Four Forgotten Things About the Virtue of Charity

1). By Charity, we will the good that is God to others, but first and foremost we will God’s own good to Himself.  This means we rejoice that God is God (we aren’t jealous of His divinity) and we praise Him.  See, “How Do We Will the Good of God to God?"

2). The love of charity requires that we want to spend eternity in heaven together with all those whom we love by charity.  This means that, in some degree, we need, not only to love, but also to like our neighbors.  See, “You Should Like Your Neighbor”

3). Love means willing the good of the other for their own sake.  But in a fallen world, this often requires the other to suffer.  We cannot soften our love by always trying to ensure our loved ones are not in pain; sometimes love requires letting someone suffer, and suffering with them.  See “Watering Down Love”

4). We must love others as we love ourselves, but that presupposes that we genuinely love ourselves.  So, charity requires an authentic self-love and this gives rise to a need for a Catholic form of self-care where we prioritize our own spiritual life.  See “Catholic Self Care”