Hey there,
As we make our way through this life, doing our best to earn a place in heaven, we know to steer away from the 7 deadly sins: lust, greed, gluttony, envy, anger, pride, and sloth.
To aid us in our efforts, the Holy Spirit has given us the 7 Capital Virtues: chastity, generosity, temperance, brotherly love, meekness, humility, and diligence.
We’ve covered some of these virtues in detail. Today is all about generosity.
It’s natural to think of generosity in terms of donating money. But this is one small aspect of what being generous is all about.
Generosity is also listening patiently as a child slowly tells a long story.
Or putting down the book you just sat down to read when your spouse wants to talk.
And pulling your car over when you see someone with a flat tire on the side of the road.
And it’s singing in the choir at church.
Generosity is about giving of ourselves through personal sacrifice … our time, talent, attention, possessions … and money, too.
This week Genuflect shines the spotlight on the Capital virtue of generosity. We look at what generosity is, how to evaluate your level of generosity, ideas for how to be more generous, the rewards of generosity, and how to foster generosity in children.
There are two things that strike me most about the virtue of generosity. First is the small opportunities to be more generous in giving of ourselves every day. And secondly, the rewards that the Lord gives us for our generosity far exceed what we can imagine.
Keep Believing-
Katy Barrilleaux
Founding Editor, Genuflect
genuflect: sponsor
genuflect: resources
The Virtue of Generosity
Generosity is one of the Capital Virtues. It combats the sin of greed. Here’s more on how to live with this virtue and three ideas to help you grow in generosity.
Growing in Generosity | Good Confession
Generosity Self Assessment
If you’re curious how your generosity level stacks up, check out this Generosity Self Assessment test. And the real-life stories of George and his grandfather’s heartwarming generosity are truly inspiring!
A Generous Man | Catholic Stand
10 Ways to be Generous
When we think of generosity, we tend to think of monetary donations. But being generous is so much more. It involves giving of ourselves, our time, our talent, to others. And these opportunities usually come in the most inopportune time. Here are 10 ways you can foster a more generous heart.
Learn 10 New Ways to be Generous Today | Cora Evans
Generosity Has Its Rewards
Janet Meyer shares the story of how God used her generosity to help her mother-in-law and in return, she was blessed with an incredible relationship beyond anything she could have imagined. Grab a tissue, this one brought tears to my eyes.
God Will Not be Outdone in Generosity | Catholic Stand
Look Back at God’s Generosity
Brittany Calavitta reminds us that God’s generosity is endless, but we may not recognize it at times because we’re focused on what we want right now. Instead, she suggests we take a look back.
Inexhaustible Generosity | Blessed is She
Avoiding Greed
We are taught from a very early age the importance of making money and saving money. But is it possible to have too much money? Tom at Simple Catholic Truth explains the answer is yes, and it’s called avarice, or greed. He also helps us understand how much we should be giving away to help others. And how we should be looking at generosity.
Avarice (Greed) and Generosity | Simple Catholic Truth
Say a Little Prayer
If you’re interested in being more generous, why not turn to prayer? Here’s a prayer attributed to St. Ignatius, though he is not actually the author. Nevertheless, give this prayer a try for a more generous heart.
Catholic Prayer For Generosity | Aleteia
Fostering Generosity in Children
We live in a culture of accumulation and are constantly bombarded with messages about what we should buy … even our children are not immune. Generosity is a virtue that we will need to instill in our little ones. Christine Ponsard offers some advice.
How Can we Foster Generosity in Our Children? | Aleteia
genuflect: bonus
Digital Inspiration
Click below to download this week’s free Holy Spirit inspirational wallpaper for your desktop and your phone.
Download for Desktop Download for Phone
Download one of the previous wallpapers
genuflect: sharing
Please use these buttons to share this issue of Genuflect. Thank you!
