One city is not enough

If you want to win over a city to the love of Christ, if you want to transform a town into the kingdom of God, first make your plans. Gather round you friends who share your feelings. Unite yourself with them in the name of Christ and ask them to put God before anything else. Then make a pact with them: promise one another constant and perpetual love, so that the Conqueror of the world may be always among you and be your leader; that when your ego has been destroyed in love, your every step may be sustained, your every tear be dried, by the Mother of Fair Love. Then size up the city. Seek out its spiritual head. Go with your friends to see him. Present your plans to him, and if he does not consent do not take even a step, for otherwise you will ruin everything. If he advises you and offers you some guidelines accept them as a command and make them a watchword for you and for your friends. Assure him of your loyalty for Christ has commanded it, and offer to help him – with your spiritual contribution – in his heavy responsibility. Then look for the poorest, the destitute, the forsaken, the orphans, the prisoners. Without pause in your action run with your friends to visit Christ in them, to comfort them, to reveal to them that the love of God is close to them and watches over them. If someone is hungry, take food, if naked, take clothing. If you have neither clothes nor food, ask for them from the Eternal Father with faith, because they are necessary for his Son Christ, who you wish to serve in every human person. And he will hear you. Loaded with all these goods go through the streets, go up into attics and down into cellars, seek out Christ in public and private places, at the stations, along the railways, in the slums, and caress him above all with your smile. Then promise him eternal love so that the places you are unable to go may be reached by your prayers and your sufferings, united to the Sacrifice of the altar. Leave no one alone, and do not be sparing in your promises, because you go in the name of the Almighty. While you are gladdening the Lord in your brothers and sisters, God will concern himself with filling you and your friends with heavenly gifts. Share these with one another, so that the light may not grow dim and love go out. If your action is determined and your speech filled with wisdom, many will follow you. Divide these people into groups so that with them you may leaven the city that you wish to undermine with your love. Keep going. If others, having got to know your life and having seen with their own eyes the gifts you have, ask you to talk, then speak, but let the core of your speech be the things you have learned from life. Base what you say on the teaching of the Church and on Scripture from which you and your group have drunk as your first source, safe, inexhaustible, eternal. So that, if the Shepherd speaks you may be his living word. Having consoled, helped, enlightened, made happy those who were the dregs of society, you have laid the foundations to build the new city. Then gather your friends together and repeat the beatitudes to them, so that they may never lose the spirit of Christ and of his preferences. After that look further afield and tell everyone that every neighbour, rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, gifted or not, is Christ who passes by. Let your ranks, the ranks of Jesus, of Mary, be at his service and each of you weep with those who weep, rejoice with those who rejoice, constantly share sufferings and joys with any sacrifice, without ever ceasing. Alternate your action with the deepest prayer, lifted up by your army in perfect unity, so that – through Christ – there may be won the greatest glory from that place. And if the struggle costs, know that there lies the secret of success, and that he who urges you on has paid with his blood. Forgive and pray for those who think ill of you, for if you do not forgive, you will not find mercy. And if suffering consumes you, sing out: “Behold my spouse, my friend, my brother,” so that in the hour of your death the Lord may say to your soul: “Arise, and hurry, my friend, my dove, my fair one, and come away” (see Sg 2:10). Do this for a city until victory, to the point, that is, that good overcomes evil and Christ through us can repeat: “I have conquered the world” (Jn 16:33). But with a God who visits you every morning, if you wish, one city is too little. He is the one who has made the stars, who guides the destiny of the ages. Come to an agreement with him, and aim further: at your country, at everyone’s country, at the world. Let your every breath be for this; for this your every action; for this your resting and your moving. Having reached the other side, you will see that which has most value, and you will find a reward proportionate to your love. Act in such a way that in that hour you need not be sorry for having loved too little.