The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-08-28
THE VIRTUE OF CHARITY.

Charity has various Specifications.
Some people restrict the word to
almsgiving; others apply it to kind
ness in word and in action. We use
the word here in it's first Specification
and as such it deals with love-the
love of God above all things, and the
love of our neighbor as ourselves,
says writer in "The Catholic Uni
verse" In this scope charity en-
bodies the precepts: Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with thy whole
heart, with thy whole soul, with all
thy strength and with all thy mind
and thy neighbor as myself"
We cannot truly love God and fail
ITO love our neighbors, because both
loves are necessarily connected, and
branches, as it were, of the same vir-
tue. IF any man say, love God, and
hateth his brother, he is a liar" q
st. John IV:20)
The love of our neighbors which is
not based on the love of God may be
philanthropy, but it is not Christian
virtue at all, and cannot, properly
speaking, be called charity.
We know very well from st. Paul,
in l. Cor. XIII:7, that there may be
philanthropy and "a distribution of
goods to feed the poor by those who
have not charity in it's proper signifi-
cation. We think it we'll to quote the
remarkable passage referred to from
the great Apostle to the Gentiles:
IF / speak with the tongues of men
and of angels, and have not charity,
am become as sounding brass or a
tinkling cymbal: and if should have
prophecy and know all mysteries and
all knowledge, and if should have all
faith so that l could remove noun
tains, and have not charity, l am
nothing: and if | should distribute
all my goods to feed the poor, and if
should deliver my body to be burned,
and have not charity, it profteth me
nothing"
We may be improbable servants
even after we have done much. If
the true motive-charity- lacking
in our service, we labor in vain as far
as supernatural reward goes. We
may help to build churches and to
support asylums and give much serv-
| ice in the cause of religion, and yet
not lay up much treasure in heaven,
if we do not give God the love He
requires from His children. st. John
said to the Jews: Think not to say
within yourselves, we have Abraham
for our father. For / tell you that
God is able of these stones to raise
up children to Abraham" Est. Matt
HID Son, give me thy heart" is
not only plea but command. I'm
less this be done, nothing else will
avail. This is the stamp or seal that
gives to our labor, our money and our
service true value. IF any man love
not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be
anathema"
We talk of saints, and we talk of
holiness, but there would be no saints
and there would be no holiness if the
true love of God found not place in
| the heart. The man or woman who
loves God the most is the greatest
saint, no matter what his or her sta
-tion be. God is no respecter of per-
sons. Lowest thou Me?a is the test
for the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
This is the short and simple way to
perfection, and to holiness
Charity enhances values; by it
little things became great. The cup
of cold water given to the little ones
in charity will receive supernatural
reward That virtue gave more. value
to the widows mite than the conn
bined offerings of all in the temple.
Charity covereth a multitude of
SINS Why? Because it is incom-
patible with sin. "A hot fire separates
the. dross from the pure. gold. If we
were to fill our hearts full of great
love of God. bad habits would soon
disappear. for The crooked would be
made straight and the rough ways
plain.
Charity places the love of God be
fore all things. We must give to Him
the love Of preference. He that