Generosity of faithful supports good works of Church

Article 130 - Catechism of the Catholic Church Series
Paragraphs 1699 -1709


As Director of the Propagation of the Faith for the Diocese of Metuchen, I often make appeals for the poor in missionary lands. I once made this suggestion in an appeal talk: “Imagine as you place your monetary gift into collection basket that you are really placing it into the pierced hands of Jesus, who died on a cross to save you...”
After Mass, a well-to-do woman came up to me and said: “Father, that one remark brought in $90 more from me...I’m ashamed to say it, but I planned to give only $10. But, I simply could not place a measly $10 into the pierced hands of Jesus. So, I put a $100 bill in the appeal collection instead. This way, I would not have the feeling that I was stingy in my charitable giving.” That is the spirit in which Catholics give to the good works of the Church, so that God may be properly honored and worshipped, and the Kingdom of God be extended throughout the world!
I receive letters and e-mails on a daily basis from missionaries around the world requesting financial assistance. The requests mostly pertain to food shortages, homelessness, medical emergencies, and other matters that relate to the neglect of children and senior citizens. I often sit at my desk and wonder why so many people in the world of plenty must continue to suffer. How is it that the dignity of so many other human beings is compromised due to the neglect of fellow human beings? Why are we not all focused on helping relieve the suffering of so many?
The answer to all such questions goes back thousands of years. The Catechism tells us that, “man, enticed by the Evil One, abused his freedom at the very beginning of history” (ccc 1707). In the fullness of time, Christ was sent by the Father to redeem the human race. Therefore, we are no longer left to our own devices, but now have the capacity to do good in the world around us. “Life in the Holy Spirit,” the Catechism tells us, “fulfills our vocation...This life is made up of divine charity and human solidarity” (ccc 1699).
The Catechism also reminds us that “it is in Christ, ‘the image of the invisible God,’ that we have been created ‘in the image and likeness’ of the Creator” (ccc 1701). We are likewise reminded that the human person is “the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake. From our conception, we are destined for eternal beatitude” (ccc 1703).
The following summarize how we are given the ability to cooperate with the divine plan:
1.    “The human person participates in the light and power of the divine Spirit. By our reason, we are capable of understanding the order of things established by the Creator. By free will, we are capable of directing ourselves toward our true good” (ccc 1704).
2.    “By virtue of our soul and our spiritual powers of intellect and will, we are endowed with freedom” (ccc 1705).
3.    “By our reason, we recognize the voice of God which urges us to do what is good and avoid what is evil” (ccc 1706).
4.    “Man is divided in himself. As a result, our whole life, both individual and social, shows itself to be a struggle, and a dramatic one, between good and evil, between light and darkness” (ccc 1707).
5.    “By his Passion, Christ delivered us from Satan and from sin. He merited for us the new life in the Holy Spirit. His grace restores what sin had damaged in us” (ccc 1708).
6.    “In union with our Savior, we disciples attain the perfection of charity which is holiness. Having matured in grace, the moral life blossoms into eternal life in the glory of heaven” (ccc 1709).
Many years have passed since I first placed my own stewardship envelope in the collection plate as a young member of the laity. However, even as a teenager and college student, I felt obliged to do my part to contribute to the upkeep of the Church and its charitable works, especially the missions. I learned about the latter, even before receiving my First Holy Communion, when the teacher would pass a “mission box” around so we could drop in our sacrificial gifts (from our recess or lunch money) for the poor children in Peru. My obligation to contribute to the upkeep of the Church was something I learned as I came to understand the difference between justice and charity. We give to the Church (Christ’s Body) as a matter of justice, while we give to other good works as a matter of charity.
Certainly, we all pay our income tax and sales tax, and some pay for a Broadway show, a ball game or dues to a favorite club…But, helping with the works of religion — God’s work — is often a hit and miss affair that comes last on the list of one’s obligations, if it gets on that list at all. To neglect this duty is a sin against religion, a sin against justice, a sin against God.
“Gratitude,” said the 19th-century British convert and now saint, Cardinal John Henry Newman, “is the rarest flower in God’s garden.” But, gratitude is what we need to express to those many generous Catholics who conscientiously do their very best to support their parish church and the many works of the Church worldwide. If not for those few, our parishes would exist only in our memories and our priests would be, not the creators of food banks and soup kitchens, but their recipients. As for the poorest of the poor who are the recipients of our generous gifts that go to the missions, many would die of hunger and disease. Others who have already gotten a leg-up would fall backward into deeper poverty.
If asked, how much would you place into the pierced hands of Jesus for missionary?
Father Hillier serves as Director of the Office of the Pontifical Mission Societies, Censor Librorum and oversees the Office for Persons with Disabilities