I’ve looked at resources on prayer and fasting the last two weeks, so we’ll round out our trio of Lenten practices by discussing almsgiving today.
There is obviously an aspect of almsgiving that involves monetary donations; the fifth precept of the Church
(“You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church”) means that the faithful are obliged to assist with the material needs of the Church, each according to his own ability. The faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his own abilities. (CCC 2043).
The second obvious component of almsgiving is helping out those in need, whether the need is material or spiritual. There are lots of ways to do this, even if you don’t have a lot of disposable income:
| Corporal Works of Mercy | Spiritual Works of Mercy |
|---|---|
| Feed the hungry | Admonish the sinner |
| Give drink to the thirsty | Instruct the ignorant |
| Clothe the naked | Counsel the doubtful |
| Shelter the homeless | Comfort the sorrowful |
| Visit the sick | Bear wrongs patiently |
| Visit the imprisoned | Forgive all injuries |
| Bury the dead | Pray for the living and the dead |
Our attitude of giving back to God or others is usually motivated by some sense of tithing, as when the Israelites would return a tenth of their harvest or flock back to God. Of course, Christian reflection on creation recognizes that it’s all God’s, and so in a real sense we should not just give 10% of what we have back to God, but 100%. Everything at our disposal should be a means to manifest God’s glory and bring His children back into relationship with Him.
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We shouldn’t discount those works of mercy that are “free,” that don’t involve a monetary or in-kind donation on our part. Instructing the sinner and counseling the doubtful won’t draw down our checking accounts, but they are incredibly valuable because they require a precious and scarce resource: our time. If you’re a widow who can’t even afford to donate a mite, you might understandably worry whether you are able to fulfill Jesus’ command to give. But we can all afford to pray for the living and the dead and to forgive injuries. If the widow was commended for contributing her mite, perhaps those with more means but little free time might be commended for spending a weekly or daily hour in adoration when meetings and appointments fill their calendar.
The economist in me has to make a minor point: I am curious to hear from some of our pastor-readers about the phenomenon of online giving or direct deposit. Having my weekly donation automatically come out of my checking account is much easier than trying to remember to hit the ATM every Friday afternoon. It also holds me somewhat accountable since I can’t say “Oops, only a few singles in the wallet today. Guess that’s all that Father is getting from us this week.” The same amount comes out every week.
But I’m wondering if 1) part of the value of giving hard cash instead of e-cash is precisely that I do have to hit the ATM every Friday afternoon. If my “charity” is happening automatically, am I really giving as much? I also wonder if 2) there is a noticeable bandwagon effect at the weekly collection. If a tech-savvy parish had 90% of families e-giving, would it discourage non-member giving? Would it mean anything that the ushers only collect a few physical bills at the offering each week? When the usher comes around with that lacrosse stick thing I always want to hold up a sign that says “I’m not trying to be a cheapskate; my donation came out electronically.”