Conversion of a Heart

The eternal fate of anyone who will not be converted in heart to the attitude of a child is too dreadful to contemplate—they will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. God cannot change that final sentence after this life, because everyone has a free-will choice in this life. There is a huge contrast between a false professing Christian and a true possessing Christian. Many say they are a child of God, but very few give solid evidence of a converted heart that is trusting God in child-like faith for real-life issues.

There is a total lack of trust on God for divine healing. A child will go right to a parent when they are ill, but a false Christian goes right to the doctor and the emergency room when physical problems arise. The professing Christian world today does not trust God in child-like faith for real-life issues. God is present on earth in the presence of His Spirit—who is the working member of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit was the creative power that made Adam, Eve, and everything else in heaven and on earth, and He is present now to heal, deliver, and supply whatever is needed—for free, if we will believe and trust in God.

Multitudes call themselves a Christian, but most reject the divine power of God to heal them which would give evidence they are not a believer. Such acts of no trust on God are rebellion in the sight of God, and opposite to the attitude of a true child of God. To say one thing, but not do what we say, makes us a hypocrite. Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites because they looked religious, but their actions did not correspond. Anyone who professes to be a child of the Father will have to live up to that profession. If they fail to act in faith, they label themselves a hypocrite.

This trusting attitude of a child concerns money and everything else. If we will take that attitude, God will supply every need—as they are met. If we will take a scriptural attitude toward God, He will be quick to respond to our need. Judith, a most holy woman who was "greatly renowned among all, because she feared the Lord very much, neither was there any one that spoke an ill word of her," Judith viii.

Daniel, a most holy young man, and a prophet, describes his penitential works thus: John Baptist, though sanctified in his mother's womb, led a most austere and penitential life in the wilderness. And anne, the prophetess, is praised in scripture, because she "departed not from the temple by fasting and prayers serving night and day," Luke ii.

Finally, we frequently read in the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles, of their fastings and watchings. Now, what could induce so many, both saints and sinners, to employ themselves so much in doing a thing so contrary to flesh and blood, so disagreeable to our natural inclinations, so destructive to self-love, as all the penitential works here recited most certainly are, but the full conviction that all sins, great and small, must be punished, that the justice of God would let none go unpunished, and that he required of all, as a part of true repentance, that we should co- operate with his divine justice in punishing ourselves?

But is it not injurious to the infinite satisfaction paid by Jesus Christ to the divine justice for our sins, to say that we are still obliged to do penance for them? Are not his sufferings more than sufficient to satisfy for the whole world? Paul, did not think it injurious to the satisfaction paid by him for our sins, when they so strongly inculcated the necessity of our doing penance in their preachings, and when St. Paul confirmed it by his example. Second, Jesus Christ not only suffered in the flesh for our sins, but he was also oppressed in the garden with the most dreadful sorrow that ever entered into the heart of man, on seeing the sins of the whole world laid upon himself, and from the clear knowledge he had of their enormity, and the greatness of the offence done to God by them: He also shed streams of tears on our account, and poured forth most fervent prayers to obtain mercy for us.

Now, this sorrow, these tears, and these prayers of Jesus Christ, were of no less infinite value than his bodily sufferings, and sufficient to cancel the sins of ten thousand worlds. Shall we, therefore, say that no more sorrow, tears, nor prayers are required from us? Third, The sorrow, tears, prayers and sufferings of Christ are, doubtless, of infinite merit before his eternal Father, and the most super-abundant satisfaction to the divine justice for the sins of men; but, to operate their effect in us, they must be applied to our souls, and this is only done efficaciously when we perform the conditions Christ demands for this end; for Christ "is become the cause of eternal salvation to all that obey him," Heb.

As all agree that notwithstanding the sorrow, tears, and prayers of Christ, we are strictly obliged to be sorrowful, and to pray for our sins, as a condition required for applying the merits of the sorrow and prayers of Christ to ours souls, and that we do so, without the least injury to his sorrow and prayers; so all the above testimonies and examples of holy writ clearly prove, that notwithstanding all his sufferings for our sins, we are still strictly obliged, by his command, to suffer for them, by punishing ourselves, as a condition required for getting the merits of his sufferings applied to us, and that without the least prejudice to the infinite satisfaction paid by his sufferings.

Fourth, If we consider the matter properly, we shall see that, instead of injuring the satisfaction of Christ, we highly honor it by doing penance for our sins. For, suppose a man to be owing a sum of money which he was utterly unable to pay, and that, therefore, his surety being pursued by the creditor, was obliged to pay the whole, would it not be most ungrateful, if the debtor should leave his surety in the lurch entirely, and refuse to pay him, at least as far as he could?

