It's Giving Tuesday, But Charity is More Than a Donation from Your Bank Account

Today is giving Tuesday. My inbox is filling up with requests for monetary donations for specific organizations. And I'll no doubt choose a few of them today. But real charity involves more than a handout from your bank account. 

And so I refer you to an old article I wrote back in 2015 about The Most Sublime Charity. What is the greatest act of love? To lay down one's life for a friend! Giving from your wealth is good, but even better is to give the gift of sacrifice like the little children of Fatima. To mortify ourselves to save poor sinners from hell is the greatest gift we can give to anyone.

The word mortification comes from the Latin word mortificāre meaning "to put to death" which is a combination of mors (death) and the verb facere (to do). When we die to ourselves for another, even in a small way, we are laying down our lives for them.

Think of the impact of making little sacrifices today with the intention of uniting them to Christ's sacrifice on the cross through the powerful intercession of Our Lady. What will happen if I pray, "Lord, I offer these sacrifices for a soul who is in danger of dying in the state of mortal sin and falling into the everlasting fires of Gehenna. I beg you to apply the graces of my sacrifices united to Your sacrifice to that poor sinner. Let him repent and be saved. I offer this through the intercession of Mother Mary and my patron saints and guardian angel. Please keep me mindful today of that one poor sinner in danger of hell."

Can you imagine the gratitude of that poor soul spared from hell by your prayers today and your sacrifices? Isn't it worth giving up a cup of coffee or skipping lunch or spending half an hour in spiritual reading rather than playing games on the internet? Think of the prayers that soul will offer for you at the hour of your death. And what if you make that prayer every day for another poor sinner facing the Personal Judgment that day. How many poor sinners can be spared from hell by your prayers and mortification? 

I hope to make this Advent the season of sacrifice for the salvation of sinners, the SSS season. Will you join me? What a Christmas we will have around the manger joined by so many grateful souls whom we will meet on the day of our own Personal Judgment. What a glorious sound we'll hear as they sing the Jubilate in thanksgiving for God's merciful love.