Week 6    Day 5

    Listen:

Spirits Discussing Charity

A Memorable Relation about Spirits Discussing Charity

TCR 459. I saw at a distance five gymnasia, each encompassed by a different kind of light; the first by a flame-colored light, the second by a yellow light, the third by a white light, the fourth by a light intermediate between that of noon and evening, the fifth was hardly visible, standing as if shrouded by the shades of evening. And on the roads, I saw some on horseback, some in carriages, some walking, and some running and hurrying towards the first gymnasium, which was enveloped in the flamy light.

Seeing this, I was seized and impelled by a strong desire to go there and to hear what was under discussion. Therefore I quickly got ready and joined company with those hastening to the first gymnasium, and entered with them; and behold! there was a large assembly, part of which moved off to the right and part to the left, to seat themselves on benches near the walls. Before me I saw a low pulpit, in which stood one who filled the office of president, having a staff in his hand, a cap on his head, and a robe tinted with the flame-colored light of the gymnasium.

[2] When the people had assembled, he spoke aloud and said, “Brothers, today you will discuss the question, What is charity? Each one of you can understand that charity is spiritual in its essence, and natural in its practices.”

Immediately one of those on the first bench on the left, on which those who were reputed wise were sitting, arose and beginning to speak, said, “It is my opinion that charity is morality inspired by faith.” This he corroborated thus: “Who does not know that charity follows faith, as a waiting-maid follows her mistress, and that the man who has faith obeys the law, and thus practices charity so spontaneously that he is unaware that it is the law and charity according to which he is living? For if he did this knowingly, and at the same time thought of salvation as his end, he would pollute holy faith with his selfhood [proprium] and thus impair its efficacy. Is not this in accordance with the dogma of our church?” And he looked towards those sitting beside him, among whom were some of the regular clergy, and they nodded assent.

[3] “But what is spontaneous charity but morality into which everyone is initiated from infancy, and which is therefore in itself natural, but becomes spiritual when inspired by faith? Who, from the moral life of men, can distinguish whether they have faith or not? For every man lives morally....

[4] After this another rose up from the first bench on the right and said, “It is my opinion that charity is piety inspired by commiseration. This opinion I corroborate as follows: That nothing has such effect in propitiating God as piety arising from a humble heart; and piety prays unceasingly for God to bestow faith and charity; and the Lord says: “Ask, and it shall be given you” (Matthew 7:7). And because both are given, they are both in that piety. I say that charity is piety inspired by commiseration; for all devout piety commiserates, for piety so moves the heart of man that he groans, and what is that but commiseration?... When I have read the Word I have been able to see nothing else than that faith and charity are the two means of salvation. But when I have consulted the ministers of the church, I have heard that faith is the only means, and that charity is nothing. And then it has seemed to me that I was on the sea, in a ship that was drifting between two rocks; and when I feared that the ship would be broken to pieces, I betook myself to a boat and sailed away. My boat is piety; and piety, moreover, is profitable for all things.”

[5] After him another, from the second bench on the right, arose and said, “It is my opinion that charity is doing good to everyone, virtuous and vicious alike; and this opinion I corroborate as follows: What is charity but goodness of heart? And a good heart wishes good to everyone, to the virtuous and the vicious alike. And the Lord has said that good ought to be done even to our enemies.... A vicious man is a man equally with a virtuous one, and charity regards a man as a man. If he is vicious, what is that to me?” ... So saying, he took in his hand a fresh grape, and said, “It is with charity as it is with this grape; divide it, and all its contents run out.” He divided it, and out they ran.

[6] After this speech another from the second bench on the left arose and said, “It is my opinion that charity is to serve by every means one’s relatives and friends, which I corroborate thus: Who does not know that charity begins with oneself, since everyone is neighbor to himself? Therefore, charity goes forth from oneself through degrees of nearness, first to brother and sister, and from these to kinsmen and relatives; and thus the progression of charity is self-limited. Those who are beyond its limits are strangers, and strangers are not interiorly recognized, and thus are as aliens to the internal man. But those related by blood and birth are joined together by nature, and friends by custom, which is a second nature, and these become the neighbor in that way.... What except blood causes homogeneity?... But heterogeneity, on the contrary, from which antipathy springs, is, as it were, not blood, and therefore not charity... It follows that charity is also doing good to one’s friends....”

[7] Then from the third bench on the right another arose, and speaking with a loud voice, said: “It is my opinion that charity is giving alms to the poor and assisting the needy. This surely is charity, for the Divine Word so teaches, the statements of which admit of no contradiction. What is giving to the rich and the possessors of abundance but vain glory, in which there is no charity but only a looking for return? And in this there can be no genuine affection of love towards the neighbor, but only spurious affection, which is effective on earth but not in heaven. Therefore want and poverty ought to be relieved, because into this no idea of recompense enters. In the city where I lived, and where I knew who were virtuous and who were not, I observed that all of the virtuous, when they saw a beggar in the street, would stop and give him alms; while the non-virtuous, seeing a beggar beside them, would pass him by as if blind to his presence and deaf to his voice.... He who gives to the poor and relieves the needy is like a shepherd who leads hungry and thirsty sheep to pasture and water; while he who gives only to those who are rich and possess abundance is like one who devotes himself to the prosperous or presses food and drink upon those who are intoxicated.”

