St Philip Neri on love of neighbour

"We ought to hate no one, for God never comes where there is no love of our neighbours."

Pius XII on brotherhood of mankind

And first of all let us imitate the breadth of His love. For the Church, the Bride of Christ, is one; and yet so vast is the love of the divine Spouse that it embraces in His Bride the whole human race without exception. Our Savior shed His Blood precisely in order that He might reconcile men to God through the Cross, and might constrain them to unite in one body, however widely they may differ in nationality and race. True love of the Church, therefore, requires not only that we should be mutually solicitous one for another as members and sharing in their suffering but likewise that we should recognize in other men, although they are not yet joined to us in the body of the Church, our brothers in Christ according to the flesh, called, together with us, to the same eternal salvation. It is true, unfortunately, especially today, that there are are some who extol enmity, hatred and spite as if they enhanced the dignity and the worth of man. Let us, however, while we look with sorrow on the disastrous consequences of this teaching, follow our peaceful King who taught us to love not only those who are of a different nation or race, but even our enemies. While Our heart overflows with the sweetness of the teaching of the Apostle of the Gentiles, We extol with him the length, and the breadth, and the height, and the depth of the charity of Christ, which neither diversity of race or customs can diminish, nor trackless wastes of the ocean weaken, nor wars, whether just or unjust, destroy.

Mystici Corporis Christi, para 96

Uncharitableness - Cardinal Bacci

Uncharitableness

1. It is easy, unfortunately, to abuse the gift of speech which God has given us. “If anyone does not offend in word,” says St. James, “he is a perfect man.” (James 3:2) "As often as I have been amongst men," says the Imitation of Christ, "I have returned less a man." (Bk. I, c. 20:2) Why is this so? It is because it is easy when we are in the company of men to enter into useless and even harmful discussions. As a result we lose the purity of intention which we ought to observe in all our thoughts, words and actions. We lose the spirit of recollection which keeps us in contact with God, and when we return home we are less perfect Christians because we are dissipated in mind and in heart.

It is true that if we were really holy and were accustomed to speak with people holier than ourselves, our conversations would be spiritually beneficial to us. We should go away more perfect men and closer to God than we were before. But what kind of conversations do we normally have with others? What kind of relations have we with our friends, with our superiors and inferiors, and with everyone whom we meet? Are our conversations inspired by a love for truth and charity and by a desire for the spiritual welfare of ourselves and of our neighbour?

Let us examine ourselves in this important matter and resolve that our conversations will be a means of sanctification for ourselves and others.

2. The tendency to complain about others is a most insidious cancer which can corrode all that is good in our conversation, making it harmful and even gravely sinful. Grumbling is always more or less sinful according to the circumstances. It may be a sin against charity, which demands that we love our neighbour as ourselves and help him as much as possible by word and by deed. It may be a sin of scandal, because the person to whom we are complaining may be provoked to throw stones in his turn at the subject of our detraction. It may be a sin of theft because it takes away the reputation of the person whom we are criticising. This could carry with it the obligation to make restitution by withdrawing what we have said if it is false or doubtful or by speaking charitably of the person whom we have wronged in order to restore his good name. Uncharitableness in speech is also a sin of injustice when it involves calumny, in which case there is an obligation to repair the damage done in the best way possible.

Since criticism of others can be such an evil thing, we should take care not to form the habit of employing it as a means of making our conversations more lively and acceptable. The life of a Christian should be governed by charity, and grumbling about others is always an offence against charity.

3. It is no excuse to claim that we only speak of matters which are true and known to all. They may be true, but God alone can judge the human conscience. They may be known to all, but by our maliciousness we are spreading evil about our neighbour, whereas we ought to try and spread only what is good. Besides being opposed to Christian charity, unkind conversation ruins whatever opportunities we may have of practising the apostolate, in which everyone is obliged to play his part. If we are apostolic, we promote our neighbour's spiritual welfare, whereas uncharitable criticism spreads evil about him and gives bad example to others.

