“There is need of only one thing” (Lk. 10:42).

Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem where his mission will be fulfilled.  On the journey, he stops in a village at the home of Martha and Mary. The evangelist, Luke, describes the reception that the two sisters give to Jesus: Martha fulfils the traditional role of housekeeper and, ‘was distracted by her many tasks’ [i] as she provides hospitality, while Mary, ‘sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to what he was saying’ (v. 39). Mary’s attentiveness is countered by Martha’s agitation and, in fact, to her complaints about being left alone to serve, Jesus replies, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things;  there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’  (vv. 41-42). This passage is situated between the parable of the Good Samaritan which is arguably one the greatest descriptions of love of neighbour, and the passage  recounting how Jesus taught the disciples to pray which is certainly the greatest explanation of the relationship with God the Father: thus, it is almost like a pivotal point on the scales balancing love for our neighbour and love for God.

“There is need of only one thing.”

The protagonists of this Gospel passage are two women. The dialogue that takes place between Jesus and Martha describes the friendship that allows the latter to complain to the Master. But what is the service that Jesus would like? For him it is important that Martha should not worry, that she should set aside the traditional tasks assigned to women and that she too should listen to his word like Mary who is taking on a new role as a disciple. The message of this text has often been reduced to contrasting  active and contemplative life, almost as if they were two alternative religious approaches. However, both Martha and Mary love Jesus and want to serve him. In the Gospel, in fact, it is not said that prayer and listening to the Word are more important than charity, but rather that we need to find a way to link these two loves in an indissoluble way. The two loves – love of God and love of neighbour –  are not opposed to each other but are complementary because Love is one.

“There is need of only one thing.”

How do we understand what is the one thing that is needed? The beginning of the sentence can help us do this: ‘Martha, Martha …’. (v. 41). In the repetition of the name which can almost be seen as a rebuke, there is really a personal ‘vocational call’. It seems, therefore, that Jesus is calling Martha to a new way of relating to him, to weaving a bond with him not as a servant but as a friend who is entering into a profound relationship with him. Chiara Lubich writes: ‘Jesus used these circumstances to explain what is most necessary in human life. … To listen to the Word of Jesus. And for Luke, who writes this passage, listening to the Word also means living it. … This is what you have to do too: welcome the Word and let it bring about a transformation in you. But that is not enough;  you should remain faithful to it and hold it in your heart so that it shapes your life, just as the earth holds  seed in its bosom so that they may sprout and bear fruit. Therefore, bear the fruits of new life, the effects of the Word.’ [ii]

“There is need of only one thing.”

Who knows how many opportunities we have to welcome the Master into the intimacy of our home, just like Martha and Mary, and to sit listening at his feet like true disciples. Often our worries, illnesses, commitments and even joys and satisfactions plunge us into a  whirlwind of things to do, leaving us no time to stop and recognise the Lord and listen to him. This Word is a precious opportunity to practise choosing the better part, that is, listening to his Word and acquiring that inner freedom that enables us to act accordingly in our daily lives.  It can help us to carry out actions that are the fruit of a loving relationship that gives meaning to service and listening.

Letizia Magri

[i] Lk 10:40. The verb perispàomai has a double meaning: it can mean either ‘to be fully occupied/to be greatly overburdened’ or ‘to be distracted’.

[ii] Chiara Lubich Word of Life July 1980

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I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. (Jn 13:34).

These words were said during the Last Supper.  Jesus was at table with his disciples and had just washed their feet. A few hours later he would be arrested, condemned to death and crucified. When time is short and the end is approaching, the most important things are said and a person’s ‘testament’ is left.

St John’s Gospel does not give an account of the institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper. In its place is the washing of the feet.  This sheds particular light on our understanding of the new commandment.  Jesus first does something and then teaches, and for this reason his word has authority. The commandment to love one’s neighbour was already present in the Old Testament: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ (Lev. 19:18). Jesus highlights a new aspect of this, which is reciprocity.  In fact, mutual love is what creates the Christian community and makes it stand out.

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.

