Whenever the New Testament authors want to present the heart of the Christian moral message, they present the essential requirement of love for one’s neighbor: “The one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the whole law…therefore love of neighbor is the fulfilling of the law.”These are the words of St. Paul, for whom the commandment of love not only sums up the law but also constitutes its very heart and purpose: “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” To his communities Paul presents the Christian life as a journey of growth in love: “May the Lord increase and abound in love for one another and for all.” Saint James likewise exhorts Christians to fulfill “the royal law according to the Scripture: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself ’, in order not to fall short of my commandment.”