Charity, Social Justice, and Apostolic Consideration

Found these while reviewing a book I took to Israel. It sort of sums a consideration we all need to keep in mind!

God bless,
Mark

M. Eugene Boylan, in "This Tremendous Lover", wrote:

Let it be noted that charity does not compel us to like people, but to love them. And love is an act of the will wishing one well. Further what passes for fraternal charity is often not really Christian. Modern civilization is full of a humanitarianism which is not Christian charity, for its motive is not the love of God. It may be a love of man, though it is more often a love of management. Whatever be its motive, unless it be derived from the love of God, it profiteth nothing. It is on this point that many Catholics - even many Catholic religious - make a fatal mistake that renders much of their works for their neighbor sterile and unprofitable; for their motives are human. To them can be applied the warning of our Lord: Amen, I say unto you, they have received their reward. [p. 71]


But the result of popular misconception is that one often forgets that our principal duty to our neighbor is a supernatural one, and that the principal way of satisfying that duty is also a supernatural one. The most destitute man in the world is the man in the state of mortal sin. He cannot rise out of his sin without the help of a grace, which he cannot merit strictly for himself. The greatest work then of fraternal charity is that by which grace is obtained from God for those in moralt sin. And grace is only obtained by a spritual life. The greatest service we can render our neighbor is to santify ourselves. [...] There is no limit to the supernatural service we can render our neighbor by a life of faith, hope, charity, humility and abandonment to the will of God. [p. 227]