Sunday Homily on tithing · Saints John and James Parish

Sunday Homily on tithing

Hi all,

I figured it might be helpful to post a summary of today’s homily. I hope it is helpful!

Today’s gospel about the widow's mite is a lesson in giving, but not simply as a means to show generosity, but to teach a lesson in humility: the proud love to give out of their surplus, to prove to themselves and others what they can do themselves. They build big houses and then give generously from their wealth, but when they fall on hard times, to whom can they go? Tithing teaches the opposite lesson: it teaches us to give our first and best to those who are most important. Think, Adam and Eve were in the garden… they lost the garden because of pride and they were sent into the desert! Was God being simply punitive? Or was the punishment to remind Adam and Eve that their disordered self interest would really come to nothing?!? The law of tithing reorders our priorities to give our best to those who are most important, trusting that God will provide the rest.

Immediately after the fall notice that our forefathers all had to render some kind of sacrifice to God, usually the first fruits or the best of the herd. Was it some ploy to keep the best from us? Or… was it a lesson to trust in God’s Providence? When Elijah is sent out into the desert, he was fed by ravens and given shade by God’s Providence, then sent to the home of a widow and her son with only their last meal in reserves to find more sustenance. Their generosity and obedience, the widow’s mite leads to the abundance of God’s reward and providence. They all eat their full and then some. This was God’s lesson, that when we give our best and first to God, He will provide the rest. When we give our first and best to those who are most important, we rely more on God’s goodness, on His providence to provide for our daily needs. And God provides.

So here’s my challenge. There are three ways we can give… time, talent, and treasure. When we give, do we give our best to those who are most important first? Do we give God our first and best, or do we give Him the leftovers? Time is your most valuable asset. It is irrecoverable. What is the first thing you do in the morning? Do you give the first 5 minutes of your day to God? Do you tithe those first few moments to God for clarity? Do you give God your first five, best minutes of your day? Do we then give our family our best after God? Or do we seek alone time? Try to carve out time for ourselves first, and get to others only after. Do we give our family and loved ones our first and best, or do we give them the leftovers?

Today’s Gospel is a reminder, to give our best to those who are most important, because those we love deserve more than what’s leftover.

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