Chiara speaks to all the members of \u201cher people\u201d, born from the Gospel, about the challenge of living it. She acts like a mirror in which each one can see themselves: \u201cHave we followed Jesus? That is not enough\u201d. She invites everyone to enter into His way, the way of love, a love which is dynamic, continually growing, that improves always in four characteristic ways (see the Word of Life for August). And she quotes some words on love taken from <\/span><\/span><\/span>365 Thoughts on Love<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span> which reinforce her invitation to \u201dbe like the waxing moon\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u2026 I think that all of you who are listening to this thought are living, more or less, the reality of \u201cYou, Lord, are my only good\u201d, addressed to Jesus crucified and forsaken, adding \u201cwith Mary Desolate\u201d.<\/p>\n This is the basis of our spiritual life, so as to continue on profitably with our daily holy journey. In some way, it makes us worthy to follow Jesus. In fact, He wants us to love the cross (\u201ctake up their cross\u201d) [Mt. 10:38] and to be detached from everything (\u201cdeny themselves\u201d) \u201cWhoever wishes to come after Me…\u201d [Mt. 16:24]. We know what He is asking.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, in doing all this, we still haven\u2019t done everything. We said this on other occasions. It is not enough to follow Jesus. We must see where He wants to bring us.<\/p>\n He wants to place us on His path, which is the path of love.<\/p>\n We must love, then, love in a supernatural way. We must love God by doing His will and love our neighbor through the four ways we know: seeing Jesus in everybody, loving everybody, taking the initiative in loving, making ourselves one.<\/p>\n And our way of loving must always improve in order to be authentic and pleasing to God: \u201cWhoever does not go forward, goes backward\u201d.<\/p>\n In these past weeks I have been reading a booklet that someone kindly sent to me. It\u2019s very beautiful, and can also be used for meditation.<\/p>\n It quotes many sayings on true love that can be found in Sacred Scripture, in the saints, but also in Christian or non-Christian thinkers and even non-believers.<\/p>\n In speaking of love, the book confirms, if we needed a confirmation, the absolute importance of this attitude and it too recommends improvement.\u00a0<\/p>\n Because I liked these sayings very much, I would like to share some of them with you.<\/p>\n This is from St. Gregory the Great: \u201cWe can improve more in loving God, if first, on the lap of His love, we are nursed on love of neighbor.\u201d<\/p>\n Fritz Usinger (1895), German poet and essayist, affirms: \u201cWhoever gives love is enriched by what they give. The more they give, the more they are enriched.\u201d<\/p>\n Ricarda Huch, a German writer (1864-1947) adds: \u201cLove is the only thing that grows when we it is given away abundantly.\u201d<\/p>\n Michail J. Lermontov, a 19th century Russian writer (1814-1841) says: \u201cLove is like fire: if it is not fed, it dies out.\u201d<\/p>\n And St. Augustine: \u201cIn the measure that you grow in love, you grow in beauty, because love is the beauty of the soul.”<\/p>\n With regard to the need to improve always, Fulton J. Sheen (1895-1979), the famous American bishop and writer affirms: \u201cIn the kingdom of love, there is no flatland: either you go uphill or you go downhill.\u201d<\/p>\n Viscount de S\u00e9gur, a 19th century French writer, says: \u201cLove is like the moon: if it doesn\u2019t wax, it wanes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n And love can always grow because, as St. Thomas affirms: \u201cThere are no limits to charity, because it is a sharing in the infinite charity, which is the Holy Spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n We know that we must love. So this month let\u2019s insist on growing. I liked the last words of a letter I received from a focolarina: \u201cin the waxing moon, Yours….\u201d<\/p>\n So then, let\u2019s all of us, too, be \u201cin the waxing moon\u201d and \u201cin the Kingdom of love where there is no flatland, where we go either uphill or downhill.\u201d<\/p>\n Let us ask ourselves now and then during the day: Have I improved in my love for God and for my brothers and sisters?<\/p>\n We will be able to improve our love for God through our daily prayers or by carrying out our duties better and better. We will be able to improve in our love for brothers and sisters every time we meet them.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve tried it: we need to pay more attention to our spiritual life; but we must have a spiritual life, or elsewe\u2019re going downhill and waning. Improving must become a habit. It\u2019s necessary. So take courage. \u2026<\/p>\n