What is a Good Steward?In their pastoral letter
on Stewardship, the American Bishops indicated that a good steward
embodies four specific qualities: that of gratefulness, responsibility,
willingness to share and accountability. We are grateful when we thank
God for the blessings we have received. We are responsible when we take
those blessings and use them prudently. A good steward knows that it is
better to give than to receive and when we share we get so much back.
Since God has entrusted us with talent, gifts and financial resources,
He holds us accountable. God will ask us in the end: “What did you do with all the time that you had? What did you do with all the gifts that I gave you? The final question – what did you do with your life?” If we can answer that we have been stewards He will say to us “Well done good and faithful servants enter into the kingdom prepared for you.” (Mt 25:21) Catholics as Good StewardsWhen
the history of our generation of Catholics is written we believe that
it will be said of us “What good stewards they were.” Certainly this
generation has faced economic uncertainty, shifting demographics,
threats to the Church from without and scandals from within. And yet
Catholics still invest themselves in the life of the Church. They keep
praying, they keep coming to Mass and they keep volunteering and
participating in so many activities that reach out and help others. It will be recorded in the future that Catholics in the beginning of the new millennium worked to change the culture of death into the culture of life. They are a powerhouse for good and they will be recognized in the future for the sacrifices they make to preserve their Catholic Faith and live the values of the Gospel. May all of us be among that number when historians tell their story about us. StewardshipThe
stewardship way of life teaches that we must be thankful people and
return to God a proportionate amount of the time, talent, and treasure
that he has so graciously given us. Stewardship is a "faith journey"
along the path of life. We must use those gifts which come from God in a
responsible manner to promote his kingdom on earth. We acknowledge God’s existence and His ownership of everything by exercising good stewardship. That means managing everything well and responsibly. It also means using some of our time, talents and treasures directly to acknowledge God’s existence and to further the knowledge, acceptance and love of God in this world. Disciples are people who follow the way of Jesus no matter what the cost, who respond to the call of Jesus in a way that changes how we live. Stewardship is a Way of Life Three major elements of Stewardship are: 1. Prayer 2. Ministry (Time and Talent) 3.Treasure/Offering Intentional Stewardship
Understanding StewardshipGod
is generous, giving, loving, forgiving, and gracious. God desires our
loving response to God's generosity. God's generosity can be seen most
clearly in retrospect. Examine your life. Search to see God's generous
hand in it. Take out a pad of paper and write down the times in your
life or in the lives of others close to you when God's hand has been
present. Ponder these examples. Now think of some times when your parish has stepped out in faith and God has been there. Jot down those times and save them. Stewardship is a way of life, giving thanks for all that God has given us-our time, our talents, and our treasure. Stewardship is the way we manage all our time, talents, and treasure. Nothing of value happens in human life without these three currencies. Nothing of value happens in the life of a church without these three currencies. Some think of stewardship as what we give, or return to God for God's work through the church. A tithe means 10 percent of our worldly goods, but really 100% belongs to God. It's
a common quip that the motto of the old Church was "Pray, pay and
obey!" With Vatican II, however, the seeds of deeper Christian
responsibility were sown. The Council Fathers called on the laity to
take renewed ownership of the Church. At the same time, they challenged
the faithful to avoid a dangerous tendency in the modern world:
separating religious faith from other areas of our lives. Getting faith into every corner of our lives is the underlying theme of the U.S. bishops' letter on stewardship. Rather than browbeat and sound the alarm for massive tithing programs, the letter calls on us to "grasp the vision" (not just grasp our checkbooks!) Of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Their approach calls to mind the movie Field of Dreams : If you build it, they will come." The bishops recognize that if all Catholics try to build a deeper commitment to Jesus, the Church will never be short of what it needs to carry out Christ's mission. You are being enriched in every way for all generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God (2 Cor 9:11). In their pastoral letter on Stewardship, the American Bishops indicated that a good steward embodies four specific qualities: that of gratefulness, responsibility, willingness to share and accountability. We are grateful when we thank God for the blessings we have received. We are responsible when we take those blessings and use them prudently. A good steward knows that it is better to give than to receive and when we share we get so much back. Since God has entrusted us with talent, gifts and financial resources, He holds us accountable. God will ask us in the end: “What did you do with all the time that you had? What did you do with all the gifts that I gave you? The final question – what did you do with your life?” If we can answer that we have been stewards He will say to us “Well done good and faithful servants enter into the kingdom prepared for you.” (Mt 25:21) Prayer of Christian StewardsGod our Father,You call all your children to live a life of holiness, and you sent Jesus among us as the perfect Steward to lead us on our journey of faith. Grant that we, as Disciples of your son, may acknowledge you as the source of all our gifts, in the love we show the least of your people, the care with which we protect your created beauty, the generous spirit in which we return these gifts to you with increase. We pray that in all we are and all we do, we strive to imitate your Son in His life of humble service. All this we ask in Jesus' name. Amen. An Overview of StewardshipWhat Is Stewardship?
