focus - spirituality of unity
Chiara Lubich has been a privileged witness of the action of the Holy Spirit who acts as a leaven of unity on the vast horizons of the life of humanity, in a dialogue that spans 360 degrees. This excerpt, written by her at the dawn of the third millennium, first appeared in Città Nuova magazine and was recently republished in English in the book: C. Lubich, The Holy Spirit, edited by F. Gillet & R. Silva, New City Press, New York (2018), pgs. 143-144.
When I observe what the Holy Spirit has done with us and with so many other spiritual and social endeavours that are operating in the Church today, I cannot fail to hope that he will act again and always with similar generosity and magnanimity.
I hope that he may act, not only through new initiatives that will be born from his love, but also through the development of those that already exist, such as ours.
And at the same time, I dream that our Church may become much more alive in its being the Bride of Christ, that it will be a Church that presents itself to the world as more beautiful, more holy, more charismatic, more in conformity with Mary its model, which means it will be more Marian, more dynamic, more a family, more intimate, more like Christ its Spouse. I dream that it will be a lighthouse for all humanity. I also dream of a “sanctity of the people” as never seen before.
I dream, and it can already be observed, of a growth in the awareness of millions of people that we are all brothers and sisters in one human family. I dream that this idea may spread all over the earth and become a general, universal reality in the third millennium.
My dream is that, in this way, there will be an end to conflicts and wars, and the elimination of famine and the thousand other evils the world suffers from.
I dream of an ever more intense dialogue of love among the Christian Churches so that we will come closer to the time when we will all come together in one Church.
I dream that the dialogue of life and action may increase among the members of all the many and diverse religions, who will be bound together by love through living the “Golden Rule,” present in all their sacred books.
I dream that the various cultures in the world will move towards each other, enriching one another, so that they will give rise to a world culture that will bring to the fore those values that have always been the true wealth of each people or nation and that will stand out as global wisdom. {…}
I dream of relationships based on the Gospel, not only between individuals, but also among groups, movements, religious and lay associations, among peoples and among nations, so that it becomes logical to love the country of others as one’s own. Then it will be logical to tend towards a universal communion of goods, at least as a goal to attain.
I dream of a world that is united in the diversity of peoples, who will all recognize one another and share with each other in solidarity.
I dream of the beginning of the “new heavens and the new earth” as much as possible here on earth. I have great dreams, and yet we have a whole millennium before us to see them accomplished.
I have a dream
Chiara Lubich
The Church and the Holy Spirit - October to December 2018 2018/1