Summary of the Morrow's Meditation
We will meditate tomorrow upon two other characteristics of charity, which are: 1st, to devote ourselves to our neighbor to the extent of making sacrifices in order to oblige him; 2nd, to include in this devotedness even our enemies. Our resolution shall be: 1st, never to refuse our neighbor the good services we can render him, even if we must make some sacrifices; 2nd, to pardon all the evil he does us, and be reconciled to him as soon as possible. Our spiritual nosegay shall be: "Charity seeketh not her own and is not provoked to anger" (I. Cor. xiii. 5).
Meditation for the Morning
Let us adore Jesus Christ teaching us by His example to devote ourselves to our neighbor, even to our enemies. He loved all men, even the most ungrateful among them, even the greatest sinners, to the extent of delivering Himself up to torments and death for their sake. Let us thank Him for so much love, and let us ask Him to give us grace to imitate Him.
FIRST POINT
Charity Carries Devotedness to its Neighbor even to Sacrifice.
The laws of purely human friendship themselves impose upon men the obligation of devoting themselves to making sacrifices for the good of their brethren; for what man would look upon another as his friend if he were to limit his friendship to the condition of not putting himself out of the way in order to render a service? With still greater reason, Christian charity, so superior as it is to natural friendship, the charity moulded upon the precept of the Lord, "Love one another as I have loved you" (John xiii. 34), ought to raise itself to the height of making sacrifices; sacrifices of comfort and pleasure, sacrifices of fortune and even of life in certain cases. We ought to be ready, said St. John to the faithful, to sacrifice in order to serve our neighbor all that we have, all that we are, and our own life even if it were necessary, seeing that Jesus Christ, our model, sacrificed His life for us. "I most gladly," says St. Paul to the Corinthians, "will spend and be spent myself for your souls" (II. Cor. xii. 15). In conformity with these holy doctrines and these beautiful examples, the primitive Christians sold their possessions, and laid the price at the feet of the apostles, to distribute according to the needs of each; and in the following centuries we see some spending their fortune in alms and good works, others sacrificing their lives to go and evangelize idolatrous nations, others spending their days in hospitals and in taking care of the sick, in instructing children in schools in barbarous countries, in redeeming captives, or in their own country solacing all kinds of misfortunes. Let us here examine our conscience. Do we possess a charity which carries us to the length of making sacrifices, which does not spare either time or trouble or money for the good of its neighbor? Does not selfishness sometimes close our heart to compassion, our hand to alms?
SECOND POINT
Charity includes even our Enemies in its Devotedness.
The devotedness of charity embraces all men without exception, even those who hate us, who have wounded us by their words or their acts, and who have done us the greatest injuries; for we are all children of God, all members of one and the same body, of which Jesus Christ is the head; and Jesus Christ does not intend that His members should be divided, and should hate one another, and He looks upon as done to Himself what is done to the least among them. This love of our enemies even possesses this advantage, that we are more sure of loving them with a supernatural and meritorious love, whilst our love towards our friends is exposed to the danger of being purely natural and devoid of merit. As to the practice of this precept, four words in the gospel teach it clearly to us: "Diligite, benedicite, orate, benefacite" (Matt. v. 44; Luke vi. 27, 28). Love those who are your enemies, never say anything but what is good of them, pray for them, render them services when you have an opportunity. 1st. Love them; that is to say, never permit any leaven of animosity or aversion, of vengeance or of bitterness, against them to exist in your heart; do not be content with simply wishing that no evil should happen to them, but be ready to be reconciled to them as soon as possible, and do not hesitate to make the first advances, even should they be your inferiors, even should they be more in the wrong than you. Lastly, feel for them a sincere affection, have for them a loving heart, and profit by all opportunities of doing them a service. 2nd. Never say anything but what is good of them; that is to say, never complain of them, or of the injuries they have done you; on the contrary, say all the good you can of them. 3rd. Pray for them; that is to say, if they have faults or are in the wrong, implore for them the grace which corrects and sanctifies, pity them and beg of Heaven to make them better; if they are in trouble, pray to God to have pity on them and to raise them from the state into which they have fallen. 4th. Render services to them at every opportunity: aid them with your advice, your counsels, your credit, with even your purse if necessary, and forestall their needs if they dare not ask you to do so. If they persist in remaining your enemies, continue to love them, as did St. Paul, when he said to the Corinthians: "Even though you love me less in proportion as I love you more, I most gladly will spend and be spent for your souls" (II. Cor. xii. 15). Is it thus that we conduct ourselves towards our enemies?
Resolutions and spiritual nosegay as above.