May 2008 | Download

Mary: The First Christian Steward

During May, the Church asks the faithful to turn their attention to Mary, the Mother of God. “For this is the month during which Christians, both in Church and in the privacy of the home, offer up to Mary from their hearts an especially fervent and loving homage of prayer and veneration,” Pope Paul VI once said. “In this month, too, the gifts of God’s mercy come down to us from her throne in greater abundance.” (Mense Maio)

So often in parish life, the Blessed Virgin Mary is the recipient of a wonderful devotion. We come to her in prayer, lighting candles, asking for her assistance for our many worries and troubles. And so it should be! As our Mother, Mary is the one who can attend to our many personal needs.

Yet, how many of us enlist her aid in our stewardship efforts? As we call forth the gifts and talents of the faithful, how many of us ask for her intercession in making our initiatives more fruitful? I would like to propose that in parish and community life, Mary is the best person to assist with our teaching and practice of stewardship. Why?

Because she was the first steward of Jesus Christ.

Consider the Gospel account of the Wedding at Cana (Jn 2:1- 11). Mary shows us the path of true stewardship through four natural steps: 1.) participating in a close personal relationship with Jesus; 2.) paying attention to the needs of the people around her; 3.) asking Jesus to fulfill those needs; and finally, 4.) allowing herself to be an instrument in the Lord’s providence and abundance.

So often in parish life, the Blessed Virgin Mary is the recipient of a wonderful devotion. We come to her in prayer, lighting candles, asking for her assistance for our many worries and troubles.

Mary’s stewardship is a way of both dependence and action. Her relationship with Christ naturally makes her more attentive to other people. When she recognizes that a lack of wine will be an embarrassment to the wedding hosts, she does not try to fix the situation herself. She goes to Jesus. This is key! As the first steward of the mystery of the Incarnation, Mary appreciates the fact that she cannot provide what is needed on her own. Once she asks for his assistance, she is so confident in his ability to provide that she tells the stewards: “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5). The outcome of abundance is well known to most of us, but it bears repeating from a stewardship perspective. A dependence on the living Jesus results in an act of providence that is far greater than anyone could have imagined.

With the Lord present in the tabernacles of our parish churches, why would we expect anything less today?

During May, as we gather our Marian altar flowers and have our May processions, let us ask the Blessed Mother, the first steward of the mystery of Jesus in our midst, to help us pay attention with her eyes, with her sensibility, with her open heart. There are tremendous needs in our homes, parishes, dioceses, communities and world. Indeed, “the Lord calls each one of us to act as a steward of his providence for our neighbor,” teaches Pope Benedict XVI (Lenten Message 2008).

Our gifts of time, talent and treasure are meant to be shared. But before this “disciple’s response”, we must ask for the grace to approach our stewardship with Mary: to deepen our relationship with her Son; to ask for a heart that sees the needs around us; to go to Christ first as we learn to depend on him alone; and finally to allow ourselves to be the instruments of his Father’s providence, through the work of the Spirit of Love.

--Mary Beth Newkumet

We encourage you to check out the ICSC Forum in our ‘Members’ section where members can share ideas and questions. The Parish Stewardship section is reviewed every day by members of the Parish Stewardship Education and Services Committee.

April 2008 | Download | Back to Top

Stewardship of the Environment

As environmental organizations around the globe prepare for World Earth Day on April 22, it is appropriate to reflect on how we can be better stewards of our earth. Ecological stewardship is a concern expressed by the United States Bishops in their pastoral letter: Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response and is a continuing concern for Christian stewards.

The following “eco-stewardship” tips and quotes were adapted by the Diocese of Calgary in Canada from treehugger.com. They come courtesy of Simone Brosig, Ph.D., Stewardship Coordinator of the diocese. The quotations are compiled by Marta Edgar of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Calgary.

1. KEEP IT REAL

2. MAKE COMPOST FROM KITCHEN SCRAPS

3. BUY RECYCLED

4. GROW YOUR OWN FOOD OR JOIN A COMMUNITY GARDEN

We encourage you to check out the ICSC Forum in our ‘Members’ section where members can share ideas and questions. The Parish Stewardship section is reviewed every day by members of the Parish Stewardship Education and Services Committee.

March 2008 | Download | Back to Top

Individual Acts of Stewardship

Bishop Morneau of Green Bay has spoken about the 12 Gardens of Stewardship. This broad concept of stewardship shows that it extends to the soul, the arts, the mind, history, technology, politics, emotions, the planet, decisions, money, relationships, the body, and perhaps others. If stewardship consists of many gardens, then obviously it is something that needs to be planted (recognizing God as the source of all we have through prayer and thanking God for all those gifts), tended (cultivated and nurtured), and harvested (sharing with others and giving back to God). The following Individual Acts of Stewardship suggest many different ways that we can be stewards.

The Garden of Relationships
Our lives are busy. But the purpose of our lives is all about relationships – with God, with each other. To neglect our relationships, especially with those who are close to us, is to not exercise good stewardship.

