Generosity is the virtue of not being held captive by our own possessions or by the activity of acquiring more. A generous person gives to others with freedom and without thinking about the cost of giving. Selfishness and greed are sins against the Christian virtue of generosity.

      People in different socio-economic groups tend to give at different levels. Did you know that the lowest 20% of wage-earners in the United States give more to charity, as a percentage of their total earnings, than those in the upper 80%? In fact after the Great Recession of 2008 those who earned $200,000 or more gave 5% less in 2012 than in 2006. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported that low- and middle-income Americans — those who made less than $100,000 — gave 5% more in 2012 than in 2006…The poorest Americans — those who took home $25,000 or less — increased their giving by nearly 17%. (“Wealthy Americans Are Giving Less of Their Incomes To Charity, While Poor Are Donating More,” Katie Savchuk, Forbes, October 6, 2014).

      No one has discovered the definitive reason for why the poor tend to me more sacrificially generous, i.e. give a higher percentage of their earnings to charity. One theory is that the rich tend to prioritize their personal needs higher than they do charitable giving. The poor know the struggles of poverty and try to help each other. Furthermore, when the higher income households do make donations, they tend to give more frequently to institutions which they use like universities and museums. Lower income households gave more to organizations that help the poor like homeless shelters and food pantries. Of the 50 largest donations made in 2014, none of them were given to an organization dedicated to assisting the poor.

      No doubt private donations, when measured as a percentage of earnings, are higher in the United States than in most parts of the world. Still, we cannot say that we have used up all of our potential, especially when it comes to giving to charitable organizations which are dedicated to helping the poor.

      Please be generous with your parish as she seeks to serve the poor as well as all people who are looking for spiritual nourishment. (For inspiration see 2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

Peace Fr. Andy