Spiritual thought by Chiara Lubich
To cope with the pandemic, individuals and associations, health workers and scientific communities, governments and international organizations are responding in a variety of ways. Creativity and generosity, which are often heroic, are never lacking. To all these efforts should be added the decisive contribution that comes from prayer that is able to move mountains.
” […] Just as each child in this world trusts his or her own father, believes in him, relies completely on him, lets him take care of every worry and feels secure with him, even in difficult, painful or impossible circumstances, the very same thing is what a “child” of the Gospel does and should do with our heavenly Father.
This childlike attitude is very important, always, because we are often overwhelmed by circumstances, by things that happen or trials that we cannot overcome only with our own strength, but which call for help from above. At this very time we are particularly aware of our need to have a great faith in the Father’s love and in his Providence. … We have been worried and we still are; and we have been wondering what we could do. […] The first answer that took root in our hearts was to pray: to unite all together and pray so as to avert disaster. And everyone – to a greater or lesser extent – has surely begun to do this. To pray. But we need to pray in a way that will obtain results. […]
In the first letter of St John we find a very beautiful and encouraging expression: “ […] If we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us (1 Jn 4:12). “His love is perfected in us.” But if His love is perfected in us, and as long as his love is perfected in us, we are perfect. Therefore, we have this perfection of love by living mutual love.
In the last few days […] we have introduced [into the Regulation of the focolarini] a norm which is basic and essential for them. It’s the duty […] to make a pact with the other focolarini, to be ready to die for one another, as required by Jesus’ commandment.
But this decision, this pact, is certainly not the monopoly of the focolarini who live in community. It is the law for all the members of our Movement. Living out this pact ensures that love in us is perfected and that we are perfect in love. Thus we are pleasing to God and in the best condition to obtain the graces we desire, even the ones needed to move mountains.
I think that if we want to work effectively for a united world, then in the next few days we need to renew with one another and with all the people we meet who know our Movement, our readiness to give our lives. Of course, we must first prepare the ground and create the right atmosphere, so that we can courageously say to the other person: “With God’s grace, I want to be ready to die for you” and so that we can hear the other person say: “And I for you.”
Then we must act accordingly, stoking up the fire of love with regard to every neighbour. […] On this basis, we can pray being sure that our prayers will be answered.
Chiara Lubich
(From a telephone conference call, Mollens, Switzerland, 13th September 1990)
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