And would it not be highly becoming, as well as strict justice in the debtor, and, at the same time, show the grateful sense he had of his obligation to his surety, that he be careful to repay him, at least, as far as he is able? This is just our case, and the application is obvious; especially as we have seen, that our Divine Surety expressly requires this of us.

If Jesus Christ, the innocent, the holy Lamb of God, suffered so much for the sins of others, does not every motive of decency, gratitude, and justice demand that the guilty sinners should suffer something themselves? Hence we find, that eternal life is promised only on condition that we suffer with our innocent Surety; we are "heirs, indeed, of God, and joint heirs with Christ; yet so if we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him," Rom.

Peter assures us, that "Christ also suffered for us, leaving an example that we should follow his steps," 1 Pet. So that by doing penance for our sins, we truly honor the sufferings of Christ in the way in which he requires we should honor them; and hence the scripture says, "The dead that are in hell, whose spirit is taken away from their bowels, shall not give glory and justice to the Lord; but the soul which is sorrowful, for the greatness of the evil she hath done, and goeth bowed down and feeble; and the eyes that fail, and the hungry soul, giveth glory and justice to thee, O Lord," Baruch ii.

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If it be so absolutely necessary to do penance for our sins, and to imitate the sufferings of Jesus Christ, who shall be saved? Does not self-love every where prevail, and every one study nothing but their own interest, ease, pleasure, and convenience? Nay, have not the generality of mankind even a settled aversion to penance? And do not even those who acknowledge and believe the obligation of it in theory, commonly strive all they can to avoid it in practice?

In answer to all this, it can only be said, that these too true observations are the most convincing proof of that dreadful sentence of Jesus Christ, that "many are called but few are chosen;" and that "many walk in the broad road that leads to destruction, and few in the narrow path that leads to eternal life. What advantage, then, have we from the infinite satisfaction paid by Jesus Christ for our sins, if we be still obliged to do penance for them? Immense and admirable are the advantages we receive from the satisfaction of Christ: Second, It is the satisfaction of Christ alone that delivers us from the eternal punishment due to our sins, changing it into the small temporal punishment which he demands from us; for, without him, nothing we ever could do, or suffer, could possibly have delivered us from these never-ending torments.

Third, In the sacrament of baptism, Almighty God, with the most unbounded mercy, applies the merits of Christ to our souls without all restriction, and accepts of his satisfaction in its full extent so as to deliver us at once from all our sins, both original and actual, and from all the punishment due to them; makes us his adopted children, and gives us a full right and title to his eternal kingdom. So that, though a person has been guilty of every so many sins before baptism, yet if, after receiving this sacrament worthily, he should immediately die, nothing could hinder him from the immediate possession of eternal bliss.

Here the divine justice gives up all its claim against the offender himself; being perfectly satisfied with the satisfaction of Christ, so fully applied for that purpose; here the infinite merits of Christ have their full effect; and here the mercy of God appears in all its lustre. Why does not God treat sinners in the same manner when they repent of the sins committed after baptism? It does not belong to us to inquire into the reasons of the divine conduct; our great care should be to be satisfied with, and above what he has done; and all the testimonies which we have seen above prove, beyond reply, that it is his will to trust us in a different manner for the sins we commit after baptism, than for those before it.

Yet a little reflection will show us, that his conduct in this is most reasonable, and that both justice and mercy concur to require it. With regard to justice, we must observe, that, when we are first received into his favor by baptism, for the sake and in honor of the infinite merits of Jesus Christ, he treats us with unlimited mercy.

Justice with regard to the offender, seems to forget its own rights entirely; for all that he requires of us, to entitle us to such amazing mercy, is to believe in Jesus Christ, and be sorry for having offended him, with a solemn promise of being faithful to him for the future; and even this faith, repentance, and promise, he does not actually require from us when we are baptized in our infancy, but is constant with the promise made in our name.

If, notwithstanding all this goodness, we should afterwards return to sin, and break this solemn vow we made, this contains such a contempt of God, after having experienced so much favor, such a horrid malice, after having full knowledge of the evil and such unparalleled ingratitude, after having received such inestimable benefits from his bounteous mercy, that in all justice, the sinner deserves the most rigorous punishment; and it would be unreasonable, and, in some degree, even unjust, to receive him again into the possession of the same glorious privileges, upon the same easy terms as before; and, therefore, the divine justice here resumes all its rights against the sinner, and absolutely requires he should now suffer in his own person.

