This volume contains Chiara Lubich's thought and experience on "Unity." Unity is a gift from God to the entire world. It is a supernatural gift because unity is the presence of God among people.Chiara points out that Jesus came on earth to bring about unity. Jesus asked the Father for unity and having asked for it he also obtained it by giving his life and dying on the cross.Unity is also a key word in contemporary Christianity, which after centuries of struggle, has rediscovered the yearning to return to a time when we were "one heart and one mind," brothers and sisters in Christ, not rivals and enemies.Unity offers the reader the opportunity to develop a deeper appreciation of the communal aspect of Christian life, and the implications of a communitarian spirituality for the Church and humanity. The ultimate message of this book is that unity is built by loving one another, by lighting fires of love together instead of fires of division and hatred.Donato Falmi and Florence Gillet provide an excellent introduction and clarifying notes to accompany this work which provides a deeper and more personal understanding of Chiara Lubich's life and thought.

Author Biography

Chiara Lubich (1920-2008) was founder of the Focolare Movement (The Work of Mary). In the course of her life, she saw the spirituality of the Focolare - the spirituality of unity - grow around the world. She was awarded 15 honorary doctoral degrees, numerous civic awards, the Templeton Prize for Progress of Religion, and the UNESCO Peace Prize. She has published more than 50 books in 29 languages.