Christian Charity (2) Christian Charity (2) We talk a great deal about loyalty and justice nowadays, but forget perhaps that the chief obstacle to their practice in private life and on an international scale is above all lack of charity in the most Christian sense of the word. The vital force for any virtue whatsoever is absent if love of good, and love which is reflected from God upon our neighbour, is not present in our hearts. Therefore, our proclamation of charity - a Christian's Love, must be operative rather than just words, and should begin at home, with ourselves. But first, we must love God. Since a person who does not love God, who is the greatest good, does not love at all. Jesus once told us: 'If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love...This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you' (Jn 15:10,12). Hence loving our neighbours is inseparable from loving God. For God is Love and He is the source of Love. If we don't get close to the source, how are we going to have resources to give to others? If we don't get close to Jesus, how do we truly able to love others as ourselves? For how can we be charitable to all if we don't have love within our hearts? Stay closer to Jesus then, let Him dwell within you, then His Love will flow from you! We love God, so we love our neighbours. We serve God by giving help and service from our hearts to others. Therefore, in all our works of charity, we should have before our eyes God the Father and his beloved Son Jesus Christ. And that is how we can see Jesus, like Mother Teresa, in the face of all our neighbours. Charity excludes no one; whether to those in Heaven, in Purgatory, and on earth - present and to come. No one escapes the extended arms of love except those who have willingly put themselves outside its grasp forever. Therefore, our love needs to be as universal as God's Love, because it is the charity of God in us. Do the utmost good for your neighbour; and what you cannot do in need, do in desire, through compassion, by interceding for men in your prayer to God. There is an enormous amount of good to do in this world, if only we want to! Do not forget, every work of charity has an infinite value. Our endurance and perseverance of charity to our neighbours on earth can exchange for us the unimaginable and unending bliss of heaven. (Reference: 'Rosminian Spirituality: In the Spirit of the Founder', Fr Giovanni Gaddo, 1971)

20th February Blessed Antonio Rosmini had wanted to write the Constitutions (the aims or purpose and way of life for his Institute of Brothers and Priests) in a secluded place, but what awaited him on the Sacred Mountain of Calvario was something more like a haunted castle. So what did Antonio Rosmini do? From this wilderness and disorder he created a humble home and wrote the Constitutions or foundations of his Order. In silence and prayer, and with great patience and trust, he set about his work. On the 20 February 1828, he spent the next two months writing the Constitutions in his small and simple room called 'La Cella' or the Cell; hence the name of this feast and day of celebration. ‘The Cell’ Celebration Wednesday 19th February St David’s Chapel at 10.30am All are welcome! (There will be no Confession or Adoration after Mass)

O God, who teach us that you abide in hearts that are just and true, grant that we may be so fashioned by your grace as to become a dwelling pleasing to you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Christian Charity (1) There is an instinct within us which draws us to love persons and things that can make ourselves happy or are useful for us. However, the love with which the Christian loves, is different. Only the love which brings us to God has a lasting, universal, objective value. Our will, clinging to God's Will, acquires the value of God's Will. This is Christian love, in another word, charity. What is God's Will? It is God's love for the things He created and governs and allows to share in the good which only in Him is infinite. Thus Jesus wants the Father to see Him in each of us, and to love us with the same love. It shows us what our love for our neighbour should be like - love all. You may object: how can we love them all? Jesus loved everyone though, even the unworthy. It does not seek its own pleasure, but the good of others. Like the mother's love for all her children, even the wicked and the deformed. Blind love we call it, but none of us dares to condemn it. It is love whose motive lies in itself, not in the qualities of the beloved; it is love which creates good in the one it loves. Jesus loves us all in this way, each and everyone. Therefore, when we see the misfortune or evils in our neighbour's life, we should first have compassion and sanctify it with the love of Christ, instead of dislike, despise, criticise or hate with arrogance and pride. As Jesus in the Gospel gave way to compassion and wept without going to search for distress in his neighbour; but wherever He happened to notice it, He was moved by it, and when He was asked He helped. Thus, we are placing ourselves and the whole world under the Providence of God. When we are led by this intention of obeying the divine will and pleasing Jesus Christ, we do not resist natural compassion, but increase it wisely in ourselves. In this way, we build up true charity. There are three kinds of charity: Temporal charity (help our neighbour in matters which pertain to this temporal life). Intellectual charity (help our neighbour to cultivate his mind and develop his intellectual faculties). Moral and spiritual charity (help our neighbour in matters pertaining to the salvation of his soul; the former dispose a man to fulfil his moral duties; the latter elevated to the supernatural order and allows a man to adhere to God). (Reference: 'Rosminian Spirituality: In the Spirit of the Founder', Fr Giovanni Gaddo, 1971)

“‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’ And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.” (Luke 5:10-11) Keep your family safe, O Lord, with unfailing care, that, relying solely on the hope of heavenly grace, they may be defended always by your protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

It is an annual celebration offering the opportunity to support and promote marriage and family life. Rt Revd Bosco MacDonald, Lead Bishop for Marriage and Family Life said: “As we mark National Marriage Week 2025, think about the huge importance of marriage in our lives and society...For Christians, marriage isn’t just a legal agreement, it’s a special promise between husband and wife, like the covenant between God and humanity. And God’s promises are always fruitful. Pope Benedict XVI once said, ‘Marriage is a way to save ourselves and our society’, because marriage is a source of hope, strength, and new beginnings for everyone involved… National Marriage Week is a time for all of us to think about this special sacrament and how it can change lives. It’s a chance for married couples to strengthen their bond by being kind to each other, talking openly, and sharing experiences. And for all of us, as we celebrate the beauty of marriage this week, let’s make sure that we support and encourage couples in their journey...For people who are getting married or supporting others on their journey, may this National Marriage Week inspire us all to embrace the hope that marriage brings, not just for ourselves, but for future generations.” www.cbcew.org.uk/marriage-week/

(for Year 9 students to university age) 15th March 2025 The Cardiff-Menevia Youth will be led by Father Martin Donnelly. Cost: £31, which inc. transport (please bring packed lunch) Please sign up by Friday 21 February through link: https://forms.gle/6bD2kM3hfQv2sFjC9 or scan poster’s QR code in Church porch. For further details contact: Fr Martin Donnelly on olqpllanelli@btinternet.com or Deacon Christian Mahoney on youth@rcadc.org 07764515864

Blessing of throats on the Feast of St Blaise  Monday 3 February during 10am Mass

Friday 14th February St David Cathedral, Cardiff For full details of the schedule, please visit: https://rcadc.org/blessed-carlo-acutis-relic-tovisit-cardiff-menevia/ Blessed Carlo will be proclaimed a Saint by Pope Francis in Rome on 27th April 2025.