Fourth paragraph
from the handout.
"Covetousness, commonly called idolatry by St. Paul, is also to be rejected. It is a debased desire for things as the source of happiness. This consuming vice is the misuse of God's good creation to provide us with material possessions to support our self-esteem and to provoke our neighbors to envy. It soon burns up our love for God and turns it into a love for things, thus making an idol out of what God has given us of His creation. The cure for covetousness is generosity, to 'give and not to count the cost.' Love of neighbor as well as love of God should show itself in the stewardship of our resources, turning our material benefits into a means of blessing for others and an expression of our dedication to God."