Your generous gifts are what keeps your parish and the Archdiocese of Wellington running. Every Sunday in August, our parishes have been looking at planned gifting – what it is, the spirituality of giving, how it factors into parish pastoral plans, where the money goes, wills/bequests, and more. At parishes this Sunday (24 August), we’ll be revisiting the themes of the past three weeks: the spirituality of generosity, the parish pastoral plan, and where money goes.
What motivates us to help others, even strangers? A religious conviction? Repaying a kindness? Some awareness of human solidarity? You don’t have to be Christian to be a good person. But, if you are Christian as we are, don’t take your place in the Kingdom of God for granted!
For the last four weeks we have explored why and how we give, especially financially, to the work of our local Church. We have seen that generosity lies at the heart of discipleship. We have explored where our money goes and how necessary it is that we actively contribute and fully participate in our parish community. Now we are more aware of the potential and promise of our community’s life, we see the importance of contributing financially to the work and ministry of our Church.
Remember, generosity is both a practical and a spiritual action. It helps your parish, your local community, the diocese your parish is a part of (in this case, our Archdiocese), and ultimately helps grow God’s Kingdom here on earth.
You can find out more about planned gifting here on our website:
The spirituality of generosity
In the video below, Archbishop Paul Martin discusses what giving can look like, its spiritual importance, and offers encouragement as we think about our giving.
Looking ahead
Next Sunday (31 August) will be looking at wills/bequests and the Catholic Foundation – things we can do to give thanks and to love and to serve. There’ll also be a new video with Archbishop Paul coming out about these very things.
Stay tuned!