Catherine of Genoa: Means

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

“Know then, in the first place, that I am God, with whom there is no change; and know too that I loved man before I created him. I loved him with a love which is infinite, pure, simple, and sincere, and without any cause; it is impossible that I should not love those whom I have created and designed for my glory, each in his own degree. I have also provided him amply with all needful means of attaining his end, both with natural gifts and supernatural graces, and on my part these never fail him. I am ever surrounding him with my infinite love, now in one way and now in another, that I may bring him under my care. I find in him nothing which is contrary to me but the freewill which I have given him, and this I am always combating through love, until he yields it to me, and when I have accepted it I reform it little by little by my secret operations and loving care, and never abandon him until I have conducted him to his appointed end.”

Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510) in Spiritual Dialogues (Grand Rapids: CCEL) Part Third, Chapter 1. Click here to download this classic work.

It was a short night with little sleep. Jenni got home safely from her service in Rwanda. After flight cancellations and delays, we got home about 2:15am. But the ministry went great so we rejoice.

Catherine has challenged us this week to cooperate with the grace of God and take steps to grow toward maturity.

Today we get God’s perspective of each of us. He loves you and me. He made us and he has give us the needful means – natural gifts and supernatural graces – to mature in every aspect of the faith, including generosity.

And notice that He intervenes in our lives with “secret operations and loving care” to aid our growth.

Take time to praise God today. And resolve to take the steps He may be leading you to take this week for your growth and His glory, knowing that His grace will abound to you in proportion to your surrender and service.

Read more

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

“Grace increases in proportion as man makes use of it. Hence it is evident that God gives man from day to day all that he needs, no more and no less, and to each according to his condition and capacity. All this he does for the love and benefit of man; but because we are so cold and negligent in our endeavors, and because the instinct of the spirit is to arrive quickly at perfection, it seems as if grace were insufficient. Yet it is not so, and the fault is wholly ours, in not cooperating with the grace already received, which therefore ceases to increase.”

Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510) in Spiritual Dialogues (Grand Rapids: CCEL) Part Second, Chapter 5. Click here to download this classic work.

If you want grace to increase toward to, don’t be “cold and negligent” in you endeavors or you will get the measure of grace that matches you effort, or lack thereof.

If you want God to bless you abundantly, quit holding back. Get out there and empty yourself. Do it and you will find yourself enriched for greater generosity. This is a paradox of generosity for sure.

What is your condition and capacity today? To the measure you live, give, serve, and love generously, God has abundant grace ready to abound toward you.

Catherine has given us all a gift with this post. Only one who has lived this out can share this profound truth with us. I am thankful I located and even more happy to share it.

Don’t let it stop with you. Soon the new Generosity Monk website and email system will start. When it does, tell all your friends to subscribe. It’s free and maps the path to maturity.

In the meantime, cooperate with the grace you have been given and get out there and abound in every good work knowing that God will match your wholehearted effort with an abundant proportion of grace.

Read more

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

“O admirable work of love, which gives God to man that he may do all that is needful to attain that perfection for which he is designed! God gives him, too, all needful light and grace, increasing them gradually in such a manner and to such a degree that they never fail and never exceed; for if they fell short, man might excuse himself from doing his part because grace was wanting to him, and if they exceeded, the work he might have done through their means but failed to do, would be his punishment.”

Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510) in Spiritual Dialogues (Grand Rapids: CCEL) Part Second, Chapter 5. Click here to download this classic work.

God gives sufficient grace or “all needful light and grace” to help us attain perfection or maturity.

Catherine makes a great point that if God did not do this, we as humans would make excuses instead of get to work doing the good that God has prepared for us to do.

This explains why growth in generosity is often incremental. We take a step of growth, then another.

What next step is God wanting you to take. The good news is that He provides needful light for our path and grace will abound to us as we take it. Seek the Lord today. Do what He says.

Don’t put it off as we never know if we have tomorrow. Make the most of today.

Read more

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:31-32

“All things are necessary which God ordains, who is only waiting to consume interiorly and exteriorly all our corrupt affections, and that all wrongs, injuries, contempt, sickness, poverty, abandonment of relatives and friends, the temptations of the devil, mortifications, and all else contrary to humanity, are especially needful to us, that we may combat with them, till at length gaining through them the victory, our corrupt affections may be extinguished, until adversity appears to us no longer bitter, but sweet.

Whoever believes that anything good or bad can befall him, which can separate him from God, shows that he is not yet strong in divine charity; for man should fear nothing but to offend God, and all beside should be to him as if it were not.

