november 2013 word of life « be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as god...
Post on 13-Jan-2016
212 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
November 2013 November 2013
Word Word
of of
LifeLife
Word Word
of of
LifeLife
«Be kind to one another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, as God in Christ
has forgiven you.»
(Eph 4:32).
This way of life is concrete and essential. It alone could create a different society, one richer in
brotherly love and solidarity.
This way of living was part of a mandate given to Christians in Asia Minor. These communities had succeeded in establishing peace between Jews and Gentiles, the two peoples that up to then represented a divided humanity.
Unity, brought by Christ, needs to
always be revived and translated into
concrete social actions that are inspired
entirely by mutual love. In this word of life we find specific pointers on how our relationships should
be:
«Be kind to one another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, as God in Christ
has forgiven you.»
(Eph 4:32).
•Kindness means to want what is good for
others. It means “making ourselves one”
with them, drawing close to them,
completely setting aside our own interests, our ideas, and the many preconceived notions that often cloud our vision. We do this so
that we can take on the others’ burdens, their
needs and their sufferings, and also to
share in their joys.
It means entering into the hearts of the people we meet in order
to understand their mentality, their culture and their traditions
and make those in a certain sense, our own. In this way we can
truly understand what people need, and we can discern those
values that God has placed in each person’s heart.
In a word, kindness means to live for others.
Tenderhearted means we are sensitive and merciful. We welcome others as they are, not as
we would like them to be, with their different personalities, political views that don’t match our
own, religious convictions unlike ours, and all those defects and habits that irritate us. .
We need to expand our hearts so that we are capable of welcoming all people with all their
differences, limitations and problems.
Forgiveness means to see someone else with new eyes continually. Even in the most beautiful
and peaceful environments, in the family, at school and at work, there are inevitably
moments of friction, differences and arguments.
Sometimes we avoid each other, or we are not on speaking terms, not to mention when we harbor hateful feelings toward those who do not think the way we do.
We need instead to make a determined choice to try to see each brother and sister as if it were for the first
time, as if they were a completely new person, without remembering how he or she offended us, but covering
everything over with love, with absolute amnesty in our hearts, in imitation of God, who forgives and forgets.
True peace and unity can be attained when kindness, mercy, and forgiveness are lived not only by people individually, but by people together, in reciprocity.
Just as the embers in a fireplace have to be stirred up to prevent them from being smothered by the ashes, it is necessary from time to time to take
steps to revive our mutual love and give fresh life to our relationships with everyone, so that they
will not be smothered by the ashes of indifference, apathy and selfishness.
«Be kind to one another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, as God in Christ
has forgiven you.»
(Eph 4:32).
These attitudes
need to be translated
into life, into concrete actions.
Jesus showed us what love is when he healed the sick and fed the crowds, when he brought the dead
back to life, and when he washed the feet of his disciples. Deeds, concrete deeds: this is what it
means to love.
I remember a mother
in an African family
whose daughter
Rosangela had lost an
eye after a young boy
poked her with a stick
and even continued to
make fun of her
afterwards.
Neither parent of the boy had come to say that they were sorry. There was only silence.
Rosangela’s mother felt bitter toward this family. Rosangela, on the other hand, was able to forgive the boy, and said to her mother, “You should be
glad that I still have one good eye!”
“One morning,” Rosangela’s mother later shared, “the boy’s mother asked me to go and visit her
because she was sick. My reaction was: ‘Why is she asking me for help? She has many other neighbors
who live near her. After what her son did to us, how could she dare to come to me for help?’
“But then I remembered that love has no limits. I hurried over to her house. She came to open the door and then fainted in my arms. I took her to the hospital and waited there with her until the doctors could take
care of her.
A week later she was discharged from the hospital and she came to my house to thank me. I
welcomed her warmly. I had made it, finally, to forgive her.”
We too can fill our days with concrete, humble, intelligent acts of service that express our love for
others. And then brotherhood and peace will spread around us too.
Text by Chiara Lubich, originally published in Città Nuova August 2006
Grafics Anna Lollo in collaborazion with don Placido D’Omina (Sicilia, Italia)
* *
This commentary, translated into 96 different languages and dialects,
reaches several million people worldwide through print, radio, television
and the Internet and this is published by the U.S. Mid-West Focolare.
Per informazioni www.focolare.org
This PPS, in diverse languages, is published in www.santuariosancalogero.org
Text by Chiara Lubich, originally published in Città Nuova August 2006
Grafics Anna Lollo in collaborazion with don Placido D’Omina (Sicilia, Italia)
* *
This commentary, translated into 96 different languages and dialects,
reaches several million people worldwide through print, radio, television
and the Internet and this is published by the U.S. Mid-West Focolare.
Per informazioni www.focolare.org
This PPS, in diverse languages, is published in www.santuariosancalogero.org
«Be kind to one another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
as God in Christ has forgiven you.» (Eph
4:32).
«Be kind to one another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
as God in Christ has forgiven you.» (Eph
4:32).
top related