XXXI — CHARITY AND HUMILITY

X Sunday after Pentecost

Presence of God. — Give me, O Lord, humility with love: may humility guard charity in me, and may charity ever grow more alive.

Meditation

1 — Today, through the texts of the Mass, the liturgy presents to us, as in a sketch, the fundamental lines of the Christian soul. First of all it shows us this soul vivified by the Holy Spirit, who pours out his gifts in it. The Apostle pauses to speak of the “charisms,” that is, those special graces, such as the gift of tongues, of knowledge, of miracles, and so on, granted with particular abundance by the Holy Spirit to the primitive Church. Precious though they are, these gifts are inferior to grace and charity, because only grace and charity can confer supernatural life on the soul, while charisms may accompany it or not, without thereby increasing or diminishing its intensity. St. Thomas observes that, whereas grace and charity sanctify the soul and unite it to God, charisms, on the contrary, are ordered to the utility of the neighbor and can subsist even in one who does not possess grace. Besides, even St. Paul — and precisely in the same letter from which today we read a passage at Mass — after listing all these extraordinary gifts, concludes with the famous affirmation: all this is nothing without charity. Charity is always this central virtue, the fundamental characteristic of the Christian soul, and likewise this is the greatest gift the Holy Spirit can pour out in us. If the divine Paraclete did not vivify our souls with charity and with grace, to which it is inseparably joined, no one, not even the most virtuous man, could perform the least act of supernatural value: “No one can say, ‘Lord Jesus,’ except by the Holy Spirit,” affirms the Apostle. As a tree that has no living sap cannot bear fruit, so the soul not vivified by the Holy Spirit cannot perform actions of supernatural value. Here, once more, is the great worth of grace and charity: their least degree is worth more than all extraordinary gifts, which, though they can guide souls toward good, have no power either to infuse or to increase in us divine life.

2 — The Gospel presents us with another fundamental characteristic of the Christian soul: humility. It is true that charity is superior because it communicates divine life to us; nevertheless humility has very great importance because it is the virtue that clears the ground and makes room for grace and charity. This is the teaching we receive today from Jesus in very vivid and concrete form through the parable of the Pharisee and the publican. The Gospel tells us expressly that Jesus spoke for those “who trusted in themselves that they were just and despised others”; the Pharisee is their prototype and represents them perfectly. There he is, sure of his justice, swollen with his merits: I do not steal, I am not an adulterer, I fast and pay tithes. What more can be asked? But this proud man does not realize that he lacks the best, namely charity. So true is this that he turns against others, accuses them, condemns them: “I am not like other men, rapacious, unjust, adulterers, and not even like this publican.” Since he has no charity toward his neighbor, he cannot have charity toward God either. In fact, having entered the temple to pray, he was not capable of the smallest act of love or adoration and, instead of praising God for his benefits, did nothing but praise himself. In reality this man does not know how to pray because he has no charity, and he cannot possess charity because he is full of pride: “God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble” (Jas. 4:6). Therefore the Pharisee goes home condemned, not so much by the Lord, who always loves to show mercy, as by his own pride, which prevents in him the work of mercy.

In the publican, a wholly different attitude: he is a poor man, he knows he has sinned, he is conscious of his moral misery. He too does not have charity, because sin is an obstacle to charity, yet he is humble, very humble, and trusts in God’s mercy: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” And God, who loves to stoop down to the humble, instantly justifies him: his humility has drawn down upon him the grace of the Most High. St. Augustine said: “How much more pleasing to God is humility in things done badly, than pride in things done well!” No, it is not our virtues, our good actions, that obtain grace and charity for us, but grace and charity that the Holy Spirit pours into our hearts, and He pours them out “as He wills,” yet always in proportion to our humility.

Colloquy

“O good Jesus, how many times, after bitter tears, after sobs and unspeakable groans, have You not healed the wounds of my conscience with the unction of your mercy and the oil of your gladness? How many times, after beginning my prayer without hope, have I found joy again in the hope of forgiveness! Those who have experienced these sentiments know that You are a true physician who heals contrite hearts and tends their wounds with care. Those, however, who have not yet had this experience, let them at least believe your word: ‘The Spirit of the Lord has filled me with his anointing and has sent me to announce good news to the meek, to heal those who have a contrite heart’ (Is. 61:1). If they still remain in doubt, let them approach You and try, and they will learn for themselves what your words mean: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice’ (Mt. 9:13).

“O Lord, You say: ‘Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you’ (Mt. 11:28). But by what way must we come to You? By the way of humility; only thus will You console us. But what is the consolation You promise to the humble? It is charity. In fact, the soul will obtain charity in proportion to its humility. Oh, what a sweet and gentle nourishment charity is! Charity sustains those who are weary, strengthens the weak, consoles those who are in sadness. O Lord, give me this charity that makes your yoke sweet and your burden light” (cf. St. Bernard).