For herself, she said, that she seemed to see in her heart a ray of love proceeding from God, binding them together with a golden thread, and had no fear that it would ever be loosed; and this had been the case ever since her conversion. Her sweet Lord gave her such confidence that when she was moved to pray for anything, something within seemed to say: “Command, for love can do it.” Indeed she had every thing she asked, with all possible certainty.”

Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510) in Life and Doctrine of Saint Catherine of Genoa (Grand Rapids: CCEL) Chapter 27. Click here to download this classic work.

Recently there was a small brush fire in our neighborhood. Thankfully, the workers worked fast to contain and extinguish it. Imagine that’s how God works to stomp out our corrupt affections.

Corrupt affections are the heart issues that hinder generous giving, living, serving, and loving. We are attached to the wrong things. Or notice as the reading unfolds from Catherine that fear also grips us.

We worry about bad things befalling us. This shows we are not strong in divine charity, which is akin to generosity. She is saying that we are weak because we fear the wrong things. We need only fear God.

Catherine shows us where to ind peace and confidence. Bind ourselves to God. And if we need something to excel in divine charity or generosity, we need only say the word for Love can do it.

This mirrors the posture of the Apostle Paul in Romans. If you want to go deeper today, meditate on the context from which I pulled today’s Scripture, Romans 8:31-39. God wants you to be more than a conqueror.

Read more

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10

“Vain-glory could never enter her mind, for she had seen the truth, and distrusting herself, placed her whole confidence in God, saying always: “Oh Lord! do with me what thou wilt.” She had so little esteem of herself that it was pleasing to her to be reproved for any inclination she might have, nor did she ever excuse herself. So clear was the interior vision of that illuminated mind, and such deep things did she say concerning perfection that she could hardly be understood except by the most profound intellects.

Among other things she said: “I would not wish to see one meritorious act attributed to myself, even if it were the means of insuring my salvation; for I should be worse than a demon, to wish to rob God of his own. Yet it is needful that we ourselves act, for the divine grace neither vivifies nor aids that which does not work itself, and grace will not save us without our cooperation.

I repeat it; all works, without the help of grace are dead, being produced by the creature only; but grace aids all works performed by those who are not in mortal sin, and makes them worthy of heaven; not those which are ours solely, but those in which grace cooperates.” So jealous was she for the glory of God, that she was wont to say: “If I could find any good in any creature, (which, however, is impossible) I would tear it from her, and restore it all to God.”

Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510) in Life and Doctrine of Saint Catherine of Genoa (Grand Rapids: CCEL) Chapter 10. Click here to download this classic work.

This week I decided to read the biography of a 15th century mystic. I am moved by how others describe her depth: “she could hardly be understood except by the most profound intellects.”

If today’s post went over your head. Read it again and ponder what people will say about you, or rather, what do you want people to say about you.

This post is about our needful cooperation with God. Let me explain. Catherine grasped what we all need to understand: the interplay between surrender and service and between grace and works.

She surrendered her will to God. People observed this as having little esteem for herself. Also, she wanted nothing meritorious attached to her. She only wanted God to receive glory through her service.

And related to works, she sounds so much like a mix of the apostle Paul and James.

She rightly articulates the role of grace with works. We must act, and yet, the works we do are empowered by grace, and for Catherine (as it should be for all of us), only God gets the glory.

Hang with me this week as the readings will be deep.

Let me conclude with a comment on the last line of today’s post. “If I could find any good in any creature, (which, however, is impossible) I would tear it from her, and restore it all to God.”

It reminds me of my mom, Patsy Hoag. I love you mom!

She has said repeatedly, “If you see any good in me, it’s Jesus.” I have heard her say this so many times, it echos Catherine. Any good in any creature is thanks to Jesus. All glory to God.

Brace yourself. God wants you to grow this week.

For now, surrender your will to God and to do good works because of the grace at work in you thanks to cooperation with Christ Jesus who is at work in you.

Read more

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Proverbs 3:27

“Some may object and say, Others do not their duty. If others did their duty, the poor would be sufficiently supplied. If others did as much as we in proportion to their ability and obligation, the poor would have enough to help them out of their difficulties. Or some may say, It belongs to others more than it does to us. They have relations that ought to help them; or there are others to whom it more properly belongs than to us.

Answer. We ought to relieve those who are in need though brought to it through others’ fault. If our neighbor be poor, though others be to blame that it is so, yet that excuses us not from helping him. If it belong to others more than to us, yet if those others will neglect their duty, and our neighbor therefore remains in want, we may be obliged to relieve him.

