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Orvieto, 07 September 2003 Globalized society requires a new lifestyle. Dearest President Bobba,dearest ACLI  friends, You have been reflecting during these days on globalization and its inherent risks, but above all, you have been asking yourselves what could be the specific contribution of us Christians at this time, what hope could we give to other people, our brothers and sisters. (...) Chiara Lubich  Text Video in italian

Rome, April 25, 1980 Commentary of the Word of Life: I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another (Jn 13:34). You may want to know when Jesus said these words. It was just before the beginning of his pas¬sion. He gave his farewell discourse as his final testament, and these words are part of that. Just think how important they are! If we never forget what a father says just before he dies, what about the words of a God? They must be taken seriously, and so together let’s try to deepen our understanding of them. I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. Jesus was about to die and what he said was affected by this. His imminent departure demanded an answer to one problem above all. How could he stay with his people and help the Church grow? You may

Rome, 1963 An invitation to the joy of the Gospel At times, O Lord, amidst the vanity strolling the city streets, frivolous activities, superficiality, sadness and haste in people everywhere, in every person who passes us by, suddenly the rustle of the habit, the silent and angelic passing of a “little sister of Foucald,” decidedly humble and unassuming, proclaims to our souls the ideal of her founder who shouted the gospel with his life. And in us is reborn more vehemently the desire that we too should “speak you,” we too should “shout you.” But how can we, by our own mere passing by, “give you” to the world, “speak you” to the world, be your witnesses, preach you, when we are dressed like everyone else, lost in the crowd as Jesus and Mary were in their times? How will people be able to recognize you? Once again I feel bubbling up in my heart the gospel response, your solution to our dilemma: “By this everyone will know that you are

Chiang Mai (Thailand), 6 January 1997 A Buddhist Grand Master of Thailand, Ajahn Tong, was struck by the spirit of the Movement -  especially by the love of neighbour – during a meeting of interreligious dialogue in 1995. He later invited Chiara to speak in front of 800 young students of the Buddhist university Manachulalongkork of Chang Mai, in the north of Thailand. After having given her experience, Chiara answered the students’ questions, emphasizing «the seeds of the Word» (cf. Second Vatican Council, Ad Gentes 11, 15; Gaudium et Spes 3) that are found in Buddhism.Luce Ardente:  As a Christian, what do you think of Buddhism? Chiara:    I cannot judge Buddhism because I know too little about it.When I had met the Great Teacher and Luce Ardente for the first time, I realized that Buddhism possesses immense riches. For example... the need to abolish suffering, to live always detached from everything - this is something wonderful. (...)Text Video in italian

Rome, 25 April 1994 Commentary of the Word of Life: If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love (Jn 15:10). These words are taken from Jesus’ Farewell Discourse in the Fourth Gospel (Jn 13:31 - 17:26), which he gave to his apostles after the last supper. It becomes clear that by keeping his commandments we remain in his love. These words also recall an earlier verse where Jesus tells his apostles, ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments’ (Jn 14:15). Here it becomes clear that love for Jesus must be the moving force, the root for keeping his commandments. The result is a circular motion between love for Jesus and keeping his commandments. Love for Jesus urges us to live his word always more faithfully and, at the same time, living the word of Jesus makes us abide in him and therefore grow always more in love for him. If you keep my commandments,

Castel Gandolfo, 3 January 1989 Chiara continues to communicate to the young men religious about her “rediscovery” of the centrality of mutual love and its extraordinary effects. (...) The new commandment … is the foundation of Christianity. Those who begin to live it earnestly, … in the manner that Jesus had lived it, become aware, first of all, of a leap in the quality of their spiritual life. For instance, they experience in a new manner the gifts of the Spirit. They come to know a new kind of joy, a peace, kindness and magnanimity. They acquire a light which helps them to see from God’s perspective all that happens, and to penetrate more deeply into the truths of faith.At the same time, this reciprocal love bears witness to Christ in the world. He said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35). (...) Text Video in italian