As I was sitting in front of my computer at my desk, my colleague started talking to another regarding Ramadan. He was explaining the meaning behind it and how the whole point of fasting and the intense prayers is to make you a better person after it. He said it is the hope that the values and maturity you gained from this period will stay with you even after it is over. He also started talking about Zakat, which means “that which purifies”. He explained that it is an act of alms-giving to the poor and you have to give about 5% of your wealth (so not just your income). It used to be mandatory but these days, only some countries make it so.

When they finished talking about it, the other colleague went back to his desk, which was next to mine. I made a remark to him that some Protestants do a similar thing to Zakat and I pointed out that it’s a crazy amount of 10% (I’m not sure as to how accurate this is, I have this information from friends of mine.) I said my sister’s best friend finds herself a little financially restrained because of this. He then proceeds to tell me that the Catholics have a similar thing too, to which I went, ‘What!’. Whatever do you mean that the Catholics have an obligation to donate a percentage of their wealth (also called tithing). I have never heard of this. I should prefaced this by saying my other colleague is a Catholic too, so I’m assuming that he does know what he is talking about.

He proceeded to look it up on the Internet and told me that it isn’t mandatory but it is recommended to do so. I took in under contemplation. Maybe I have been living under a rock. I never knew that the Catholics were also highly encouraged to do tithing. I mean I know we are encouraged to do alms-giving but not like this.

My colleague then tells me how he and his wife donates to a charitable organisation. They will make sure that they set a certain amount aside every year. He said it also helps with the tax deduction side of things. I nodded in agreement.

After thinking about it for a while, I admitted to my colleague that I didn’t know about tithing but I always assume that the point of being Catholic or even being human is to give everything.

He said, “Everything?”

I replied, “Everything” and told him about the parable of the widow’s offering (Luke 21: 1-4). It reads,

He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small coins. He said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.’ 

I pointed that out not because I give everything that I have. I am ashamed to admit that I am no where even near that level of selflessness. I pointed that out because I know that is what you and I need to strive towards to.

Taking nothing away from Zakat and tithing, I think it is great that a system is in place for alms-giving to be necessary and so that there is a fair distribution of wealth and property among people. I think it’s admirable and also extremely kind of people to give away so much of what they have. I know nothing of the economics side of this and I’m not going to pretend like I do but I do know that there has to be something beyond that.

Giving is not just in terms of money (It is however the most practical thing to do.) but giving is in the form of every single part of who we are. We can donate our time and spend it with those who need it most. We can lend a listening ear to those who need counsel. We can play music for those who need to be enlivened. We can teach and pass on our knowledge to those who are lacking. We can share our own personal struggles with others so that they and us can grow together towards becoming better people.

Take for example a contestant on America’s Got Talent called Mandy Harvey. She became deaf at the age of 18 but of all the career choices she could have went with, she decided to stick with singing and songwriting. Just imagine this. A deaf person sang an original song on one of the biggest talent shows. She would never be able to hear her own song but she decided to do it anyways because she wanted to keep trying and not give up. If that’s not the purest form of giving, I don’t know what else is.

We can do so much more than just giving money to people. We can be so much more and be a symbol of hope to others. If we set aside a certain amount to give to charity each year, that is a great first step. However, we need to think of the second, third, fourth and hundredth step. What can we do beyond that as human beings?

We are meant to give until it hurts. We are meant to love beyond the state of it breaking us. But that’s what love is. Love is meant to hurt. Love is meant to break us down and make us question ourselves.

But that’s what makes love worth it.

At the heart of giving things that we own to others is love. We give because we feel compassion and empathy for those for are less fortunate. Don’t stop there. Keep going. Let that compassion and empathy drive you towards more love. Let it drive you to give everything you are.

I will end with a little piece of treasure from Bernard of Clairvaux, whom wrote,

“Love suffices unto itself, gives delight of itself and because of itself. Love is its own merit, its own reward. Love needs no cause outside itself, no fruit other than itself. Its fruit is its practice. I love because I love; I love that I may love. Love is a great thing, so long as it reverts back to its source, return to its origins and flows back to its fount, constantly drawing there the water that gives it new life.”