Devotion for today: Charity is walking in the Truth

I can tell you with complete honesty that I did not have an inside ear in the Vatican to tell me to feature Pope Benedict XVI on my blog this week! What a shock his “stepping down” is to all of us! We must believe that he is so finely tuned into God living in him that when he hears His voice, he knows it and listens to it. That is how we all want to be. If you live in faith, Christ lives in you. If He lives in you, He gently guides you in the ways of righteous and charity. If you have become accustomed to His voice, you know when to act, when to step out in faith, and when to give yourself up for the good of others. Isn't that what Christ did for us? In part two of his message for Lent, Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that our entire life is nothing but a response to God’s love, and it is not enough to just say, “Thank you for loving us.” We must share that charity with others. I have a pet peeve that fits here. When I am in a desperate situation, I do not like it when people say to me, “Well, please, let me know if there is anything I can do for you.” To me, that is not charity. That is putting me in the position of having to ask for help. Charity to me is saying, “I have looked at your situation, and I can see three ways that I can help you. Which one do you want me to do?” Or, just do it. God never asks what He can do for us. He does it. We must do the same. True charity is fruitful; if Christ lives in us, then our very existence, our very being must shout out the love we have for Him, and for His people. The world is desperate for that kind of love. We must be the ones to act in charity, always act in charity, and stop asking, “But what impact will this have on me?” I just don’t think that was the pressing question on Jesus’ mind as He entered into His passion.

Galatians 2:20: and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

1 John 4-12: No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

Galatians 5:22: By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,

Part 2: Charity as life in faith

The entire Christian life is a response to God’s love. The first response is precisely faith as the acceptance, filled with wonder and gratitude, of the unprecedented divine initiative that precedes us and summons us. And the “yes” of faith marks the beginning of a radiant story of friendship with the Lord, which fills and gives full meaning to our whole life. But it is not enough for God that we simply accept his gratuitous love. Not only does he love us, but he wants to draw us to himself, to transform us in such a profound way as to bring us to say with Saint Paul: “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (cf. Gal 2:20).

When we make room for the love of God, then we become like him, sharing in his own charity. If we open ourselves to his love, we allow him to live in us and to bring us to love with him, in him and like him; only then does our faith become truly “active through love” (Gal 5:6); only then does he abide in us (cf. 1 Jn 4:12).
Faith is knowing the truth and adhering to it (cf. 1 Tim 2:4); charity is “walking” in the truth (cf. Eph 4:15). 

Through faith we enter into friendship with the Lord, through charity this friendship is lived and cultivated (cf. Jn 15:14ff). Faith causes us to embrace the commandment of our Lord and Master; charity gives us the happiness of putting it into practice (cf. Jn 13:13-17). In faith we are begotten as children of God (cf. Jn 1:12ff); charity causes us to persevere concretely in our divine sonship, bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 5:22). Faith enables us to recognize the gifts that the good and generous God has entrusted to us; charity makes them fruitful (cf. Mt 25:14-30).

  

Thought for the day: 

LET us Dare to Encounter JESUS with Love and Conviction in our hearts.

LET us want TO LIVE ... a fulfilling, loving, peaceful, Christian life align with the Gospel values.

LET us want to CONTEMPLATE ... to meditate and discern

LET us want to SERVE ... CHRIST and mankind.

"LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE MEN THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS AND GIVE GLORY TO OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN"

Matthew 5:16 (http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=123823)