Aaron Ventresca The Greatest Virtue: Charity Period III

“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and [charity]. But the greatest of these is

[charity]” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV). The Cardinal Virtues of faith, hope, and charity (love)

prove integral in the formation and development of the Christian life. All Catholics share the

mission of evangelizing in the tradition of Christ through the promotion of virtue. Charity,

regarded as the greatest of all virtues, serves as an indispensable facet of the Christian soul. As a

student at Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, I constantly strive to aid others through the practice of

Christian values. To grow closer to Christ Jesus, I performed numerous acts of charity to hold

steadfast to the concept that charity acts as an important part of the Christian faith.

As part of my mission to practice “charity as the greatest of all virtues,” I performed

numerous projects. I spent two hours ministering to patrons at the St. Kilian Fish Fry. At this

event I was able to socialize with other Christians and celebrate the Lenten tradition of

abstaining from meat on Fridays. I also spent seven hours volunteering at St. Barnabas’ Beautiful

Buys Store. At this locale, I helped “pack-up” Christmas products and décor to help the store

prepare for the upcoming season. Further, I ministered for two and a half hours at the St. Kilian

Thanksgiving Dinner in addition to spending another five hours with the Little Sisters of the

Poor. At the St. Kilian Thanksgiving Dinner, I was able to serve the less fortune by sharing the

gracious traditions of the Thanksgiving holiday. I performed with the Cardinal Wuerl North

Catholic Trojan Chorale for the Little Sisters of the Poor, sharing Christmas carols and traditions.

Additionally, I spent another four hours ministering to people at the St. Kilian Parish Spaghetti

Dinner. At this event, I was able to share meals with Christians in the community to celebrate

quality fellowship time.

 I performed the service detailed above to share my time, talent, and treasure with those in

my community. As a Christian student, I feel it is my responsibility to share what God has given

me with those in my community. It is imperative to follow the command to “…fan into flame the

gift [of] God, which is in you […]” (2 Timothy 1:6 NIV). Sharing time, talent, and treasure

through service is an excellent way to accomplish this task. By performing for the Little Sisters

of the Poor, I served others through the musical abilities God has given me. Further, by

volunteering at St. Barnabas’ Beautiful Buys, I was able to share an entire day (time) with older

members of my community. Further, by volunteering at St. Kilian Parish functions, I helped raise

money (treasure) for the perpetuation of the message of Christ. Thus, I performed numerous

service projects to share my time, talent, and treasure with other members of my community.

In keeping with a Christian spirit of service, numerous people benefitted from my

service. Reflecting back on my numerous service projects, I noticed that my dedication to others

through works of charity “cheered people up” and “brightened their day”. At the St. Barnabas

Beautiful Buys shop, I was blessed to work with older Christians. My presence in serving older

members of the community brightened the days of many people. I noticed that these older folks

were pleased to know that the Catholic faith is practiced fervently into the modern age. I am so

pleased that I was able to brighten the days of older folks by letting them now that the faith is

alive and well. At the Little Sisters of the Poor, I was able to speak with numerous residents. In

doing so, I was able to spread joy to their hearts, as “one smile can change a life.” In addition,

the service work I performed allowed me to take on responsibility and serve others through

independent, mature actions. Jesus acted as an example to “love your neighbor above yourself”

(LV 19:18 NIV). By taking on responsibility through service, I was able to put this doctrine into

practice and serve others. By serving others, I relieved others of some responsibilities to “lighten
their load” and help spread the Gospel message. Furthermore, through works of charity, I boldly

spread the message of Christ through music. Performing a Christmas concert for the Little Sisters

of the Poor, I shared the Nativity of the Lord through song. In doing so, I graciously shared the

true meaning of Christmas with members of the Greater Pittsburgh Community. These same

people thus experienced a fuller, holier Christmas experience thanks to the sharing of the Gospel

by high school students like myself.

After prayer and reflection, numerous connections can be made between the

promulgation of charity and Biblical parables. In particular, MT 25:31-46 serves as a great

testament to the importance of charity. In MT 25:31-46, Jesus explains, “[…] I was hungry and

you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a

stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked

after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me” (MT 25:35-36 NIV). Serving others is

essentially serving God. Thus, performing service is essential to the Christian life because it is

the best way to serve God. All humans are created in the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.

Serving other people helps glorify God by serving Him through His people on Earth. Further,

MT 25:31-46 illustrates the consequences of performing charity. At the end of time, “[…] He

will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (MT

25: 31 NIV). Those who act charitably and perform dutiful service on Earth will live in eternal

glory and happiness with God. Those who fail to serve Christ Jesus through service will “[…] go

away to eternal punishment […]” (MT 25:46 NIV). It proves essential to perform service not

only to serve God, but to reap the benefits of eternal salvation.

In summary, charity is a crucial part of living a Christian life. Through service projects

with St. Kilian Parish, St. Barnabas Retirement Village, and the Little Sisters of the Poor, I was
able to put into practice the art of serving others as a means of glorifying God and spreading the

Gospel message. In my service, I personally benefitted from inspiration that helped me focus and

enter into a deeper relationship with God through prayer. Others benefitted from my service, as I

was able to take on greater responsibility, spread the Gospel through music, and signify to others

that the Catholic faith is alive and well. Reflecting on my acts of service, I drew connections

between MT 25:31-46 and my own charitable experiences. Service is necessary to serve God, as

the Light of Christ is present in every individual. God commands us to serve others above

ourselves; service is a means to accomplish this great challenge. Service also permits for the

achievement of eternal salvation. Ultimately, charity is the greatest virtue.

 Works Cited

The Holy Bible. New International Version. BibleGateway. Accessed 27 Apr. 2018.