Thought for the Day – 21 August – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
CHARITY
Meditations for a Month
The Charity of Jesus Christ
“The Charity of Christ surpasseth all knowledge”
(Ephesians 3:19)
In what did the Charity of Christ consist?
(1) In an Infinite self-abasement for our sakes. From the Throne of God, He humbled Himself to the form of sinful man.
(2) In a sacrifice of Himself which passes all comprehension. He gave up the Infinite joy of Heaven, for the sufferings of this vale of tears.
(3) In the endurance of mental and bodily agony, of desolation and dereliction.
One moment of these would have crushed the life out of the strongest of men.
Try to realise those familiar truths and see what a contrast your life is to His.
What are the chief points of contrast?
(1) Christ humbled Himself for the good of others. I seek to exalt myself at their cost.
(2) Christ gave up His life of perfect happiness that He might make others happy.
I am willing to sacrifice little or nothing, my aim is to make myself happy, not others.
(3) Christ endured unspeakable agony to save men from the agony they well deserved.
I complain of the least discomfort. As to giving up my joys and pleasures for others and enduring misery for their sakes, I would not even think of it.
Yet, I consider myself a good Christian and speak glibly of treading in the Footsteps of Christ.
I expect to be admitted to Heaven as one of His friends and followers. What will He say to me when I present myself? Will He recognise in me, any likeness to Himself or any vestige of His Divine Charity?
O my God, I must be very different from what I have been, if I am to present myself with confidence before Thee, as one whose charity is like to the Charity of Christ!
AnaStpaul 