Christian Charity

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Mother Teresa often reminded her sisters, “We are not social workers, but brides of Christ.”

What they saw in the impoverished and downtrodden was not merely a mouth to feed or a wound to heal, but a person endowed with dignity—a person created for life in its fullness through Jesus Christ.

A meal may satisfy hunger for a day, and a moment of care may bring temporary relief. But beneath every immediate need lies a deeper and more fundamental need: to discover the fullness of life for which each person was created, ultimately finding eternal communion with God the Father.

True love for our neighbour is therefore concerned not only with his immediate well-being but also with the salvation of his soul. Christian charity attends to the immediate need while never losing sight of the original need.

We cannot fully recognise this deepest need of every human being—the need for abundant life in God—unless we first embrace this truth ourselves in Jesus Christ. Any good we do, when it is disconnected from abiding in Him, may still bring genuine temporal good, but it fails to reach the fullness of what our divine calling invites us to give.

Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)

Jesus loved us to the point of death. His love desires that no one should perish but that we might have life in abundance. (John 10:10) As Christians, we are therefore called to love in the same way—not merely to make life more comfortable for another, but to desire that he may discover the fullness of life in Christ and ultimately share eternal life with God.

Christian charity requires patience and hope. We may plant the seed, water it, protect it, and wait. We may not see the flower of faith blossom immediately.

Our task is to love faithfully.

God will bring the growth.

Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 1, 2012 at 10:43 AM

    Agreed! Christian charity tends to have a variety of different meanings. Some people believe it is simply showing love to the poor, while others feel that Christians are called to show the love of Christ through their daily lives. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

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