Always have a thoughtful love toward every neighbour

)In 2004 The Pope called us all “apostles of dialogue”. “In harmony with the Magisterium of the Church, the men and women focolarini have become apostles of dialogue…” he writes. A new title we never had before, even though the content of all our actions lies there, in dialogue.

Therefore, we need to ask ourselves: how does the Holy Father see us, how does God intend us to be “apostles of dialogue”?

Do they see it as an activity to carry out every now and then during our meetings with other Catholics, individuals or groups, with the faithful of other Christian Churches, with the followers of other religions and with men and women of good will?

Yes, of course. But we can worthily carry out this specific duty of ours if dialogue is a permanent reality for us focolarini who are called to a collective spirituality.

And the reason is this: we are all called to be a reflection of the Holy Trinity, where the three divine Persons are eternally in dialogue, eternally one and eternally distinct.

In practice, this means that each time we are in contact with one or more brothers or sisters, directly or indirectly, by means of a telephone call, a letter, a job carried out for their benefit, prayers said on their behalf, we all feel that we are involved in an unending dialogue, that we are called to dialogue.

How?

By being open to dialogue, by listening, empty of ourselves, to what our brother wants, to what he says, to what worries him, to what he desires. Once we have done this, we give what is desired, what is opportune.

And if there are moments and hours in which I must devote time to myself (eating, resting, dressing, and so forth), I should try to do everything in consideration of my brothers and sisters, always mindful of those who await my love.

In this way and only in this way, by continually living the “spirituality of unity” or “of communion”, can I effectively contribute towards making my Church “a home and a school of communion”; towards furthering, with the faithful of other Churches or ecclesial Communities, the unity of the Church; towards achieving with people of other religions or cultures ever vaster spaces of universal brotherhood. (…)