Stewardship. Time, talent, and treasure. Appeal. Those words are often merely associated with pleas to raise money for the Church. But if we understood the biblical concepts of stewardship, tithing, and almsgiving, it would revolutionize the way we look at charitable giving. The Christian is called to be a “faithful and wise steward” in Christ’s kingdom (Lk. 12:42). In Scripture, a steward managed the affairs and finances of a large household on behalf of his master (see Lk. 16:1- 8). The patriarch Joseph, for example, became a steward for his Egyptian master, Potiphar, and was put in charge of all that his master had. Joseph later found himself in a comparable position ruling over the house of Pharaoh when he was made second in command of the kingdom of Egypt, administrating the affairs of the Pharaoh (Gen. 41:40-45). It’s important to note that the wealth, possessions, and land administered by the steward were not his own. The master or king was the true ruler and owner. The steward managed his household in his stead and for his purposes. Stewardship for the Christian certainly has a spiritual dimension. We are stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4:1-2) and of God’s grace (1 Pet. 4:10; Eph. 3:2). But stewardship also involves the time, possessions, and gifts that God has entrusted to us. This biblical understanding reminds us that all we possess is not our own; it has been entrusted to us by the Lord. We are stewards called to faithfully and wisely manage the Lord’s gifts, so that they can be put to good service for His household, the kingdom of God. In this light, charitable giving is not so much about giving up “my” money to help other people. All I have has been given to me by my master, the Lord, and I am called to manage these gifts wisely as His steward. My wealth is not my own to use however I selfishly please. When I give to the Church or to the poor, I am simply being a good steward of the Lord’s blessings, using them as He desires. We will consider two ways we can exercise our stewardship: tithing and almsgiving. Test God on Tithing! The Old Testament Law required the lay tribes of Israel to give a tithe (one-tenth) of their grain, oil, wine, and livestock to the Levites to support them for their spiritual service to the people, because they did not receive a land inheritance like the other tribes (Num. 18:21-24). This practice of supporting those who provide spiritual leadership carried over into the Christian era as God’s people gave a tithe of their wealth to support the clergy and their ministry. St. Thomas Aquinas points out that the continuation of this practice is quite fitting, “lest the people of the New Law should give less to the ministers of the New Testament than did the people of the Old Law to the ministers of the Old Testament.”[1] But on an even more fundamental level, Aquinas sees tithing as an act of justice. Just as a society should provide for the necessities of those who serve them (such as government officials or soldiers), so the people should support the livelihood of those who lead them in worshiping God. To fail to do so would be unjust. According to St. Augustine, the Christian who neglects this duty to tithe “takes what belongs to someone else.” THE POWER OF TITHING AND ALMSGIVING St. Peter Catholic Church Faith Fact March 2014 God Himself says that those who do not bring the full tithe are not simply lacking in generosity: He describes them as thieves, robbing God (Mal. 3:8-10). This depiction makes sense if we see ourselves as stewards. God blessed each of us with a certain amount of wealth, in part, so that we would justly share it with those who serve us. To neglect tithing, however, is to treat our possessions as if they are our own. It is to become like a steward who steals his master’s wealth and does with it whatever he pleases for himself. The Bible often teaches that we should not put the Lord to the test. But there is one passage in which God Himself commands us to test Him. In Malachi 3:10, God challenges His people to give a full tithe and then trust that He will bless them abundantly for their generosity: Bring the full tithes into the storehouse . . . and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. Putting God first with our finances and giving a tithe is not always easy. But God promises that the person who does will experience “an overflowing blessing.” He wants us to try it—to test Him on this. If we give Him a little more, He will give us much more in return. “The Gospel on Five Fingers” In addition to tithing, another way to be a good steward is to give to those in need out of compassion for them in their suffering and out of love for God. This act of mercy is called almsgiving and is one of the essential religious practices Jesus emphasizes in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 6:2-4). Proverbs 19:17 makes a remarkable statement about almsgiving: “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord.” What does this mean? In what sense is almsgiving giving God a loan? Blessed Mother Teresa often spoke about how the Gospel can be summed up on five fingers. While pointing to each finger she would repeat these five words of Jesus: “You-did-it-to-me.” She, of course, was drawing on the famous passage in