杏MAP导航

By Devin Watkins

The Preacher of the Papal Household brought his series of Advent Sermons to a close on Friday, offering the 杏MAP导航 and the Roman Curia a reflection on 鈥淭he Gate of Charity鈥�.

Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap., began his sermon by noting that the ancient pagans鈥攁s expressed by Aristotle鈥攗nderstood God to be active and effective only to the extent that he (or they, in their view) received the love of human beings.

The New Testament, said the Cardinal, completely reversed this to make our ability to love dependent on God鈥檚 own love, as expressed in His Son, Jesus Christ.

鈥淚n this is love: not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as expiation for our sins... We love because He first loved us鈥� (1 Jn 4:12.19).

Welcoming gift of love like children

The theological virtue of charity is therefore a participation in God鈥檚 gratuitous love, rather than the result of our own efforts.

Christmas, said Cardinal Cantalamessa, offers us a chance to receive 鈥渢he infinite gift of God鈥檚 love鈥� with 鈥渁mazement and gratitude鈥�.

He added that we must become like children to believe in love, since life鈥檚 disappointments tend to make us cautious and even cynical about love.

鈥淐hildren believe in love, but not based on reasoning. By instinct, by nature. They are born full of confidence in the love of their parents,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey ask parents for the things they need, perhaps even by stamping their feet, but the unspoken assumption is not that they have earned it; rather that they are the children and that one day they will be the heirs of everything.鈥�

The Holy Spirit, noted the Cardinal, allows us to welcome God鈥檚 love, since He is the love shared between the Father and the Son.

The Third Advent Sermon was held in the Paul VI Hall

Humanity鈥檚 unique ability to love

Cardinal Cantalamessa went on to note that charity forms an essential part of the nature of the Church, which St. Augustine called the 鈥渃ommunion of saints鈥�.

After everything disappears, in St. Paul鈥檚 telling, 鈥渃harity remains鈥�, as if the scaffolding were taken down and the building 鈥渁ppears in all its glory.鈥�

Charity, added the Preacher of the Papal Household, builds up both the Church and civil society, recalling that 鈥渟ocial sentiment was born on the soil irrigated by the Gospel鈥�.

As we interact with others, love for God and neighbor remains the unique ability of the human person, something which cannot be replaced by Artificial Intelligence or any technological advancement.

Welcoming Jesus into our hearts

In conclusion, Cardinal Cantalamessa recalled that the Child Jesus comes to the door of our heart this Christmas to knock, offering Himself and God鈥檚 love as His gift.

He concluded with a story to illustrate how the Virgin Mother seeks to offer Jesus to the world and how we need to become children in order to receive Him.

A legend says that among the shepherds who went to see the Child on Christmas Eve, there was a shepherd boy so poor that he had nothing to offer his Mother, and he stood aside in shame. Everyone competed to give Mary their gift. The Mother could not hold them all, having to hold the Child Jesus in her arms. Seeing the little shepherd next to her with empty hands, she then takes the Child and puts Him in his arms. Having nothing was his luck. Let's make this luck be ours too!