The theological virtue of charity: love towards God
Catechesis by Pope John Paul II on the History of Salvation
General Audience, Wednesday 13 October 1999 - in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish
"Dear Brothers and Sisters,
1. In ancient Israel the fundamental commandment to love God was part of daily prayer: "The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise" (Dt 6: 4-7).
The basis of this requirement to love God totally is the love that God himself has for man. He waits for a true response of love from the people he loves with the fondest love. He is a jealous God (cf. Ex 20: 5), who cannot tolerate the idolatry which constantly tempts his people. "You shall have no other gods before me" (ibid., v. 3).
Israel gradually understood that, in addition to this relationship of profound respect and exclusive worship, its attitude to the Lord had to be filial or even nuptial. The Song of Songs should be understood and interpreted in this sense, transfiguring the beauty of human love into the spousal dialogue between God and his people.
The Book of Deuteronomy recalls two essential characteristics of this love. The first is that man would never be capable of it, if God did not give him strength through "circumcision of the heart" (cf. Dt 30: 6), which frees it from every attachment to sin. The other is that this love, far from being reduced to sentiment, is concretely expressed by "walking in the ways" of God and by keeping "his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances" (ibid., v. 16). This is the condition for "life and good", while turning the heart to other gods leads to "death and evil" (ibid., v. 15).
2. The commandment in Deuteronomy remains unchanged in the teaching of Jesus, who describes it as "the great and first commandment", closely relating it to love of neighbour (cf. Mt 22: 34-40). By expressing this commandment in the same terms as the Old Testament, Jesus shows that on this point Revelation had already reached its apex.
At the same time, the meaning of this commandment achieves its fullness precisely in Jesus' own person. In fact, it is in him that man's love for God reaches its greatest intensity. From now on, loving God with all our heart, with all our mind and with all our strength means loving that God who revealed himself in Christ and loving him by sharing in the very love of Christ "poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Rom 5: 5).
3. Charity is the essence of the new "commandment" that Jesus taught. In fact, it is the soul of all the commandments, whose observance is further confirmed and indeed becomes a clear proof of one's love for God: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments" (1 Jn 5: 3). This love, which is also love for Jesus, is the condition for being loved by the Father: "He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him" (Jn 14: 21).
Love for God, made possible by the gift of the Spirit, is therefore based on the mediation of Jesus, as he himself says in his priestly prayer: "I made known to them your name, and I will make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them" (Jn 17: 26). This mediation becomes concrete especially in the gift he made of his life, a gift which, on the one hand, testifies to the greatest love and, on the other, demands the observance of what Jesus commands: "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you" (Jn 15: 13-14).
Christian charity draws from this source of love, which is Jesus, the Son of God offered for us. The ability to love as God loves is offered to every Christian as a fruit of the paschal mystery of his Death and Resurrection.
4. The Church has expressed this sublime reality by teaching that charity is a theological virtue, which means a virtue that refers directly to God and enables human creatures to enter the circuit of Trinitarian love. Indeed, God the Father loves us as he loves Christ, seeing his image in us. This image is painted in us, so to speak, by the Spirit, who, like an "iconographer", accomplishes it over time.
Again, it is the Holy Spirit who draws the basic traits of the Christian response in our inmost depths. The dynamism of love for God thus flows from a sort of "connaturality" brought about by the Holy Spirit who "divinizes" us, in the language of the Eastern tradition.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, charity shapes the moral activity of the Christian; it directs and strengthens all the other virtues, which build up the new man within us. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: "The practice of all the virtues is animated and inspired by charity, which "binds everything together in perfect harmony' (Col 3: 14); it is the form of the virtues; it articulates and orders them among themselves; it is the source and the goal of their Christian practice. Charity upholds and purifies our human ability to love, and raises it to the supernatural perfection of divine love" (n. 1827). As Christians, we are always called to love."
After the Catechesis, Papa Giovanni Paolo II greeted the pilgrims in various languages:
Je salue cordialement les pèlerins de langue française, notamment le pèlerinage du diocèse de Namur. Puisse votre séjour à Rome affermir votre foi et votre amour de l’Église! Avec ma Bénédiction apostolique.
