“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8).

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The first letter of John is addressed to Christians who live in a community in Asia Minor and it encourages them to restore fellowship because they are divided by different doctrines. The author exhorts them to keep in mind what has been proclaimed ‘from the beginning’ of Christian preaching and repeats what the first disciples saw, heard and touched when they lived together with the Lord. By doing this, the community will be in communion with the first disciples and, therefore,  with Jesus and the Father. [i]

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

The author gives a reminder of the very essence of the revelation received by believers:  he emphasizes that, in Jesus, God first loved us and totally took upon himself human existence with all its limitations and weaknesses. On the cross, Jesus shared in our separation from the Father, experiencing it in his own flesh. He brought healing through the total gift of himself, in loving  without limits or conditions. His words and his life show us what love truly is.  From Jesus’ example we understand that to truly love involves courage, hard work and the risk of facing adversity and suffering. But those who love in this way, participate in God’s life and experience his freedom and the joy of self-giving. By loving as Jesus loved us,  we become aware that we become free from ourselves and from the selfishness that closes the door to communion with our brothers and sisters and with God.

 “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

The human heart has always longed, perhaps unconsciously, to know God who created us and who knows us in the deepest way possible. If God is love, by loving like him we can glimpse something of this truth. We can grow in the knowledge of God because we essentially live his life and walk in his light. And this is fully accomplished when love is mutual. For if we love one another, ‘God abides in us.’ [ii]  When this happens, it is similar to two electric poles coming into contact and producing light.

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Chiara Lubich said, ‘To witness that God is love is the great revolution we are called to offer  to the modern world which is experiencing  extreme tension  just as the early Christians bore testimony to this in the pagan world of their time’. How can we do this? How can we live this love that comes from God?

‘By learning from his Son to put it into practice… in particular, let us focus on serving our neighbours, especially those closest to us, beginning with little things, with the most humble kinds of service.  Let us make the effort, following Jesus’ example, to take the initiative in loving, being detached from ourselves and embracing all the small or big crosses that this might entail. In this way,  we too will soon reach that experience of God, that communion with him, that fullness of light, peace and inner joy which Jesus wants us to have.’[iii]

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Santa often visited a care home for the elderly that was run by a Catholic association. One day she and a colleague called Roberta met Aldo, a tall, very cultured and very wealthy man. Aldo looked sternly at the two young women and said,  ‘Why do you always come here? What do you want from us? Why don’t you just let us  die in peace?’ Santa didn’t lose heart and told him, ‘We are here for you, to spend some time together, to get to know each other and become friends.’

They continued to visit the home regularly. Roberta recounts, ‘That man was particularly closed in on himself and dejected. He did not believe in God. Santa was the only one who was able to get close to him,  gently listening to him for hours.  She prayed for him and, on one occasion, gave him a rosary which he accepted.’  Later, Santa learnt that he had spoken her name as he was dying. The pain of his death was lessened by the fact that he died peacefully, holding the rosary she had given him.’

Compiled by Silvano Malini and the Word of Life Team

[i] Cf. 1Jn 1:1-3
[ii] Cf 1Jn 4:12
[iii] C. Lubich Word of Life May 1991

“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all” (Acts 4:33).

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Let all that you do be done in love. (1 Cor. 16:14)i

This month, the word and experience of the apostle Paul can guide us and be a lamp for our steps.ii He proclaims a powerful message to us just as he did to the Christians in Corinth; he announces that charity, agape and the selfless love as found among brother and sisters lie at the heart of the Gospel. Our Word of Life is part of this letter’s conclusion. It frequently refers to the importance of charity and explains it in all its nuances: it is patient, benevolent,loves truth and does not seek its own interests … iii

Mutual love lived out in this way in the Christian community is balm for the divisions that always threaten it and is a sign of hope for all humanity. Let all that you do be done in love. It is striking that in the Greek text, Paul exhorts us to act as a consequence of “being in love,” as if to direct us towards a permanent state of being – a dwelling in God who is Love. For how can we welcome each other, how can we be open towards each person we meet if we do not acknowledge that God took the initiative in loving us just as we are, complete with our frailties and failures? A renewed awareness of God’s love enables us to have no fear in being open to others, discerning their needs and standing alongside them, sharing material and spiritual resources.

