VISION: What Is Catholic Stewardship?
Stewardship is not simply making donations or taking care of the building and grounds. It is a spirituality—hence a way of life— made of four parts:
Receiving the gifts of God with gratitude
Cultivating them responsibly
Sharing them lovingly in justice with others
Standing before the Lord in a spirit of accountability
It is up to you to determine how you will live out this stewardship way of life. You will not be alone, however. Millions of fellow Catholics are traveling together with you.
STEWARDSHIP: A Way of Living
When we think of being Catholic, many of us conjure images of kneeling prayerfully at Sunday Mass. Some recall memories of learning about the faith in childhood through Catholic school or religious education classes. How many among us consider Stewardship – the willful giving of our time, talents, and treasure – a way of truly LIVING our Catholic faith each day?
The practice of Stewardship is not intended to be an undue burden. Rather, over time, it should become a natural expression of your love of God and others, and your gratefulness for the gifts God has bestowed on each of us. Thus, for each person, there is opportunity to practice a Stewardship Way of Living that corresponds to and compliments his or her life circumstances.
Part of St Edna’s Vision 2010 focuses on this way of Christian living that we call Stewardship. Our hope is that over time, more parishioners will be able to discern and share their talents, and spend time volunteering with other parishioners. For many of us, finding the TIME to offer is a hindrance to involvement. To address this common obstacle for many, St. Edna will soon be publishing one-time, short-term service opportunities in the bulletin.
We will also feature more articles demonstrating the wonderful work and diverse talents practiced through the variety of ministries in the parish. These stories both acknowledge the active Stewards in the parish, and, hopefully, inspire others to actively participate in these enriching opportunities.
Rewards
A clear sense of purpose—nourished by the Eucharist and our rich Catholic tradition—opens the door for us to actively commit to a life of gratitude and responsibility, to thank God for his endless gifts, and then to decide what we can do to help the world. The rewards include:
Making a difference in people’s lives
Becoming an active member of a fulfilling Catholic community
Discovering talents inside you, waiting to be used
Letting go of your worries and setting realistic goals in both your spiritual and secular life
Experiencing the amazing increase in God’s presence that comes with a partnership with the Lord
Challenges
It is an incredible challenge to live in imitation of the life of Christ. We all face opportunities and obstacles, living in a fast-paced environment with many responsibilities. Our spiritual hunger does not always get a chance to be nourished through prayer and action. One challenge is identifying your gifts, and determining how they can best be used for service to others. This is called “discernment”. Discernment takes time, prayer, and reflection.
EXPECTATIONS: Your Talents
Each of us is blessed by God with talents which He expects us to use in helping to serve one another and build up His Church, the Body of Christ. Our individual talents will usually fit within one or more of the following general categories.
Administration CounselingHospitality Prayer
Artistic ExpressionCraftsmanship Leadership Social Ministry
Communications Encouragement New Ministry Teaching
Compassion Giving Pastoring
Some Specific Gifts or Talents Which Might Fall into These General Categories:
Athletics Dancing Legal Mentoring
Carpentry Electrical Fund RaisingPublic Speaking
Child Care Gardening Listening Recruiting Others
Communication Medical Sharing Ideas Teaching
Faith SharingPhotography Welcoming Support
Finance Organization Writing
Begin by setting aside some quiet time with no interruptions. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you recognize your gifts and talents. Then ask yourself some of these questions:
What are my special abilities?
What skills have I developed?
When people compliment me, what do they recognize?
What do family members see as my best traits?
What makes me good at what I do?
What do I have that I could share with those less fortunate or in need?
What difficulties have I overcome?
Don Luken David Jackson Diane Lolli
Gene ConnollySuzanne Jackson Kathy Romza
Amie Hartnett Carl Krzystofczyk
REFLECTION
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I do believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost. And in the shadow of death, I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my struggles alone.
Generous and loving God, You call us to be disciples of your Son Jesus and good stewards of all your many gifts.
Open our minds and hearts to a greater awareness and deeper appreciation of your countless blessings.
Transform us through the power of your Spirit to nurture a Stewardship way of life marked by faith-filled prayer, service to our neighbor and generous sharing.
Teach us to be faithful servants of your gifts. With Mary's help, may we return ten-fold The gifts entrusted to us. We pray through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
There is much talk in stewardship circles about how the practice of hospitality is part of the nature of being a stewardship parish. Hospitality does not simply mean providing coffee and donuts or selling breakfast tacos after Mass although welcoming strangers and fellow worshippers in this manner is an ideal way to exercise hospitality. A foundational aspect of hospitality includes greeting and treating all who enter the door of the church, rectory, parish office, classroom, or who call on the phone, with a genuine spirit of compassion and love; to receive others as Christ would receive them. It should not matter if the visitor or caller is the bishop or a beggar. Those who come to the parish door or call the parish should be able to see the love of God in those who represent the parish; through their words, actions and, indeed, their very presence. Hospitality is not just the job of the ministers of hospitality or ushers. It is the obligation of every one associated with the parish, from the pastor to the groundskeeper to the parishioners who worship and give of their time at the parish. It is important for a parish community that considers itself a stewardship parish to reflect periodically on what it means to welcome each parishioner and visitor, be they strangers or not, as Christ would welcome them.
