733 James I. Harrison Jr. Parkway East - Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35405

Browsing Father Michael Deering's Sunday Homilies

Give in order to receive!

Give In Order to Receive!
Homily originally preached
September 19, 2021

 

You know well that McFarland Blvd is one busy street.

The traffic on that street is very heavy at most hours of the day.

 

And close behind it ... I believe ... ranks the street in front of our Church ...

James I Harrison Jr. Pkwy. East.

 

How often it is that I have difficulty getting a break in traffic just going from ...

my home (across from the Football Field ) to here at the Church or back.

 

Just Tuesday, Dcn. Charles and I were attempting to leave Church and go home.

But this was after our Morning Mass and 10 minutes before school started at 8am.

 

With Parents lining up to drop off their children at our School, coupled with ...

all the other people just trying to get to work, we found it impossible to make       a Left hand turn onto James I. Harrison.

 

So we made a right turn instead ... then made a left onto the street by Masters Inn ... turned around in their Parking Lot and came back to James I Harrison from that side of the street ... made a Right Turn and drove down to enter my driveway.

 

Whew.   We made it!   Safe and sound!

 

In completing our trip home, I said to Dcn. Charles ...

“You see, sometimes you have to go right to go left!”

 

He laughed ... and admitted that he’s done the same thing before.

 

And then I said, “You know, there’s a homily in this:

‘Sometimes you have to go right to go left!’”

 

And he laughed again!

 

Well here it is ... here’s the homily!

 

It comes from the very lesson that Our Lord is giving to His Apostles       

in today’s Gospel ... when He tells them:

“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”

 

It’s a challenging message for sure ... “You have to be last to be first!” ???

                                                            “You have to go right to go left!” ???

It’s a message that you’re not likely to accept ... unless ...

you have faith in ... the one making the statement.

 

And we do!   The one making the statement in the Gospel is Jesus.

We believe in Him ... He is God.

 

And when we choose to follow His instructions ...

we get to see for ourselves how truthful His teachings are.

 

Now, just as many of us have come to appreciate ...

that sometimes you have to go right to go left.    

 

God, who is the Good Giver, also wants us to trust His wisdom that ...

“You have to give in order to receive.”

 

Wow! Those are incredible words.

 

When did God issue those words?    The first time was ...

way back in Genesis ... when He guided our First Parents ... Adam and Eve.

 

It’s a plan that we may not see the wisdom of initially.

But if we trust in God ... we’ll embrace it and give it a try ...

so that the results God promises will be ours.

  

The command to give in order to receive ... is God’s plan for

how we serve and support our Parish Church and our Diocesan Church families. 

 

God instructs us to offer Him the first tenth of the fruits of our labor. 

 

God called His Plan ... Tithing.    He spoke of it 46 times in the Bible!

 

For example, the Prophet Malachi emphasized the importance of Tithing

when he told the people that they robbed God when they withheld their tithes!

 

To this day, nothing has changed.    God’s plan of Tithing is still in place.

He still expects us to offer Him the first fruits of our labor ...

specifically ... a tithe ... which means 1/10 of our income.

 

It’s one of God’s Plans ... that we might not see the wisdom of it ...

when we’re seated at our desk ... paying our bills.

 

So, it’s one of God’s Plans ...

where we need to trust in God’s lofty perspective from above ...

and follow the Plan for our own good & the good of all His Church.

 

I wrote a brief review of God’s Plan of Tithing in today’s Sunday Bulletin.

 

 

I point out that it has a 2-fold purpose:

 

#1.  Tithing is a way of thanking God for His many blessings.

 

#2. Tithing is the way of sustaining our Church (local, regional and worldwide)

 

I also describe how the Catholic Church suggests we follow God’s Plan of Tithing.

 

  • give 5% of your income to this Parish
  • give 1% of your income to the Diocese (Catholic Charities & Communities)
  • give 4% of your income to the Charities of your choice

 

That adds up to a total of 10% of your income given to God in various ways.

 

Converts coming into the Catholic Church from the Protestant Church will notice this difference: Many Protestant Churches ask for 10% be given to their church, meaning that any other charitable giving would be over and above that amount.

 

But, the Catholic Church asks for half of the Tithe, 5%, to be given to the local church and the other 5% be given to the charities you choose.

 

Many of us give to Charities.  

So following the Catholic Guideline gives you the freedom to continue to give to them and counting your support as part of your Tithe.