Let’s look at how Jesus did this as he is our model. He was always the first to give: “… health to the sick, forgiveness to sinners, life to us all. He contrasted a selfish instinct to hoard with an attitude of generosity; he challenged focus upon personal needs with attention to others and the desire to possess with a culture of giving. It does not matter whether we can give a lot or a little. What matters is how we give, how much love we put into even the smallest things we do for another person. …

Love is essential because it knows how to approach others even if all we have to offer is our availability to listen or to serve. How important … it is to try to ‘be love’ beside each person. It is the most direct way to enter their hearts and raise their spirits.”iv

“Let all that you do be done in love.”

This Word teaches us to approach others with respect, without falsehood, with creativity, making room for their best aspirations, so that each person can make a contribution to the common good. It helps us to value all the practical aspects of daily life: “… from household tasks, work in industrial units or on the land, duties in an office or school, to civil, religious and political responsibilities we may undertake. Everything can be transformed into attentive and caring service”.v

Let’s imagine a series of images showing simple gestures inspired by the Gospel. Here are two examples. Two parents write, “When a very distressed neighbour told us that her son was in prison, we agreed to visit him. We fasted the day before we went and hoped we would have the grace to say the right things to him. Then we paid his bail so he could leave jail.”

A group of young people in Buea, southwest Cameroon, organized a collection of goods and funds to help those internally displaced by the ongoing war. They visited a man who had lost an arm while fleeing from his home. Living with this disability was extremely challenging and had a serious impact upon his life. Regina said, “He told us that our visit gave him hope, joy and confidence. He felt God’s love through us.” Marita added, “After this experience, I am convinced that nothing is too small if done with love… There is no need for anything else: it is love that moves the world. Try it!”

Edited by Letizia Magri and the Word of Life Team

i This month the Word of Life we propose is the same that a group of Christians from different Churches in Germany has chosen to live throughout the year.

ii Cf. Ps. 19 [18] 105

iii Cf. Ch. 13

iv Chiara Lubich Word of Life, Oct 2006

v  ibid

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“Love the Lord your God … and your neighbour as yourself” (Luke 10:27).

This year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (i) offers the phrase quoted above as a basis for reflection. The origins of the phrase lie in the Old Testament. (ii) On his way to Jerusalem Jesus is stopped by a doctor of the law who asks him, ‘Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ (iii) This opens up a dialogue and Jesus responds with a counter-question, ‘What is written in the Law?’ (iv) thus enabling the questioner himself to draw out the answer. He states that the Law and Prophets are summed up in love of God and love of neighbour.

“Love the Lord your God … and your neighbour as yourself.”

The doctor of the law continues by asking, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ The Master responds by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan. He does not list the various types of people who may be neighbours but describes the attitude of deep compassion that should underlie all our actions. It is we ourselves who should become neighbours’ to others.

The question to ask is, ‘Whose neighbour am I?’ Just as the Samaritan did, we should care for our brothers and sisters whose needs we know and not be fearful of becoming fully involved in the situations that arise all around us. Our love can show concern and bring help, support and encouragement to everyone.

We need to see in other people ‘another self’ and do to them what we would want done to us. This is the so-called ‘golden rule’ that we find in all religions. Gandhi explains it effectively, ‘You and I are one. I cannot hurt you without hurting myself’. (v)

“Love the Lord your God … and your neighbour as yourself.”

‘If we remain indifferent or resigned to the needs of our neighbours, whether these are material or spiritual, we cannot say that we love our neighbours as ourselves. We cannot say that we love them as Jesus loved them. In a community that strives to be inspired by the love that Jesus taught us, there can be no place for inequality, marginalization or neglect. For as long as we regard our neighbours as strangers who are disturbing our peaceful lives and disrupting our plans, we will not be able to say that we love God with all our hearts.’ (vi)

“Love the Lord your God … and your neighbour as yourself.”

Life is what happens in the present moment. Noticing those around us and knowing how to listen to each other can open up interesting situations and set in motion unexpected initiatives.

