Page:MyPrayerBookHappinessInGoodness.djvu/24

 God's love  has  well  been  described  as  a  sphere whose center  is  everywhere,  whose  circumference is at  infinity  or  nowhere. The same  truth  is aptly  illustrated  by  Our  Lord's  metaphor  for divine charity,  which  compares  it  to  a  fire:  'I came  to  send  fire  upon  the  earth,  and  what  will I but  that  it  be  kindled;'  'Let  your  light  shine before men;'  'Let  your  lamps  be  burning  in your  hands.'

" It  is  by  keeping  alive  and  fostering  in  our  own hearts  the  fire  of  God's  love,  the  light  of  God's truth,  that  we  shall  most  effectually  diffuse  light and  warmth  to  others.  Spontaneously,  and  without conscious  effort  on  our  part,  the  light  will shine  from  us,  and  the  warmth  radiate  from  us, we  shall  make  ourselves  felt  without  knowing  it; Let  not  thy  left  hand  know  what  thy  right  hand doth.

"St. Paul  knows  nothing  of  the  altruism  which saves  others  and  cares  not  to  save  itself;  which seeks  for  others  a  vague,  undefined  happiness, unknown,  unsought  for,  unvalued  by  itself; which  throws  itself  into  labors  involving  patience, self-conquest,  prudence,  fortitude,  temperance, and  all  virtues,  before  these  virtues  have  been rooted,  grown,  and  mature in itself.

"Seeketh not  her  own. To seek the good of others  is  therefore  the  outcome, the fruit, the proof, the  manifestation  of charity, but it is not the substance.    Charity  is the personal, love of God, our Lord,  the wedding-garment of the soul, the treasure