Vigils Reading

LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER

From a sermon by St Leo the Great4

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In the gospel of John the Lord says: “In this will all people know that you

are my disciples, if you have love for one another”. In a letter of the same apostle

we read: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and everyone

who loves is born of God and knows God; whoever does not love does not know

God, for God is Love”.

The faithful should enter into themselves and make a true judgment on

their attitudes of mind and heart. If they find some store of love’s fruit in their

hearts, they must not doubt God’s presence within them. If they would increase

their capacity to receive so great a guest, they should practice greater generosity

in doing good, with persevering charity.

Any time is the right time for works of charity, but these days of Lent

provide a special encouragement. Those who want to be present at the Lord’s

Passover in holiness of mind and body should seek above all to win this grace,

for charity contains all other virtues and covers a multitude of sins.

As we prepare to celebrate that greatest of all mysteries, by which the

blood of Jesus Christ did away with our sins, let us first of all make ready the

sacrificial offerings of works of mercy. In this way we shall give to those who

have sinned against us what God in his goodness has already given to us.

Let us extend to the poor and those afflicted in different ways a more

open-handed generosity, so that God may be thanked through many voices and

the relief of the needy supported by our fasting. No act of devotion on the part

of the faithful gives God more pleasure than that which is lavished on his poor.

Where he finds charity with its loving concern, there he recognizes the reflection

of his own fatherly care.

In these acts of giving do not fear a lack of means. A generous spirit is

itself great wealth. There can be no shortage of material for generosity where it

is Christ who feeds and Christ who is fed. In all this activity there is present the

hand of him who multiplies the bread by breaking it, and increases it by giving

it away.

The giver of alms should be free from anxiety and full of joy. His gain will

be the greatest when he keeps back least for himself. The holy Apostle Paul tells

us: “He who provides seed for the sower will also provide bread for eating; he

will provide you with more seed, and will increase the harvest of your

goodness”, in Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and

the Holy spirit for ever and ever.

4 The Liturgy of the Hours – vol II – pg 295 – Catholic Book Publishing Co – 1976.9