True charity is done with discretion

Charity, word and gesture, thought and action, should be examined under a microscope to fully appreciate its value and not squander it. Contrary to popular belief, authentic charity, capable of challenging even our lifestyles and confronting our tendency toward indifference, is expressed through a language that blends its various angles. All this is seasoned with a profound discretion (Whoever we're helping has every right to do so), which excludes any form of self-satisfaction. Nothing more than charity means making a free gesture, without expecting any reward or thanks.

Every time we think of charity, we associate it with religious doctrine, as if behind this word, which actually implies a lifestyle, there is exclusively a choice of faith. Of course: charity, with the faith and with the hope, is one of the three theological virtues, those that directly connect man to God. But before returning to the religious meaning and the way in which charity is practiced, let us try to secularize its value.

From a look to a gesture. Giving money to the poor, almsgiving, to be clear, is an act of charity, certainly. Even better if we do it by giving up something, with absolute generosity, or, as is deeply rooted in Anglo-Saxon culture, by giving back to someone what we have had in abundance throughout our lives. But the act of charity also involves listening to a friend in need, even if he or she is petulant and anxious, like Lello Arena, who tormented Massimo Troisi with his heartaches in a hilarious film, an elegy to irony. lightness Neapolitan. And charitable listening is not passive, it does not indulge in compassion, but it has its own activity, and serves to shake the other, by staying close to him.

Sometimes charity is a smile, a hug , a kiss with lips that expand to show our affection. A natural medicine we can offer, receiving much in return, compared to what we truly give, to those who, for example, suffer from the dark pain of loneliness . Charity is knowing how to pause, not being glued to the clock, to haste, to time passing too quickly, in our inveterate presentism. Charity has its own expansion that forces us to indulge, to linger, on people, on things, on moods. And charity is also an act of humility , a style that in its simplicity helps unite, and banishes the specter of division. In this sense, charity is incompatible with any form of violence, conflict, intolerance, or repulsion for others.

Returning to the religious dimension, however, we can find the answer to the question: How can we not practice charity? In a letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul says: "Charity is patient and kind. It does not boast, is not puffed up, does not seek its own interests, does not consider wrongs suffered, does not rejoice over injustice but rejoices with the truth." If you think for a moment, as if in a flashback , of all the times you have witnessed, participated in, or participated in ceremonies or activities related to charity, understood primarily as fundraising, you will immediately grasp the relevance and value of Saint Paul's words. One cannot puff one's chest by displaying the gesture of charity: that is self-marketing , not love. Charity has its own discretion that we must preserve, and it is in silence that it produces the best results. In Italy, there are nearly 7 million people, women and men, who carry out purely voluntary work through over 44 organizations. Many of them don't even tell their families about their volunteer experience, and they live it with complete modesty. Unfortunately, and this is the only weak link in Italy's unique human heritage, the average age of our volunteers, both men and women, who offer their charitable work every day is 48. Perhaps young people are not interested in charity, far too little.

Famous quotes about charity

•  Honoré de Balzac

The great French writer, a literary sculptor of universal men and women, knew people's suffering well. And how reaching out to them, with the spirit of someone who intends to offer charity, not just materially, is, we might say, a costless operation. The price is what is paid for sharing a pain. A high price, but one that is repaid by the inestimable value of love.

•  Sant'Agostino

With this prayer addressed directly to God, St. Augustine connected gentleness with charity. The benevolence and attentiveness that spring from charity are sweet, delicate gestures, from people with a very special sensitivity.

•  Philip Panati

A verse of extraordinary lyrical power, from a poet who emphasizes how much charity requires discretion, gentleness, and patience . Quite the opposite of the ostentation with which many think they practice it.

•  Bernard malamud

There's an element of pure rationality in charity: it's the use of intelligence, which brings us closer to others. Avoiding any form of bullying, in private as well as in public. It's a clear, pure intelligence that also signifies respect for those who aren't as fortunate as we are.