CALLED
From the Word of God
Though I command languages both human and angelic – if I speak without love, I am no more than a gong booming or a cymbal clashing.
And though I have the power of prophecy, to penetrate all mysteries and knowledge, and though I have all the faith necessary to move mountains – if I am without love, I am nothing.
Though I should give away to the poor all that I possess, and even give up my body to be burned – if I am without love, it will do me no good whatever.
Love is always patient and kind;
love is never jealous;
love is not boastful or conceited,
it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage, it does not take offence or store up grievances.
Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but finds its joy in the truth.
It is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes.
Love never comes to an end.
But if there are prophecies, they will be done away with; if tongues, they will fall silent; and if knowledge, it will be done away with…
As it is, these remain: faith, hope and love, the three of them; and the greatest of them is love.
(1Cor 13: 1-10.13)
TO a VOCATION
From the writings of
Blessed A. Rosmini
What a beautiful thing it is, my dear brothers, to respond generously to the vocation of love to which Christ calls you in the Institute!
So too it is a beautiful thing to have nothing to do but love! For it is by loving that you will be true and perfect members of this Institute.
You must act out of love, speak out of love, be silent out of love, study out of love, suffer out of love – and I will not say rejoice out of love, because love is itself a joy that mingles in all that is done out of love. I say, too, out of love for your neighbour, since the Institute of Charity would have its members love God without limit in their neighbour.
It takes for its foundation, for its device and its motto the precept of Jesus Christ: This is my commandment: that you love one another. Again, By this will men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. For our school is the school of Christ, and our aim is that of fulfilling Christ’s command. We have no other occupation.
Hence the Institute loves all gifts, alltalents, including natural ones,all kinds of knowledge; and
OF LOVE
it requires its members to enrich themselves plentifully, with this kind of wealth, using all diligence and care over this. The reason for this is that all gifts, talents, knowledge (even human) are means of doing good to our neighbour, and especially to his soul, because they are informed and directed by love.
The basis of such a vocation must be a deep humility, by which a man attributes to God all the good he possesses.
He must place no trust in his own opinions and judgements, and be uncertain of the sincerity of his heart. Then he will show this salutary distrust of self by his modesty in speaking and acting.
It is this humble unpretentiousness which makes a man just before God and loveable to other people. Such humility excludes all self-assertion, and is ready to yield place to others. Through it a man always rates himself the least of all and the servant of all.
May God bless you abundantly, and grant you these virtues – they are all part of your vocation.
(AL Vol. V, let. 73, pp. 105-106; To the scholastics studying philosophy at Domodossola, Stresa, 8 March 1845; Translated by John Morris, IC)
[iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/Qjnc0H8utks” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen ]