The Worship of the Sacred Heart in Relation to the Love of God and of Our Neighbour - Cardinal Bacci

The Worship of the Sacred Heart in Relation to the Love of God and of Our Neighbour

1. There is nothing sentimental about having devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Neither does this devotion consist only in prayers and pious practices. It is much deeper than this. It should flood our whole being, enkindle the fire of divine love in our hearts, and transform our lives in accordance with the commands of Jesus. A love which is not active cannot be genuine; it is only a passing emotion.

Our love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus should be real and effective. As far as possible it should change us into living replicas of Jesus Christ.

“You are my friends,” He said, “if you do the things I command you.” (John 15, 14) Which commands does He mean? All of them, of course. “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart. (Mt. 11, 29) If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Mt. 16, 24) Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul.” (Mt. 22, 37)
Anyone who practises these precepts and all others which are contained in the Gospel is sincerely devoted to the Sacred Heart. If anyone neglects to put them into practice, but is satisfied with prayers, ejaculations and the performance of spiritual exercises, his devotion is empty and has no foundation.

These prayers, ejaculations and pious practices have their value in so far as they can attract God’s grace. But we must co-operate with God’s grace by our good actions. Then our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus will be sincere and effective.

2. The cult of the Sacred Heart demands especially the practice of the two great fundamental precepts of Christianity, namely, that we should love God above all things and our neighbour as ourselves. The implementation of this teaching can transform our lives.

Do we love God above all things and more than we love ourselves? What is the predominant concept in our minds? Is it the concept of God? What is the first love in our hearts? Is it the love of God? What is our main desire in life? Is it the glory of God? Or is it our own glory or our own pleasure?

We have still a long way to go in the way of the love of God, which is the way of perfection. We can only really be said to be ourselves, moreover, when we love God above all things and more than ourselves. If a man does not love God above all things, neither does he love himself in the way in which he ought to love himself, because God is our only true happiness.

Do we love our neighbour as ourselves? How much moral and physical wretchedness do we see around us? But do we try and remedy it by every means in our power, no matter what the sacrifice? Or are we cold and disinterested? Let us remember the words of St. John, the apostle of charity. “In this we have come to know his love, that he laid down his life for us; and we likewise ought to lay down our life for the brethren.” (I John 3, 16) Are we prepared to do this? Are we at least prepared to give away whatever we do not need ourselves in order to relieve poverty and want?

3. Anyone who is lacking in an effective love for God and for his neighbour has no real devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Ejaculation: My Jesus, mercy!

The Christian Formation of Character - Cardinal Bacci

The Christian Formation of Character

1.Our temperament is often a burden to ourselves and can at times be the source of annoyance to others. If we do nothing about it, it can be the cause of failings or of extremes of behaviour on our part which we bitterly regret afterwards. It is necessary, therefore, to form character in accordance with Christian principles. We are in no danger of losing our individuality by training our character in this way. God's grace does not change nature, but elevates and improves it. It is like a shoot which we plant in the uncultivated soil of our own being. The first fruits may be sour, but after a while they grow sweeter, while still preserving the essential taste and aroma of the mother-plant. St. Jerome was a headstrong and austere character, and he continued to be so even after the grace of God had transformed him and made him holy. But his rugged nature was at the same time softened and strengthened by divine grace. St. Augustine had a great intellect and a great heart. When he abandoned philosophical sophistry and worldly vanity in order to dedicate these gifts to the service of God, he achieved a profundity of thought never before attained by Christian wisdom. We should behave in the same manner. If we are hot-tempered, we should convert this tendency to anger into hatred for sin. If we are enthusiastic by nature, we should turn our enthusiasm into love for God and for our neighbour. If we are high-spirited and energetic, we should devote ourselves to good works for our own salvation and to the apostolate for souls. How far have we advanced in the Christian transformation of our character? Let us examine our progress and resolve to do better.