Matthew 25 about how those who provide for the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick perform these charitable acts ultimately for Christ. When we give to the poor, it is as if we are giving to God, who is especially present in the poor. “Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt. 25:40). But still, why would almsgiving be called a “loan” to God? When we loan something to someone, we have an expectation that we will be repaid. Thus when Proverbs 19 teaches that giving alms to the poor is not just a gift, but a “loan” to God, there is an underlying confidence that God will pay us back. That becomes explicit in the second half of the verse: “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord and He will repay Him for His deed.” The Bible once again makes clear that when we generously give to those in need, God will bless us abundantly. Just as the person who tithes to support the Levites would receive “an overflowing blessing,” so the person who gives alms to the poor will be repaid for his deed. Giving alms, thus, serves as an expression of trust that God will “pay us back” with His many blessings. [2] And the return on investment is startling. In the Gospel story about the “Rich Young Man,” Jesus invites this impressive man to give alms—to sell all he has and give it to the poor in order to receive “a treasure in heaven” (Mk. 10:21). This indeed is a unique call to make a tremendous sacrifice. But notice what Jesus says about the kind of return on investment he would receive: People who give up all to follow Christ will receive “one-hundredfold” in this life and the next (Mk. 10:27-30). Imagine having a trustworthy friend who told you about a stock that would receive a one-hundred fold return on investment. Putting $1,000 down on this stock would quickly yield $100,000 for you! If you knew this friend’s advice was 100% reliable, wouldn’t you be willing to give up a lot of money to purchase this stock, knowing you would receive so much more in return? Jesus Christ is a completely reliable friend—one in whom we should put all our trust. He is the one calling us to be generous with what we have, and He is guaranteeing a one-hundred fold return. “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time . . . and in the age to come eternal life” (Mk. 10:29-30). But the question is: do we really trust Jesus? Almsgiving is a tremendous act of faith. Do you really believe what Jesus taught—that when you give to the poor you are giving to Him? And do you really believe that you will be enriched one-hundred fold in this life and receive eternal life if you are generous in your giving to the poor? The person who does not trust Jesus’ words about almsgiving will be more likely to hoard his possessions, focus on his own “financial security” and be very cautious about giving to the poor, though not thinking twice about eating out for dinner, going on vacation or getting the latest in cell phone technology. The person who does truly trust God’s word, however, would eagerly give up more of his possessions to help the poor, confident that he will receive from God so much more in return—like the investor who is certain about a stock that will yield a one-hundred fold return. For he knows the Lord is trustworthy and cannot be outdone in generosity. [1] St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica Pt. II-II Q. 87, Art. 1. [2] See Gary Anderson, Sin: A History (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009), esp. Chapters 9 & 11.
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Fun taking my girls to the Father-Daughter Dance this weekend! I’m grateful for my beautiful princesses…and for taking little Elinor for the first time. I’m also grateful that our Catholic school sponsors this each year for our families. Josephine injured her foot at a basketball game earlier that day, so she unfortunately couldn’t dance on crutches, but I’m thankful the injury doesn’t look too bad, and that she was still able at least to join us for this fun night out! ... See MoreSee Less
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You’re such an awesome dad!! You and your girls are so very blessed!!!!
When my family lived in Saudi due to my husband's job, I was a Girl Scout Leader and organized a FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE. I had a moment that I saw in the future when my husband would be dancing with our daughter at her wedding.
Wonderful pictures💝 Beautiful daughters!❤❤❤
Beautiful family! You are blessed!
Awesome!!! You guys look amazing. I hope she recovers quickly. Today I learned of an amazing blessing: you are coming to St Mary Magdalene in Simpsonville, SC. God willing, will meet you there!!!
Such a special event. Beautiful girls💗
Dr Sri, What a beautiful family you're blessed with!!! You're such a great teacher. Thank you
What lovely young ladies, you will always be surrounded by smart and beautiful women…and I’m sure they will keep you on your toes, in all the best ways 🥰
You are very blessed!
You are so blesses. Your princesses are beautiful!
Your oldest is your Minnie me. I had three girls close in age like that too. They are precious! Enjoy every minute. Five years after the youngest I had a son too. They are all great gifts from A loving God!!
