“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48
“The example which divine charity furnishes for our own, manifests still more the excellence of this virtue, although it is difficult for me to explain my perception of this excellence. When Christ Our Lord founded His most perfect law of love and grace, He exhorted us to be perfect imitators of our heavenly Father, who allows His sun to rise over the just and the unjust without distinction. Such doctrine and such an example only He Himself, the Son of the eternal Father, could give to men. Among all the visible creatures there is none like the sun to compare with divine charity and to show us how to imitate it; for this most noble star, from its very nature, without hesitation and entirely according to its own innate tendency, distributes its light in all directions, and without distinction to all who are capable of receiving it, and on its part never denies or suspends its benevolent activity. And this it does with out desiring acknowledgment, without imposing any obligation on any one, without asking for benefits or requiring any return, without finding in the objects of its enlightening bounty any previous goodness to move and draw it towards them. Nor does it expect any profit in the communication of its own blessed light, in which all participate and share.”
Mary of Ágreda (1602-1665) in The Mystical City of God (Hammond: Conkey, 1914) 399-400.
I am traveling from Denver to Houston to São Paulo, Brazil today and arriving tomorrow.
I will be in Brazil from 6-9 November 2022, then in Chile from 10-13 November 2022, then in Panama from 14-18 November 2022. Along the way I will share more about the the GTP program work in Latin America.
As I begin this journey, I read this amazing section from Mary of Ágreda who keenly describes the divine charity of Christ our Lord as the model for us using a creative word picture, namely, that of a noble star.
I want to highlight four aspects of this noble star for our own growth in generosity.
Firstly, it “distributes its light in all directions.” This teaches us that as our light shines and as people see our good works and glorify our father in heaven, the distribution of our generosity should likewise go in all directions.
Secondly, it flows “without distinction to all who are capable of receiving it.” This reminds us that we must be generous regard to both receptive and unreceptive souls. Some will receive it and some are simply not capable.
Thirdly, it “never denies or suspends its benevolent activity.” So, our generosity is not limited by the worthy or unworthiness of recipients. It flows perpetually from the abundance of God.
Fourthly, it shares “without asking for benefits or requiring any return.” This removes a leading hindrance to generosity as we as humans can often expect a return or a response to our giving.
Read the Scripture again, as well as this beautiful description of the divine charity of Christ our Lord and ask God to help you grow in any of these four areas where you may be lacking. He will do it by grace!