Questo articolo è disponibile anche in:
Italian 
English
Question
Dear Father Angelo, good morning.
I wanted to ask you: what is Saint Paul referring to when, in the Letter to the Romans, he says: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life……….will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” ? (Rm 8, 38-39)
Does he mean our love for God, or to the fact that, no matter what, God will never stop loving us?
A thousand thanks and I wish you a good day.
Daniel
Priest’s answer
Dear Daniel,
1. Charity is a mutual love.
It is a mutual love infused by God in our hearts, so that we are driven to love Him and to receive His love.
Saint Thomas says that charity is a friendship with God: “Charity signify not only the love of God, but also a certain friendship with Him; which implies, besides love, a certain mutual return of love, together with mutual communion” (Summa theologica, I-II, 65,5).
2. It is clear that on God’s part this friendship does not fail because “For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable!” (Rm11, 29).
3. But, also on our part it doesn’t fail, unless we don’t want it. Therefore, however big the trials and temptations of life might be, it is always possible to preserve the charity.
And with charity it is always possible to preserve grace.
4. Indeed, according to Saint Thomas the minimum degree of grace is sufficient to resist any concupiscence.
In fact, it is a more powerful energy of any temptation or concupiscence.
5. This is precisely what Saint Thomas says:
“Because the least grace can resist any degree of concupiscence, and avoid every mortal sin, that is committed in transgressing the precepts of the Law; for the smallest degree of charity loves God more than cupidity loves “thousands of gold and silver (Sal 118, 72)” (Summa theologica, III, 70, 4).
And more:
“because the very least grace is sufficient to resist any degree of concupiscence, and to merit eternal life” (Summa theologicaI, III, 62,3, ad 6).
I wish you to always keep this supernatural energy “sufficient to resist any concupiscence and to merit eternal life”.
For this, I assure you of my prayers and I bless you.
Father Angelo
