Tonight we're going to talk about almsgiving, a subject about which there are a lot of misconceptions. The most common confusion is to equate alms with tithes. We're obligated to give a tithe, that is, 10% of our income. This is a longstanding Scriptural principle (cf. Gen 14:20, Deut 14:22), although tithing was not often discussed in the early Church because everyone gave well over the minimum requirement. It was only during the time of Constantine that the percentage needed to be enforced. We today are still required to given ten percent, but almsgiving is charity above and beyond the tithe. The other usual mistake is to view this as merely “social justice,” rather, the giving of alms is at the core of the Christian mission and highly commended to us by Christ.

We all need to live the Gospel more fully, and Lent is a great opportunity to begin to do so. It stimulates us to rediscover the mercy of God so that we, in turn, become more merciful towards our brothers and sisters. In the Lenten period, prayer, fasting and almsgiving help us in this process of interior renewal. Tonight we will focus on three key components of almsgiving:

• it assists those in need
• it teaches us self-denial, which frees us from attachments to worldly goods
• it makes our prayers more effective

Almsgiving helps us to overcome the constant temptation to make wealth an idol, and teaches us to respond to our neighbor's needs. The word alms is derived from a Greek word meaning pity, mercy, or compassion. Having mercy on others – giving alms – means sharing what we’re able to possess through divine goodness. And it is truly only through Providence that we have what we do, “for it is He who is giving you the power to make wealth” (Deut 8:18). If what we have is not something we earn but rather something we’re given, how does this affect what we do with our money?

Mindful of the fact that what we have is not our own, giving to the deserving poor is a crucial part of the Christian life. St. Paul speaks of this in his Letters:

Notice Paul's choice of words: support of the saints. This is far more than contemporary social justice – in Paul's mind assisting those in need means supporting the one thing that is needful: the mission of the Church, the salvation of souls. How often do we think of alms as a way of advancing missionary activity?

The support of evangelization is indeed central to almsgiving, but this is not to overlook the material needs of our brothers and sisters: "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise." (Lk 3:11) And we should not forget who it is that we are helping when we provide material aid: "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me." (Mt 25:40)

But it is important here to formulate a distinction between the deserving and the undeserving poor. There is nothing wrong with giving money to those who labor tirelessly yet remain in need. In fact, this is highly commendable and Christian to the core. On the other hand, giving money to panhandlers who drift from church to church rather than put in an honest day's work is absolute foolishness. Such "charity" is of no benefit to its recipients and should be heavily discouraged. This is not a new problem. Tobit says, "Give alms from your possessions to all who live uprightly" (Tob 4:7), and the Didache exhorts us to “Let your alms sweat in your hands, until you know to whom you should give.”

Almsgiving supports the poor in a very tangible way, but this practice is not solely for the benefit of others. Self denial, which goes hand-in-hand with charitable giving, frees us from materialism: "You cannot serve both God and Mammom" (Lk 16:13). Truthfully, when you give up worldly things to help the poor you suffer no loss: for when you "Sell your possessions and give to charity" you "make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven" (Lk 12:33).

Giving up possessions leaves us with a greater sense of freedom and enables us to find fuller joy in the simplicity of our wants. St. Francis gladly embraced lady poverty, whom he viewed as the most beautiful spouse in the world. The poor widow in the Gospel threw into the Temple treasury “all she had to live on” (Mk 12:44) and was commended by Christ for having done so. When we willingly simplify our lives and “do not let our eyes begrudge the gift once we have made it” (cf. Tob 4:7) we share in this joy.

Admittedly, few receive the call to extreme poverty. We all need some amount of money to support ourselves, our families, and to fulfill any other obligations we may have. But what do we do with what’s left over? "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Lk 12:34). With this in mind, do we spend our surplus on excessive entertainments and luxuries, or do we give alms?

The Gospels teach that when you give, you should do so in secret: "when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Mt 6:2-4). If in the act of giving we have freed ourselves from worldly attachments, what a downfall it would be to get caught up in pride! Almsgiving must never enlarge our egos but must free us to draw closer to God and go deeper in prayer.

The Scriptures tell us that almsgiving is a prayer in its own right: "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God" (Acts 10:4). Alms give wings to our prayers because charity expressed through self-giving love "is an excellent offering in the presence of the Most High" (Tob 4:10) and "covers a multitude of sins" (1 Pt 4:8).

Almsgiving conforms us more perfectly to the very nature of God. "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich." (2 Cor 8:9) Christ gave Himself for us and God has given us all that we have, therefore we should give up our riches for the sake of Christ and give out of our abundance to God's beloved poor.

With thanks to Pope Benedict XVI, whose Message for Lent 2008 was foundational to this document.