Sometimes, monetary giving can be the last thing we want to do. It may even feel like a burden. We are concerned about many things such as paying our bills, saving for retirement, or our next vacation or large purchase. But what does our faith tell us about giving? Is it possible that even the smallest gifts could be spiritually rewarding?
Recall the story of the widow’s mite from the Gospel of Luke. Jesus “looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; He also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins
. . .” He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them.” The widow in this story put in all she had to live on, which is not our focus here. Rather, it is telling that God sees value even in our smallest gifts or acts of charity. These small acts of charity are cherished by God, even if they may not look or feel like much to us at the time.
Another important aspect of giving is that Scripture tells us God loves a cheerful giver. This is highlighted in 2 Corinthians which says, “Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not regretfully or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Perhaps instead of viewing charitable giving as a burden, we can learn to give with joy in our hearts. We know this can be difficult to do at times with so many financial responsibilities and decisions weighing us down. Thankfully, we can rest assured that God will take care of us no matter what we face.
Jesus said that even the birds of the air are taken care of, and that we are more valuable than them. He asked “can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?” God is asking us to give freely to those in need as a sign of trust that He will also take care of us in our time of need. And as the Book of Proverbs tells us, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and will be repaid in full.”
With all of this in mind, perhaps what God really seeks is for us to trust in Him in our giving decisions, too. By giving as He has encouraged us to, we aren’t losing anything but rather gaining something even more important.
The next time we are tempted to make an impulse purchase or worry about our finances, we could simply give a little instead to the causes that matter most to us. There are so many causes which would be grateful to receive the support. Even a small amount can have a big impact — and be big in God’s eyes.
At the Catholic Diocese of Madison Foundation (CDMF), among the most rewarding activities we do is providing grants to help various good and worthy causes. These grants support a broad range of activities such as helping with school tuition, supporting the homeless, and funding crisis pregnancy centers throughout the Diocese of Madison. Causes such as these are at the heart of our mission here at the CDMF, as we seek to spread Jesus’ message of love throughout the diocese.
If you are interested in learning more about or donating to a fund at the CDMF, or if you are interested in starting a fund of your own, visit diocesemadisonfoundation.org/give
We have a variety of giving opportunities which serve the needs of many different parishes, schools, charitable organizations, and ministries. We stand ready to help you steward your giving as we all work together to serve Christ and his Church right here in the Diocese of Madison.
Grant McGurn is the operations coordinator for the Catholic Diocese of Madison Foundation.