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In the book of Genesis, Jacob made a promise to God saying, "If Yahweh (God) will be with me and keep me safe during this journey I
am making, if he gives me bread to eat and clothes to wear, and if I return in peace to my father's house, then Yahweh will be my God.
This stone which I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me, I will give back a
tenth." (Genesis 28: 20-22) And because Jacob trusted in God, we see that Yahweh was always with him and always kept him safe during his journey here on earth, and blessed him with success, for demonstrating great faith in the God Who
Provides, and for persevering in the things of God. Jacob always had bread to eat and clothes to wear.
Nothing was ever lacking, because God would always give him what he needed. To him it was nothing to
give to God the tenth of everything, because he knew he was giving the tenth to His Provider and learned the great secret of how we obtain
blessings when we tithe (offer to God the tenth of what we have).
“Turn over into the temple treasury the tenth part of all, that there may be food in my House. Then you may test me, says Yahweh of
hosts, to see if I will not open the gates of heaven and bring blessed rain to you up to the last drop.”
(Malachi 3,10) Jacob turned over the tenth and God fulfilled His Promise. God will also fulfill this Promise
with you too! The Catholic Church doesn’t require the faithful to tithe
like the protestant churches do. But the Catholic Church has always recommended it because God deserves the best from us. When we
tithe, we give 10% of what we have. (i.e. we give $10 if we earn $100 weekly; $20 if we earn $200, etc…) This is nothing compare to what
God deserves! This is a pleasing way of giving thanks to God for what He gives us. We also show we worry more about His things than ours. Let us give more generously to OUR parish. God & His Church needs
it. Be motivated! Today, put to test, in your life, the Promise of God
concerning tithes, and God tells you, “see if I will not open the gates of heaven and bring blessed rain to you up to the last drop.”- Alvin Peña
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