Mystical Body of Christ

[Tomster]

“We readily differentiate between the charitable and the uncharitable among men and women; a charitable deed, however transient, carries with it its own aroma, but an uncharitable act hurts like a blow. But Charity is always greater than all the assembled deeds of charity, these are only the fruits of the tree; so we need not be censured if our concept of the nature of Charity be less clearly defined; this vagueness may argue a great reverence for the thing itself and a high opinion of it in our minds. At the same time attempts to give at least a description of Charity in its own nature ought not to be forbidden to the theologian and it is surprising to see how little has been done in that matter. Charity is taken so much for granted that it has not been felt as a great necessity to express its nature in some philosophical proposition. The descriptive method, then, is encouraged by all theological precedent, and we may well adopt it here; but the description of a divine thing, however free and abundant the use of metaphor and color may be, is still no small tax on the thinking powers.”

 

[st_raphael]

Tomster:

Charity is constantly on our lips and let us hope in our hearts, yet few of us, though quite clear about certain manifestations of charity, would be ready to explain what we mean by the great thing itself.

— a mysterious reality whose manifestations are everywhere, well known, easily discerned, and whose absence is still more readily detected by the least observant; yet who can say what life is, it is always greater than its manifestations. So with Charity.

When charity is masked under many forms that parade as “authentic religion,” it amazes me how blind some think others are to the true lack of this most sublime of all virtues. Funny how easily we can discern what it is NOT whenever we encounter it, but not what it IS.