In the famous lines about love from St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians (13: 4-7, 8a) we hear: “Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”
So often we associate these Bible verses about love with marriage since it is a popular reading at weddings, but St. Paul is not just talking about what perfect love between a husband and a wife consists of. These verses are meant for all of us. St. Paul is describing perfect love, also called charity. “Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1822).
Americans often use the English word “love” to describe a wide variety of human experiences, including pleasures, desires or affections. Consequently, it’s easy to muddle the difference between types and purposes of “love.”
For example, a person might “love” pizza, pets, a family member, money, honor or fame. Each of these has different purposes, and the relationship of the person to each of these is very different. Healthy food has the purpose of fostering physical healthiness. However, food gains nothing by our consumption of it; there is no mutual well-being nor is there charity involved in the relationship of food to people.
Humans and pets can have emotional affections for each other, but pets cannot and do not have charity. The only creatures who have the capacity to receive charity are angels and humans. Because of this great gift, any occasion where we reject God’s spiritual gift of charity is sin. And sometimes those sins can appear good, but there is an inherent evil that underlies all sin. It appears to be a desirable “good” because it may have some element of “goodness” in it, but it lacks what is objectively good and virtuous.
For example, one may have a desire to be compassionate toward someone, but there may be an inherent evil in the choice we may be supporting. Unfortunately, some people cover over or even define sin and vice as something good when, in fact, it lacks the true goodness of what is virtuous.
So what is true charity?
St. Thomas Aquinas helps us understand the inherent nature of charity, which wills the good of the other (“Summa Theologica” I, q. 20, a. 1). When we compare the descriptions of charity from St. Paul, the catechism, and St. Thomas, we see a common theme: Charity is oriented toward another. When we can receive the supernatural virtue of charity from God and allow it to flow through us to others and back to God, everyone thrives in fraternal mutual goodness.
In contrast, St. Paul describes things that selfishly focus on ourselves (i.e. jealousy and pride) as things that charity is not. Whenever our attention is selfishly focused inward, we enter into a diminished and sometimes sinful false perspective of goodness where objective “true love” is lost and a subjective definition replaces it. Human determinations of what constitutes vices and virtues always fall short of perfect virtue, and always cause harm to others, society and ultimately, to oneself.
What does actual charity look like?
| Charity is… | Charity is not… |
| Having and instilling respect for human beings regardless of race
In the book of Genesis, we find the revealed truth that all human beings are made in the image of God (Gn 1:27). Inasmuch as we love God, we must also love every human being. Our willing the good of others through charity and other virtues does not discriminate based on physical appearance. Consequently, the spiritual work of mercy to instruct the ignorant calls us to reveal this truth to future generations and those who still hold on to discrimination towards other races. |
Racism
When we are focused on ourselves, we tend to judge things as we desire to. With such an inward, subjective frame of reference, we begin to define our own opinions of what is good, which objectively are not. This includes prejudices, discrimination and hatred towards people based solely on their race. Virtue, especially charity, manifests virtuous goodness to all people at all times. |
| Assisting the addicted, fighting drug abuse
We manifest virtue by helping those who are vulnerable toward, or struggling with, harmful chemicals resulting in drug abuse or addictions. The virtuous thing to do is be charitable to them by not supporting harmful initiatives that cause them and others more harm. The spiritual work of mercy to counsel the doubtful is the act that helps dispose others to hope by rejecting despair. |
Drug dealing, drug abuse and supporting drug habits
Making money through illicit chemical sales is objectively and seriously harmful to others and society. Promoting and supporting illicit chemicals in society often enslaves others and frequently motivates them to do harmful things to themselves, others and society. Vices are a failure to will the good of the other and the common good. |
| Caring for pregnant women and children
It is virtuous to seek the objective good of pregnant moms, children, others and the common good of societies. When we will the good of the other, we support moms and families, especially those with unwanted pregnancies. Every person deserves help and support in difficult times without discrimination, whether born or unborn. Assisting pregnant moms and their families through prayers and other forms of support, resources, fraternal outreach and active engagement is the just and righteous thing to do. We find these concretely in the works of mercy to counsel the doubtful and instruct the ignorant. Virtue also requires us to manifest mercy, love and care for mothers who have suffered the horrors of abortion and its harmful effects. Assisting mothers who have had an abortion is a work of mercy to forgive offenses and comfort the afflicted. |
Abortion
Unwanted pregnancies tend to lead moms down an increasingly harmful inward path of desiring to “get rid” of the “problem” (the unborn child). It may seem like a good solution in a time of difficulty. Tragically, after an abortion, serious additional harm and problems are multiplied. The hardship, fear, isolation and despair that occurs is truly heart-wrenching. Promoting and supporting abortion is a seriously sinful vice with serious consequences on moms, dads, families and the common good of society. Those who support abortion are turning inwardly to themselves; they do not want the burden of having to help and suffer with pregnant women carrying a child. They also don’t want the burden of helping children born out of unexpected pregnancies. Supporting abortion does not will the good of the mother, family or society. Most grievously, in our world today, this inward turning and lack of willing both the objective good of the mother and the child is labeled as love when objectively it is not. |
May we all actively choose and promote virtue and choose and promote rejection of vices so we are collaborators in all that is, in fact, charitable.
