Association Of Catholic Bloggers

  Expressing greediness, at the expense of others, is a lonely existence. All you care about is how much money you have, or how you can get more. You erroneously think that money can take the place of love to fill the gaping hole in your heart. You spend too much energy looking in the wrong place. And it does not make you look good. Why? Because greediness is an insidious, unsightly trait. So, rather than living a life filled with greed, become gracious. Become Gracious To move from a life of greediness to a life of graciousness, the first step is to acknowledge that you cannot achieve happiness with money. In 1959, Frederick Herzberg proposed his Theory of Motivation, stating that money is a satisfier, but not a motivator. It is the desire for money that is the motivator, but the actual money, itself, once received, quickly loses its power over the human psyche. A greedy person is infatuated with the desire for more money. A greedy person will never have enough money. And money ca...

When we spend all our energy trying to make more money, we sometimes lose sight of what we should do with all that money. Usually, the inordinate desire for money (greed) stems from fear – fear of not having enough money to live comfortably. That fear is the devil at work on your weak spot. The devil tells you that you can only rely on yourself, and that God won’t be there for you. He further convinces you that the only person you can trust is you. So, you work hard to accumulate money. This can be exhausting – zapping you of all joy in life. You can have all the money in the world, and still be miserable in your greed. Want a surefire cure for greed? Embrace Munificence! Embrace Munificence Munificence is a funny sounding word, but it is a virtuous action that will bring you much joy. You know the old saying, “It is better to give than to receive.” Why? Because when we give from our excess, especially to those who could never repay the kindness, we receive joy! Doing something...

Greed, avarice and envy are all at the root of contradiction with the Tenth Commandment: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods” (Ex 20:17). With greed, there aren’t enough earthly goods to satisfy us. We’ll always want more. Remember the old line, “keeping up with the Joneses?” With greed, we must always have more, or better, than the Joneses. Avarice, on the other hand, is an inordinate desire to accumulate wealth. One can never have enough money. And then there’s envy; the inordinate desire to want what someone else has, simply because they have it and you do not. All three – greed, avarice and envy – try to fill holes that only God can fill. All three have at their root in the sin of pride. Battling with Greed, Avarice and Envy If we don’t have the latest gadgets, if we don’t have enough money, what will people think of us? Will they think less of us? Our pride drives us to... Read more...

We continue with the fifth installment of our seven-part series on the seven deadly sins. Today we discuss Greed. Greed, also known as avarice, will debilitate you because you’re dealing with a bottomless pit; an abyss. The unending desire for more money, power or fame, leaves a person feeling empty, insecure and unfulfilled no matter how much one tries to garner. There is no amount of money that guarantees security, for the fear of losing it all is ever-present. No amount of power garners confidence and self-assuredness, for the fear of losing control is ever-present. No amount of fame makes one feel like he/she “has arrived,” for the fear of being discounted and dismissed never goes away. Anyone who seeks more money, power or fame, for the purpose of filling a void, fights a losing battle. Read more...