Mar 4 Tue
How can my apostolate have a universal dimension?
Along the roads of Galilee, Jesus met a woman, a Syrophoenician. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. As the woman persisted, Jesus said to her: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." St Jerome comments, “This doesn't mean that He was not sent to the Gentiles, but that He was sent first to Israel.”
The Messiah's mission, the salvation of every person, is universal. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.
To imitate Christ, we need a big heart, capable of beating for the salvation of all souls and loving everyone to the point of sacrifice. St. Josemaría, “You should feel on your shoulders -remembering the image of the Good Shepherd (see illustration) depicted in the catacombs - the weight of the lost sheep, which represents not just a single soul, but the entire Church, the whole of humanity. Right from the start God wanted his Work to have a catholic, universal heart."
“Our love is not to be confused with sentimentality or mere good fellowship, nor with that somewhat questionable zeal to help others to convince ourselves of our superiority. Rather, it means living in peace with our neighbor, venerating the image of God that is found in every man, and doing all we can to help them contemplate that image, so that they may learn how to turn to Christ."
The Church's mission, the mission of every Christian, extends to all nations and peoples. A Catholic needs a big heart that transcends the limits of nation, race, or group. “Your charity has to be far-reaching, universal. You have to set your sights on the whole of mankind, with a concern for every soul in the whole world. This attitude will lead you to pray for everyone and, to the extent of your possibilities, to help everyone."
We see how Jesus’ Heart is open to the needs of all humanity: And He said to her, "Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." And he said to her, "For this saying you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter."
We need to foster this all-embracing charity and not reject anyone. “An authentic rule of law is verified precisely in the dignified treatment everyone deserves, especially the poorest and most marginalized. The true common good is promoted when society and government, with creativity and strict respect for the rights of all — as I have affirmed on numerous occasions — welcome, protect, promote, and integrate the most fragile, unprotected, and vulnerable. This does not impede the development of a policy regulating orderly and legal migration. However, this development cannot come about through the privilege of some and the sacrifice of others.” (Pope Francis)
Thus, St. Thomas Aquinas asserts: “The ordo amoris within the virtue of charity establishes a hierarchy of love that prioritizes God, followed by self, neighbors, and one's own body. This ordering is essential for living a life of virtue, as it aligns human affections with the divine Will and promotes a just and loving society. The virtue of charity, therefore, is not only about the act of loving but also about loving rightly, following the order established by God.” (Summa Theologiae, II-II, Q.26, A.13, co.)
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