I am pleased to greet the group of State Catholic Conference Directors from the United States on the occasion of their meeting in Rome. I also welcome the students and teachers of the Faculty of Divinity of the University of Copenhagen. Upon all the English- speaking pilgrims and visitors, especially those from England, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Indonesia, Japan, Canada and the United States, I cordially invoke God’s abundant blessings.
Sehr herzlich grüße ich alle deutschsprachigen Pilger und Besucher. Eine große Freude ist es mir, unter Euch die Diözesanwallfahrt des Erzbistums Salzburg zusammen mit Erzbischof Georg Eder willkommen zu heißen. Außer-dem grüße ich eine Pilgergruppe aus dem Bistum Fulda unter Leitung von Weihbischof Ludwig Schick. Zudem grüße ich die Pilger aus Deutschland, die anläßlich der Priesterweihe im Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum nach Rom gekommen sind sowie die Leserinnen und Leser der Steyler Missions-zeitschrift “Stadt Gottes”. Gern erteile ich Euch und Euren Lieben daheim den Apostolischen Segen.
Saludo con afecto a los fieles de lengua española. En especial a los Superiores y alumnos del Pontificio Colegio Mexicano. También a la Asociación de Vecinos "Tesorillo", de Melilla, así como a los peregrinos venidos desde España, México, Uruguay, Perú, Chile y Argentina. Os deseo que experimentéis siempre el amor de Dios y viváis siempre la llamada al amor.
Minha saudação afectuosa a todos os peregrinos de língua portuguesa que aqui se encontram, especialmente os portugueses da Paróquia de São Francisco de Paula, de Lisboa, e os visitantes brasileiros. Faço votos por que esta vossa visita a Roma vos encoraje a participar activamente da vida da Igreja, hoje, rezando pelos bons frutos do Sínodo da Europa. Peço a Deus que se digne enviar abundantes graças celestiais para as vossas famílias e vossos filhos, com a minha Bênção Apostólica.
Witam pielgrzymów Z Polski! Pozdrawiam: delegację firmy « Mosty » z Łodzi, ks. bpa Alojzego Orszulika - ordynariusza diecezji łowickiej, przedstawicieli władz miejskich i samorządowych z Łowicza; grupy parafialne: z Białegostoku, Brzegu Opolskiego, Dzierżoniowa, Gdowa, Jaświły, Krakowa, Lubiąża, Łodzi, Radzionkowa, Roztoki, Rudy Śląskiej, Środy Śląskiej, Złotoryi i z Mościsk (archidiecezja lwowska) oraz Polskie Misje Katolickie w Dortmundzie, Rechlinghausen, Siegen, Heilbronn, Ludwigsburgu, także parafie z Brukseli i Irvington (New Jersey) oraz Orkiestrç Kolejarzy z Ostrowa Wielkopolskiego; grupy młodzieżowe: z Rabki, Warszawy i Wrocławia; pracowników Beskidzkiej Izby Lekarskiej z Bielska-Białej; Zgromadzenie Córek św. Franciszka z Sandomierza oraz chór chłopięcy z katedry w Płocku - Pueri Cantores Plocenses.
To jest pierwsze i największe przykazanie: « Będziesz miłował Pana Boga Twego ze wszystkiego serca twego, ze wszystkiej duszy twojej, ze wszystkich sił twoich, a bliźniego twego, jak siebie samego ». To zapisane już w Starym Testamencie przykazanie Chrystus uczynił w Ewangelii największym i pierwszym przykazaniem, podstawą całego porządku moralnego w chrześcijaństwie.
Trzeba więc starać się o miłość. Sam Bóg udziela nam łaski tej, miłości wedle słów: « Miłość Boża rozlana jest w sercach naszych przez Ducha Świętego, który nam został dany ». Bóg nas niejako pobudza do tej miłości przez swoją. własną miłość, przede wszystkim przez miłość, którą nam Chrystus okazal oddając swoje żiycie za nas. Ażeby zaś tę miłość ugruntować w naszych sercach, posyła Ducha Świętego, którego największym darem jest miłość Boga i bliźniego. Starajmy się o tę miłość, wspominając największe przykazanie i odpowiadąjac na miłość Boga samego, a zwłaszcza na miłość Chrystusa.
