Put God at the centre of life and be assured that you will not waver.  We can experience a deep sense of consolation by  living  what is expressed in the words of this psalm –  a sense of feeing guided in our actions and knowing, deep in our hearts, that only He makes all things good. Seeds of Peace In our apartment block there was a growing attitude of discontent relating to the administration, repairs and noise. One day I was reflecting on the words of a priest: he had said that peace begins within us, in our conscience where we find the seed of truth that is God.  This is a seed that germinates and grows when charity is put into practice in everyday life. I talked about the situation with my family  and we came up with the idea of making some small improvements in the building every day, without telling other people what we were doing. For example, we decided to remove the dead leaves from the plants at the entrance and water them and we cleaned the glass and frames of the paintings in the foyer, which had perhaps never been dusted since they had been hung on the wall. Of course, these were the tasks that the people paid for cleaning should have carried out but at the following tenants’ meeting, the administrator pointed out that for a while, everyone had begun to  feel that the environment was more welcoming and people  began to share ideas about painting the staircase. When I reported this to the children, they were enthusiastic. A contribution to improving the world can start in even in one’s own apartment building. (C. – Croatia) The “bundle” to share From the very beginning of our marriage, we shared everything  with one another. One day, my wife and I sat around a small table, trying  to set up the family economy. Beyond the  figures in themselves, the income and expenditure marked a growth in the quality of the relationship between us. We also involved our children. From then on, it became normal for a little used  a pair of shoes, for example, to be seen as useful to someone else or for our indispensable outgoings to include a sum of money  for a neighbour in need. A further step was the so-called ‘bundle’ to share with others: the focus of this was to give away what was not really needed. Only later did we realise the importance of what we had done. We felt that we had begun to relate to people who could need anything. Even a pencil, a book or a blanket became a sign of caring for others. This attitude renewed our lives. (L.R. – Holland) Trust I had lost my job, but I was confident that God’s Providence would help me find another one: had I not experienced many times that my efforts to put Gospel love into practice would be answered by  “give and it will be given to you” (Lk 6:38) ?  That very day, in the parish, I had to meet with a group of people and recount my experience as a  Christian. At the end, I also mentioned that I was looking for a job.  A girl who was present at that meeting told me that they were looking for an employee in her father’s company. That is how, by  trusting, I found work. (F.I. – Italy)

Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta

(Taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year VIII, no.2, May-June 2022)