Act of Faith We profess that we belong to God and all that we possess is His. Act of Trust We place our life in God's loving hands and make Him our treasure. Act of Worship We adore Him as the giver of all good gifts. Act of Belonging We unite our offering with the rest of our Parish Family so that together we might care for the needs of one another, especially the poor. "As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace". (1 Peter 4:10) Spirituality of Stewardship Christian stewardship can be identified by several meaningful characteristics, according to Stewardship a national newsletter:
No doubt, the spiritual benefits outweigh all else. Properly presented, teaching about stewardship will deepen our faith and ultimately change our lives. The following theological points serve as a basis for a Christian way of life expressed through stewardship:
St. Paul reminds us that we are but one body with many parts. For the body to function, those parts are interdependent. Christ expects us to work with Him to make the mission of the Church real, vibrant and alive. Stewardship requires participation in the mission of the Church. The challenge of stewardship is to direct our doing. Each of us is here for a purpose. Each of us is here to make a difference. According to the parables of stewardship, God charges us with the building of the Kingdom. When stewardship is introduced in a parish those who respond generously to the message are often parishioners who have experienced a spiritual renewal through Renew, Marriage Encounter, Cursillo, Christ Renews His Parish, the Charismatic Renewal or similar small faith-sharing groups. Many distinguished leaders in the Church believe that establishing and nurturing small faith-sharing groups is critical for the future vitality and spiritual growth of Catholics. Experience has demonstrated that parishioners who are members of such groups are often leaders as well as generous contributors of their time, talent, and treasure. A Summary of the 1992 U.S. Bishops' Pastoral Letter, Stewardship: A Disciple's Response To be a Christian steward Disciples as stewards
Stewards of creation
Work is a fulfilling human vocation. The Second Vatican Council points out that, through work, we build up not only our world but also the kingdom of God, already present among us. Work is a partnership with God; our share in a divine-human collaboration. It occupies a central place in our lives as Christian stewards. Stewards of vocation Stewards of the church Stewardship is part of the journey. Obstacles to Stewardship Catholics have entered into the mainstream of American society and experienced its advantages; many of us also have been adversely influenced by this secular culture. We know what it is to struggle against selfishness and greed, and we realize that it is harder for many today to accept the challenge of being a Christian steward. It is essential, therefore, that we make a special effort to understand the true meaning of stewardship and live accordingly. A Steward's Way After Jesus, we look to Mary as an ideal steward. As the Mother of Christ, she lived her ministry in a spirit of fidelity and service. She responded generously to the call. We must ask ourselves: Do we also wish to be disciples of Jesus Christ and Christian stewards of our world and our Church? Central to our human and Christian vocations, as well as to the unique vocation each of us receives from God, is that we be good stewards of the gifts we possess. God gives us this divine-human workshop, this world and Church of ours. The Spirit shows us the way. Stewardship is part of that journey. Thoughts on the Pastoral Letter The U.S. Bishops' Pastoral Letter powerfully supports our efforts to promote stewardship. The Pastoral:
Some parishes use the Bishops' Pastoral Letter, Stewardship: A Disciple's Response as a study and prayer activity. Parishioners spend a specified amount of time between meetings reading and reflecting on one chapter of the pastoral letter and then gather in small groups to respond to the questions at the end of each chapter. This section reprinted with Permission: International Catholic Stewardship Council, www.catholicstewardship.org |