The virtue of charity relates to God, and to our neighbour for God’s sake. God also provides the foundation of charity when He gives us His grace. Loving God for the gifts of His kindness is good and right, but loving God simply because He is infinitely good and loving is an even greater blessing and joy.

For most of us, the first step in loving God more, is to make a sincere effort to overcome our daily sins, those faults which separate us from Him. We advance by trying to live a more faithful spiritual life, giving praise to His glory and welcoming His holy will.

We can truly love God because He has revealed Himself to us as personal: not an abstraction, but one who knows us and loves us without limit. God revealed Himself most fully when He became man. When we reflect on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our affections are stirred and our love takes the form of compassion for His sufferings and joy at the triumph of His resurrection.

In human life, we experience the love of others in our friendship with them. Our Lord invited the apostles, and He invites us today, to become His friends; He does not leave us distant, worshipping a thing or a totem that we do not understand, but lovingly adoring one who wills our good at all times, and provides for our eternal happiness.

Here on earth, even in the midst of troubles, the love of God sincerely practised, brings an unassailable joy and peace to our hearts.