27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A Month of Giving & Appreciation
“Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will as reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

The month of October is dedicated to giving and appreciation. In the old testament, God asked the Israelites to tithe 10% of their possessions (Gen 14:20; Gen 28:22). Christ calls us to be generous, but it must come from the heart. “Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, ‘Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.’” Mark 12:43-44. Generosity is not measured by how much is given but by the disposition of the heart which is giving.

The fifth precept of the Catholic Church indicates that “You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church means that the faithful are obliged to assist with the material needs of the Church, each according to his own ability.” (CCC 2043). We suggest, if you can, to work towards tithing 10% of your income on a monthly basis to either the parish or to charity. Remember that we are generous as a response to the blessings which God has bestowed upon us, not as a way to receive blessings from God.

A goal of ours is to get more of our parishioners signed up for automatic donations through their credit card or direct deposit. Automatic donations create a hassle-free way of tithing. With automatic donations there is no need to worry about having envelopes, cash, or a cheque handy. Currently, only 4% of our parishioners are signed up for automatic donations. As a large inner-city parish, we have many expenses which rely on the support of our parishioners to be covered. We are also in the process of paying off large amounts of debt such as the building fund. The sooner these expenses are tackled the better! Remember that when you donate to the parish, you receive a tax-deductible receipt.

On October 13th, 14th, 20th, and 21st, there will be volunteers after mass who are ready to assist you with signing up for automatic donations. Please bring your direct debit or credit card information with you on those days to make the process easier for you and for our volunteers.

At the end of this month we will be doing a fundraiser in order to help cover the expenses of running the parish. We will be selling products made by Tianna Williams. Keep an ear and eye out for more information and in the meantime check out Tianna’s website and get an idea of what you’d like to buy when she comes: https://ti-spark.ca/.

We thank you for your generosity and continued support of Sacred Heart Church.