2025
2024
April - See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:19)
The exile in Babylon and the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem created a collective trauma for the people of Israel
and gave rise to a theological question: they asked themselves, ‘Is God still with us or has he abandoned us?’ This month’s
Word of Life is taken from the part of the book of Isaiah that endeavoured to help the people understand that God was still
at work. They could trust him and would, eventually, be able to return to their homeland. In fact, the face of God the creator
and saviour is clearly revealed during this experience of exile.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
Isaiah reminds us of God's faithful love for his people that remains constant and unchanged during the dramatic period of exile.
Even though the promises made to Abraham seem unattainable and the covenant seems to be in crisis, the people of Israel are in
the privileged position of continuing to experience God's presence in history.
The prophetic book addresses existential questions that are still fundamental today: who determines the unfolding of history?
Who determines its meaning? We can ask these questions on a personal level too. Who holds my fate in their hands? What is the
meaning of what I am experiencing now or have experienced in the past?
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
God is working in each person's life and is constantly, doing ‘new things.’ If we do not always notice or can understand
their meaning and scope, it is because they are still springing up or because we are not ready to recognize what he is creating.
Perhaps we do not pause long enough to observe these tiny shoots of life that are a certain sign of his presence because we are
distracted by all that is happening around us or because thousands of thoughts and worries invade our souls and weigh us down.
Nonetheless, he never forsakes us and is continually creating and recreating our lives.
“We are the ‘new thing,’ the ‘new creation’ that God has generated... We no longer look back to the past and sometimes regret
what has happened to us or mourn our mistakes: we strongly believe in the action of God who can continue to work new things.”
(C Lubich, Word of Life, March 2004)
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
We live alongside many other people; they may be members of our community or friends or colleagues at work.
Let’s approach them and try to work together without ever losing faith that things will change for the better.
The year 2025 is special because the date of Orthodox Easter coincides with that of other Christian denominations.
May this shared celebratioin of Easter be a testimony to the willingness of the Churches to unceasingly continue to
dialogue about the challenges facing humanity and to promote joint action.
Let us prepare to live this Easter season with great joy, faith and hope. Christ rose from the dead so, although
we may ‘cross through the desert’, let us continue to be accompanied on our journey by the One who guides both history
and our personal lives.
March - Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? (Luke 6:41)
Jesus had come down from the mountain where he had spent the night in prayer and then had chosen his apostles. When he reached a
flat place, he began to preach to them, beginning with the proclamation of the Beatitudes.
Luke's and Matthew's gospels differ; in Luke’s text there are only four Beatitudes, and they concern the poor, the hungry,
the suffering and the afflicted, with the addition of as many admonitions against the rich, the satiated and the arrogant.
(Cf. Luke 6:20-26)
Jesus revealed God’s special love for the poor when he was in the synagogue at Nazareth (Cf. Luke 4:16-21) and,
filled with the Spirit of the Lord, he proclaimed that his mission was to bring glad tidings to the poor, deliverance to the
captives and freedom to the oppressed. Jesus went on to exhort the disciples to love even their enemies; (Cf. Luke 6:27-35)
a message that finds its ultimate inspiration in the behaviour of the heavenly Father: ‘Be merciful, as your Father is merciful’
(Luke 6:36).
This statement is also the starting point for what follows: ‘Do not judge and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you
will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven’ (Luke 6:37). Jesus then goes on to reprimand the listeners by
using a deliberately disproportionate image:
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
Jesus truly knows our heart. How often in everyday life do we have the sad experience of finding it easy to harshly
criticise other people for their errors and weaknesses without taking into account that in doing so, we attribute to ourselves
a prerogative that belongs to God alone? The fact is that in order to ‘remove the plank’ from our own eye, we need that humility
that comes from the realisation that we are sinners continually in need of God's forgiveness. Only people who have the courage
to notice their own ‘plank’ and what they personally need in order to change for the better, will be able to understand without
judging or exaggerating, the frailties and weaknesses in themselves and in other people.
Nonetheless, Jesus does not invite us to close our eyes to what is happening around us and just let things run their course.
