“The Charity of Christ Crucified Urges Us: A Path to Inner Freedom”

Imagine the blade of grass that manages through sheer determination to penetrate the asphalt surface above and find the light of day. There is such a deep yearning for life that makes this quest its sole purpose, even in the face of insurmountable odds. Can I draw a parallel to this blade of grass with the parable of the Pearl of Great Price (see Matthew 13:45-46)? Do I view the Vincentian charism as granting me such simplicity and freedom, so that everything else in my life is oriented with this one goal in mind?

Prayerfully read one of the accounts of Jesus’ passion and death. Reflect especially on those instances when He freely loved others despite the torments and great sufferings.

“We believe, and because we believe we see. In faith what we see leads not just to fear or revulsion, anger or pity; in faith what we see leads us to love. As we have been loved and called, so do we love. As we love the crucified Lord, whose life is poured out for us, so do we love our brothers and sisters in whom we see that Lord, and so de we serve.” -James Cormack, C.M., “Reflections on Service to the Poor” in Vincentian Heritage, Vol. 13, No. 2 (1992), 156.

Who has helped you to see this path toward inner freedom? Give heartfelt thanks to God for these persons.

See 1 John 4:16-21. How has the love of God in your life helped remove fears that might otherwise paralyze your ability to respond in love?

Am I inclined to regard the suffering(s) I endure as an excuse for not loving to the full extent that I could? Do I regard myself as a victim, and so am more focused upon what others might do for me than what I can do for others, particularly the poor? Let the motto of the Daughters of Charity speak to your heart: “The charity of Christ impels us!”



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