Word of Life

"The lamp of the body is your eye. When your eye is sound, then your whole body is filled with light."
(Lk 11:34)

In however many neighbours you meet throughout your day, from morning to night, in all of them, recognise the presence of Jesus.

If your eye is sound, the one who looks through it is God. And God is Love, and love seeks to unite by winning over.

How many people, in error, look at others and at things in order to possess them? It may be a look of selfishness or of envy which in either case is sin. Or people may look within themselves and be possessive of their own souls, their faces lifeless because they are bored or worried.

The soul, because it is an image of God, is love, and love that turns in on itself is like a flame that because it is not fed, dies out.

Look outside yourself, not in yourself, not in things, not in persons; look at God outside yourself and unite yourself with Him.

He lives in the depths of every soul that is alive, and if it is dead, the soul is the tabernacle of God that awaits Him as the joy and expression of its own existence.

"The lamp of the body is your eye. When your eye is sound, then all your body is filled with light."
Look at every neighbour then with love, and love means to give. A gift, moreover, calls for a gift, and you will be loved in return. Understood in this way, love means to love and be loved: as in the Trinity.

God in you will attract other hearts, igniting the life of the Trinity in them, which may already rest in them through grace, although extinguished.

You cannot light up a space - even if electricity is available - until the current's two poles are brought together.

The life of God in us is similar. It must circulate in order to radiate outside of us and give witness to Christ, the one who links heaven to Earth, and people with one another.

"The lamp of the body is your eye. When your eye is sound, then all your body is filled with light."
Look, therefore, at every one of your neighbours. Give yourself to them in order to give yourself to Jesus, and Jesus will give himself back to you. It is the law of love: "Give, and gifts will be given to you." (Lk 6:38)

Out of love for Jesus, let your neighbours possess you. Like another Eucharist, let yourself 'be eaten' by your neighbours. Put your entire self at their service, which is service to God, and your neighbours will come to you and love you. The fulfilment of God's every desire lies in fraternal love, which is found in His commandment: "I give you a new commandment; that you love one another." (Jn 13:34)

"The lamp of the body is your eye. When your eye is sound, then all your body is filled with light."
Love is a fire that pervades hearts in perfect fusion... Then, within yourself, you will no longer find yourself, or your neighbour; you will find Love, which is God living in you. And Love will go out to love other brothers and sisters because, since your eye is sound, it will see itself in them and all will be one. And around you will grow a community, just as around Jesus there were first 12, then 72, then thousands...

The Gospel is fascinating - because it is light turned into love - it fills people with rapture and carries them away...

Then you might even die on a Cross, so as not to be different from the Master, but you will die for whoever crucifies you, and so love will have the ultimate victory.

But its vital fluid - poured out for the hearts of others - will not die. It will be fruitful, by propagating, bringing joy and peace and opening up Paradise. And the glory of God will grow.

But while you are here on earth, be perfect love.

(Extracts from the writings of Chiara Lubich)