The roots of this commandment are in divine life itself, in the Trinitarian dynamic in which the Son of God has enabled men and women to share. Focolare founder, Chiara Lubich, illustrates this by using an image that may enlighten our understanding: ‘When Jesus came on earth, he did not come from nothing, like each of us, but he came from heaven. Just as migrants, who go to a distant country, adapt to their new environment, they also bring their own customs and often still speak their own language.  In a similar way,  Jesus adapted to life on earth but – because he was God –  he brought the life of the Trinity on earth with him and that life is mutual love.’ [i]

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.

Here we enter into the heart of Jesus’ message and this takes us back to the newness of life that was experienced in the first Christian communities and which can still be the hallmark of all our groups and associations today.  In an environment where reciprocity is a  living reality, we understand the meaning of our existence, we find the strength to go on in times of pain and suffering, we are supported in the inevitable difficulties of life, and we experience joy. We face so many challenges every day: the pandemic, polarisation, poverty and conflict. Let us imagine for a moment what would happen if we were able to put this Word of Life into practice in our daily lives. We would see new opportunities opening up and the plan for humanity would unfold before our eyes, giving hope. Nothing is stopping us from reawakening this Life in ourselves and rekindling around us relationships of fraternity that extend throughout the world.

 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.

Marta is a young volunteer who helps prisoners studying for university exams. ‘The first time I stepped inside the prison, I met people with fears and frailties. I tried to build a relationship with them that was first professional but also friendly, based on respect and listening. I soon realised that I was not only helping the prisoners but I was also being helped by them. Once, when one of the students was preparing for an exam, someone in my family died and my student’s conviction was confirmed by the court of appeal. We were both in a very dark place. During the lessons I could see how much pain there was inside him and which he was able to share with me. Bearing the weight of that pain together helped us to move forward. When the exam was over, he came to thank me, saying that he could not have done it without me. While one life in my family had ended, I felt I had saved another. I realised that reciprocity makes it possible to create real relationships of friendship and respect.’ [ii]

Letizia Magri

[i] C. Lubich ‘Maria trasparenza di Dio’ pub. Citta Nuova, Rome, 2003

[ii] Cf.  http://www.unitedworldproject.org/workshop/unesperienza-al-di-la-delle-sbarre-relazioni-di-cura-reciproca/

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Go out into the world and proclaim the good news to the whole of creation. (Mk.16:15)

In Mark’s gospel, the last words of the Risen Jesus are found in the passage that refers to Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance to the apostles. They are at the table, as we have often seen them together with Jesus even before his passion and death, but this time the small community bears the signs of failure. There are only eleven of them left, instead of the twelve that Jesus had wanted with him, and at the time of the crucifixion some of his followers have denied him and many have fled.

In this last, decisive encounter, the Risen Lord reprimands them for having hearts closed to the words of those who had borne witness to his resurrection,[i] but at the same time, he confirms that they were chosen by him. Despite their frailty, once again he entrusts them with the proclamation of the Gospel, the Good News which he makes incarnate through his life and with his words. After this solemn discourse, the Risen Lord returns to the Father, but at the same time “remains” with the disciples, confirming all they say with remarkable signs.

Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.

The community sent by Jesus to continue his mission was, therefore, not a group of people who were perfect; instead, they were people called to “be” with him, [ii]  to experience his presence and his patient and merciful love. Then, only by virtue of this experience, were they sent to “proclaim to every creature” that God is close to them.

The success of the mission certainly does not depend on personal abilities but on the presence of the Risen Lord who entrusts himself to his disciples and to the community of believers, in which the Gospel grows to the extent that it is lived and proclaimed. [iii] What we can do as Christians, therefore, is to proclaim God’s love with our lives and words.  We can reach out to others with courage and generosity and offer to everyone, with sensitivity and respect, the treasures of the Risen Lord that open our hearts to hope.

Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.

It is a question of always bearing witness to Jesus and never to ourselves; indeed, we are asked to “deny” ourselves, to “diminish” so that he might grow. We need to make space within ourselves for the power of his Spirit, who urges us towards fraternity: “… I  must follow the Holy Spirit who, every time I meet a brother or sister, makes me ready to ‘make myself one with him or her, to serve them to perfection. It is the Spirit who gives me the strength to love them if in some way they are enemies and who enriches my heart with mercy to know how to forgive and to be able to understand their needs. The Holy Spirit gives me the enthusiasm to communicate the most beautiful things in my soul when it is the right time to do so. …  Jesus’ love is revealed and shared with others through my love. … With and through this love of God in our hearts we can go far, and share our own discovery with many other people … until the other person, deeply touched by the love of God in us, wants to “become one” with us, in a mutual exchange of help, of ideals, of projects,and of affection. Only then will we be able to share  the word of God, and it will be a gift, within the reciprocity of love.” [iv]

Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.

