1. The 1st principle of stewardship is to receive God's gifts with gratitude. Receiving engenders dependence on God. Gratitude acknowledges abundance.
2. The 2nd principle of stewardship is to cultivate God's gifts responsibly. Literally "steward" means "manager of the house". God has entrusted His house to us. We are accountable to God for managing gifts given to us and we do so for the glory of God and in the service of humankind. 3. The 3rd principle of stewardship is to share God's gifts lovingly and in justice with others. The self-emptying sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is for us a model of sharing with love and in justice. 4. The 4th principle of stewardship is to return God's gifts with increase of the Lord. It is often the fear of losing what we have coupled with inertia the keeps us from giving. Yet, the Gospel urges us not to hoard or be content with the status quot. Faith in God's love and abiding care gives us the confidence to give so that our gifts may bear fruit.
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"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). 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. The life of a Christian steward models the life of Jesus. It is challenging and even difficult, in many respects, yet intense joy comes to those who take the risk to live as Christian stewards. Women and men who seek to live as stewards learn that "all things work for good for those who love God" (Rom 8:28). 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 one 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. |
Father's Blog
Rev. Fr. Christopher Tracey
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