Chiara Lubich – Christmas 1955

«He, who entered history two thousand years ago, wants to enter our lives, but the road in us is cluttered by obstacles. We need to flatten the hills, remove the blocks. What are the obstacles that can obstruct the road for Jesus?

They are all the desires not in conformity with God’s will that well up in our soul; they are the attachments that cling to it.

Minuscule desires to speak or keep silent, when we ought to do the opposite; desires for affirmation, for respect, for affection; desires for things, for health, for life… when God does not want them.

The more evil desires, of rebellion, judgement, revenge…

They all well up in our soul and invade it completely. We have to extinguish these desires decisively, remove these obstacles, put ourselves back in God’s will and so prepare the way of the Lord.

We must, the Word says, make his paths straight.

To make them straight: exactly that. Our desires lead us off the path. If we extinguish them, we put ourselves back on the ray of God’s will and we find our road again.

But there is a method of being sure of walking on a straight way, which takes us with certainty to our goal: to God.

It has an obligatory route; it is called our neighbour.

This Christmas, let us throw ourselves once again into loving every person we meet during the day.

Let us light up in our hearts that most ardent and praiseworthy desire which God most certainly wants: the desire to love every neighbour, making ourselves one with him or her in everything, with a love that is without self-interest and without limits.

Love will revive relationships and persons and will not allow selfish desire to spring up. In fact, it is the best antidote to selfishness.

We could prepare for Christmas like this, as a gift for Jesus who comes, giving him this as our fruit: rich and succulent; and our hearts: inflamed, consumed by love».

Chiara Lubich

[Source: Christmas Joy, New City, London 1998, p.55-56]