Spirituality of Giving Money

• God and money are top priorities for many people. God knows this.
• Fortunately, we are given direction in the Old Testament and the New Testament on giving money.
  • Many of Jesus’ parables and teachings were on the topic of money:
  • “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with first fruits…” Proverbs 3:9
  • “How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good He has done for me?” Psalm 116:12
• “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other… You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth).” Matthew 6:24
• In gratitude, we are called to give from our “first fruits”; we are called to give our “best” to God, not what is “left-over.”
• Giving money is a pillar of our Faith, just like celebrating Mass on Sunday and participating in parish ministry.
• Being generous with our money actually frees us from being a slave to money; from making money a “god” before God.
• God doesn’t need our money, rather we have a need to give.
• Stress the need to give before giving to a need. People give to people, not to things.
• Do not apologize for asking for money. Treasure is one of the gifts we were given.
• Giving money is sacrificial, we deny ourselves for the benefit of someone else; maybe someone we don’t like, someone we don’t know or someone that doesn’t look like us.
• The invitation to give money is another opportunity to participate in the vision and mission of our parish.
• Ask parishioners for a commitment. When people write things down on a piece of paper, there is a psychological bond to be committed.
• The pastor must ask for money. People are giving to God, not the parish.
• Until the needy are clothed, the hungry are fed and the Gospel is spread to the ends of the earth, the Church will need financial resources to support its mission.
• We will always be called to give, that is constant. How we respond (gratitude, joy, or anger) is the fruit of our faith. Plan for it and take the stress out of giving.
• As Catholics in St. Louis, we have many opportunities to show our gratitude for all that God has given us: parish offertory, second collections, Annual Catholic Appeal, capital campaigns, and other charities.
• Remember that all these opportunities to give money “live together,” they are not “mutually exclusive” events. We should not choose one over the other, but rather plan how we can support all of them.
• One way to do this is to plan your giving on an annual basis; give from your “first fruits” instead of what is “leftover.”
• Use the My Catholic Giving Guide to help plan your giving on an annual basis. Greater generosity occurs in “mission-based” parishes, rather than parishes that are in “self- maintenance” mode.

Spirituality of Giving Money/Offertory

“For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” (Matthew 6:21)

Introduction

• It’s recommended that parishes and pastors be more intentional and more consistent in talking about the spirituality of giving money to support the parish mission and ministries, as well as, the greater Church.
• Just as attending Holy Mass and performing charitable works are tenets of our Catholic faith, so is generously sharing our money.
• Giving money – this is typically the hardest aspect of stewardship for most people.
• Most people have difficulty detaching themselves from their money.
• For many people, God and money run “neck and neck” as their top priority.
• People are looking for guidance from the Church in handling their money, both charitable giving and daily and long-term management.
• We need to inspire and encourage people to use their money in a way that draws them closer to God.
• A person’s attitude towards money has a direct influence on their relationship with God.
• The hard truth – many Catholics are generous, however, they are not generous in proportion to the gifts they have been given.

Bible – “First Fruits” and Parables

• The Bible is a great source of financial management as it pertains to our spiritual life.
• The term “first fruits” is mentioned repeatedly throughout the Bible.
• First fruits simply means giving our first and best to God.
• “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with first fruits…” (Proverbs 3:9)
• Many of Jesus’ parables relate to money.
• For example: parables on Talents, Rich Man & Lazarus, Mustard Seed, Unfruitful Fig Tree, Good Samaritan, Widow’s mite, and more.
• This is because Jesus knows that money represents our own self-sufficiency and our lack of dependence on God.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

• CCC 1351 says this about Offertory at Mass…
• “From the very beginning Christians have brought, along with the bread and wine for the Eucharist, gifts to share with those in need. This custom of collection, ever appropriate, is inspired by the example of Christ who became poor to make us rich.”
• We are called to imitate Jesus
• We are called to give ourselves as a gift without expecting anything in return.  Sunday Offertory – The Gift of Self
• The Offertory collection at Holy Mass is our invitation to imitate Jesus; to give the gift of our whole self without expecting anything in return.
• Unfortunately, today, I suspect the collection is just seen as a financial transaction with God.
• But God doesn’t need our money; rather we have a need to give. Why? Because we were created in God’s image and likeness.
• Just as some family members may look and sound alike or even have similar body gestures because of traits they inherited from their earthly parents, we too, have inherited the generosity trait from our Heavenly Father, the most generous giver of all.
• When most people go to a family member or friend’s house for a party or celebration, they typically bring a gift – a bottle of wine or some food to share. Maybe they order out for pizza and share in the cost.
• But it’s not just the visible material things we bring, more importantly, it’s the invisible things we bring to the party like love, friendship, joy, hospitality, gratitude, and generosity.
• It is the combination of visible and invisible gifts that makes the gathering a celebration.
• Don’t you think this is an interesting parallel to the Sunday celebration of Mass?
• How come we are so eager to share with each other when invited to a party, but not so eager when we are invited to the Lord’s house for a celebration?
• At Mass, the bread and wine are already provided, how come many of us come empty-handed?
• Do we bring the gift of our whole self to share with God and each other?
• Do we bring our individual visible and invisible gifts to Mass?

Relationship

• In any good, loving relationship, trust is a key factor.
• Trust allows me to be myself, admit to my faults, not put on a false front, to be held accountable, to hold others accountable and to share what is in my heart and on my mind.
• This is what our offertory is to God – a covenant relationship with Him based on love, not out of obligation.
• Do you trust God will provide all that you need?
• If so, know that God may be using you as the answer to someone else’s prayer.
• You may be the key to someone starting a loving relationship with Him through your generous sharing of your visible and invisible gifts.
• Remember that all these opportunities to give money “live together,” they are not “mutually exclusive” events. We should not choose one over the other, but rather plan how we can support all of them.
• One way to do this is to plan your giving on an annual basis; give from your “first fruits” instead of what is “leftover.”
• Use the My Catholic Giving Guide to help plan your giving on an annual basis.
• Greater generosity occurs in “mission-based” parishes, rather than parishes that are in “self-maintenance” mode.

Today

• Whatever our circumstances, we are all being called in this present moment into a loving relationship with God and each other.
• God will use our current situation for good but we have to do our part and make room for the Holy Spirit to operate in our hearts.
• The Sunday collection, the Offertory, is the gift of our whole self – the visible and the invisible.

How to Give

• Spend time in prayer, ask God how He is calling you to be the person He created you to be – grateful and generous.
• Electronic Offertory:
  • If your parish has it - promote it vigorously.
  • If your parish doesn’t have it – get it.
• The Archdiocese has five approved electronic suppliers.
• See archstl.org/about-stewardship/generosity for the approved supplier list or contact Dave Baranowski at [email protected] or 314-792-7215 for help.
• Envelopes:
  • Use them weekly, if that is your preferred method of giving.