Aug 18 Mon
Where does charity begin?
Heard in a get-together. As in the Gospel of Martha and Mary, we must work like Martha and at the same time be contemplatives like Mary, contemplatives in the middle of the world.
To achieve this, we have no other weapons than prayer, and work turned into prayer. Not just vocal or mental prayer, but we must transform our work itself into prayer. This is a real commitment. Not even the experience of our weakness, of not reaching that ideal, should discourage us, but strengthen us.
“God is love.” If we do not love others, we do not love God. These two are inseparable. We must truly love people: first, our family, and then everyone in due proportion. Yet nothing in the world must be foreign to us. We should think of those who suffer throughout the world, both with visible and hidden sufferings. The whole world is ours. As Saint Paul says: “All things are yours.” This should not load us with anxiety, but move us to prayer.
Charity begins with the one beside us. St. Josemaría clarified that love for others begins with understanding them. Charity means recognizing the goodness in each person, so that when we look at someone, we first see the good in them. Only then will we look at a person’s faults through the lens of affection and the desire to help.
As St. Josemaría said, applied now to all of the Work: “Everything is done, and everything remains to be done.” What has been accomplished serves as a handle, a motivation, and a beginning of what is yet to come. We are Christians, but each of us must become more Christ — ipse Christus.
Someone asked, as a caregiver, how we can bring a culture of care to a throw-away society?
The root of the culture of care lies in the value we give to the person, both at a human level and the supernatural. We must see in each person a child of God. If we value people, we value care. It is not just about service, but about personal growth, striving to become what we ought to be.
How can we live more aware of Heaven while here on Earth?
Through the Eucharist, every time we receive Christ, we are already in Heaven. The Eucharist is Heaven on earth, here, in our hearts. This is a great consolation. We carry inside nothing less than God Himself.
When facing a hostile or difficult setting, above all, we must pray for those beside us. That effort is never lost. Friendship is a form of love: it means truly wanting the good for others. It takes time, attention, and understanding. When genuine friendship is built through time and interaction, deeper communication and trust can follow. Nothing is wasted.
And how should we deal with gender ideology and harmful sexual practices?
We must combine love with saying the truth about what is good for the person. A child must feel deeply loved, and, at the same time, we must gently show that the path they have chosen is not good; that a better, possible path exists. The key is to truly love.