He wants his followers to help each other as they progress along the path to a new life. The apostle Paul also frequently
reminds us to show concern for and correct those who are idle and disruptive, to encourage the disheartened, to help the weak
and to be patient with everyone. (Cf. 1Ts 5:14)
Only love is capable of serving others this way.
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
How can we put this word of life into practice? In addition to what has already been said, during this Lenten season we can
ask Jesus to teach us to see others as he sees them, as God sees them. And God sees with the eyes of the heart because he
always gazes upon us with love.
To help each other even more, we could restore a practice that was decisive for the first group of Focolare girls in
Trent. Chiara Lubich once told a group of Muslim friends, ’At the beginning, it was not always easy to love in a radical way.
Even among us, dust could settle on our relationships and unity could weaken. This happened, for example, when we became aware
of the faults, the imperfections of others and we judged them and so our mutual love diminished. One day, we decided that we
should try to counter this situation. We made an agreement among ourselves and called it a ‘pact of mercy’. We decided that every
morning we would see the people we met - at home, at school, at work, etc. as new – new - not calling to mind their faults
at all but covering everything with love. It was a strong and challenging commitment, made by all of us together, that helped us
to always be the first to love, in imitation of the merciful God, who forgives and forgets.' (C. Lubich, “Love for Neighbour.”
Conversation with Muslim Friends Castel Gandolfo, 1 Nov 2002)
February - Test everything but hold on to what is good. (1Thessalonians 5:21)
This month's Word of Life is taken from a series of final recommendations that the Apostle Paul makes to the community
of the Thessalonians: ‘Do not quench the Spirit, do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold onto what
is good. Abstain from every kind of evil.” (1Thessalonians 5:19-22)
Prophecy, discernment, dialogue and listening. These were Paul's instructions to the community that had recently embarked
on a journey of faith. Among the various gifts of the Spirit, Paul highly esteemed that of prophecy.
(Pope John Paul II, General Audience, 24.6.1992) A prophet is not someone who foresees the future but rather a person
who has the gift of seeing and understanding personal and collective history from God's perspective. However, all gifts are
guided by the greatest gift of all and that is charity and fraternal love. (Cf. 1Corinthians 13 ) Augustine of Hippo
states that only charity enables us to discern the attitude we should take in the face of a range of different situations.
(Augustine of Hippo Ep.Jo. 7,8)
Test everything but hold on to what is good.
We should consider not only the personal gifts we may have, but also bear in mind the potential and variety of views and
opinions offered to us by the people around us or with whom we work or even meet by chance. It is important to always maintain
a sense of honesty and to be aware of the limitations of our own point of view. This word of life could be a motto to adopt
in every situation of dialogue and even opposing views. Our hearts and minds are broadened when we listen to other people:
although we may not accept everything they say, we may find something good in their ideas. When love impels us to create a
space within ourselves in order to listen to other people, we have the possibility of building something together.
Test everything but hold on to what is good.
Cardinal elect Timothy Radcliffe, one of the theologians present at the Synod of Bishops of the Catholic Church, said that
‘the bravest thing we can do at this synod is to be honest with each other about our doubts and questions, those for which we have
no clear answers. Then we will approach each other as fellow seekers, as beggars searching for the truth.' (Cardinal elect Timothy
Radcliffe, Synod of RC Church, 2.10.2023) In a conversation with members of the Focolare, Margaret Karram commented on this
reflection: ‘Thinking about it, I realised that many times I did not have the courage to really say what I thought: perhaps because
I was afraid of not being understood or because I didn’t want to be different from the majority. I realised that being
“beggars of truth” means having that attitude of closeness towards one another, in which we all want what God wants, and where
together, we all seek what is good.’ (Margaret Karram in conversation with focolarini, 3.02.2024)
Test everything but hold on to what is good.
