Look at it this way. I should act toward any neighbour I may meet or happen to work for, as though I were his or her mother.
A mother is always tolerant, ever ready to help, always hopeful, ever making excuses for her child. She forgives everything, even if the child is a delinquent or a terrorist.
A mother’s love is like the charity of Christ, of which Saint Paul speaks (see 1 Cor 13: 1-13). If we have the heart of a mother, or more precisely, the heart of Mary, the mother par excellence, we will be ready to love others in every situation.
We will love everyone, not just the members of our own Church, but those of others as well. And not just Christians, but also Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, etc. We will love non believers of good will. We will not exclude anyone on earth because Mary’s motherhood is universal, just as redemption is universal.
Chiara Lubich
Source: “The Art of Loving”, ©2010 New City Press (NY)
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