If a man be brought into difficulties through the injustice of others, suppose by thieves or robbers, as the poor Jew whom the Samaritan relieved, yet we may be obliged to relieve him, though it be not through our fault that he is in want, but through that of other men. And whether that fault be a commission or a neglect alters not the case. As to the poor Jew that fell among thieves between Jerusalem and Jericho, it more properly belonged to those thieves who brought him into that distress to relieve him than to any other person.

Yet seeing they would not do it, others were not excused; and the Samaritan did no more than his duty relieving him as he did, though it properly belonged to others. Thus if a man have children or other relations to whom it most properly belongs to relieve him, yet if they will not do it, the obligation to relieve him falls upon others. So for the same reason we should do the more for the relief of the poor because others neglect to do their proportion or what belongs to them; and that because by the neglect of others to do their proportion they need the more, their necessity is the greater.”

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) in Christian Charity or The Duty of Charity to the Poor, Explained and Enforced (Pensacola: Chapel Library, 2022) 34-35. Download the PDF copy here.

Today marks the last day of exploring this classic work.

Edwards concludes by addressing a key objection. It seems very common to me. We excuse ourselves because others fail to act. And we learn today, that it is not a valid excuse.

Just because others do not act, does not mean we must not act within our power.

What should you do instead? Ask yourself what you have the power to do and do it. Walk in this way instead of doing nothing because you see others doing nothing. That’s the world we live in.

Few do good because they see even fewer doing good.

We can change the trajectory of our setting by acting boldly and generously. We can shape the behavior of others by doing what others are not doing.

No wonder God wants us to do good within our power as today’s Scripture notes. It’s why he put us here.

And I am thankful for a wife who desires to live this way. Today marks 34 years of marriage for us. Jenni is ministering in Rwanda this week with a team from Denver Seminary.

Appreciate your prayers for them.

Read more

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. Proverbs 19:17

“We are professors of Christianity; we pretend to be the followers of Jesus and to make the gospel our rule. We have the Bible in our houses. Let us not behave ourselves in this particular as if we had never seen the Bible, as if we were ignorant of Christianity and knew not what kind of religion it is.

What will it signify to pretend to be Christians and at the same time to live in the neglect of those rules of Christianity which are mainly insisted on in it? But there are several things which I would here propose to your consideration…

What you have is not your own… Your money and your goods are not your own; they are only committed to you as stewards, to be used for Him Who committed them to you…Giving to others is giving to the Lord…

We must comply with difficult duties in the Christian life…Only the merciful shall obtain mercy… God will deal with us as we deal with our fellow-creatures in this particular, and that with what measure we mete to others in this respect God will measure to us again…

Charity ends in reward rather than loss. Consider what abundant encouragement the Word of God gives that you shall be no losers by your charity…we ought not to look upon it as loss because it benefits those whom we ought to love as ourselves.”

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) in Christian Charity or The Duty of Charity to the Poor, Explained and Enforced (Pensacola: Chapel Library, 2022) 11-15. Download the PDF copy here.

Today, Edwards tells us to live what we profess and reminds us that we do not lose when we walk in obedience but we gain. And we determine the measure that God will extend to us in our own times of need by the measure we aid others.

Think about that. Don’t just think about that, act on that.

God will extend to you the measure you choose to extend to others. As you show mercy, He shows mercy. As you extend grace and kindness, He promises to give it to you. As a result, all professors of Christianity do well to calibrate their generosity liberally and lavishly.

Take a few minutes today to decide the measure you want God to extend to you.

Now extend that toward others through your generous living, giving, serving, and loving. Think of those who need help, financial assistance, physical service, or tender care. Can you envision this? Now get to work. You will not end up empty but rather, enriched.

Read more

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

“How unsuitable is it for us, who live only by kindness, to be unkind! What would have become of us if Christ had been so saving of His blood and unwilling to bestow it as many men are of their money or goods? Or if He had been as ready to excuse Himself from dying for us, as men commonly are to excuse themselves from charity to their neighbor? If Christ would have made objections of such things, as men commonly object to performing deeds of charity to their neighbor, He would have found enough of them.

Besides, Christ, by His redemption, has brought us into a more near relation one to another, has made us children of God, children in the same family. We are all brethren, having God for our common Father, which is much more than to be brethren in any other family. He has made us all one body; therefore, we ought to be united and subserve one another’s good and bear one another’s burdens, as is the case with the members of the same natural body…Apply these things to yourselves and inquire whether you do not lie under guilt on account of the neglect of this duty, in withholding that charity which God requires of you towards the needy?”

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) in Christian Charity or The Duty of Charity to the Poor, Explained and Enforced (Pensacola: Chapel Library, 2022) 9-10. Download the PDF copy here.

The commands of God are not only for our good but also for God’s glory.