More Dads need to do this for their Daughters! 🥰
Great pictures!!
Great and precious picture 💕
3 beautiful blessings, for sure. Have a wonderful time!
You are a blessed family and a blessing to our Catholic Faith.
So blessed to have beautiful girls to love and bring closer to the Lord
I so enjoyed your talk on the Mass on the Hallow App. Blessings to your beautiful family. ❤️
Such a lovely family!! Wonderful night for you and memories to last a lifetime!!
Beautiful family!
Josephine is smiling so she will have a hood time on participating in the school event. Love the little girls and their smiles and the proud father
Such a beautiful photo
Making meaningful and lasting memories, thanks dad for the love..
Yay daddy! Beautiful girls
Absolutely adorable!




We prayed at the Western Wall—leaving our written intentions in the remaining stones of the Jerusalem Temple from the time of Jesus, just as as Pope Saint John Paul II did on his visit here. We also prayed in Gethsemane touching the traditional rock upon which Jesus prayed in His agony in the garden. And we visited Bethlehem and prayed at the sacred spot where Jesus was born. Our last 24 hours in Jerusalem were packed and full of blessings. On our way home now. Praying that the graces of this pilgrimage bear fruit in the pilgrims’ lives for years to come! ... See MoreSee Less
I wish I could go on one of these pilgrimages but my decision not to use vaccines that are based on aborted children keeps me from flying internationally. I tried twice to go to the Holy Land. The first time my brother and my mother in law were both dying and the second time I broke my ankle two months before the time set to go, both before Covid.
May all your lives be blessed more and more. In Jesus mighty name Amen
It sounds like a beautiful trip and experience! Someday I hope to experience this myself. Have a safe trip home!
Beautiful
Thanking God for the blessing of your heart and teaching this past week, it was such a faith and life changing trip! So grateful, enjoyed our group so much and the journey we had together and individually. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Saddened by the violent events In Jerusalem, but I understand better the very fragile balance that is needed among the faiths. And the fact that they live on top of each other and share the holy sites. If you speak to Adrian, tell him we’re praying for peace between his people and the Palestinian people—for once and forevermore. I would still say I felt safer there than in New Orleans where I go next to babysit.
I do hope to join you there in a future tour!
What a great trip
Matthew 6:5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.” Maybe don't.
Great trip




At the Jordan River, we renewed our baptismal promises at the place where Jesus Himself was baptized. We also did something in Jerusalem I’ve never been able to do on a pilgrimage here… We got to pray at the tomb of Jesus twice! Our group arrived to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem early like we normally do, but this time, amazingly, there were no lines. We walked right up to Calvary and touched the rock upon which Jesus was crucified. And then we prayed at the tomb of Jesus, again, with very little line to wait. Many in our group were able to go right back in line and pray at the tomb a second time! I’ve never been able to get through the church so smoothly, as the line is usually an hour or two long, at least. But today our group was able to have this double blessing, as we processed through the Old City praying Stations of the Cross and then got to pray at the very place where Jesus rose from the dead. Praying at the very places where Jesus began and culminated his ministry makes the Faith very real. Jesus is not just an idea, or a teacher. He is God, who became man and walked among us, was baptized here, in this river…came to Jerusalem, and was crucified here on Calvary…was taken down from the cross and buried here at the tomb…And it was from this tomb that he conquered sin, death, and the devil as he rose from the dead to give us new life! Thank you Jesus! ... See MoreSee Less
I remember grappling for place to sit, weak in my knees I sat there as I unconsolably cried my eyes out for like 45 minutes till a priest I think it was came and prayed over me. I went solo in 2000, so it was possible! I wanna go again!!
You are so blessed 🙏🏽🙏🏽
How I wish I could go on a pilgrimage with you!
Amazing 🛐🛐🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🥰🎉🎉🎉
Excellent!! I hope they appreciate how lucky they are. When we were there with you in 2019 the wait was projected to be 6+ hours so the group did not go into the tomb. I have been there before, so it wasn't as much a loss for me as for some who were on their only or first trip.
