Charity: Loving Our Neighbour for God

February 17th Readings Reflection: Saturday after Ash Wednesday

Today’s Epistle from the Prophet Isaias tells of the blessings we shall experience in return for practicing the virtue of charity. Charity is one of the three pillars of Lent, along with prayer and almsgiving. In his homily this past Sunday, one of my priests reminded us that without charity, all of our Lenten practices are meaningless. St. Paul wrote that good deeds are worth nothing if they do not spring from charity (see 1 Cor 13:3 DRB).

“Charity is the virtue by which we love God above all things for His own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God” (Baltimore Catechism 3, q. 124). Charity is first and foremost a love for God; this love for God then impels us to love our neighbour for God, Whom we serve when we practice the works of mercy (cf Mt 25:40). Charity “seeketh not her own” (1 Cor 13:5); that is, charity requires that we set aside our personal interests and love our neighbour even when we do not receive anything in return. As Jesus told us, “And if you love them that love you, what thanks are to you? for sinners also love those that love them” (Lk 6:32).

When we love our neighbour for the love of God, we find that we cannot exclude anyone from this love, not even our enemies. This is the love of which the Scriptures so often speak. In today’s Epistle, God told the Prophet Isaias that He would abundantly bless those who practice charity: “Then the Lord will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parched land. He will renew your strength.” The metaphors of parched land and renewed strength are timely for us in the midst of Lenten fasts, in which we are reminded of our mortality and weakness.

As today’s Gospel reminds us, Jesus came to call sinners to repentance, giving health to those who are spiritually sick or dead in sin. God loves us infinitely, and out of pure love, He came into the world to give His life so that we may have eternal life (cf. Jn 3:16). In return, He asks that we imitate Him, loving God above all things and loving our neighbour because we love God so much. May this Lenten season help us grow in our love for God, and may this love lead us to love our neighbour with a true charity.

“Young Girl Giving Alms to an Old Man,” by Jan Steen. Public domain