Almsgiving

During Lent we are especially encouraged to give alms. Here are some questions to consider regarding alms-giving:

Does the way I give demean others?

Do I give myself?

Am I willing to do something beautiful for the poor?

Does my gift come as a duty, or is it out of love for Christ?

Along the lines of these questions, Tony Gittins, priest and author, suggests the following principles to apply in our daily lives:

- Never walk by the poor: walk with them, lest you walk on them.

- If your life takes you away from the poor, it is taking you away from life.

- Don't allow "the poor" to remain an abstraction. Know the names of a few poor people.

Posted by Carlos J. Medina (based on a lecture by Tony Gittins at the Inter-Community Novitiate in Techny, IL.)