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 I’d like you to join us in living the present moment and, in the present moment, the work of Mercy that God requires of us.
Do you study? = Do you instruct the ignorant?
Do you tutor a classmate? = You counsel the doubting.
Do you eat or give food to others? = You feed the hungry.
Do you drink or give someone a drink? = You quench the thirst of the thirsty.
Do you pray? Pray for the living and for the dead?
The 14 Acts of Mercy could determine each of your actions.
And each of your actions can be turned toward Jesus who must live and grow in you and in your neighbor.
Thus you will go about doing good and irradiating Jesus all around you. We know in as much as we “do.”
Do, do, do!
“Coepit facere et postea docere.”
The same for you.
And you have so much to do! You have everything to do, if you don’t love each other there as we do here.
Irradiate Christ by loving!
Don’t let the time go by without any love.
Don’t be forced to say: “I wasted the day!”
To the heights of heroism and of Love!
To the heights, to the heights!
Let your deeds cry it out: Unity or death!
(from Chiara Lubich, Early Letters, New City Press, New York 2012, pp. 58-59.)
