A Church that Tithes? … What a Crazy Idea

Sometimes the best thing a pastor can do is plant a few seeds and see which ones take root and grow. This past week as I was preparing the financial summary for Our Lady of Victory I saw that, even though more people are coming to Mass, we still barely have enough monthly income to meet our regular expenses – payroll, utilities, building maintenance, taxes, RE supplies, etc. It was very depressing, and I almost started crying in my iced tea! [Note: many people give generously outside of the Sunday collection.] And then, as I was praying about it, a thought struck me. Perhaps we are not giving enough as a Church? Pope Francis is giving us a vision of a Church “that is poor and for the poor” and ministers to the most marginal of society. Perhaps we as a parish should tithe by giving 10% of our income each month to a worthy organization that is serving the poor locally – e.g., the Ministerial Alliance, a food bank, a shelter for homeless, Habitat for Humanity. What a witness it could be if OLV could lead all the other churches in generosity! But more importantly, we would be living our true vocation as Church and setting an example to each of our households to tithe as well. Just another crazy idea from Fr. Jim? Perhaps. Send me your thoughts and ideas via phone or email. Let’s see if this seed is meant to take root and grow. - - - Fr. Jim