From The Heart - Making The Journey Of Charity
The phones ring off the hook at this time of year. Families, organizations and employee groups want to make Christmas a perfect day for a deserving family. One can’t help but be thankful for all the offers. Working in the charity “business” also causes one to pause for reflection and give consideration to the roots, actions and results of charitable works.
The Catholic Church calls believers to offer prayers, time, talent and treasure to alleviate the pain of poverty. Many parishioners respond by serving a hot meal in a soup kitchen, delivering holiday baskets, or serving on the board of directors of a local charity or church committee that serves the poor. Others build wheelchair ramps for disabled children or clean an older person’s home. It’s the rare Catholic who holds a closed-checkbook policy when disaster strikes or the collection plate is passed.
The acts of charity are wonderful – and much needed; but no matter how many we perform, they may never be enough. Why? Because we are called to integrate the theology of charity into our Catholic being. Pope Benedict XVI tells us this in Deus Caritas Est (God is Love), his encyclical on charity, using these words:
“The Church's deepest nature is expressed in her three-fold responsibility: of proclaiming the word of God (kerygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (leitourgia), and exercising the ministry of charity (diakonia). These duties presuppose each other and are inseparable. For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being.”
These words offer us, as Catholics, the clearest direction for transforming our hearts completely toward God. They call us (if you read further in the document) to be the face of Jesus Christ to the world. Charity is not simply defined as a donation of money; nor is it enough to be generous with our parish, church, or other Catholics. No; we must, if we are to fulfill our complete responsibility, offer charity to all in our community.
It’s possible that the traditional act of serving may not be charity at all. If the act puts distance between the giver and the receiver or results in a sense of “we” (as we serve, help, do for others) versus “they” (those people, poor them, because they can’t do it themselves), the acts may not hold transformative value.
Perfect charity is rooted in a true understanding of the theology of charity. Action rooted in a true understanding of the theology of charity holds the most hope for long-term positive outcomes for the poor and vulnerable. It doesn’t just mitigate the immediate need; it sees that justice prevails in the long run. It permits the needy to grow to a place of no longer needing. It requests that we journey with the poor and vulnerable, not just serve them.
In addition to a call for charitable works, Catholic Social Teaching asks each of us to learn and practice the spiritual art of charity. The real blessing of charity is that if it’s done right, we’re the greatest recipients of our own actions. Our hearts will be transformed. And, a heart transformed through a journey of charity is a heart more open to God’s perfect love and graces.
Sharon Burns is the Director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Evansville.
