Charitable giving when in debt

[rweidn]

I am a new Catholic (received this Easter) and since i have found my faith i feel the pull and responsibility of charitable giving. One big problem is that over recent years i have not lived within my means and am now paying the price (literally) of being in debt. It will likely take me 2-3 years to crawl my way out of it. I do give a small amount to a charity and also give at the Church. I know it is not how much you give but the intention and thought behind it, but it does bug me that i am not giving more. I can’t, i think, propose to give much more as it could cause problems at home. Any thoughts?

 

[DavidFilmer]

I am a new Catholic (received this Easter)

Welcome to the Church! You might want to update your profile - you identify yourself merely as “Christian,” but you may now identify yourself as Catholic.

and since i have found my faith i feel the pull and responsibily of charitable giving

Well, you are doing something right!

One big problem is that over recent years i have not lived within my means and am now paying the price (literally) of being in debt. It will likely take me 2-3 years to crawl my way out of it.

OK, that is fine. Becoming a Catholic does not relieve you of any other financial responsibility. You have a pre-existing responsibility to pay your debts (assuming they were not incurred immorally).

But the Catholic Church does not impose a strict financial responsibility upon Her members. The Biblical tithe is a guideline, not an obligation. We have an obligation to our Faith, but not necessarily in alms.

The typical formula is “time, talent, and treasure.” Perhaps you cannot presently contribute much treasure (money), but can you contribute your time and/or your unique talents to support your Parish or its various ministries? Believe me, the gift of your time and talent is probably of greater value to your Parish than your money, and you will derive far more personal satisfaction for contributing your time or talents than you EVER would by writing a big, fat check out of your excess money.

I speak as someone who has had the opportunity to contribute my time/talent instead of my treasure (out of lack of funds) and, later, as someone who could contribute my treasure (out of an abundance of funds) while neglecting the other charities. I can assure you that there is comparatively very little real joy in writing checks.

 

[Regina7]

Welcome home!!!

Charitable giving does not just mean money- it also means time. Is there an area where you can donate your time? As a new Catholic, this will also help you to meet more parishioners. If you have a particular strength or passion, great. If not, call the parish secretary- I’m sure she’ll know of groups that need help.

 

[Reepicheep]

I’ll add my voice to the others. If you can’t give money, see if you can give time.
Its also worth remembering that prayer is of value. Devote some time to prayer for those you can’t help with money.
And as a new child of Mother Church – welcome home! :dancing:

 

[pensmama87]

We are in a similar situation. We give some to our parish, but we also volunteer (time and talent) in several different ministries.

I would like to give more - a lot more - but we just don’t have the resources right now.

 

[Beryllos]

When the poor widow offered only two small coins, Jesus recognized her generosity. (Luke 21:1-4)

 

[PiperJane]

I am a new Catholic (received this Easter) and since i have found my faith i feel the pull and responsibility of charitable giving. One big problem is that over recent years i have not lived within my means and am now paying the price (literally) of being in debt. It will likely take me 2-3 years to crawl my way out of it. I do give a small amount to a charity and also give at the Church. I know it is not how much you give but the intention and thought behind it, but it does bug me that i am not giving more. I can’t, i think, propose to give much more as it could cause problems at home. Any thoughts?

Welcome home! I too, received the Sacraments this past weekend. (What a blessing!)
I can certainly empathize with how you feel the ‘responsibility of charitable giving’. I am a member of a parish that was listed as one of the 5 parishes out of 84 among our diocese who did not meet our financial goal. Well, we may be listed as one of the ‘poorest’ parishes in my area, however, I can tell you that every day during the week, we feed the poor and homeless, clothe them, have a medical clinic, and other charitable activities that anyone can participate in. Infact, the first time I had ever found myself at my Church (Home-sweet-Home), it was during the time we were giving meals and I was so nervous to go meet the priest, that I ended up helping with their morning ministry and fellowshipping with the people who were lined up to get food. I’m rather financially poor myself (on SSI disability) and I tend to look at it two ways… the first being, I can always find a day or two to help my parish by participating with Her charities. Secondly, when I tithe, I may not ‘think’ that my $10 - $20 would even make a difference that week (but trust me, that is enough to feed one person in need of a meal 5 days of the week, right here in my home town), or, that '‘oh no, I’m going to be ‘really broke’ if I give ‘…‘X’ amount…’’. but try to understand this… However I feel that I am able to contribute, especially when it comes to ‘Offering’s’, I give ‘responsibly’ with ‘faith’. Knowing…, fully believing, that Our Lord will be sure to meet me and my children’s needs. Quite often, I find myself praying before I select the amount to give. Regardless of how I choose I’m able to contribute, I always give with ‘faith’, that The Lord will provide for my children and I. (Besides, I never find myself truly upset when I can’t afford that $5 coffee, haha) Our Father has never let me down!

 

[Ignatius]

I am a new Catholic (received this Easter) and since i have found my faith i feel the pull and responsibility of charitable giving. One big problem is that over recent years i have not lived within my means and am now paying the price (literally) of being in debt. It will likely take me 2-3 years to crawl my way out of it. I do give a small amount to a charity and also give at the Church. I know it is not how much you give but the intention and thought behind it, but it does bug me that i am not giving more. I can’t, i think, propose to give much more as it could cause problems at home. Any thoughts?

First, Let me extend a very warm Welcome Home!
We have a moral obligation to pay the financial debts that we have voluntarily incurred. If you develop a plan to pay off your debt and stick to it, you will be out from under it soon enough. Having developed this discipline, you will then be able to plan contributions in line with your desire to contribute to The Church.

God Bless you.

 

[GLam8833]

Your heart is in the right place PiperJane, I liked
your post, I, too am in a parish w/ a LOT of social
ministry commitments, we also have great
musically inclined choirs and choir leaders!
I am proposing to start a concert some time soon
called “a Church for the poor”.

 

[Sarcelle]

Welcome home!!!

Charitable giving does not just mean money- it also means time. Is there an area where you can donate your time? As a new Catholic, this will also help you to meet more parishioners. If you have a particular strength or passion, great. If not, call the parish secretary- I’m sure she’ll know of groups that need help.

When I was unemployed and had more time than money, I volunteered my time and talent. Charity is more than giving goods or money. It can mean giving your time and talent.

 

[EasterJoy]

I agree with those who advise giving of your time and efforts. Reliable volunteers are even harder for charities to garner than money.

Wanting to give money that you already owe to someone else is another way of living beyond your means. If you want to choose a standard of living that both meets your payment obligation to those to whom you owe money and leaves some left over to give to those in greater need than you are, that is OK. Having said that, it doesn’t make sense to keep yourself in a situation where you are paying a lot of interest on loans in order to give to the needy. Look at the interest of the poor in the big picture of your life. You will have more to give to the needy in the long run if you do not waste any more than you have to in servicing excessive consumer debt. Pay those loans down quickly, learn to live below your means, keep your standard of living low after your loans are paid off, and the poor will do better in the long run.