Comments on: Where My Treasure Is

By: kat

kat — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:20:09 +0000

It’s technically not tithing if it comes from extra money (at least, as far as I understand the biblical teaching). The couple at your church sound like they are truly tithing.

Does the Catholic Church not teach on tithing?

To respond to what you wrote about your need to be careful with expenses, I have always found that no matter how much or little I have, when I tithe, I have always had enough. Even if tithing would make it look like I won’t have enough money at the end of the month, somehow the money (or food, or whatever) always works itself out. I attribute this to God, of course. Not that tithing is like a magical machine where you put in your 10% and out comes the rest, but I think it comes down to God being faithful in response to our faith.

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:44:17 +0000

Yes, tithing. I didn’t really grow up with it in my family so it wasn’t a habit or a mentality that was encouraged. (In fact, the converse was encouraged.) I certainly tithed (to The Embassy and Forefront), but it definitely came from money that I had lying around. Turning that on its head and giving first is going to be interesting for me

As for the couple, they were the ones that set aside their first 10% (or whatever the number is for them); but I am pretty sure that they go above and beyond that.

By: kat

kat — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:28:44 +0000

Are you speaking of tithing, or of going above and beyond 10% of your “first fruits” so to speak, like the couple you mentioned.

I’ve always been taught that tithing is a biblical command, that God asks us to give from the first of what we have/make, not after the fact or if we feel we can afford it. I often think of the woman at the temple who Jesus praised for giving 2 coins – all she had, versus the rich men who gave, but it wasn’t really a sacrifice.

…and all this giving isn’t just about financial giving, although I do believe that’s important…

At church on Sunday the speaker talked about how we have so much here in Canada, as one of the top consuming countries. It really made me think of how I live, what I justify as important, necessary or meaningful purchases/ways to spend my time, and how I can act in ways that truly does try to help the rest of the world. A constant challenge, eh?!