Charity is the most important virtue. We’re called to be generous in imitation of Christ, who gave everything to save us.

Some saints went to seemingly superhuman lengths to be generous to people, especially the poor. Think of St. Francis, who chose complete poverty to identify more closely with those in need and even touched the lepers. Or St. Maximilian Kolbe, who offered to be put to death by the Nazis in place of a condemned husband and father.

Still, charity doesn’t mean we shouldn’t protect our personal space. Here are tips for balancing generosity and boundaries.

Consider your state in life.
Depending on your vocation, you’re called to exercise generosity in a specific way. A friar may be called to give up his belongings and work in sometimes unsanitary or dangerous conditions.

A parent is called to a different kind of generosity. Your spouse and children come first, so it doesn’t violate charity to accumulate a certain amount of resources to give your family a dignified life.

Most Protestants take issue with the Rosary. Although Catholics pray the rosary to honor Mary and ask for her intercession, protestants see it as amounting to worshipping her.

But what if we were to tell our Protestant friends that they should pray the Rosary and can do it in a way that doesn’t violate their beliefs?

Here’s how to explain this!

Only pray the first half of the Hail Mary.
That’s the part that goes, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.” Protestants shouldn’t have any issue with this because the words come from Scripture: the angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary in Luke 1:28 and St. Elizabeth’s words to Mary in Luke 1:42.

If Sts. Gabriel and Elizabeth could address these words to Mary, and so can Protestants. We’re literally praying the Scriptures!

Protestants can leave off the second part of the Hail Mary if they’re not yet comfortable calling Mary the Mother of God or asking for her intercession.

Since its earliest days, Christianity has consistently rejected homosexual acts, basing this stance on both Scripture and the teachings of the Church Fathers. In the Greco-Roman world, where same-sex relations were often practiced, early Christians offered a completely different perspective, one rooted in scripture and the natural law.

What Does the Bible Say?

In the Bible, homosexual acts are never shown in a positive light. In fact, the Scriptures explicitly condemn such behavior. In Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13, men are forbidden from lying with other men as they would with women, calling this an "abomination." In the New Testament, Paul builds on this teaching in Romans 1:26-27, describing homosexual acts as “shameful” and “contrary to nature.” He adds in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:9-10 that those who practice homosexuality will not inherit the kingdom of God.

What the Early Church Taught

The early Church Fathers, such as St. Augustine and St. John Chrysostom, were unanimous in their view that homosexual acts are disordered and contrary to God's design for human sexuality. This understanding was upheld consistently for nearly 2,000 years. It wasn’t until the 1970s that a prominent Christian figure—Fr. John McNeill, a Catholic priest—made the first significant attempt to reinterpret Scripture in a way that sought to validate homosexual acts. (If there were earlier instances, please correct me in the comments section, but I searched dilligently and couldn't find any.) McNeill argued that the biblical verses condemning such acts could be understood differently, suggesting they might not be morally wrong. This revisionist interpretation represented a stark departure from the long-standing and consistent Christian teaching on the matter.

The Historic Christian Position

The Church's teaching is clear: homosexual acts violate natural law and God’s will for human beings. Sexual union is meant to be between a man and a woman, both for the purpose of bringing new life into the world and for deepening their bond within marriage. Homosexual acts, which separate these two purposes, cannot fulfill God’s design for sexuality.

Staying True in a Changing World