tithing GOD's plan for giving

Your pastor wants to take this opportunity to explain to you the program that this parish has adopted for its financial support. Some time ago, in a series of sermons, the parishioners were introduced to GOD’s PLAN — a modern adaptation of the ancient biblical practice of tithing.

In addition to the presentations given from the pulpit, the following literature was distributed. We have summarized below the main points of the program. We ask you to read this brief explanation and also the following literature. We hope that you will find, as many of your friends and neighbors of this parish have found, that this is the best way to satisfy both your need to acknowledge God’s goodness, and the needs of His Church.

The Material Needs of the Church

Almighty God, as a pure and infinitely perfect spirit, has no need of material goods. In spite of the entrance of the government into various areas of charity and education, the basic needs of religion must be met by the offerings of individual Church members.

 

Our Need to Express Gratitude

It is basic to our human nature and to our self-respect to desire to express gratitude when we receive something. All our spiritual and materiel blessings, even our existence, we have received as a gift from God. God has providentially united our need to acknowledge His goodness with the needs of His Church.

 

The Measure of Our Return

The practical question arises: "How much of our material goods should we return to God?" The only direct answer that God has ever given is the tithe, or 10%. Even though this standard was set in a different economic situation, it is still found to be the best answer to this question. It is both an adequate response and an economically possible one.

 

The Method of Giving to God

We make our return to God wherever we meet Him. We meet God in every opportunity to practice charity, either directly to our neighbor, or indirectly through some charitable agency such as the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal, the United Way, Salvation Army, or the like. Our primary meeting place with God is our parish church. It is here that we unite with the priest in celebrating the Mass, and are nourished by the Sacraments. Therefore, our return should be made to God in this way: 5% through our parish, and 5% through other charities.

This practical solution to church support is being used by more and more people of all faiths. We hope that these few words of explanation will encourage you to investigate and adopt this program. God bless you, and welcome once again to our parish.

Tithing in the Bible

Tithing is mentioned more than 40 times in the Scripture. Numerous Old Testament stories recount how God asked that the first 10% of the land’s produce be set aside as a sign of gratitude for His goodness. The early Church had no tithing system, but as it grew, so did its material needs. Gradually, the Old Testament model of tithing was adopted. A number of regional Church Councils and finally the Council of Trent made the tithe Church law. With the later separation of Church and State, tithing was abandoned.

 

And Today…

In our time, the difficulty of raising funds for the growing needs of the Church has led to a modified and voluntary system of tithing. Since 1977, more than 700 Catholic parishes in the Northeast have become tithing parishes, including our own and many others in Bergen County.

 

What is a Tithe?

The word tithe means "tenth." A tithe is the first tenth of a wage earner’s income. It’s giving back to God something God gave in the first place. Tithing is not any tenth; it’s the first tenth of one’s income — salary, dividends, interest-income from any source.

 

How Does Tithing Work?

Five percent of one’s income is given to God through the parish church. The other 5% can be used for the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal, Catholic school tuition, care of one’s parents, special archdiocesan collections and private charities. The spirit of tithing, the most important part of the program, means giving to God, not to me, your pastor, or to this church. And, it means giving to a point of sacrifice, for the word sacrifice means "to make holy." The spirit of tithing means not caring what anyone else gives; it’s spiritual giving in every sense. What you give to God is between you and God. The ideal tithe of 5% to God’s Church and 5% to His other works can best be explained by an example.

What are the Benefits to the Tither and to the Parish?

Every parish that has adopted this method has improved its spiritual and material status. For example, our parish has been blessed by surprised benefactors to underwrite our new kneelers and renovated Stations of the Cross. Tithing means that we will continue to keep our second collections to a minimum so that during the offertory of the Mass, each of us grows in the true spirit of offering oneself with the offering of Christ. And for the individual, tithing tells us what God expects. Most important is the spiritual effect, for it helps establish a proper sense of values. Tithing helps us to remember that God comes before all else and that everything we have comes from Him.

 

What Do We Do Now?

Nothing. No one will call on you; you will not be asked to sign anything. Just come again next week and listen to the rest of "God’s Plan." In the meantime, seek God’s will through earnest prayer. And when you pray, please remember that the true purpose of tithing is to secure not the tithe, but the tither; not in the gift, but the giver; not your money, but you — for God.