How are God’s Grace and Sacrificial Giving related?

There is something highly enigmatic about God’s Grace. It is difficult to put one’s finger on what Grace exactly is, or how to even recognise Grace in our lives. Perhaps the easiest way to understand Grace is through the metaphor of the dewfall. You may recall that in the second Eucharist Prayer, the priest calls down the Holy Spirit upon the gifts of bread and wine “like the dewfall.”

Like the over-night dewfall, Grace is often only perceptible after it has happened. Grace is discernible when we look back and prayerfully/deliberately reflect upon our lives. We are able to recognise the moments when God has gently and lovingly invited us in a particular direction or placed a particular decision before us. Grace is that ‘thing’ (for absolute want of a better word), which nudges/invites us in a way which respects our freedom to choose how we respond.

In this vein, Grace is constantly at work in our lives, and never ceases to invite our freely chosen response. This    invited ‘response’ is always a ‘yes’ to God’s desire for our love and freedom – our love for others and God, as well as our freedom from sin and attachment to the things of this world such as money, power, and ego.

What is God’s Grace doing in you right now? In my experience, Grace often pushes up against things which I find challenging, such as particular relationships, my attachment to things, and my need to be in the right. I am also convinced that while I have my perceived needs – which often inform what I pray for – God knows me better than I do, and actively works in my life (through Grace) by placing decisions before me which invite my ‘yes’.

One of those Grace-inspired invitations/decisions we all have before is at this time is how we approach Sacrificial Giving. While Covid has somewhat disrupted our two-week preaching on Giving – with Fathers Joseph, Gerard and Francis   isolating – the opportunity remains: to be deliberate about how and why we give – not to the Church, but to God. At this time, I would like to invite your consideration on two different aspects of Sacrificial Giving: rate and volume.

When we talk about rate, we are addressing how much each person gives. Now while one’s rate of giving is highly personal, I posit an important question: does your rate of giving reflect an offering to God of your first fruits? In other words, are you giving God an amount that means something to you? Notwithstanding the beauty of the widow’s mite (Mk 12:41-44), and the danger of suggesting a specific amount, most (not all) people in our lucky country could afford a weekly gift of $20 or more.

When, on the other hand, we talk about volume, we’re addressing the amount of givers in our parish. Friends, the average age of worshipping parishioners is not yet going down. Our senior parishioners form the majority of our volume of givers, and so while we (the parish finance council and I), are deliberately looking at alternative sources of income for our parish that will assist in funding our Mission, it is vital that we grow our volume of regular (weekly) dedicated givers.

Today, I am inviting you to prayerfully consider a response to one or both aspects of Sacrificial Giving: rate and/or volume. This might mean a percentage increase in your weekly rate, or it might mean becoming an electronic giver (volume). By becoming an electronic giver through either a weekly direct debit or the Parish Giving App, you are greatly assisting the parish in its ability to plan and budget for our Mission. In making your decision, I gently invite you to resist the natural inclination of thinking, ‘What will I get out of it?’, but to asking the question, ‘What will my giving allow us to achieve as a parish’, and ‘Who will it allow us to reach?’

Friends, if you missed out on receiving a copy of our Annual Performance Report – which also contains a blank direct debit request form – last weekend, there are more copies available this weekend. I sincerely thank you for prayerfully approaching this important topic with an open heart, and I look forward to sharing the good news of our parish’s response to this year’s annual Parish Appeal.

Peace and blessings,

Fr Josh

St Vincent De Paul

St Vincent de Paul, Caloundra are very grateful for your generous and ongoing support.  There will be a winter appeal in the OLR Church on the weekend of the  27th and 28th July. Your assistance makes a real difference in this community and is greatly appreciated.

Annual Performance Report

In an effort to demonstrate stewardship of the parish’s financial resources, Fr Josh and the Parish Finance Council have put together an annual performance report. Please click here to download a digital copy of the report.

Looking to Explore God’s Word? Consider Bible Study Groups

There are multiple Bible Study opportunities on offer across the parish. The groups are guided by work booklets that offer questions and reflections.
• The new study for the Caloundra groups is called “Growing Older & Wiser” and begins in July after the school Holidays. To register interest contact: Caroline Kettle 0435 828 092.
• For the Hinterland – watch this space!!! Exciting things to come.
• Upcoming – At Kawana Good Shepherd Centre. For those looking for more, a course on the Acts of the Apostles will be offered over 10 sessions from 22nd August. This rich course is written by renowned Catholic biblical scholar Dr Mary Healy and is entitled “Evangelism/Acts of the Apostle”. A small donation of $15 is appreciated to cover resources. Sessions
8am-9:30am. You can register interest with John Manion at [email protected]

Position Vacant

A new paid secretarial position has opened in the parish office. If you would love to work as part of a dynamic team, have a welcoming personality, and have experience with computer skills and can work 16hr p/w, we invite you to submit your resume to [email protected]