You may have noticed that the Saint Francis pledge cards sent
to you a few weeks ago are headed by II Corinthians 9:7, “Each of you must give
as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God
loves a cheerful giver.” It’s perhaps
the most famous passage in the New Testament about giving to God, and it’s a
very fitting way to encapsulate one set of reasons why we commit part of what
God has given us back to His Church, to use in doing His work.
Saint Paul is identifying giving as a free and loving response
to God’s generosity to us. Giving brings
us joy because it allows us a stake in the way the good news about Jesus is
advancing and changing people’s lives.
Giving is a delight, a way to express what is most meaningful in our
lives. To fully account for these factors,
giving should be without compulsion. We
discern carefully the kind of commitment we have been called to make. We place our hearts in the brass collection
plate.
The passage is a wonderful summary of one set of reasons why we give.
