Listen to the voice of the Spirit

Charity, which is a sharing in the divine life, cannot be improvised by us, we must draw it from God and from his Spirit. Then, in listening and obeying his voice, God’s plan unfolds magnificently and majestically.

(…) To be perfect in love. To reach this goal — as we know — each day we must become more perfect, because “the one who does not go forward, goes backwards”.  Love for the person we encounter must always be more refined, more exquisite.

But what is the best means to achieve such an objective?

I don’t see any other means than to direct our heart, mind and strength towards Jesus Forsaken with a constant desire to renew our love for Him; to love Him in the inevitable sufferings of each day. (…) It is this love – as we say—this always going beyond the wound in each moment, that allows the Risen One to live in us, full of light, that allows his Spirit to break every entrapment of our ego. And if the Spirit is freed within us, He will be able to increase the charity that He Himself has infused in our hearts.

During these last few days, I have been experiencing that in trying to live with the Risen One in my heart, the voice of God grows louder within me and it is this voice that guides me in all the relationships that I must establish, with whomever I meet, those of the Church and of the Movement.

(…) Yes, charity, which is a sharing in the divine life cannot be improvised, we must take it from God and from His Spirit. Therefore, when we listen to and obey His voice, the plan of God unfolds in a magnificent and majestic way. And as this happens, unity among grows deeper. (…)

Dearest all, we have an ideal that is both extraordinary and divine (…) We truly do not know what we have. Rather, we do know: we have Jesus, the Son of God in and among us who lives and reigns where charity is queen. Therefore, so that this may always be so, (…), let’s make a renewed effort to love Jesus Forsaken in order that the Risen One may radiate within our hearts. The voice of His Spirit will grow louder within us and we will be able to be always more perfect in love, always more pleasing to God and to Mary, and then always more ready to serve the Church.

Let’s keep this trinomial in mind: Jesus Forsaken, the Risen One, and to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. If we do this, we will be an expression of God’s love for every­one.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               Chiara Lubich

(From a telephone conference call, Rocca di Papa, November 21^st 1985)