CultuRe of Generosity

Generosity Liturgy

A liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembrance, supplication, or repentance. It forms a basis for establishing a relationship with God and other participants in the liturgy. Liturgies have been sung, recited, and practiced throughout the history of the Church and connect us to disciples of Jesus, past, present, and future, from all over the world.

To orient ourselves towards a sacrificial life posture, engage counter-formation in our minds towards generosity, and cultivate generosity in our hearts, we frequently proclaim the following scripturally based generosity liturgy in our weekend gatherings.

Holy Father, there is nothing I have that You have not given me. All I have and am belong to You, bought with the blood of Jesus (1). To spend everything on myself, and to give without sacrifice, is the way of the world that you cannot abide (2). But generosity is the way of those who call Christ their Lord; who love Him with free hearts and serve Him with renewed minds; Who withstand the delusion of riches that chokes the word; whose hearts are in your kingdom and not in the systems of the world (3). I am determined to increase in generosity until we can say that there is no needy person among us (4). Whether time, skills, or money, I am committed to be generous because You, Father, are generous (5). As your beloved child, may I find true satisfaction and joy in showing what You are like to all the world.

(1) Psalm 24 v1, Psalm 31 v19, Ephesians 1 v7, James 1 v17, 1 Timothy 6 v17
(2) Proverbs 11 v25, 1 John 3 v17 (3) 1 Timothy 6 v17-19, Romans 12 v2, 2 Timothy 3:2-5, 2 Corinthians 9 v6-8
(4) Acts 4 v32-35 (5) Psalm 81 v10, Matthew 7 v7-11, John 16 v23-24, Romans 8 v32, Ephesians 1v3, Ephesians 1 v7-8