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Worshippers not in a giving mood

14 Dec 2008 - Preaching the News for Sunday

"The rich he has sent away empty," says the reading from the Gospel of Luke used as this Sunday's responsorial. As worshippers of all income brackets feel increasingly impoverished by a bad economy, they are starting to send the collection basket away empty. A new survey from The Barna Group shows that more than 150 million adults say they have been affected by the economic turbulence, and most of them expect it to take several years before the nation fully recovers. They are now passing on their financial pain to churches and other nonprofit organizations by cutting back substantially on their giving during the fourth quarter of 2008. Those reductions-occurring during the most important quarter of the year for donor-driven organizations-will cripple thousands of smaller and less stable donor-supported organizations. During the past three months, one out of every five households (20 percent) has decreased its giving to churches or other religious centers. Church cutbacks have been most common among downscale households (30 percent) and those families struggling with "serious financial debt" (43 percent). The degree of reduction in giving is significant for churches. Among people who have decreased donations to churches and religious centers, 19 percent dropped their giving by as much as 20 percent; 5 percent went down by 21 percent; 17 percent by half; and 11 percent by more than half. In addition, 22 percent said they had stopped their giving altogether. Source: A survey by The Barna Group, www.Barna.org

the barna group church giving donor supported organizations

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Please hold for the IRS … and hold … and hold

19 Jul 2015 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The reading from the Letter to the Ephesians teaches that Christ, by his radical self-sacrifice, abolished “the law with its commandments and legal claims.” Alas, when it comes to paying our taxes, those legal claims remain in force and are often so complex, we need an intercessor of our own. But don’t count on the IRS to answer your questions for you. IRS service for taxpayers this past tax-filing season wasn't just as bad as predicted—it was even worse. Phone calls dropped by the IRS switchboard skyrocketed past 8 million, rates of calls answered fell sharply, and the length of time callers spent on hold grew in 2015, posing new challenges for taxpayers with questions about their returns, according to the annual objectives report to Congress by the National Taxpayer Advocate. Homily hint: Americans are by far the most diligent in their tax-paying behavior of the world’s taxpayers. But as customer service is cut to the bone, patience and diligence wears down. Let’s support honesty and integrity by giving people the tools they need to fulfill their civic duty. For more on the IRS customer service problem, see: Report: IRS taxpayer service goes from bad to terrible

Honesty taxes integrity support

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Who's listening?

12 Jul 2009 - Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

Jesus commissioned the disciples to go “two by two.” It’s typical of American culture to want to go it alone, to be the Lone Ranger. And this is especially true with our relationship with God and our faith. People feel more comfortable in their “me and God” approach to their faith. Yet Jesus knew the wisdom of not going it alone on our spiritual journeys, especially when we’re trying to share our faith or live it out publicly. In the process of carrying our faith into the world, we don’t need a lot of props, but we do need other people of faith to support us, inspire us, guide us, and help us keep the message clearly in our hearts.

lone ranger support disciple

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Homily stories

10 May 2009 - Fifth Sunday of Easter, Cycle B

If you’ve ever been given the task of pruning branches on a vine, you know that it is no easy feat. It is often impossible to tell where the vine ends and the branches begin because they are so intertwined and interconnected. Being aware of that fact makes Jesus’ words in today’s gospel all the more remarkable. He tells us, “I am the vine and you are the branches.” That is the image he wants us to have of our relationship with him: We are in him, and he is in us. Without him we will wither and die. As the vine to our branches, Christ is assuring us that there is no area of our lives that he will not penetrate. At work, at play, at our worst, at our best, he is ever-present. It’s up to us to draw on him for support and inspiration. When we do, we will bear much fruit. Think of the times when a quick prayer helped unblock your thoughts, motivated you to complete a project, pricked your conscience to make amends to someone you hurt, emboldened you to speak the truth, humbled you to let go of control, awed you into giving thanks and basking in God’s glory. We receive daily confirmation of this gospel’s truth.

Authors Patrice J. Tuohy

vines bear fruit support inspiration

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Homily stories

20 Oct 2019 - Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

I have a picture clipped long ago from the newspaper, of Chicago Bulls player Scottie Pippen holding up Michael Jordan as they walk to the bench for a time-out. It was a game in which Jordan, suffering from stomach flu, could barely stand during the time-outs. But with the help of his teammates, Jordan played his heart out during the game—scoring some 50 points. I bring this photo and put it on display when I give talks to men’s groups. It conveys a message seen too infrequently in our society—that men can count on one another with their needs. The message is usually met at first with nervous laughter. Men often feel shame about needing, let alone accepting, help from another man. But after they let down their guard, the image of one man leaning on another for support becomes an emblem of pride. In this case there was nothing for Jordan to be ashamed about. So the support he was accepting from his teammate seemed heroic and selfless. This week’s gospel urges us to be persistent in the practice of our faith. The reading from Exodus demonstrates how Moses was able to remain constant in prayer only with the help of his brother Aaron and his friend Hur. Because Moses was able to remain steadfast in prayer, the Israelites emerged victorious. Who are the people who support you? Whom do you support?

Authors Tom McGrath

persistence in prayer support

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Homily stories

22 Dec 2024 - Fourth Sunday of Advent, Cycle C

New jobs, job promotions, acceptance at your first-choice school, straight A’s, getting engaged, the mortgage approved, the account you were vying for, front-row tickets to the game of the century—these are all extremely exciting moments in the course of any life, but they pale in comparison to giving birth—at least for most people, under even the worst circumstances. Human beings can’t help themselves: New life is irresistible, even if only for a brief moment before the worries and responsibilities of caring for this new life push their way into the nursery. What is often not so joyful is discovering that you or someone you love is pregnant under not the best of circumstances—too old, too young, unmarried, unhappy, unhealthy, or, worse yet, carrying a baby that is far from perfect. The wait can seem painfully long and each day filled with the agony of uncertainty about what the future holds. Today’s gospel addresses that anguish. Mary and Elizabeth are kindred spirits to all those facing difficult pregnancies. They had their questions and doubts, but they held out hope for the strength to handle whatever came their way. They were determined and faithful women. They are witnesses to the power of love and commitment, but most of all, their actions demonstrate the need for support and solidarity during difficult times. Offer yourself this day in service to another in need.

Authors Patrice J. Tuohy

difficult pregnancies mary and elizabeth support solidarity

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