[8] After him arose another, from the third bench on the left, and said: “It is my opinion that charity is building hospitals, infirmaries, orphans’ homes, and asylums, and supporting them by contributions. This I corroborate by the fact that such benefactions and aids are public and are many leagues beyond private benefactions. Consequently, charity becomes richer and more replete with good, as the good is multiplied by the number aided, and the reward hoped for from the promises of the Word become more abundant, for as one plows and sows, so he reaps. Is not this giving to the poor and relieving the needy in an eminent degree?... The rich, who do not walk the streets, but ride, cannot notice and hand pennies to those sitting at the sides of the streets by the wall of the houses; but they make their contributions of such a kind as to serve many at once. But lesser persons who walk the streets and do not have stores of wealth may do otherwise.”

[9] Hearing this, another from the same bench quickly drowned the voice of the first with his louder voice, saying: “Let not the rich, however, exalt the munificence and excellence of their charity over the pittance that one poor man gives to another. For we know that everyone in what he does acts according to what is suitable to his person, whether he is a king or a magistrate, a commander or an attendant. For charity, viewed in itself, is not estimated by the excellence of the person, and consequently of the gift, but by the amplitude of the affection that prompts it; so that a menial giving one penny may do so from a larger charity than the great man who gives or bequeaths an immense sum. This is in accordance with these words: Jesus saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury; He saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites and He said, of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all (Luke 21:1-3).

[10] After these one arose from the fourth bench on the left, and said: “It is my opinion that charity is to endow churches and do good to their ministers; which I confirm by this, that he who does so meditates upon what is holy and acts from what is holy in his own mind, and moreover, that this sanctifies his gifts. Charity demands this, because it is in itself holy. Is not all worship in churches holy? For the Lord says, Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20); and the priests, His servants, conduct the worship.... Moreover, there is given to a minister the power to bless, whereby he also sanctifies those gifts....”

[11] Then one from the fourth bench on the right arose and spoke as follows: “It is my opinion that the old Christian brotherhood is charity. This I confirm by the fact that every church that worships the true God begins in charity the same as the early Christian church did. Because charity unites minds and makes one out of many, the members of that church called themselves brethren—but brethren in Jesus Christ their God. But because they were then surrounded by barbarous nations whom they feared, they established a community of property, which enabled them to enjoy themselves together in harmony, and at the same time conversed together daily at their meetings about the Lord God their Savior Jesus Christ, and at their dinners and suppers about charity; hence their brotherhood. But after those times, when schisms began to spring up, and finally the abominable Arian heresy arose, which with many swept away the idea of the Divinity of the Lord's Human, charity decayed and their brotherhood was dissolved. It is true that all who worship the Lord in truth and keep His commandments are brothers (Matthew 23:8), but brothers in spirit. And as it is unknown at this day what any man is in spirit, for men to call each other brothers is of no account. A brotherhood of faith alone, and still less a brotherhood of faith in any other God than the Lord God the Savior, is not a brotherhood, because in that faith there is no charity, which is what makes brotherhood. I therefore conclude that the old Christian brotherhood was charity. But that was, and now is not; yet I prophesy that it will return.” When he had said this, a flame-colored light appeared through the eastern window, and tinged his cheeks, at the sight of which the assembly were amazed.

[12] Finally one arose from the fifth bench on the left, and asked permission to add his contribution to the remarks of the last speaker. When this had been granted, he said, “It is my opinion that charity is to forgive everyone his trespasses. This opinion I have drawn from the customary saying of those who approach the Holy Supper; for some then say to their friends, ‘Forgive me what I have done amiss,’ thinking that they have thus discharged all the duties of charity.... For trespasses are like ulcers, within which, if they are not opened and healed, diseased matter collects, which infects the neighboring parts.... It is the same with trespasses against the neighbor, which, unless removed by repentance and by a life according to the Lord’s commandments, remain and devour. But those who, without repentance, merely pray to God to forgive their sins, are like the inhabitants of a city who, being infected with a contagious disease, go to the chief magistrate and say, ‘Sir, heal us.’ And he would answer, ‘How can I heal you? Go to a physician, find out what medicines you need, get them for yourselves from an apothecary and take them, and your health will be restored. So the Lord will say to those who pray for the forgiveness of their sins without actual repentance. Open the Word, and read what I have spoken in Isaiah 1:4, 15-18....

previous		next