Giving is not a chore or burden, but a blessing

By Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan
Archbishop of Milwaukee
Apostolic Administrator, Diocese of Green Bay

He wrote me again this year. Same little note.

Every year about this time I write to thank him for his generous gift to our archdiocesan Catholic Stewardship Appeal. My appreciation is sincere, because we depend upon benefactors like him to fund the works of the church in southeastern Wisconsin.

Sure enough, in a couple days, he scribbles me back, "No, Archbishop, as I have told you before, I thank you for the opportunity to give."

You don't think that inspires me?

See, I have to spend a lot of time asking people for money. I have to be honest and admit that it's part of my job I do not particularly relish.

My mentor, Cardinal Justin Rigali, used to say, "A bishop is the beggar-in-chief of the diocese."

So, I swallow hard and do it. It's made a little easier because daily I get requests for help from ministers, apostolates, programs, schools, and people all over the archdiocese.

It's made a little easier because I get to see where the money I ask for ends up - helping, serving people in the name of Jesus.

It's really made a lot easier when I get a note like I did telling me I did him a favor by inviting him to give!

In a way, that's stewardship: We're so grateful for God's overwhelming, undeserved goodness to us, that we look for ways to share it with His people in need.

It's particularly poignant during Lent, as we stress the three great practices of prayer, penance, and almsgiving. As the great spiritual masters remind us, prayer and penance without giving are hollow.

Yes, we're stretched: the economy is down, kids' tuition, health cost, gas skyrocketing, just getting-by.

And we get so many requests: from the pulpit, in the mail, from the archbishop, from the missions, on the telephone, in the community . . . it goes on and on!

What do I respond?

"Leave me alone, I'm doing all I can!"

"I pick one or two and forget the rest."

"Come back later and I'll see if I have any left."

Or . . .

"Am I ever glad I'm the one being asked instead of the one in need!"

"Good! Other ways to practice stewardship and share God's gifts to me with others!"

All I can do is ask, invite, encourage, put the cause and the care before you - support of your parish, the Bishop's Appeal, the combined collections, the special appeals, the missions, the outreach, the services to the poor, our Holy Father, our schools.

I don't always relish doing it, but do it I must.

And it's all worthwhile when God's people come through, or when one of then writes me back, "I thank you for the opportunity go give."

Giving, then, is not a chore, not a burden, not a headache, to be avoided, but a blessing.

That's stewardship.