This is what happened to Victoria:
‘In church I was struck by the beautiful voice of an African woman sitting next to me. I congratulated her, encouraging her to join the parish choir. We stopped to talk. She was a nun from Equatorial Guinea who was passing through Madrid. In her institute, they take in abandoned baby boys and girls and care for them till they become adult. The young people usually either study at university or learn a trade. The tailoring workshop was well established in the institute but did not have sufficient sewing machines.

I offered to help her find more machines. I placed my trust in Jesus and was sure that he was listening to our needs and urging me to love without measure. One of my friends knew a tradesman who was happy to participate in this chain of love. He arranged to repair eight machines and even found an ironing machine for the workshop. A couple of friends offered to take them all the way to Madrid even though this meant changing the destination of their two-day holiday and travelling nearly 1,000 kilometres. Thus, the “hope machines” arrived in Malabo after a long journey over land and sea. In Equatorial Guinea they could not believe what had happened and could only express their immense gratitude!’

Prepared by Patrizia Mazzola
and the Word of Life Team

i. This is celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere 18-25 January and in the Southern Hemisphere during the week of Pentecost. This year the texts of prayers have been prepared by an ecumenical group in Burkino Faso.
ii. Cf. Dt 6:,4-5 & Lev 19:18.
iii. Lk. 10:25
iv. Lk. 10:26
v. C. Lubich, L’arte di amare, Città Nuova, Roma 2005, p. 24.
vi. C. Lubich. Word of Life, Nov 1985

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“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1Thess. 5:16-18).

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians at a time when many of Jesus’ contemporaries were still alive. They had seen and heard him and had witnessed the tragedy of his death and the wonder of his resurrection and ascension. They recognized the mark he had left upon others and expected his imminent return.

Paul loved the Thessalonian community who were exemplary in the way they lived and in their fruitful witness. He wrote this letter to them, imploring them to share the content with all (5:27) and he recommended that the latter should be “imitators of us and of the Lord” (1:6). He summarised this as follows:

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

The common theme in all of Paul’s exhortations is not only what God expects of us, but also when: that is always, constantly and repeatedly. However, can someone command others to rejoice? Everyone experiences that at times life may assail us with problems, worries, suffering and anguish and that society around us may be dreary and unwelcoming. Yet for Paul there is a reason that could make it possible to “rejoice” as he suggests. In this letter, he is speaking to Christians and he advises them to take Christian life seriously so that Jesus can live in them with the fullness promised after his resurrection. Jesus lives in those who love and we experience this. We can follow a pathway of love when we are not closed in on ourselves but love others and when we welcome the support of friends and keep alive faith that “love conquers all”. i

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Dialogue among believers of different religions and beliefs leads to an even deeper understanding that praying is a profoundly human action; prayer constitutes and elevates all human beings.

How can we pray without ceasing? The Orthodox theologian Evdokimov wrote, “It’s not enough to have prayers to say and have rules and habits regarding them; we should be prayer incarnate. Our life should be liturgy, prayer concerns the most ordinary and everyday things.” ii
Chiara Lubich emphasized that “we can love (God) as children and our hearts can be filled with the Holy Spirit of love and trust in our Father. Such confidence makes us speak to him often and tell him everything that we are doing, our intentions and plans for the future.” iii
There is a way to pray without ceasing that is accessible to everyone: you can do this by pausing before each action, focussing upon the intention and saying “For You.” It is a simple practice that transforms our activities from within and makes our entire lives into constant prayer.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Giving thanks in all circumstances is an attitude that flows freely from gratitude and love for the One who silently sustains and accompanies individuals, peoples, history and the entire cosmos. There is also gratitude for others who journey with us and who make us aware that we are not self-sufficient.
Rejoicing, praying and giving thanks are three actions that bring us closer to becoming as God sees and wants us to be and they enrich our relationship with him. We trust that “the God of peace will sanctify us entirely”. iv

By living this way, we prepare to enter more deeply into the joy of Christmas; we contribute to making the world a better place and we become creators of peace in ourselves, our homes, our workplaces and the areas where we live. Nothing is more necessary and urgent today.

Victoria Gómez and the Word of Life Team

i. Vergilius X 69;. Musical setting Gen Rosso, https://music.apple.com/es/album/lamore-vince-tutto-
single/1595294067
ii. Evdokimov “La Preghiera di Gesu” in La Novita’ dello Spirito Milan 1997
iii. Lubich Conversazioni, Citta Nuova, Rome 2019
iv. 1Thess 5:23

“You are all children of light and children of the day; we do not belong to the night, nor to darkness (1 Thess 5:5).”