‘Test everything but hold on to what is good’. This is Antía’s, experience. She is a member of “Mosaico”, a performing
arts group that began in Spain in 2017. It is a local project that has developed from the Gen Rosso music group. It is composed
of young Spaniards who use their art and workshops to offer their experience of fraternity to others. Antia tells us:
‘It connects with my values - a fraternal world, in which everyone (very young, inexperienced, vulnerable...) gives their
contribution to the project. “Mosaico” makes me believe that a more united world is not a utopia, despite the difficulties and
hard work involved. I grew up working in a team where dialogue was too honest at times and I often gave up on my own ideas which
I believed to be the best. I see that in this project “good” is built piece by piece together, by us all.” (Mosaic GRLP)
January - Do you believe this? (John 11:26)
Jesus was travelling to Bethany, the town where Lazarus had died four days earlier. When Martha, Lazarus’ sister,
heard that Jesus was on his way, she was filled with hope and ran to meet him. John’s gospel indicates that Jesus
loved her, Lazarus and their sister, Mary, very much. (John 11:5) Although Martha was sorrowful, she showed her great
trust in the Lord and was convinced that had he been present, her brother would not have died but, nevertheless, any
request she made to God would be granted. Jesus affirmed, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ (John 11:23) Do you believe this?
After clarifying that he was referring to Lazarus' return to physical life there and then and not to the life that awaits the
believer after death, Jesus asked Martha if she had complete faith. Not only was he about to perform one of his
miracles - which the evangelist John calls ‘signs’ - but he wanted to give resurrection and new life to her and all
believers. Jesus proclaimed, ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ (John 11:25) and the faith he asked of Martha
lay in a personal relationship with him and active and dynamic adherence. Believing is not like accepting a contract
that you sign once and then never look at again, but it is something that transforms and permeates your daily life.
Do you believe this?
Jesus invites us to live a new life here and now. He invites us to experience it every day, knowing that, just
as we rediscovered at Christmas, he himself brought this life to us by first seeking for us and coming to dwell among us.
How do we answer his question? Let us look to Lazarus’ sister, Martha. In dialogue with Jesus, she made a full
profession of faith. The original text in Greek expresses this with great force. The ‘I believe’ that she pronounced means
‘I have come to believe’, ‘I firmly believe’ that ‘you are the Christ, the Son of God who is to come into the world’ (Cf. John 11:27),
with all the consequences that this brings. It is a conviction that has matured over time and has been tested by the
different events she faced during her life. The Lord also addresses this question to us. He asks us to trust
firmly in him and adhere to his way of life, founded on generous and practical love for all. Our faith will mature
through perseverance, and it will grow stronger, as each day we see the truth of Jesus' words when put into practice.
Furthermore, this will make a positive impact upon our daily actions towards others. In the meantime, we can make our
own the prayer that the apostles made to Jesus: ‘Increase our faith’ (Luke 17:6).
Do you believe this?
Patricia, from South America said, ‘One of my daughters had lost her job because the government had closed
the public agency where she worked. The same thing had happened to her colleagues. As a form of protest, they
had set up an encampment in front of the office. I tried to help them by participating in some of their activities,
bringing them food or simply stopping to talk to them. On Maundy Thursday, a group of priests who were supporting
them in their plight decided to hold a ceremony during which there was space to listen, a reading from the Gospel
and the act of washing feet was performed, in memory of what Jesus did before his crucifixion. The majority of those
present were not religious people. Nevertheless, it was a moment of deep union, fraternity and hope. They felt warmly
welcomed and were moved, as they thanked those priests who accompanied them in their uncertainty and suffering.’ This
word of Jesus has been chosen as the guide for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025. Let us pray and work so that
our common belief may be the driving force in the search for fraternity with all: this is God's proposal and desire for
all humanity, but it requires us to play our part too. Prayer and action will be effective if they arise from this trust
in God and we live accordingly.
December - For no word from God will ever fail. (Luke 1:37)
This sentence is is taken from the story of the Annunciation. The angel Gabriel appears to Mary of Nazareth and makes known God's
plans for her: she will conceive and give birth to a son, Jesus, who ‘will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.’
