Chiara Lubich’s Paradise ’49 in Light of the Letter to the Ephesians: Jesus Crucified and Forsaken, the Church, and Agape-Love

This article is the fourth and last in a series we have published in which the author explores the relationship between the Letter to the Ephesians and the writings of Chiara Lubich. In this final article, the author explores three themes. First is the meaning of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for the church, humanity, history, and the cosmos in the Letter to the Ephesians. The author turns to the mystical writings of Chiara Lubich about Jesus Forsaken’s role in the life of the Christian, the church, and the destiny of humanity and creation. Second, the author reflects on the letter’s understanding of church as the Body of Christ brought about by the cross, by which new human persons are transformed and fulfilled in Christ. The author explores Chiara Lubich’s collective experience of being a cell in the church, of being both Mary and Jesus, to further the mission of Christ in the church and the world. Finally, the author explores the role of love—agape—both in the letter and in Chiara Lubich’s spirituality of unity