Openness to everyone

My beloved children, we have to be open to everybody and not antagonistic to anybody. There are many supernatural reasons why this should be so, and I have reminded you of a number of them; I now want to mention one more.

We continue in the world

When we come to the Work, we don’t separate ourselves from the world. Before Christ called us we were in the world, and there we continue to be afterwards. Our interests and likings, our professional activity, and our manner of being have not changed. You should not be worldly, but you do belong to the world, and you are ordinary people just like the people you mix with every day at work or study, in the office or at home.

Not missing a chance to do apostolate

In this shared life you will find opportunities to bring souls to Christ Jesus, and naturally you will not refuse them. Rather, you need to seek and develop them actively, in an apostolate of friendship and trust. You are apostles and you cannot enclose yourselves behind walls that isolate you from your companions, either physically, because we are not religious, or spiritually, because your noble, sincere friendship with everybody is the human channel for your work of apostolate with souls.

Consideration, manners, love for freedom

Thus, your conduct towards others will have certain characteristics born of charity: considerateness in your relations with them, good manners, love for everyone’s freedom, cordiality, and affection. The Apostle says it so clearly! For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some (1 Cor 9:19-22).

Listening

And he adds the reason, in writing to the Romans: For, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (Rom 10:13-14). To preach Christ, my children, you don’t merely speak or set a good example. You also have to listen and be ready to engage in open, cordial dialogue with the souls you wish to attract to God.

Knowing how to listen

Certainly you will encounter many who, moved by grace, desire nothing more than to hear the good news from you. But even they will have issues to resolve: doubts, questions, opinions they wish to clarify, difficulties. Listen to them, accompany them, and live in harmony with them, so that you can get to know them and let them get to know you.

Friends of freedom

The Work of God, don’t forget, is the very opposite of fanaticism: it is a great friend of freedom. And we are convinced that, to bring others to the truth, the proper procedure is to pray, to understand, to become friends with them; and then, to help them to reflect and study things well.