Lenten Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

Book 1 Chapter 15: On Works Done from the Motive of Charity

 

“Without charity the outward deed is worthless; but whatever is done out of charity, no matter how small and insignificant, is profitable in the eyes of God.”

 

Today, Thomas a Kempis talks about the fruits of charity and doing good works for others.  All good works have good about them.  However, the good work may not benefit our soul if it is done for the wrong reason.  St. James says that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:17).  Faith and works was the great struggle of Martin Luther.  He struggled over how much good works must a man do to get into heaven.  He finally realized that there was no amount of good works that would justify one getting into heaven.  It was only by the grace of God that we make into heaven.  This is the message in today’s reading.  It is important for us to do good works, but the reason why we do the good works is equally important.  The good deeds that we do must be purely out of love for the other or they are worthless to us.  If we are only doing something so that others we see what we have done or to gain our own self-glory is vain on our part and therefore sinful.  Whatever we do should always be for the common good and never to please ourselves.  When we truly perform acts of charity for the benefit of others, they cannot be self-seeking.  Often times charity ends up being done for the wrong reason.  While the act is good, the motive may not be.  This is when the act is motivated by self-love and not love for the other.  Bragging about what you did does not glorify you. Instead it places you at odds to God.  True love has not vanity because it is sacrificial for the other with no concern for self.  When you do good works, do it purely for the benefit of the other. Do it privately with no expectation of reward.

 

Dear God:

 

Give me a truly charitable heart.

May my good works be done for the goodness of others

And not for the benefit of my own vanity.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon