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#generosity

6 posts6 participants1 post today

“Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups. In other words: the human person is not a mere individual, relatively expansive, with some philanthropic feelings! The human person is a subject with dignity who, through the constitutive relationship with all, especially with the poorest, can gradually mature in his identity and vocation.“ #wisdom #kindness #generosity vatican.va/content/francesco/e

www.vatican.vaLetter of the Holy Father to the Bishops of the United States of America (10 February 2025) | FrancisLetter of the Holy Father to the Bishops of the United Sates of America, 10 February 2025

When I first came to Brahmavihara monastery (Melaka, #Malaysia ), there was a junior monk who would quickly go unplug the internet routers every time it rained, with thunder and lightning. A lightning strike too close can fry such electronics. He programmed the routers himself, and especially didn't want his configurations to be lost.

Now he's moved away to a branch monastery. Who's job is it to unplug those routers now? Nobody's. From some donations I received earlier, I've donated a couple of new UPS units to try to protect them.

A quotation from Stevenson

A generous prayer is never presented in vain; the petition may be refused, but the petitioner is always, I believe, rewarded by some gracious visitation.

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) Scottish essayist, novelist, poet
Story (1882-06), “The Merry Men,” ch. 3, Cornhill Magazine, Vol. 45, No. 6

Sourcing, notes: wist.info/stevenson-robert-lou…

WIST Quotations · Story (1882-06), "The Merry Men," ch. 3, Cornhill Magazine, Vol. 45, No. 6 - Stevenson, Robert Louis | WIST QuotationsA generous prayer is never presented in vain; the petition may be refused, but the petitioner is always, I believe, rewarded by some gracious visitation. Collected in The Merry Men and Other Tales and Fables (1887).

"Ecclesiastes counsels us to embrace a simple way of life and to be led by doctrines which involve a genuine faith in God. Then we may eat our bread in gladness and drink our wine with a cheerful heart. We will not fall into slanderous speech nor be involved in anything devious; rather we should think that which is right, and, insofar as we can, we should help the poor and destitute with mercy and generosity, truly dedicated to those pursuits and good deeds which please God." ~~~ From a commentary on Ecclesiastes by Saint Gregory of Agrigentum, bishop
(Lib 8,6: PG 98, 1071-1074) in today's Office of Readings