CMW-WB-CH15
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Alms (Study for the picture Poor) by Josef Hanula (1894).<br />
Because Jesus’ idea of love is so rich and multifaceted, the early Church<br />
Fathers were led to create a set of eight sub-virtues of love that capture<br />
the different aspects of Jesus’ highest virtue:<br />
Jesus asks us to be generous.<br />
1. Contribution/generosity<br />
2. Gratitude<br />
3. Care for others<br />
4. Humble-heartedness<br />
5. Gentle-heartedness<br />
6. Compassion<br />
7. Forgiveness<br />
8. Chastity<br />
Let us look now at each of these in turn.<br />
Contribution/Generosity<br />
Jesus exhorts us to give to the poor, to be a servant, to help the needy,<br />
and to spread the Faith. In other words, be generous. We have learned<br />
that the third level of happiness, contributive-empathetic happiness,<br />
refocuses our lives away from sensuality and materialism and ego-centric<br />
comparisons (levels 1 and 2 happiness). The more we contribute,<br />
the greater our positive effect on others, the community, the Kingdom<br />
of God, and the culture. These contributions, rather than depleting us,<br />
fulfill us. Jesus tells us that whoever wishes to be great must be a servant<br />
to others (Matthew 20:26), implying that true greatness is perfection<br />
in love, and perfection in love is service and generosity to others.<br />
Jesus exhorts<br />
us to give to the<br />
poor, to be a<br />
servant, to help<br />
the needy, and<br />
to spread the<br />
faith.<br />
© Sophia Institute for Teachers Unit 6, Chapter 15: The Life-Giving Virtues<br />
343
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