--- title: Be More Generous This Year! description: Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur reviews Matthew Kelly's book about cultivating the virtue of generosity. image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20230110%20PMacArthur%201.png --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/be-more-generous-this-year#) [BOOKS](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/tag/books) # Be More Generous This Year! Jan 10, 2023 10:00:00 AM  |  by [Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/patrice-fagnant-macarthur) ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20230110%20PMacArthur%201.png) *Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur reviews Matthew Kelly's book about cultivating the virtue of generosity.* --- Have you abandoned your New Year’s resolutions already? We all tend to have great dreams of the things we are going to accomplish in the new year. We are going to pray more, exercise more, and finally finish that craft project that has been sitting in the closet for the last decade. There’s nothing wrong with New Yar’s resolutions, especially the ones that involve improving on our spiritual life, but all too often real life intervenes, and by the time mid-January rolls around, we have given up, feeling like a failure because we couldn’t do whatever we set out to do. The beautiful fact is that we don’t have to wait for a new year (or a new month) to start making changes. We can do something positive today, and then get up tomorrow and do another positive thing, and pretty soon we have a habit that is making a difference in our lives and the lives of those around us. One of those positive things we can do is be more generous. Matthew Kelly has written an inspiring book, [The Generosity Habit](https://amzn.to/3FAajVk), that encourages us to be more generous every day. Kelly states, “The generosity habit is simple: Give something away every day.” If money is tight (as it is for so many right now), please rest assured that this doesn’t have to be money or a material item. > You don’t need money or material possessions to live a life of staggering generosity.   Even better, generosity has a ripple effect. Our small acts of generosity encourage others to also be generous. We have the power to change the world in small and not-so-small ways simply by giving. This is a gift all of us have to offer.   ![Generosity Habit](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Generosity%20Habit.jpg?width=500&height=784&name=Generosity%20Habit.jpg)   Kelly offers 101 ways to be generous. There is sure to be something on this list that you can do today. Think of this book as a generosity toolbox, providing you with ideas that you can use in different situations. Some of these ideas are to call or text someone you haven’t reached out to in a while, purchase an item from a small business, compliment a stranger, offer encouragement, pray for someone, pick up trash, write a positive book review online, and listen well to someone. Each of these ways is accompanied by an inspiring quote. I have a chalkboard in my kitchen on which I write a quote to reflect on each week. I’m certain many of these quotes are going to make their way onto my board! This is an easy book to read. One can read a page at a time and be inspired. It is perfect to keep on a nightstand or in your prayer corner. We can also use it as a jumping-off point to help our children be more generous. [The Generosity Habit](https://amzn.to/3FAajVk) is a small book with an important message. May we all be more giving in this new year.   ![null](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/20230110%20PMacArthur%20%20IG.png?width=1080&height=1080&name=20230110%20PMacArthur%20%20IG.png) --- Copyright 2023 Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur Images: Canva This article contains Amazon affiliate links, which provide a small compensation to the author of this piece when purchases are made through the links, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting our Catholic Mom writers in this way.  ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fbe-more-generous-this-year%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fbe-more-generous-this-year%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fbe-more-generous-this-year%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Be%20More%20Generous%20This%20Year%21) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fbe-more-generous-this-year%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fbe-more-generous-this-year%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Patrice%20Fagnant-MacArthur%202024.jpg) ### [Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/patrice-fagnant-macarthur) Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur has a master’s degree in applied theology and is the author of The Power of Forgiveness, Our Lady of La Salette: A Mother Weeps for Her Children, and The Life and Lessons of St. Zelie Martin. A mother of three, she is the editor of [TodaysCatholicHomeschooling.com](http://TodaysCatholicHomeschooling.com) as well as a [freelance writer and editor](http://Pfmacarthur.com). ## Related Blog Articles [ Hope for when Life Is Messy Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/hope-for-when-life-is-messy) [ The Value of Holy Moments Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/the-value-of-holy-moments) [ Book Notes: Rediscover the Saints Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2020/02/19/book-notes-rediscover-the-saints/) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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