Dear Friends,
With this letter we continue our annual look at how well we are doing in following Jesus; how is our discipleship going? Today’s gospel challenges us to look at what have been commanded to do as disciples and not to glory in any of it…because we are simply doing what Jesus asked us to do.
This week I invite you to look at what can be a touchy subject for followers of Jesus – the concept of tithing. So, first of all, what is it and why do Christians talk about it? Tithing is the notion that we are to give ten percent of our profit back to God. It begins in the book of Leviticus where God commands: “A tenth of all you produce is the Lord’s and it is holy.” I suppose we should actually be grateful that God is only asking for ten percent, he could have asked for ninety percent after all, since it all comes from him anyway. When Jesus is critiquing the Pharisees in Matthew’s gospel he gets on their case for neglecting justice, but he does commend them for tithing.
The purpose of tithing is the spiritual discipline of putting God first in my life. Can I give my first fruits to God before anything else or do I give to God simply my leftovers, what I do not want or need? Tithing expresses in a very concrete way the fact that I love God. Tithing also expresses my gratitude to God for all the blessings I have received in this life. Psalm 116 asks, “how can I repay the Lord for all the good he has done for me?” Everything comes from God and we simply need to thank him for it by giving back to God by supporting the work of God in our world.
The Catholic Bishops have always encouraged our tithe, our stewardship, to be divided up in the following manner: 5% of our income to our local parish, 1% of our income to our local diocese, and 4% of our income to other charities such as food pantries, medical programs, art museums, schools, etc. An easy way to determine if you are giving 5% is to see if your weekly contribution matches this formula: one dollar per week for every thousand I make a year. If I make 20 thousand a year, then I should give 20 dollars a week. If I make 50 thousand a year, then I should give $50 a week. If I make a 100 thousand a year, then I should give $100 a week. That formula comes close to a 5% tithe.
The bible says that how I give is more important than the amount. St. Paul says, “Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under pressure.” As your pastor, I want to be clear with you, never give under pressure. If you are feeling pressure to give, then feel free to say, “my pastor says I wasn’t supposed to give.” As scripture also teaches, “God loves a cheerful giver.” If I cannot tithe cheerfully, then the scriptures are encouraging me to look into my life and see how I can become a cheerful giver. God says I should have the correct expectations, “whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will reap generously.” If you want a little harvest from God, then plant only a little. If you want a big harvest from God, then you have to plant accordingly.
The key to giving is in 2 Corinthians 8 where Paul reflects that “they first gave themselves to the Lord.” This is really the most important thing. If I have given myself to God, then he has everything of mine. If God does not have my heart, then God will never have my wallet. But if God has my heart, then I desire to give everything to God. Love makes us do bold and incredible things. Surprisingly, this is the only time in the scriptures where God says, test me in this. God will be generous to us if we give God the first fruits. Try it for a year…
Peace,
Fr. Damian