They aim to put us in a place where we are united with others as brothers and sisters by the kindness of God. And they propel us to subserve one another’s good and share each other’s burdens.

Think of a time when someone else shared your burdens.

That person helped you with something you could not sort yourself. They paid your bill. They lifted your burden. They fed you when you were hungry. They lodged you when you visited. You get the point. They assisted you.

Now think of how you might do that for others.

We who live by the kindness of God do well when we show the kindness of God toward others. This form of generosity honors God as it unites us and teaches us to serve others like Christ served us.

Who might you serve today?

Read more

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Philippians 2:4

“We should love our neighbor as ourselves; for men are made in the image of our God, and on this account are worthy of our love. Besides, we are all closely allied one to another by nature. We have all the same nature, like faculties, like dispositions, like desires of good, like needs, like aversion to misery, and are made of one blood; and we are made to subsist by society and union one with another.

God hath made us with such a nature that we cannot subsist without the help of one another. Mankind in this respect are as the members of the natural body. One cannot subsist alone without a union with, and the help of, the rest. Now, this state of mankind shows how reasonable and suitable it is that men should love their neighbors, and that we should not look everyone at “his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

A selfish spirit is very unsuitable to the nature and state of mankind. He who is all for himself and none for his neighbors deserves to be cut off from the benefit of human society and to be turned out among wild beasts to subsist by himself as well as he can. A withdrawn covetous spirit is more suitable for wolves and other beasts of prey than for human beings.”

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) in Christian Charity or The Duty of Charity to the Poor, Explained and Enforced (Pensacola: Chapel Library, 2022) 8. Download the PDF copy here.

Is your posture toward others suitable or unsuitable to God?

I am serious in asking this question. Why? Many people follow the narrative that says to live according to the teachings of this world. At the core of that mindset is selfishness.

Though such teachings are the opposite of what Jesus wants us to do, we must not listen to them. There’s another way, a better way to live.

The suitable way to life looks like this.

It starts with humility. Acknowledge that you cannot make the journey of life on your own. Say that you appreciate all the help you can get.

Don’t overcomplicate this. God wants you to take hold of life. Grasp it by walking in unselfishness and obedience.

Read more

Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. Deuteronomy 15:9

”God warns the children of Israel against making of this an objection to helping their poor neighbors, that the year of release was near at hand and it was not likely that they would be able to refund it again before that time, and then they should lose it wholly, because then they would be obliged to release it. God foresaw that the wickedness of their hearts would be very ready to make such an objection, but very strictly warns them against it, that they should not be the more backward to supply the wants of the needy for that, but should be willing to give him. “Do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again” (Luke 6:35).

[People] are exceedingly apt to make objections against such duties, which God speaks of here as a manifestation of the wickedness of their hearts: “Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart,” etc. The warning is very strict. God doth not only say, Beware that thou do not actually refuse to give him, but, Beware that thou have not one objecting thought against it, arising from a backwardness to liberality. God warns against the beginnings of uncharitableness in the heart, and against whatever tends to a forbearance to give. “And thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.” God warns them from the guilt which they would be liable to bring upon themselves hereby…

Another enforcement of this duty is the promise of God, that for this thing He will bless us in all our works, and in all that we put our hands unto, a promise that we shall not lose but gain by it…this is to cut off an excuse that uncharitable persons would be ready to make for not giving, that they could find nobody to give to, that they saw none who needed. God cuts off such an excuse by telling us that He would so order it in His providence that His people everywhere and in all ages shall have occasion for the exercise of that virtue.”

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) in Christian Charity or The Duty of Charity to the Poor, Explained and Enforced (Pensacola: Chapel Library, 2022) 4-5. Download the PDF copy here.

We either act with willing hearts or wicked hearts. Ponder that.

Our human tendency is to not act in obedience and not to give. We must understand that the opposite of obedience is wickedness in the eyes of God. We either obey or we don’t.

In love, God spurs us to obedience by making his great and precious promises.

He promises to bless us in all our works. He promises that we will not lose but gain. He does this to cut off excuses. What about you? Is there anything holding you back from your generosity?

The right way is willing and the wrong way is wicked. Choose the path of willing generosity.

And put your trust in the promises of God to bless and resource you for greater generosity. He wants you to be charitable. He sees and will supply your needs.

I’ve returned home. Right away, I am hosting a guest from Costa Rica. When he leaves later today, I will take time for reflection and enrichment.

I am thankful that when we empty ourselves, when we share and bless others, God refills us. He restores us. And He enriches us for continued generosity. That’s where I am am at. Join me.

You only figure this out as you live it out. I want this for you. Please take hold of it.

Read more