Last night’s chat was extensive and we will post it in two parts: the first on Charity, the second on a discussion about Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.
Father Brisson said, “ The period in which St. Francis de Sales lived was a period of trouble: religious wars and theological quarrels among the different Christian churches, lawsuits and strife among certain religious families- in short- a lack of charity, which was swiftly bringing about the ruin of civil as well as religious societies.
Man had to be brought back to his essential duties. And on that account, St. Francis de Sales wants his religious to love God and their neighbor above all things.
Sister: What are the challenges of Charity today vs. 400 years ago when St Francis lived?
J: I know each generation has its own challenges…but I just can’t imagine it was harder than it is now…there is just so much stuff pulling us away from God…so many more distractions it seems…so much more secular things
Sister:
I agree that attitudes definitely seem harsher and because of the development of so many aspects technologically
Aug 26 2012, 7:13 PM
J: so much more technology pulling us away from charity to neighbor and being isolated
Aug 26 2012, 7:14 PM
J: haha…we thought alike there
Sister:I think the struggles with selfishness was the same then as now
Aug 26 2012, 7:18 PM
Ca: when are we being selfish and when are we just being who we are?
Sister : Who we are can be a good excuse for selfishness Anytime we are not other centered we need to be vigilant
Sister : How many ardent lovers of God do you know?
J: very few
CA: I can actually think of many, I’m sure we’d say none of them qualify for earthly sainthood, but they’re all trying hard
Sister : That’s a blessing! And a true start toward genuine charity. St Francis de Sales wrote his Treatise on the Love of God but never got to write the one he wanted on Love of Neighbor
Ca: I would have loved to see that
Sister : What a masterpiece that might have been and what examples to learn from had it been written. I think true charity precludes grumbling- at least outwardly
Ca: yes, down where I am, we seem to have taken grumbling to new heights, or should I say lows!-and it’s really quite damaging’
R(guest): So how can we grow in charity so that we don’t grumble?
Sister : Loving Our Lord ardently first and grumbling only to Him, gaining the strength to face each other?
Car: Charity can mean so many things
Sister : That’s true. How would you like to define one or two
Car: For instance, financial charity, as opposed to charity of love-of the heart
Sister : It is good to start by having a common understanding. The charity the saints speak of is always first fdeep love of God which then is expressed in love of each other- at least how I read them
Ca: so without continuing to grow closer to God, we will never be able to practice charity?
Sister : Yes I believe you state that correctly
Ra (guest): yes, it seems to me that in some saints that it seems that they love others for love of God, and in others because they are created of God, which may be the same thing but could also be slightly different.. and then others, because they want them to experience the love of God too.. it seems to be layers of love
Aug 26 2012, 7:40 PM
Car: St. Francis de Sales said love is the perfection of the spirit &charity, the perfectionof the heart.
J: I guess that’s why people like Mother Theresa always spent time with God first in day so they had engines full for charity of others
Car: So it seems that intent is also a part of it
Ra (guest): I think of it like an onion, lots of layers.. sometime I hope that God will help me get to the center
Car: If we do something because we feel obligated, vs. because of love of God, for instance.
Sister : That s a good distinction and we are probably all familiar with the inner disposition you mention
Sister : But obligations do exist- how do we subsume them into love of God
Car: Good question!
Ca: by offering it up as a sacrifice to Him?
Car: Keep God first?
Sister : Love His Will so deeply and as a priority?
Sister : All of the above
Ra (guest): yep I think so
J: Italian Catholic guilt can be a rough thing…haha
Ca: I’d say guilt belongs to all of us
Aug 26 2012, 7:47 PM
Car: St. F. de Sales also said to love our neighbor in charity is to love God in man.
Why guilt? Jeaus has infinite Divine mercy, if we only accept it
Sister : That is a clear way of bringing the 2 loves together. He also suggested we look at a person and see God loving him/her and that whom God loves, we love
Car: Our sense of pride, our need to defend ourselves, all can keep out charity.
Sister : And in Salesian spirituality its all about the little things
Ca: Sister, is this because charity is also allowing other people to help us?
Car: So, charity and humility are closely connected!
Ca: when I was younger everyone always said “we don’t accept charity, we give it”as though accepting help is a diminishment
Aug 26 2012, 8:01 PM
Car: That is so true, disability is so humbling sometimes
J: yes ..it would seem letting others help us when young would be a good excuse to be non-charitable
Ca: but I’m saying (I think!) that the opposite is true. That not accepting help is what’s non-charitable
J: I guess it would be about what help are we accepting
Car: Because we give others the opportunity to give.
Ca: I mean any kind at all I mean any kind at all
Ra (guest): It seems to me that it would be really about what motive is in the person’s heart on why they aren’t accepting help
J: but that can be used to be just lazy as an excuse
yes I agree..the intentions are important
Aug 26 2012, 8:05 PM
Car: Motive is a big factor.
Sister : Why self-knowledge is so important and emphasized in spirituality
J: sounds like a tug-a-war…I want to help you…no…I am going to help you…no you…no you….haha
J: okay..you can help me…no…you help me
Aug 26 2012, 8:07 PM
Sister : St Francis de Sales alsways talks about yielding to the other- but it can become that game!
Car: When I help someone, I feel an opening up of the soul , so I am grateful for that. It doesnt matter to me if the person askimg for help really needed it, because I did it for love of God.