Riccardi

Rome, 1957 This vision of the historical development of the religious families indicates, as Fr. Fabio Ciardi wrote, “a Catholic, open, universal heart that is capable of extending over the whole Church.”(*) Christ through the centuries Jesus is the Word of God incarnate. The church is the gospel incarnate: for this reason she is the Bride of Christ. Many religious orders have flourished through the centuries. Every family or order is the “incarnation,” so to speak, of an expression of Jesus, of an attitude of his, of an event of his life, of a suffering of his, of a word of his.. There are Franciscans who continue to proclaim to the world through their very existence: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3). There are the Dominicans who contemplate the Logos, the Word, under the aspect of Light and Truth, and make it their mission to explain and defend that Truth. Monks have linked work to contemplation (Martha and Mary). The Carmelites adore

Rome, April 25, 1985 Commentary of the Word of Life: We love our brothers and sisters, and with this we know that we have passed from death to life (1 Jn. 3:14). John is writing to the Christian communities he founded at a moment when they were having serious difficulties. Heresies and false doctrines on matters of faith and morals were starting to spread, while the pagan society where Christians lived was tough and hostile to the spirit of the Gospel. To help them the Apostle points out a radical solution: to love the brothers and sisters, to live the law of love they have received from the beginning, which he sees as the summary of all the other commandments.Doing this, they will know what ‘life’ is. They will be led, that is, deeper and deeper into union with God and will expe¬rience God-Love. And, having this experience, they will be confirmed in faith and be capable of facing any attack, especially in times of crisis. We love our brothers and