Lest You Remain

C OMMUNITY 1 Concerning mutual love: let it be known that the one who excels in mutual love is more dear to the Divine Majesty. Each of you should keep in mind that the soul of his Institute is love, and to the extent that he withdraws from love, he with- draws from life. Therefore, even as he will promote the good, reputation, integrity and holiness of the whole Congregation, so he will render to the individual members of this same Congregation all those things, which he would wish for himself. And so he will avoid this contagious disease very opposed to love: envy, hatred, rancor, rivalry, suspicion, calumny, exclusive attachment, antipathy, jeal- ousy, secret accusation, jeering, whispering, verbal abuse, annoyance, ambition, contempt for others, disturbances, agitations, quarrels, contentions. As he will watch over the tranquility of his own spirit, so the zealous guardian of love will also give great care to guarding the tranquility of others and of the whole house. He will suitably drive away any evil, both from the whole Congregation and from each of its members. Call to mind the love of the early Church, about which the writer of the Acts of the Apostles says, “The community of believers were of one heart and one mind” (Acts 4:32). ( Norma Vitae ) 2 No community may thrive without love. Thus, Jesus wanted to commit His Apostles to mutual love not only with His admonitions, but also with His com- mandments. Just as the limbs of the human body are so interrelated, that they con- stantly help and serve one another; so the people in God’s Church, in any Order, Congregation or association which make it up, as the limbs do in the body, have to show mutual love and submission. You should know that the degree of perfection in you, is equivalent to the degree of love in you. ( Inspectio Cordis ) Fr. Founder’s Selected Thoughts on the Religious Life 161