The Beauty of Stewardship

 

Short reflections suitable for use in parish bulletins and newsletters, at gatherings or retreats, or as individual exercises.

 

Weekly Reflections for May 2013

 July 1 – 13th SundayMay 12^th – Ascension of the Lord

Just when the Apostles were getting used to having Jesus around after His resurrection, He leaves again and ascends into heaven. The natural reaction of the Apostles would be one of fear at the prospect of being alone again.  Instead, as we hear in today’s Gospel, they “returned to Jerusalem with great joy”. The Apostles trusted in our Lord’s promise that He would send them the Holy Spirit. Trust is a virtue central to the life of a disciple and Christian steward.  It is only through completely trusting in the Holy Spirit that we are able to confidently and generously share our gifts and do our part in proclaiming the Good News.

May 19^th – Pentecost Sunday

In today’s reading from Acts a diverse group of people is gathered at Pentecost. Even though they certainly did not have a uniformity of beliefs or traditions, they were united as one by the same spirit. Our parish is blessed with a similar diversity, and when we unite our gifts together in the service of God, His Church, and one another, we continue to build a Church of Communion. Thank you for sharing your gifts.

May 26^th – Trinity Sunday

Trinitarian Stewardship: God the Father, creator and giver of who we are and all that we possess; God the Son, our redeemer, and supreme teacher of Christian Stewardship; God the Spirit, the activator, the Holy Spirit guiding how we are to use our gifts. The bottom-line is that one day we will all be held accountable for how we shared  the gifts we were given; how we responded to what we were taught; and, how we acted when inspired. When that day comes, we pray that through God’s grace we will hear the words, “Well done good and faithful steward!”

Courtesy of the Stewardship Office, The Archdiocese of Winnipeg, www.archwinnipeg.ca
 

St. Paul gives us a beautiful lesson in stewardship today. “I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of balance between your present abundance and their need.” In our culture of excessive materialism and consumerism it appears that we can never get enough of what we don’t really need. To counter this we always do well to recognize God as the source of all our gifts including the overwhelming abundance that we enjoy as Canadians. We pray that we may possess sensibly so that we have the freedom to share generously with those who have less

July 8 –14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In today’s Gospel the people in Jesus’ own hometown were very upset by his teaching. The stewardship message is challenging and at times can make us feel a little uncomfortable. Our own friends and family may even question our commitment to this way of life. Yet, stewardship is exactly what is needed in a society that worships complexity, busyness, and the excessive accumulation of material goods. When questioned will you have the courage to take the risk of being a prophetic disciple who lives a steward’s lifestyle?

July 15 – 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time  

When Jesus sent out the twelve apostles he acknowledged that some people would resist the Gospel message. It is natural to feel some resistance to a message that is as counter-cultural as the stewardship way of life. We need to be patient, yet persistent, in first embracing stewardship in our own lives, and then encouraging others to do the same. Above all we need to pray about it.  

July 22 – 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In today’s Gospel, Jesus planned to slip away from the crowds for a few moments of peace and a little rest with his disciples. However, when he saw the people gathered he put his own needs aside to meet the needs of others. Sometimes as good stewards we are