(Luke 1:32) The episode is in continuity with other events in the Old Testament whereby barren or very old women gave birth to children who were
to play an important role in salvation history. Here, Mary, while wishing to fully and freely adhere to the call to become the mother
of the Messiah, wonders how this will happen because she is a virgin. Gabriel assures her that it will not come about through the work
of man: ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.’ (ibid. 35) And he adds:
‘Nothing is impossible to God. For no word from God will ever fail.’(ibid. 37)
For no word from God will ever fail.
Such reassurance, which means that no declaration or promise made by God will remain unfulfilled - because nothing is impossible
to him - can also be expressed in this way: nothing is impossible with God. In fact, the nuance of the Greek text ‘with, or near,
or together with God’ highlights his closeness to men and women. In fact, when human beings are together with God and freely adhere
to him, nothing is impossible...
For no word from God will ever fail.
How can we put this word of life into practice? We can do so by being confident in the belief that God can act even within and
beyond our limitations and weaknesses and during the darkest periods of our lives.
This was the experience of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Whilst in prison before being tortured, he wrote: ‘We must immerse ourselves
again and again in the living, speaking, acting, suffering and dying of Jesus in order to recognise what God promises and fulfils.
It is certain [...] that for us nothing impossible exists any more, because nothing impossible exists for God; [...] it is certain
that we must not expect anything and yet we can ask everything; it is certain that in suffering our joy is hidden and in death our
life... To all this God has said ‘yes’ and ‘amen’ in Christ. This ‘yes’ and this ‘amen’ are the solid ground on which we stand.’
(D Bonhoeffer, German Lutheran Pastor, protagonist in resistance against Nazism)
For no word from God will ever fail.
In trying to overcome the apparent ‘impossibility’ of short-comings and in striving to reach the ‘possibility’ of a sound and
consistent life, the community dimension plays a decisive role. This developed when, as a group, the disciples lived Jesus’ new
commandment and allowed the power of the risen Lord to dwell within them, both collectively and individually. In 1948, Chiara Lubich
wrote to a group of young members of religious communities: ‘Let’s go ahead, not relying on our own strength which is petty and weak
but with the omnipotence of unity. I have seen and touched with my own hands that God among us does the impossible: he performs miracles!
If we are faithful to our task [...] the world will see unity and with it the fullness of the Kingdom of God.’ (C Lubich 2Letters of
the Early Times)
Years ago, when I was in Africa, I often met young people who wanted to live as Christians and who told me of the many
difficulties they faced each day in trying to be faithful to the commitments of faith and the teachings of the Gospel.
We would talk about this for hours and, in the end, we always came to the same conclusion: ‘It is impossible if we are alone
but not if we are together.’
Jesus himself guarantees this when he promises: ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name (in my love), there am I in the
midst of them.’ (cf Matthew 18:20) And with him all things are possible.
November - They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.
(Mark 12:44)
This verse comes at the conclusion of chapter 12 in the Gospel of Mark. Jesus is in the Temple in Jerusalem where he is both observing
and teaching. Looking at the scene through his eyes, we become aware of the involvement of many different characters: people are
simply passing through, some have come to worship, some are dignitaries in long robes and some are rich people throwing their
substantial offerings into the temple treasury.
But here comes a widow; she belongs to a category of socially and economically disadvantaged people. Amid general disinterest,
she throws two pennies into the treasury. Jesus, however, notices her and calls the disciples to him and instructs them:
They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.
‘Truly I say to you...’ These words introduce important teachings; Jesus' gaze is focused on the poor widow and he invites us to
look in the same direction because she is a model for disciples.
Her faith in God's love is unconditional; her treasure is God himself. She surrenders all that she is and has to him and,
furthermore, she wants to give all she can to support those who are poorer than her. In a way, her trusting surrender to the
Father anticipates the same gift of self that Jesus will soon make through his passion and death. It is that 'poverty of spirit'
and 'purity of heart' that Jesus proclaimed and lived.
This means ‘placing our trust in God's love and in his providence but not in his riches...We are “poor in spirit” when we
allow ourselves to be guided by love for others. This results in our sharing and making what we have available to those in need;
it may be a smile, our time, our possessions or our skills. When we give away whatever we have out of love, we become poor,
with nothing of ourselves, with a free and a pure heart.’
