In a Middle East which has been victim for more than 70 years of serious conflicts that are increasing, and in a West terrified by the threats of a certain Islam that feels itself threatened in its own identity, and in a world perpetually in crisis, where governments only speak of prosperity, security and peace, a group of men and women from all countries, denominations, religions, cultures, ethnicities and all sides, are not content to preach coexistence, conviviality or peace but claim to want to establish brotherhood – better yet – unity among all the peoples of the earth!
Madness? Utopia? According to Vassula and her friends, it is only a matter of believing in love and practicing it, or rather of welcoming the Love of God without measure, of allowing oneself to be loved and transformed by Him, and this will change the face of the earth.
We believe, brothers and sisters, in spite of all the misfortunes of the earth, in the immeasurable Love of God. And this God of Love simply wants to send His Spirit to earth to snatch humans from their evil ways and renew all things. Indeed, it was this spirit that came to rest on Jesus in Jordan two thousand years ago and which was accompanied by the Father’s Word:
“This is My Beloved Son, in whom I have put all my love.”
This reveals that God is Trinity, that is to say reciprocal Love, communion and communication, and that there is in Him the Other, and that this God of Love has only one desire, to send His Spirit upon each of us to repeat to us the same words that were said in Jordan. It is this same Spirit that teaches us to live together when we are different, and shows us that we need each other, that we are complementary and not enemies.
It is this same Spirit that teaches us that brotherhood is lived beyond differences, and that these become sources of enrichment rather than being lived in ignorance and fear. It is this Spirit of God’s Love, spread in our hearts, which allows us to live our pilgrimage open to participants of various traditions, and as an opportunity for privileged encounters that promote understanding, mutual aid and friendship between cultures and different religions. Finally, it is the Spirit of God’s Love that teaches us how to generate Unity and that, in the search for Unity, every effort already carries its effectiveness, and any serious will for Unity is a step towards Unity and achieves its goal. Cardinal Henri de Lubac used to say : « Any inclination to Unity actually brings us closer together because it increases the Love which is of itself unifying ».
Conclusion
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Our God is the Love that comes to meet us. Our existence may be dominated by fear, consumed by doubt, soured by withdrawal, but His Love can transform it into a great adventure open to true life. Indeed, it is only through Love, and thanks to the Love and thanks to the Spirit which is always offered to us, that little by little our resistance and our egoism will burn, transforming us into people nourished by the very movement by which He perfects our existence as sons and daughters.
Chucrallah Nabil El Hajj
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Maronite Archbishop of Tyre – Lebanon
