September 1st
The most important law is charity, love
Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the Law.
The Platinum Rule
It's called the "Platinum Rule." We all know the greatness of the Golden Rule ("do unto others as you would have them do unto you"), and from it springs what can be considered an even more universal evolution: "strive to understand what the other person would want done to them and act accordingly." Perhaps it is precisely here that we can recognize one of the most authentic forms of love: meeting one another as equals, each with their strengths and weaknesses, in a relationship of reciprocity and respect, recognizing the value and dignity of every life, even in the most difficult circumstances. It is about looking attentively at those around us, without ignoring them. "True love of neighbor," says Chiara Lubich, "does no harm."[1] In fact, if we love, we avoid all forms of harm, both toward ourselves and toward our brothers and sisters. The first step in loving our neighbor is, precisely, not to harm them. But to truly love, we need to be creative in love: Pope Francis reminded us that it's not enough to simply refrain from harming our neighbor; we must choose to do good, seizing every opportunity that arises. We know this: none of us can give what we don't have, and only by recognizing that we have all been loved at some point can we fully unleash our gifts for others. So, how do we live this Idea of the Month? Let's put love back at the center of our lives. Let's love others in concrete ways, with creativity and imagination, and above all, with deep listening that comes from within, from the heart. Doris, a young woman from Scotland, tells us: «On our regular visits to a homeless shelter, I enter a world very different from my own. I know that what matters isn't so much what I feel, but loving. One day, a man with a deep sadness on his face confided in me that he felt ready to end it all, that he even wanted to die. I simply listened to him, and afterward, we shared a sandwich and a coffee.» And I understood that listening and being present was already a way of showing love. When it was time for me to leave, he hugged me tightly and smiled, telling me that what we were doing was very important, not only for him, but for everyone there. I felt the incredible power of love. Perhaps I didn't "save" him, but his gratitude filled me with joy, and that, in itself, is something very powerful." [1] C. Lubich, Word of Life, September 1993, in Words of Life/2 1991-2006) (ed. F. Ciardi), Ciudad Nueva, Madrid 2026, p. 77.
Word of life
Can someone be ordered to love? If we understand love as a feeling, it is clearly impossible! But if we understand it as a gift from God, things change. In the Letter to the Romans, from which the Word of Life is taken, Paul precisely describes the relationship between Law and love, and affirms that love is the fulfillment of the Law. Shortly before, he has revealed to us where this love comes from: «God proves his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us» (Romans 5:8). For its part, the First Letter of John says: «This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins» (1 John 4:10). «Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the Law.» No one can give what they do not have. Augustine understood this well when, addressing God directly, he asked: «Give what you command and command what you will»[1]. We have received the priceless gift of God’s love and are called not to keep it to ourselves, but to put it into circulation. We can become subjects instead of mere recipients of God’s love: to move from being loved to being lovers, and thus participate in the very life of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: the Lover, the Beloved, and Love. We owe no one anything except mutual love—Paul comforts us—for whoever loves another has fulfilled the Law (cf. Rom 13:8). «Charity does no wrong to a neighbor. Charity, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.» «True love of neighbor causes no harm,» affirms Chiara Lubich. That is, it leads us to live all of God's commandments without exception, since their primary purpose is to lead us to avoid all forms of evil into which we might fall, whether against ourselves or against our brothers and sisters.[2] Understood in this way, the commandments of the Law become a gift of God's love rather than an obligation: they do not constrain our love, but rather liberate it fully. "Charity does no wrong to one's neighbor. Charity, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law." To achieve this "full fulfillment," the first step in loving our neighbor is to do them no harm. But we also need to be creative in love: "It is not enough to refrain from harming our neighbor," Pope Francis reminded us; "we must choose to do good, taking advantage of opportunities to bear good witness that we are disciples of Jesus."[3] How then are we to live this Word of Life? Let us once again place love at the center of our lives. Let us love others concretely, as Jesus would love them: He is the fullness of love, which gives itself completely to God and to humanity. From Him we can learn the high measure of love. «Charity does no wrong to a neighbor. Charity is, therefore, the fulfillment of the law.» Doris, a Scottish girl, tells us: «On our regular visits to a homeless shelter, I enter a world very different from my own. I know that what matters is not so much what I feel, but loving. One day, a man who reflected deep sadness confessed to me that he was ready to end it all, that he even wanted to die. I simply listened to him; then we had a sandwich and a coffee together. And I understood that listening and being present was already a way of showing love. When it was time for me to leave, he gave me a big hug, smiled at me, and told me that what we were doing was very important, not only for him, but for everyone there. I felt the incredible power of love.» Perhaps I didn't "save" him, but his gratitude filled me with joy, and this, in itself, is very powerful." Claudio Cianfaglioni and the Word of Life team [1] Augustine of Hippo, Confessions, X, 29, 40: da quod iubes et iube quod vis.[2] C. Lubich, Word of Life, September 1993: Words of Life/2 (1991-2006) (ed. F. Ciardi), Ciudad Nueva, Madrid 2026, p. 77.[3] Francis, General Audience, 3-1-2018: The Encounter with the Risen One. Catechesis on the Holy Mass, Ciudad Nueva, Madrid 2018, p. 48.
