Stewardship

Stewardship

“You are the light of the world.  A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

– Matthew 5:14-16

As recipients of God’s love and mercy, we are called upon to share these gifts with others through the sharing of our time, talent, and treasure. Jesus Christ was sent to this world as our Saviour to help guide us toward a life of true disciples.  As such, we are given the task of sharing His love through our words and actions every day of our lives.  … just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

– Matthew 20:28

Stewardship simply asks that we be responsible for the use of our gifts from God by making the best use of what we have and always making the greatest effort to share these with our faith community as well as others throughout our lives. Stewardship is not a program or any type of tactic, it is simply a way of life that we learn to adapt to as we work to live as disciples of our Lord. We are all contributors to our parish, our faith community, our families, our jobs, and our overall life. Through the guidance of our faith, we can begin to recognize our many abilities and be empowered to share them.

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.  To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”

– 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

The gift of Time can be shared in many ways. We may strive to begin with dedicating time for daily prayer or an increase in time spent with family or lending careful attention to our work. We may possess many Talents such as sewing, playing an instrument, singing, organization, or you may be fluent in various languages. These are just a few examples. Perhaps there is a ministry within our parish for which your talent can serve as a great blessing.  And then there is Treasure, as we receive His blessings we are then privileged to share these back with others.  Have you considered that your knowledge of the great mercy and love of our Lord is truly our greatest treasure? How beautiful to share this and all His good news with others through our words and actions. Perhaps, if we are able, our sharing of our financial blessings may also serve to help someone or to help the parish continue to develop and grow. It is a development and growth from which we all will benefit in some beautiful way.

As we are reminded through Matthew’s Gospel, we must be the light of the world. We must radiate God’s love for us all and through the sharing of His presence in our lives, we will all continue to unite ourselves closer with our Heavenly Father. After all, our actions and deeds here will find great reward “hereafter.” May we all find our way through Heaven’s gate and find glory in His promise of eternal life.

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.”

– Erma Bombeck

You can also visit Catholic Stewardship Online for more information.

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