“To every creature” is a perspective that makes us aware of our belonging to the great mosaic of Creation.  We are particularly sensitive nowadays and young people are often at the forefront of this new direction within humanity. In the style of the Gospel, they confirm with deeds what they announce with words.

Robert, from New Zealand, shares his experience on the web: “An ongoing activity in our territory supports the restoration of the port of Porirua in the southern part of the Wellington region in New Zealand. This initiative has involved the local authorities, the Maori Catholic community, and the local tribe. Our aim is to support this tribe in their desire to lead the restoration of the harbour, ensure that the waters flow clean, and allow shellfish harvesting and routine fishing without fear of pollution. These initiatives have been successful and have created a real community spirit. The challenge is to avoid this becoming just  a passing event and to maintain a long-term program that brings help, support and really makes a difference on the ground.” [v]

Letizia Magri

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And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (Mt.6:12)

This month’s word of life is taken from the prayer Jesus taught his disciples, the Lord’s Prayer. It is a prayer deeply rooted in Jewish tradition. The Jews also called and still call God ‘Our Father’.

On a first reading, the words of this phrase seem to challenge us: can we ask God to cancel our debts, as the Greek text suggests, in the same way that we ourselves are able to cancel the debts owed to us by others? Our capacity for forgiveness is always limited, superficial, and conditioned. If God were to treat us according to our measure, really we would be condemned!

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

These are important words that first of all express the awareness of our need for God’s forgiveness. Jesus himself commended them to the disciples, and therefore to all baptised people, because with these words they can turn to the Father with simplicity of heart.

Everything stems from discovering ourselves to be children in the Son, brothers and sisters and imitators of Jesus who was the first one to make his life a journey of ever more total adhesion to the loving will of the Father.

It is only after we welcome the gift of God, his measureless love, that we can ask the Father for everything.  We can even ask him to make us more and more like him to the point of being able to forgive our brothers and sisters with a generous heart, day after day.

Every act of forgiveness is a free and conscious choice, that needs to be constantly renewed with humility. It is never a habit, but a demanding pathway. That’s why Jesus asks us to pray for it every day, just as we pray for our daily bread.

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

How many times have we perhaps been offended by the people with whom we live – in our families, in our neighbourhoods, at work or at school – and, as a consequence, we find it difficult to relate to them in a positive way? What can we do? This is where we can ask for the grace to imitate the Father:

‘Let us get up in the morning with a complete “amnesty” in our hearts, with that love that covers everything, that knows how to welcome the other person as he or she is, with their limitations, their difficulties, just as a mother would do with her errant son. She always excuses him, always forgives him, always hopes in him… Let us approach everyone seeing them with new eyes, as if they had never had those faults. Let us begin again each time, knowing that God not only forgives, but forgets: this is the measure he requires of us too.’ (Chiara Lubich, Word of Life Dec 2004)

Trusting in the help of prayer, we can journey forward towards this lofty goal.

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

The whole of the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father, has the perspective of fraternity, it speaks of ‘us’: I ask not only for myself but also for and with others. My capacity for forgiveness is sustained by the love of others, but at the same time, my love can in some way be affected by the mistakes that my neighbour has made. Perhaps even this depends on me – maybe I have not done all I could to make the other person feel welcomed and understood…

In Palermo, Italy, some Christian communities are living a very intense experience of dialogue with one another, which has necessitated overcoming various difficulties. Biagio and Zina recount: “One day a pastor friend invited us to meet some families who did not know us from his Church. We had brought something to share for lunch but those families intimated to us that we were not welcome. Very gently Zina offered them a taste of the specialities she had cooked and, in the end, we ate together.

After lunch, they began to point out the faults they saw in our Church. Not wishing to get into a verbal war, we asked: ‘but what defects or differences between our Churches can stop us loving each other?’ Accustomed to constant diatribes, they were amazed and disarmed by this response. We began to talk about the Gospel and what unites us which is certainly much more than what divides us.

When it was time to say goodbye, they did not want us to leave, at which point we proposed praying the Lord’s Prayer. As we prayed we felt the presence of God very strongly. They made us promise that we would visit again because they wanted us to get to know the rest of the community, and so it has been during all these years.”

Letizia Magri

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“We saw his star in the East, and have come to worship him” [i] (Mt: 2:1-2).

These words are found only in the Gospel of Matthew. They are pronounced by “wise men” who have come from afar for a rather mysterious visit to the child Jesus. They are a small group of people who have undertaken a long journey, following behind a small light in the sky. They are in search of a greater, universal Light, that is the King who has been born and is already present in the world. Nothing else is known about these men but this episode is rich in ideas that call for reflection and are relevant to Christian life.

This phrase was chosen by the Christians of the Middle East to celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity this year.(i) This time is a precious opportunity to set out again together, to be open to mutual acceptance, but even more to God’s plan to be witnesses of his love for every person and people on earth.

“We saw his star in the East, and have come to worship him.”

This is what the Christians of the Middle East write in the document that accompanies the proposals for this Week of Prayer: “… the star that appeared in the sky of Judea is a long-awaited sign of hope which leads the Magi and, indeed, all the peoples of the earth, to the place where the true King and Saviour is revealed. The star is a gift, an indication of God’s loving presence for all humanity. The Magi reveal to us the unity of all peoples willed by God. They travel from distant countries and represent different cultures, yet they are all driven by the desire to see and know the new-born King. They gather together in the grotto of Bethlehem to pay him homage and offer their gifts. Christians are called to be a sign of the unity he desires for the world. Although they belong to different cultures, races and languages, Christians share a common search for Christ and a common desire to adore him.

The mission of Christians, therefore, is to be a sign, like the star, to guide God’s humanity in its hunger for Christ and lead the way to him, and to be God’s instruments to bring about the unity of all peoples.” (ii)

The star that brought light to the Magi is for everyone: it first begins to shine in the depths of our consciences and then love enables it to burn more brightly. We can all catch a glimpse of it, set out to follow it and reach the goal of meeting God and our brothers and sisters in our daily lives and sharing our riches with everyone.

“We saw his star in the East, and have come to worship him.”

Paying homage to God is essential if we are to recognise who we truly are. We are fragile, small and always in need of mercy and forgiveness: as a consequence, we are sincerely disposed to show the same attitudes towards other people. This homage, due only to God, is fully expressed in adoration.

These words written by Focolare founder, Chiara Lubich, may help us: “What does it mean to ‘adore’ God? It is an attitude that is directed to him alone. To adore means to say to God: ‘You are everything,’ that is: ‘You are what you are’; and life is giving me the immense privilege of recognising this. It also means: ‘I am nothing’. And not just saying so with words. To adore God, we must annihilate ourselves and let him triumph in us and in the world.

But the surest way to proclaim with our lives that we are nothing and that God is everything is an entirely positive one. In the place of our own thoughts we can simply think of God and his thoughts as revealed to us in the Gospel. In the place of our own will, we have only to do his will which is shown to us in the present moment. In the place of our wayward feelings, we need only to have love in our hearts for him and our neighbours, sharing their anxieties, their pain, problems and joys. If we are always “love”, without realising it we ourselves are nothingness. And because we live our nothingness, our lives affirm the superiority of God, his being everything, enabling us truly to adore God.” (iii)

“We saw his star in the East, and have come to worship him.”

We can share in the conclusions of the Christians of the Middle East: “After meeting the Saviour and adoring him together, the Magi were warned in a dream to return to their countries by another road. In the same way, the fellowship we share in common prayer should inspire us to go back to our lives, our churches and the whole world along new pathways. Serving the Gospel today requires a commitment to defend human dignity, especially of the poorest, the weakest and the marginalised. The new road for the Churches is the way of visible unity which we pursue with sacrifice, courage and boldness so that, day after day, “God may be all in all (1 Cor 15:28)”. (iv)

Letizia Magri

(i) In the northern hemisphere, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated 18 – 25 January. In the southern hemisphere this coincides with holiday time and so it is held at another time e.g. Pentecost, a time symbolic of the unity of Christians. It is always an invitation to renew commitment to Christian unity.
(ii) Cf. http://www.christianunity.va/content/unitacristiani/it/news/2021/spuc-2022.html
(iii) C. Lubich Word of Life Feb 2005
(iv) Ibid

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“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord” (Lk. 1:45).

