Let's Talk Tithing

Why should you tithe?

Have you ever wondered if being single excludes you from the duty of giving to the Church?

Here's a fair warning: this may hit a nerve or two.

Most Catholics, single or not, lack a true understanding of Christian giving. I don’t know about you, but tithing was something I hadn’t even heard of until I was well into my college years. Even then, I didn't fully understand it until I had to depend on the gifts of others for my missionary work.

As a kid, I watched my parents take out their checkbook every Sunday and contribute to the collection basket. But in my mind, that was just a form of charity, not really a duty. Even so, I sort of thought that was just something you did once you were married and had a family.

But, I soon realized that giving to the Church is not only a duty of the Christian life, it is something we are all called to, no matter our state in life. Allow me to share with you a little of what I've learned about tithing.

First, you may ask, why should I have to return some of my hard-earned money to God?

He’s God after all...He doesn’t need it.  

Let's consider two answers to that question. The first is that while God doesn’t need our money, the Church in fact does. Your parish and even your local diocese are highly dependent on the money received from its faithful. Not just the time you donate in volunteering, not the items you give for use of the youth group, but your actual money.

It helps pay for the very humble salaries of our priests, it helps keep the lights on and the heat running in the church, and it supports the many outreach efforts of the Church.

The second answer: tithing is ultimately about learning to trust God with everything. When you give God the firstfruits of your earnings, you’re thanking Him for everything He’s given to you by giving some of it back. This leads to a greater spirit of selflessness and dependence on God. 

Ultimately, isn't that the goal of the Christian life? "He must increase, I must decrease" (Jn 3:30). The more we give of ourselves—including our money—the more we become like God.

A Christian tithe simply means giving 10% of your income to the Church. 

Tithing at its core has a biblical basis. The word “tithe” literally means “tenth” in Hebrew, and is found in the Old Testament in the book of Leviticus: “all tithes of the land, whether in grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belong to the Lord; they are sacred to the Lord” (27:30).

And further, in Proverbs we are told to “honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your produce” (3:9). Obviously, we aren’t living in the Old Testament world anymore, but the essence of these passages refers to giving the first portion of our earnings back to God.

The Church states in the Catechism that while a strict tenth of one's income is not required, we should "help to provide for the needs of the Church," each according to his own ability (CCC 2043). Personally, I like the Old Testament tenth guideline, so that's what I typically stick with in my giving.

What doesn't count as tithing.

It’s important to distinguish the practice of tithing from other forms of Christian stewardship or charity, or even from an exchange of Christian goods/services. Let's look at some common tithing faux pas:

1. Giving only of your “time and talent." Though volunteering is much needed in the Church and serves as a form of stewardship, this is not the same as tithing—giving of one's "treasure." Ideally, we should give all three to the Church.
2. Giving to a secular charity. The principles of tithing specifically call for monetary gifts to the Church. Charities are certainly noble causes for your money, but to truly tithe, the full portion (or 10%) of your income should support the local and universal Church (think: your parish, your diocese, a Catholic outreach organization, etc). Anything which you decide to give to other non-religious causes beyond that is freely up to you.
3. Receiving something in exchange. Not every Church-related expense counts as giving. For example, your CatholicMatch subscription—not a tithe. Catholic school tuition for your child—not a tithe. Your FORMED.org subscription—not a tithe. If you're receiving a direct exchange of goods or services for your money, that's not a gift, it's a payment.
4. Not giving to your full ability. I often hear people say they can't fully tithe because of debt. "Once I get out of debt, of course I'll give to the Church, but I don't think God wants me to be irresponsible either." To this, I say, "how big is your God?" If you give from your poverty, just like the biblical story of the widow and her two coins, will God not take care of you in return? In the poorest time of my life, living on a very small income, I still managed to give 10% to my local parish. I trusted that God would take care of me, and He did.

God truly blesses you for your generosity.

And, not that this is about getting things in return (see #3 on the above section for a reminder of that); but, in my experience, God takes care of us when we take care of the needs of His Church. Still not convinced? Look at what Jesus says about that poor widow and her two coins of offering:

"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood." (Mark 12:43-44)

I like to picture Jesus warmly wrapping an arm around the poor widow while He says this. His joy is evident in seeing the woman's faithful and selfless trust in God with her whole life.

In the end, if we can't trust God with our money, what can we trust Him with? We also learn that when we give to something we believe in, we don't just give our money... we give our very selves.

What better time than now, in your singlehood, to trust God with this part of your life? Starting the habit now will grow the virtue for a lifetime.