This week, let us take a look at the Lenten practice of almsgiving and what it means to give as Christ gives. It can be summed up very simply: Give Everything You Have. Yikes.
Let’s take a look at what that means.
The standard of generosity, for those who seek Christ, is set high because to give as He gave means that we must give all that we have: our youth, our prayers, our work, our time, our service (to God and others), even whatever kind of death we face—simply put, our whole lives.
Because we are called to imitate the standard Christ set on the cross, we come to understand that our giving means to offer everything we have until we have nothing left to give. That is the starting point for Christian giving. It is a high bar to reach for, right?
So it is not just about money. Our “tithing” can take many forms, encompassing all of the gifts/talents we ourselves have received and then “giving back” in whatever way we know how.
Whatever percentage of your income, your time, your talents you decide to give away to your family, the poor, your community or your parish—these are all in a sense a “gift to God,” since loving our neighbor who we can see is our way of loving God who we do not see (1 John 4:20).
Here is an example. Perhaps one of the gifts we have to offer is consistency: if we can provide our family and all who interact with us a welcoming attitude and a cheerful disposition, that might be a real sacrifice for us and a real gift to them.
By giving of what we have, we participate in restoring justice. The goods of the world—all that God has given to us—were never intended for hoarding, but for sharing. In Catholic social teaching it is referred to as the “universal destination of goods” and God invites us all to be part of redressing the wrongs which exist in systems where some have a surplus and others go hungry.
Almsgiving, then, is not just an act of spiritual justice but also economic and social justice. Love for God is made real by concrete acts of love toward our neighbors.
And the rewards are also real. The Scriptures tell us, “Prayer and fasting are good, but better than either is almsgiving accompanied by righteousness … It is better to give alms than to store up gold; for almsgiving saves one from death and expiates every sin. Those who regularly give alms shall enjoy a full life” (Tobit 12:8-9).
The reward of giving alms is that we become holy. We will have the joy of following the commandments of God and receiving His blessings. By imitating Christ, we keep company with the Savior of the World and get a share in the His glory.
A high price and a great reward—it is not even close to a fair deal for we receive much more than we ever give! Be assured, “God will not be outdone in generosity.” (St. Ignatius of Loyola).