This month, too, the Word of Life refers to a beatitude. It is the joyful and inspired greeting of one woman to another: Elizabeth is speaking to Mary who has come to help her. They are both expecting a child and, being profound believers, they have both welcomed the Word of God and experienced its generative power in their humble lives.

Mary is the first blessed in Luke’s Gospel: she is the first person to experience the fullness of the joy of intimacy with God. With this beatitude, for the first time, the evangelist reflects on the relationship between the announcement of the Word of God and the faith that welcomes it, in other words, between God’s initiative and the person’s free response.

And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.

Mary is the true believer in the “promise made to Abraham and his descendants for ever.” (i) She is so empty of herself, so humble and open to listening to the Word, that the Word of God itself can become flesh in her womb and enter the history of humankind.

No one can experience the same motherhood as Mary, but we can all imitate her and trust in God’s love. If we welcome the Word with an open heart, its promises can become incarnate in us too and make our lives fruitful in many different ways – as citizens, parents, students, workers or politicians, whether we are young or old, healthy or sick.

What if, like Zechariah, our faith is uncertain? (ii) We can still continue to trust in God’s mercy. He will not stop seeking us, until we too rediscover his faithfulness and bless him.

And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.

Among the same hills of the Holy Land, in far more recent times, another mother who had deep faith taught her children the art of forgiveness and dialogue as she had learned from the Gospel. This was a small sign in this land, cradle of civilisation, which has always been in search of peace and stability even among the followers of different religions. Margaret recounts, “We children were offended and upset because the other children who were neighbours said that they did not want to mix with us. Our mother told us to invite these children to our house and she gave them some bread that she had freshly baked and told them to take it home to their families. Since then, we have been able to build friendships with these people.”

Focolare founder, Chiara Lubich, also supports us in having this courageous faith. She wrote, “After Jesus, Mary is the one who knew how to say ‘yes’ to God in the best and most perfect way. This is the source of her holiness and her greatness. If Jesus is the Word, the incarnate Word, Mary, because of her faith in the Word, is the Word lived, but is also a creature like us, equal to us. Therefore, we can believe like Mary that all the promises contained in Jesus’ Word will be fulfilled and, if necessary, like her, run the risk of facing the absurdity that his Word sometimes brings. Great and small, but always wonderful, things happen to those who believe in the Word. We could fill books with the facts that prove this.

When, in our daily lives, in reading the Holy Scriptures we encounter the Word of God, let us open our hearts to listen, with the faith that what Jesus asks of us and promises will come true. It will not be long before we discover that he keeps his promises.” (iii)

And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.

In this time of preparation for Christmas, we recall Jesus’ surprising promise to be present among those who accept and live the commandment of mutual love: “Where two or three are united in my name – that is, in evangelical love – I am in their midst.” (iv)

With firm belief in this promise, let us allow Jesus to be born again today in our homes and in our streets through our mutual acceptance, by listening deeply to one another and, like Mary and Elizabeth, through our fraternal welcome of one another.

Letizia Magri

iCf. Lk.1:55
iiCf Lk 1:5-25, 67-79
iiiChiara Lubich, Word of Life Aug 1999
ivCf. Mt. 18:20

Jesus is not indifferent to our tribulations and sufferings: he wants our hearts to be healed from the bitterness of selfishness.  He wants to fill our loneliness and give us strength in all we do.

A marriage saved

One of our daughters was going through an extremely difficult moment in her marriage. When I spoke to her on the phone she was in tears and confided in me that she had lost all hope of saving her marriage and that the only solution was to divorce. My husband and I have always been struck by the promise Jesus made to the disciples: “If two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.”  With this faith, I promised our daughter that we and her five other siblings would pray for reconciliation.

Not long afterwards, she called me up. She sounded elated and almost incredulous. After much reflection, her husband agreed to talk to people who could help them solve their problems, and they did manage to save their marriage. A few years later, our son-in-law shared with her his desire to become a Catholic and asked her to come with him to see a priest so that they could start the process. (G. B. – USA)

A new beginning

I was really looking forward to teaching at a Church of England secondary school in West London but my enthusiasm soon began to wane. Not being welcomed by the students as I would have wished and in being constant conflict with them, I started to assert my authority. However, when I shared the situation with friends, I realised I had to try a different tactic. Even though I felt I was in the right, it wasn’t what Jesus would have done. The following day I apologized to the class saying that I had probably made a lot of mistakes that a more experienced teacher would not have made.

