be hardest… but Rom. 13:8 reminds us of the rule … With God’s love, nothing is impossible.
Thanks very much. You could send it in my mail.please. Ciao
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Gracias. Saludos y un abrazo, en UNIDAD!
eu fiquei oito meses na fazenda esperança a palavra é a base de tudo
Boa tarde ! Participei nesse último fim de semana do 1º Encontro Regional das Famílias Novas que aconteceu em Uberlândia. Não conhecia o Movimento Focolare. Ouvi falar de Chiara algumas vezes, mas não havia participado de nada efetivamente. Estou maravilhada, com o coração transbordando de amor e alegria. Quero continuar nessa missão de Unidade e Amor. Ver Jesus no próximo, me doar com amor ao próximo. Hoje sou uma pessoa renovada. Rezem por mim, quero continuar na missão e não fraquejar.Abraços
Thank you very much once again
bella
molto impegnativa e bella da vivere