Baltimore Catechism No. 3
An Act of Love
7 questions and answers
- Q. 99.Say the Act of Love.
- A.O my God! I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured.
- Q. 100.Give the substance of an Act of Love.
- A.The substance of an Act of Love is: I love God above all things for His own sake, and my neighbor as myself for the love of God.
- Q. 101.How do we show that we love God above all things?
- A.We show that we love God above all things by keeping His commandments and by never offending Him for any person or thing.
- Q. 102.What does loving your neighbor as yourself mean?
- A.Loving my neighbor as myself does not mean that I must love him as much as myself; but that I must love him with the same kind of love, that is, I must never do to my neighbor what I would not wish my neighbor to do to me; but, on the contrary, do unto others as I would have others do unto me.
- Q. 103.Do an "Act of Love" and an "Act of Charity" mean the same thing?
- A.An "Act of Love" and "Act of Charity" do mean the same thing, because Charity means love, or it means an act of kindness that comes from love.
- Q. 104.How may all persons show Charity to their neighbor?
- A.All persons may show Charity to their neighbor by never injuring his character and by always speaking well of him.
- Q. 105.Are we bound to make Acts of Faith, Hope and Love?
- A.We are bound from time to time during our lives to make Acts of Faith, Hope and Love; otherwise we risk our salvation.