Lent 2025 Day 34

Chiara Lubich, Laywoman and Unifier
Ephesians 4:1-6 | Hebrews 10:19-25
 
Chiara Lubich (1920–2008) was an Italian Catholic laywoman and founder of the Focolare Movement, a worldwide community rooted in unity, dialogue, and radical Gospel love. Born in Trento, Italy, Lubich’s life was shaped by the destruction of World War II. Amid the rubble of bombed cities, she and a small group of friends sought a new way of living—a Gospel way that saw Christ in every person, especially the most forgotten and broken.

Lubich’s spiritual vision was deeply rooted in the prayer of Jesus in John 17: “That they may all be one.” She believed that unity was not merely an ideal but the concrete mission of the Church and of every Christian. The Focolare Movement, which began with simple acts of shared life and mutual support, grew into a global network of communities committed to ecumenism, interreligious dialogue, and social transformation.

Ephesians 4 speaks of the unity of the Spirit and the call to live a life worthy of the Gospel—marked by humility, gentleness, patience, and love. Lubich embodied these virtues not in theory, but in practice. She lived unity by forming community. She created spaces where people from across divides—Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jews, atheists—could listen to one another, live together, and become witnesses to the reconciling love of Christ.

Hebrews 10 reminds us of the importance of community and mutual encouragement. Lent can often feel like a solitary journey, a personal desert. But Chiara Lubich reminds us that we walk this path together. Her theology of communion insists that holiness is not a private achievement but a shared life. We provoke one another to love and good deeds when we live in intentional relationship, forgiving one another, sharing burdens, and seeing Christ in every face.

Lubich’s commitment to unity was not naïve—it was forged through suffering. She experienced misunderstanding, loss, and the challenges of building peace in divided spaces. And yet, her faith did not waver. She believed that the “abandoned Christ”—Jesus forsaken on the cross—was the key to entering into the pain of the world and transforming it through love. This was her Lenten theology: that from the deepest place of forsakenness, resurrection hope could arise.

Today, the Focolare Movement continues her legacy in more than 180 countries, with people of all backgrounds living out unity through dialogue, service, and shared spiritual practice. Lubich’s vision of the communion of love is a gift for the Church and the world—a reminder that the Kingdom of God is built not through triumph but through togetherness.

Reflection:

• Where in your life are you being called to live more deeply into unity? 
• How can Lent become a communal journey, rather than only a personal one? 
• Who in your life encourages you to love and good deeds—and whom might you encourage in return? 

Breath Prayer: Inhale: That we may be one… Exhale: In love and peace.

May this Lenten season draw us closer not only to Christ, but to one another—trusting that in our unity, God dwells.

Amen.