We are a totally new creation

’’For anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here. (2 Corinthians. 5:17)

This Word of Life concludes a talk whereSt. Paul tries to explain to the Christians in Corinth, the force behind his apostolic activity: his immense love for Jesus. At the same time he wants to address a strong call to certain members of the community who showed that they had not fully grasped Jesus’ message. They had not understood that Jesus came to bring about a total change in their lives.

Paul reminds them that Jesus died so that we, too, might die with Him to our previous lives; Jesus rose so that we, too, might rise with Him to a new life.

Jesus gave his life to make us children ofGod, so that we might share in his divine life and become 'new creatures'.

'For anyone who is in Christ, there is anew creation the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here.'

If anyone is in Christ, St. Paul says - in other words if Christ lives in us - we are a totally new creation: we are new in our way of thinking, loving and behaving. We have put behind ourselves all that belongs to our former lives and have started to build a new world seen through Jesus’ heart and mind.'For anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here.'

If we have understood the new message of the gospel we can no longer judge situations according to the mentality of the world; we can no longer see people according to class, culture or race, nor let society be divided into warring factions. Consequently we can’t continue to treat people according to whether they will benefit us or whether we feel happy in their company.

Jesus, in fact, did not love us because of our merits or virtues, but out of generosity; he renewed us with a completely pureJesus wants us to follow his example: to be first in loving our neighbours with a creative love which will eventually transform the world.

'For anyone who is in Christ, there is anew creation the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here.'

How can we live this word?

It reminds us of the new, marvellous reality which our baptism gave to us and so we live it by letting Jesus live in us. Jesus’ life is extremely rich in every sense. His love is for everyone and asks nothing in return.We tend to see and judge people from their external appearance and forget their real value and worth, that they are children ofGod and Jesus is their brother. We

continually expect something from our neighbours instead of being the first to love and to serve them.

Jesus, in fact, wants us to pass on to others the same love he has showered upon us. Only in this way will the many divisions melt away which afflict our families and our communities which will gradually disappear through Jesus.

Even in the church, the Mystical Body ofChrist, we are divided from each other.

Do we want to be builders of the full communion between the various Christian denominations? We can contribute towards this, together with all other Christians, by living this passage of the second letter to the Corinthians which is the theme of theWeek of Prayer for the Unity of Christians.

Together we can be an instrument for building that new world which Jesus already started with his resurrection.

Chiara Lubich

Supplement

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.

The Marist prepares for his/her task by learning at .Mary's side a particular way of relating to the Word of God, to the person of Jesus, and to the Church.'

The first Word of Life for the New Year speaks of the newness that must enter into our lives as we leave behind our old way of thinking, speaking and acting. It speaks too of the new world we are called to build with the mind and the heart of Jesus.

1. The Radical Change in Our Lives.

This above all is in the way we love our neighbour, and that means everyone we meet. Our model is Jesus who told us to 'love one another as I have loved you.' Jesus took the initiative in loving us. When we were dead in our sins He died for us. Chiara tells us that instead of expecting others to make the first move we should take the initiative in loving and placing ourselves at their service. When this is difficult we have a great chance to make more rapid progress in love. The steeper the hill the higher each step carry’s us. There is plenty of scope for creativity in discovering how to love those we find it difficult to reach.

2. Keeping our eyes on Mary

'Let them always bear in mind that they belong by a gracious choice to the family of the blessed Mary, Mother of God, from whose name they are called Marists, and whom they have chosen from the beginning as their model...'

a) Mary loved each one of the members of the Marist family. Each Marist vocation is a personal act of love on the part of Mary. And her love never falls away. She always imitates the fidelity of her Son. It is not for us to with hold love from anyone Mary loves. We should try to draw everyone into the communion towards which every Marist community strives. That includes those we find uncongenial, those who are going through a patch, those who do not appreciate us. We must live as those who have chosen 'to follow Christ more closely by a radical commitment to the spirit of the Beatitudes in a community that has one heart and one mind. And we should be open 'to the gifts and hopes of each one.'

b) To be truly loving in our apostolic work we must be ready to efface ourselves even before sinners and unbelievers. As Chiara exhorts us.

We must keep Mary always before our mind as our model, developing in ourselves her characteristic qualities: patience, perseverance, poverty-that is detachment from all our riches, even spiritual ones- as an expression of our fraternal/sisterly love for them.’

And 'If others do not make themselves one with us in the truth, let us make ourselves one with them in charity, and then maintain constant this relationship.'

3. Building a New World.

We are called to build a new world with the mind and heart of Jesus. Marists are meant to be creative people. One of the great symbols Colin left us as our patrimony was that of Mary among the Apostles at Pentecost. And Pentecost means the coming of the Spirit who is the source of all creativity. It means being transformed into a new creation, going out to evangelise the world, and finding effective ways of touching the minds and hearts of our contemporaries.

Like the first Marists, those men and women who went before us, we believe as sober truth that the Society of Mary exists because Mary took the initiative. So one thing that is distinctive about the way Marists see Mary is that they regard her as innovative and creative. And she is our model! Isn't it interesting that in the very first number of the New Constitutions the word 'initiative' occurs. The better we understand the spirit of the New Foundation the more we will depth the meaning of that word.



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Date
30 December 2022

Tag 1
Formation

Tag 2
Spirituality

Tag 3
Teaching

Source Name
Chiara Lubich

Source URL
http://www.maristlaityaustralia.com...

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