Citing Isodore of Sevilla, on vices and virtues, Defensor Grammaticus writes “Sometimes little vices ward off bigger ones. But you cannot heal vices with others vices; healing comes rather through the practice of virtues.”
Defensor Grammaticus in Book of Sparkling Sayings 27 (SC77, pp. 352ff) in Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary, Ancient Wisdom for Today’s World, ed. by Thomas Spidlik (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1994) 132.
Lent is a season to practice the virtue of giving. We get better with practice. With regard to money, some people battle with materialism, or spending money on things. Others hoard seeking security in holding large sums of money. Those are just a couple examples.
How do we grow beyond these vices? Practice giving. It’s what God made us to do. Need help or inspiration in this area? Check out the 40 Acts website and take the generosity challenge this Lent. Help your giving find healing.
And thanks for your prayers for me as I lead a governance seminar in Cairo today and then spend the evening with a cohort of workers that I trained in raising local funds. I hope to encourage them in their progress.