Call for selfless love of God

Nikhil Gomes 

The International Day of Charity on September 5 invokes the public to help others.

This day was initiated by the United Nations in 2012 in honor of Mother Teresa who was known worldwide for her charity work.

Charity leads to the setting of social relationships and it strengthens society. Charity means to give and then receive. 

It’s like an echo. There will be echoes of whatever you do, and it will return to you with interest. Therefore, if you give, you will receive. 

In this life you are reaping the benefits of whatever you gave in your past. If you do not do the same in this life, it will all be wasted.  

Charity can ease humanitarian crisis. 

The observance of International Day of Charity aims to remind the public, individuals, companies, and interest groups to work for the good of others and spur them into action. 

The International Day is a perfect opportunity to offer help to a charity or to any person who needs it.

Overall, this day reminds us that simple acts of charity can alleviate the worst effects of humanitarian crises and create more inclusive and resilient societies. 

In the Church, Mother Teresa, who died in 1997 after 45 dedicated years of charitable service, is a good example. She is remembered as a woman of great faith and unmatched charitable contribution to the world.

In fact, she left such a legacy that the Hungarian Parliament and Government established International Day of Charity in her honor in 2011. They chose September 5, the anniversary of her death, to commemorate her life with their civil service initiative.

The UN established it to recognize the charitable works of all organizations, including the work of Mother Teresa, and to highlight the power of charity in alleviating humanitarian crises and human suffering. 

Critical goals established by the UN help guide the charitable works we should engage in — these are people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership. 

On September 5 we can honor the work of Mother Teresa by experiencing the joy of charitable giving.

On May 28, 2019, Pope Francis said: “Real charity is about encountering Christ in the poor and needy, not merely handing out aid to soothe one’s conscience.”

“If we look at charity as a service, the Church would become a humanitarian agency and the service of charity its ‘logistics department.’ But the Church is nothing of all this, it is something different and much greater,” he said.

“Charity is the embrace of God our Father to every man, especially to the least and the suffering, who occupy a preferential place in his heart,” added the pope.

Work of charity is important for Catholics because we have been taught about charity work through the Gospels. Thomas Aquinas said charity is “the most excellent of the virtues.” 

So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Most people think of charity simply as a benevolent act of giving. The most general definition of charity, however, means so much more than that. Charity in its purest sense means love and encompasses our love for God and our love for our fellow people. 

Thomas Aquinas said: “The habit of charity extends not only to the love of God but also the love of our neighbor.” 

These two kinds of love are closely tied to one another. 

Christian theology upholds charity as the greatest of the three theological virtues that include faith and hope. 

According to moral theology, charity is a divinely infused virtue that lets us focus our will to cherish God above all things for His own sake and to cherish man for the sake of God.

So, my dear brothers and sisters, International Day of Charity serves to enhance and increase social responsibility amongst us all and to increase the public’s support for charitable causes. 

This day is a great opportunity to raise awareness and provide a platform for charity events to take place on a global scale. 

So let us do works of charity and build a wonderful and peaceful world.