There are many topics I like to talk about at Mass. I do not
mind taking on the list of forbidden topics (abortion, artificial birth control,
marriage, and so on). There are two
topics, though, I do not talk about. One
is politics. My reason for this is that
I have a I have general disdain for politics and resent how they hijack moral
issues and turn them into political issues…which form 99% of the so called
forbidden list. I will talk about God’s
law which is eternal as opposed to man’s law which changes on societal
whims. I would sooner wade into the
cesspool that is politics before I talk about money.
I have
several reasons for this. First, I am
not running a business. I will grant
that being pastor of a parish has businesslike elements to it: payroll, taxes,
budgets, and bills. That said, what we
offer in a parish isn’t goods and services.
It isn’t any more like a business than a family is. A family also had financial aspects to it,
especially as it grows, but it is not a business. No good parish is set up like
a business franchise in order to sell holy stuff. A parish that shoots for such is doomed. When this happens, a parish is continually
chasing the consumer demands. It ceases
forming those in its care, but gets formed by those with interest that may or
may not have the primary goal of the proclamation of the Gospel.
Second,
while having a sense of business management is helpful, a parish can have all
the money in the world and be dead. One
can be wealthy, but be an homage to lukewarmness. Wealth is not the goal of a parish. In fact, true wealth is not measured in
dollars and cents. Jesus tells us to
store up wealth in heaven. That wealth is
the byproduct of the proclamation of the Kingdom. That is my focus and the focus of any stable
parish.
I will
talk about stewardship instead.
Stewardship is a different concept altogether. Stewardship is understanding of taking care
of what God has given. Stewardship is
expressed in our active care of and for parish and those the parish
serves.
In the
Old Testament, there were two types of offerings: the sin/peace offering and
the thanksgiving offering. The sin/peace
offering was the sacrifice of one’s prize animal because one had sinned. The animal took the punishment due to the
person who sinned. In our Catholic
faith, we believe that this sacrifice is done in the Sacrifice of the Mass. In the Mass, we directly participate in the
one sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. This is
why animal sacrifices no longer happen in Christianity. However, the second sacrifice, the thanksgiving
sacrifice is not suppressed. That
thanksgiving sacrifice is also called the tithe.
In the
Old Testament, the thanksgiving sacrifice was the first fruits of one’s labor. It was a thanksgiving to God made as a thank
you to God for all the blessings He had given.
To commandeer the thanksgiving sacrifice for one’s own use, God tells
the prophet Malachi, was theft from God.
It was the act of a spoiled and entitled child. The sacrifice was to be used to two
ends. First, it was to be used to the
help the livelihood of those who served God.
Priests and Levites were to not own farms or businesses so that they
might be dedicated completely to the service of God and His people. Part of the thanksgiving sacrifice to be
distributed to those who were in need.
These are still in effect.
My task
as a priest is the same. As a priest, I
am prohibited from owning a business, having an outside job, or living in
grandeur. Canon Law says we priests should
live simply and be dedicated 24/7 to the service of God and His people. In the same vein, most parishes have staff,
clerical, educational, administrative, maintenance, and such who assist the
pastor in executing the ministries of the parish and see to the good and upkeep
of the property. Part of the
thanksgiving offering goes to helping these things happen and pays for the
material necessities (utilities, insurance, for
example) to keep parish programs and building going strong. When the thanksgiving sacrifice is withheld and
when first fruits turn to scraps, the ability of a parish to fully do its
mission is truncated. Stewardship is all
about making sure that these things are done and done well. Part of the thanksgiving offering is to go to
the help of the needy.
My task
in the stewardship is twofold. First, I
too must give a thanksgiving offering. Second, as pastor, I am directly answerable to
God for how I use that offering. If I
misuse the funds to own personal gain, I stand answerable to God for having
stolen what was given and dereliction of duty.
My job isn’t to tell you what to
give. I do not look at giving
records. I do not make it my
business. What is given is between the
giver and God. I am answerable to God
for what I gave and you are answerable for what you give.
Stewardship,
though, is measured in more than dollars and cents. Stewardship is also measured in the participation
we give in the mission of the parish.
Many believe that my only obligation to the parish is to show up for
Mass. Oftentimes the collection becomes
a cash register: we pay for the services we use. This is horrible understanding of what being
a part of the Body of Christ means. Our
giving of time, energy, and resources should be measured in what is the needs
of the Body of Christ in my parish. What a parish can do is expanded or
contracted and even negated by what time, energy, and monies are given or not
given. If we want a lively and holy parish,
our stewardship is the fuel we put into the tank. God puts in His grace and we put in our
thanksgiving.
Monies
are always needed as our creditors will not take, “I’ll pray for you’ in lieu
of a cash. The members of our staff,
paid much less than those in the same field in the private sector, have a right
for a just wage for their jobs. Buildings
and properties need constant upkeep. We
have a mission to get to. Our thanksgiving
sacrifice fuels these things. When we
give God our scraps and not our first fruits, we tell God two things: I do not trust Him to provide for me nor do I
care about the mission of His Church enough to throw my lot in with it.
How
much a parish succeed or fails is wholly dependent upon the stewardship each
parishioner gives. The collection is not
a cash register to pay for services rendered, but part of the thanksgiving
sacrifice we make to God. If we want our
mission to expand and grow deeper, we must invest ourselves. We must invest our time, energy, and treasure
to the good of the mission of Christ.
That comes in the form of prayer, of volunteering, and of treasure. AS
God is to never be outdone in generosity, the proper giving of the thanksgiving
sacrifice reaps what it sows. Sow
sparingly and one will only reap sparingly.
When it
comes to finance, I can tell you the following in how I see my job as
pastor. First, I do not like debt. I am a big believer in staying on top of our
bills and putting money away to make sure that future capital improvements can
be done on schedule. I am a fiscal
hawk. I do not throwing money away or
spending money twice because corners were cut.
I believe I am totally answerable to God for every cent you all
give. I am answerable for how the time
and energy you give is appreciated and used.
It is unbecoming of a pastor to take advantage of the good will or be thankless
for their generosity. In other words, I will use wisely what you give, but I
can only use that which you give. I can
only invest the principle you give me to invest.
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