As the pupils listened in total silence, I said I would try to see them all with new eyes and I hoped they would do the same with me. One of the main troublemakers publicly accepted my apology, and apologised in turn for his own behaviour and that of the rest of the class. Several students nodded at these words. I saw some of them smiling. Something almost unheard of had just happened: a teacher had apologised in front of the whole class. It was a new beginning for everyone. (G.P. – England)

The boy at the crossroads

Every morning, before I start work as a traffic policeman, I go to Mass and ask Jesus to help me to love everyone I meet during the day. One day, at a busy crossroads, I saw a young lad speeding by on his motorbike. After a while he came back again at very high speed, and this carried on several times. I told him to stop, hoping in my heart that he won’t cause trouble, but to no avail. Finally he did stop, just to say to me: “I have so many problems and I just want them to end with my life”. I listened to him for a long time whilst carrying on with my work. I offered him my willingness to help and decided not to give him a ticket. He left much more at peace.

One day, a few years later, while I was on duty in another place, a young man came up to me with a big smile on his face and hugged me warmly. I said to him: “Look, you must have got the wrong person” to which he replied, “No, I’m the guy at the crossroads; now I’m happily married and happy with life. I came all the way back here from the town where I now live because I wanted to thank you”. In my heart all I could do was thank God. (S.A. – Italy)

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The Word of Life this month comes from a text attributed to the disciple James, who was a prominent figure in the Church in Jerusalem. He exhorted Christians saying there should be coherence between what they believed and what they did. The first paragraph of the letter highlights an essential condition that makes this possible. Christians needed to be free from all wickedness in order to welcome God’s word and be guided by it on the journey toward fulfilling their Christian vocation.

The word of God has a creative power that produces fruits of goodness in both the individual and in the community. It builds relationships founded on love between each of us and God and among us all. James says this word has already been “planted” in us.

“Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.”

One place where God clearly speaks to us is the Bible, and for Christians the Gospels are especially important. We can welcome God’s word by reading Scripture with love, and we see its fruits when we put it into practice. We can also listen to God in the depths of our hearts, where we often experience an influx of many voices and words. These might be slogans, or refer to choices we might make, or people to admire or maybe worries or fears. How can we recognize God’s word and leave room for it to live in us? We need to make ourselves still and surrender to God’s call, so as to listen freely and courageously to his voice which is usually gentle and quiet. God’s voice asks us to avoid being closed in on ourselves and to venture onto the path of encounter and dialogue with him and with others. It also calls on us to work so that human coexistence can become more harmonious and we can be increasingly ready to recognize one another as brothers and sisters.

“Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.”

How can this be? It is surely because, from the very beginning, God stated clearly that humankind was created in his “image.” In fact, every human being is a “you” in relation to God. Every person is called into existence to share in God’s life of love and fellowship.

In addition, for Christians the sacrament of baptism incorporates us into Christ, the word of God who entered into human history.
God has, therefore, sown the seed of his word in every person. This word calls them to do what is good; it calls them to justice, self-giving and fellowship. When the word is welcomed and cultivated in our own “soil,” it produces life and fruit.

“Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.”

In fact, the word of God can transform our daily life into the story of our liberation from the darkness of personal and social evil. However, we need to accept the word personally and consciously, even if it is an ongoing process and we are imperfect and fragile. Our thoughts and feelings will become more like those of Jesus himself. Our faith and hope in God’s love will grow stronger, and we will notice other people’s needs and help them.

Chiara Lubich explained this in 1992: “We saw a profound unity between Jesus’ love for the Father and his love for his brothers and sisters. There was total coherence between his words and his life, and this fascinated and attracted everyone.
“We too should be like him, accepting his words with childlike simplicity and putting them into practice. His words shine out in their purity, strength and completeness. By living them, we become the kind of disciples he wants us to be, disciples who are equal to their teacher, like Jesus spread throughout the world. What greater and more beautiful adventure could there be?”

Letizia Magri

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