DEUS CARITAS ESTDEUS CARITAS EST“GOD IS LOVE”“GOD IS LOVE”

DECEMBER 25, 2005DECEMBER 25, 2005

““God is Love and He who God is Love and He who abides in Love abides in abides in Love abides in

God and God and God in Him.” God in Him.”

1 John 4:161 John 4:16

• ““You shall love the Lord your God with You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all your soul and all of your heart, with all your soul and all your might.” all your might.” Deuteronomy 6: 4-5Deuteronomy 6: 4-5

• ““You shall love your neighbor as You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”yourself.”

Leviticus 19:18 (Matthew 12: 29-36)Leviticus 19:18 (Matthew 12: 29-36)

TWO PARTS OFTWO PARTS OFDEUS CARITAS ESTDEUS CARITAS EST

1.1. More speculative – Love of God More speculative – Love of God lavished on us – Importance of lavished on us – Importance of sacred scripturesacred scripture

2.2. More concrete – Love of neighborMore concrete – Love of neighbor

PART IPART I

Unity of Love in Unity of Love in Creation and In Creation and In

Salvation HistorySalvation History

MANY MEANINGS OF MANY MEANINGS OF LOVE:LOVE:

•Neighbor, country, profession, Neighbor, country, profession, friendsfriends

•Especially important – love between Especially important – love between man & woman where body & soul man & woman where body & soul are inseparably joined and human are inseparably joined and human beings glimpse on apparently beings glimpse on apparently irresistable promise of happiness.irresistable promise of happiness.

DISTINCTION BETWEEN DISTINCTION BETWEEN EROS & AGAPEEROS & AGAPE

EROS (from the ancient Greeks)EROS (from the ancient Greeks)• In Greek, OT, mentioned only twiceIn Greek, OT, mentioned only twice• NT not mentioned at allNT not mentioned at all

AGAPEAGAPE• Something new and distinct about Something new and distinct about the Christian understanding of Love. the Christian understanding of Love.

DID CHRISTIANITY DESTROY DID CHRISTIANITY DESTROY EROS?EROS?

•OT didn’t reject it but declared OT didn’t reject it but declared war on a warped and destructive war on a warped and destructive form of it because this counterfeit form of it because this counterfeit divinization of Eros actually strips it divinization of Eros actually strips it of its dignity and dehumanizes it.of its dignity and dehumanizes it.

POPE BENEDICT XVIPOPE BENEDICT XVI

•““We shouldn’t submit to instinct.”We shouldn’t submit to instinct.”

•““Purification and growth in Purification and growth in maturity are called for.”maturity are called for.”

•““Far from poisoning or rejecting Far from poisoning or rejecting ‘Eros’, these qualities heal it and ‘Eros’, these qualities heal it and restore it to its true grandeur. restore it to its true grandeur. After all, we are body and soul.”After all, we are body and soul.”

CONTEMPORARY EXALTATIONCONTEMPORARY EXALTATIONOF THE BODYOF THE BODY

•Deceptive – Eros reduced to pure Deceptive – Eros reduced to pure sex, person becomes a commoditysex, person becomes a commodity

•Hardly a great “yes” to the BodyHardly a great “yes” to the Body

•Exaltation of Body can quickly turn Exaltation of Body can quickly turn into a hatred of Bodiliness.into a hatred of Bodiliness.

RICH IMAGES OF BODY RICH IMAGES OF BODY FROM SCRIPTUREFROM SCRIPTURE

•No longer self-seeking, a sinking No longer self-seeking, a sinking into intoxication for happiness – into intoxication for happiness – instead seeks good of the instead seeks good of the Beloved.Beloved.

•Eros & Agape can never be Eros & Agape can never be separatedseparated

•Eros without God’s love Eros without God’s love impoverishes its natureimpoverishes its nature

GOD’S LOVE GOD’S LOVE IS PERSONAL IS PERSONAL

AND AND PASSIONATEPASSIONATE

• Hosea & Ezekiel: Hosea & Ezekiel:

Uses boldly erotic languageUses boldly erotic language

• Close connection between Eros and Close connection between Eros and marriage in the Bible has practically marriage in the Bible has practically no equivalent in extra Biblical no equivalent in extra Biblical literatureliterature

NOVELTY OF NEW NOVELTY OF NEW TESTAMENTTESTAMENT

•Figure of Jesus – gives Flesh and Figure of Jesus – gives Flesh and Blood to these concepts – an Blood to these concepts – an unprecedented realismunprecedented realism

• I cannot possess Jesus just for myselfI cannot possess Jesus just for myself

•Communion with Jesus also means Communion with Jesus also means unity with all Christiansunity with all Christians

EUCHARISTIC EUCHARISTIC COMMUNIONCOMMUNION

Includes both the reality of being Includes both the reality of being

loved and of loving others in loved and of loving others in returnreturn

PARABLE OF THE GOOD PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITANSAMARITANLuke 10: 25Luke 10: 25Two important clarifications:Two important clarifications:

1.1. Limit of love for people abolished – Limit of love for people abolished – love is universalizedlove is universalized

