In his audience today with the participants in the General Assembly of Caritas Internationalis, which takes place from May 11 to 16, Pope Francis pointed out that “we must not forget that the origin of all our charitable and social activity is Christ.”
After recalling that the Eucharist “is food and drink that sustains us on the way, relieves fatigue, lifts us up from falls”, the Holy Father stressed that “there is no better way to show God that we have understood the meaning of the Eucharist than giving to others what we have received”.
Then, he invited to understand “the most authentic meaning of the Tradition”. That is, “when, in response to the love of Christ, we make ourselves a gift for others.”
“It is important to return to the source, God’s love for us, because the identity of Caritas Internationalis depends directly on the mission it has received,” he said.
The Holy Father thanked Caritas for its work in promoting the association and fraternal cooperation as pillars of the organization’s Catholic identity.
Later, he stressed that “the lack of charity empties any action of content”, just as Saint Paul taught. “Also the most extraordinary actions, the most heroic generosity, even the gesture of distributing all the goods to give them to the hungry, without charity is useless.”
Pope Francis stressed in his speech that faith in God the Father, friendship with Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit are fundamental. Hence, without these elements, “it would then be easy to lose sight of the purpose of diakonia to which we are called: to bring the joy of the Gospel, unity, justice and peace”.
If this goal is lost sight of, the Pope indicated, one falls into “pragmatic activism” and “particularisms that tear the ecclesial body apart.” “Charity is patient.” For this reason, he explained, “it is the result of a slow work of the spirit, in which one learns self-control, becoming aware of one’s own limits.” And it also leads the person to “relational maturity.”