This has taught us love—that he gave up his life for us; and we, too, ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. l John 3:16
The love of Christ, who had pity on the crowd (Mark 8:2), is the source of all our apostolic activity, and urges us, in the words of Saint Vincent, ‘to make the Gospel really effective.’ Constitutions, 11
The charity of Christ was the driving force of Saint Paul’s apostolate. Indeed, the love of Christ is the origin of every authentic apostolate—any other motive would be an unauthentic communication of salvation. The missionary recognizes the necessity to combine this charity with zeal, a vital disposition for any individual involved in the work of evangelization.
1. The Lord Was Filled with a Love for the Human Person
Jesus’ love for the human person has encouraged many missionaries in the cultivation of the virtue of zeal. Saint Vincent addressed this issue with the following words:
Fountain of love! You humbled yourself before us and accepted an infamous punishment. You loved us so much that you opened yourself to our pain and suffering, you took the form of a sinner, and you endured a most horrible death. Is there any greater love? … Who else has loved us in this way? Nobody but our Lord. Who else was driven by such love for the human person that he left his Father’s throne, became one like us, subjected himself to our infirmities? And why? To give us an example of how we should love one another. Yes, Jesus’ love caused him to be crucified and, through his love, we have been redeemed. If we had only some degree of this love, we could not stand by with our arms folded. We would not be able to see our brothers and sisters in pain and not do something to alleviate their suffering. No. Charity cannot remain inactive; it urges us to save and console others1.
2. To End One’s Life under an Old Oak Tree
The heart of Saint Vincent was enflamed with the love of God and neighbor, and thus becomes an example for his followers. In a letter he wrote to a missionary, he shared his desire to die in the shade of an old oak tree, consumed by apostolic zeal:
I can no longer remain silent; rather I feel compelled to tell you of my sincere desire to end my days under an old tree, working in some village. Indeed, I would be most happy if God would grant me this grace2.
3. A Love That Reaches out Toward Those Who Evangelize
The teaching and the example of Saint Paul present us with another model in our efforts of evangelization:
The work of evangelization presupposes in the evangelizer an ever increasing love for those whom he is evangelizing. That model evangelizer, the Apostle Paul, wrote these words to the Thessalonians, and they are a program for us all: ‘With such yearning love we chose to impart to you not only the Gospel of God but our very selves, so dear had you become to us.’ What is this love? It is much more than that of a teacher; it is the love of a father; and also, it is the love of a mother. It is this love that the Lord expects from every preacher of the Gospel, from every builder of the Church. Another sign of love will be the effort to transmit to Christians, not doubts and uncertainties born of erudition poorly assimilated, but certainties that are solid because they are anchored in the Word of God. The faithful need these certainties for their Christian life, they have a right to them, as children of God who abandon themselves entirely into his arms and to the exigencies of love3.
- Is my motivation for evangelizing rooted in the charity of Jesus?
- Am I willing to give my life for my brothers and sisters?
- Am I an instrument of the truth in my evangelization?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you have instructed us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. You yourself practiced this commandment perfectly. We give you thanks for calling us to this vocation in which we are able to dedicate our lives to love you our God above all things, and our neighbor as ourselves. We lift up our hearts in prayer to you Lord Jesus, who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen4.