Question about one of the Precepts of the Church

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ShaunH

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“You shall provide for the material needs of the Church.”

How can I do this as an almost-17-year-old? I don’t have a job, so would I be fulfilling this duty by giving a couple dollars in the collection at Sunday Mass? Or do I need to do more?
 
Heck, I’m impressed that you are even asking the question! You can give what you can in the weekly collection; it’s not expected to be a lot since it should be in proportion to your income, and you are pretty much without an income at this time. Also, most parishes are usually looking for volunteers for various things. If you give some of your time and talent, that is also helping to provide for the material needs of the Church.
 
ShaunH said:
“You shall provide for the material needs of the Church.”

How can I do this as an almost-17-year-old? I don’t have a job, so would I be fulfilling this duty by giving a couple dollars in the collection at Sunday Mass? Or do I need to do more?
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You do it to the best of your ability. If you could volunteer to provide a need you do that. My children always tithed out of their allowance. A couple of dollars was the best that they could do monetarily.

Good question.
 
Certainly, we can all pray and must do so for the Church.
 
Thank you all. I am thinking of giving $3-5 or so every Sunday, and I will start saying a daily prayer for the Church and for those being ordained. Sound like a good way to fulfill this precept?
 
Shaun, that sounds like a very good way to support the needs of the Church.

As you move into college (or trade school or military, whatever you have planned) and then on to a job, you will then prayerfully discern what you can give in time, talent, and treasure. This will change throughout your life as you move into a job, start a family, etc.

We are called to support the parish, the diocese, and charities with material support-- which usually means money but can also mean volunteering and giving gifts “in kind” like food for the food pantry, etc.

God doesn’t ask us to do the impossible, so do not think that at your age you should be contributing a lot of money to the Church. The precepts are binding on adults, but not on children and young adults still not out on their own and able to support themselves.

As your income grows, so can your generosity to the Church.
 
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