Made this trip in November 2022. Such a special experience. 🙏
What an experience of a lifetime
Amen! Great blessing to visit such sacred places.🙏
A very beautiful and holy experience all at once and sounds perfect how awesome that we are so blessed to be Catholic to be living walking on these holy ground where our Lord God Saviour Jesus Christ's Passion and Death and Resurrection occurred.
Wow! What a spectacular blessing for you and your group. Thanks for sharing this wonderful opportunity. ❤️
Andrew Gregersen !!! I'd LOVE to do this pilgrimage with Dr. Sri someday!!!!
What a blessing!!
God Bless you
amazing blessing!!! can’t wait to go one day!!! ❤️🙏🕊✝️🌹
I was there in November and the crowds at the tomb was out the door long.
This is amazing!
Please pray for me and my family! For healing!
Thanks so much for sharing
Amen 🙏
We head over in three weeks. How are the crowds? I was told that this summer they were very light.
A most blessed experience 💚🙏 (with Fr. Calloway in May of 2015)
Amen
what a Blessing
Amen
How much do one of these trips cost and how does one sign up?




Sunset over the Sea of Galilee tonight. This is my favorite day of the Holy Land pilgrimage— walking in Jesus’s footsteps in his ministry around the Sea of Galilee. We prayed at the remains of Peter’s house in Capernaum where He healed so many people. We prayed at the traditional site where he multiplied the loaves and fishes. We had Mass at the Mount of Beatitudes, where he gave the Sermon on the Mount. And we ended our day taking a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee, like the disciples many times did with Jesus 2000 years ago. Seeing these sacred places in real life changes the way we read the Bible… We will always have these visuals in our minds when we hear these Bible stories in the future! Thankful for all Jesus did here in his public ministry—and for all He continues to do in our lives today! ... See MoreSee Less
A pilgrimage to the Holy Land definitely changes the way we read and hear Scripture. I’m a “crier;” so I tended to cry everywhere we went. After returning home, I think I cried at every Mass for 6 weeks. I could close my eyes and place myself right back where that particular Scripture took place. Even words of a song could start the tears flowing. We went right before Holy Week…so you can imagine what a mess I was!
Remembering this pilgrimage that my son Josiah and I shared with you in November 2019 - just before the pandemic hit! It was an incredible blessing, and I made some lasting friendships during that week. Believe it or not, Josiah turns 21 on the 18th - he was only 17 back then! I hope you are having a fabulous trip, and say hello to Leslie and Tim Wells for me! 💒🙏🏻❤️
You are correct. The scriptures and the rosary mysteries come alive after you’ve been to the Holy Land because you’ve been to those places. Best trip I ever took. 🙏🙏🙏
Please … Pray for my granddaughters & grandson 🙏
Sounds like an amazing Ed, glad you were able to enjoy with family!
Thanks for sharing. So precious
Thanks you so much for sharing these beautiful photos! I have dreamed of a trip to the Holy Lands…magnificent! May God bless everyone on pilgrimage with many graces! ❤️🙏🏻
One day I will be able to make this pilgrimage!! I pray it will be sooner than later. What a blessing! Thank you for sharing
Oh how I long for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Dont know how it will work out as i am very feeble and cannot walk much distance due to joint pains specially the knee pain. May God's hand of protection and abundant blessings be upon those who are going and being blessed.
Pink Sunset in new england tonite
Looks like a fun group of pilgrims.
So gorgeous!
So meaningful, nothing compares with this trip to the Holy Land.
Reminded me of one of my pictures
Thank You for sharing
Oh my gosh. I have always wanted to go.
Very beautiful and blessed 🙏🏼
Amen 🙏🏻
Amen <3 Thank You Lord, for all things <3
What a blessing
Wow! I have got to do this trip!
To be able to be in the Holy Land would be a game changer. But to be there with you with your knowledge of the New and O.T. would make that trip even a better understanding of the Bible and more rewarding. I have listened to many of your talks on FORMED and know how the O.T. prefectures the New Testament and how the N.T fulfills the old. Thank you for what you do get closure to Jesus and to understand our faith better.
I would have liked this trip..especially seeing everyone in coats! I can't take the heat!
BEAUTIFUL PICTURES!! 😍
Amen 🙏.