Jesus' proposal turns our usual way of thinking onto its head; those who are poor, insignificant and unimportant lie at
the centre of his thoughts.
They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.
This Word of Life invites us to renew our total trust in God's love and consider if our vision of life compares with his:
do we see beyond appearances, do we avoid judging, do we take other people’s opinions into consideration if they are different
from our own and do we see the positive in other people?
It suggests that there is an evangelical logic in freely giving to others and that doing so creates a peaceful community
because it urges us to care for one another. It also encourages us to live out the words of the Gospel in everyday life even
when other people may not notice, to trust when we are generous to others and to share whilst maintaining an attitude of balance
and clear judgement. This Word focuses our attention upon the ‘least’ and asks us to learn from them.
Venant was born and raised in Burundi. He recounts: 'In the village, my family had a good farm that always produced a good harvest.
My mother believed that everything was providence from heaven and so, each year, she used to gather the first fruits and distribute
them to our neighbours, starting with the neediest families and then allocated only a small part of what remained to us.
I learnt the value of selfless giving from her example. Thus, I understood that God was asking me to give him the “best part”,
indeed to give him my whole life.’
October - Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first
must be slave of all. (Mark 10:43-44)
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and, for the third time, he tries to prepare his disciples for the dramatic event of his
passion and death but those who have followed him most closely are very ones who seem unable to understand what is about to happen.
In fact, conflict arises among the apostles themselves: James and John ask to occupy places of honour ‘in his glory’ and
the other ten become indignant and start to complain. In short, the group is divided.
Then Jesus patiently calls them and repeats what he has proclaimed. His words are so new that they create a sense of shock.
Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
In this phrase from Mark's gospel, the image of the servant-slave reaches a crescendo. Jesus leads us from having an attitude of
simple availability within the limited and affirming groups to which we may belong to being totally dedicated to everyone, with no
exception.
This is a completely alternative and countercultural proposal when compared to the usual human understanding of authority
and governance which possibly fascinated the apostles themselves and impacts upon us too.
Perhaps this is the secret of Christian love?
‘One word in the Gospel that is not emphasized enough by Christians is “serve”.
It may seem old-fashioned to us, unworthy of the dignity of human beings who both give and receive. Yet it is central to the
Gospel which is all about love. And to love means to serve. Jesus did not come to command but to serve. To serve, to serve one
another is the heart of Christianity, and whoever lives this with simplicity - and everyone can do so - has done all that is necessary.
Doing so ensures that people do not remain alone because since love is the essence of Christian life, it spreads like fire.’
Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
The encounter with Jesus in his Word opens our eyes, just as it did for the blind man, Bartimaeus, whose story is found immediately
after this Word of Life. Jesus frees us from our narrow vision and allows us to contemplate the horizons of God himself, of his
plan for ‘new heavens and a new earth.’ Jesus washed the feet of others and by his example overturned the often rigid practice in
society, and even in religious environments, of relegating the task of practical service to a certain class of people. Christians,
therefore, should imitate Jesus’ example and learn from him a new style of life in society. This means being a ‘true neighbour’
to each person we encounter, whatever their social or cultural condition may be.
As John Anziani, a Methodist pastor of the Waldensian Church, suggests, ‘By agreeing to place our trust and our hope in the Lord,
who is the servant of many, the Word of God asks us to act in our world and in the midst of all its contradictions,
as people who work for peace and justice, as bridgebuilders who facilitate reconciliation among nations.’
This is also how Igino Giordani, writer, journalist, politician and family man, lived during a time marked by dictatorship.
To describe his experience, he wrote: ‘Politics is - in the most dignified Christian sense - a “servant” and must not become
a “master”: nor should it abuse, dominate or dictate. Its function and dignity is to be of service to society, to be charity
in action, to be the highest form of love for one’s homeland.’