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Light has always symbolized life. Every day we await the dawn as the harbinger of a new beginning. The theme of light has often been featured in the histories of peoples and in ancient religions. Jewish tradition celebrates Hannukah, the festival of lights, which commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the liberation from pagan cults. Some Muslims light candles on the day of the prophet’s birth, known as Mawlid in Arabic or Mevlid Kandili in Turkish. Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is also celebrated in other Indian religions and symbolises the victory of good over evil. For Christians, Jesus Christ is the light that illuminates the darkness of the world. Light, therefore, is charged with strong symbolism and  represents the presence of the divine and is a gift for humanity and the earth.

 “You are all children of light and children of the day; we do not belong to the night, nor to darkness.”

But what are the characteristics of the children of the day? One of them is “not belonging to the night, nor to darkness.” The renunciation of lethargy and apathy lies in the decision to remain in a state of wakefulness.  It means choosing to love and to live each moment fully.   In this letter, the apostle’s pressing invitation to the Thessalonian community is to keep watch together, renouncing all kinds of stupor and indifference. During a time when humanity is particularly in need of light, as Paul writes (cf. 1 Thess 5:8)  those who “do not belong to the night” have the task of bringing greater clarity to all human relationships by a process of continuous self-giving that, through faith, love and hope, makes visible the presence of the Risen One. Furthermore, we need to cultivate a closer and more sincere relationship with God by searching our hearts deeply and finding moments of dialogue in prayer and by living out his word that makes this light shine out.

You are all children of light and children of the day; we do not belong to the night, nor to darkness.

Sometimes we can become accustomed to living in the darkness of our hearts and be content with the many false lights around us and the world’s various promises of happiness.  However, God always calls us to allow his light to shine within and to look carefully at people and all that is happening so we can recognise signs of radiance.  Effort is needed to continually choose to begin afresh and turn from darkness to light. Chiara Lubich wrote, “The Christian cannot escape from the world and hide or consider religion to be a private affair. He or she lives in the world because each person has a responsibility, a mission, to be the light that illuminates. You, too, have this task, and if you do not do this, your ineffectiveness is like salt that has lost its flavour or  light that has become shadow.” [i] […] “The task of all Christians is, therefore, to let this light shine through them and be the ‘sign’ of this presence of God among all people.” [ii]

 You are all children of light and children of the day; we do not belong to the night, nor to darkness.

God is light and can be found by those who seek him with a sincere heart. No matter what happens, we will never be separated from his love because we are his children. If we are sure of this we will not be surprised or crushed by upsetting events.  This year’s earthquake in Turkey and Syria, which claimed more than 50,000 victims, turned the lives of millions of people upside down. Those who survived the catastrophe found that entire communities there and in other countries have been points of light that worked to bring immediate aid and provide relief to those who have lost loved ones, homes … everything.

Darkness can never overwhelm those who choose to live in the light and to generate light. For us Christians, this means a life with Christ in our midst, a presence that makes it possible to catch a glimpse of life that restores hope and allows us to continue to dwell in God’s love.

Patrizia Mazzola and
the Word of Life team

1 Cf. Mt 5, 13-16.

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Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. (Mt. 22:21)

Jesus has entered Jerusalem and people have acclaimed that he is the ‘Son of David’.  This is a  royal title that Matthew’s Gospel attributes to the Christ who has come to announce that the Kingdom of God is imminent.In this context, a unique dialogue takes place between Jesus and a group of people who question him. Some are Herodians and others are Pharisees, two groups that held differing views with respect to the power of the Roman emperor. They ask him whether or not he judges it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor and thus force him to take sides for or against Caesar and, therefore, create the basis to make possible accusations against him. But Jesus answers with another question about the image stamped on the coinage of the time. Since it is that of the emperor, he replies:

“Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

But what is due to the emperor, Caesar,  and what is due to God? Jesus recalls the primacy of God: for just as the image of the emperor was stamped on the Roman coins, so the image of God is stamped on every human being.The rabbinic tradition itself affirms that every person is created in the likeness of God,[i]  just as Caesar’s image was imprinted on coinage:  ‘When a person stamps several coins with one seal, they are all similar to each other. But the supreme King of kings, the Holy One, Blessed be He, stamped all people with the seal of Adam the first man, as all of them are his offspring, and not one of them is similar to another.’ [ii] Therefore, it is to God alone that we can give ourselves completely, to him alone we belong and in him we find freedom and dignity. No human power can claim the same allegiance. ‘If there is anyone who knows God and can help us give him his rightful place, it is  Jesus. For him … to love meant doing the Father’s will with all his mind, heart, energy and life itself: he gave himself entirely to the Father’s plan for him. The Gospel shows us that his focus  was always upon the Father …. He asks the same of us: to love means to do the will of the Beloved, without half measures, with our whole being … We are asked to do this wholly and completely  because  we cannot give God anything less than everything: our whole heart, our whole soul, our whole mind.’ [iii]

“Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Often we are faced with dilemmas or difficult choices that threaten to make us slip into the temptation of finding a loophole or easy way out. Jesus too was tested when faced with two ideological solutions but for him it was clear: the priority was the coming of the kingdom of God and the primacy of love.  This Word of Life makes us ask if our hearts are won over by fame or if they are given to making  rapid progress in our careers? Do we admire successful people and the various influencers? Do we give things their rightful place with God?

Jesus’ answer proposes a quantum leap and invites us to a serious and thorough discernment of our scale of values. Deep in our consciences we can discern a voice that is sometimes subtle and overpowered by other voices but, nevertheless, is recognizable. It is the voice that urges us to tirelessly seek ways of creating fraternity and always encourages us to renew this choice, even at the cost of going against the tide of current opinion.

This is a fundamental exercise if we wish to build the foundations of  genuine dialogue with others and try to find together adequate answers to the complexity of life. This does not mean we  shirk personal responsibility towards society but that we offer ourselves in selfless service to the common good. During the time  Dietrich Bonhoeffer was imprisoned and eventually executed for civil resistance towards Nazism, he  wrote to his fiancée, ‘I do not mean the faith that flees the world, but the faith that endures in the world and loves and remains faithful to the earth, despite all the tribulations it brings us. Our marriage must be a “yes” to God’s earth, it must strengthen our courage to work and create something on earth. I fear that Christians who dare to stand with only one foot on  earth will have only one foot in heaven too.’[iv]

 By Letizia Magri and the Word of Life team

Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever. (Ps 145 [144]:2).

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The quotation from Scripture that is offered to help us on our journey this month is a prayer. It is a verse taken from Psalm 145. The Psalms are compositions that reflect the individual and collective religious experience of the people of Israel during their historical journey as they faced the challenges of daily life. Prayer expressed as poetry rises up to the Lord as lament, supplication, thanksgiving and praise. This encompasses a range of emotions and attitudes that men and women experience during their lifetime in their relationship with the living God.

The underlying theme of Psalm 145 is the kingship of God. The psalmist, based on his personal experience, acclaims God’s greatness: ‘Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;’ (v. 3);  he  magnifies his goodness and the universality of his love: ‘The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.’ (v. 9); he acknowledges his faithfulness: ‘The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.’ (v. 13b), and he even goes so far as to involve every living thing in a cosmic song: ‘All flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever’ (v.21).

“Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever.”

In modern times, however, people may sometimes feel abandoned and alone. They fear that what happens each day is a matter of chance, just a succession of events devoid of meaning and purpose. This psalm reassures and proclaims hope: ‘God is the creator of heaven and earth. He is the faithful keeper of the covenant that binds him to his people. He is the One who does justice to the oppressed, gives the bread that sustains the hungry and frees the captives. It is he who opens the eyes of the blind, raises up the fallen, loves the righteous, protects the stranger, sustains the orphan and the widow …’. [i]

“Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever.”

This word invites us, first of all, to cherish our personal relationship with God by accepting his love and mercy without reservation.  It invites us to place ourselves before this mystery and  to listen to his voice. This is the foundation of all prayer. But this love of God is never separated from that for our neighbour. When we imitate God the Father in concretely loving every brother and sister, especially the least, those who are rejected by others and those who are lonely, we come to perceive his presence in our daily lives. Chiara Lubich, when invited to speak of her Christian experience before an assembly of Buddhists, summed it up this way: ‘… the heart of my experience is this: the more one loves human beings, the more one finds God. The more one finds God, the more one loves men and women.’ [ii]

Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever.