Bóg zapłać wszystkim za odwiedziny!
Traduzione italiana del saluto in lingua neerlandese
Adesso vorrei porgere il benvenuto a tutti i pellegrini neerlandesi e belgi.
Carissimi fratelli e sorelle in Cristo! Maria Santissima, Madre del Signore e Madre della Chiesa, sia la vostra guida in questa vita, e accompagni continuamente il vostro cammino di fede e di carità per il suo esempio e per la sua intercessione.
Di cuore imparto la Benedizione Apostolica.
Sia lodato Gesù Cristo!
Traduzione italiana del saluto in lingua croata
Cari fratelli e sorelle, l’uomo è chiamato a rispondere all’amore di Dio amando Dio e il prossimo (cfr Mt 22, 37-40; 25, 31-45); è chiamato a rispondere all’amore con l’amore. Tale amore si rivela come regola fondamentale della vita umana, base per costruire un mondo in sintonia con il progetto divino. Questo amore per natura crea le condizioni sociali, economiche e politiche indispensabili per rendere possibile a tutti una vita dignitosa.
Saluto cordialmente i pellegrini croati ed imparto loro la Benedizione Apostolica.
Siano lodati Gesù e Maria!
Traduzione italiana del saluto in lingua ceca
Rivolgo un cordiale benvenuto al gruppo di pellegrini provenienti dalla Repubblica Ceca.
Carissimi, vi ringrazio per la vostra visita ed auspico che questo incontro con il Successore di San Pietro valga a rinsaldare la vostra fede ed il vostro generoso impegno di testimonianza cristiana. Con questi pensieri, di cuore invoco su di voi e sui vostri cari copiose benedizioni dal cielo.
Sia lodato Gesù Cristo!
Traduzione italiana del saluto in lingua slovacca
Un cordiale benvenuto ai pellegrini slovacchi da Detva.
Cari fratelli e sorelle, durante i vari incontri con voi sento sovente cantare: “Signore, benedici il Santo Padre, Vicario di Cristo!”. Vi ringrazio delle preghiere e dei sacrifici, con cui accompagnate il mio ministero di Pastore della Chiesa universale. Anche il Papa prega per voi.
Con gratitudine vi impartisco la mia Benedizione Apostolica.
Sia lodato Gesù Cristo!
Traduzione italiana del saluto in lingua lituana
Cari pellegrini lituani!
Vi saluto di cuore ed auspico che la vostra visita al centro della Cristianità e l’odierno incontro con il Successore di San Pietro vi avvicinino ancora di più alla Chiesa universale di Cristo, messaggera di speranza per il mondo di oggi.
Volentieri imparto la mia Benedizione Apostolica a voi, ai vostri cari e a tutta la vostra Patria, la Lituania.
Sia lodato Gesù Cristo!
* * *
Nel salutare i pellegrini di lingua italiana, rivolgo anzitutto il mio pensiero ai fedeli della Parrocchia "Immacolata" in Modugno (Bari), che mi hanno chiesto di benedire la prima pietra della costruenda chiesa parrocchiale. Saluto, poi, il Comitato delle manifestazione per la "Festa del Covo" in Candia d'Ancona. Saluto i Dirigenti ed il Personale dell'Ospedale Civile di Sapri e ben volentieri benedico le statue dell'Immacolata e di San Giuseppe, che verranno collocate nella cappella appena costruita. La Santa Famiglia di Nazaret protegga questa struttura sanitaria al servizio delle persone sofferenti e bisognose di cure.
Mi rivolgo, ora, con tanto affetto ai giovani, agli ammalati ed agli sposi novelli.
Il mio pensiero va alla Madonna di Fatima, di cui proprio oggi ricordiamo l'ultima apparizione. Alla celeste Madre di Dio affido voi, cari giovani, perché possiate generosamente rispondere alla chiamata del Signore. Maria sia per voi, cari malati, conforto nelle vostre pene, ed accompagni voi, cari sposi novelli, nel vostro incipiente cammino familiare.
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