Raising the consciousness of Generosity.

Every Sunday, when I was a little girl, my Mom and I would attend mass at the Immaculate Heart of Mary in my hometown of Hanford, Ca. It was the largest building I had ever been in as a young child, with beautiful stained glass windows and a high ceiling that filled me with a sense of awe and reverence.

It was there that I first learned of the practice of tithing/giving. Mom would give me a few coins so I could place them in the basket when it came through our row. I can still recall the sound of my coins mixing in with the other gifts and the feeling of generosity and inclusion it gave me to be able to contribute. It wasn't until later in life that I realized that simple act of giving raised the consciousness of generosity that lives in me today.

As a young mother I did what I could to instill the value of generosity in my son. I'll never forget the evening he and I were to attend an event together. We had stopped for dinner and before we left he asked me if I was going to finish my meal. I thought he might be hungry and wanted to finish it himself, but he picked up my plate and his and created a care package with our left overs then took it outside to a homeless couple who were near the parking lot. Again I was in awe and I knew in that moment a consciousness of generosity lived in him as well.

In our Youth Ministry classrooms at the Center we also have a giving practice. Each week we recite the same giving intention statement that is spoken in the sanctuary. We then pass a heart shaped basket around our circle. Most of the time we twinkle our fingers over the basket giving it our energy and a blessing or share a verbal statement like "Today I give my Love and I receive Peace" and every now and then someone will contribute a small amount of coin or cash.

As a community we are actively engaged in our Giving Intention month. While it might be easy for us to give on behalf of our children, I am inviting the families of our Center to consider doing for your children, and teens, what my mom did for me all those years ago, share a few coins with them so that they may participate in and contribute in a giving practice. Let's raise the consciousness of generosity together and see what grows out of it. You too might find yourself in a state of awe.