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I. The infused divine virtue of Charity embraces not only God, who is its proper object, but, supernatural as it is, it is yet brought down from the heights of heaven to embrace the members of the natural order. The divine and the worldly, widely separated and even opposed in some respects, have yet a point of union, which makes it possible that the sentiment which we entertain towards God should extend in a certain degree to that which is so far beneath Him. In the ordinary course of things our attachment to any person makes us solicitous about all that is connected with him. If we truly venerate and love God, and remember the relations that all things bear to Him, and see His likeness or His vestiges in them, and the signs of His love and care for them, we shall value and love them for His sake. This charity extends chiefly to men, not only as our brethren, but as the principal work of God. Hence arises the second commandment which is like the first, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Matt. xxii. 39). And again: "He who loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not?" (1 John iv. 20). According to St. Thomas, the extension of the divine virtue of charity embraces also the animal and inanimate creation. It is a good trait of character when one loves to commune with nature; it is felt that this is in some sense communing with God. On the other hand, to do harm to God's inferior creatures shows an insensibility to God and want of love towards Him. Take care that your charity overflow and extend to all that God has made and that He loves.
II. It is necessary that man should have supernatural principle to guide him in the love that he owes to natural beings. For the true direction of natural love has been diverted by the fall, and the individualist impulses have become hostile to the general life. The instincts and checks which in the lower creation keep the individual good subordinate to the good of the species should be supplied in human (Page 179) life by reason; and the influence of the fall on reason has to be counteracted by grace. The attitude of fallen man is of hostility rather than of love towards his kind. Brotherhood comes to be limited to the narrowest circle, and gradually gives place to selfishness. The progress of society comes to be carried on, not by mutual aid but by crushing all others and mounting on their corpses. Until the law of Christ was established, no other system was understood in the pagan world; and the modern world is developing the old paganism under new forms as it departs more widely from the knowledge and love of God. The two kinds of charity stand or fall together. Whatever you do to your neighbour counts as done to Jesus Christ. It is only by adhesion to the love of the Supreme Life through the infusion of Charity that you will be able to promote the derivative forms of life in yourself, in the family, in the state, in natural society, and the society of the children of God.
III. Unity and harmony are maintained in lower nature by automatic mechanisms; and among men, by their free activity under the supernatural influence of Charity. The great unitive influence is to be sought only in God: "That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, in Me, and I in Thee: that they also may be one in Us" (John xvii. 21). This is to be attained by the union of intelligence in God through one faith, and by a common impulsion towards the same Supreme Life in God and His life in us, through Charity. With out this, even natural social unity is not to be thoroughly attained. The natural influence of common humanity, of common colour, nationality and parentage cannot overcome the internecine hostilities of class and class, of interests and interests, between rich and poor, strong and weak, and between brother and brother. The law of unity, of society, of progress, was of old, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" Jesus Christ has given us a more elevated law: "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (John xv. 12). Take care that you do not stop at anything short of this.
