Annual Parish Financial Report
Ed Scott, Finance Council Chair
FinanceCouncil@StPhilipMinistries.com
In proclaiming and celebrating the Good News of the Gospel and in serving the people it is essential that material needs such as finances, membership, physical plant and talents of the parishioners be considered. A well run parish enriches all parish life.
Why do we give? We give because God gave first. We are made in the image and likeness of God, and our being generous draws us closer to God—the model of generosity.
Why do we give? On the one hand, we give because we want to support our spiritual family home—the church—and to have the resources of people and things we must have to fulfill our mission.
Why do we give? Ultimately, we give to support the Kingdom of God. We call people into the Kingdom, we worship together, we play together, and we serve together. We give generously because others cannot give from their meager financial resources. We give because others have absolutely no resources of their own. So, we give so help our friends and children in Haiti and India. We give to help provide medical and mental health care for those who cannot afford it. We give to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless.
We give because Jesus asked us to give.
If we look at our giving as solely a financial an act, as something we account for in our family budgeting, then we do not discover the joy that generous giving creates for us. Giving is first and foremost a spiritual act. It is a tangible act of faith. It is an act of praise for God and for all that God has done for us. It is a participation in the sacrificial love of Christ. To see giving as a spiritual act connects us ever more to Christ in the Eucharist.
At every Mass, after our gifts are placed on the altar represented by the bread and wine, we ask God to accept our sacrificial gifts as the priest prays, “May my sacrifice and yours be acceptable to God, our almighty Father.” Spiritually motived giving makes our giving acceptable.