We invite you to discover Venerable Augustine John Ukken through his words, which beckon us to place love at the very heart of our lives.

Augustine John Ukken (1880–1956), Syro-Malabar Indian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity, was a radiant witness of God’s mercy. Born in Parappur, Kerala, he was orphaned at the age of six, an experience he transformed into total trust in God as Father and Mary as Mother. After formation at the Papal Seminary in Kandy, he was ordained in 1907 and devoted his life to the poor, especially in Chowannur, where he became a father to orphans, a comforter of the sick, and a friend of exploited farmers. His spirituality centered on the Eucharist, the Sacred Heart, and humble self-giving. His constant motto was: “To love is your duty; let no one surpass you in loving.” In 1944 he founded the Sisters of Charity to continue his charism of merciful service. Both mystical and active, he was contemplative before the tabernacle and tireless in action, accepting trials as a way of sharing in Christ’s passion. He died in Chowannur in 1956, leaving behind a legacy of limitless love and unwavering trust in divine providence.

Text of Augustine John Ukken:

Charity is the highest form of love, signifying the reciprocal love, a chain that relates individuals to God. We should love friends as well as enemies and never love anyone either for own benefits or for just increasing the number of friends. As long as God loves all, we must love others since they are the children of God. We ought to give special consideration to the poor, the sick and thise ignored by society.

—Augustine John Ukken, Lights from Heaven, December 1903.

Commentary:

For Augustine John Ukken, charity was not simply a virtue among others, but rather it was the crown of Christian life. His reflection begins with a striking image: “Charity… a chain that relates individuals to God.” In this image we glimpse his deep understanding of love as a participation in the divine. Charity is not only our interaction with others, but it is God’s love flowing through us and binding us back to Him.

This perspective echoes St. Paul: “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Col 3:14). Charity is the link that unites heaven and earth, humanity and God, and makes of us one family. Augustine, who had known abandonment and poverty, knew firsthand the necessity of such a chain. It was charity—divine love received and given—that connected his wounded life to God’s healing presence.

He stresses that this love must be universal: “We should love friends as well as enemies.” This echoes Christ’s command in Matthew 5:44: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Charity goes beyond natural affection or mutual interest. It is not about increasing the number of friends or seeking personal advantage. It is pure gift, reflecting the impartial love of God “who makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good” (Mt 5:45).

At the same time, Augustine emphasizes a particular preferential love: “We ought to give special consideration to the poor, the sick and the ignored of the society.” Here we see clearly the Vincentian dimension of his spirituality. Universal love does not mean generalized or abstract love, it means concrete love expressed with special tenderness for those most marginalized. Augustine identifies these groups explicitly: the poor, the sick, the ignored. They are not an afterthought but the privileged recipients of Christian charity.

For the Vincentian Family, these words are a direct challenge. Do we love only those who are close to us, who think like us, or who treat us kindly? Do we sometimes use relationships for advantage or recognition? Augustine insists that charity must be purified of self-interest. Love is not about self-expansion but about self-gift.

Charity also demands courage: to love the ignored of society is to cross barriers of indifference, prejudice, and exclusion. Augustine himself lived this through his priestly ministry in Kerala. His foundation of the Sisters of Charity embodied this conviction: that love must be organized, structured, and enduring in service to the forgotten.

At the heart of this reflection is an invitation: to see charity as God’s own life moving through us. When we love, especially the poor and the marginalized, we are participating in the very chain that links us to God. Without charity, faith and hope remain incomplete. With charity, the entire Christian life is bound together in harmony.