Participants at Mariapolis 2026 in Sokodé, in the Central Region of Togo, have been challenged to rediscover the transforming power of love for one’s neighbour as the heart of Christian discipleship.
The call came during a profound presentation at the just-ended Mariapolis 2026 in Sokodé, delivered by Rev. Fr. Modeste of Burkina Faso on the theme, “The Revelation of Love for One’s Neighbour in the Holy Scriptures.” Drawing from key biblical passages, Fr. Modeste invited participants to move beyond an emotional or theoretical understanding of love and embrace it as a concrete way of living out the Christian faith.
Reflecting on Scripture, he drew attention to Jesus’ command to love God with all one’s heart and soul and to “love your neighbour as yourself.” He also highlighted the call to refrain from speaking ill of others, as well as the Gospel of the Last Judgement and the Parable of the Good Samaritan, which demonstrate that love must be expressed through practical concern for others.
According to Fr. Modeste, loving one’s neighbour begins with a transformation in the way people see and relate to one another. Every person, regardless of social status, background, beliefs or circumstances, must be recognised with dignity and valued as one would value a beloved member of one’s own family.
Such a way of seeing others, he explained, enables Christians to break through barriers created by prejudice, differences and personal conflicts even extending love to those they may regard as enemies.
The presentation further emphasised that loving one’s neighbour is, in essence, an expression of love for Christ Himself, because Christ is present in every person. Every encounter with another human being therefore becomes an opportunity to encounter Christ and make His love visible through words, attitudes and actions.
Fr. Modeste stressed that, for Jesus, love of neighbour is not simply one commandment among many. It is the new commandment and a defining characteristic of His followers. Christians are therefore called to love as Christ loved, not merely through sympathy, kindness or charitable gestures, but through a self-giving love that genuinely seeks the good of the other.
The Mariapolis is an annual gathering organised by the Focolare Movement, (Work of Mary) which brings together people of different ages, backgrounds and Christian traditions, as well as people of other faiths, to experience a temporary society shaped by Gospel values, fraternity, mutual respect and dialogue.
The 2026 edition in Sokodé for the West Africa territorial region, brought together participants from Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso and Ghana.
By Theresa Kpordzo//Newswatch
