Deus Caritas Est, which is translated as God is Love, is an encyclical letter of Pope Benedict XVI (Benedict XVI, 1). The papal document talks about the love of God for humankind as seen on the Christian perspective. The following verses really capture the love of Christ for humankind.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (King James Version, Jn. 3.16).
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn. 15.13).
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These verses express Christ’s love for humankind as He sacrificed Himself for the salvation of men. Also, the Holy Spirit has been described in this document as a gift for having been forgiven of your sins.
Christians also showed their love for Christ. This love is expressed in the song of Jason Upton “They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love”. The following is the lyrics of the song.
We are one in the Spirit We are one in the LordWe are one in the SpiritWe are one in the LordAnd we pray that all unityMay one day be restoredAnd they'll know we are ChristiansBy our love, By our loveYes, they'll know we are ChristiansBy our loveWe will walk with each otherWe will walk hand in handWe will walk with each otherWe will walk hand in handAnd together we'll spread the news That God is in our landAll praise to the FatherFrom whom all things comeAnd all praise to Christ Jesus His only sonAnd all praise to the Spirit Who makes us one Make us one, Lord! Make us one, Lord!
In the second stanza, the line “Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love” conveys the love of Christians for Jesus. This love will make others know that they are Christians. The line in the third stanza “And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land” tells that they will unite in telling the news about God to others. On the other hand, the line “All praise to the Father from whom all things come” in the fourth stanza expresses the adoration of Christians to God who is the Creator. The document also mentioned the origin of the diaconate which was explained in the Acts of the Apostles. It was said that it is a group responsible for charitable works. Originally, a group of seven people was trained to be deacons and was given the task of giving social service to others. Deacon Lawrence was of the deacons who have been admired for their work. He had given the task of collecting the treasures of the church and giving it to the civil authorities. Also, he was assigned to give the available funds to the poor and regard them as the true wealth of the Church (Benedict XVI, 21 & 23).
According to the Encyclical Letter, the poor and the suffering are the two groups who are the most vulnerable people in early Christian communities with whom charity is directed. This activity of the church impressed the pagan emperor, Julian, who restored paganism due to the cruel memory that he acquired when he was a child. He witnessed the assassination of his father, brother and other family members by the guards of the imperial palace (Benedict XVI, 23 & 24). At this time, there are three most important tasks of the Church. These are to proclaim the word of God, to celebrate the sacraments and to exercising the ministry of charity (Benedict XVI, 25).
The encyclical letter also addresses the. Similarly there are papal documents that respond to the worsening condition of the human race in the economic sector. Three of these documents are the following:
- Rerum Novarum (On the Condition of Labor) -- Pope Leo XIII, 1891
- Populorum Progressio (On the Development of Peoples) -- Pope Paul VI, 1967
- Laborem Exercens (On Human Work) -- Pope John Paul II, 1981
These deal with issues concerning work and the role of the church and the people in building a just society. “A just society must be the achievement of politics, not of the Church. Despite of that, there is no ordering of the State so just that it can eliminate the need for a service of love.” (Benedict XVI, 28). Moreover, expressions of charity by the Church are not equivalent to the activities of the State on behalf of justice. “A pure and generous love is the best witness to God” in whose faith we get motivated to love and spread that love by service. Also, “a Christian knows when it is time to speak of God and when it is better to say nothing and to let love alone speak (Benedict XVI, 29 & 31).
I had encountered individual who may be considered poor. It may be little but I think that I was able to do something for that person. After all, giving service wholeheartedly is the most important. Given the situation of different people around us, I also have doubts about my future self and my future family. I fear that what I have will be enough for myself and my family. This situation will hinder me to give more to those who are in need. But realizing what true service is, I think that day will never come since not the amount of things but the love that goes with giving is the most important. Through this action, we can show our love for God and our neighbors.
“The faith which works through love” (Gal 5:6) motivates Christians to love their neighbor. Loving God also means that we have faith in Him. If we love Him, we can express our love by loving our neighbors. The act of Christian service was also mentioned in the encyclical letter. It tells that Christian service is not just giving everything we have but it is something performed out of love (Benedict XVI, 34). There may be situation wherein failure discourages us. But that makes us humans. We alone cannot handle everything but we can entrust our problems to God. With this, we are given strength to keep on being a good servant (Benedict XVI, 35). According to Pope Emeritus Benedict the XVI, prayer is the best way to connect with God. In this way, we can have a deep connection with God.
In my opinion, a world with God in it is a better place to live in. Though we cannot see him, our faith makes us strong and helps us to face the struggles we encounter. No matter how hard the challenges are, we know that God will never abandon us. However, human beings find it difficult to comprehend God because they think that the challenges are given as a punishment. People try to question many things without trying to solve it first.
Faith, hope and charity are inseparable. It is though our faith in God that we gain strength. This gives us courage in facing challenges and hope that we can find solution to them. It is through charity that we express our love for our neighbors which is also a sign of our love and faith to God.
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Works Cited
Benedict XVI. Encyclical Letter. Deus Caritas Est. 25 Dec. 2005. 30 Sept. 2014. Web.
The Holy Bible, King James Version. King James Bible Online. 30 Sept. 2014.Web.