Even among ourselves, we see this is what common sense dictates to us. If, on receiving any great injury, we should cheerfully forgive our enemy, be heartily reconciled to him, and do him good offices, without requiring any other satisfaction than his asking pardon, and promising amendment; yet, if this person should repeat the same, or other greater injuries, would we receive him into our friendship on the same easy terms?

Hence the Council of Trent says, "The fruits of the sacrament of penance are different from those of baptism; for by baptism we put on Christ, and become in him altogether a new creature, receiving the full and entire remission of all our sins; but if we lose this happy state by sin we can by no means acquire the same newness and integrity by the sacrament of penance, without great weeping and labors upon our part, the divine justice so requiring it. But does not this seem to exclude mercy entirely? By no means; the mercy of God, even here, appears in the strongest light.

For, considering the dreadful evil of sin, when committed after baptism, a sinner, by committing it, forfeits all title to mercy, and God could, without the least injustice, condemn him to the eternal punishment his sins deserve, treating him with the same rigor of justice with which he treated the fallen angels.

It is therefore the effect of infinite mercy in God to be willing to receive us again into favor on any terms; and it is through the infinite merits of Christ alone that he is moved to do so. In baptism he forgets his justice with respect to the sinner, and applies to us the infinite effects of mercy alone; but when, after so much goodness from Him, we return to our sin, and by so doing render ourselves altogether unworthy of any mercy, he alters his conduct towards us; He is still willing, through the merits of Christ, to receive us into mercy, but it is upon condition that we endeavor to satisfy his justice also.

He treated the fallen angels with the most rigorous justice, without mercy, without regard to the interests of his justice; but, in being reconciled to us for sins committed after baptism, he positively requires that justice and mercy should go together, and be no more separated. Through the merits of Christ, on our sincere repentance, he grants us mercy, he forgives us our sins, and the eternal punishment due to them; but he absolutely demands, that, by penitential works, we punish ourselves for our shocking ingratitude, and satisfy the divine justice for the abuse of her mercy.

So that the effect of mercy here is not to free us entirely from the punishment, as in baptism, but to change the eternal punishment which we deserve, and which we cannot undergo but to our utter destruction, into a temporal punishment which we can perform, and the performance of which is attended with the greatest advantages to the soul.

What still further shows how much it is the effect of the greatest mercy itself to require the doing penance from us, is this, that, "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," Heb. Almighty God, in commanding us to do penance, remits, in a manner, his own right to punish us, and puts it in our own hands, accepting of small things done willingly of ourselves, in place of much more severe chastisements which we would have to suffer, if afflicted by his divine justice. What were all the penances done by Achab and the Ninivites in comparison to what God had decreed to inflict upon them himself?

Besides all this, the great design of the divine mercy, in pardoning sinners, is doubtless to procure their salvation. Pardoning past sins would not effectually procure this, if proper care were not taken to prevent the sinner from falling back to sin again. Seeing, therefore, that all the unmerited mercies bestowed on him in baptism were not sufficient for this purpose, there is a necessity of taking a more severe method after this, in order to secure his perseverance; and this is done by laying him under the necessity of doing penance for his past sins, which, on many accounts, is the most powerful means to fortify him against relapsing!

What are the advantages that doing penance brings to the soul? It makes us sensible of the grievousness of ours sins. Our great misfortune is, that we have not a just notion of sin; we all think too lightly of it; and, if we had nothing to suffer for it in this world, we would be apt to lose all horror of it entirely, and consequently would take no care to avoid it; but, when we see that Almighty God absolutely requires that we should do penance for sin, and that there is no remission of the guilt of sin without a sincere and efficacious resolution to do penance for it, this opens our eyes, lets us see there is something more dreadful in sin that we imagined, puts us in mind experimentally of what we have to expect in the next life, since a good and just God requires sin to be strictly punished here, and consequently makes us more cautious and careful to avoid it.

The very pain of doing penitential works is a great check to our proneness to sin, and experience teaches, that those who diligently punish themselves for the faults they commit, find in this a great and powerful help to amendment. A great number of the penitential works strike directly at the very roots of our sins, and weaken and extirpate those inordinate affections, and vicious inclinations from which our sins chiefly proceed.

