Monday, July 30, 2007 Alipio: Our fair share By Fr. Jose Alipio The Yoke
Luke 21:1-4
WE HEAR a lot these days about each person doing his fair share. A number of people are advocating the flat income tax as a way of eliminating the inequities in our current system of taxation.
Put in simplest terms, the only fair system of taxation requires everyone would pay the same percentage of their income for taxes. If the tax were set at 10 percent, everyone would pay the same amount. The taxi cab driver and the billionaire would both be taxed at the same rate.
What could be fairer that that? But as good as the idea sounds, elementary math tells us that the billionaire's ninety percent will go a lot farther than the taxi cab driver's.
The billionaire's P900 million will buy a lot more than the taxi cab driver's P36,000. What looks fair on the surface may fall short of fairness in actuality.
This whole discussion of "our fair share" is thrown into a different light by an incident reported in today's gospel lesson. Jesus happened to notice people putting their offerings in the temple treasury. The rich put their offerings, drawing the admiration of bystanders because of the large amount they gave.
A poor widow came by and dropped in two copper coins. How little she gave compared to the rich donors!
But Jesus insisted that she gave far more than all the rest. They contributed out of their surplus. She contributed out of her living.
Our fair share of giving to the needs of others can't be quantified, either in terms of percentages or total amounts. We measure the depth of our compassion and sacrifice by how easy or hard it is for us to get along without the gifts we offer!
