CHARITY AND JUSTICE
“For the measure you give will be the measure you receive back.” – Luke 6:38
In monitoring my personal finances, I use a simple worksheet where I log the date, amount and brief description of all my sources of funds and expenses for the month. I classify each expense item by indicating a code. For example, UTI refers to utilities, ENT for entertainment, LON for loans, ALL for food/allowance, GFT for gifts, PER for personal items/shopping, etc.
At the end of each month, I would sort the list by code, take the sub-total for each then tabulate it in a separate monthly summary sheet. This gives me an idea of where to make necessary adjustments the following month if I had overspent.
Another code I have is CHY for charity. It includes the amount I shell out for Mass offering, stipends for the seminarians, World Vision pledge, ad hoc donations and various contributions. This way, I’m able to monitor whether I am faithfully giving my tithe or have been amiss in being generous. The words of a priest friend struck me in one of his homilies. “When we share the little of what we have, that’s charity. When we give out what we have in excess, that’s justice.” Marie Franco
Do you share what you have out of charity or justice or because you are banking on the promise of receiving something in return?
Father God, remove greed in this world, especially the one that resides in my heart.
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