Many of them also tend to destroy the bad habits of sin which we have contracted, by obliging us to the practice of the contrary virtues. They powerfully oppose the wrath of God enkindled by ours sins and by showing the fervor and sincerity of our repentance, more perhaps than any other thing we can do; they move him to be liberal in his graces to us, to enable us effectually to preserve our innocence, and make progress in solid virtue. What is the conclusion to be drawl from all these truths?

It is comprehended in these following particulars: First, That the doing penance for our sins is a necessary part of true repentance. Second, That by sin we contract a heavy debt of punishment due to the divine justice, both temporal and eternal. Third, That our repentance for our sins is not sincere, neither will it obtain the remission of the guilt of sin, nor of the eternal punishment due to it, unless it be accompanied with a sincere will and resolution to discharge the debt of temporal punishment by doing penance.

Conversion of Heart

Fourth, That, therefore, this debt of temporal punishment remains due, even though the guilt of sin and its eternal punishment, be remitted. Fifth, That, as justice absolutely demands this debt from sinners, it must be paid, either by voluntary penance inflicted on ourselves, or by more severe sufferings sent by God, and received by us in a penitential spirit. Sixth, That, if a person should die in the grace of God, but before his debt be discharged, he will be sentenced to purgatory, where he shall remain till he has paid the full penalty.

Seventh, That, as no man can known the full amount of this debt, and is perhaps daily increasing it by his daily venial sins and imperfections, it is therefore the greatest Christian wisdom to endeavor constantly to discharge some part of it, by leading a daily penitential life of self-denial and mortification, according to what our Savior enjoins us, saying, "Be at agreement with thy adversary quickly, whilst thou art in the way with him, lest, perhaps, the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge, deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

Amen, I say to thee, thou shalt not go from thence till thou pay the last farthing," Matt. The present life is the way, the divine justice our adversary, God the judge, purgatory the prison. And to the same purpose the Church of Christ, in one of her greatest and most important general councils, declares, that, "The whole life of a Christian ought to be a perpetual penance.

What is meant by the spirit of penance? The spirit of penance is nothing else but that sincere sorrow and contrition for our sins, the necessity of which we have seen above; it is that "sorrow, according to God, which worketh penance, steadfast unto salvation," 2 Cor. The effects which this sorrow worketh in the soul, arise from the various lights which it brings to the soul, in the view of which it excites the sinner to the exercise of those penitential works which contribute most powerfully to secure his eternal salvation. First, The true spirit of penance shows the sinner, in their true colors, the multitude and grievousness of his sins, excites a horror and detestation of them, and makes him willing to undergo any sufferings as a just punishment for them.

In this view the spirit of penance is a spirit of justice, condemning the criminal to condign punishment. Second, It shows the sinner the greatness of the injury done to the great God of heaven by sin, fills him with grief and sorrow for having so often and so grievously offended and dishonored so good a God, excites in him a sincere desire of repairing the honor of God to the best of his power, and for this purpose makes him cheerfully condemn himself to works of humiliation and penance. Third, It convinces the sinner that his own flesh, that is, his unmortified passions and affections, are his greatest enemies, as well as the declared enemies of God having so often dragged him into sin, and put him in danger of eternal damnation; it therefore excites in his soul a just hatred against these his mortal enemies, by which he rigorously chastises his body, and brings it into subjection, both as a just punishment for past offenses, and to prevent its betraying him again, lest he should at last become a cast-away.

So the spirit of penance is a spirit of hatred and revenge against our self-love in all its branches. Fourth, It gives the sinner a just sense of all the sufferings of Jesus Christ, and of the infinite obligations we have toward him; shows him the horrid ingratitude of renewing these sufferings by sin, and excites in his soul a tender compassion and ardent love of Jesus Christ, a sincere sorrow for having been the guilty cause of so much torment to him, and an earnest desire of resembling him and bearing the cross along with him; in consequence of this, it makes him cheerfully condemn himself to works of penance, that he may honor the sufferings and follow the example of his beloved Master.

In this view the spirit of penance is a spirit of compassion and love of Jesus Christ, and of conformity to his holy example. What are the signs by which we may know if we have the true spirit of penance? Paul, in these words: First, Carefulness ; to wit, about the great concerns of salvation, convincing the sinner of the supreme importance of that great affair, and of the vanity of all other pursuits; and, therefore, makes him careful and diligent to secure it.