Through the witness of his life, Jesus proposes to us a conscious and free choice. Rather than living closed in on ourselves
and our own interests, we are asked to ‘live the life of the other person,’ feeling what they feel, carrying their burdens
and sharing their joys. We all have small or large responsibilities and spheres of authority. These may be in the field of
politics or in other areas of society such as within our families, schools or faith communities. Let’s take advantage of our
‘places of honour’ to put ourselves at the service of the common good, creating just and compassionate human relationships with
everyone.
September - Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1:22)
The author of this month’s verse insists upon the fundamental importance of both listening and practice. The letter, in fact, continues:
‘But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it - not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it -
they will be blessed in what they do.’ (James 1:25) It is precisely this commitment to know God’s Word and to live it that sets us free and
gives us joy.
One could say that this month's Bible verse is the very reason why the practice of the Word of Life has spread throughout the world.
Once a week, and then once a month, Chiara Lubich used to choose a sentence from Scripture and comment on it and then groups of people met and
shared the fruits that living the Word had brought about in their everyday lives.This created a united community and, in a small way,
revealed the social impact that living the Word can have upon society.
‘Despite its simplicity, the initiative made a notable contribution to the rediscovery of the Word of God in the Christian world of the
20th century’ by transmitting a 'method' for living the Gospel and sharing its effects.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
The letter of James takes up Jesus’ message that refers to experiencing the presence of the Kingdom of Heaven among us: Jesus declares
blessed are those who listen to his Word and keep it;ii he recognises as his mother and brothers those who listen to it and put it into
practice; iii he compares it to the seed that, if it falls on good soil – that is, on those who listen to it with a good and noble
heart and keep it - they produce fruit through their perseverance.
‘In each of his words Jesus expresses all his love for us,’ writes Chiara Lubich. ‘Let us make the Word incarnate and make it our own.
If we do so, we will experience the powerful life it unleashes in us and around us. Let us fall in love with the Gospel to the point of
allowing ourselves to be transformed by it and enable it to overflow onto others... We will be free from ourselves and our limitations.
Furthermore, we will see a revolution of love explode everywhere because Jesus, freed to live in us, will bring about a change in
society wherever we live.’
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
How can we put the Word into practice? Let us look around us and do everything we can, to serve others in need, through both small
and not so small actions. Such gestures transform injustice in society, combat violence, foster peace and reconciliation and increase
sensitivity towards respect for our planet. This can initiate a real revolution in our lives, in our work environments and in the
communities in which we live.
Love manifests itself in social and political actions that seek to build a better world. The commitment of a small Focolare community
towards the most vulnerable people in society led to the opening of the Chiara Lubich Centre for the Elderly in Lamud, Peru in the
Amazon area, 2,330 metres above sea level.
‘The Centre was opened in the midst of the pandemic crisis and houses 50 elderly and lonely people. The building, furniture,
crockery and even food came as a gift from the neighbouring community. It was a risk, not without difficulties and obstacles,
but in March 2022 the Centre celebrated its first anniversary. It hosted a party and opened its doors to the city; even political
representatives took part. The two days of celebrations enlisted new volunteers, adults and children, who want to enlarge their own
families by taking care of lonely grandparents.’
August - Lord, it is good for us to be here (Matthew 17:4).
Jesus and his disciples are making their way to Jerusalem. When he anounces that it is the place where he will suffer, die and rise again, Peter rebels and expresses a general sense of dismay and incomprehension. The Master then takes him and James and John and he climbs ‘a high mountain’ from where he appears to the three bathed in a new and extraordinary light. Jesus’ face ‘shines like the sun’ and Moses and the prophet Elijah converse with him. The voice of the Father is heard coming from a bright cloud and invites them to listen to Jesus, his beloved Son. When Peter witnesses this extraordinary event, he does not want to leave, and exclaims:
Lord, it is good for us to be here
Jesus invited his closest friends to have an unforgettable experience that they would always be able to remember.
Perhaps we too have felt wonder and emotion when we were aware of the presence and work of God in our lives. We may have had a sense of joy, peace and light and have wished that such moments would never end. We often have such experiences when we are with other people or thanks to what they do. Indeed, mutual love attracts God's presence because, as Jesus promised: ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them’ (Mt 18:20). Sometimes, during these moments of intimacy with him, God makes us see ourselves and understand events as he does. It is as if we see through his eyes.
