Tithing

Every now and then the subject of “tithing” comes up. The word “tithe” literally means “tenth”, and refers to the religious practice of offering 10% of one’s income to the things of God. In my experience, you tend to hear much more about tithing in Protestant circles than you do from the pulpit in your local Catholic parish.

Recently a friend asked me about tithing so I said I’d offer a few thoughts about it in a short post. Considering today’s Mass Readings today seems an appropriate day to do this. I’ll first look at the Hebrew Scriptures, then the New Testament data and then finally look at what teaching is explicitly offered by the Catholic Church…

Collection Plate

The Old Testament

The subject of tithing appears in several important places in the Old Testament. For example, Abraham gives 10% of the spoils of war to the priest Melchizedek:

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

– Genesis 14:18-20

Later, the Patriarch Jacob promised to return to God 10% of all the blessings given to him:

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

– Genesis 28:20-22

Tithing also had an important place in the Mosaic Law. The priestly tribe of Israel, the Levites, were told that they would receive no land, but would instead receive the tithes which were offered by the other tribes to God:

“I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting… They will receive no inheritance among the Israelites. Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord…’”

– Numbers 18:21–24

So that’s tithing in the Old Testament, but what does the New Testament have to say on the subject?

The New Testament

In the New Testament there is no explicit mention of tithing, but the followers of Jesus are constantly exhorted to charity and to care of the poor. For example, when Jesus talked of the Last Judgement, He spoke about the works of mercy performed by His followers:

“Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

– Matthew 25:34-36

As a result of such exhortations, the earliest Christian communities emphasized generosity and communal life:

…God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

– Acts 4:33-35

When he wrote to Timothy, St. Paul had some extremely harsh words for those who did not care for their families:

Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

– 1 Timothy 5:8

In his letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul told the Christians in that city to collect money every Sunday for the suffering Church in Jerusalem:

On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

– 1 Corinthians 16:2

So, although there’s no explicit mention of tithing, the New Testament talks a lot about faithful stewardship and Christians giving what they can to those in need. But what does the Catholic Church teach?

Catholic Teaching

Much like the New Testament, the Catholic Church does not speak about formal tithing, such as that found in the Old Testament. However, also like the New Testament, the Church exhorts her children to have giving and generous hearts. In fact, it is one of the Five Precepts Of The Church:

1. To attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, and resting from servile works.
2. To observe the days of abstinence and fasting.
3. To confess our sins to a priest, at least once a year.
4. To receive Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist at least once a year during Easter Season.
5. To contribute to the support of the Church.

The Catechism explains:

The fifth precept (“You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church”) means that the faithful are obliged to assist with the material needs of the Church, each according to his own ability.

– Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 2043

This paragraph of the Catechism cites the Code of Canon Law:

The Christian Faithful are obliged to assist with the needs of the Church so that the Church has what is necessary for divine worship, for apostolic works and works of charity, and for the decent sustenance of ministers.” 

– Canon Law #222

The Catechism also provides a quotation on this subject from St. Justin Martyr, the Second Century Apologist:

Those who are well off, and who are also willing, give as each chooses. What is gathered is given to him who presides to assist orphans and widows, those whom illness or any other cause has deprived of resources, prisoners, immigrants and, in a word, all who are in need.

– St. Justin, Apology #1, Chapter 67 (LXVIII)

…and, just like in Justin’s day, every Sunday Catholics are encouraged to give freely of their blessings for the work of the Church.

Conclusion

I have not always tithed regularly. Although there is no official tithing requirement for those in the New Covenant, we can see that generous giving is encouraged in the strongest of terms. This money is used to support the material needs of the Church, the proclamation of the Gospel and the care of the poor.

I have heard different proposals for Christian giving. For example, some people suggest a donation of 5% to their local parish and another 5% to charitable organizations, preferably Catholic ones. At first, this might seem like a very difficult thing to ask of people, particularly in these straitened times. I would suggest that, if this seems too much, begin by being aware of the Christian duty to give and start somewhere, be it just a few dollars or a few hours of your time. If you think that you can only donate 1% of your income, then do that. After a while, see what luxuries you can go without.

For example, could you purchase only one morning coffee a week and donate that money as well? I would also suggest finding charitable causes about which you are passionate. Do you really care about the poor? If so, donate some money to your local homeless shelter, but also spend an hour or two each month helping out there. Seeing how your money is being put to good use is tremendously gratifying and a real encouragement.

Any gifts given to us by God are not just for our own benefit, but for the benefit others. If Christ gave all of Himself to us, could we give back to Him anything less?

But since you excel in everything…see that you also excel in this grace of giving…. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty you might become rich 

– 2 Corinthians 8:7-9

4 comments

  • time + talent + treasure

  • Here’s a good rule:

    If you’re starting from zero, then start at one-tenth of your eventual intended goal, and work your way up by a tenth per year until, after a decade, you’re at your goal.

    If your goal is to tithe, and you currently don’t give, start at 1% on the first year, 2% the second, et cetera, until you get to 10%.

    Here’s another question: What should your goal be?

    My household adopted the following rule: 10% of pretax income, minus 1% for each person that income has to support (adults and children), plus an amount proportionate to our income percentile compared to other U.S. households. That percentile-based amount is the bit we quibbled about how to calculate, eventually landing on this formula: Our percentile, divided by 25, squared. Add that to the 10% (minus 1% per person the income supports) and that gives us our final pretax tithe.

    So, if I and my wife and three children (5 people) are being supported on an income which is in the 75th percentile for U.S. incomes, then it’s 10%, minus 5%, plus the “percentile amount.” The percentile amount for the 75th percentile of incomes is: 75/25, squared. That’s 3 squared, which is 9%. So our final giving would be 10% – 5% + 9%, for a grand total of: 14% of pretax income.

    That way, from those who are blessed with much, comes much. Or, at least, more. (After all, it’s those from whom much is expected!)

    If you’re wondering why I used such a complex calculation for the “percentile” part, it’s very straightforward: I started off with the idea that “from he to whom much is given, much is expected.” Initially I calculated the “percentile-based extra” by simply dividing the percentile by 10, and not squaring it. But then I realized: That meant someone in the 99th percentile was giving 20-ish percent of pretax income (adjusted downward for the number of persons supporting that income); while a dirt-poor person in the 5th percentile was giving 10% (adjusted downward). Reflecting on the lifestyle difference between the two percentiles, I didn’t feel like that was good stewardship. So I went to dividing by 25, but then squaring the result. That way the 99th percentile guy with a wife and 3 kids starts at 10% – 5%, but gets nearly 20% added for income percentile.

    Aaaand, if you’re wondering why it’s calculated on pretax income, it’s two reasons:

    1. If taxes go up, you don’t want giving to go down. If taxes cut giving, then that basically enables the government to starve out the church and her ministries by raising taxes: Not a good thing for society!

    2. God comes first and gets the “first cut” of our hearts and our time and our thoughts and, naturally, our income. Temporal authority (like all other temporal things) may be a perfectly good and appropriate thing, but it must be second to God in our hearts. But there is often a strong connection between our hearts and our wallets. Therefore our wallets must reflect how our hearts ought to be: God first, created things second.

  • Pingback: How Much is Enough to Give – Becoming Perfectly Myself

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