Padre Pio Parish Glenmore Park

Sometime last year an Egyptian family approached me after Mass with an envelope containing a lot of money. The man gave it to me and explained that it was a donation for the church from his daughter. When I asked what prompted this amazing generosity, he told me that it is written in the Bible (specifically Deuteronomy chapter 18  http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/deuteronomy/deuteronomy18.htm ) that you should give the first-fruits of your labours to the priest of the church. Her Siberian Husky had given birth to 4 pups and she was giving the money from the sale of the first of the puppies.

Suddenly I realised why over the years many people had given me envelopes of money saying, “This is my first wage of my new job and I want to donate it to the church”. I had assumed that they had prayed for a job and were giving thanks to God for hearing their prayer. I had never taken notice of this Old Testament commendation and I am surprised that more priests didn’t promote it.

The custom which is still common in many truly Catholic countries is based on the belief as the Bible puts it:  “The priests shall have a right to the following things from the people: You shall also give him the first fruits of your grain and wine and oil, as well as the first fruits of the shearing of your flock; for the LORD, your God, has chosen him and his sons out of all your tribes to be always in attendance to minister in the name of the Lord.”

Because the priest is serving the people, the people support him and give him from their own provisions so he does not have to go out and beg or work to support himself. This is the origin of the First Collection at Mass which is used to support not only your own parish priest but also the priests of the Diocese who do not work in parishes or have the means from their own community to sustain himself.