News - Stewardship is … RSS Feed

Each one of us represents a different color in God’s perfect painting. It takes each one of us using our gifts and talents to fulfill God’s plan for our lives. I am not an artist, so think of a giant color-by-numbers painting. The picture is not complete unless all the colors are filled in, making each one of us equally important.  

Summer time is here! Time for vacations, travel and new adventures! Yes, summer is a time when many of us take a break from our everyday lives and go on a vacation to relax or travel to visit family and friends. Traveling to new places is always an adventure and presents a great opportunity for us as Christian disciples striving to be good stewards.  The Gospels are full of stories of Jesus traveling with His disciples and teaching in different towns and cities. Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He commissioned His disciples to, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations …” — Matthew 28:19 

 Why does stewardship call us to give? Of course, our parish and other charities need our financial support to run ministries, pay bills, staff and much more. However, do we ever consider our need to give? 

"He humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”  — Philippians 2:8

Lent calls for sacrifice much like stewardship. What better time than Lent to focus on being a good Christian steward. During Lent we make sacrifices for 40 days through prayer, fasting and almsgiving to prepare for Easter. As faithful Catholic stewards, we are called to step out of our comfort zone to share the gifts of time, talent and treasure that God so generously gave us all the time. If we are not living the life of a Christian steward, Lent is the perfect time to start!

When we love someone, we naturally want to give to that person. Whether it is our children, grandchildren, parents, spouse, friend or a new relationship, we generously give to them. Why do we have to work so hard at being a good steward when we love God?

A new year is a great time to evaluate how we are doing as good Christian stewards. Many people make New Year’s Resolutions. Most New Year’s resolutions include diet, exercise, budgeting or reduced screen time because we see each of these as ways to better ourselves. While each of these things are good, there is no better way to better ourselves than to devote the time, talent and treasures our God so generously gave us to love and worship Him to accomplish His will in our lives. 

Every angel tree gift will shine the light of hope and happiness for a child in need this Christmas morning. That is a beautiful example of stewardship. The season of Advent and Christmas offer so many opportunities to be a light of hope showing love for our neighbors in need. 

Our turkey and all the fixings may cost a little more this year, but being together with family is priceless. Thanksgiving is an excellent time to reflect on the many blessings in our life. As many families did not gather for Thanksgiving last year due to the pandemic, we are thankful to be together in person this year. 

We are a family of faith. In every family, each member has different roles and responsibilities. A family is there for support in good times and bad. That is no different in our family of faith. 

The story of the loaves and fish is an awesome example of stewardship. This is the only story of Jesus’ miracles told in all four Gospels.

We did not know how to tie our shoe until someone taught us. Why would we think that stewardship is instinctive? Back to school is a great time to share how the tradition of Christian stewardship came straight out of the Bible. 

We are each a unique piece to God’s puzzle. It takes each one of us using our gifts and talents to fulfill God’s plan for our lives. A puzzle cannot be completed if just one piece is missing, each piece is equally important.  

To quote my alma mater’s creed, “I believe in work, hard work.” Although the Auburn Creed is not scripture based, it sure could be. 

Thankfully, we can finally travel and visit relatives! It feels almost like the good ole pre-COVID days. We can venture out of our bubble and take a vacation or travel to visit family and friends. Traveling to new places is a fun adventure and presents a great opportunity for us as Christian disciples striving to be good stewards. 

A wise priest once told me that stewardship is much more than the “Sermon on the Amount.” Sure, tithing is certainly a part of stewardship, but only one piece. God calls us to use all our gifts and talents to glorify Him, serve others and fulfill His calling in our life. That is why He so generously gave us the gifts of time, talents and treasure. So how can we get started? 

If there is one thing I have learned this past year through these challenging circumstances, it is that God intended for us to be together in communion with one another. The things I have missed most are big family gatherings and large events at my parish with my parish family. Fellowship allows us the opportunity to be a good steward in ways we may not have imagined. 

If it was easy, it wouldn’t take so much practice! We learned at a young age that practice makes perfect, but how does this relate to stewardship and our faith? 

God is madly in love with each one of us!

How are your New Year’s resolutions working out? Are those resolutions addressing true needs in our life?