Be Prepared
This past Sunday I had to open my wallet.
My new resolution is to not open my wallet inside Church ever again.
So many times I have been sitting at Mass trying to pay attention and then the offertory comes and I remember; oh yeah, the collection. I proceed to take out my wallet and look to see if I have any cash on hand and drop it in the basket.
Why is this a problem?
One of the Six Precepts of The Church is to contribute to the support of the Church. For most of us, this is dropping money in a basket.
Isn't that what I did though?
Yes.
The thing about a precept though, is that it is; "a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought".
When I have to pull out my wallet in Church, it means that I haven't allowed this precept to regulate my behavior, or form me the way it was intended to do.
You should live your whole life, and in this case week by week, planning on putting that money in the collection on Sunday. Become intentional about supporting your parish.
If Sunday comes and you don't even know whether or not you have anything to put in the basket that's a big problem.
That means you keep an eye on your spending throughout the week, planning to have a certain amount of money to put in the collection. Then, look for opportunities to deny yourself something, maybe a cup of coffee or a burger, and add that money to the fund.
I remember growing up, my dad would give each of us a quarter to put in the basket as it came around. This is what taught me the importance of the Sunday collection.
I knew that the quarter wasn't really mine and I hadn't done anything to earn it, but dad was putting money in the basket, and this was my chance to be like him.
It is the same way with God. We've worked for the money we have, for the most part, but at the end of the day it isn't really ours. It is a gift from God and we should return all of it back to Him.
There are many ways of doing this. You are returning the gift back to God when you use your money to buy food and take care of yourself or your family. Likewise, you are returning the gift to God when you use your money to engage in healthy leisure.
But, it is also necessary to return the gift to God by contributing to the support of the church.
So I challenge you to come prepared this Sunday, don't open your wallet. Be intentional and know what you are going to put in the basket.
My new resolution is to not open my wallet inside Church ever again.
So many times I have been sitting at Mass trying to pay attention and then the offertory comes and I remember; oh yeah, the collection. I proceed to take out my wallet and look to see if I have any cash on hand and drop it in the basket.
Why is this a problem?
One of the Six Precepts of The Church is to contribute to the support of the Church. For most of us, this is dropping money in a basket.
Isn't that what I did though?
Yes.
The thing about a precept though, is that it is; "a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought".
When I have to pull out my wallet in Church, it means that I haven't allowed this precept to regulate my behavior, or form me the way it was intended to do.
You should live your whole life, and in this case week by week, planning on putting that money in the collection on Sunday. Become intentional about supporting your parish.
If Sunday comes and you don't even know whether or not you have anything to put in the basket that's a big problem.
That means you keep an eye on your spending throughout the week, planning to have a certain amount of money to put in the collection. Then, look for opportunities to deny yourself something, maybe a cup of coffee or a burger, and add that money to the fund.
I remember growing up, my dad would give each of us a quarter to put in the basket as it came around. This is what taught me the importance of the Sunday collection.
I knew that the quarter wasn't really mine and I hadn't done anything to earn it, but dad was putting money in the basket, and this was my chance to be like him.
It is the same way with God. We've worked for the money we have, for the most part, but at the end of the day it isn't really ours. It is a gift from God and we should return all of it back to Him.
There are many ways of doing this. You are returning the gift back to God when you use your money to buy food and take care of yourself or your family. Likewise, you are returning the gift to God when you use your money to engage in healthy leisure.
But, it is also necessary to return the gift to God by contributing to the support of the church.
So I challenge you to come prepared this Sunday, don't open your wallet. Be intentional and know what you are going to put in the basket.
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