For some of us, faith and finances don’t mix. Our faith and deep-rooted views on spirituality and religion are personal journeys signifying our relationship with God our Creator. This faith encourages us to pray, attend Mass, help those in need, and can encourage us to become better people overall.
Finances, on the other hand, are simply considered our paychecks; how we pay our bills and journey through this life. We think of banking, savings, and paying our taxes as something entirely different from our faith lives. After all, God doesn’t care about our finances. Or does he?
According to the recent study, Unleashing Catholic Generosity: Explaining the Catholic Giving Gap in the United States, the University of Notre Dame Institute for Church Life discovered that separating faith and finances is the single most important factor explaining why Catholics give less than other denominations.
For some, our lack of spiritual engagement with money causes us to compartmentalize and not see our money and possessions as part of our spiritual lives. As stewards, we know this is a mistake. We know that God is responsible for all of our gifts, including money, and that because of His generosity we are called to return a portion of those gifts. Viewing finances from a spiritual perspective allows us to give more generously and as stewards we know that is the only way to give.
Catholic Stewardship Consultants, Inc., July 2013
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