National Alms

But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, almsgiving is:

Any material favor done to assist the needy, and prompted by charity,

According to Wikipedia, it involves giving materially to another as an act of virtue.

The key element of almsgiving is the attitude and motive of the giver.

It has to be prompted by charity, an act of virtue.

Those definitions are in keeping with what we’ve been told by Jesus.

And by the Jewish prophets before him, and the Church scholars after him.

They’ve all said that almsgiving is necessary—for the sake of the giver.

The Twelfth Century Jewish Scholar, Maimonides (my-MON-i-deez),

defined eight ascending levels of virtue in almsgiving:

  1- Giving begrudgingly

  2- Giving less than you should, but giving it cheerfully

  3- Giving after being asked

  4- Giving before being asked

  5- Giving when you don’t know the recipient’s identity, but the recipient knows yours

  6- Giving when you know the recipient’s identity, but the recipient doesn’t know yours

  7- Giving when neither party knows the other

  8- Giving so that the recipient may become self reliant

Today, we and the world watch as Congress battles over our national budget.

A battle where many of the arguments concern government programs to assist the needy.

In that role, our modern welfare state might be seen as interfering with our almsgiving.

It requires us to contribute taxes and other payments for programs that help the needy.

Depriving us of some of our opportunities for more direct, free will, acts of charity.

Depriving us of some of our resources for more direct, free will, acts of charity.

So our government does interfere with the free will aspect of those contributions.

But at the same time, it could help us move up the ascending levels of virtue.

We reach at least the level of unidentified giver and receiver.

And sometimes even that top level of enabling the recipient’s self reliance.

As imperfect as our welfare state may be.

As inefficient, poorly administered, or abused as some program might be.

All can still benefit today, while we try to improve those programs for tomorrow.

As we’re told, the key element in our almsgiving is our motive and attitude.

So, we can internally decide to treat our government payment as a cheerful free will contribution.

A contribution toward the ideal ends that the supported programs might achieve.

With that spirit, that awareness, that intent—our payments can take on a dual nature.

Even though required by law,

They can become part of our interior-cleansing, spirit-building almsgiving.

Alms to help unidentified, needy individuals become more self reliant.

Alms for the general benefit of ourselves and our society as a whole.

Tuesday, 28th Week in Ordinary Time

Lk 11:37-41           Read this Scripture @usccb.org