“Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.” (CCC 1822). As Christians, we know and believe that God created us and loves us beyond all measure. Amidst a fallen and struggling world, He sent His Son Jesus to show us how that depth of love should be reflected in our relationships with others He places in our path. Indeed, Jesus gave us a new commandment, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you, abide in my love.” (John 13:34, John 15:9-10).
Jesus showed His love for his neighbor by taking the time to listen to them, to understand their needs, and to heal them physically, spiritually, and emotionally. By reaching out in compassion and love to those considered under Jewish law to be unclean or unworthy, He showed us how to love one another, even those we might consider our enemies. He then sent his disciples into the broader community and the world to seek out those who needed to hear that God loves them and draw them into a relationship with Him (Luke 10:1-23).
Today, we live in a world where technological advances allow us to be in nearly instant communication with anyone worldwide. We learn of disasters, political upheavals, and wars in real-time. And yet, we have become more and more isolated from our neighbors and those in the community in which we live. We all recently experienced the degree to which social isolation can harm us emotionally and spiritually when we, out of necessity, were isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic. We could not attend Mass together as a faith community; we could only watch it on television. Consider our elderly or disabled parishioners who once were our ushers, song leaders, extraordinary ministers of communion, or group leaders, who are now isolated in their homes and cannot attend Mass.
We need only to look at how our homes are built today and how they have changed in just a generation. In the past, homes were built with large front porches where one could sit and share conversations with neighbors for a walk. Today, we are building backyard patios and a yard with privacy fences that separate us from our neighbors. We come home from work, open the garage door remotely, and close it behind us.
While these changes in how we now live are not inherently wrong or intentionally meant to keep us from being in communion with others, they require us to make an extra effort to show our love for our neighbor. It is a good thing when we engage in social groups or social activities within our parish community, as it strengthens the bond between us. However, we must go beyond the physical walls of our church and show our love of Christ by sharing it with those in our broader community who are hungry, isolated, abandoned, or abused. The Catechism (2094) tells us that one can sin against God’s love: “lukewarmness is hesitation or negligence in responding to divine love: it can imply refusal to give oneself over to the prompting of charity.”
“Love becomes holy when it is touched by God’s grace; it is reverent, filled with awe, and utterly undeterred by obstacles.” (Stumbling Blocks and Stepping Stones; Benedict J. Groeschel, Capuchin)
Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his first encyclical letter, “Deus Caritas Est,” God is Love, “Everything has its origin in God’s love, everything is shaped by it, everything is directed towards it. Love is God’s greatest gift to humanity, it is his promise and our hope”.
Jim Rundell – SFA Theologians Guild Member