This month we allow ourselves to be illuminated, as a light for our path (cf. Salt 119, 105), from the word and experience of the apostle Paul.

He also announces to us, as to the Christians of Corinth, a powerful message: the core of the Gospel is charity, agape, selfless love among brothers.

Our Word of life is part of the conclusion of this letter, in which charity is abundantly recalled and explained in all its nuances: it is patient, helpful, loves the truth, does not seek its own interest (1 Co 13)…

Mutual love, lived in this way within the Christian community, is a balm for the divisions that always threaten it and a sign of hope for all humanity.

"Do everything with love"

It is striking that Paul exhorts us to act (in the Greek text) “being in love,” as if indicating a stable condition, a remaining in God, who is Love.

For how could we welcome each other and welcome each person with this attitude, if not by recognizing that we are first loved by God, even in our weaknesses?

This renewed awareness allows us to open ourselves fearlessly to others, to understand their needs and to stand by them, sharing material and spiritual resources.

He was always the first to give: "[…] health to the sick, forgiveness to sinners, life to all of us. To the selfish instinct to hoard, he opposes generosity; to the focus on our own needs, attention to others; to the culture of possessing, the culture of giving. It doesn't matter whether we can give a lot or a little. What matters is as We give, how much love we put into even a small gesture of attention to others. […] Love is essential, because it knows how to approach one's neighbor even with a simple gesture of listening, of service, of availability. How important […] it is to try to be Love for everyone! We will find the direct path to enter your heart and relieve it.^[2]

"Do everything with love"

This Word teaches us to approach others with respect, without falsehood, with creativity, leaving room for their best aspirations, so that each person can make their contribution to the common good.

It helps us value each specific occasion in our daily lives: "[…] household chores, farm chores, or workshop chores, administrative formalities, schoolwork, or responsibilities in the civil, political, or religious spheres. Everything can be transformed into attentive and caring service."^[3]

We could imagine a mosaic of the Gospel lived with simplicity. Some parents write: "When a neighbor told us, distressed, that her son was in prison, we agreed to go visit him. We fasted the day before going, hoping to have the grace to tell him what was appropriate. Then we paid the bail to free him."^[4]

A group of young people from Buea (Southwest Cameroon) organized a fundraiser to help those internally displaced by war.^[5]They visited a man who had lost an arm while fleeing. Living with this disability became a great challenge for him, as his habits changed drastically. "He told us that our visit had given him hope, joy, and confidence. He felt God's love through us," Regina tells us. Marita adds: "After this experience, I am convinced that nothing is too small if it is done out of love... Nothing more is needed: love is what makes the world go round. Let's find out!"

Letizia Magri and the Word of Life team

[1] For this month, we propose the Word of Life that a group of German Christians from different churches have chosen to live by throughout the year.
[2] C. Lubich, Word of Life, October 2006, in Ciudad Nueva n. 435 (10/2006), p. 22.
[3] Ibid.
[4] S. PELLEGRINI, G. SALERNO, M. CAPORALE (eds.), A Silent Transformation: Testimonies of Families from Around the World on Amoris Laetitia, Ciudad Nueva, Madrid 2022, p. 84.
[5] Text adapted from: unitedworldproject.org/es/workshop/cameroon-compartir-con-los-desplazados/.