On Charity, "Deus Caritas Est" - Pope Francis' address

[MariaChristi]

…The first Encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI concerns a theme that allows us to retrace the entire history of the Church, which is also a history of charity. It is a story of the love received from God, to be carried to the world: this charity received and given is the fulcrum of the history of the Church and of the history of each one of us. The act of charity is not, in fact, simply almsgiving to ease one’s conscience. It includes a “loving attentiveness towards the other” (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 199), which considers the other as “one with himself” (cf. Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 27, art. 2), and desires to share friendship with God. Charity, therefore, is at the centre of the life of the Church and, in the words of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, is truly the heart of the Church. Both for individual members of the faithful and for the Christian community as a whole, the words of Jesus hold true: that charity is the first and greatest of the commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength… You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Mk 12:30-31)…

The above quote is from the address of Pope Francis to the Conference on “Deus Caritas Est” (Pope Benedict XVI’s First encyclical). The Conference was held at the Vatican Feb. 25 - 26. I underlined a few sentences which stood out for me, because many confuse charity with simply giving something, but not including the gift of oneself, whether to God or others. God’s commandment requires us to love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength. We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. Do we consider the other as “one with” ourselves as St. Thomas Aquinas explains and desire to share friendship with God? Do we understand charity as Love for God and love for neighbor because of our love for God? How important for us to heed the Word of God which tells us to “cleanse our hearts”! (cf Gen. 18:33 and James 4:8) Especially during this time of Lent, by God’s Grace, may we pay close attention to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Love, given to us by the Father and the Son to bring us into the complete Truth revealed in Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church. Full text of Pope Francis’ Address can be read HERE

Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of Your faithful. Kindle in us the Fire of Your Love.
Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
Jesus we trust in You!