It’s budget season for those of us on a fiscal year calendar that starts on July 1. This is always an experience that deepens my gratitude for the generous financial support that our parishes provide to the archdiocese from the offerings that you, the faithful, so generously offer Sunday after Sunday.
While the precise expectations and procedures vary from diocese to diocese, the essential reality is pretty much the same around the world: the Church relies upon donations to accomplish her work. The flipside of that reality is that all Catholics are obliged to support the Church. In fact, that’s the fifth of the “five precepts of the Church” that we all had to memorize when we were kids.
The obligation isn’t simply to help the Church pay its electric bills or make sure that the parking lots are plowed. The Code of Canon Law goes beyond that, noting that we are “obliged to assist with the needs of the Church so that the Church has what is necessary … for the works of the apostolate and of charity ….” As we prepare to finalize this year’s budget, we are hoping to dedicate more of our resources to apostolic work and works of charity.
I am grateful that this issue of The Catholic Spirit is helping us to focus on one of the works of charity: the care that is provided to the homeless of our community. As I pass the Higher Ground Residence at Dorothy Day Place in St. Paul on my way to our offices each day, I am reminded to pray for the great work that Catholic Charities undertakes to address the needs of what seems to be an ever-expanding population of homeless brothers and sisters. I’m grateful for the witness that their staff and volunteers offer day in and day out to the corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked and giving shelter to the homeless. It’s precisely what Christ asked us to do in Matthew 25.
For this reason, I am delighted that our budget for next year allows us to reintroduce some direct support to Catholic Charities even though these continue to be lean years for the archdiocese. While there are other wonderful organizations and individuals that are working with the homeless in our area, our historic connection to Catholic Charities, as well as some particular needs they are facing this year, prompted us to support their work in the Lord’s vineyard. My fifth grade teacher, Sister Agnita, always told us that “the Lord is never outdone when it comes to generosity.” I trust that the Lord will bring blessings as we give from “our need” rather than from “our surplus.”
I am certainly inspired to greater generosity by the magnanimity that I so regularly see in our Catholic community, especially now that we are in the height of “gala season.” I never knew the word “gala” when I was a priest in Pittsburgh (and still mispronounce it about 50% of the time). We held street fairs and card parties and an occasional “night at the races.” Here, however, it seems like Catholics look for opportunities to come together to eat oven-roasted fingerling potatoes with rosemary and to offer financial support to endeavors that they value, whether they be schools or parishes or pregnancy resource centers or evangelistic outreach ministries or charitable organizations like Catholic Charities. Some of those institutions are Church-related while others are simply faith-inspired. When they are doing the Lord’s work, they need to be supported.
I greatly admire both the creative lay leadership that is the backbone of these events and the exceptional generosity that they engender. I always find myself marveling at the end of the evening at both the sums that were raised and the passionate support that was evidenced. I love going to these events when I learn something new and especially when I experience a strengthening of the ties that bind us as the body of Christ.
In many ways it seems appropriate that “gala season” should coincide with “confirmation season.” The readings and prayers for our confirmation celebrations speak about the anointing of the Holy Spirit being given to individuals but always for the good of the community. There is a social responsibility that flows from having received the transformative gift of the Holy Spirit. That’s what led Peter and the other Apostles to go forth “to preach the good news to the poor” and to “bind up the broken-hearted.” The gifts we receive are not to be placed under a bushel basket or buried out of fear. They are always to be invested and shared.
While the needs in our community are great, I trust that the Lord in his providential care has given us the gifts that we need to address them. As we continue our celebration of Easter, please join me in praying that our response to God’s love might always be generous and bold, especially as we strive to care for our sisters and brothers in need.
