Parishioners are God’s rational creatures and they must have a motive of giving. Some people give because it is embarrassing not to give. Other people give out of force of habit, as a secondary reflex, seeing the collection basket coming near them, they habitually dig into their purse or pocket for some change or small bills. These are wrong motives for giving to God. People need higher motives for giving — the motive seen in the Scriptures.

The fundamental principle behind tithing is: Realizing that everything a person has comes from God. Most people realize this. They say: “Thank God for my house. Thank God for my family. Thank God for my job.” Why do they thank God? They thank Him because He is the Giver of all they have. People know this but they must tell God and themselves this. It is done eloquently by tithing.

Everything is, as it were, on loan to us from God! Who can deny the fact that He can take anything He wants back from us without asking? Supreme ownership pertains only to God. To use the Biblical expression for this, we use the concept of stewardship. This means we are simply “overseers” of the things God has put under us for our use.

One of the main reasons God laid down the law of tithing is to keep before the minds of the people the fundamental principle that everything they have comes from Him. Giving God the first tenth of our earnings is admitting this and is like saying: “Thanks, God, for letting me use the other nine-tenths.”

Tithing fits right in with the practice of the theological virtues. In other words, giving God His part of our earnings is a way of exercising faith, hope, and charity.

First, consider the amount of faith one must have, to part with the first tenth of one’s earnings — especially if there are luxuries being forgone and overhanging bills around. It is a matter of absolute faith in the existence of God and the truth of His promises to ultimately give back to us as promised in Holy Scripture.

Secondly, the virtue of hope or trust is exercised and enhanced by the practice of tithing. In the Book of Malachi, for example, God asks people “to try” Him, and this means “to trust” Him in giving Him tithes. We are not boldly putting Almighty God to the test, but we are simply trusting in His promises of spiritual and material blessings. We know there is no one else in the world more worthy of trust than God Himself.

Thirdly, tithing is an acid test of a person’s love of God. We all know the people who mouth gushy prayers — “I love You, God, so much, I do love You more than myself — just as long as You do not touch my wallet.”

These people do not really love God; for it is a constant psychological law that if you really love someone you want to give that person something. It is vain and empty to say you love God and not want to give Him the first fruits of your earnings.

It is also a great motive to give to God when we can see that the money is actually used for God’s work. The people can see their intimate part in the building and upkeep of God’s Church and schools.

The Catholic zeal for souls and concern for the needs of our mission fields is another strong motive for giving one’s tithe to God. We believe that an established parish that receives tithes should give generously to the missions.

Tithing draws people very close to God, making them realize that God comes first, and that nothing comes before God. God comes before a new automobile, before a better home; God comes before a new suit of clothes, and before a new toy for the children.

Tithing also teaches and nurtures a spirit of detachment. Think of the parable of the rich man who filled his barns. He told himself he had security and would live for years. He would eat, drink, and be merry. God appeared to him and called him a fool, because he was too attached to things of this world, and he would stand before Him in judgment that very night.

Consider the sad case of Judas. The one sin which completely overcame Judas was his lack of detachment from money. He is the only man of whom God said: “It would have been better had that man not been born!” Judas could not stand to watch $50 worth of ointment poured on the feet of the God Incarnate, when it might be instead put in the purse he was carrying. The Scripture tells us he actually stole from that purse. Judas loved money with a passion, and it was this passion which made him betray our Blessed Lord. This is what a complete lack of detachment can do for one. We can’t serve two masters. We cannot love money and at the same time love God. Tithing is a tremendous help for a person to prove to oneself that the only Lord and Master is God.

We must learn and practice the right motive in tithing. Giving without the proper motive is worthless. It is like the tragedy of suffering. Suffering itself is a tragedy, but if it is suffering offered to God, accepting His will, it has so much merit.

From our theology we have the realization of the importance of the intention in the mind of a person.

Intention is the difference between a sacrament and no sacrament, between merit and no merit, and between receiving God’s blessings and not receiving God’s blessings.

If we, Sunday after Sunday, stuff our church envelopes with dollar bills and have no thought of God, it is giving going to waste. We might think, “Why not short-change the envelope? Especially when our budget is running close and it’s a sacrifice to put God’s share into the envelope?” It is important that the correct motives which were mentioned earlier, should be in the minds and hearts of the people when they give.

There is something very meaningful about using the envelope system whereby each Sunday that offering is made presenting that last week’s work.

There are those who prefer no one else to know what they give, not even an usher, and prefer sending their tithe by electronic mail. When they designate the bank to do this, they make this offering to God for the whole year, or the month or the week. When we carry our pledge card yearly to the altar on Tithing Sunday it is a commitment of the first part, 5 percent, of our earnings for the whole year.

When we offer the first part of our work to God, we are offering the best part of ourselves, since our work is such a huge part of our lives.

Look for the next chapter, “History of Tithing,” in the May/June 2025 issue.