Feast of the Sacred Heart - click to read

Heart of Jesus wounded for love of us

Encyclica of Pope Pius XII Haurietis Aquas

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In this life charity is a way to God.

Charity is man's friendship with God based on man's share in the Divine Life, in the happiness of God Himself. But man cannot naturally share in God's own life. Man's participation in the Divine Life is a free supernatural gift which God gives to man. Charity then cannot be  acquired by any purely human effort. It is a gift of God infused in man's soul by God's goodness and generosity. Charity, like the other theological virtues, is a supernatural virtue infused in the will by God Himself. Who can give man a share in the Divine Love except God Himself?

Like all gifts it is measured by the generosity of the giver. God gives charity to men according to His own will.  Since charity is a free gift from God to man, no man can say that his own natural virtues or perfections demand a greater share in God's love than the virtues of other men. As St Paul says, "To every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the giving of Christ" (Eph. IV, 7). The degree of charity - the love of friendship for God - depends not on man or his natural virtue but on God's generosity.

But as long as man is in the present world his friendship with God can increase. As long as man has not yet reached that ultimate union with God which is found in the vision of God, he can always approach nearer to God. In this life charity is a way to God. Hence a man's friendship with God can increase. 

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Friendship with God

Charity is more excellent than all other virtues because it is not self-seeking.

Since God is both infinite and simple, His love for Himself is identical with Himself. It is therefore infinite - a boundless ocean of love, a limitless uncreated fire of love embracing forever the supreme goodness which is God. Charity - man's share in this infinite love - is a created gift. It is a created, limited participation in divine love. Because man is a creature because his will is created will, he cannot love God with that same infinite love with which God love Himself. But through charity he can love God as God loves Himself, that is, he can possess God as the source of infinite happiness, he can possess God as He is in Himself, as the supreme

Good. 

Charity is a virtue whose rule or measure is God Himself as the supreme Good. It unites man to God Himself as the supreme Good. It is a virtue distinct from from all other virtues because its object is God Himself considered as the object of eternal happiness. It is more excellent than all other virtues because it is not self-seeking. It rests in God simply because He is God, the supreme Good. It is more excellent than the moral virtues because they are concerned only with the means that lead man to his goal, whereas charity attains the goal itself, God as He is Himself. It is more excellent than the theological virtues of faith and hope because faith and hope attain God in so far as we derive from Him the knowledge of truth or the assurance of happiness, whereas charity attains God to rest in Him without any thought or desire for personal gain or advantage.

Moreover, since charity attains God precisely as the goal of man, no other virtue can be truly perfect unless its acts are directed by charity to the ultimate goal of all human activity, God as He is in Himself. Human acts of prudence or justice or even of faith or hope do not lead man to his ultimate goal unless they are directed to that goal by charity which unites man to God, the goal of all human act.

Because the object of charity is God considered as the goal or end of human life, charity is a virtue of the will. It is the will which seeks goals, above all the ultimate goal of all human activity. Charity then, which unites man to the ultimate goal, must be a virtue of the rational appetite, or will of man.

Picture credit: 'Good Samaritan' by J.F. Millet, National Museum of Wales

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FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD

I thought, this month posting should be concentrated on the virtue of charity in compliance with June as the Month of Sacred Heart of Jesus. Therefore, I invite all who like to read this blog to meditate with me on fragments from one chapter of the little book entitled  'My Way of Life'. This is the pocket edition of St Thomas 'The Summa Simplified for Everyone' and lovely little book indeed - I hope it will serve the purpose nicely. 

Did you ever received a package wrapped in gaily coloured paper and tied with bright ribbons and marked "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL CHRISTMAS"? Do you remember the thrill of happiness you felt as you recognized the name of the sender inscribed in the upper left corner of the package? the name someone you loved, of someone who loved you ? Can you recall your heart's delight as it floated along on clouds of mystery, wondering what was in the package? Or, if you thought you knew, how heart rejoiced in this proof of someone's love for you! With what eager but certain anticipation you treasured the gift until Christmas day when you could strip away the mysterious wrappings and really see the wonderful thing that love had brought you!

The virtue of charity is like a Christmas gift of this kind. It is a proof of God's love for you. It is the foundation of your love for God. It brings you God Himself. But, as long as you are still in this present life, it brings you God wrapped up in the paper and ribbons of faith and marked "Not to be opened until eternity".

Charity brings God to man because it is man's friendship with God. Like all friendship it is a love of benevolence, that is, it is an unselfish love. Charity loves God for Himself. It does not seek any selfish gain or advantage. It rests in God as the supreme Good. Again, like all friendships, charity is based on a community of interests or of living. Through charity  God gives to man a share in the Divine Life, and, therefore, a share of happiness. God's happiness is His love of His own infinite goodness and perfection. Charity brings man's share in God's own happiness. As God is happy in the love of Himself, so man is happy when he shares in that love through charity.

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