LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU (JOHN 15:12)St. Paul points out three most important spiritual gifts, which we must all possess, and they includes: faith, hope and charity; but the greatest of them is charity (cf. 1Cor. 13:13). The reason for this is that all the other spiritual gifts will come to an end, but charity lasts forever (cf. 1 Cor. 13:8-12). Indeed, charity is the virtue that rules in heaven; it is there that charity is practiced in its perfect state. That is why there is also purgatory, where souls are detained and purified of any atom of selfishness or lack of charity in them; any act that opposes loving God and showing God's love to one another, even murmuring, scorning or wishing evil to one another must be purified before we can enter heaven where perfection reigns (cf. Psalm 15, Rev 14:4-5)
Jesus said: “My command to you is to love one another” (John. 15:17); “children, our love must not be just words or mere talk but something active and genuine”(1 John 3:18); “let us love one another, since love is from God and everyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. Whoever fails to love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8, 1 John 3:14-15). At this level of chairty, we are called, first, to carry out spiritual works of mercy to one another. Support and encourage the spiritual growth of one another, never be envy of your brothers spiritual gifts, and help even by prayers and desires to see that the light of the gospel gets to those who are in darkness and in the shadow of death. Pity the poor miserable sinners who have obstinately refused to benefit from the merit of the incarnation, life and death of Jesus Christ; think of the everlasting sentence that stands waiting for them for rejecting God's love: eternal pains, suffering, anguish, sorrows and regret. If you truly love, pray and make sacrifices for the graces needed for their conversion. Remember your obligation to souls in purgatory. This is very vital because everyone must answer how much love he has shown to souls imprisoned above, who can easily be helped by those on earth- “blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5:7); “judgment without mercy, to him that had not shown mercy” (Jn. 2:13); “I was in prison and you never visited Me” (Matt. 25:43).
The second aspect of love at this level is the corporal works of mercy. First of all, we must be charitable with our tongue and the way we use our mouth (cf. James 1:26). If you are truly a temple of the Holy Ghost (I Cor.3:16), your tongue most be a channel that convey gracious words to one another and not for cursing nor to injure his soul (cf. Matt. 5:22). Try always to defend the image of your neighbour in his absence, be kind in speeches and absolve injuries and misunderstanding from others and forgive them for God's sake. Be tolerant to those who do not hold your views; love enemies and pray for them, wishing them well. In your thoughts, always fight to push away evil thoughts of hatred, malice, revenge, envy, greed, lust and wishing evil to one another. Finally, show your love by coming to the material needs of your brothers and sisters especially those in difficult situations -“pure, unspoilt religion, in the eyes of God our Father, is this: coming to the help of Orphans and Widows in their hardships, and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world” (1 John 2:27); if one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on and one of you says to them; I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty; without giving them these bare necessities of life, then what good is that? In the same way faith, if good deeds do not go with it is quite dead” (James 2:15-17, 1 John 3:17)
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