IS THERE a limit to love or charity? Does charity in us increase more and more forever, without limit? Will we never be bored in Heaven in all eternity (since there will always be new and exciting ways to love, a new person to love, and a new aspect of that person to love)? Is charity infinite here too on earth?
St. Thomas Aquinas’ answer is yes, there is no limit to our
charity because it is a participation to Infinite Charity Himself, God. When we have that divine life of God in us,
God will expand our hearts not physically but spiritually so that it can love
more a person and it can love more persons.
Unlimited love can already start here on earth and perfected in heaven.
Each person is unique in character so we have different ways
of loving each person. Aside from that,
each individual is unfathomable in personality, that’s why we don’t get rid of
our best friend or our parents or spouse or any other loved ones because we got
bored of them. People’s traits and
personality are unlimited. For each
person there is always a new aspect to love.
Another hint of infinity in personality, is ourselves. We can’t even fathom fully ourselves, that’s
why theologians would say each person is a mystery to himself or herself. We can only unravel that self-mystery when we
are already in heaven.
Natural virtues or human virtues as Aristotle would say, are
half-way between two extremes. The
virtue of patience for example, is half-way between too much patience which
leads to not correcting others, and lack of patience, when we easily get
irritated with other people’s defects.
Courage is half-way between recklessness and cowardice. Recklessness means a person should have been
afraid of what he is about to do because it could harm himself or harm others
but does not. An example would be over
speeding while driving (a vehicle) or what is commonly known as reckless
driving. Not to be reckless is the only
instance in life that we should use fear in the right way.
Cowardice on the other hand is to use fear in the wrong
way. An example of a coward is when he
is supposed to do the right thing but does not do it because he is afraid of
what others might say about him such as being seen by friends praying or going
to Church. Human virtues such as courage
and patience are half-way virtues between two vices. But the supernatural virtues of faith, hope
and charity have no limit or are not half-way virtues. No one can have too much faith (trust in
God), too much hope (in God’s generosity) or too much love for God. Two words that are not pronounced in heaven
are “enough” and “mine”. No one there
loves enough and no one keeps something for himself or herself because that is
not true love. Each one shares her or
his goodness to everyone else.
Our hearts capacity to hold love and choose love can be
infinitely increased and therefore our love will be infinitely increased,
forever, in heaven. This is not the same
infinity as the divine infinity. God is
actually infinite; our participation in Him and His charity is potentially
infinite, like the number series or ours is a created infinity whereas God’s
infinity is part of His nature or uncreated infinity. God is already perfectly, completely achieved
infinite perfection; we however grow in perfection forever and ever, always
increasing God-ward.
Our hearts infinitely increase in being able to love because
in heaven we increasingly love God and the others there for eternity. Otherwise, we would not be able to love
eternally if our hearts have a limited capacity to love. We cannot imagine this. But we can believe it, hope for it and love
it. This process begins in this life,
and can be verified by experience: there is no limit to the number of people we
can love here on earth. It is then continued and perfected in heaven. God puts seeds of eternal plants in temporal
pots. (ECC)
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