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The Servant of God Chiara Lubich, foundress of the Focolare movement, gave the young Focolare member Chiara Badano the nickname “Luce” (pronounced “LOO-cheh,” which means “light” in Italian). This wasn’t by chance; since she was a little girl, Luce was joyful and full of love, and lived her faith in an extraordinary way in the ordinary things of life. Even when she was terminally ill, she used to say, “I still have my heart, and with that I can always love.”
She was the first young woman belonging to Generation X to be beatified. Without a doubt, she was and continues to be an inspiration for all young people who seek to fulfill their call to live holy lives.
Her testimony leaves us with powerful lessons that we can put into practice to give witness to the love of Christ in our lives. Following her example, we can be a ray of light in the darkness of a world full of division and conflict.
1
Salt of the earth, light of the world
Matthew’s Gospel is very clear in telling us that we need to be the seasoning that gives flavor to life, for without salt, food is bland. At the same time, it tells us that light should not be hidden under a basket, where no one can see it; on the contrary, this light has to shine.
Chiara Luce took these words to heart and was known for being light — Luce — in the world. She did this by nourishing herself with the Word of God, by being faithful to God’s will, and by sharing a smile with everyone who crossed her path.
2
Friendship
Another of the qualities of this young blessed is that she was very friendly, which is why it was so easy to draw near to her and be influenced by her charism. Let’s seek to be saints in the company of our friends here on earth — and with the help of our friends in heaven, the saints.
3
Serving with joy
One of the ways that Chiara served God was by the apostolate of serving others, especially the poor, with loving gestures of joy and generosity.
It’s important for us to dedicate space to the apostolate and to serving others. There’s a wide variety of apostolates in which we can serve according to our interests, abilities, and availability. Moreover, experts point out that actively helping others has many benefits even for the person who is helping.
4
Accepting God’s will above all
We can find it difficult to accept or follow God’s will. This can happen when there’s something we want very much, but God doesn’t want it for us; or when God allows something to happen that’s very difficult for us, but which in his wisdom He permits for the greater good.
Chiara constantly said, “If this is what you want, Jesus, so do I.” She even kept this attitude when illness came and she was diagnosed with an incurable bone cancer.
How often do we ask God if what we are doing with our lives is really what he wants for us?
5
Feeling loved by God
She was full of love and joy precisely because she knew she was loved by God. That’s why she was able to spread that love to others. Her love and faithfulness to God were so great that, before she died, she prepared her funeral and asked to be buried in a wedding dress, because she was going to the wedding feast with her God, her beloved Spouse.
And today we celebrate...