Riccardi

March-April 1984 This text shows Chiara’s passion for the Church and implicit in it is the reality of the “Marian Profile” and the “Petrine Profile” which Pope John Paul II spoke to Chiara about in 1997. Sometimes people think, and this has often happened down through the centuries, that there is opposition between a hierarchical church, governed by the Pope and the Bishops, and a charismatic Church animated by special gifts of the Holy Spirit. In reality this is not the case. The Church seen as hierarchy and the Church which is admired for its particular charisms are complementary aspects of the one Church. In fact, Christ founded his Church on the Apostles and Prophets (cf Eph2:20) and a Church that is only hierarchical is not the one He had in mind, and the same applies to the so-called charismatic church. Hierarchy and charisms, in reality, are the workof the same Spirit, of the one Spirit, the Holy Spirit, put there so as to give life to the one Church. When

29 November (probably 1945) This is a letter addressed to Anna Melchiori to whom Chiara gave the name “Giovanna”,  from the name of the “disciple whom Jesus loved”. The various subjects touched upon in these few lines includemercy and the works of mercy. Dearest Giovanna, Saint Clare! On this feast day of All Franciscan Saints, may she give to  you all of her Seraphic Flame and burning love for our Abandoned Christ! Keep Him ever before you as the example of extreme love. He is Everything. He is the giver of unity. Giovanna, pray more (which means to pray well, very well). Let Jesus pray when, alive, he lives in your heart after Holy Communion. Let Him once again pray his final prayer to the Father that you maybe made worthy to work for the Greatest Ideal: God. Always get up and walk again. Remember that at the end of your life you’ll be asked for the 7 + 7 works of Mercy. If you did them, you did everything. And

Castel Gandolfo, December 8, 1996 Extract from a talk given by Chiara Lubich on the collective spirituality To believe in the extraordinary grace of being able to imitate Mary. Chiara shares here the experience of light that the Holy Spirit gave her, conveying this conviction to us and suggesting we can honour her in this way. … As we briefly look over the history of the Focolare Movement with regard to Mary, we can see more clearly who Mary is for us, and how she can be considered as a cornerstone of our spirituality. From the earliest days of the Focolare, although during that period of time it seemed that she was letting the Spirit highlight almost exclusively Jesus and his gospel, Mary appeared, although discreetly, in order to reveal to us at once her relationship with unity. Some examples. I wrote in 1947: “I am convinced that it is she [Mary] who wants unity. She [Mary]: Mater unitatis! … “She knows Satan, his promises, deceptions, and traps; and she calls