2. St. Francis de Sales writes as follows with his usual simplicity: "A way has been found of making bitter almonds sweet, by puncturing them at the bottom and squeezing out the juice. Why cannot we eject our evil inclinations in order to make ourselves better? There is nobody so good by nature that a bad habit could not altogether corrupt him. Similarly, there is nobody so bad by nature that he could not be trained in goodness by the grace of God and his own perseverance." St. Francis de Sales did not teach this in theory only, but he put his advice into practice to a heroic degree in his own life. He was endowed by nature with a vigorous and resentful disposition, and he became an angel of gentleness and affability. From his youth he was aware of the defects in his character. He himself admitted that he struggled against them for twenty-two years with God's help. He reached the point where he was able to remain silent when he was insulted and to refrain from defending himself when he was slandered, for he had acquired an inward peace and a remarkable calmness of manner. This gentleness of character enabled him to convert over seventy thousand heretics, to win back hardened sinners to Jesus Christ, and to set countless souls on fire with the love of God. We have a great deal to learn from him.

3. When Jesus offered Himself as our Divine Model, He used these words: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” (Mt. 11:29) Humility and gentleness are essential attributes of the Christian character. Whoever does not succeed in acquiring them is building upon sand. He will be a torment to others as well as to himself. Jesus indicates this also, for after He has said: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart,” He adds: “and you will find rest for your souls.” (Ibid.) In other words, He tells us that it is only on this condition that we shall find spiritual peace. When we have modelled our character on His humility and gentleness, we shall be inflamed with the love of God and of our neighbour. Only then shall we have succeeded in acquiring a character which is genuinely and deeply Christian.

Love of Neighbour - Cardinal Bacci

The Love of Our Neighbour

1. The Gospel not only commands us to love God above all things, but also to love our neighbour as ourselves. (Cf. Mt. 13:35-40) The Christian love of our neighbour flows necessarily from the love of God. Our Creator loves all men as His own sons. Therefore we ought to love one another as brothers, even as Our Lord loves us. We should see in our neighbour, especially if he is in need, the person of Christ himself, our elder brother, “the first-born among many brethren.” (Rom. 8:29)

If men sincerely loved one another, not merely as brothers, but as much as they love themselves, what problems would be solved! Who can say how many evils would be abated and how many sorrows would be assuaged? To transform the world it would be enough to put into practice the first great commandment of the Gospel, which is the commandment of charity. Admittedly, the world would not become an earthly paradise, for any such Utopia is an impossibility. But it would become a dignified dwelling place of brothers loving and helping one another. “Love is the fulfilment of the Law,” (Rom. 13:10) St. Paul very truly says. “Have charity, which is the bond of perfection.” (Col. 3:14)

2. But who really loves his neighbour as if he were himself? Only the Saints. Jesus loved us not only as much as He loved Himself, but much more than this, because He gave His life and His own precious blood for our salvation. The Saints, who lived the life of Christ and followed His example, saw Jesus in all their fellowmen. Therefore they loved them as themselves and even more than themselves. One could cite thousands of instances of heroic charity in the lives of the Saints. The example of St. Paul will suffice, however. He said that his life was so much the life of Christ that it was not he himself who was living any longer, but Christ in him. But he also claimed to be continually driven by charity, so far as to desire even separation from Christ if that would save or help his brothers. (Rom. 9:3) Do we possess this sincere and active love of our neighbour? Let us examine ourselves in this regard. Let us remember that if we are lacking in this charity towards our brothers in Jesus, we are not genuine Christians.

3. A few hundred yards from the centre of a big city one often finds groups of hovels in which large numbers of families are living, herded together in poverty. There in the winter time these poor people suffer from the cold and damp. Often their homes are badly roofed and they have not even a loaf of bread to kill the pangs of hunger. Not very far away there are luxurious mansions and expensive villas... and up and down the streets drift splendidly upholstered cars, carrying men and women for whom the only thing in life that matters is pleasure.

"Love your neighbour as yourself," the Gospel says. How far we still are from the realisation of this command. Men would need to go to these poor hovels to do the Spiritual Exercises. They would need to live in these places for at least a month. Many ideas would be changed and many hearts transformed if this were done. The slums, cabins, caves, and other hovels in which men have to live, bear sad testimony to the fact that the Gospel has not yet been understood by man, and that Christian charity has still a long way to go. Consider before God if you are responsible, even in some small way, for this wretched state of affairs. Form the resolution of contributing as far as possible to the relief of so much want and suffering.