WHAT IS THE FATE OF OUR FAITH? FAITH AND CHARITY – THE GOOD SAMARITAN –WHY SHOULD BE CHARITABLE TO OTHERS To take this to another level we can ask, why should we be charitable? Is there any benefit in being Charitable? The answer is simple, as Christians or another Christ we must reflect the image and likeness of Christ through whom we were created. (714) Genesis 1:26-27. Secondly, we have a moral duty to be charitable because God has already been charitable to us by giving us His only begotten son to enable us have salvation. (715) John 3:16. Without Christ we could not have redeemed ourselves or paid the price for our lives. (716) Psalm 49:7-9. The letter to the Hebrews said that: “…, Since the children, as he calls them, are people of flesh and blood, Jesus himself became like them and shared their human nature. He did this so that through his death he might destroy the Devil, who has the power over death and in this way set free those who were slaves all their lives because of their fear of death.” (717) Hebrews 2:14-15. Thirdly, there is definitely a benefit from being charitable because Christ will be charitable to us because He said, whatsoever we do to the least of my Christ’s brothers that we do unto Christ. (718) Matthew 25:40. Those who are Christ brothers and sisters are the sick, the dead, the armed robbers, the deaf, those in prison, those who are sick in the body and in the mind etc. Pope Benedict XVI expressed the gratitude of the Church to those who care for the poor when he said: “I thank you doctors, nurses, health-care workers, volunteers, Religious and priests who without sparing themselves stoop down to them like the Good Samaritan, not considering their social condition, skin colour or religious affiliation, but only their needs. In the face of every human being, and still more if tried and disfigured by sickness, shines the face of Christ, who said: As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me (Mt 25: 40).” (719) Address of Benedict XVI to the Sick at the conclusion of Mass on 15th World Day of the Sick held at Vatican Basilica on Sunday, 11/2/2007. The Psalmist also enunciated the benefit of charity when it said: “Happy are those who are concerned for the poor; the Lord will help then when they are in trouble. The Lord will protect them and preserve their lives; he will make them happy in the land; he will not abandon them to the power of their enemies. The Lord will help them when they are sick and will restore them to health.” (720) Psalmist 41:1-3. The Gospel of Matthew also state that Happy are the merciful for God shall show mercy upon them. (721) Matthew 5:7. Fourthly, our Christian charity will open the gate of heaven for us. If we are charitable to others, Jesus on the day of the last Judgment will pronounce these immutable words on us: Come, you that are blessed by my Father! Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world.” (722) Matthew 25:34. Again, Christian charity makes us accessible to God’s help especially at the time of our need. In his dying declaration to his son, Tobias, Tobit said: “Give generously to anyone who faithfully obeys God. If you are stingy in giving to the poor, God will be stingy in giving you. Give according to what you have. The more you have, the more you should give. Even if you have only little, be sure to give something. This is as good as money saved. You will have your reward in a time of trouble.” (723) Tobit 4:7-9. Likewise, charity will merit for us the forgiveness of our sins which unites us with God. This has to be appreciated from the stand point that sin brings spiritual death and God’s forgiveness through the sacrament of confession brings reconciliation and also brings us to life. Tobit also told his son, Tobias: “Taking care of the poor is the kind of offering that pleases God in heaven. Do this, and you will be kept safe from the dark world of the dead.” (724) Tobit 4:11. (725) Matthew 5:7. Saint James also said that: “What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of the orphans and the widow in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the word.” (726) James 1:27. Besides, there is also punishment for not showing act of charity because God himself will not identify with us on the last day. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus drew an analogy of what will happen on the last day when he said: “I assure you that many will come from the east and the west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of heaven. But those who should be in the Kingdom will be thrown out into darkness, where they will cry and gnash their teeth.” (727) Matthew 8:11-12. Pope Benedict XVI illustrated the consequences of ignoring the poor when he drew analogy from the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus and said: “The rich man (cf. Lk 16:19-31) begs from his place of torment that his brothers be informed about what happens to those who simply ignore the poor man in need. Jesus takes up this cry for help as a warning to help us return to the right path.” (728) Luke 16:19-31. (729) See Encyclical Letter DEUS CARITAS EST of The Supreme Pontiff BENEDICT XVI to the Bishops, Priests and Deacons, men, and women, Religious and all the Lay Faithful on Christian love at paragraph 15. Given in Rome, at Saint Peters, on 25 December, the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, in the year 2005, the first of his Pontificate. Most importantly, at the last judgment the love and charity we show to Christ’s brothers and sisters will become the measuring scale with which the father will judge us. (730) Matthew 25:31-46. The story of the rich man and Lazarus and the rich fool in the gospel of Luke bears witness to this. Father grant us the grace to help those in need.
Posted on: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 07:03:46 +0000
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