Daily Thoughts for the Year for Priests (January 5)

5 January
A Church that attracts

The Church as a “community of love”, is called to mirror the glory of God’s love, which is communion, in order to attract men and women and whole peoples to Christ…
The Church does not grow through proselytising, but through “attraction”, just as Christ “draws all people to himself” with the strength of his love.
The Church “attracts” when it lives in communion, since the disciples of Jesus will be recognised if they love one another as he loved them (cf Rm 12:4-13; Jn 13:34).

Aparecida Conference (2007)

Final Document
n. 159

(published by the Priestly Branch of the Focolare Movement)

1月5日
教会的吸引

作为“爱德团体”的教会，蒙召反映和彰显天主之爱的光荣，也即，共融合一，以吸引众人和万民归向基督……
就如基督是藉着爱的力量“吸引众人归向他”；同样，教会的成长不在于说教而在于“吸引”。
教会生活在共融中便具有吸引力，因为如果他们彼此相爱，如同主爱了他们一样，别人就会看出他们是耶稣的门徒。（参罗：12，4-13，若：13，34）。

阿帕雷奇达Aparecida会议（2007年）

大会宣言 159号