Stewardship:

While I was not sure exactly what we would talk about, I am grateful for this exercise. My first thought was “What is the definition of stewardship?”. We all hear about TIME, TREASURE, and TALENT, but I wanted a clear definition. And according to Google, because we don’t use dictionaries anymore, the definition of stewardship is: Utilizing and managing all resources God provides for the glory of God and the betterment of His creation. And Wikipedia went on to explain that the central essence of stewardship is managing everything God brings into our lives in a manner that honors God and impacts eternity. 

God created us all. He designed us all in all our unique ways for His reasons. All that we have are gifts from God including our own lives. What better way to show our love for God and appreciation than to share our gifts? How do you share your God given gifts? We have all heard that stewardship is giving our Time, Talent and Treasure. What does that mean to you? For us this is putting God first with our Time, Talent and Treasure and by living our lives in a manner that puts love and positivity in the world. 

We are a busy family. With a demanding work life, and busy home life, we must consciously take the time for God. For us, it is through prayer and attending Mass. And to say YES when our friend, Deacon Mike asks us to speak about stewardship at Mass.

Every year we get the catalog with ministry opportunities within our church. Consider these opportunities to serve God. Have you taken the time to browse our parish website? Find something there that suits your talents. For Theresa, who loves to sing, our church choir was a no-brainer for her. During our global crisis, some of the ministries have taken a back seat. The choir does not sing at Mass anymore and other liturgical ministers are kept to a minimum. But this will not last forever. Consider looking at the options. Before we had kids, Theresa and I were eucharistic ministers and would take communion to the sick and homebound. For some, we were the only visitors they would have had all day. It was something we enjoyed doing. There are church committees that need active volunteers as well as the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, there is a group that knits and gives away prayer shawls, there is even a befriender ministry. Check it out. I did not know it was a thing but sounds like a great ministry.

We know first hand that the money and things that we acquire in this life, you don’t take it with you. Instead of seeing what is left of your paycheck to give to the church, set an amount aside for your tithe before the bills are paid and your play money is spent. We really appreciate the EFT option for our church tithe. No more running back into the house at the last minute for our envelope when we are already running late. 

And to all you parents with busy, growing families: Yes, you are using your time, talent, and treasure to be a steward in God in parenting. Our children are God’s children and are on loan to us.  As parents, we are entrusted by God to serve, love, lead and disciple His kids. For Theresa and I, it is important to us that we provide our children with strong Catholic education and a loving, faith filled home. And we are providing our kids as much opportunity as possible to practice their God-given talents. We pray that as they become adults, they will feel called to use their talents in stewardship.

Use your daily lives to become good stewards of God by spreading love and positivity to anyone you interact with. Show compassion to strangers, show patience to the tired overworked retail worker during the Christmas shopping season, offer a smile and a hello to the next person in line at the grocery store. Visit your neighbor that lives alone. Pray for them. 

There are so many opportunities for us to be stewards of God. Take a moment today to think about what you do to be a steward of God. Are you doing enough? Can you do more? Will you do more?

 

To Be a Christian Steward

A Summary of the U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Letter on Stewardship

“As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Pt 4:10).

What identifies a steward? Safeguarding material and human resources and using them responsibly are one answer; so is generous giving of time, talent, and treasure.  But being a Christian steward means more. As Christian stewards, we receive God’s gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord.