Stewardship

The vocation of every Catholic is to be a disciple of Jesus. Stewardship is a commitment to live as a disciple in all areas of our lives.

Whether we are married, single or in religious life, we each have gifts, given to us by God, to be put to use for the fulfillment of our vocation. Each of us must discern, accept and joyfully use these gifts for the glory of God’s kingdom.

Our gifts come under three broad categories – the 3 Ts – time, talent and treasure. Each of us has a unique combination of these gifts.

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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 Peter 4:10
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Stewardship calls us to discern what our gifts are and put them to good use in the service of the Lord. Just as Jesus called Nathaniel under the fig tree, every call from God is personal. It is a call which tells us, as followers of Jesus, how we are supposed to live.

Jesus is our ultimate model for stewardship. He entered into the world and dedicated his entire life to the service of his Father’s kingdom. By becoming Christian stewards, we are following his example. Doing the will of our Father is a source of great joy and fulfillment.



What is a Steward?

A steward is one who looks after the property of his master. The steward’s job is to care for the property, manage it and invest its resources wisely. It is a job which involves trust and responsibility.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the three servants, entrusted to look after some silver pieces. Two of the servants invested the money wisely and made a profit. The third simply set the money aside for safekeeping. This made the master angry. The servant was punished for being foolish and irresponsible.

The silver pieces in the parable stand for a lot more than money. All the temporal and spiritual goods we have are created by and come from God. They stem from the gifts of faith, hope and love, talents of body and mind as well as relationships with family and friends.

Like the three servants, we will have to account for the gifts we have been given. Every individual has a different mix of talents, opportunities and abilities, given to each of us to be put to good use. God calls on each of us to make the most of these gifts for the growth of his kingdom.


Who is a Steward?

The Christian steward is one who receives God’s gifts gratefully, uses them in a responsible way and returns them to God with increase.

He or she is one who responds to the call of Christ, asking him or her to follow him. Genesis tells us that from the beginning, God placed the first human beings in a garden to practice stewardship by cultivating and caring for it.

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God blessed them saying: “Be
fruitful and multiply; fill the earth
and subdue it. – Genesis 2:28
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The pastoral letter of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops tells us, “Parishioners must accept responsibility for their parishes and contribute generously – both money and personal service – to their programs and projects.

For baptized Christians, the call to follow Jesus makes it an obligation, not an option, to live by the principles of good stewardship.

Each of us is called to apply the principles of good stewardship to every aspect of our lives – in the use of personal talents, abilities and wealth, our attitude to the environment, all natural and human resources, as well as in governmental and economic matters.



The Steward's Challenge

Stewardship begins with a deep, inner conversion that leads us to give more generously of everything that we own.

Archbishop Thomas Collins in his Stewardship document of 2004 when he was Archbishop of Edmonton said, “Stewardship is sometimes called ‘the attitude of gratitude.’ We recognize gratefully that everything in life is a gift of God.

“We do not ultimately own anything but are entrusted with time, talent and treasure for use during our passage through this life. And at the end of life, we take nothing with us, except the life which arises out of generous love. If each of us is aware that all is gift, then we are freed from possessiveness.”

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But seek first the kingdom of
God and his righteousness, and
all these things will be given you
besides. – Matthew 6:33
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True stewardship comes from getting our priorities right. We are to use what we have for the service of others. It means we have to trust in the Lord and be willing to be at the disposal of others. We are stewards, not the ones who are in control.

The life of a Christian steward, imitating the life of Christ, is undoubtedly challenging. It forces us to examine what we do with our time, abilities and money. Jesus has called each one of us individually to respond to his way of life. Our challenge is to understand our vocation and then to respond generously.

Stewardship Prayer
Overview
Time
Talent
Treasure