As stewards, we know the more engaged we are in our spiritual lives, the more we want to actively build our relationship with God and serve those around us. We are constantly fed through the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist to help us grow as disciples.
It would only make sense then that the more we attend Mass and deepen our understanding of God’s call to us as stewards, the more eager we will be to share of our time in prayer, our talents and abilities with those around us, and our treasure with our parish community.
The University of Notre Dame’s recent study found the same to be true. According to their findings in Unleashing Catholic Generosity: Explaining the Catholic Giving Gap in the United States, the University of Notre Dame Institute for Church Life explored four religious groups, including Catholics. The study found that attending Mass (or religious services for the other denominations) is highly correlated with tithing and religious giving. Frequent attendance increases the probability of tithing. No big surprise here.
So, attending Mass and deepening our relationship with God not only makes us better disciples, but it also encourages us to be better givers of our resources – the more we go, the more we want to give.
