Last month, George Landolt stated the fundamental principle of stewardship: “Everything we have is a gift from God, and ... we are called to give back to God everything we have, starting with our first fruits.” The scriptures are clear. The Lord required that Jews give God the first fruits, or “tithe,” of all their produce and revenue. “All tithes from the land, whether the seed from the ground or the fruit from the tree, are the Lord’s; they are holy to the Lord.” (Lv 27:30) 

The prophet Malachi underscored this demand in jarring terms: “Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In your tithes and offerings! You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me — the whole nation of you!” (Mal 3:8-9) God is owed our offerings, because all we have is from him. This is not an arbitrary demand. Tithing is an acknowledgment that we know that God has given us all we have. 

Malachi makes clear that the Lord blesses us when we obey him: “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. I will rebuke the locust for you, so that it will not destroy the produce of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not be barren, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will count you happy, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.” (Mal 3:10-12) The principle is clear: God honors and blesses those who honor him. Giving generously (especially when it is sacrificial) is an act of faith and obedience. 

Though the Catholic Church today does not require that Catholics tithe, the Fifth Precept of the Church requires us to support the work of the Church and to help with charitable works. (CCC 2043; cf., Code of Canon Law 222) In keeping with the heightened spiritual call of the New Testament, it is unsurprising that the first Christians held all things in common (Acts 2:44) and were generous in supporting members of other local churches. 

St. Paul’s encouragement in 2 Corinthians is emblematic of the spirit of giving in the New Testament. It is not merely the fulfillment of a law but an invitation to advance the Church’s mission and ministry. The question ought not to be how much is enough, but about how much the Lord is inviting us to give, and about how much we desire to “sow” and “reap.”  

“The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor 9:6-7) 

The best way to improve the stewardship of our finances is to take stock of our past giving and to pray about what the Lord is inviting us to do to be more obedient and generous with our money. Some Catholics are already tithing, but many do not. Because we can’t out-give God, and we owe God our first fruits, we need to prayerfully consider what the Lord is asking of us. Tithing requires prayer, discipline, and faith, and to not give is to “rob God.” We should commit to giving a particular amount, and to have that “come off the top.” That way our tithe takes priority and is our “first fruits.” 

Whatever your level of giving, you can probably increase your giving to some extent. And so can I. Let me encourage us all to prayerfully reflect on the Lord’s words about treasure, and to explore our own giving levels. 

Each individual and family must discern this for themselves, but we all do well to “stretch” ourselves in terms of sacrificial giving. By doing so, we can demonstrate our obedience to the Lord, to our families, and to ourselves. (A stretch goal for some might be going right to 10 percent. For others, it might mean increasing giving to equal 1 percent of their income. Others might choose to increase to 1 more percent of their income, as they grow in generosity year by year.) 

There are no rules about where giving ought to be donated, but the Church expects that we give to the local parish and our diocese. Some dioceses recommend that parishioners give 8 percent to the local parish and diocese and 2 percent to other charitable causes. The Diocese of Wichita has that expectation, and unsurprisingly they are able to provide Catholic schooling to all Catholics for no tuition. They can do that because the entire pie of ministry funds increases to the extent that parishioners across the diocese give generously. The call from Bishop Boyea is for us to be good stewards of our money. Let’s sow bountifully and see what God can do!