Second, Defence; this carefulness is not an idle anxiety of mind, but an active principle, which makes us use all necessary means for defending our soul against all its enemies, by prayer, spiritual reading, frequently the holy sacraments, and other such helps to salvation. Third, Indignation, and hatred against sin, and all the dangerous occasions of sin, which the spirit of penance makes us fly from and avoid, though otherwise as useful or dear to us as a hand or an eye. Fourth, Fear of the judgment of God, and of hell fire, and especially the fear of ever offending again so good a God, which is the beginning of true wisdom, and makes us "work out our salvation with fear and trembling.: Fifth, Desire, to wit, of flying as far from sin as possible, and of daily advancing our soul in the union and love of God, giving "us a hunger and thirst after justice.

Seventh, Revenge, vindicating the rights of the divine justice, by cheerfully punishing ourselves for our past sins. Happy those in whom all these blessed fruits of the true spirit of penance are found! What are the means by which we may obtain the spirit of penance? First, The spirit of penance is the gift of God, as our holy faith teaches; for when St.

In service, conversion of heart is the first step, says Pope Francis

Peter gave an account to the brethren of the conversion of the Gentiles, in the person of Cornelius and his friends, "they glorified God, saying, God then hath also to the Gentiles given repentance unto life," Acts xi. Paul exhorts Timothy, "with modesty to admonish them that resist the truth, if peradventure God may give them repentance to know the truth," 2 Tim.

It is one of the most necessary gifts we can receive from God, for without it there is no salvation for sinners. The scripture assures us, that "our heavenly Father will readily give his holy spirit to them that ask it," Luke xi. Hence the first and principal means to obtain the holy spirit of penance, is humble and fervent prayer. This the holy servants of God well knowing, were assiduous in their prayers for this purpose, "Convert me, O Lord, and I shall be converted," saith Jeremiah, "for thou art my God," Jer.

All these things dissipate the heart, fill the mind with a world of idle ideas, carry off the thoughts from every thing serious, and are quite opposite to, and destructive of, the spirit of penance; and, therefore, are particularly unbecoming, and unworthy to be thought of in penitential times. Third, We must apply ourselves seriously to the consideration and practices of those things which promote and excite the true penitential dispositions in the soul; such as serious meditation on the last things, and the great truths of eternity, the practice of self-denial and mortification, with works of charity and mercy; for experience shows, that as those who live pleasant lives, and pamper the body, never acquire the true spirit of penance whilst they live in that manner; so those who practise the works of penance, soon obtain the true spirit of it.

Fourth, Serious and frequent meditation on the great evils of sin, which contribute in a particular manner to excite the true spirit of penance in the soul, by giving us a just sense of the heinous evil of sin, of the greatness of the injury done by it to God, and of the dreadful consequences it has with regard to ourselves, and the want of this knowledge, or the not reflecting upon it, is one of the principal causes why we fall so easily into the misery of sin. What is understood by works of penance? By works of penance is understood any kind of punishment which the sinner willingly undergoes in order to satisfy for his sins, and, as the nature of punishment requires that it be painful and afflicting to self-love; so any thing whatsoever that is naturally painful and afflicting to us, and which we willingly undergo with the view of doing penance for our sins is a penitential work.

Why do you say that is naturally painful and afflicting to us? Penance or punishment is what naturally gives pain; if it gave no pain it would be no punishment. Now, it may sometimes happen, that a penitential work which naturally gives pain, yet in certain circumstances may give a person no pain at the time he uses it; but it does not cease on that account to be a penitential work even to that person.

In service, conversion of heart is the first step, says Pope Francis

Thus some find no difficulty in abstaining from flesh; others find little or no pain in fasting; yet, if these people, when obedience requires it, perform these works out of a penitential spirit, they are truly penitential works to them. In like manner, a person may be so far advanced in the love of God, and in the virtue of holy mortification, as to have, in a great measure, conquered the natural inclinations of flesh and blood, and even to find pleasure in those things which are naturally painful to us; yet this is so far from lessening the value of the penitential works of that person, that is greatly increases it, and shows the ardor of his love to God, from which they proceed.

Why do you say, with a view of doing penance? Because, thought he work be ever so painful, yet, if we undergo it without the view and intention of doing penance, it will be no penance at all; and, if done with any bad view, will even be displeasing to God: The reason is, because, in ordre to be a penitential work, it must proceed from the spirit of penance.

