February 28, 2006
Address by Fr. Paolo Scarafoni,
L.C:: the primacy of prayer in every activity
The
primacy of prayer in Christian love pervades all of the encyclical letter Deus Caritas est by Benedict XVI. Prayer is understood as the necessary
requisite for such love and is the source of all charitable works.
The first half of the encyclical
underscores that love of God and neighbour are one reality of love (n. 7), of
which the first aspect constitutes the source, without which love of neighbor
would soon die out. Every Christian thus becomes a source from which rivers of
living water flow (Jn 7:37-38). But he cannot live only in altruistic love and
always be the one to give. He must also be ready to receive, in order to be
filled anew from the original source; the pierced heart of Jesus on the cross,
the apex of God’s suffering for us.
Tradition
and the Fathers of the Church describe the works of charity of pastors who
founded them on contemplation. Their charity is compared to the ladder that
Jacob dreamed about, on which the angels ascended to God and descended down
back on earth to bring blessings and gifts. Saint Gregory the Great says in the
Pastoral Rule that the good pastor
needs to be rooted in contemplation, thanks to which he acquires the “inner
attitude of piety” according to God’s heart, which allows one to make other’s
needs their own. God is truly good and merciful towards each human being whom
he freely created; He gives everything to us without our meriting it, and he loves
and forgives through Christ. We can learn from God, in that communion with Him
that is fruit of prayer and contempla- tion, so as to have a heart of flesh
towards everyone.
We
can more deeply understand what it means to love, when in prayer we experience
that we are loved by God. Then we are capable of sharing his love with others,
and we want to make it known (n. 9).
The
Eucharist attracts us to the altruistic act of Jesus. In this sacrament, we
become involved in the dynamic of his self-giving (n. 13). The “mysticism” of
the sacrament has a social nature to it. Union with Christ is at the same time
union with all the others for whom he gives himself: those that have become his
own or will become his own. Together, we become one body (n. 14). In the Eucharist,
love of God and of neighbour are truly united.
The
second half of the encyclical repeats the need for the primacy of prayer
and contemplation in Christian
charitable works. The Pope probably states this in seeing a certain fatigue and
reduced enthusiasm for charitable works in the Christian world. Faced with the
immense moral and material needs of humanity, Benedict XVI calls all Christians
to a renewed and more intense commitment to the works of charity. The Pope
takes into consideration the reactions of many Christians and many others to
the ocean of needs and of human suffering. Some think that it is no longer the
task of the Church to resolve the problems of social inequity and the
development of nations, thinking that charity is not able to meet this huge
task, and thus wait for nations and politicians to come up with the solutions.
Some allow themselves to be overwhelmed by discouragement and pessimism; others
are lured by the ideas of fanaticism and terrorism; others yet reach the point
of judging and refusing God who allows so many evils without intervening or
remedying the situation.
In
order to overcome these temptations that squelch and deform Christian
charitable works, the Pope says that “It is time to
reaffirm the importance of prayer in the face of the activism and the growing
secularism of many Christians engaged in charitable work” (n. 37). Prayer is a concrete need
as the principle means to always draw new strength from Christ. It reawakens
love (“For the love of Christ impels us” 2 Cor: 5-14). It allows love for human
beings to transpire from our concrete actions, for every human being. It helps
to give without humiliating, and this happens when the person is considered
when something is given.
In
addition, in prayer the three theological virtues are exercised; so faith and
hope help to sustain charity. Faith fosters an attitude of trust and abandoned
to God’s plans. We prepare ourselves to serve in a way that does not want to
change the will of God with fanatical projects. This helps the worker to remain
humble in front of difficulties and the enormous number of needs. One thing is
certain; that the world and the destiny of every man and woman are in the hands
of God who is good and loves all people. This faith in God’s goodness allows
one to work with peace, with charity towards each person who finds themselves
in difficulty. Christian hope gives us patience in our charitable works and
humility when they are not met with success. The person who prays, by keeping
their eyes fixed on the pierced Heart of Jesus, makes the certainty shine forth
that the love of God truly exists in Christ; that love is possible and that we
are capable of practicing it.