Charity

COMPENDIUM

Charity is a supernatural gift, infused by God into ourselves, whereby we love God in Himself above all things, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. We ought to love God, because He is the highest good, infinitely good and perfect; and further, because He commands us to do so, and also on account of the number and greatness of the benefits which we receive of Him.

Moreover, God must be loved above all things, with all our heart and mind, and with all our soul and strength. To love God above all things is to prefer Him to all creatures, even the most dear and the most perfect, and to be ready to lose everything rather than to offend Him or cease to love Him. To love Him with all our heart is to consecrate all our affections to Him. Loving Him with all our mind means directing all our thoughts to Him. To love Him with all our soul is to consecrate all the powers of the soul to Him. Loving Him with all our strength means taking pains to grow in His love ever more and more, and to act so that everything that we do may have God and the desire of pleasing Him as its end.

We should love our neighbor for the love of God, because He orders us to do so, and because every man is made in the image of God. It is also our duty to love our enemies, because they, too, are our neighbors, and because Jesus Christ has expressly commanded it. Loving one's neighbor as one's self means to wish for him and to do to him, as far as we can, the good we ought to wish for ourselves, and not to wish or do him any ill. We love ourselves as we ought when we seek to serve God and to place all our happiness in Him.

Charity is lost through any mortal sin. It is regained by making acts of love of God, by repenting and making confession as we ought.

CATECHISM

897. What is Charity?

Charity is a supernatural virtue, infused into our soul by God, by which we love God above all for His own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.

898. Why should we love God?

We should love God because He is the Supreme Good, infinitely good and perfect; and also, because He commands us to do so, and because of the many benefits we receive from Him.

899. How are we to love God?

We are to love God above all things else, with our whole heart, with our whole mind, with our whole soul, and with all our strength.

900. What is meant by loving God above all other things?

To love God above all other things means to prefer Him to all creatures, even the dearest and most perfect, and to be willing to lose everything rather than offend Him or cease to love Him.

901. What is meant by loving God with our whole heart?

To love God with our whole heart means consecrating all our affections to Him.

902. What is meant by loving God with our whole mind?

To love God with our whole mind means directing all our thoughts to Him.

903. What is meant by loving God with our whole soul?

To love God with our whole soul means consecrating to Him the use of all the powers of our soul.

904. What is meant by loving God with all our strength?

To love God with all our strength means striving to grow ever more and more in His love, and so to act that all our actions should have as their one motive and end the love of Him and the desire of pleasing Him.

905. Why should we love our neighbor?

We should love our neighbor for the love of God, because God commands it, and because every man is made to God's image.

906. Are we obliged to love even our enemies?

We are obliged to love even our enemies, because they are our neighbors also, and because Jesus Christ has made this love the object of an express command.

907. What is meant by loving our neighbor as ourselves?

To love our neighbor as ourselves means to wish him and do him, as far as possible, the good which we ought to wish for ourselves, and not to wish or to do him any evil.

908. When do we love ourselves as we ought?

We love ourselves as we ought when we endeavor to serve God and to place all our happiness in Him.

909. How is Charity lost?

Charity is lost by each and every mortal sin.

910. How is Charity regained?

Charity is regained by making acts of the love of God, by duly repenting and making a good confession.