The Pearl of the Gospel: Short Reflections on Reciprocal Love

One October day in Trent during World War II, Chiara Lubich was with her friends, and a bombing raid began. They couldn't make it to the bomb shelter, so they took cover in the cellar. As the house shook over their heads and the bombs fell all around them, they were convinced that they were going to die at that moment. Lubich asked: is there something we could do right now at the moment of our death that would be especially pleasing to God? They opened the Gospel at random and read: "This I command you: that you love one another" (John 15:17). These friends made a pact among themselves of "mutual love." They promised to love one another as Jesus had loved them and to make this particular commandment the basis of all that they did. So, while some Christians emphasize the apostolic mandate to go out and preach to all nations, baptizing them, Lubich emphasized John's mandate for those who came to be part of the Focolare Movement (the ecclesial movement that grew up around Lubich): "This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35) The excerpts from Chiara Lubich's writings that are collected here reflect the deep union with God that she experienced individually and as part of the Body of Christ as she put this "pearl" of the Gospel into practice.