Communion of Goods
“No one has ever become poor from giving.” – Anne Frank
How will you give?
You work as a waiter and you made twice as much this month from tips. Your boss asks all the employees if they want to donate to a local charity he is working with. How will you give?
3 types
1) Stingy Giver – gives the minimum requirement…calculating exactly 10% (of the net) down to the last penny.
2) Greedy Giver- gives because they want something in return…recognition, admiration, followers, favors…or even blessings from God.
3) Cheerful Giver- understands that God has given them everything they have…that it ALL belongs to Him.
- Cheerful givers give with gratuity
- They understand that everything they have has been given to them
- They give without expecting anything in return
Giving without receiving can seem like losing
“God will fill us super abundantly so that we can continue to give, receive, then give again” – Chiara Lubich
The Bible backs this up
“Give and it will be given to you” -Luke 6:38
Chiara Lubich – Something similar to the apostles’ experience has to happen today.
- Culture of consumerism vs culture of giving – This is a culture built on fraternity, that sees the other as our brother or sister, not as a product.
“A virtue of giving- to give then, to give a smile, a gesture of understanding, of forgiveness, of attention. To give our intelligence, our Will, our availability, our time, our talents, our ideas.” – Chiara Lubich
Second nature giving
- Make it a daily habit, like brushing your teeth
- Ask: “What do I have today that I don’t need?”
- Give regularly to “renew” your year, month, or day
- Become generous at heart
Reciprocity
- Starts with few, leads to many
- A chain effect
- Between major corporations and their clients and employees
- Feel lighter, better able to walk with God
- “It’s better to be without something useful, than to have more than you need.” – Chiara Lubich
Finances
Forms of Poverty
- Financial
- Support Systems/Resources
- Mental Health
- Relationships
Spiritual
Physical
Motivation
Persistence
Social Expectations (hidden rules)
Basic Needs
Coping Strategies
Role Models
Trust = consistency / Time
Reducing the Weight of Poverty
Finances
- Be modest in your spending
- Create a budget and stick to it
Support Systems
- Volunteer at soup kitchens
- Donate to food pantries
- Conferences like this! 🙂
Relationships
Be an active listener
Spend less time on technology
Mental Health
Be a shoulder to cry on for somebody else
Seek professional help