Deuteronomy 14:22-23 "You shall tithe all the yield of your seed, which comes forth from the field year by year. And before the Lord your God, in the place which he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstlings of your herd and flock; that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always."

Tithing was an Old Testament obligation imposed on the Jews through the Law of Moses. The Church no longer requires us to tithe, but we are still asked to give some of what we have for her support and health. I think it is helpful to think about why God required tithing, and how it can instruct us on giving to the Church, even though we are no longer under a strict tithing obligation.

Note that God requires the tithing, but then tells the Jews they shall eat and drink what they have thithed in the place that He designates in order to make His name dwell there. The tithes, then, were used to create a celebration, a celebration that included God and reminded the people that He was with them and had given them everything they had! The people will tithe individually, but they will gather communally to eat what they had tithed, in a place where God assured them He would be with them. How amazing is that?! The Jews had a set time and place for a recurring meal with God and their neighbors! Where can we get the same thing the Jews had? At Mass, and we get even more! Every week, or even every day, we can gather with our neighbors in a place where we absolutely know God is present and we can celebrate the greatest thing ever done for us. There we are fed not just with the grain and wine we have produced and given, but that grain and wine is transformed into the Body and Blood of our Savior!

We are given so much more than the Old Testament Jews had, and yet the Church no longer requires us to tithe to support it. Why? Because we are supposed to give from the heart. The Jews were just coming out of slavery when this instruction was given. They needed to learn more fully who God was and how they related to Him. But we know who God is, and we have His Son who sacrificed Himself for us and feeds us with his Body and Blood every day. We should not have to be told to give to the Church to support this, we should want to, out of our immense gratitude and out of holy wonder that we are so blessed and loved.