Charity is also a love distinguished by the complacency or pleasure that it takes in the welfare of whomever is its object. Let us apply this to the supernatural charity that has God for its object.
Charity takes pleasure in thinking of God's infinite perfections. It rejoices in His unapproachable majesty. The continual joy of the angels in Heaven and of the Church on earth is, Gloria in Excelsis Deo. Charity rejoices in His infinite holiness; Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth; in His Power, His Wisdom, and His Eternity.
Does my heart rejoice in the thought of God's power and glory and in my complete subjection to Him?
Charity also thinks with complacency of the homage paid to God by angels and by men.
It thinks of the honor He derives from the holiness of the saints, from the immaculate purity of His Holy Mother, from the obedience of the Son of God to His Eternal Father, and from the Sacrifice on Calvary whereby the world was made once more the Kingdom of God and filled with tens of thousands of saints. For all this, do I render thanks to God, and rejoice in the glory He derives therefrom. I thank Thee, O my God, that Thou hast on earth so many faithful servants who give glory to Thy Name.
Charity, moreover, rejoices exceedingly in the honor done to God whenever a sinner is reconciled to Him. The angels rejoice over the sinner doing penance, not so much for his own sake as because God's Kingdom is thereby enlarged and His glory increased. So, too, we ought to rejoice in the conversion of every sinner, and all the more because we are sinners. As sinners, we can appreciate better the injury done to God by sin and the honor He receives when sin is blotted out and the sinner is reconciled to Him. Do I rejoice in the conversion of sinners and recognize that conversion has increased God's Kingdom and His glory?
- text from Charity, Meditations for a Month by Father Richard Frederick Clarke, SJ