The Mystery of Tithing-Part 1

The Mystery of Tithing-Part 1

Submitted by Thomas Stidl

         Will a man rob God?  How can he do that?  The answer is by not giving at least 10% oh his whole being or self to God.  Most people interpret this to mean 10% of his or her wealth.  Now in days of yesteryear when taxes were low, that might have been possible.  Now with high inflation, talks of a recession, and rising taxes on a federal, state, and local levels, the act of tithing money or wealth becomes more difficult.  So how can a person give 10% of his being or self to God?  The answer is simply by offering 10% or more of his time to God.  By mentioning this, you, the dear reader, must think that the author is crazy.  Most people wish that they need 36 hours in a day to accomplish all that needs to be done.  However, whether you realize it or not, you might be accomplishing this daunting task now.

         If you are married, you are interacting with your spouse and family by taking good care of them by making a living to supply them food and shelter.  You are also keeping the house neat.  You are cooking, washing clothes and just doing the ordinary things that a family needs done extraordinarily well.  This is the definition of a saint.  Keep in mind what Jesus said.  “What you do to the least of my brethren, you do unto me.”  All actions must be self-giving.  You become selfless instead of selfish.  This is just another extension of the corporal works of mercy.  In this process, you offer your works, joys, and sufferings to God.

         If you are a single adult, you also interact with a place of employment as married people do.  All workers interact with co-workers and clients.  Again, we treat others as we would treat ourselves.  This goes for bosses too.  Again, all must be selfless and not selfish. 

         If you are a child, you interact with fellow students, teachers, and administrators of your school.  You are to treat all of the above with respect.  Sometimes you will not receive this back in return.  When this happens as some of my grammar school nuns said, “offer it up”.  That offering becomes a sweet fragrance in the nostrils of God.  Obviously, your studies come first and you should make the supreme effort to work on all your studies.  This will create less havoc in the family and in the school atmosphere.  You must also be concerned about your brothers or sisters in your family.  Sibling rivalry is fine as long as it does not create chaos or hard feelings within the family.  It sometimes brings out the best in you or makes you realize that your brother or sister has a gift from God that you do not have.  You then must determine what your talents are.  This helps you grow.

         All of us need to be more patient with each other.  A perfect example of this is rush hour driving.  Try to be more patient while driving.  Please be careful.  It will surely be more pleasing to God than using foul language at the situation.

         In part 2 of this article I will try to examine the role of prayer in tithing.

        Until next time, Laus Tibi, Christe.  Deo Gratias.  Praise be to God.  See you in Paradise.