Giving all you have got!

Jul 12, 2024

As I was contemplating - Fr Gerard Steve Theraviam
The task of being a parish priest includes seeing that the financial books are balanced, and having the Magnificat Community Centre building project on my hands means that I have to be in ‘fund-raising mode’ all the time — which I find difficult as I am not the sort that finds putting outstretched arms asking people for money easy! Yet this comes with the job scope and at least, I am not asking for money for my own personal needs. These days I often joke with my parishioners that the money is there but the problem is that it is still in their pockets! And so, my building fund team is always on the go and just this week, we are celebrating another million Ringgit milestone — but there is a long way to go and I do worry about donor fatigue as, perhaps, some will say we are taxing them too much.

Thus, this week I would like to look at giving in our Catholic context. Unlike other churches that follow the Old Testament practice of tithing ten per cent of earnings, we see the importance of giving but leave the quantum to the generosity of the individual. Perhaps, in our large parishes that can work because of the sheer numbers, but I have also been in a tiny parish where one would sometimes hope that a kind benefactor would suddenly appear like a knight in shining armour.

Perhaps the most important point to recognise is that God is the ultimate Giver — all that we have is gifted from God. We definitely need money, but let us not make it a god that brings us towards greed and avarice! God’s gifts are not just for our selfish desires and wants but rather, to be shared with our neighbour. We are stewards of all that God has given, and we certainly must share. As stewards, God is the owner and giver of our money – we are only managers of it. Giving need not necessarily imply only generosity, but also justice, as we distribute our wealth to those who are in greater need. Underlying all this is a trust that God will provide for all our needs (not greed!).

One thing I strongly feel is that parishes need to be transparent about their collections and their accounts. I have personally witnessed the fact that people will give more if they can actually see how monies are being used, and especially if they are being used well and not being frivolously frittered away. There is a need for financial accountability at every level, especially when we look at our country and all the controversies like the 1MDB fiasco.

However, I do think that we must welcome every single contribution (and contributor!), no matter how big or small. It warms my heart when I receive a bag of coins that someone has given us or that a little child gives from their pocket-money — the widow’s mite indeed. But perhaps, we all need to think and discern what we offer to God. Often, when the collection is going around, people are scrambling into their handbags and wallets to see what spare change they have! Have we actually thought and prayed about what we should offer to God? Surely if we budget for everything else, then one of our budget items must include what we give to church as well as other charitable causes. Thus, I am all for planned giving!

Am I giving grudgingly from my extra, superfluous wealth, when I lavishly spend multiples more on an expensive meal, or clothes, or concert tickets or other entertainment? Do I give till it means that I have to forgo something in order to make that gift? Do I share happily and generously or do I do so feeling pressured? Our motivations for giving are important.

Do I make a great show of my giving or do I not let my left hand know what the right is doing? Do I give without expecting anything in return? Perhaps some give in the hope that God would bless them even more abundantly, thinking erroneously as proponents of the so-called ‘prosperity gospel’ do? God loves a generous and pure heart!

Having said all this, our giving cannot be limited to just money. We are all called to share our Time, Talent and Treasure. Some people are happy to hand over their cash but refuse to give their time or talent. While money is needed, what we need most is personal involvement of everyone in the mission of the Church.

The donations we receive are not merely for maintenance but, more importantly, for mission. And mission cannot happen without the personal effort and time of many people. Indeed, many hands mean less work for everyone. We need more labourers to ‘turun padang’ and get their hands dirty, not expect a few people to shoulder all the work. If we ALL did our part, then we could expand the scope of our mission without overtaxing the few willing ones.

In the meantime, I shall keep on asking all and sundry to give generously. Likewise, I shall personally go on giving all I can in terms of Time, Talent and Treasure – and when I am no longer able to do so, I shall support the mission by the very important work of prayer.

“It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

(Fr Gerard Theraviam is the Parish Priest of the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist in Kuala Lumpur, as well as the Spiritual Director to the World Community for Christian Meditation, Malaysia.)