Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz and this is Ascension Presents.

Question, can money buy happiness?

Answer, yes it can.

Apparently, according to a guy named Michael Norton, social scientist out of Harvard Business

School, he says that again, only if you spend it on the right things.

They did an experiment across the world and they said this, if they gave people some money

and said, okay, by the end of the day, spend this money on yourself or spend this money

on someone else.

They called them at the end of the day and asked them, are you happier or not happier?

Those who spent money on themselves had no appreciable sense of increase in happiness.

But regardless of the amount and regardless of the reason, those who spent money on other

people had an increased degree of happiness.

So yeah, money can buy happiness as long as you spend it on other people.

That's why you give it away.

Question, is that why Christians do it?

Is that why we do this during Lent?

That's why we have alms giving to just make us happier.

Not so much.

It's fantastic that that actually happens, but I think there's at least four reasons why

Christians are called to give alms.

Number one, because Jesus asked us to, Jesus told us to, in Matthew's gospel, Jesus says,

when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

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