Leaving Money to Charity

            An egg given during life for love of God is more profitable for eternity
                                    than a cathedral full of gold given after death.

-          St. Albert the Great

The above quote is from reflections on tomorrow’s Gospel (The Better Part #276).  It states that giving NOW, versus leaving money in your will to charity, is much more pleasing to God.  Don’t just leave money to charity; GIVE money to charity.

Now, you could look at that thought in two ways.  1) Your bequests (which included charities) in your will are what you had when you died – leftovers you didn’t need.  I could see why God wouldn’t value this as generosity, because it is not an intentional act of love, like the poor woman donating her only coin in the temple.  Generosity is something done in love of neighbor, one of God’s children.  If I value myself first and give leftovers to my neighbor, well, there is a parable about that, and who went to heaven and who was begging for a drop of water in hell.

The other way of looking at charitable bequests is 2) You recognize all your possessions as gifts from God.  And you cherish His gifts.  So, you live a life which prioritizes love of neighbor over self, but you act responsibly.  It is very easy to give everything you own to charity; there are tons of solicitations in your mailbox every day.  But if you treasure His gifts, you don’t waste them on re-gifting just to get rid of His gifts.  You give and act responsibly, loving your neighbor.  That may mean giving to a charity, the beggar on the corner, buying some groceries for a poor family, or paying their rent this month.  And you use your time in a similar manner.  You use God’s gifts as led by the Spirit, and to know that you regularly ask: “What would You have me do today, Lord?”  And you listen and look for an answer (WWJD).  And meanwhile you provide for your own needs, and perhaps joy --- which you thank God for.

And if you should die while waiting to do the right charitable things with God’s gifts, THEN any leftovers given to charity are also God answering your prayer.