Charity is the third and final one of the virtues that regard God directly and in Himself. As the natural man cannot know God in the supernatural order, neither can he so love God, except by means of a special infused facility which is the habit of charity. Love is the impulsion and affection of the rational creature towards that which is first in the order of being, viz. Life. The primary cravings of all beings are towards life and the means of sustaining it. For the maintenance of life there are implanted in all organic beings certain automatic impulses, or sense emotions, or instincts, or rational motives, whose object is the life of the individual or of the species. The sum of these forces in the rational creature is Love. It manifests itself as self-love, conjugal love, parental and filial love, patriotism, philanthropy; and in a secondary sense, with reference to the means of life, we speak of the love of food, wealth, action, etc. God is the supreme Life in Himself, and the source of all life, the support of life, the fulfilment of life. He is the first necessity of every being. The tendency of all being is then towards Him, either directly in Himself or indirectly through His creatures. Irrational creatures serve Him, rational creatures love Him, all require Him. "The eyes of all hope in Thee, O Lord, and Thou givest them meat in due season" (Ps. cxliv. 15). Great is the virtue of Charity, which enables you to cleave consciously to the Supreme Life, especially in its unveiled manifestation of Itself on the supernatural plane hereafter.
