English
EspañolHe who truly loves…, does not condemn, does not turn his back; instead, he embraces and lifts others. He does so with tenderness, mercy, and giving hope; without the need for a spectacle or without faking; with discretion, and it stems from the heart.
Text
“The way of the Church is not to condemn anyone forever; it is to pour out the balm of God’s mercy on all those who ask for it with a sincere heart… For true charity is always unmerited, unconditional, and gratuitous.” (The Joy of Love, n.296)
Commentary
The Church is harshly criticized for defending the truth and values that society wants to forget. However, the truth is undeniable, especially for those of us who are pretty imperfect. What would become of each of us and our defects if we could not be aware of them and correct them in the light of truth? Fortunately, we still have that beacon.
What is also true, not infrequently, is that as members of the Church, with our loveless attitudes we provoke these criticisms and scandalize others.
In our homes, with our family, we have our first concrete experiences of God´s mercy. Seeing our parents forgive each other after a fight, learning to forgive our siblings, and, above all, when, after behaving ungratefully, our parents continue to love us and welcome us with open arms when we return from being defeated.
This is how we learn good love, learn to accompany and advise our friends, and the people we meet along the way, we learn not to criticize or condemn them. Whoever is a Christian imitates Jesus Christ. He told us that he did not come to condemn but to save. Love´s power to accompany, lift and save is enormous, for it directly reaches our hearts.
