REVERSE TITHING
March 1, 2010
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“Give and gifts will be given to you…” – Luke 6:38
After 30 years of giving, I now earn enough to the point that I give 40 percent of my income to God and to the
poor. (Hey, I know I’ll lose a few rewards in heaven for telling you how much I give. But I don’t care. I want to
inspire people to give more to God and to the poor.)
This is why I say I’m truly rich: because I’m a giver.
But here’s my real dream: To do a reverse tithe.
I want to earn so much that I can give 90 percent — and live on the remaining 10 percent. (Yes, I’ve got it all
plotted out, written down in my 15-page Dream Book that I’ve been reading each morning for more than 10
years now.)
I’m not saying that you should give 40 percent of your income to God and the poor. That’s my personal
decision. My life has been so involved in ministry and service and I know its many needs. That’s why I made
that my dream.
But this is my challenge to you: Earn to give.
And it’s true: God cannot be outdone in giving. Bo Sanchez (bosanchez@kerygmafamily.com)
REFLECTION:
What do you have that isn’t from God?
To You, O Lord, I owe all that I am and all that I have. Grant me a generous heart and spirit so I can give to
those who need my help.
1st READING
Daniel expresses the truth of Israel ’s sinfulness and God’s integrity. In so doing, he captures the essence
of the dilemma that all human beings must confront at one time or another: in the face of the holiness of God
and our own sin, what will we do? The correct response is to accept God’s offer of forgiveness and repent of
our sins. This Lent, let us pray for the grace to open our hearts to the merciful forgiveness of our loving God.
Daniel 9:4b-10
4 “Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you and
observe your commandments! 5 We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and
departed from your commandments and your laws. 6 We have not obeyed your servants the prophets, who
spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land. 7 Justice, O Lord, is
on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem , and all
Israel , near and far, in all the countries to which you have scattered them because of their treachery toward
you. 8 O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers, for having sinned against
you. 9 But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness! Yet we rebelled against you 10 and paid
no heed to your command, O LORD, our God, to live by the law you gave us through your servants the
prophets.”
P S A L M
Psalm 79:8, 9, 11, 13
R: Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
8 Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are
brought very low. (R) 9 Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; deliver us and pardon
our sins for your name’s sake. (R) 11 Let the prisoners’ sighing come before you; with your great power free
those doomed to death. 13 Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you
forever; through all generations we will declare your praise. (R)
G O S P E L
God’s generosity and love is beyond questioning. Yes, there is suffering and hardship in the world but none
of it can be blamed on God. The suffering in the world is mostly a result of the choices human beings have
made — choices of refusing to love God and our neighbor. Let us resolve to always choose the path of love
when faced with the difficult decisions of life.
Luke 6:36-38
36 Jesus said to his disciples: “Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful. 37 “Stop judging and you
will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. 38
Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be
poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
Correcting Our Own Exams
Way back in our grade school days in Paco Catholic School , the average class size was around 49 to 52
students. Teachers taught the same subject to a good number of sections and this meant monitoring the
progress of many students. At that time, Paco Catholic School was already known as the biggest parochial
school in terms of student population.
Our teachers were very innovative in their efforts to lighten their workloads. For example, the task of
correcting numerous home works, seatworks and quizzes was greatly simplified by the practice of
“exchanging notebooks or papers” with our seatmates. The right answers were read by the teacher, and we
took on the responsibility of checking our seatmate’s work. Later, we were even asked to check our own
seatworks and quizzes and, in the end, tally our own scores and grades.
Looking back now, I realize that those practices did not only lighten the teacher’s work. Those practices also
developed in us the appreciation of the value of honesty — to others, and most especially to self. This last
one proves to be the most challenging. There were instances when one would be tempted to quickly right a
wrong answer, most especially when that one answer spelled the difference between passing or failing the
exam.
Jesus’ teachings today underscore this: hard and challenging as it may seem, values and virtues do begin
with oneself. We can read, listen to, and learn about moral and spiritual disciplines from books, and from
other people’s testimonies. However, to truly live moral and spiritual uprightness, the measures should flow
from a personal and interior conviction. No outside measures and pressures can effect goodness that lasts.
Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP
Reflection Question:
Lent is not just a season for external sacrifices. It is a time of grace to journey into ourselves. What values
and virtues do you need to appreciate more as interior measures,
rather than external disciplines?
Father, let the good works that I do stem from my personal convictions, and not just for show.
St. Aubin, pray for us.
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