December 9, 2011
Virtues of the Human Heart and Spirit
The Virtue of Charity
Scott Whitehouse, a theology teacher at Mater Dei High School in Evansville, engaged his senior students in a project, assigning them to write essays on the “Virtues of the Human Heart and Spirit.”
The assignment included the guidance to “write a one page essay on the merits of the value assigned and offering suggestions on ways that value can be developed to enhance a person’s daily life.”
Students were free to include their own opinions and to challenge the readers to live in accord with the virtue.
Essays have been submitted to the Message on chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness and humility. Selected essays will be published on an occasional basis in the Message.
Jacob Hahn
Most people today define charity as an organization that seeks aid for others; a non-profit business. However, what many people have forgotten is that charity itself isn’t simply constituted by donating a dollar or two in the Salvation Army’s bucket during the holidays. Charity is one of the most important virtues in Christian theology, and few people realize is that our salvation wouldn’t have been possible if Christ hadn’t possessed it.
The word “charity” comes from the Latin word “caritas” which can mean “love” or “affection.” Jesus once told a parable in which two rich men donated a good deal of money to the temple, but still had a relatively large sum left. Meanwhile, a poor old woman donated the only two coins she owned. Jesus taught that the woman gave much more to the temple because she had nothing left compared to the two rich men, who still owned plenty of money. A charitable act requires self-sacrifice; it serves a far greater purpose than to make one feel “good,” because the love that is charity is not a function of one’s emotions, but a will to love and serve others that inherently comes from the soul. There is no better way to perform the Lord’s work than offer up what we have to others, because by doing so we are sacrificing for God who resides in each of us. Christ performed the most significant act of charity by surrendering his life on the cross so that we could be saved, for as John 15:13 reads, “Greater love (charity) hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Some people argue that Catholic values are “old fashioned” or even outdated. When it comes to charity, such an argument seems incredibly preposterous. With an exponentially growing population, more people face the hardships of poverty. The people of the world produce enough food to feed everyone twice over, yet one third of earth’s population slowly succumbs to starvation on a daily basis, because today’s society has unfortunately become more superficial than ever. It hurts me to see a person throw away half of a cheeseburger or to spend thirty extra dollars for designer clothing when that money could have been used for somebody who legitimately needed it. Being charitable has become more important than ever, because the people of the world are crying out and the duty falls to us to answer their pleas.
Maddy Gansman
. . . During the Fall Festival the Mater Dei Cheerleaders helped children with special needs. We helped the kids play games and ride rides at the festival. As I walked around I could not help but notice all the children with smiling faces, and looking closer all the helpers were smiling too.
Denise Blankenberger
. . . Adults are able to give monetary gifts and donations to needy causes. . . . If they are unable to give money to charitable causes, many teens give up their personal time to volunteer. In this way, teens sacrifice something much more valuable to themselves than money.
Molly Swihart
. . . . [D]uring the Christmas season, I feel like people are more charitable. My family always makes sure to take a couple of ornaments off of our parish’s giving tree. . . . I like to help volunteer to package the gifts to take them to the families.
Alyssa Weinzapfel
Charity is something I grew up learning about. Having a Catholic family, our parents pushed us to want to do charity. My parents have always been actively involved. Once I got to be older and realized what they were doing, it made me want to volunteer and do the same thing that they were.
Ever since I have been in the seventh grade I have volunteered with the Special Olympics. We have coached a basketball team. I’ve learned that it isn’t about making yourself feel like you did the right thing. It is about seeing the faces on all of those little kids, and noticing how happy they are that you care. I have not just grown to know all of the kids, I have grown to love them.
Charity has impacted my life in so many ways. I now don’t complain about the small things I don’t have. I look at my life and see all the things I have been blessed with; my health, my family, my education, etc. There are so many things people look past in life, and I don’t think we realize what we have until we see the people who don’t have much at all.
Everyday I thank God for leading my family on the path of charity. I wish I could express better how much it has changed my life. I don’t even like to refer to charity as “if, I like to refer to it as “they.” Because little do those kids from the Special Olympics program know, they are the ones who have slowly changed my life. They have also strengthened my faith. I believe God does have a reason, and charity has led me to this discovery.
Alexa Bueltel
An organization that I have been involved with for many years is Youth Resources. This organization has four programs that are all led by youth to encourage and develop leadership skills. A thing this organization is strongly known for is the charity that they show in all of their programs. By being a part of this group, it has opened my eyes to how important charity is to help make the world a better place.
Sara Sartore
. . . My youth group has what we call RAKs, random acts of kindness. . . .It can be something as simple as holding a door for someone or making sure that everyone is included.
Noah Lutz
. . . Charity is never “old fashioned.” . . . Charity is simply caring for and providing for others. That will never end.
Erin Wildeman
. . . Charity is a timeless virtue, or should be . . . . Charity doesn’t go out of style. The only thing that has changed about charity is that it’s easier to know when help is needed because of advanced technology that allows us to communicate things around the world much faster.
Isaac Tekoppel
Charity is important to the youth of today because it shows and builds great character. . . . If a teenager has the love and discipline to perform charity acts, these traits will surely carry through adulthood.
Alex Orth
Charity is something I knew little about in my life when I was younger. As an incoming freshman 1 focused more on my social life and friends than my family. It took a huge event in my life for me to finally realize how important a virtue charity really is. In September 2009 my father had gone to the doctor’s office for migraines. When he came out he was told that he had a brain tumor. When I first found out it hit me like a ton of bricks. My father, who had forever been my superman, had suddenly been given his kryptonite. I’ll never forget the day we went to church and my dad was given the anointing of the sick. In my eyes 1 felt like everyone believed he was going to die on the operating table. I sat outside and cried and realized something at that moment. I had been so selfish up to that point. All I had cared about was the materials in life when really I should have cared for my family. Luckily, my father’s tumor was benign and his surgery was successful. When my father had recovered from his surgery I had kept it a secret. Very few people knew about it.
However, when my dad had a seizure this past summer my sister made it public. I couldn’t believe the support my family received. People were willing to help cook our meals and even help us with tuition. People in our parish wanted to help out while my father was on medical leave from work.
He even was given rides to work when he was unable to drive. My father’s obstacle helped me to see the good in others. Charity is about helping others when they need it the most. It may not always be the popular thing to do, but it is important to selfless. I have also learned that my family should be the focal point of my life. In the end, something good came out of a bad situation. A few months after my father’s recovery my mother found out she was pregnant with my baby sister Veronica. My now one year old sister is a blessing to our family. We may be seventeen years apart but I will always be close to her. She will forever be the gift that was given to our family when everything could have been taken away.
Michelle Schmitt
. . . The last key aspect of charity is not wanting or assuming anything in return. If a person is truly doing the act from his or her heart with love, then the smile and thanks from the recipient should be enough.
Tyler Schickel
. . . [D]on’t think that you can’t be charitable if you do not have money to give. Charity is about how you use what you have to help others that are less fortunate or just need a helping hand.
Megan Tromley
. . . The importance of charity in youth life today is to learn how to place other’s needs before one’s own. . . . A few summers back, my family organized a “Special needs swim day” at our home. . . . My older brothers and I helped the children by carrying them around the pool, fixing their lunches, assisting them with eating and drinking, helping transport them to and from their cars, and transferring them in and out of the pool. It was amazing to see the joy this brought to each and every one of the children. One little boy with muscular dystrophy told his mom after one of our swim days, “This was the best day of my life.” Being able to spend time with these kids and allow them a day of fun is what charity means to me.