 

I have some 40 different Charities that I give financial support to;

I group them into 4 Categories:

 

Schools:

I give to my Seminary, Notre Dame Seminary, my Catholic High School, Notre Dame High in Chicago, Holy Spirit School, St. Bernard High School, Ave Maria, Christendom and others.

 

Community:

I give to the American Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity,

Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Vets, Paralyzed Vets and others

 

Pro-Life:

I give to American Life League, 40 Days for Life, March for Life,

Human Life International, Priests for Life, Students for Life, and others.

 

Religious:

Archdiocese of the Military, Benedictine Sisters in Cullman,  Dominican Sisters of Nashville, Covenant House, EWTN, Franciscan Friars of the Eternal Word, FOCUS campus Ministry, Salvation Army and others.

 

I’m sure you have your favorite Charities that you give to.  

 

But what exactly is “Catholic Charities and Communities”?

 

It is the Diocesan Umbrella Organization that governs the successful operation of 56 agencies within the Diocese of Birmingham (the northern half of the State of Alabama)

 

Just as Cities benefit from the help of the Umbrella Organizations of:

the County and the State and the Federal Government ...

so too each Parish Church benefits from the help of the Umbrella Organization

of the Diocese overseeing it

 

As Parish Church, The Diocese of Birmingham assists us in many ways:

 

It includes 6 Catholic Centers of Concern such as we operate right across the street that assists the poor and needy with food, clothing, furniture, diapers, medicine, and assists on the payment of bills such as rent, power and gas.

 

It includes 3 Catholic Family Services locations that assist people with counseling and other family services such as adopting children.

 

Here are a few more valuable apostolates and ministries that receive financial  support with funding from Catholic Charities:

 

Black Catholic Ministry

Campus Ministry

Catholic Schools Office

Deacon Formation

Hispanic Ministry

Nazareth House for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Religious Education 

St. John Vianney Residence for Retired Priests

Youth Ministry

Vocations Office (11 men in studies right now)

 

Please recognize the local impact of your pledge.

 

Your contributions will be used to fund programs throughout the Diocese,

that often times end up right here in the Tuscaloosa/ Northport area.

 

Some of this money may go toward serving some of our Parishioners … like you!

For those of you who are registered in our Parish, you should have received your personal pledge card and a letter in the mail 2 weeks ago. I hope that you will take time to pray about how you will participate in this important appeal.

 

For those of you who are not registered, please take a Pledge Card in the vestibule. Think about and pray about this opportunity.

 

Perhaps you will decide to commit to give 1% of your income to Catholic Charities. Perhaps some of you will choose to give more or less than that amount.

 

Whatever your decision, please fill out your Pledge card and do one of three things:

 

Make your pledge on the Diocese of Birmingham Web Site.

you can choose to make full or partial payment or be billed monthly next year.

 

Mail your Pledge card to the Diocese and you can include full or partial payment

 

Bring your Pledge card to Mass next week and place it in the Collection Basket.

 

We simply couldn’t run our Diocese without Catholic Charities!!!!

 

Remember, no gift is too small – when given from the heart!

 

And realize that charitable deductions are one of the few remaining deductions that we can use to reduce our taxes if we choose to itemize.  

 

No payments are needed at this time, unless you’d like to contribute now.

 

Monthly payments can be made beginning in January and ending in December, and reminders will be mailed out.

 

The 2021 goal for our whole Diocese is $4.5M.

 

The 2021 goal for Holy Spirit Parish Church is $100K.

 

Thank you for your generosity in previous years! We made our goal last year!

Oh how sweet it would be to make it again.   4 yrs in a row 1st!     Strive for 5!

 

This is an important collection ... it’s my favorite ... because I see the benefits!

Know I only talk about money once/ yr. The Bishop asks all Pastors to talk today. 

 

Please trust in God’s Plan and contribute at the suggested rate of 1% of your tithe ...  or any amount at all.       And here’s something that should increase your

desire to try Tithing.                In Malachi, God says,

Try Me in this, will I not come back and lavish you with blessing upon blessing!

Yes, God will surely bless you for following His plan!

Indeed, it’s when we give ... that we receive!

Last year: Woman after Mass adv’d she started Tithing ... now Debt Free!

       Young man after Mass adv’d he started Tithing ... now paying all his bills!

Please try Tithing ... God will surely bless you for following His Plan.

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