Our relationships can be a lot of work, but they are crucial for our survival. We must give our relationships proper time and attention – just like the gardener giving proper time and attention to his garden. Some ideas for tending the garden of our relationships:

• Send a card to someone who is in need of support.
• When you hear a siren, say a prayer for those it is going to aid and a prayer of thanksgiving for those who help them.
• Invite some friends over that you haven’t gotten together with in a while.
• Write a letter to someone you’ve not spoken to/written to in a while.
• Eat out one less time a week. Invite a friend over for dinner.
• Take a parenting class or anger management class (they are great for learning better communication skills, even if you don’t think they’d apply to you).
• Sign up for a Marriage Encounter weekend. It’s great stewardship of your marriage.
• Take every chance you get to say hello to your neighbors. You’ll build good relationships that will benefit you, too.
• Attend your family gatherings if at all possible. Maintaining a relationship with those who share a common history and background can help us understand more about our past and our future.
• Visit the homebound – especially any relatives or friends or acquaintances.
• Say a prayer for those in need every day.
• Don’t be shy – when appropriate wave/say hello.
• Tell someone that they are gifted – compliment them on their talents.
• Don’t pass on gossip or participate when people are gossiping!
• If there is someone you know who might benefit from a timely word or gentle suggestion, make a point to speak to them.
• Next time you get an invitation with an RSVP, respond immediately. You’ll be a good steward of everyone’s time.
• Be careful getting in and out of your car not to ding another’s car. Treating other people’s property with respect is good stewardship.
• Be honest – pay what you owe.
• Give others the gift of silence.
• Tip those who serve you properly – including maids at a hotel, etc.

We encourage you to check out the ICSC Forum in our ‘Members’ section where members can share ideas and questions. The Parish Stewardship section is reviewed every day by members of the Parish Stewardship Education and Services Committee.

February 2008 | Download | Back to Top

Pope Benedict XVI includes an invitation to
Christian Stewardship in his Lenten Message

In his Lenten message for the year 2008, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, reflects on one of the fundamental aspects of Christian stewardship as a basis for almsgiving, his theme for this year. The pontiff observed that the Gospel teaches that we are only administrators, not owners, of the material resources we possess. Indeed, our material possessions are the “means through which the Lord calls each one of us to act as stewards of his providence for our neighbor,” he maintained.

Our Holy Father also said that in predominantly Christian countries, the invitation to practice stewardship is even greater: “In those countries whose population is majority Christian, the call to share is even more urgent, since their responsibility toward the many who suffer poverty and abandonment is even greater. To come to their aid is a duty of justice even prior to being an act of charity.”

Pope Benedict XVI invites us to embrace almsgiving as a Lenten discipline, a way to spiritual renewal and as a part of our obligation to be Christian stewards.

We encourage you to check out the ICSC Forum in our ‘Members’ section where members can share ideas and questions. The Parish Stewardship section is reviewed every day by members of the Parish Stewardship Education and Services Committee.

January 2008 | Download | Back to Top

“Making All Things New”:
Stewardship and New Year’s Resolutions

Stewardship is a commitment of mind and heart to the Lord; a way of life that needs constant renewal and transformation. This time of year has always been one of looking forward to a new year, reflecting on the changes we need to make in our lives and resolving to follow through on those changes. Perhaps those who seek to make resolutions to be better stewards might find inspiration in the following samples:

Stewardship of Prayer: Resolve to strengthen your relationship with the Lord. Notice how often you pray and what hinders you from praying. Commit to short, daily prayer times.

Stewardship of Family: Resolve to set aside more time to stay connected with your family. Eat dinner together, schedule regular dates with your spouse, plan family outings, and go to Mass together.

Stewardship of Health: Resolve to get those medical and dental checkups. Adopt healthier eating habits. Add exercise and other physical activity to your daily routine.

Stewardship of Possessions: Resolve to possess a little more “lightly” this year. Consider ways you can reduce the amount of all that stuff you own. Distinguish between those items that are necessary and those that are considered luxurious and unnecessary.

Stewardship of the Parish Family: Resolve to serve your faith community in some way this year such as at liturgy, in the parish’s outreach or education and formation efforts.

Stewardship of Money: Resolve to render sacred your annual budget. Reprioritize your financial goals to ensure that the Lord comes first in your spending. Take positive steps to improve your financial health.

Stewardship of Work: Resolve to be faithful to your daily, work- related tasks and offer them up to the Lord. Cultivate your skills. Deepen your knowledge. Be mindful of how you are building the Kingdom of God.

Stewardship of Mind: Resolve to keep your mind active. Commit to being more informed on the issues of the day. Read your bible. In this year of presidential elections in the United States, familiarize yourself with the Church’s social teachings.

Stewardship of Neighbor: Resolve to be a person of hospitality; to make time and space for others who enter your life. Be more aware of those times when a neighbor, co-worker, fellow parishioner or stranger, needs a moment of kindness, a little attention or an affirming gesture on your part.

Stewardship of the Poor: Resolve to live with more compassion and in solidarity with those less fortunate. Remember the poor in prayer, and commit to helping relieve in some way the plight of those who are impoverished or marginalized.

We encourage you to check out the ICSC Forum in our ‘Members’ section where members can share ideas and questions. The Parish Stewardship section is reviewed every day by members of the Parish Stewardship Education and Services Committee.