191. Third Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Meditations no. 72 (unofficial computer-aided translation)

Christ’s love for all men and women.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Love is what lies behind all God’s actions. Creation, and our elevation to the supernatural order, were and continue to be a great act of love on the part of God. Out of love he gives existence to beings and allows them to share in his own nature. Out of love he also became man; and out of love for us, to save us, he died on a Cross. So great is his love that he wants everybody to be his children.

Because he is Love, God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living, as the Book of Wisdom tells us. We were the ones who preferred evil, turning away from God’s love by sinning. Even then, God did not stop loving us. On the contrary, he came to earth to save all men. God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

The desire to fulfil God’s saving will is what burns inside Christ from the very first moment of his existence. As we read in the Letter to the Hebrews, when Christ came into the world, he said, Sacrifices and offerings thou hast not desired, but a body hast thou prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings thou hast taken no pleasure. Then I said, Lo, I have come to do thy will, O God.

Jesus Christ, God-made-Man, has come to bring life, to do good. Everywhere he has left proofs of his mercy, St Gregory the Great says. Christ raises the dead; he cures the blind, the deaf-mutes, and the lepers… At times he doesn’t even wait for the sick to be brought to him, but says, I will come and heal him? When the hour of his death arrives, he lovingly gives himself up as an expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world? He sacrifices his life not only for those who love and follow him, but for every single person, even those who despise him and nail him to the Cross.

Our charity seeks to imitate that of Christ. We should love everyone as he did, with a love that is unselfish, patient, and ready to go to any lengths for the good of souls. Ours must be a charity that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things,

Our love must extend to all souls.

There are many people in the world, and not a single one of them is left uncalled by the Master. By a general summons he calls all people, of every country, race and tongue, from the moment he brings them into existence. He calls them and tells them that he has come to save them all: Omnes homines vult salvos fieri. (He desires all men to be saved. ) And he calls them by that other wonderful command which he addresses to every person without exception: Be holy as my heavenly Father is holy. He calls them to a Christian life, a holy life, a chosen life.

Our mission continues the mission which Jesus received from his Father. Christ transmitted it to his Church when he told the Apostles: As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. In the heart of the Church, as active soldiers of Christ’s Kingdom, we must bear witness to him among all people. Like Christ, we can say we are on earth to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.

There are many souls in the world who are sick, prisoners of evil and error. They are waiting to hear the voice of Jesus Christ, who will restore them to the health and freedom of God’s children. And the love of Christ urges us to love all souls, even those who say they are our enemies. We love these people, not because they are our brothers, says St Augustine, but so that they may come to be so. Let us always act with fraternal love, both towards him who is already our brother and towards our enemy, so that he may become our brother.

Let us love everyone with a universal heart, as did Christ. He desires the greatest good for everyone. St Basil writes: We were not neglected by the goodness of the Master; we did not hinder his love towards us, even though we had insulted our benefactor by callous indifference to his gifts. On the contrary, we were called back from death and made alive again by our Lord Jesus Christ himself. We want to reach everyone, following Christ’s example, because we are interested in every soul. A child of mine, our Father says, can never treat anyone badly… We have to live alongside others, understanding them and loving them fraternally, putting love where there is no love in order to draw out love.

Charity must be orderly.

We deeply love all those who love Jesus Christ. And we also deeply love all those who don’t love him, though we also feel sorry for them. So we try to treat them kindly, to befriend and help them, seeking to drown evil in an abundance of good. Our work is always positive; it is always affirmative. But we know that there is an order to charity. We have more love for those who are nearest to us, those who form part of the Church, and in the first place, the members of the supernatural family of Opus Dei. But as regards the people who have not yet entered Christ’s fold, we share the compassionate love, sacrifice and zeal of the Good Shepherd. Following the order of charity - I repeat -we will show constant affection to those who, through ignorance, pride or misunderstanding, are verging on error or have fallen into it.

My daughters and sons, our attitude is always an open one. Our apostolic works, like the houses we live in, have their doors and windows wide open, to let in the pure air of all that is good on earth. Besides this, we have to keep the doors of our heart open to everyone, becoming the loyal friends of all and setting them a good example. We try to offer everyone sincere warmth and affection. Then, through our friendship and understanding, we will also be able to give them the light of doctrine. If we truly love them, many people who beforehand may have fled from grace, will now open up their hearts to the truth. We never try to force the truth onto people, but we show that we really love them; and the very way in which we speak will make it clear to them that it is charity that makes us tell them the things we do.

Veritatem autem facientes in caritate, speaking the truth in love: that is how we always act, both among ourselves, and also in the apostolate, when we work with souls, even those who are furthest away from Jesus Christ. Let us ask our Lady to give us a big heart, a heart full of mercy, one that seeks all that is good and right and true.

Then we will be able to combine justice and truth on the one hand, with understanding and love on the other.