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.â€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.â€