Riccardi

Rome, April 25, 1990 Commentary of the Word of Life: But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval (1 Pt 2:20). The apostle Peter is showing his communities the true spirit of the Gospel in its practical applications. In particular he refers to each person’s circumstances and position in life.Here he is speaking to slaves who had converted to the faith and who, like all slaves in society at that period, were sometimes subject to totally unjust ill-treatment and lack of understanding. These words also extend to all those in any time and place who find they must endure a lack of understanding and injustice at the hands of their neighbours, whether superiors or equals. But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval. Peter advises them not to give in to the instinctive reactions that such situations provoke, but to do what Jesus would do. He urges them to respond with love and to see such

Castel Gandolfo, December 8, 1996 And now the Holy Spirit.The third divine Person had not been explored in depth by our Church, at least not by the people. The Holy Spirit was said to be “the unknown God.” We knew that he existed. We prayed to him, “Veni, Sancte Spiritus,” but there was not much more In the Focolare Movement, the Holy Spirit is considered, above all, for what he is in God and for humankind. He is the bond of unity between the divine Persons, Father and Son, and the bond of unity among Christians. Moreover, because he can be present in the hearts of non-Christians of good will, he is in a certain way the bond of unity also with them.One characteristic of the Focolare is that of listening to his voice within us. And that is not all, for we also learn to listen to the voice of him present among us, united in the risen Lord. Indeed, we attribute great importance to listening to the voice of