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Works: generosity

quinta-feira 1º de fevereiro de 2024

  

How can the sanctified man not be generous, since he trusts in the Divine Mercy, and since he does not do so blindly? For it is not enough to await from Mercy the benefits that it promises, it is necessary in addition, and even above all, to open oneself to it and to love it for itself; to love Mercy is to understand its nature and its beauty and to wish to be united to it by participating in its function. To love is to some degree to wish to be what one loves, or to become what one loves; it is thus to imitate what one loves. Generosity is the opposite of egoism, avarice and meanness; nevertheless let us be clear that it is evil that is opposed to good and not inversely. Generosity is the greatness of soul which loves to give and also to forgive, because it allows man to put himself spontaneously in the place of others; which allows to one’s adversary all the chances that he humanly deserves, even though these be minimal, and without prejudicing justice or the cause of right. Nobility comprises a priori a benevolent attitude and a certain gift of self, without affectation and without failing to do justice to things as they are; the noble man tries to help, to meet one halfway, before condemning or acting severely, while being implacable and capable of speedy action when reality demands it. Goodness due to weakness or dreaming is not a virtue; generosity is beautiful to the extent that man is strong and lucid. There is always, in the noble soul, a certain instinct of the gift of self, for God Himself is the first to overflow with charity, and above all with beauty; the noble man is only happy in giving, and he gives himself above all to God, as God gave Himself to him, and desires to give Himself to him. [GTUFS: EsoterismPW, The Virtues in the Way]
We do not say that one has to grant favors to others which are contrary to their nature and which therefore they would abuse; we say that one has to grant them favors from which they may benefit without being tempted to abuse them. In other words: one must not heap favors upon others which they do not deserve, but one must grant others all possible extenuating circumstances, materially and morally. Generosity – or “charity” – is not weakness, any more than self-knowledge – or “humility” – is stupidity. This amounts to saying that virtue ought to conform to the nature of things; that it draws its nobleness and efficacy from truth. “There is no right superior to the right of truth”; and “beauty is the splendor of the true.” [GTUFS: EchPW, 61]

Generosity (towards God): Generosity towards God – if one may say so – is to give ourselves to God, the quintessence of this gift being sincere and persevering orison. [GTUFS: EchPW, 60]

Generosity (towards man): Generosity towards man is to give ourselves to others, through charity in all its forms. [GTUFS: EchPW, 60]