But there is another way to find him. In recent decades humanity has gained a new awareness of the great challenge of ecological problems.  Young people in particular are driving forward the recognition of a need for change:  they propose a more sober lifestyle, new development goals and the search for alternative sources of energy.  They also show commitment to the right of all inhabitants of the planet to have clean water, food and air.  In this way human beings can not only rediscover their relationship with nature but also praise God as filled with amazement, they discover his tenderness toward all creation.

This is the experience of Venant M. who, as a child in his native Burundi, used to wake up at dawn to the sound of birdsong and then travel dozens of kilometers in the forest to go to school. He felt fully in tune with the trees, animals, streams, hills and with his companions. He had a sense of being close to nature and felt he was a living part of an ecosystem in which creatures and Creator were in total harmony. This awareness became praise, not just in that moment but throughout the whole day. Some people may ask about those of us who live in cities. ‘Safeguarding nature is a rare occurrence in our concrete metropolises built by human hand amid the din of the world. Yet, if we wish, the sight of blue sky glimpsed between the tops of skyscrapers is enough to remind us of God; a ray of sunshine that succeeds in penetrating  between the bars of a prison, is enough; a flower, a meadow, a child’s face… ‘ [iii]

Augusto Parody Reyes and the Word of Life team

[i] St. John Paul II General Audience 2 Jul 2003

[ii] M. Vandeleene ‘Io, il Fratello & Dio’ in the writings of C. Lubich

[iii] C. Lubich Link Up telephone call , edited by M Vandeleene, Rome 2019

Jesus is making his way to the region of Tyre and Sidon, to a foreign land. It seems that he and his followers are searching for an opportunity to rest at last and maybe also for solitude, silence, prayer, and shelter. Suddenly, they hear the cries of a woman who, like other characters in the gospels, has no name. Her presence disturbs and irritates the disciples who ‘beg’ Jesus to send her away: ‘she comes shouting after us.’ The woman is not blocked by the fact that she is not an Israelite, nor because she is a woman, nor because the Master ignores her. She is a mother, desperate for her daughter ‘tormented by a demon.’ She approaches Jesus with the tenacity of wanting a personal meeting with him and she manages to ‘kneel before’ the Master as she insistently asks for help. Jesus responds with unusual harshness and says, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’

“Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”

The woman accepts the refusal and she understands that her world is not part of Jesus’ primary mission. She accepts that her God is not a machine that dispenses graces, but a father who desires a true relationship that recognises her personal poverty.  Aware of this, the woman looks Jesus in the eye, ‘Yes, Lord, yet the l dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ She puts Jesus – so to speak – with his back to the wall, and he is moved by the humility of those who are content with the crumbs. Even her cries seem to express a faith and she calls him ‘Lord, Son of David!’

“Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”

Her great faith is enshrined in the gospels thanks to a few verbs: the woman comes out and goes to Jesus; she calls out; she cries; she asks for mercy; she recognizes Jesus as Lord and prostrates herself before him; she maintains her tenacity and certainty that for the Lord the impossible is possible; she responds to Jesus’ harshness with impeccable logic. Motherly love and trust are her strengths. ‘And  her daughter was healed instantly.’ This Word is a picture of a person’s living faith in action. And, at the same time, it shows the efforts and journey of the early Christian community to which Matthew addresses these writings, as it opens up to the non-Jewish world which both contains and searches for faith.

“Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”

As with the Syrophoenician woman, ‘our faith can be challenged by a sudden difficulty, by an unforeseen event that upsets our plans, by a serious illness or by the prolongation of a very painful situation’ [i], and, we might add,  by the absence of peace in the world, by structural injustices, by a planet that is seriously ill or by conflict in the family or society… And one of our weaknesses might be a lack of perseverance and total faith. ‘God allows our faith to pass through difficult and sometimes absurd situations. He wants to purify it, he wants to see if we really know how to abandon ourselves in him, believing that his love is much greater than our plans, desires or expectations.’[ii] This happened to Saliba.  It seemed he would have to leave his city and his elderly parents in  Homs Syria.  His father was a glazier and his shop had been destroyed during the war and the city destroyed.

