so much to others as to lose sight of himself and those
belonging to him. Wherefore Ambrose says (De Offic. i): "It is a
commendable liberality not to neglect your relatives if you know them
to be in want."

Reply Obj. 2: It does not belong to a liberal man so to give away his
riches that nothing is left for his own support, nor the wherewithal
to perform those acts of virtue whereby happiness is acquired. Hence
the Philosopher says (Ethic. iv, 1) that "the liberal man does not
neglect his own, wishing thus to be of help to certain people"; and
Ambrose says (De Offic. i) that "Our Lord does not wish a man to pour
out his riches all at once, but to dispense them: unless he do as
Eliseus did, who slew his oxen and fed the poor, that he might not be
bound by any household cares." For this belongs to the state of
perfection, of which we shall speak farther on (Q. 184; Q. 186, A. 3).

It must be observed, however, that the very act of giving away one's
possessions liberally, in so far as it is an act of virtue, is
directed to happiness.

Reply Obj. 3: As the Philosopher says (Ethic. iv, 1), "those who
spend much on intemperance are not liberal but prodigal"; and
likewise whoever spends what he has for the sake of other sins. Hence
Ambrose says (De Offic. i): "If you assist to rob others of their
possessions, your honesty is not to be commended, nor is your
liberality genuine if you give for the sake of boasting rather than
of pity." Wherefore those who lack other virtues, though they spend
much on certain evil works, are not liberal.

Again, nothing hinders certain people from spending much on good
uses, without having the habit of liberality: even as men perform
works of other virtues, before having the habit of virtue, though not
in the same way as virtuous people, as stated above (I-II, Q. 65, A.
1). In like manner nothing prevents a virtuous man from being
liberal, although he be poor. Hence the Philosopher says (Ethic. iv,
1): "Liberality is proportionate to a man's substance," i.e. his
means, "for it consists, not in the quantity given, but in the habit
of the giver": and Ambrose says (De Offic. i) that "it is the heart
that makes a gift rich or poor, and gives things their value."
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SECOND ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 117, Art. 2]

Whether Liberality Is About Money?

Objection 1: It seems that liberality is not about money. For every
moral virtue is about operations and passions. Now it is prope