✨ Word of Life — 19 June 2026 Build Unity "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise Him." — Romans 15:11 People come from different backgrounds, different cultures, different traditions, different beliefs. And yet — there is always something that can bring them together. This was the insight Chiara Lubich returned to again and again throughout her life. Unity is not the erasure of difference. It is the discovery of a common ground deep enough to hold our differences without being destroyed by them. And Chiara was clear about what that common ground is: God. "Praise God by making the effort to build unity, harmony, and peace within our communities. This can be done by always underlining all that unites us and setting aside all that can divide us." This sounds simple. But watch how we actually live. We almost always do the opposite. We notice the difference first. We protect our boundary first. We establish our distinction first. And by the time we finally get around to looking for common ground — the other person has already felt the distance. Chiara's invitation is to reverse the order. Look for what unites before you name what divides. Offer understanding before you demand it. Extend hospitality before you have been welcomed. "This Word of Life invites us to extend the spirit of understanding and hospitality to all the people of other religions, races and cultural traditions. As Christians, we should be the first to give witness to this spirit. Isn't this our distinctive characteristic and the task Jesus gave us? Didn't He tell us that because of this witness, others would recognize us as His disciples?" Today's Gospel gives us the interior condition for this to become possible. "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." As long as the treasure of my heart is my own comfort, my own security, my own group, my own way — I will never have the interior freedom to truly build unity. But the moment my treasure becomes what God's treasure is — the human person in front of me, every person, regardless of background — then unity stops being an effort and a strategy and becomes simply what love does when it meets another person. Just as different notes can belong to the same song — people can remain different while moving toward the same good. Unity does not mean everyone becomes the same. It means everyone is oriented toward the same light. 📖 "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise Him." — Romans 15:11 📖 "By this all people will know that you are My disciples — if you have love for one another." — John 13:35 🙏 Prayer to Build Unity Heavenly Father, teach us to value what unites us and respect what makes each person unique. Help us become instruments of understanding, hospitality, and peace wherever we go. Give us eyes to see the common ground before we see the division — and hearts that treasure what You treasure. Amen. 💬 Live the Word Today — before any conversation that feels tense — look for one thing you share with the other person. Lead with that. And watch what unity becomes possible. #WordOfLife #BuildUnity #ChiaraLubich #RiseWithTheWord