319. Thursday after Ninth Sunday after Trinity.
Speak to us, Lord Jesus, and create in us
through thy word hearts full of charity.
Luke 6, 31-35. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful, and to the evil.
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Love is the parent of that holy wisdom which knows how to use the earthly things in such a way that they become eternal riches. Love understands the wonderful art of transforming perishable things into treasures outlasting the universe. Self-love and penuriousness, which flatter themselves on being wise in the matter of keeping and increasing their possessions, are in fact bad economy, and lose everything. So it is also with the ambitious and self-righteous, who expect spiritual benefit as a reward of their acts of charity. Love is the only thing which can save and preserve your goods. Love your neighbor; do to him as you would that he should do to you. Put yourself in his place, and consider carefully what would, in that case, be to your benefit; and then let sincere sympathy move you to help him. Then shall you become truly rich in eternity. — Alas, how little we do for one another; how much for ourselves, and how little for others! And how little of that which we seem to do for one another is done in true love, out of a holy heart, and unselfishly! Therefore much of the little which we do is done in vain. No true act of charity is barren of results; each one of them brings forth blessed fruit in eternity. But the seed sown for the sake of the reward is wasted, nay it is in itself dead. May God give us his love in our hearts that we may love in spirit and in truth; love all, even our most bitter enemies, and do good to them with the holy joy of love! None of us fully understands the great value in heaven and on earth of every deed of charity which springs out of this pure and divine fountain. None can calculate the value of even the smallest genuine deed of true love. — “Jesus, who didst give me an open ear, do thou also stretch out to me thy strong hand, that I may live hereafter as a true Christian in the spirit of holiness.”
Dear Lord, have mercy on us in our great poverty of spirit; give us love, and make us rich in deeds of charity. Again we pray, give us above all things love, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
Thou givest the Spirit’s holy dower,
Spirit of life, and love, and power,
And dost his sevenfold graces shower
Upon us all.
For souls redeemed, for sins forgiven,
For means of grace and hopes of heaven,
What can to thee, O Lord, be given,
Who givest all?
We lose what on ourselves we spend,
We have, as treasure without end,
Whatever, Lord, to thee we lend,
Who givest all.
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.