Catholics are often asked whether we are called to tithe. The answer is both simple and profound: Under the new law of Christ, we are called to offer not a fixed percentage, but our whole being — and every gift God has given us — back to him in thanksgiving as a pure offering.

The early Church Fathers made it clear that Christians are not bound by the Old Testament tithe. This doesn’t mean we are required to give away all our material goods; the Fathers were talking about a holistic orientation of life.

The amount we must give is not stipulated by the Church. That decision is a prudential one, best made by the head of the household. This allocation may change from month to month and will depend entirely on the current material circumstances of the household. Some poor families should give no money at all, while some wealthy households may be able to give away as much as 90%.

Offering Ourselves with a Pure Heart

One of my old business mentors, a Protestant, used to say, “All you have to give away is 10% — you can do whatever you want with the other 90%.” That is not true. I’m afraid many Protestants approach the Bible with a kind of superstition, as if it were a magic code book. I’ve even heard more than one non-Christian success coach claim that giving 10% to charity is a “law of the universe” that will make you wealthy. 

This is not what Catholics believe. The Fathers of the Church teach that the offering is rooted in generosity — first to our dependents, then to our pastors, and then in alms to the poor outside our household. The 10% figure is not a magic number. It’s about the offering, not the percentage.

Catholics believe that all our wealth belongs to God. As stewards of his gifts, we should offer them back to him every day. Many Catholics do this as part of a Morning Offering, such as: “I offer to you the entire and full right of disposing of me and all that belongs to me, without exception, for the greater glory of God, in time and in eternity.” Whatever the form, the offering should be made with a pure heart.

Making an offering is part of what we do as Christians when we come to God in prayer. Jesus warned that our offering is unacceptable to the Lord if we bring it without first being reconciled with God and neighbor (Matthew 5:24). He challenged the Pharisees on tithing because  many were observing the letter of the tithing law without forgiveness, generosity or charity.

Sadly, fallen human nature had turned something noble — supporting the priestly class and their service to the the poor — into something legalistic, prone to judgmentalism and even extortion. The only time Jesus is described as being violently angry is when he drove out the money changers who were exploiting the poor as they came to the Temple to pay their tithes and make their sacrifices.

The New Law of Generosity

The Fathers of the Church teach that Christians are not bound to tithe according to the prescriptions of the old law. St. John Chrysostom, for example, said that Christians should not limit their generosity to 10%.

Under the new law of Christ, we are told to love our neighbors and be generous with them at all times, “for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). The word neighbor literally means “the one who is nigh” (closest to me). So when God tells us to be generous with our neighbor, that means first with our spouse, then our children, then our extended family and parish community, according to the principle of subsidiarity.

This means that every minute on our calendar and every budgeted item on our Excel sheet should be allocated toward love. The time, energy, income and resources we share with our wife, children and the Church are all offered with charity in our hearts as a thanksgiving to God.

St. Ambrose of Milan taught that the principle of generosity follows the principles of subsidiarity and distributive justice. So, who is your poor neighbor? Who is closest to you and in need? First, your dependents; then your pastors; then the poor in your community; then the religious educators and others who serve the Church — and so on.

Charity That Saves

It is important to remember that not all needs can be met with money — in fact, most cannot. A child needs a mother’s undivided love, discipline, training and attention during the first five years of life and beyond. A craftsman doesn’t need a handout; he needs employment. A widow needs the care of her children. The sick need a loving caregiver — ideally a family member or a holy person — somebody like Sts. Cosmas and Damian, St. Hildegard or St. Elizabeth of Hungary.

Is it always possible to meet people’s needs perfectly with selfless, loving care? Maybe not. Are there exceptions to these situational norms? Yes. But it’s important to recognize that there is a standard. Our world is fallen, but that does not mean we should accept its abnormalities as the norm for how we love and care for one another. The Holy Family is our standard for family life, and the saints are our models for practicing charity. We should strive to imitate them.

Why? Because a person’s soul is at stake — every time. True charity inspires conversion and reconciliation. The goal of charity is not to help someone buy a boat someday; the goal of charity is salvation. If we have not shared the love of God with someone and inspired them to seek holiness and follow the Way, then our charity has not borne the fruit it was intended to bear — because nothing matters more than getting to heaven and helping others get there with us.

We have all heard the expression, “You can’t take it with you when you die.” Earthly goods are here to serve us in our journey — to help us grow in virtue and get to heaven. In the hands of a good person, material wealth can accomplish much good. That’s why it’s important that people have the freedom and means to be generous, rather than being overburdened or restricted in their ability to give.

Giving 100%

In summary, Christians are not called to tithe as a legal obligation under the old law, but are instead invited to embrace a higher calling: to give of themselves and their resources entirely, in love and thanksgiving to God. True generosity flows from a heart transformed by Christ’s oblation on the cross. As St. Irenaeus writes in Against Heresies:

The people of Israel used to dedicate tithes of their possessions. But those who have been given freedom devote what they possess to the Lord’s use. They give it all to him, not simply what is of lesser value, cheerfully and freely because they hope for greater things, like the poor widow who put into God’s treasury her whole livelihood.

As Our Lord himself says: “Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

The Church teaches us to prioritize the needs of our family, parish and community in accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and distributive justice. As the Fathers of the Church remind us, charity is not simply the transfer of material goods but the cultivation of relationships and the salvation of souls. By imitating Christ and the saints, we show that every act of generosity is an offering of love — ultimately storing up treasure in heaven and leading others to encounter God’s love through faithful Christian stewardship.

God will not judge us based on whether we tithed or not. He will judge us based on how loving and generous we were with our family and friends — how attentive we were to their needs. Let us not settle for giving merely 10%, but strive to give 100% to God in love — just as Christ gave himself for us.