Title I: The Notion, Sublimity, Scope, and Easy Exercise of Charity

Utility. - This is of the greatest use to the moral theologian: that, once the notion of the virtue has been perceived, he may be able to persuade the faithful how noble and at the same time how easy the act of charity is.

I. Notion, Sublimity, Scope. — To the new and ineffable communion by which, from our supernatural vocation, we shall be made one with God and neighbor in the immediate beatific possession of God, there corresponds a new virtue, at once operative and unitive, by which we love God and, in God, every neighbor together with ourselves, as, with attention given to the present order, it is fitting to love; just as by hope we intend and expect that beatific possession, as it is fitting to expect so great a good; just as by faith we believe God and believe in God revealing, as is fitting.

Therefore the theological virtue of charity is defined: a supernatural, infused habit, by which we are able to love God, as infinitely good in Himself, with the supreme love of friendship, and ourselves and our neighbor on account of God. In that definition, the formal object of charity is shown to be the infinite goodness of God in itself, that amiability which God lays open to one contemplating His goodness; a twofold material object is assigned: primary, which is God Himself, infinitely good in Himself; secondary, which is ourselves, together with our neighbor. From God there is made to us and to our neighbor a certain extension or diffusion of love: we love ourselves and our neighbor insofar as we are called to participate in the divine nature. That love is of friendship, insofar as it is of mutual benevolence founded in the communication of divine and eternal beatitude. For this communication, although it is not the motive of charity, is nevertheless a necessary condition so that we may be able to love God with the supreme love of benevolence, and so that that love may be one of friendship. It is at the same time supreme, not only insofar as, in our estimation, God by His goodness infinitely surpasses every created good, but also insofar as, founded in the supernatural knowledge of faith and in the supernatural ardor of hope, that love is given by a virtue which is in some way proportioned to the object: we begin to love God as if we saw Him.

Charity, like every true love, loves, unites, operates. - It loves, but with an affection which imitates the infinite love by which God loves His Goodness and, in this Goodness, whatever outside Himself is lovable: and thus no purer and more sublime affection can be conceived. - It unites us with God and neighbor: through that holy friendship, we arrive at a certain communion of cause and unity with God, which divinizes us; through the same friendship, men are joined among themselves by the most perfect bond: it comes about that the good of individuals becomes the good of all, and thus from every good a universal joy is prepared; it comes about that the evil of individuals becomes the evil of all, and thus a beginning is given to universal beneficence. - It operates, by joining our will with the divine will: and thus it leads us to the summit of perfection; it operates, by stimulating every good action: and thus it becomes most fruitful.

We can offer nothing more glorious to God than that we love Him with perfect love; nothing more meritorious for ourselves than that by the free effort of the will we embrace the divine good in affection and effect; nothing more useful to our neighbor than that we comprehend him with the same love with which we love ourselves and God.

Without charity we merit absolutely nothing: and thus charity is the root of every merit; through charity, by which we are joined to God Himself, our works arrive at God: and thus, insofar as they are meritorious, our works are perfected by charity, which becomes the form of all virtues.

No virtue in us, more than charity, is formally divine. For God, who beholds Himself and is present to Himself, formally neither believes nor hopes. Both faith and hope connote a defect either of vision or of the presence of God; but in formal charity, we come together with God.

Hence charity is an eternal virtue: "Charity never falleth away" (1 Cor. 13, 8).

No exercise is more commanded than that of charity, to which all precepts are directed as to an end. And at the same time none is more free, since charity by spontaneous motion fulfills all the precepts, so that the law is said not to be placed for it (Cf. 1 Tim. 1, 9).

Nothing is more sublime in affection, nothing more fruitful in effect.

The queen of the virtues, charity uses all the others as subordinate instruments.

And insofar as it reduces the whole world with God to the magnificent unity of one beloved object, charity is the joy, splendor, and perfection of the whole created world.

¹ The relative goodness of God is the condition of the love of benevolence which even in the natural order we would have to foster toward God as servants; goodness advanced as far as communion of blessed life gives place to the filial love of friendship.

Name. — By force of the word itself, charity (Greek agape) is named more nobly than love. For it designates an affection which a) is proper to man here on earth, whereas love (Greek eros) is predicated even of brute animals; b) proceeds more from reason and from a just estimation of the lovable person than from the impulse of passion, whence love arises.

II. Facility. — Yet let us not imagine that sublime exercise of charity to be difficult for ourselves. Entirely impassable for us without the help of God, its use becomes spontaneous for those who have received the spirit of adoption, that is, for those who, actually turned away from grave sin, possess the infused habit of charity. For what is sufficient so that, made sons of God, we may love Him with actual charity? It is sufficient that we not only desire God with concupiscence, but truly love Him, "as a man loves a friend" (2, 2, q. 17, art. 8, c.). But are we not drawn to this love when, immune from the servitude of sin, we consider either the divine benefits, both those which we have received and those which we expect, or the Passion of Christ, to which we refer them as received? Hope itself, says St. Thomas in the same place, introduces charity ¹. And what grace orders us to do, grace itself helps us so that we can do it.

It is also proper to one who loves that he should seek union with his friend. Wherefore the desire of possessing God, unless it is explicitly thrust down to one's own consequent happiness, is practically an act of charity. Cf. St. Alphonsus, l. 2, n. 24.

Indeed God, in every order, is so greatly the good of every creature, that according to St. Thomas (1, q. 60, art. 5; 1, 2, q. 109, art. 3; 2, 2, q. 26, art. 3), every creature naturally loves God more than itself. Besides, it cannot love itself more and better than by loving God, on whose goodness every created goodness essentially depends. But in the natural order, love between God and man would not have been a love of friendship, which demands some equality either of nature or of grace, and therefore communication in the same life.

N. B. Several things which are controverted concerning charity we permit to be defined by dogmatic theology. Now we must treat distinctly of each material object of charity: God and neighbor.

¹ For gratitude, although it is formally commanded by benefits received and, under this respect, pertains to love of concupiscence, nevertheless almost of its own accord impels a grateful man, so that in the benefits themselves he loves the very goodness of the giver, which is proper to charity (Cf. Billot, De caritate. De praeceptis caritatis, p. 427).

— I. Theological charity is a supernatural, infused habit by which we are made capable of loving God, as infinitely good in Himself, connaturally with the supreme love of friendship, and ourselves and our neighbor on account of God. - The formal object of charity is the infinite goodness of God and therefore amiability in itself; its primary material object is God Himself; its secondary object: ourselves together with our neighbor; we love these as actual or potential participants in the divine nature; the condition is the communication of divine and perpetual beatitude; its nature is friendship, founded in this communication, or communion in the same life; its degree is supreme.

II. By the love of charity, imitating the love by which God loves His Goodness and, in This, whatever is lovable, we are made one with God and neighbor; and, the will being joined with the divine will, we work every good. Wherefore nothing is more glorious to God, nothing more meritorious for us, nothing more useful to neighbor than the exercise of charity: without which we merit nothing, and which becomes the form of all virtues. No exercise is more commanded. No virtue is more formally divine and eternal; it is the joy, splendor, and perfection of the created world. - More noble than the name of love is the very name of charity.

III. Nor, for those who are immune from the servitude of sin and have been given the infused habit, does its exercise become difficult. It is sufficient to love God as a man loves a friend. This affection is prepared by the very benefits obtained and hoped for: the goodness of the benefactor is loved in the gifts themselves. Cf. Billot, De caritate, De praeceptis caritatis, p. 427.