2.2. Not reduced to the generic but applies Not reduced to the generic but applies to every human beingto every human being -- Love of God and neighbor inseparable single -- Love of God and neighbor inseparable single

commandcommand

PART IIPART II

The Practice of Love by the The Practice of Love by the Church as a Community of Church as a Community of

LoveLove

•Love of neighbor is the Love of neighbor is the responsibility of the Church at responsibility of the Church at every levelevery level

•As community, the Church must As community, the Church must practice lovepractice love

LOVE NEEDS TO BE ORGANIZED LOVE NEEDS TO BE ORGANIZED IF IT IS TO BE AN ORDERED IF IT IS TO BE AN ORDERED

SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITYSERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

•Early Church – radical forms of Early Church – radical forms of communion could not be preservedcommunion could not be preserved

• In community of believers – never In community of believers – never room for poverty that denies room for poverty that denies anyone what is needed for a anyone what is needed for a dignified lifedignified life

CHURCH CANNOT NEGLECT CHURCH CANNOT NEGLECT SERVICE OF CHARITY SERVICE OF CHARITY

ANYMORE THAN SHE CAN ANYMORE THAN SHE CAN NEGLECT THE SACRAMENTS NEGLECT THE SACRAMENTS

AND WORD.AND WORD.

•Great witness – Julian the Great witness – Julian the ApostateApostate

TWO ESSENTIAL FACTSTWO ESSENTIAL FACTS

1.1. Church’s three-fold responsibility:Church’s three-fold responsibility:• Proclaiming the WordProclaiming the Word• Celebrating the SacramentsCelebrating the Sacraments• Exercising Ministry of CharityExercising Ministry of Charity

2.2. Church is God’s family in the World: Parable Church is God’s family in the World: Parable of the Good Samaritan.of the Good Samaritan.

• Vatican II: Pastoral Constitution in the Vatican II: Pastoral Constitution in the Modern WorldModern World

CHARITY & JUSTICE CHARITY & JUSTICE GO TOGETHERGO TOGETHER

• Marxism focused only on justiceMarxism focused only on justice

• Relationship between capital and labor a Relationship between capital and labor a decisive issuedecisive issue

• ““Slowness of Church to realize that the Slowness of Church to realize that the issues of post-structure of society issues of post-structure of society needed to be approached in a new way.” needed to be approached in a new way.” Pope Leo XIIIPope Leo XIII

DEVELOPMENT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHURCH’S SOCIAL CHURCH’S SOCIAL

TEACHINGTEACHING

Relationship between justice and Relationship between justice and charitycharity

1.1. Just ordering of society and the State – Just ordering of society and the State – central responsibility of politics.central responsibility of politics.

2.2. Need for constant purification – meeting Need for constant purification – meeting of politics and faith.of politics and faith.

CHURCH CANNOT TAKE CHURCH CANNOT TAKE UPON HERSELF UPON HERSELF

THE POLITICAL BATTLE TO THE POLITICAL BATTLE TO BRING ABOUT A MORE JUST BRING ABOUT A MORE JUST

SOCIETY.SOCIETY.

• Church cannot replace the StateChurch cannot replace the State

• Church uses argument and Church uses argument and persuasivenesspersuasiveness

LOVE – LOVE – ALWAYS NECESSARY IN ALWAYS NECESSARY IN MOST JUST SOCIETIESMOST JUST SOCIETIES

• Vatican II – Decree on Apostolate of Laity #8Vatican II – Decree on Apostolate of Laity #8

““Now that, through better means of Now that, through better means of communication, distances between peoples communication, distances between peoples have almost been eliminated, charitable activity have almost been eliminated, charitable activity can and should embrace all people and all can and should embrace all people and all needs.”needs.”

BIRTH AND GROWTH BIRTH AND GROWTH OF MANY FORMS OF OF MANY FORMS OF

COOPERATION BETWEEN STATE COOPERATION BETWEEN STATE AND CHURCH AGENCIESAND CHURCH AGENCIES

• Involvement of youngInvolvement of young

• Fruitful link between evangelization Fruitful link between evangelization and works of charityand works of charity

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF CHRISTIAN AND CHURCH CHRISTIAN AND CHURCH

CHARITYCHARITY

a.a. Charity responds to immediate needs of Charity responds to immediate needs of peoplepeople

b.b. Christian charitable activity must be free Christian charitable activity must be free of parties and ideologiesof parties and ideologies

c.c. Charity cannot be used as a means of Charity cannot be used as a means of proselytismproselytism

-- love is free-- love is free Practicing charity never seeks to impose the Practicing charity never seeks to impose the

Church’s faith on others.Church’s faith on others.

OUR RESPONSIBILITYOUR RESPONSIBILITY

• To be a Church of Word, Sacrament and To be a Church of Word, Sacrament and Charity in ActionCharity in Action

All three evangelize us:All three evangelize us: Jesus the ServantJesus the Servant Jesus the RedeemerJesus the Redeemer Jesus our Light and ResurrectionJesus our Light and Resurrection

Faith, Hope & Charity go togetherFaith, Hope & Charity go together

MARYMARY

•Woman of HopeWoman of Hope

•Woman of FaithWoman of Faith

•Woman of LoveWoman of Love