Such experiences are given to us so we will have the strength to make the effort and face the difficulties and challenges we encounter on our journey through life. They help us be sure that God has looked upon us and called us to be part of salvation history.
In fact, once the disciples have come down from the mountain, they will go together to Jerusalem where crowds of people full of hope await them but they will also meet with pitfalls, opposition, aversion and suffering. There ‘they will be scattered and sent to the ends of the earth to be witnesses that our final dwelling is the Kingdom of God.’
They will be able to start building God’s house among men and women on earth because they have been ‘at home’ with Jesus on the mountain.
Lord, it is good for us to be here
At the end of this mysterious experience, Jesus speaks to the apostles with the words, ‘Arise and do not be afraid.’ (Mt. 17:7) He addresses the same words to us. May we face whatever awaits us with the same courage as the disciples had. This is was what Chiara Lubich did. After a holiday period so full light that it was described as 'the paradise of 1949' because of extraordinary contemplation of the mysteries of faith and deep awareness of God's presence in the small community with whom she was resting, she too did not want to return to everyday life. However, she did so with a new impetus because she realised that it was precisely because of that experience of enlightenment that she had to ‘come down from the mountain’ and set to work as an instrument of Jesus in the building of his Kingdom. This meant injecting his love and light into the very situations where it was lacking and even facing hardship and suffering.
Lord, it is good for us to be here
When it seems that darkness is falling around us, let us remember the times when the Lord has enlightened us. If we have already not experienced his nearness to us, let us seek it now. Let us make the effort to ‘go up the mountain’ to meet him in our neighbourhoods, to worship him in our churches, and also to contemplate him in the beauty of nature.
He is always there for us: it is enough that like Peter, James and John, we walk with him and humbly listen to him.
July - The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. (Psalm 23[22]:1).
Psalm 23 is one of the best known and most loved psalms. It is both a canticle of trust and a joyful profession of faith expressed by someone who belongs to the people of Israel. Through the prophets, the Lord has promised to be their shepherd. The psalmist expresses his personal happiness because he knows that he is protected in the Temple, a place of refuge and grace, but also, drawing on his experience, he wants to encourage others to have confidence in the presence of the Lord.
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
The image of the shepherd and the flock is very dear to all biblical literature. To understand it fully, we must think of the arid and rocky deserts in the Middle East. The shepherd gently guides his flock, for without him they could go astray and die. The sheep must learn to rely on him, listening to his voice. He is their constant companion.
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
This psalm invites us to strengthen our intimate relationship with God by experiencing his love. Some may wonder why the author goes so far as to say that 'I lack nothing'? Nowadays the problems and challenges of health, family, work, etc are part of everyday life. In addition, there is the immense suffering experienced by so many of our brothers and sisters due to war, the consequences of climate change, migration, violence, etc.
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
Perhaps the key to interpretation lies in the verse where we read "for you are with me" (Ps 23:4). It refers to certainty in the love of a God who always accompanies us and makes us live in a different way. Chiara Lubich wrote: "It is one thing to know that we can have recourse to a Being who exists, who has mercy on us, who has paid for our sins, and quite another to live and feel ourselves at the centre of God's predilection, with the consequent banishment of all the fears that hold us back, of all loneliness, of all sense of orphanhood and all uncertainty... Men and women can know they are loved and believe in this love with all their being. They can surrenders to it trustingly and follow it. Everything that happens in life, whether sad or joyful, is enlightened by knowing love has willed or permitted it all.”
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
Jesus brought this prophecy to fulfilment: in John’s Gospel he does not hesitate to call himself the 'good shepherd'. Relationships with this shepherd are personal and intimate in nature. "I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know me" (Jn. 10:14-15). He leads them to the pastures of his Word that is life, particularly the Word that contains the message enclosed in the "new commandment", which, if lived, makes "visible" the presence of the Risen One in the community gathered in his name, in his love.