This is the root, this is the principal part of penance, without which the exterior works signify nothing. And God Almighty puts such a value upon this internal disposition, that though the external work be but very small, yet, if it proceed from, and be accompanied with, a true penitential spirit, it becomes of great value before him. The traditional way of Catholicism is particularly prone to attracting intellectual types because it intrigues folks who are intelligent enough to see the problems in the post-conciliar era's presentation of the Catholic Faith and to learn about what's been going on in the Church since Vatican II -- but that wonderful gift of intelligence is often accompanied by an arrogance that has no place in a Catholic's life, and with an "intellectualism" that ignores the importance of the heart and simple prudence -- i.

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And not only is merely "knowing" not enough, neither is offering good works without charity. And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge , and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity is patient, is kind: Charity never falleth away: Think about the above verses!

You can have faith , you can do all the right things , you can go to Mass every day and receive the Sacrament of Confession once a week -- but if you are doing these things without charity, it means nothing. Charity is the key to everything. Charity -- Love -- is the very Essence of God!

To receive this absolute gift -- "gift" because it is nothing we can buy or earn, nothing we "deserve" -- and to show gratitude for it by making it efficacious , we must love, we must act in charity. So, what is "charity"? To have charity is to will the good of another and to act on your will as your gifts, duties, station in life, and time allow. In the Corinthians verses quoted just above, for example, the person referenced could distribute all his goods to feed the poor, but do so for the benefits to his ego, for the accolades he might receive from others for being such an apparently "holy person," and so on, like the Pharisee in Christ's Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican: Two men went up into the temple to pray: The Pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God, I give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican.

I fast twice in a week: I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven; but struck his breast, saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner. I say to you, this man went down into his house justified rather that the other: While such acts offered in that manner are still commonly referred to as "charitable acts" and are good in themselves , they do no good on a supernatural level for the person performing them with the wrong motives.

Distributing one's goods for accolades, or to show to others or even oneself how "good" one is, isn't pleasing to God. Lord Christ sums it up in the Gospel according to St.

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Come, ye blessed of My Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in: Naked, and you covered Me: I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see Thee hungry, and fed Thee; thirsty, and gave Thee drink? And when did we see Thee a stranger, and took Thee in?

Or when did we see Thee sick or in prison, and came to Thee? And the king answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to Me. Then He shall say to them also that shall be on His left hand: Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave Me not to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave Me not to drink. I was a stranger, and you took Me not in: Then they also shall answer Him, saying: Lord, when did we see Thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to Thee?

Then He shall answer them, saying: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to Me. To try to help you understand the subtle but very profound -- soul-changing, soul-saving! Or imagine being married to a person who knows you two are married but who performs his or her duties toward you only with the goal of showing off to others what a great spouse he or she is, or to try to "buy favors" from you, or to point to himself or herself as "a great spouse" with the attitude that you now owe him or her something.

Imagine knowing that your spouse says and does the right things -- but doesn't mean them from the heart at all. Imagine having a spouse who says the right things, but who treats your family like trash. God is our Father, and the others on this earth are His children. He wants us to love each other, not just go through the motions with egoistic or egotistic , ulterior motives. He wants us to love Him and our neighbor, above all else. Just knowing Who He is is not enough, and just "doing nice things" -- especially for the wrong reasons -- is not enough! So, how to become charitable?

Charity is a theologically infused virtue -- one of the three Theological Virtues, along with Faith and Hope. You must ask God for it. You must ask Him to make you what He wants you to be. The traditional Act of Charity, prayed sincerely , can help. And Jesus went unto mount Olivet. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him, and sitting down he taught them. And the scribes and the Pharisees bring unto him a woman taken in adultery: Master, this woman was even now taken in adultery. Now Moses in the law commanded us to stone such a one.

But what sayest thou? Back to Being Catholic Index. Shall faith be able to save him? And if a brother or sister be naked, and want daily food: And one of you say to them: Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; yet give them not those things that are necessary for the body, what shall it profit?

So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself. But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works: Thou believest that there is one God. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, offering up Isaac his son upon the altar?

Seest thou, that faith did co-operate with his works; and by works faith was made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled, saying: Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him to justice, and he was called the friend of God. Do you see that by works a man is justified; and not by faith only? And in like manner also Rahab the harlot, was not she justified by works, receiving the messengers, and sending them out another way? For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also faith without works is dead. Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind.

This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Act of Charity O my God! I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured. Actus Caritatis Domine Deus, amo te super omnia proximum meum propter te, quia tu es summum, infinitum, et perfectissimum bonum, omni dilectione dignum.

In hac caritate vivere et mori statuo. O Lord, may we be of one mind in truth and of one heart in charity. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine!