Almsgiving

St John Chrysostom was filled with righteous anger when he looked at the good life people were living in the imperial court in the late fourth century. In the name of God, he raged and spoke out against those who owned toilet seats made of gold, while other people starved in cold hovels.

In the wake of the floods and the events unfolding in Ukraine, many like St John Chrysostom, have raged at the injustice and economic disparity of our time. In times of adversity these are often highlighted, especially when those on the fringes are pushed further out by circumstances beyond their control. In an article Introduction to Lent: Almsgiving by Mike Aquilina, he wrote, ‘We are living high, but are we giving high?’ He explains that ‘[almsgiving] is prayer and it involves fasting. And almsgiving is a form of prayer because it is "giving to God" - and not mere philanthropy. It is a form of fasting because it demands sacrificial giving - not just giving something, but giving up something, giving till it hurts.’

A basic principle of Catholic Social Teaching is the universal destination of goods. The Catechism explains this as, ‘The goods of creation are destined for the entire human race’ (n. 2452). We need to give to God, whom we meet and see the face of in each and every person. Therefore if we are to live by the Catholic Social Teaching, then we need to give.

This is the kind of giving we have seen in recent weeks. Giving of treasure but also of time and talents. And we’ve seen this giving until it hurts. We’ve seen it in the face of strangers driving tinnies, shovelling mud and cleaning homes, volunteers in donation centres and in colleagues going above and beyond their normal tasks to reach out to others. This is sacrificial giving. This is almsgiving.