Collection/tithe envelopes--needed to make Sacraments?

[whatevergirl]

Have you not ever asked [or expected] a spouse or room mate to assist with household expenses and chores? A child? In your homes do you not expect all members to participate in maintaining the home?

Whose parish is it? Just the priest’s? I thought the parish was us! That the facilities were our responsibility.

Do we just want the parish to be available to us only when we “want”? like it is time to get a child baptized, or some other life event? What about each Sunday…too often? Perhaps the occassional Christmas or Easter?

How does a person identify themselves as an “active, practicing, filled with the love of Christ” catholic christian? By an empty envelope? By dropping by once in a while for mass?

Who is supposed to pay the utility bills, the payroll? Who pays for the Eucharistic elements [bread and wine]?

If you do not support your parish with your presence at mass in addition to financially, and with volunteering your time and using your gifts and talents, then just whose responisbility is it to provide that support?

so…are you saying that i should be receiving a tithe from my kids for the house they share with us? i like that idea.

kidding. I think your post is great.

 

[YADA]

Not a tithe exactly, but they do participate in the life and health of the family…taking out the trash, laundry, dishes, vacuuming, dusting, mowing the lawn…

And when I was a kid and money was tight, my paper route money went to assist the family finances…when my dad performed contract work for the forest service/BLM [buiding fences, thining trees and disease tree surveys], I worked at whatever the contract was…When my folks bought a gas station and cafe, I pumped gas, waited tables and washed dishes…A kid you don’t have to pay minimum wage to…

Our parish is our ‘family’ home…it is our responsibility to provide for its well being, the well being of the members [administering sacraments etc]…

After all on Sundays is it not a ‘family’ meal we gather for? Are we not the children of God? Is not Jesus our brother?

 

[whatevergirl]

Not a tithe exactly, but they do participate in the life and health of the family…taking out the trash, laundry, dishes, vacuuming, dusting, mowing the lawn…

And when I was a kid and money was tight, my paper route money went to assist the family finances…when my dad performed contract work for the forest service/BLM [buiding fences, thining trees and disease tree surveys], I worked at whatever the contract was…When my folks bought a gas station and cafe, I pumped gas, waited tables and washed dishes…A kid you don’t have to pay minimum wage to…

Our parish is our ‘family’ home…it is our responsibility to provide for its well being, the well being of the members [administering sacraments etc]…

After all on Sundays is it not a ‘family’ meal we gather for? Are we not the children of God? Is not Jesus our brother?

You have such great things to say, YADA…I really have enjoyed reading your posts.

 

[Pug]

He said…‘the Church wants to tell people to use envelopes, or they can’t receive Sacraments?’

I explained to him that they need to see that one is a practicing Catholic. He still wasn’t accepting of it.

I think most likely it is not as your husband says. Perhaps they merely want to feel they have made a nominal attempt to verify that the person has come to mass recently at that parish.

I disagree with you as well, though. I don’t think they will end up knowing or seeing by this means who is really a practicing Catholic. The presence of an envelope does not mean that they actually came and sat through mass. It just means *someone *placed the envelope or attendance slip in the baskets at some indefinite time.

I doubt there is a perfect way to achieve what they want.

 

[whatevergirl]

I think most likely it is not as your husband says. Perhaps they merely want to feel they have made a nominal attempt to verify that the person has come to mass recently at that parish.

I disagree with you as well, though. I don’t think they will end up knowing or seeing by this means who is really a practicing Catholic. The presence of an envelope does not mean that they actually came and sat through mass. It just means *someone *placed the envelope or attendance slip in the baskets at some indefinite time.

I doubt there is a perfect way to achieve what they want.

yes, you make a valid point…but imagine…only going to mass to drop an envelope in and then leaving? mind as well stay!

 

[m134e5]

Any thoughts on this? Do you feel it’s right/wrong for my parish to request this? Interested in what you think.

I do not think it is any of my church’s business how much money I give them. I am aware of the precept of the Church that requires us to support our parish, and I give what I can. If it is less than the expected amount, I don’t lose sleep over it- I will support my parish in other ways. I will drop everything to help my pastor or any of my fellow parishioners, and I am active in parish organizations that support the parish.

 

[YADA]

M134E5,

Is it any of your business what the church does with the contributions? What if the priest decides to cancel Mass this Sunday What if the Church closes because there are not enough funds to pay the water bill, the secretaries salary and purchase sacramental elements for communion? Would that be “your business?” Are you really a member of the parish or just an uninterested observer who drops by?

No one wants you to give more than you can…an yet why do you feel you are not accountable to your parish? Especially if you are involved in the operational aspects of the parish. You should know that your parish is accountable to the government [as a tax free institution] and to the parishioners. Theft, proper use of funds, proper accounting priciples, etc.

You are the parish, you are as responsible to it. Would you tell your spouse that they had no right to know what your contribution to your household is?

Ever wonder how Jesus knew and could teach about the widows mite? What about the parable of the talents? The Jewish people were expected to contribute 10%…we as Christians are called to contribute in relation to what we have been given. Your parish will be as generous and forthcoming as its parishioners…

Its not the raw amount of your contribution that matters, it is that you contribute…not for recognition, not for glory, not ashamed of the amount, not anonomously…but in Love of Christ, Love for the Eucharist…You are *called *BY NAME to your Christian life in Christ’s Church…baptized into the Church with a name…why the angst?

 

[Pug]

but imagine…only going to mass to drop an envelope in and then leaving? mind as well stay!

I agree!