Like other young people, Saliba thought he would have to create new opportunities elsewhere but he did not give up. He was just 22 years of age and had the resolve of someone who does not want to run away from helping his people, who are suffering. He took advantage of the opportunity offered to him by a project called RestarT, to open his own convenience store, where his fellow citizens could find cheeses, yogurt and butter made by his mother, as well as pulses, oils, spices and coffee. He already had a refrigerator and a power generator. On days when the convenience store is closed, he and his elderly father distribute baskets of food to families in need.

Edited by Victoria Gómez
and the Word of Life team

[i] Chiara Lubich, Word of Life, June 1994

[ii] Ibid

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‘Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple – truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.’ (Mt 10:42).

The evangelist Matthew is a highly educated Christian scribe; he is thoroughly familiar with the promises of the God of Israel and for him Jesus’ words and actions are their fulfilment. Therefore, in his Gospel he presents Jesus’ teaching in the form of five great discourses, as if he is a new Moses. This Word of Life concludes the ‘missionary discourse’ which begins with the choosing of the twelve apostles and explains what their preaching will involve. Jesus also speaks of the misunderstandings and persecutions they will encounter, which will require of them both credible witness and radical choices.

But there is more: Jesus reveals that the sending of the disciples has its roots in the mission he himself received from the Father. This is a belief that was found in the Old Testament: God himself is present and engaged in his messenger. Therefore, through the witness of Jesus and those he sends, the very love of God reaches every person.

‘Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple – truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.’

In addition to the specific mission of some people, namely the apostles, the pastors and the prophets, Jesus announces that every Christian can be his disciple and, at the same time, a recipient and bearer of this mission. As disciples, all of us, even if we are ‘small’ and apparently lacking special qualities or titles, can witness that God is near. It is the entire Christian community that the Father of all sends to humanity.

We have received attention, care, forgiveness and trust from God through the actions of our brothers and sisters. We can give something to others so that they can experience the Father’s tenderness, as Jesus did during his mission. This is the root of the belief that, in the Father, there is the guarantee that so-called ‘little things’ can change the world. Even if this is only a glass of cold water. ‘It doesn’t matter whether we can give much or little. What matters is how we give, how much love we put into even a small gesture that shows awareness of another person. Sometimes it is enough to offer them a glass of water, a glass of fresh water; it is a simple gesture that is great in God’s eyes if it is done in his name, that is, out of love.

(…) This month’s Word of Life may help us to rediscover the value of everything we do: from work in the house or fields to dealing with office paperwork and schoolwork and responsibilities in the civil, political and religious fields. Everything can be transformed into attentive and caring service. Love will give us new eyes to sense what others need and to approach them with creativity and generosity. What will the fruits be? Gifts will circulate because love calls for love. Joy will multiply because “there is more joy in giving than in receiving.”’ (i)

‘Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple – truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.’

What Jesus asks of us is very demanding: he is asking us not to stop the flow of God’s love. He asks us to reach out with open hearts to every man and woman and offer concrete service, overcoming our prejudices and judgments. He wants our active, creative and responsible cooperation for the common
good, starting from the small things of every day, but at the same time he will not fail to reward us. He will always be at our side, to take care of us and accompany us in this mission.

‘(…) I left my job in the Philippines and went to Australia to be with my family. I found a job as a cleaner at a construction site. I had to take care of the dining rooms, locker rooms, offices and canteen that were used by more than 500 workers. It was a completely different job from the one I had before as an engineer. Out of love for others, I made sure that the dining rooms were always clean and tidy. Despite the fact that there were people who did not care about cleanliness, I did not lose my patience because it was an opportunity for me to love Jesus in each person I meet. Gradually, these people began to clean up after lunch and then over time we became friends and I began to gain trust and respect from them. (…) I have seen that love is contagious and that anything that is done out of love remains.’ (ii)

Letizia Magri and the Word of Life Team

(i) Acts 20:35 as in C Lubich, Word of Life Oct 2006
(ii) Edited by S. Pellegrini, G. Salerno, M. Caporali, Famiglie in azione – Un mosaico di vita, Città Nuova 2022.