“. . . how wise and true are the words of Pope John XXIII: ‘I must do everything: recite each prayer, follow each rule as if I had nothing else to do, as if the Lord had placed me on earth solely for accomplishing that action well, as if my sanctification depended on it, without a thought for before or after’.”

Chiara Lubich copied these words in her diary and often referred to them in public when emphasising the importance of becoming holy by doing the will of God in the present moment. She found a confirmation in the words of John XXIII. On the same page she writes:

“I often find my soul invested by two or three things in the present moment, two or three things to be done at once. This causes it [my soul] to become anxious. I often find that my desire to reach everyone, to do everything, to embrace the whole world, is interpreted by me in a mistaken way. It becomes a spiritual avidity that comes from the old self (see Rm 6:6), even though it is so tinged with zeal.”

This is no way for a Christian to live. Even someone in a shop full of edibles, eats either one or the other, but not all of them at once and never the whole store-full. We need to nourish ourselves, and content ourselves with what God wants from us in the present moment.

I’ve tried to do it these past few days. It’s been a wonderful experience. Violently severing away anything that is not the will of God in order to immerse myself only in that, I’ve experienced what it means to have a satisfied soul. It’s peace, gladness, happiness! It’s a sort of beatitude.”

Source: Città Nuova, August 11, 2010