We wish
to announce this year’s novelty! We hope it will bring about a new impetus in
living for universal fraternity. The Youth for a United World (Y4UW) from the
whole planet have initiated a course that is made up of monthly steps. These
steps will help us further understand fraternity through a reflection, a
concrete action and brief thoughts. We offer you the first step of the series
dated October 2013 – THE GOLDEN RULE from Chiara Lubich (Published on:
Essential Writings, New City Press New York and London 2007, page 121)
Have you ever experienced a
thirst for something infinite? Have you ever felt in your heart a consuming
desire to embrace immensity itself?
Or perhaps, deep down, you’ve
felt dissatisfied with what you do, with who you are. You’ll be happy to know
that there is a formula for achieving the fullness you long for, a way of life
that won’t leave you regretting how you spent your day.
One Gospel phrase in particular
makes us stop and think. As we grasp something of its meaning, it fills us with
joy. It captures everything we should do in life and sums up the laws that God
has inscribed in the depths of every human heart.
Listen: “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law
and the prophets” (Mt 7:12 ).
This is the “golden rule” that
Christ brought, although it was already widely known. For example, the Hebrew
Scriptures include it, and Seneca, the ancient Roman author and philosopher,
also knew of it. In Asia the Chinese thinker
Confucius taught it. This shows how close it is to God’s heart, how he wants
all people to make it the basic rule of their lives.
The passage forms a neat turn of
phrase—it sounds like a motto: “Do to
others whatever you would have them do to you.”
Let’s love each neighbor like
this, every neighbor we meet during the day.
Let’s imagine we are in others’
circumstances and treat them as we would want to be treated if we were in their
place.
The voice of God within will
suggest how to express love appropriately in each situation.
Are they hungry? Let’s say to
ourselves, “I am hungry,” and give them something to eat.
Are they being unjustly treated?
So am I.
Are they in darkness and doubt? I
am too. Let us speak words of comfort and share their suffering, not resting
until they find the light and experience relief. It’s how we would want to be
treated.
Do they have a disability? I want
to love them to the point of almost feeling their infirmity in my own body and
heart. Love will suggest a way for me to help them feel no different from
others and, indeed, that they have received an added blessing, because as
Christians we know the value of suffering.
And let’s continue with everyone,
not drawing any distinctions between those we find pleasant and those we do
not, between young and old, friend or enemy, fellow citizen or foreigner,
beautiful or not. The Gospel includes everyone.
I can almost hear the murmurings,
and I understand. Perhaps my words seem simplistic, but what a change they
demand! How distant they are from our usual ways of thinking and acting!
Take courage; let’s try it!
A day spent like this is worth a
lifetime. In the evening we won’t even recognize ourselves. A joy never felt
before will fill our hearts, and we will experience new strength. God will be
with us, since God stands with those who love.
Fulfilled days will follow, one
after another.
From time to time, we may slow
down, be tempted to get discouraged or want to stop. We may want to go back to
the way we lived before....
Instead no! Take
courage! God’s grace is there for us.
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